Please note the caveat at the end of this essay – Anthony
Essay by Eric Worrall
Dr. Willie Soon covers possible abiotic sources for hydrocarbons, the role of the sun in climate change, the importance of independence, and his one time friend Dr. Michael Mann.
From Dr. Soon’s Ceres Science website;
00:01:49 Fossil Fuels in Space
00:14:27 Global Warming Throughout History
00:25:31 Outside Forces are Ruining Science
00:40:41 Evidence of God
I personally found the abiotic fuel discussion fascinating. Dr. Willie Soon makes a compelling case that at least some sources of fossil fuel are likely abiotic. Our solar system, the observable universe is full of abiotic hydrocarbons, and laboratory experiments suggest all you need is the right precursor chemicals and a lot of heat and pressure. There are regions in the Earth’s mantle with the right temperature and pressure, and there is surely enough variation in mantle chemistry to at least sometimes provide the right conditions for hydrocarbon synthesis.
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Dr. Soon was pointing out that there is considerable evidence that this is not the only way that hydrocarbons can be produced:
- For example, in a 2009 paper in Nature Geoscience, Kolesnikov and colleagues showed that under very high pressures and temperatures, methane gas can be converted into short-chained hydrocarbons (https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo591).
- Another example they discussed was the fact that liquid methane and small-chained hydrocarbons are found in Saturn’s moon, Titan – see Mastrogiuseppe and colleagues (2019), Nature Astronomy; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0714-2; Hayes (2016). Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-060115-012247.
- Meanwhile, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have also been found in Titan’s atmosphere – see Zhao and colleagues (2018), Nature Astronomy, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0585-y.
- They also mentioned that multiple chlorinated hydrocarbons have been identified on Mars by the Curiosity rover – see Freissinet and colleagues (2015), Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JE004737.
- Finally, several studies have suggested that PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) can also be formed in interstellar space (i.e., deep space in between stars). E.g., Dorian S. N. Parker and colleagues (2011), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.11138271.
But what does all of this mean?
From Dr. Soon’s perspective, it means we should be careful not to assume all of the hydrocarbons on Earth are “fossil fuels”. We do not yet know what percentage of the Earth’s hydrocarbons were formed from biological fossils and what percentage were formed from non-biological (“abiogenic”) processes.
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Read more: https://www.ceres-science.com/post/dr-willie-soon-s-interview-by-tucker-carlson-december-2023
In 2017 I had the privilege of hanging out with my friend Dr. Willie Soon for a few evenings at the Heartland conference in Washington DC. My most striking impression from meeting Dr. Soon in person, besides how interesting he is to talk to, his kind nature, and the immense depth of his knowledge, is he is one of those rare people who positively radiates integrity. He doesn’t compromise with anyone or anything when it comes to speaking his heart and mind.
CAVEAT: While there is certainly the possibility that hydrocarbons originated elsewhere and methane and oil could have dual origins of their base components, there isn’t a clear and compelling case for the formation of abiotic oil.
Methane formation from base components seems far more plausible, because it is a simpler process.
This overview below provides a simplified comparison of the two theories (organic based vs abiotic), and the subject is much more complex and nuanced in scientific literature. Both Anthony and Charles contributed to this caveat.
The debate over the origin of petroleum centers around two primary theories: the biotic theory and the abiotic theory. Here’s a summary of the evidence for each:
Biotic Theory (Organic Deposition)
- Biological Markers: Petroleum often contains biomarkers which are molecular fossils of biological origin, like chlorophyll and hemoglobin derivatives. These markers indicate a biological origin.
- Carbon Isotope Ratios: The carbon in oil typically shows a ratio of carbon-12 to carbon-13 that is similar to the ratio found in plants and microorganisms, suggesting an organic source.
- Geological Context: Petroleum is often found in sedimentary rocks that are associated with ancient marine environments, consistent with the accumulation of organic material.
- Laboratory Simulation: Experiments simulating natural conditions have shown that petroleum-like substances can be formed from organic material under high pressure and temperature.
Abiotic Theory (Thomas Gold’s Hypothesis)
- Deep Earth Hydrocarbons: Thomas Gold suggested that hydrocarbons exist in the mantle and migrate upward. Some methane deposits, for example, have been proposed as having an abiotic origin.
- Carbon Isotope Anomalies: Some hydrocarbons show carbon isotope ratios that differ from typical biological material, which could suggest a non-biological origin.
- Methane on Other Planets: The presence of methane and other hydrocarbons on planets and moons where life is unlikely (like Titan, Saturn’s moon) suggests a possible abiotic pathway for hydrocarbon formation.
- Experimental Production: Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that hydrocarbons can be synthesized under high pressure and temperature from inorganic carbon sources, albeit not exactly the same as natural petroleum.
Critiques
- The majority scientific evidence favors the biotic theory due to overwhelming evidence from geological and chemical analyses.
- The abiotic theory, while intriguing, lacks substantial empirical evidence and doesn’t explain the presence of biological markers in petroleum.
- Some aspects of the abiotic theory have been incorporated into understanding the broader carbon cycle, especially in deep-earth processes, but they don’t negate the biotic origin of most petroleum deposits.
References
- For biotic theory: Tissot, B. P., & Welte, D. H. (1984). Petroleum Formation and Occurrence. Springer-Verlag.
- For abiotic theory: Gold, T. (1999). The Deep, Hot Biosphere. Springer-Verlag.