A large reserve of methane is found in a pocket below the ocean floor and isotope analysis revealed that the ¹³C/¹²C ratio is lower than that predicted by the natural occurrence of these isotopes.This finding suggests that the methane was produced by ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The lower ¹³C/¹²C ratio suggests that the methane was produced by the metabolic activity of microorganisms, as they preferentially consume the lighter isotope in their metabolic processes, causing a depletion of this isotope in the methane. A geochemical process or radioactive decay process would not necessarily result in this isotopic fractionation, and oxidation of sulfite is not related to the production of methane.

A Large Reserve of Methane Is Found in a Pocket