Biogeophysics
- Author(s)
- Chi Zhang, Yi Dong
- Abstract
Microorganisms are involved in a variety of geologic processes that change the physical and chemical properties of their environment. Understanding the microbial interactions with geologic media is very important to successful implementation of near-surface applications such as remediation of soils and groundwater contaminations. Geophysical imaging techniques have the potential to measure and characterize not just the physiochemical properties in the subsurface as already well established, but also microbes, microbial processes, and microbe-mineral interactions. Biogeophysics is an emerging sub-discipline of exploration geophysics focusing on the geophysical signatures resulting from microbial interactions with geologic media that integrates microbiology, biogeoscience, and geophysics (Atekwana and Slater 2009). Biogeophysics research performed over the past decade has shown the unique characteristics of geophysical methods (e.g., minimal invasion, spatiotemporal continuity, and broad scales) and has confirmed the potential of geophysical methods to investigate microbial activities in subsurface environments over diverse spatial and temporal scales. This review provides the background and development of biogeophysics and the current key topics in this field. We first outline a range of geophysical methods that have been used effectively in biogeophysics research, such as self-potential, electrical resistivity, induced polarization, ground penetration radar, electromagnetics, and seismic. Then we review the alternations of petrophysical properties induced by microorganisms and the associated geophysical responses. Finally, we conclude by discussing opportunities, challenges, and potential new applications of biogeophysics.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Meteorology and Geophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
- Journal
- Chinese Journal of Geophysics (in Chinese)
- Volume
- 58
- Pages
- 2718-2729
- No. of pages
- 12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.6038/cjg20150809
- Publication date
- 2015
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105906 Environmental geosciences, 105126 Applied geophysics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/5cc22a85-5834-4e7c-ae04-6c331b1c5af6