Accessing effects and signals of leakage from a CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> reservoir to a shallow freshwater aquifer by reactive transport modelling

CO₂ geological storage is a transitional technology for the mitigation of climate change. In the vicinity of potential CO₂ reservoirs in Hungary, protected freshwater aquifers used for drinking water supplies exist. Effects of disaster events of CO₂ escape and brine displacement to one of these aquifers have been studied by kinetic 1D reactive transport modelling in PHREEQC. Besides verifying that ion concentrations in the freshwater may increase up to drinking water limit values in both scenarios (CO₂ or brine leakage), total porosity of the rock is estimated. Pore volume is expected to increase at the entry point of CO₂ and to decrease at further distances, whereas it shows minor increase along the flow path for the effect of brine inflow. Additionally, electrical conductivity of water is estimated and suggested to be the best parameter to measure for cost-effective monitoring of both worst-case leakage scenarios.     

Problems of the „Pannonian Median Massif“ and the plate tectonic concept. Contributions based on the distribution of Late Paleozoic — Early Mesozoic isopic zones

After a short historical review of conceptions about the Pannonian Median Massif or Tisia, the distribution of Middle-Upper Carboniferous and Lower Triassic-Liassic facies is briefly examined on the two sides of the Zagreb-Zemplin line dividing into two main segments the basement of the Carpathian basin. It shows on the one hand, that the Igal-Bükk zone (Igal-Bükk eugeosyncline ofWein, 1969), thought to establish a connection between the NW-Dinarides and the Dinaric-type Bükkium, is only a tectonic zone and could never have been a paleogeographical unit. On the other hand, the northern, marginal part of Tisia (Mecsek-Bihor crystalline belt and its sedimentary cover;Dank &Bodzay, 1971) exhibits a development and facies characteristic of the northern (northeastern) marginal complex of the Tethys. Also, facies-transitions from the foreland toward the open sea are always of N S direction. All autochthonous explanations must face the striking differences along the Zagreb-Zemplin line, which seem to exclude the possibility that the northern part of Tisia was a central, partly emerged crystalline ridge (no facies-transitions toward N!); it was rather part of the northern (northeastern) marginal complex of Tethys. Therefore allochthonous models suggesting largerscale horizontal movements give a much more plausible explanation. The style of Late Hercynian development and the distribution of Lower Triassic-Liassic facies zones suggest, that Tisia was part of the northern (northeastern) shelf of the Tethys until the end of the Liassic (in accordance with the opinion ofBleahu), then split off and was wedged in by horizontal movements between the NW-Dinarides and the Dinaric-type Bükkium by the end of the Jurassic — beginning of the Cretaceous.

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Zusammenfassung Nach einem kurzgefaßten historischen Überblick zur Deutung des Pannonischen Massivs oder Tisia wird die Verteilung der Fazies von Mittel- und Oberkarbon sowie Untertrias bis Lias auf den beiden Seiten der Zagreb-Zemplin-Linie — welche den Untergrund des Karpatenbeckens in zwei Abschnitte zerteilt — kurz untersucht. Sie zeigt einerseits, daß die Igal-Bükk-Zone (die Igal-Bükk Eugeosynklinal vonWein, 1969)-welche eine Verbindung zwischen den NW Dinariden und dem dinarisch-typischen Bükkium darstellen soll — nur eine tektonische Zone ist, hingegen nie eine paleogeographische Einheit gewesen sein kann.Der nördliche, äußerste Teil des Tisia (Mecsek-Bihor kristalliner Gürtel und seine sedimentäre Decke;Dank u.Bodzay, 1971) weist eine Ausbildung und Fazies auf, welche für den nördlichen (nordöstlichen) marginalen Komplex der Tethys typisch ist. Auch Faziesübergänge vom Vorland in der Richtung der offenen See sind immer N S gerichtet. Alle Erklärungen, die eine autochthone Lage der Zonen entlang der Zagreb-Zemplin-Linie mit einbeziehen, müssen mit der Tatsache fertig werden, daß der nördliche Teil der Tisia einen zentralen Teil eines teilweise emporgehobenen Kristallinrückens darstellt (kein Faziesübergang nach Norden). Sie war eher Teil der nördlichen (nordöstlichen) marginalen Serie der Tethys. Daher erscheinen allochthone Modelle, welche horizontale Bewegungen in größerem Maßstabe andeuten, eher glaubwürdig zu sein. Der Stil der spätherzynischen Entwicklung und die Verteilung der Fazieszonen von Untertrias bis Lias deuten an, daß der Tisia Teil der nördlichen (nordöstliche) Shelf der Tethys bis Ende Lias war (übereinstimmend mit der Meinung vonBleahu 1976); dann spaltete er sich ab und keilte sich mit horizontalen Bewegungen zwischen den NW Dinariden und dem Bükkium dinarischen Types ein; dies könnte Ende Jura-Anfang Kreide stattgefunden haben.

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Résumé Après une brève revue historique des conceptions sur la »Masse médiane pannonienne« ou la »Tisia«, on examine brièvement la distribution des facies du Carbonifère moyen-supérieur et du Trias-Lias aux deux cotés de la ligne de Zagreb-Zemplin divisant le soubassement du Bassin Carpathique en deux ségments principaux.Ce qui est démontré, c'est d'une part que la zone Igal-Bükk (le »géosynclinal Igal-Bükk«, Wein, 1969), considérée comme l'établissement d'une communication entre les Dinarides du NW et le Bükkium de type dinarique, ne représente qu'une zone tectonique, mais qu'elle ne peut jamais être une unité paléogéographique. D'autre part la partie septentrionale, marginale de la »Tisia« (la ceinture crystalline de» Mecsek-Bihor« et sa couverture sédimentaire; Dank-Bodzay, 1971) présente un développement et un faciès caractéristique du complexe marginal septentrional (nordoriental) de la Téthys. Les transitions de faciès de l'avant-pays vers la mer ouverte sont également de direction N-S. Toutes les explications autochtonistes doivent faire face aux différences accentuées le long de la ligne Zagreb-Zemplin, ce qui semble exclure la possibilité que le Nord de la »Tisia« ait été une dorsale cristalline centrale, émergée (aucune transition de faciès vers le N!); elle a fait plutôt partie du complexe marginal du N (NE) de la Téthys. C'est pourquoi les modèles allochtonistes suggérant des mouvements horizontaux plus vastes donnent une explication plus plausible. Le style du développement éohercynien et la distribution des zones faciales du Trias inférieur-Lias suggèrent que la »Tisia« a fait partie du shelf septentrional (nordoriental) de la Téthys jusqu'à la fin du Lias (en accord complet avec l'opinion de Bleahu, 1976) et qu'ensuite elle s'était décollée et coinné par des mouvements horizontaux entre les Dinarides du NW et le Bükkium de type dinarique vers la fin du Jurassique et le début du Crétacé.

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Because of shortage of place, only some of the most important non-Hungarian literature and the latest Hungarian works concerned with this region are listed up here: for a more detailed list of reference the reader is referred to the papers ofBalogh (1972) andKovács (1980).     

Interplay of tectonics and neogene post-collisional magmatism in the intracarpathian region

Distribution of the Neogene calc-alkaline magmatism of the Carpathian arc is directly related in space and time to the kinematics of the two major terranes of the Intracarpathian area (Alcapa, Tisia-Getia) along the south-eastern border of the European plate. In the West Carpathians and adjacent areas, the volcanic activity occurred between 20–11 Ma, with large volumes of both acidic and intermediate rocks, generally distributed randomly, sometimes transversally to the orogenic belt and as rare small occurrences along the Flysch belt. In the East Carpathians, the volcanic rocks are distributed along the northern margin of the Zemplin block, the north–easternmost part of the Alcapa and eastward along the front of the Getic block, at the contact with European plate. Between Tokaj-Slanské-Vihorlat up to northern Cãlimani Mountains, the magmatism occurred between 14–9 Ma, and along the Cãlimani-Harghita chain between 9–0.2 Ma. The calc-alkaline magmatic rocks of the Apuseni Mountains are located in the interior of the Tisia block and occurred between 14–9 Ma. The generation of the calc-alkaline magmatism is considered here as the result of complex interplay between plate roll-back and lithospheric detachment tectonic processes and the break-off of the subducted plate, mostly in a post-collisional setting. (1) The magmatites of the Western Carpathians and the Pannonian basin were generated in direct relation to subduction roll-back processes, over the downgoing slab, during the period of lateral extrusion and back-arc extension. In this area, characterized by maximum crustal shortening, we can infer further delamination processes to explain the generation of magmas. (2) The magmatic rocks from the northern sector of the East Carpathians (Tokaj-Slanské-Vihorlat up to the Northern Cãlimani Mountains), resulted after subduction roll-back processes and an almost simultaneous break-off of the descending plate all along the arc segment during main clockwise rotation of the Intracarpathian terranes. (3) In the eastern sector of the East Carpathians (Cãlimani up to Harghita Mountains), the magmatic rocks were generated through partial melting of the subducted slab followed by gradual break-off of the subducted plate along strike (north to south). (4) The Apuseni Mts. magmatic activity resulted in transtensional tectonic regime by decompressional melting of lithospheric mantle, during the translation and rotation of Tisia-Getia block.     

Novel photosensors for neutrino detectors and telescopes

The volume and the photosensitive area of next generation detectors of the numerous rarely occurring phenomena will greatly exceed the sizes of the current experiments. These phenomena include cosmic neutrinos, atmospheric neutrinos, long-baseline neutrino beams from accelerators, geo-neutrinos, geo-reactor neutrinos, and hypothetic proton decays. Similar requirements hold for a new type of a large scanning device for homeland security and nuclear proliferation control, and for the future widely accessible medical imaging devices. Photon detectors are the most important component of such detectors. Existing photosensors are based on vacuum tubes and dynode electron multipliers that are essentially hand-made, expensive and nearly impossible to produce in large enough quantities. Silicon detectors are too small for experiments requiring a very large photosensitive area. Our laboratory is developing novel detectors with a large photosensitive area that can be mass-produced, similar to large flat panel TV displays.     

A hybrid artificial neural network-numerical model for ground water problems

Numerical models constitute the most advanced physical-based methods for modeling complex ground water systems. Spatial and/or temporal variability of aquifer parameters, boundary conditions, and initial conditions (for transient simulations) can be assigned across the numerical model domain. While this constitutes a powerful modeling advantage, it also presents the formidable challenge of overcoming parameter uncertainty, which, to date, has not been satisfactorily resolved, inevitably producing model prediction errors. In previous research, artificial neural networks (ANNs), developed with more accessible field data, have achieved excellent predictive accuracy over discrete stress periods at site-specific field locations in complex ground water systems. In an effort to combine the relative advantages of numerical models and ANNs, a new modeling paradigm is presented. The ANN models generate accurate predictions for a limited number of field locations. Appending them to a numerical model produces an overdetermined system of equations, which can be solved using a variety of mathematical techniques, potentially yielding more accurate numerical predictions. Mathematical theory and a simple two-dimensional example are presented to overview relevant mathematical and modeling issues. Two of the three methods for solving the overdetermined system achieved an overall improvement in numerical model accuracy for various levels of synthetic ANN errors using relatively few constrained head values (i.e., cells), which, while demonstrating promise, requires further research. This hybrid approach is not limited to ANN technology; it can be used with other approaches for improving numerical model predictions, such as regression or support vector machines (SVMs).     

The Water Framework Directive: Can more information be extracted from groundwater data? A case study of Seewinkel,Burgenland, eastern Austria

Water protection is one of the most important goals in environmental protection. The Clean Water Act in the USA and the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Europe are the legal frameworks to facilitate the achievement of this goal. The question is raised of whether more information can be extracted from WFD-related groundwater data. To answer it, a methodology has been developed that is easy to use and could be implemented into official practice. A case study is presented in which the groundwater data of a sodic area in Austria (Seewinkel) is assessed. Eighteen parameters in groundwater sampled from 23 wells (1991–2011) were analyzed. With basic statistics, trend-, cluster-, Wilks’ λ and spatial sampling density analysis, local phosphorus and boron phenomena were described, along with the determining role of sulphate, groundwater flow, and the oxygen gradient in the area. As a final step, the spatial sampling density was determined. Regarding the current set of parameters, all the sampling sites are necessary and only in the case of certain parameters (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, NO₃ ^?, pH) could one sampling site be abandoned. The methodology applied brings a new perspective to exploring groundwater data collected according to the requirements of the WFD.