Dr. Michael J. Whiticar



Professor, Biogeochemistry 
School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
University of Victoria



Phone: (250) 721-6514

 

MAJOR FIELDS OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL RESEARCH INTEREST
RESEARCH DIRECTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Over the past 15 years, my research centered on stable isotope and organic geochemical processes of diagenetic and catagenic systems. I study the geological, chemical and biological interactions between organic matter, sediments, soils and pore fluids. In particular, much of my research concentrates on labile and volatile organic compounds (L/VOCs), their types, habitats, sources and fates. L/VOCs are important from both energy (fossil fuels) and environmental perspectives (climate change, contamination).

I concentrate on L/VOCs because they are responsive, mobile, ubiquitous components in the geosphere with large, distinctive and dynamic variations in composition and distribution. These diagnostic characteristics of L/VOCs are critical to understand and track the local and regional transfer of organic species within the global carbon cycle.

Since starting the Biogeochemistry Facility at UVic in 1991, I have assembled a research team that currently is:

In the Biogeochemistry Facility we concentrate on three major areas:

1. Organic/Stable Isotope Geochemistry
    - hydrocarbons, lipids, biomarker molecules (e.g. porphorins, steranes, alkenones)

2. Opto-Electronic research and commercial instruments for remote sensing
    - design construction and deployment of IR laser, NDIR, UV spectroscopy

3. Atmospheric Biogeochemistry (low molecular weight compounds)
    - understand geo-hydro palaeo-barometry of pCH4 (ice cores), pCO2 (proxy signals)
    -atmosphere interactions and significance of VOCs, e.g., CH4, DMS,

The measurement capability of GC, GC/MS, CF-IRMS, and TDLAS in the Biogeochemistry Facility has opened up exciting new areas of geochemistry, namely, combination of molecular, stereochemical and stable isotope techniques to identify and characterize specific organic compounds, i.e. biomarkers, in modern and ancient settings. It is our goal is to utilize the compositional signatures of these individual compounds as palaeo-climate and -depositional proxy signals, in part to predict future global climate change. Furthermore, the combined biomarker approach is a key to identify pathways taken by L/VOCs, e.g. mediated by physical biological or anthropogenic processes.

This effort incorporates novel analytical approaches in:

1. Molecular and stereochemistry by Gas Chromatography (GC)
Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS)
2. Stable Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and soon Hydrogen, isotopes using
Continuous Flow-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (CF-IRMS)
3. Tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TDLAS) using instruments developed in house.
This instrumentation permits non-invasive and remote sensing of environmentally
relevant gases. We now have 4 TDLAS instruments for open-path, stack, mobile
and eddy correlation measurements.

CURRENT RESEARCH

A. Geosphere-Hydrosphere-Atmosphere Interactions of Volatile Organic Species (NSERC & SCBC)

1. Critical source/sink relationships of volatile hydrocarbons
Focus on three key, unresolved source/sink relationships between atmospheric light hydrocarbons and distribution, composition and fate of hydrocarbon gases:
  • Dissolved in water columns ­ sink-source potential of the ocean ,
  • Generated in sediments of inundated environments (wetlands, rice paddies) ­ aerenchym transport
  • Consumption in temperate soils ­ influxing atmospheric hydrocarbons in aerobic surface soils.
These subtopics involve considerable international and interdisciplinary cooperation in microbiology, plant physiology, ocean physics and organic geochemistry from Germany, Denmark, U.S.A. and Canada, and additional field work in Italy, China, Philippines, and Brazil. It was integrated into JGOFS, WOCE.
 
2. Regional variations of atmospheric hydrocarbons by direct and remote sensing
Studies regional variations of lower troposphere hydrocarbons on shorter (diurnal to seasonal) time scales.
Goal is to relate changes in ALHC concentration and composition on various area and time scales to specific factors, e.g. land usage, industrialization, weather, seasons, etc. The studies focus on Hazardous Atmospheric Pollutants (HAPs) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in urban airsheds, particularly the Lower Fraser Valley adjacent to Vancouver, BC. The direct measurements involve sampling and analyses by GC, GC/MS and CF-IRMS of the free and sorbed (PM10, 2.5) gases.

B. Organic Geochemical Proxy Signals of Palaeo-Climate and Deposition

3. Compound Specific Isotope Ratio Monitoring
Individual biomarker molecules carry diagnostic information concerning:
  1. their precursors, e.g. phytoplanktonic or bacterial origin,
  2. the ecological conditions of formation (e.g. temperature, pCO2) and
  3. remineralization effects (e.g. diagenesis, catagenesis).

C. Relationships of Fluid and Gas Flow to Hydrates, Methanogenesis and Methylotrophy

4. Methanogenesis and methylotrophy and hydrate formation
Biogeochemical investigation of interplay between bacterial activity, fluid flow and clathrate stability on Cascadia Accretionary Margin. Part of ODP Leg 146 and TECFLUX an active GEOMAR, OSU and UVic initiative.
 
5. Carbonate precipitation due to anaerobic oxidation of methane from submarine cold seepages
    (cooperation E. Suess, GEOMAR; R. Collier, OSU, N. Iversen, Aalborg U.)
  • Oregon Margin - first descriptions of pore fluid and methane expulsion due to compressional stress in sedimentary accretionary wedge; by diving to 2000 m with submersible `DSRV ALVIN´.
  • Frederikshavn - combination of geochemical and microbiological techniques to study active seepages; dolomite precipitation from anaerobic bacterial methane oxidation; laser-vaporization methods.
 
6. Ikaite: Calcium carbonate hexahydrates
    (cooperation E. Suess, GEOMAR; B. Buchardt, U. Copenhagen)
  • Antarctic - recovery and description of ikaite in the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica (with E. Suess)
  • Mono Lake - Determination of relationship of thinolites (glendonites) in paleo-lake stands of Lake Russell to the ikaites found in the Antarctic and Greenland
  • Greenland - combination of geochemical and microbiological techniques to study active seepages; dolomite precipitation from anaerobic bacterial methane oxidation; laser-vaporization methods. (with B. Buchardt)
  • Saanich Inlet - Discovery of ikate pseudomorphs in Holocene sediments during ODP Leg 169S.

D.Thermogenic Hydrocarbons and Processes

7. Hydrocarbons associated with active spreading zones: Biogenic vs. hydrothermal source
    (collaborative projects with BGR, PGC, and U. Regensburg)
  • EPR - geochemical characterization of hydrocarbon gases in water columns, sediments at hydrothermal vent structures
  • Juan de Fuca - (cooperative with E. Davis, PGC, M. Mottl, U. Hawaii): natural gas and pore fluid migration associated with convective and advective heat flux in young sediments at Juan de Fuca sedimented ridge.
  • Microbial culture experiment (cooperation with K. Stetter, U. Regensburg) - study carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation by a autotrophic hyperthermophilic methanogen (>110°C).
 
8. Carbon isotope systematics of whole oil and gasoline-range fractions of petroleum
Use of carbon isotopes of C1-C30 hydrocarbons and other biomarkers in petroleum reservoirs to elucidate processes of formation, migration and accumulation (collaboration with L. Snowdon, GSC-Calgary).

OTHER SELECTED RESEARCH

Antarctic Research (with E. Suess, GEOMAR):
  1. discovery of hydrothermal hydrocarbons in back-arc basin
  2. discovery of Ikaite crystals - metastable hexahydrate calcium carbonates
  3. extreme carbon isotope fractionation during methanogenesis at sub-zero temperatures.
1988-1989ODP Leg 112 Peru Margin (with E. Suess GEOMAR) - Hydrocarbons in palaeo-upwelling
1988Oman carbonates (with H. Wachendorf, U. Braunschweig) - dolomites from abiogenic gases.
1987-1989Culture studies (cooperation with M. Blaut, U. Göttingen) - Studied methanogens in using labeled substrates to confirm the naturally observed carbon and hydrogen kinetic isotope effects
1986-1988Hydrocarbons in salts - Investigation of hydrocarbons occurring with salt deposits
1984-1989Mono Lake (with R. Oremland, USGS) ­ carbon cycling in hypersaline, meromictic ake
1986-1987ODP leg 104 Vøring Plateau, Leg 105 Labrador Shelf
1986Kinetic isotope effects associated with anaerobic and aerobic microbial methane consumption.
1983-1986Development of analytical techniques to recognize sorbed and free hydrocarbon gas types
1985-1986Development of analytical technique to measure small volumes natural gas for H-isotopes.
1984-1986
1984Analytical and interpretative developments to apply stable isotopes of C2,3,4 hydrocarbons.

 

PUBLICATIONS

For a list of some of my publications, please click here

 


Waiting for a plane ride from Narsarsuaq, Greenland after a fantastic time in Ikka Fjord studying Ikaite

 

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