生物地球物理:地球物理方法在研究生物地球化学过程中的应用和发展

微生物广泛参与了其所处地质环境的物理和化学性质改造过程.监控微生物与地质介质之间相互作用的过程并了解其机制对近地面环境工程中土壤及地下水污染整治等实际应用有着至关重要的作用.地球物理勘测成像技术不仅能够在传统应用中测量和表征地表以下的物理特性变化,大量直接有效的证据表明这些方法还可以捕获孔隙介质中的生物地球化学变化的动态过程,包括监测微生物、微生物活动以及它们与矿物之间的相互作用.生物地球物理(Biogeophysics)作为勘探地球物理的一个新兴分支学科,包含了微生物学、生物地球科学以及地球物理勘测等多个学科,侧重于研究微生物与地质介质相互作用对地球物理场的影响.过去十几年在生物地球物理领域的研究充分表明和验证了地球物理勘测方法的独特优点(最小化侵入、时空连续及跨尺度运用),并为将传统勘测方法用于探索跨时间空间各尺度的地下生物地球化学动态过程提供了理论及实验依据.本篇综述将系统介绍生物地球物理学科的理论背景、发展和研究前沿.首先讨论微生物及其活动引起的孔隙介质中物理化学性质的变化.其次,将侧重于探讨微生物活动对包括地电法、电磁法、探地雷达以及地震法等不同地球物理场的响应.最后将讨论生物地球物理领域的机遇、挑战和潜在应用.

Biogeophysics:Geophysical characterization of biogeochemical processes in the subsurface

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.#br#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.#br#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.