Multi‐method virtual electromagnetic experiments for developing suitable monitoring designs: A fictitious CO2 sequestration scenario in Northern Germany

We present a numerical study for 3D time‐lapse electromagnetic monitoring of a fictitious CO₂ sequestration using the geometry of a real geological site and a suite of suitable electromagnetic methods with different source/receiver configurations and different sensitivity patterns. All available geological information is processed and directly implemented into the computational domain, which is discretized by unstructured tetrahedral grids. We thus demonstrate the performance capability of our numerical simulation techniques. The scenario considers a CO₂ injection in approximately 1100 m depth. The expected changes in conductivity were inferred from preceding laboratory measurements. A resistive anomaly is caused within the conductive brines of the undisturbed reservoir horizon. The resistive nature of the anomaly is enhanced by the CO₂ dissolution regime, which prevails in the high‐salinity environment. Due to the physicochemical properties of CO₂, the affected portion of the subsurface is laterally widespread but very thin. We combine controlled‐source electromagnetics, borehole transient electromagnetics, and the direct‐current resistivity method to perform a virtual experiment with the aim of scrutinizing a set of source/receiver configurations with respect to coverage, resolution, and detectability of the anomalous CO₂ plume prior to the field survey. Our simulation studies are carried out using the 3D codes developed in our working group. They are all based on linear and higher order Lagrange and Nédélec finite‐element formulations on unstructured grids, providing the necessary flexibility with respect to the complex real‐world geometry. We provide different strategies for addressing the accuracy of numerical simulations in the case of arbitrary structures. The presented computations demonstrate the expected great advantage of positioning transmitters or receivers close to the target. For direct‐current geoelectrics, 50% change in electric potential may be detected even at the Earth's surface. Monitoring with inductive methods is also promising. For a well‐positioned surface transmitter, more than 10% difference in the vertical electric field is predicted for a receiver located 200 m above the target. Our borehole transient electromagnetics results demonstrate that traditional transient electromagnetics with a vertical magnetic dipole source is not well suited for monitoring a thin horizontal resistive target. This is due to the mainly horizontal current system, which is induced by a vertical magnetic dipole.     

CLAST-LADEN MELT-ROCK FRAGMENT IN THE ADAMS COUNTY,COLORADO, H5 CHONDRITE

The Adams County, Colorado, H5 chondrite contains a lithic fragment, 1 cm in size, that is texturally and mineralogically quite different from the chondritic host. It is composed of: a groundmass of fine-grained euhedral to subhedral olivine (3–15 μm) and interstitial glass enclosing larger olivine and pyroxene grains (0.15-0.5 mm; about 15 vol %); an assemblage of enstatite grains (subfragment within) and an assemblage of olivine plus orthopyroxene (a second subfragment); and about 11 vol % grains of mixed troilite and nickel-iron metal. Analyses yielded these results: (i) olivine grains of the fragment groundmass have a compositional range (Fa_12–45) and most grains contain substantial CaO and Cr₂O₃ (～ 0.20 and 0.30 avg. wt%, respectively); interstitial glass has ～ 55 wt% SiO₂; (ii) larger olivine grains of the fragment are similarly high in CaO and Cr₂O₃ and also have a wide FeO/MgO range; one unusual pyroxene is an Mg-rich pigeonite; (iii) the metal is martensite in composition (11–14 wt% Ni); and (iv) major and trace element analyses by INAA indicate an H-group bulk composition for the entire 1 cm lithic fragment. On the basis of its texture and bulk and mineral compositions, the fragment is interpreted to represent unequilibrated H-group material that was partly melted by impact. The Ca- and Cr-enriched groundmass olivine and interstitial glass resulted from rapid crystallization of the chondritic melt. The Ca- and Cr-enriched larger silicate grains, including the enstatite sub-fragment and the pigeonite grain, are residual, unmelted clasts from the target material (this is supported by the presence of similar material in actual H3 chondrites). Further impact brecciation of the clast-laden melt material, and resultant impact-splashing accounts for the presence of the fragment in the H-group Adams County host and documents the coexistence of unequilibrated and equilibrated H-group material as surface regolith on one parent body.     

Using multivariate statistical analysis of groundwater major cation and trace element concentrations to evaluate groundwater flow in a regional aquifer

Groundwater samples were collected from 11 springs in Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge in southern Nevada and seven springs from Death Valley National Park in eastern California. Concentrations of the major cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and 45 trace elements were determined in these groundwater samples. The resultant data were subjected to evaluation via the multivariate statistical technique principal components analysis (PCA), to investigate the chemical relationships between the Ash Meadows and Death Valley spring waters, to evaluate whether the results of the PCA support those of previous hydrogeological and isotopic studies and to determine if PCA can be used to help delineate potential groundwater flow patterns based on the chemical compositions of groundwaters. The results of the PCA indicated that groundwaters from the regional Paleozoic carbonate aquifers (all of the Ash Meadows springs and four springs from the Furnace Creek region of Death Valley) exhibited strong statistical associations, whereas other Death Valley groundwaters were chemically different. The results of the PCA support earlier studies, where potentiometric head levels, δ¹⁸O and δD, geological relationships and rare earth element data were used to evaluate groundwater flow, which suggest groundwater flows from Ash Meadows to the Furnace Creek springs in Death Valley. The PCA suggests that Furnace Creek groundwaters are moderately concentrated Ash Meadows groundwater, reflecting longer aquifer residence times for the Furnace Creek groundwaters. Moreover, PCA indicates that groundwater may flow from springs in the region surrounding Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park, to a spring discharging on the valley floor. The study indicates that PCA may provide rapid and relatively cost‐effective methods to assess possible groundwater flow regimes in systems that have not been previously investigated. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tele-connecting local consumption to global land use

Globalization increases the interconnectedness of people and places around the world. In a connected world, goods and services consumed in one country are often produced in other countries and exchanged via international trade. Thus, local consumption is increasingly met by global supply chains oftentimes involving large geographical distances and leading to global environmental change. In this study, we connect local consumption to global land use through tracking global commodity and value chains via international trade flows. Using a global multiregional input–output model with sectoral detail allows for the accounting of land use attributed to “unusual” sectors – from a land use perspective – including services, machinery and equipment, and construction. Our results show how developed countries consume a large amount of goods and services from both domestic and international markets, and thus impose pressure not only on their domestic land resources, but also displace land in other countries, thus displacing other uses. For example, 33% of total U.S. land use for consumption purposes is displaced from other countries. This ratio becomes much larger for the EU (more than 50%) and Japan (92%). Our analysis shows that 47% of Brazilian and 88% of Argentinean cropland is used for consumption purposes outside of their territories, mainly in EU countries and China. In addition, consumers in rich countries tend to displace land by consuming non-agricultural products, such as services, clothing and household appliances, which account for more than 50% of their total land displacement. By contrast, for developing economies, such as African countries, the share of land use for non-agricultural products is much lower, with an average of 7%. The emerging economies and population giants, China and India, are likely to further increase their appetite for land from other countries, such as Africa, Russia and Latin America, to satisfy their own land needs driven by their fast economic growth and the needs and lifestyles of their growing populations.     

Towards a better understanding of magnesium-isotope ratios from marine skeletal carbonates

This study presents magnesium stable-isotope compositions of various biogenic carbonates of several marine calcifying organisms and an algae species, seawater samples collected from the western Dutch Wadden Sea, and reference materials. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of mineralogy, taxonomy and environmental factors (e.g., seawater isotopic composition, temperature, salinity) on magnesium-isotopic (δ²⁶Mg) ratios of skeletal carbonates. Using high-precision multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we observed that the magnesium-isotopic composition of seawater from the semi-enclosed Dutch Wadden Sea is identical to that of open marine seawater. We further found that a considerable component of the observed variability in δ²⁶Mg values of marine skeletal carbonates can be attributed to differences in mineralogy. Furthermore, magnesium-isotope fractionation is species-dependent, with all skeletal carbonates being isotopically lighter than seawater. While δ²⁶Mg values of skeletal aragonite and high-magnesium calcite of coralline red algae indicate the absence or negligibility of metabolic influences, the δ²⁶Mg values of echinoids, brachiopods and bivalves likely result from a taxon-specific level of control on Mg-isotope incorporation during biocalcification. Moreover, no resolvable salinity and temperature effect were observed for coralline red algae and echinoids. In contrast, Mg-isotope data of bivalves yield ambiguous results, which require further validation. The data presented here, point to a limited use of Mg isotopes as temperature proxy, but highlight the method’s potential as tracer of seawater chemistry through Earth’s history.     

Lattice-preferred orientations of late-Variscan granitoids derived from neutron diffraction data: implications for magma emplacement mechanisms

The lattice-preferred orientation (LPOs) of two late-Variscan granitoids, the Meissen monzonite and the Podlesí dyke granite, were determined from high-resolution time-of-flight neutron diffraction patterns gained at the diffractometer SKAT in Dubna, Russia. The results demonstrate that the method is suitable for the LPO analysis of polyphase, relatively coarse-grained (0.1–6 mm) rocks. The Meissen monzonite has a prominent shape-preferred orientation (SPO) of the non-equidimensional minerals feldspar, mica and amphibole, whereas SPO of the Podlesí granite is unapparent at the hand-specimen scale. The neutron diffraction data revealed distinct LPOs in both granitoids. The LPO of the non-equidimensional minerals feldspar, mica and amphibole developed mainly during magmatic flow. In the case of the Meissen monzonite, the magmatic flow was superimposed by regional shear tectonics, which, however, had no significant effect on the LPOs. In both samples, quartz shows a weak but distinct LPO, which is atypical for plastic deformation and different in the syn-kinematic Meissen monzonite and the post-kinematic Podlesí granite. We suggest that, first of all, the quartz LPO of the Meissen monzonite is the result of oriented growth in an anisotropic stress field. The quartz LPO of the Podlesí granite, which more or less resembles a deformational LPO in the flattening field of the local strain field, developed during magmatic flow, whereby the rhombohedral faces of the quartz crystals adhered to the (010) faces of aligned albite and to the (001) faces of zinnwaldite. Due to shape anisotropy of their attachments, the quartz crystals were passively aligned by magmatic flow. Thus, magmatic flow and oriented crystal growth are the major LPO-forming processes in both granitoids. For the Meissen monzonite, the solid-state flow was too weak to cause significant crystallographic re-orientation of the minerals aligned by magmatic flow. Finally, the significance of our results for the evaluation of the regional tectonic environment during magma emplacement is discussed. The discussion on the regional implications of the more methodologically oriented results provides the basis for future, more regionally aimed studies in view of the fabric characteristics of such plutons and their developing mechanisms.     

Ingella Station,a New Chondrite Find from the Tenham Strewnfield,Queensland, Australia

Abstract— Based on optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis of mafic minerals, Ingella Station, a new meteorite find from the area of the Tenham strewnfield, Queensland, Australia, is classified as an H5a chondrite.     

Anwendung der Endochronentheorie auf Salzgestein

ZusammenfassungAnwendung der Endochronentheorie auf Salzgestein Es wird ein Stoffgesetz auf Grundlage der Endochronentheorie entwickelt, mit dem das Materialverhalten von Salzgestein beschrieben werden kann. Dafür werden die grundlegenden Vorstellungen dieser allgemeinen Theorie vorgestellt, wie sie von Valanis für Metalle und von Bazant-Bhat für Beton entwickelt wurde.Das Verformungsverhalten von Salzgestein, das durch eine ausgeprägte Kriechneigung geprägt ist, wird erläutert und durch ein rheologisches Modell beschrieben. Das rheologische Modell dient zur Bestimmung der in der Endochronenformulierung vorhandenen Materialfunktionen und Materialkonstanten. Das Stoffgesetz wird in tensorieller Weise formuliert, und es werden Hinweise für seinen Einbau in numerische Rechenmodelle gegeben.

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SummaryUse of the Endochronic Theory on Rock Salt On the basis of the endochronic theory a material model which can describe the behavior of rock salt is developed. This study presents and follows in a modified form the earlier work of Valanis in metals and Bazant-Bhat in concrete.The deformation characteristics of rock salt, subject to extensive creep, are described and explained by an analogous rheological model. This model is used to determine the material functions and constants for the endochronic formulation. The material law is written in tensor form and keys for its use in a computer program are supplied.

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RésuméMise en application de la théorie d'endochrones au niveau de la roche saline A partir de la théorie d'endochrones, l'on développe une loi des matières pouvant décrire le comportement de la roche saline. Dans cette optique, l'on présente les conceptions de base de cette théorie générale, telles qu'elles ont été développées par Valanis pour les métaux et par Bazant-Bhat pour le béton.Le comportement de déformation de la roche saline, caractérisé par une tendance marquée à ramper, est explicité et décrit à l'aide d'un modèle rhéologique. Le modèle rhéologique sert à la détermination des fonctions et constantes de matières, se trouvant dans la formulation d'endochrones. La loi des matières est formulée de facon tensorielle et l'on donne des instructions quant à son application au niveau des ordinateurs.

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Mit 5 Abbildungen     

The coalification pattern in the Northern Apennines and its palaeogeothermic and tectonic significance

The rocks of the Northern Apennines predominantly consist of non-metamorphic terrigeneous deposits (flysches and molasses) some of which are preorogenic, some synorogenic and others postorogenic with respect to the nappe tectonics (Miocene). As plant fragments frequently occur in these sediments, a study of coal rank based on reflectance measurements on vitrinites (% Rm = mean value of the random reflectance in non polarized light) contributes to the clarification of the relation between the orogenic and the palaeogeothermal development. The determination of the Rm values of more than 180 samples from outcrops and three deep drillings revealed some important features. Within the pile of Liguride and Tuscanide nappes, the coal rank increases from the uppermost nappe to the lower nappes until lowgrade metamorphism is reached in the Lower Tuscanides. In the single nappes the rank decreases from the Tyrrhenian coast (internal zone) towards the Po Plain (external zone). This regional trend is disturbed only locally by young post-coalification tectonics. In the uppermost Liguride nappe (M. Antola Unit) a pre-Oligocene (i. e. pre-Apenninic) thermal event was detected. Postorogenic heating is connected with the magmatic activity of Late Miocene to Pleistocene age in Tuscany. Except for these preorogenic and postorogenic thermal events, the main coalification is generally younger than the emplacement of the nappes in the nappe pile during the Apenninic orogeny in the Miocene, but it is older than the last thrust movements and the final tensional tectonics in the internal zones of the chain. For these reasons, the main regional thermal event has to be considered as synorogenic or, more precisely, as late-synorogenic.     

Extremely low temperatures in the stratosphore and very low total ozone amount above northern and central Europe during winter 1989

On 1 February 1989, -83.5°C was recorded in 27.8 hPa over Hohenpeißenberg, the lowest temperature in the 22-year series. This was measured together with a very low total ozone amount of 266 DU. This may be compared with nearly twice this amount on 27 February 1989. The situation was very unusual: following an extremely cold winter in the Arctic stratosphere, the stratospheric cold pole was located over southern Scandinavia on 1 February in a very southerly position. The analyzed temperatures of -92 °C in 30 hPa were also unusual. Even though the low ozone amounts over Hohenpeißenberg were probably dynamically caused, an additional very small ozone decrease due to heterogeneous reactions in altitudes from 23–28 km, where the temperatures lie below -80 °C, cannot be ruled out. Extinction measurements by the orbitting SAGE II instrument indeed show polar stratospheric clouds over Europe near 50° N during the period 31 January–2 February. Also, polar stratospheric clouds were previously observed over Kiruna at similarly low temperatures and signs of a corresponding small ozone decrease were noted there.