Raman spectroscopy equipment has made great contributions to the search for gaseous water in deep sea hydrothermal areas

However, exploring the deep sea is no less difficult than space. The deep sea defined above is below 1,000 meters above sea level, and it is difficult to see light below 150 meters above sea level, so the deep sea environment is basically dark. At the same time, there is very strong pressure in the deep sea. At a depth of 10,000 meters under the sea, the pressure per square centimeter can reach 1,100 tons. The surging magma deep under the sea and the eruptive volcanoes will put submersible machines and people at any time facing safety threats. In 1960, the U.S. Trieste submersible dived to a depth of 10,916 meters, which is currently the deepest dive record for human submersibles.

Deep-sea hydrothermal fluids, also known as "black smokers," are mainly located on mid-ocean ridges and fault activity zones at a depth of 2,000 meters on the seafloor. They are a type of seawater that is heated and mixed with volatile matter in the magma. A geological phenomenon caused by materials ejecting out of the seabed together. The nearby temperature can reach 400°C. The deep-sea hydrothermal system not only releases heat into the ocean, but the eruption of hydrothermal fluids also brings many metal elements and gas components, giving birth to rich minerals. Minerals and genetic resources are considered to be related to the origin of life.

According to CCTV News, the scientific research vessel "Science" of the Institute of Oceanography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently used laser Raman spectroscopy independently developed by our country. equipment, the existence of gaseous water was observed in deep-sea hydrothermal areas for the first time. On May 28, this major scientific discovery was officially published in the earth science journal "Geophysical Research Letters". It is understood that the researchers used self-developed equipment. The deep-sea laser Raman spectroscopy in-situ detection system (RiP) and the deep-sea hydrothermal temperature probe collected Raman spectra and measured temperatures at different levels of the water in the inverted lake. The measurement results showed that the water in the inverted lake in this area was. From the top to the bottom are the high-temperature vapor phase, the mixed phase of hydrothermal fluid and seawater, and the normal seawater phase at the bottom. The top fluid is a mixture of gaseous water, CO2, CH4, H2S, etc., with the highest temperature reaching 383.3°C.

Due to the unique high temperature, high pressure, strong corrosiveness and turbid research environment in deep-sea hydrothermal areas, deep-sea high-temperature hydrothermal vents have always been considered a restricted area for optical lenses, and the in-situ high-temperature hydrothermal vents Detection has also been stagnant for a long time. The deep-sea laser Raman spectroscopy in-situ detection system used in this study is a lineage Raman spectrometry probe independently developed by my country that can be directly inserted into 450°C deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Successfully broke through ordinary optical lensesTechnical problems such as head intolerance to high temperatures and poor anti-particle adhesion properties provide a new method for studying the impact of hydrothermal fluids on the marine environment.

Since the Indian scientist C.V. Raman successfully discovered the Raman scattering effect in 1928, Raman analysis technology has penetrated the market because of its fast, simple, repeatable and non-destructive qualitative and quantitative analysis characteristics. It has entered various fields of analysis and testing, exerting its irreplaceable advantages and becoming an important analytical technology in various fields such as petrochemical industry, biomedicine, food, agriculture, environmental protection and material analysis. Nowadays, the rapid development of optical technologies and analytical detection methods such as laser and infrared light is giving rise to more Raman spectroscopic analysis equipment with better performance, higher analysis efficiency and wider application, leading us to further "explore the subtleties and launch into the sky" Entering the sea" has effectively promoted the development of science, technology and human civilization.

　(Original title: Exploring gaseous water in deep sea hydrothermal areas, Raman spectroscopy equipment has made great contributions)