EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ABOUT THE IN-SITU CARBONATE PRECIPITATION TECHNOLOGY BY THE MICROBIAL CATALYST METHOD FOR DEEP SEA AREA

Abstract

 The Japanese deep sea waters contain several recently discovered energy and mineral resources, such as methane hydrate and hydrothermal vents. This study examined the feasibility of in-situ ground improvement technologies for promoting precipitation of minerals based on in-situ microbial functions. The study also examined the solidification effect of deep-sea surface sediments. We sampled seawater from sea surface level to a depth of 750 m in the Toyama Bay using an oceanographic ship and carried out two types of calcium carbonate precipitation tests. The main findings of this research are as follows: (1) the population of urease-producing bacteria from sea surface to deep sea waters can enhance the 1-month cultivation and (2) these bacteria can accelerate the calcite precipitation.