CFD modeling of high-pressurized CO2 released from onshore pipeline leakages

Safe pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide is a critical issue in the developing field of carbon capture and storage technology. Inadequate fluid thermo- and regimes for on- and offshore transport through high-pressurized pipelines can induce pipe material obsolescence or even pipeline rupture. In such cases, CO₂ (Carbon dioxide) will be released and dispersed in the ambient medium. The dispersion is influenced by the total amount of released fluid, jet pressure and direction, the released concentrations, leakage hole size, ambient material properties and is also affected by the dynamical conditions of the environmental medium. The goal of this study is the hydrodynamical characterization of carbon dioxide jet expansion and dispersion in the ambient atmosphere in case of onshore pipeline accidental leaks. Numerical simulations were carried out by means of a 3D turbulent CFD (computational fluid dynamics) code which includes multi-component flow treatment. The influence of the jet release pressure and size of the leakage hole on harmful CO₂ concentration distances will be analyzed.     

Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Paratethys in the Slovenian Basin during the Late Paleogene

Several sections from the uppermost Eocene and Oligocene of northern Slovenia have been investigated with respect to sedimentary facies, foraminiferal assemblages, stable isotopes, carbonate microfacies, and palynology. The main objective was to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental history of the Paleogene Paratethys in this region of the eastern Alpine realm. The sediments exhibit a transgressive succession beginning with conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones of fluvial and lacustrine origin followed by carbonates and muddy marls indicating marine conditions. The foraminiferal faunal changes from brackish to shallow marine to deeper marine assemblages and the distribution of the palynofloras corroborate the sedimentological results. Microfacies analysis of the limestones shows a wide variation of shallow water, generally mud-rich facies dominated by coralline algae, foraminifera, and corals. Microfaunas adapted to low-oxygen conditions indicate temporal sluggish bottom-water circulation which can be associated with high fresh-water fluxes. These results are discussed as reflecting both the global sea-level rise during the Early Oligocene and the regional tectonic and climatic evolution.     

Mapping the hydraulic connection between a coalbed and adjacent aquifer: example of the coal-seam gas resource area,north Galilee Basin,Australia

Coal-seam gas production requires groundwater extraction from coal-bearing formations to reduce the hydraulic pressure and improve gas recovery. In layered sedimentary basins, the coalbeds are often separated from freshwater aquifers by low-permeability aquitards. However, hydraulic connection between the coalbed and aquifers is possible due to the heterogeneity in the aquitard such as the existence of conductive faults or sandy channel deposits. For coal-seam gas extraction operations, it is desirable to identify areas in a basin where the probability of hydraulic connection between the coalbed and aquifers is low in order to avoid unnecessary loss of groundwater from aquifers and gas production problems. A connection indicator, the groundwater age indictor (GAI), is proposed, to quantify the degree of hydraulic connection. The spatial distribution of GAI can indicate the optimum positions for gas/water extraction in the coalbed. Depressurizing the coalbed at locations with a low GAI would result in little or no interaction with the aquifer when compared to the other positions. The concept of GAI is validated on synthetic cases and is then applied to the north Galilee Basin, Australia, to assess the degree of hydraulic connection between the Aramac Coal Measure and the water-bearing formations in the Great Artesian Basin, which are separated by an aquitard, the Betts Creek Beds. It is found that the GAI is higher in the western part of the basin, indicating a higher risk to depressurization of the coalbed in this region due to the strong hydraulic connection between the coalbed and the overlying aquifer.     

Probability Density Functions as Botanical-Climatological Transfer Functions for Climate Reconstruction

We present a new procedure, the pdf method (pdf=probability density function), for reconstructing Quaternary climate utilizing botanical data. The procedure includes the advantages of the indicator species method by considering the fossil and modern presence and absence of taxa rather than their frequencies, thus avoiding the need for modern analog plant communities. Overcoming the problematic use of absolute limits to describe climate response ranges is the main progress of the pdf method in comparison to the indicator species method. This advantage results from estimating probability density functions (pdfs) for monthly mean January and July temperature conditional on the present day occurrence of single taxa. Gaussian distributions sufficiently approximate pdfs of many, although not all, studied taxa. On the assumption of statistical independence, the procedure calculates a joint pdf as the product of the pdfs of the individual taxa. This algorithm weights each taxon according to the extent of its climate response range expressed by its covariance structure. We interpret the maximum of the resulting pdf as the most likely climate and its confidence interval as the uncertainty range. To avoid an artificial reduction of uncertainty arising from the use of numerous similar pdfs, a preselection method is proposed based on the Mahalanobis distance between pdfs. The pdf method was applied to the Carpinus phase of a profile from Gröbern, Germany, that spans the last interglaciation (Eemian). The reconstructed most probable January and July temperatures of about 0.0°C and 18.4°C barely differ from the modern values of −0.5°C and 18.3°C.     

Palaeozoic flysch series in the Coastal Cordillera of Northern Chile

A discontinuous outcrop of Palaeozoic rhythmic clastites appears in the North Chilean Coastal Cordillera. The Formación El Toco (21°15–22°15S) whose scarce flora points to a presumably Upper Devonian age forms the northernmost part of the outcrop. It is discordantly overlain by Lower Jurassic volcanics (Fm. La Negra), its base, however, is not exposed. Hercynian heteromorphous deformation led to predominantly NW trending folds strongly inclined mostly to the SW. Chevron-like folds of 0.1 to 30 m occur locally and seem to display properties transitional between synsedimentary-gravitational and early tectonic deformation.The series which is at least 2300 m thick consists of proximal, in parts pebbly turbidites with non-turbiditic finegrained intercalations. Incomplete BOUMA-sequences frequently begin with A-beds of grey to green immature, badly sorted coarse sandstones of up to 6 m thickness containing isolated quartz- and pelite-clasts.Measurements of flute casts and f oresets show palaeocurrents which came from NW and NNE. Along with petrographic observations they indicate southward directed transport of detritus from low metamorphic sedimentary and magmatic source areas into an Upper Devonian nonvolcanic basin.

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Zusammenfassung Die Formación El Toco ist der nördlichste Aufschluß einer Kette von Vorkommen paläozoischer rhythmischer Klastite in der nordchilenischen Küstenkordillere. Diese Formation (21°15–22°15S), deren spärliche Flora vorbehaltlich dem Oberdevon zuzuordnen ist, wird diskordant von unterjurassischen Vulkaniten (Fm. La Negra) überlagert —das Liegende ist nicht aufgeschlossen. Variszische heteromorphe Deformation führte zu vorherrschend NW-streichender Faltung, die meist starke SW-Vergenz zeigt. Lokal tritt eine scharfe Verfaltung im 0,1 bis 30 m-Bereich hinzu, die sowohl synsedimentär-gravitative als auch frühtektonische Deformationsmerkmale zeigt.Die mindestens 2300 m mächtige Serie ist ein proximaler Flysch mit z. T. kiesführenden Turbiditen, in die nichtturbiditische feinkörnige Partien eingeschaltet sind. Die unvollständigen BOUMA-Sequenzen beginnen häufig mit einer aus grauen bis grünen unreifen und schlechtsortierten Grobsandsteinen bestehenden A-Division von bis zu 6 m Mächtigkeit, die isolierte Quarz- und Pelitklasten enthalten kann.Flute cast- und Foreset-Messungen weisen auf Paläoströmungsrichtungen aus NW und NNO hin. Zusammen mit petrographischen Analysen läßt sich daraus ein südwärts gerichteter Transport von schwachmetamorphsedimentärem und magmatischem Detritus in ein oberdevonisches nicht-vulkanisches Becken ableiten.

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Résumén Ritmitas clásticas de edad paleozoica forman afloramientos discontinuos en la Cordillera de la Costa del Norte de Chile. La Formación El Toco (21°15–22°15S), que contiene una flora escasa de probable edad Devónico Superior, constituye la parte más septentrional de estos afloramientos. La base no se conoce, mientras que el techo infrayace discordantemente a volcanitas jurásicas inferiores (Fm. La Negra). Deformaciones hercínicas heteromórficas llevan a la formación de pliegues orientados predominantemente al NW inclinados fuertemente al SW. Localmente aparecen pliegues en forma de chevron de un tamano de 0.1 a 30 m que muestran caracteristicas de deformación transicional entre sinsedimentana-gravitativa y tectónica temprana.La serie que tiene una potencia de por lo menos 2300 m consiste en turbiditas proximales parcialmente con gravas e intercalaciones finas no-turbidíticas. Secuencias incompletas de BOUMA empiezan frecuentemente con capas de la division A (espesor maximo 6 m) los cuales se componen con frecuencia de areniscas gruesas gris-verdes, composicionalmente inmaduras y mal seleccionadas, con clastos aislados de cuarzo y pelita.Medidas de flute casts y foresets muestran paleocorrientes provenientes de NW y NNE. Junto con observaciones petrográficas, las paleocorrientes indican un transporte de material detrítico, originado de áreas con rocas sedimentarias, metamórficas de bajo grado e ígneas, dirigido al sur hacia una cuenca no volcánica de edad Devónico Superior.

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Improved regional groundwater flow modeling using drainage features: a case study of the central northern karst aquifer system of Puerto Rico (USA)

In northern Puerto Rico (USA), subsurface conduit networks with unknown characteristics, and surface features such as springs, rivers, lagoons and wetlands, drain the coastal karst aquifers. In this study, drain lines connecting sinkholes and springs are used to improve the developed regional model by simulating the drainage effects of conduit networks. Implemented in an equivalent porous media (EPM) approach, the model with drains is able to roughly reproduce the spring discharge hydrographs in response to rainfall. Hydraulic conductivities are found to be scale dependent and significantly increase with higher test radius, indicating scale dependency of the EPM approach. Similar to other karst regions in the world, hydraulic gradients are steeper where the transmissivity is lower approaching the coastline. This study enhances current understanding of the complex flow patterns in karst aquifers and suggests that using a drainage feature improves modeling results where available data on conduit characteristics are minimal.     

Spectral Characteristics and Correction of Long-Term Eddy-Covariance Measurements Over Two Mixed Hardwood Forests in Non-Flat Terrain

We present turbulence spectra and cospectra derived from long-term eddy-covariancemeasurements (nearly 40,000 hourly data over three to four years) and the transferfunctions of closed-path infrared gas analyzers over two mixed hardwood forests inthe mid-western U.S.A. The measurement heights ranged from 1.3 to 2.1 times themean tree height, and peak vegetation area index (VAI) was 3.5 to 4.7; the topographyat both sites deviates from ideal flat terrain. The analysis follows the approach ofKaimal et al. (Quart. J. Roy. Meteorol. Soc. 98, 563–589, 1972) whose results were based upon 15 hours of measurements atthree heights in the Kansas experiment over flatter and smoother terrain. Both thespectral and cospectral constants and stability functions for normalizing and collapsingspectra and cospectra in the inertial subrange were found to be different from those ofKaimal et al. In unstable conditions, we found that an appropriate stabilityfunction for the non-dimensional dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy is of the form ₍₎ = (1 - b^-)^-1/4 - c^-, where representsthe non-dimensional stability parameter. In stable conditions, a non-linear functionG_xy() = 1 + b_xy^c _xy (c_xy < 1) was found to benecessary to collapse cospectra in the inertial subrange. The empirical cospectralmodels of Kaimal et al. were modified to fit the somewhat more (neutraland unstable) or less (stable) sharply peaked scalar cospectra observed over forestsusing the appropriate cospectral constants and non-linear stability functions. Theempirical coefficients in the stability functions and in the cospectral models varywith measurement height and seasonal changes in VAI. The seasonal differencesare generally larger at the Morgan Monroe State Forest site (greater peak VAI) andcloser to the canopy.The characteristics of transfer functions of the closed-path infrared gas analysersthrough long-tubes for CO₂ and water vapour fluxes were studied empirically. This was done by fitting the ratio between normalized cospectra of CO₂ or watervapour fluxes and those of sensible heat to the transfer function of a first-order sensor.The characteristic time constant for CO₂ is much smaller than that for water vapour. The time constant for water vapour increases greatly with aging tubes. Three methods were used to estimate the flux attenuations and corrections; from June through August, the attenuations of CO₂ fluxes are about 3–4% during the daytime and 6–10% at night on average. For the daytime latent heat flux (Q_E), the attenuations are foundto vary from less than 10% for newer tubes to over 20% for aged tubes. Correctionsto Q_E led to increases in the ratio (Q_H + Q_E)/(Q^* - Q_G) by about 0.05 to0.19 (Q_H is sensible heat flux, Q^* is net radiation and Q_G is soil heat flux),and thus are expected to have an important impact on the assessment of energy balanceclosure.     

Long-term snow and weather observations at Weissfluhjoch and its relation to other high-altitude observatories in the Alps

Snow and weather observations at Weissfluhjoch were initiated in 1936, when a research team set a snow stake and started digging snow pits on a plateau located at 2,540?m asl above Davos, Switzerland. This was the beginning of what is now the longest series of daily snow depth, new snow height and bi-monthly snow water equivalent measurements from a high-altitude research station. Our investigations reveal that the snow depth at Weissfluhjoch with regard to the evolution and inter-annual variability represents a good proxy for the entire Swiss Alps. In order to set the snow and weather observations from Weissfluhjoch in a broader context, this paper also shows some comparisons with measurements from five other high-altitude observatories in the European Alps. The results show a surprisingly uniform warming of 0.8°C during the last three decades at the six investigated mountain stations. The long-term snow measurements reveal no change in mid-winter, but decreasing trends (especially since the 1980s) for the solid precipitation ratio, snow fall, snow water equivalent and snow depth during the melt season due to a strong temperature increase of 2.5°C in the spring and summer months of the last three decades.