Abstract International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 357 drilled 17 boreholes across the Atlantis Massif with the goals of investigating carbon cycling and the presence of life in a zone of active serpentinization. The expedition recovered multiple lithologies including gabbros, basalts, carbonate sands, and serpentinites. A subset of contrasting lithologies were analyzed for apolar lipid content to determine if non-volatile organic molecules can be detected in the oceanic subsurface. The definitive detection and identification of abiotic and biological lipids in the subsurface of an actively serpentinizing system would be a significant step towards understanding a variety of scientific processes, including the evolution of pre-biotic chemistry, microbial habitability, and the global carbon cycle. Given the high potential for contamination during drilling, a suite of materials used in sample collection and processing were also analyzed to characterize their signatures. An n-alkane series ranging from C18 to C30 with δ13C isotopic values of −30.9‰ to −28.8‰ was present in lithologically diverse samples. Multiple lines of evidence point to the rock saw used to remove core exteriors during sample processing as the source of these compounds. Many of the other sample-handling procedures designed to reduce surface contamination were determined to be effective and could be implemented in future projects. This result highlights the value of careful prevention and characterization of contamination to allow for more accurate interpretations of complex and dynamic subsurface processes, and the importance that future reports of these compounds occurs in conjunction with thorough contamination assessments.

中文翻译：

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评估海底岩石中的非极性脂质和来自亚特兰蒂斯地块的潜在污染物（IODP Expedition 357）

摘要 国际海洋发现计划远征 357 在亚特兰蒂斯地块上钻了 17 个钻孔，目的是调查碳循环和活跃蛇纹石化区域中生命的存在。探险队发现了多种岩性，包括辉长岩、玄武岩、碳酸盐砂岩和蛇纹岩。分析了一组对比岩性的非极性脂质含量，以确定是否可以在海洋地下检测到非挥发性有机分子。对活跃蛇纹石化系统地下的非生物和生物脂质的最终检测和鉴定将是了解各种科学过程的重要一步，包括前生物化学的进化、微生物的可居住性和全球碳循环。鉴于在钻井过程中污染的可能性很高，还分析了一套用于样品收集和处理的材料，以表征它们的特征。在岩性多样的样品中存在从 C18 到 C30 的正烷烃系列，δ13C 同位素值为 -30.9‰ 到 -28.8‰。多条证据表明，在样品处理过程中用于去除核心外部的岩石锯是这些化合物的来源。许多旨在减少表面污染的其他样品处理程序被确定是有效的，可以在未来的项目中实施。这一结果突出了仔细预防和表征污染的价值，以便更准确地解释复杂和动态的地下过程，