Redox mechanism of geobattery and related electrical signals using a novel real-time self-potential monitoring experimental platform

Abstract

Controlled laboratory experiments are proved to be a valuable tool for investigating changes in underground physical properties and the related response of surface geophysical signals. The self-potential (SP) method is widely used in mineral resource exploration due to its direct correlation with underground electrochemical gradients. This paper presented the design and construction of an experimental platform based on a multi-channel SP monitoring system. The proposed platform was used to monitor the anodizing corrosion process of different metal blocks from a laboratory perspective, record the real-time SP signal generated by the redox reaction, as well as investigate the geobattery mechanism associated with the natural polarization process of metal mineral resources. The experimental results demonstrate that the constructed SP monitoring platform effectively captures time-series SP signals and provides direct laboratory evidence for the geobattery model. The measured SP data were quantitatively interpreted using the simulated annealing algorithm, and the inversion results closely match the real model. This finding highlights the potential of the SP method as a promising tool for determining the location and spatial distribution of underground polarizers. The study holds reference value for the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in both terrestrial and marine environments.

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