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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
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Microbiologically Induced Calcite Precipitation Mediated by Sporosarcina pasteurii
Published on: April 16, 2016
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Pore-Scale Mechanisms for Spectral Induced Polarization of Calcite Precipitation Inferred from Geo-Electrical
Satoshi Izumoto1,2, Johan Alexander Huisman1, Egon Zimmermann3
1Agrosphere (IBG-3), Institute of Bio- and Geosciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52425, Germany.
Environmental Science & Technology
|March 30, 2022
Summary
Spectral induced polarization (SIP) reveals new insights into calcite precipitation. A novel millifluidic setup shows SIP response is governed by precipitate walls, not just crystal size, aiding subsurface reactive process monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Geochemistry
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Spectral induced polarization (SIP) shows potential for monitoring subsurface reactive processes.
- The exact mechanism behind SIP responses to calcite precipitation is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the microscale mechanisms of SIP responses during calcite precipitation.
- To explore the use of a novel geo-electrical millifluidic setup for observing reactive transport.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a novel geo-electrical millifluidic setup to induce and observe calcite precipitation.
- Performed SIP measurements during reactive transport experiments.
- Conducted numerical simulations of electric fields.
Main Results:
- Observed a 340% increase in SIP amplitude with a small increase in precipitate volume.
- Found spatial variations in peak frequency contradicted classical grain polarization models.
- Identified Maxwell-Wagner polarization as the governing mechanism due to precipitate walls.
Conclusions:
- The SIP response during calcite precipitation is primarily controlled by precipitate geometry (walls) rather than solely crystal size.
- Geo-electrical millifluidics is a powerful tool for studying electrical signatures of subsurface reactive transport.
- Findings advance the understanding of SIP for monitoring geological processes.
