Many areas of geomicrobial processes are receiving serious attention from microbiologists, specifically the role microbes play in the formation and degradation of minerals and fossil fuels and elemental cycling. Most notably, the latest research finds that microbes have a more direct impact on the transformation of oxidizable and reducible minerals than was previously believed. Following in the footsteps of its prior editions, serves as an introduction to this globally pertinent field and as an up-to-date reference reflecting recent groundbreaking advances. Authored by two of the leading authorities in the field, this book illuminates the processes by which bacteria catalyze geomicrobial reactions. Generously laden with tables, graphics, diagrams, photographs, and illustrations, this all-encompassing reference examines the geomicrobial aspects of a wide range of minerals, including aluminum- and arsenic-containing minerals, and various fossil fuels. One of life's great mysteries is how it sustains itself even in seemingly inhospitable environments, such as the deep subsurface. The authors anticipate that as mechanistic molecular approaches are increasingly applied to diverse problems in geomicrobiology, this and other fundamental puzzles will be resolved.