Collaborative Research: Evolution of Subsurface Microbe-Rock-Fluid Systems

合作研究：地下微生物-岩石-流体系统的演化

• 批准号: 2120912
• 负责人: Magdalena Osburn
• 金额: $ 73.98万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2120912&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Evolution; Subsurface; Microbe

This project investigates how changes to the Earth’s surface over geologic time have affected the deep biosphere, the geologic and climatic factors that favor or limit the potential for subsurface microbial life, and the history of microbial life and its relationship to fluids and fluid-rock reactions. Knowledge of how water and other fluids flow at great depths beneath the Earth’s surface, and how this supports and affects life deep within the Earth’s crust, is very limited. Yet, understanding the ways that these subsurface fluids, rocks, and microbes interact and evolve over geologic time is essential for sustainable use of water, mineral, and energy resources and disposal of their unwanted by-products. Results will identify specific time periods in the geologic past and locations within the Earth’s crust where subsurface conditions promoted microbial activity and provide insights into the long-term history of microbial habitability in the planet’s deep biosphere. This project will train several graduate students, help to recruit and retain first-generation, low-income, community college, and under-represented minority undergraduate students, engage K-12 students through development of Earth Science curriculum, and share research results more broadly with the general public through educational videos. This project will develop an interdisciplinary framework and approaches necessary to track the evolution of subsurface microbe-rock-fluid systems in the upper few kilometers of the Earth’s crust. The research will explore the interconnections between fluid circulation, fluid-rock reactions, and subsurface microbial habitability, and make predictions regarding the evolution of these conditions over geologic time. The project will identify the drivers and permeability changes promoting convergence of compositionally disparate fluids and rocks that alter subsurface redox gradients, thermodynamic conditions, and metabolic potentials for microbial activity.The Paradox and Rio Grande Rift basins in the southwestern US will be the field sites used to develop and test models that can be applied to other subsurface microbe-rock-fluid systems. Research outcomes will generate critical information on the lower boundaries of the active hydrologic cycle and deep microbial ecosystems required for effective management of subsurface water, mineral, and energy resources and storage of alternative energy and waste-products.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目调查了地质时期对地球表面的变化如何影响深层生物圈，有利于或限制地下微生物寿命的潜力或微生物寿命及其与液体和流体和流体摇滚反应的历史的深层地质和气候因素。了解水和其他液体如何在地球表面的大深处流动，以及这如何支持和影响地球上地壳内的生命，这是非常有限的。然而，了解这些地下烟道，岩石和微生物在地质时代相互作用和发展的方式对于可持续使用水，矿产和能源以及处置其不必要的副产品至关重要。结果将确定地下壳的地质过去和地点中的特定时间段，在地下条件促进了微生物活性，并提供了对地球深生物圈中微生物可居住性的长期历史的见解。该项目将培训几名研究生，帮助招募和保留第一代，低收入，社区学院和代表性不足的少数族裔本科生，通过开发地球科学课程与K-12学生互动，并通过教育视频更广泛地与公众共享研究结果。该项目将开发一个跨学科的框架，并采取了跟踪地下几公里上几公里处地下微生物岩石流体系统的演变所必需的方法。该研究将探索流体循环，流体岩石反应和地下微生物的可居住能力之间的相互联系，并就这些条件在地质时代的演变进行预测。该项目将确定驱动因素和渗透性变化，从而促进了综合散开的烟道和岩石的收敛性，这些烟道和岩石会改变地下氧化还原梯度，热力学条件和微生物活动的代谢潜力。Paradox和Rio Grande Rift Basses在美国西南部使用的现场站点将开发和测试其他型号。研究成果将生成有关有效管理地下水，矿产和能源以及替代能源和废物产品所需的活跃水力学周期和深层微生物生态系统的关键信息。这奖反映了NSF的法规任务，并通过对基金会的知识绩效和广泛的影响来诚实地通过评估来进行评估，以诚实地进行评估。