Permafrost-associated natural gas hydrate occurrences on the Alaska North Slope

In the 1960s Russian scientists made what was then a bold assertion that gas hydrates should occur in abundance in nature. Since this early start, the scientific foundation has been built for the realization that gas hydrates are a global phenomenon, occurring in permafrost regions of the arctic and in deep water portions of most continental margins worldwide. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey made the first systematic assessment of the in-place natural gas hydrate resources of the United States. That study suggested that the amount of gas in the gas hydrate accumulations of northern Alaska probably exceeds the volume of known conventional gas resources on the North Slope. Researchers have long speculated that gas hydrates could eventually become a producible energy resource, yet technical and economic hurdles have historically made gas hydrate development a distant goal. This view began to change in recent years with the realization that this unconventional resource could be developed with existing conventional oil and gas production technology. One of the most significant developments was the completion of the BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well on the Alaska North Slope, which along with the Mallik project in Canada, have for the first time allowed the rational assessment of gas hydrate production technology and concepts. Almost 40 years of gas hydrate research in northern Alaska has confirmed the occurrence of at least two large gas hydrate accumulations on the North Slope. We have also seen in Alaska the first ever assessment of how much gas could be technically recovered from gas hydrates. However, significant technical concerns need to be further resolved in order to assess the ultimate impact of gas hydrate energy resource development in northern Alaska.     

Abundance of epiphytic dinoflagellates from coastal waters off Jeju Island,Korea During Autumn 2009

The occurrence of harmful epiphytic dinoflagellates is of concern to scientists, the aquaculture industry, and government due to their toxicity not only to marine organisms but also to humans. There have been no studies on the abundance of the epiphytic dinoflagellates in Korean waters. We explored the presence of epiphytic dinoflagellates in the coastal waters off Jeju Island, southwestern Korea. Furthermore, we measured the abundance of epiphytic dinoflagellates on the thalli of 24 different macroalgae, collected from five different locations in October 2009. Five epiphytic dinoflagellate genera Amphidinium, Coolia, Gambierdiscus, Ostreopsis, and Prorocentrum were found. These five genera were observed on the thalli of the macroalgae Chordaria flagelliformis, Martensia sp., Padina arborescens, and Sargassum sp., while none were observed exceptionally on Codium fragile. The abundance of Ostreopsis spp. was highest on Derbesia sp. (8,660 cells/g wet weight), while that of Gambierdiscus spp. was highest on Martensia sp. (4,870 cells/g-ww). The maximum abundances of Amphidinium spp., Coolia spp., and Prorocentrum spp. were 410, 710, and 300 cells/g-ww, respectively. The maximum abundance of Coolia spp., Gambierdiscus spp., and Ostreopsis spp. obtained in the present study was lower than for other locations reported in literature. The results of the present study suggest that the presence and abundance of epiphytic dinoflagellates may be related to the macroalgal species of the coastal waters of Jeju Island.     

Integrative assessment of sediment quality in terms of chemical contamination in Jinhae Bay,South Korea

The assessment of sediment quality by considering chemical contaminants is required for the effective management of coastal environments. In this study, complex data sets of heavy metals and organic pollutants were integrated to evaluate sediment quality. Thirty-two target pollutants were quantitatively determined in surface sediments from 80 stations in Jinhae Bay, South Korea. A sediment quality index (SQI) was derived by combining the functions of “scope” (the number of variables that do not meet guideline objectives) and “amplitude” (the magnitude by which these variables exceed the guideline objective). The SQI reflects the spatial gradient and differences in the contamination status with regard to heavy metals and organic pollutants in Jinhae Bay. Fifty-nine out of eighty stations surveyed (74%) were classified as being in “excellent” or “good” condition according to the SQI, and no stations were in a “poor” condition. The mean sediment quality guideline quotient (mSGQq) ranged from 0.06 to 0.31 (from nontoxic to marginally toxic). Acute sediment toxicity leading to amphipod mortality was recorded at 17 stations (21%) of the 80 surveyed, where the mortality rate was slightly over 20%. No significant relationship was observed between sediment toxicity and the concentration of each toxicant or mSQGq.     

Spatial variability of biochemical responses in resident fish after the M/V Hebei Spirit Oil Spill (Taean, Korea)

This study describes the spatial variation and the duration of the impacts from the Hebei Spirit oil spill using specific biochemical indices in resident benthic fish. Enzymatic activities and biliary PAHs metabolites were higher at the site closer to the spill area in four months after spill incident. Regarding our results of detoxification response, markers of Phase I followed a similar trend in accordance with levels of biliary metabolites, while markers of phase II and GST appeared relatively unchanged.     

Explicit use of the Biot coefficient in predicting shear-wave velocity of water-saturated sediments

Predicting the shear‐wave (S‐wave) velocity is important in seismic modelling, amplitude analysis with offset, and other exploration and engineering applications. Under the low‐frequency approximation, the classical Biot–Gassmann theory relates the Biot coefficient to the bulk modulus of water‐saturated sediments. If the Biot coefficient under in situ conditions can be estimated, the shear modulus or the S‐wave velocity can be calculated. The Biot coefficient derived from the compressional‐wave (P‐wave) velocity of water‐saturated sediments often differs from and is less than that estimated from the S‐wave velocity, owing to the interactions between the pore fluid and the grain contacts. By correcting the Biot coefficients derived from P‐wave velocities of water‐saturated sediments measured at various differential pressures, an accurate method of predicting S‐wave velocities is proposed. Numerical results indicate that the predicted S‐wave velocities for consolidated and unconsolidated sediments agree well with measured velocities.     

Crustal Structure of the Southern Korean Peninsula from Seismic Waves Generated by Large Explosions in 2002 and 2004

In order to investigate the velocity structure of the southern part of the Korean peninsula, seismic refraction profiles were obtained along a 294-km WNW-ESE line and a 335-km NNW-SSE line in 2002 and 2004, respectively. Seismic waves were generated by detonating 500–1000 kg explosives in drill holes at depths of 80–150 m. The seismic signals were recorded by portable seismometers at nominal intervals of 1.5–1.7 km. Separate velocity tomograms were derived from first arrival times using a series expansion method of travel-time inversion. The raypaths indicate several mid-crust interfaces including those at approximate depths of 2–3, 15–17, and 22 km. The Moho discontinuity with refraction velocity of 7.8 to 8.4 km/s has a maximum depth of 37–39 km under the southern central portion of the peninsula. The Moho becomes shallower as the Yellow Sea and the East Sea are approached on the west and east coasts of the peninsula, respectively. The depth of the 7.6 km/s velocity contour varies from 29.4 km to 36.5 km. The discrepancy in depth between the seismological Moho and the interpreted critically refracting interface may result from the presence of a gradual transition between the crust and mantle. The velocity tomograms show particular crustal structures including (1) the existence of an over 70-km wide low-velocity zone centered at 6–7 km depth under the Okchon fold belt and Ryeongnam massif, (2) existence of high-velocity materials under the Gyeongsang basin, and (3) the downward extension of the Yeongdong fault to depths greater than 10 km.     

2-D Frequency-domain Waveform Inversion of Coupled Acoustic-Elastic Media with an Irregular Interface

In order to correctly interpret marine exploration data, which contain many elastic signals such as S waves, surface waves and converted waves, we have developed both a frequency-domain modeling algorithm for acoustic-elastic coupled media with an irregular interface, and the corresponding waveform inversion algorithm. By applying the continuity condition between acoustic (fluid) and elastic (solid) media, wave propagation can be properly simulated throughout the coupled domain. The arbitrary interface is represented by tessellating square and triangular finite elements. Although the resulting complex impedance matrix generated by finite element methods for the acoustic-elastic coupled wave equation is asymmetric, we can exploit the usual back-propagation algorithm used in the frequency domain through modern sparse matrix technology. By running numerical experiments on a synthetic model, we demonstrate that our inversion algorithm can successfully recover P- and S-wave velocity and density models from marine exploration data (pressure data only).     

First Investigation of Microbial Community Composition in the Bridge (Gadeok Channel) between the Jinhae-Masan Bay and the South Sea of Korea

Microbial community composition varies based on seasonal dynamics (summer: strongly stratified water column; autumn: weakly stratified water column; winter: vertically homogeneous water column) and vertical distributions (surface, middle, and bottom depths) in the Gadeok Channel, which is the primary passage to exchange waters and materials between the Jinhae-Masan Bay and the South Sea waters. The microbial community composition was analyzed from June to December 2016 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The community was dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria (45%), Bacteroidetes (18%), Cyanobacteria (15%), Verrucomicrobia (6%), and Actinobacteria (6%). Alphaproteobacteria (29%) was the most abundant microbial class, followed by Flavobacteria (15%) and Gammaproteobacteria (15%) in all samples. The composition of the microbial communities was found to vary vertically and seasonally. The orders Flavobacteriales and Stramenopiles showed opposing seasonal patterns; Flavobacteriales was more abundant in August and December while Stramenopiles showed high abundance in June and October at all depths. The genus Synechococcus reached extremely high abundance (14%) in the June surface water column, but was much less abundant in December water columns. Clustering analysis showed that there was a difference in the microbial community composition pattern between the strongly stratified season and well-mixed season. These results indicate that the seasonal dynamics of physicochemical and hydrologic conditions throughout the water column are important parameters in shaping the microbial community composition in the Gadeok Channel.     

Fatigue strength assessment of MARK-III type LNG cargo containment system

The aim of this paper is to investigate the fatigue strength of the GTT Mark-III type LNG insulation system. The LNG insulation system consists of several composite layers with various connections; plywood, triplex, reinforced polyurethane foam and mastic. Consequently, the LNG insulation system may include mechanical failures such as cracks as well as delaminations within the layers due to sloshing impact loads and fatigue loadings. In addition, these failures may cause a significant decrease of structural integrity. In this study, a series of fatigue tests have been carried out for Mark-III type LNGC insulation systems at room temperature considering the effect of sloshing impact. The load levels have been determined based on the ultimate strength of reinforced polyurethane foam. The aim of the study is to investigate the typical failure characteristics of the MARK-III LNG insulation system and to obtain the S–N data under fatigue loading. A consolidated single S–N curve is obtained based on a systematic finite element procedure. Future use of the S–N data in fatigue analysis requires that the response analysis is carried out using a finite element model with the same mesh density and material properties. This study can be used as a fundamental study for the fatigue assessment of the LNGC insulation system as well as a design guideline.     

A search for decay of with tin-loaded liquid scintillator

A search for the neutrinoless double-beta decay of ¹²⁴Sn was carried out using the tin-loaded liquid scintillator for an active source-detector technique. Tin (32.6%) in weight was successfully loaded into the liquid scintillator, and light output was as high as 57% of the unloaded liquid scintillator. A tin-loaded liquid scintillator with 1.1 ℓ volume was installed at the 700 m underground laboratory in YangYang, and data were taken for 5285 h. No evidence for the 0νββ decay was found and a lower limit on the ¹²⁴Sn half-life was obtained to be 2.0×10¹⁹ year with 90% C.L. The new limit represents a significant improvement with respect to those previously available for ¹²⁴Sn.