Quentin Gasser

PhD student / Doctorant

Quentin Gasser
Quentin Gasser

Subject 

Hydrogen systems resulting from serpentinization in rift inversion orogens: the example of Grischun

Supervisors

Gianreto MANATSCHAL (Thesis supervisor)- University of Strasbourg, professor in tectonics, CNRS, ITES UMR 7063, Strasbourg, France
Peter ALT-EPPING (Co-supervisor)- Rock-Water Interaction Group, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Eric C. GAUCHER (Co-supervisor) - Lavoisier H2 Geoconsult

Context

Natural hydrogen (H2) is a low-carbon source of hydrogen that can be produced by serpentinization, a reaction between fluid and high ferrous ultramafic rocks, and migrate and accumulate in geological reservoirs. In the South-East of the canton of Grischun in Switzerland (Eastern Alps), multiple water springs distributed along the Engadine fault present an interesting concentration in H2,indicating the presence of a hydrogen production/’kitchen’ site. However, the geological framework and its control on fluid pathways, location of the kitchen and related water/H2 in- and out-flow are not fully understood. The orogenic structure of the Grischun area is made of units inherited from the former Piemonte-Liguria proto-ocean and the adjacent rift domains of the Adriatic and European margins. The proto-oceanic units (Malenco, Totalp and Platta), consisting of mantle rocks, represent a potential target for H2 production by serpentinization. Despite scientific studies describing general hydrogen systems, well constrained and predictable H2 production systems have yet to be established, notably in rift inversion orogens.

Aim of the PhD

Provide new evidence to establish the tectonic framework and its influence on fluid pathways for deep-seated fluids and understand the role of rift-derived materials in the hydrogen system and their evolution during inversion and emplacement in the present orogenic nappe stack of South-East Grischun.

  • Build a hydro-geological model applied to the Grischun area to test different situations and input values, to predict and quantify the serpentinization sourced H2 system.
  • Project the ophiolitic units across the area to determine the location of the H2 kitchen.
  • Develop and test hydrodynamic models applied to the Engadine valley to determine the presence of a H₂ system originating from serpentinization.
  • Develop a better understanding of the H2 system and define more precisely the input parameters of models that aim to predict gas measurements made in the field.

PhD’s contribution and importance

  • The scientific interest in this subject is vast, and although the study is local, the results can be applied to other rift inversion orogens.
  • The better understanding of the H2 system in Grischun can indeed be used as an input for future exploration strategies. Hydrogen represents a possible candidate as future resources, as only H₂O is formed during combustion.

Beginning and end of the PhD

A 3 years PhD: 1st of October 2025 – 30th of September 2028