2004/06/01 by Gamal Z. Abdel Aal, Estella A. Atekwana, Lee Slater +1 · 3 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Computer Science · Engineering · Chemistry · #Geophysical and Geoelectrical Methods #Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping #Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis #Abiotic component #Biotic component #Environmental chemistry #Dissolved organic carbon #Nutrient #Conductivity #Population #Total organic carbon #Soil science #Environmental science #Ecology #Chemistry #Biology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1029/2004gl020030
openalex publication_date 2004/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
The effect of microbial processes on electrical properties of unconsolidated sediments was investigated in a laboratory experiment consisting of biotic and abiotic sand columns. The biotic column (nutrient, diesel and bacteria) showed (a) temporal increase in the real, imaginary, and surface conductivity, and (b) temporal decrease in the formation factor. The abiotic columns (nutrient; and nutrient and diesel) showed no significant changes. Increase in microbial population numbers, decrease in organic carbon source, nitrate, and sulfate and increase in dissolved inorganic carbon and fluid conductivity were indicative of microbial activity in the biotic column. We also measure relative increase in the interfacial electrical properties that exceed relative increase in the electrolytic conductivity. Thus changes in the real and imaginary conductivity were induced by microbial processes. These results suggest that interpretation of geoelectrical data from near surface environments should consider effects of microbial processes.