Reassessing the origin of organic compounds in Mariana forearc serpentinite mud volcanoes: insights from isotopologue and molecular signatures

Abstract Serpentinization-associated geofluid systems are thought to facilitate the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds, which may have played a key role in the prebiotic chemical evolution on the early Earth. The Mariana convergent margin hosts one of the serpentinization-associated systems, which has evolved into serpentinite mud volcanoes at the forearc region. Previous investigations have revealed abundant hydrocarbons and other organic compounds in the Mariana geofluid systems, but their