Experimental investigation of gas-water relative permeability for gas-hydrate-bearing sediments from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

Permeability of hydrate reservoirs found in nature is likely to be heavily influenced by the percent of the pore volume occupied by hydrates. The quantification of how hydrate saturation affects permeability is of key interest for reservoir engineering studies. In this study, an experimental setup was modified to test permeability characteristics of unconsolidated core samples containing various saturations of methane hydrates. Hydrates were formed in the unconsolidated samples using a refrigerated core holder connected to a brine and methane injection system. Studies of this type conducted to date have rarely been performed on core samples recovered from actual hydrate-bearing sedimentary sections from natural hydrate intervals. Samples from the Mount Elbert site on the Alaska North Slope (ANS) were used for this study.Relative permeability measurements using hydrate constituent components (e.g. water and methane) are not very desirable due to difficulties in preventing additional hydrate formation during displacement experiments. Relative permeability measurements performed with hydrate constituent components (e.g. water and nitrogen) can help to significantly mitigate issues with additional hydrate formation. However, unsteady state relative permeability experiments produce piston like displacement results suggesting that steady state experiments might be preferable.It was observed that as in previous work using consolidated core samples, permeability of both brine and gases was reduced in unconsolidated hydrate-bearing core samples. Experimental results show that low to moderate hydrate saturations (1.5 to 36%) can significantly reduce permeability of porous media. These saturations, in fact, are lower than hydrate saturations observed in the natural hydrate systems at Mount Elbert.     

Groundwater pollution due to sugar-mill effluent, at Sonai, Maharashtra, India

 Analyses of 126 samples collected from 18 dug wells in the shallow basaltic aquifer over a period of 7 months have revealed spatial as well as temporal changes in the chemical properties of groundwater. While the temporal changes have been attributed to dilution and concentration phenomena governed by climatic factors, the spatial variations in the geochemical characteristics of groundwater appeared to be related to pollution due to effluents from the Mula Sugar Factory. The cause of groundwater pollution is the effluent carried by a stream flowing through the area. Fluctuations in the groundwater table, influent water quality character of the stream, less capacity to accommodate large volume of effluent and occurrence of zero base flow (under natural conditions) in the stream are the factors favoring infiltration of constituents of waste water into the underlying weathered basaltic aquifer. Pollutants have entered into the shallow aquifer by downward percolation through the zone of aeration to form a recharge mound at the water table and, further, lateral movement below the water table. The plume of polluted groundwater has a lateral extent of a few meters in the upstream area and more than 400 m on either side of the stream in the downstream part. The zone of polluted groundwater has an areal extent of more than 3.5 km². Groundwater is the only source available for drinking and agricultural purposes. It is recommended that the base of the lagoons and the stream used for release of plant effluent should be waterproofed for the protection of groundwater in the Sonai area. Received: 30 April 1997 · Accepted: 23 September 1997     

On spectral indices as a function of soil variability in safflower crop

Spectral indices as an indicator of physiological traits affecting safflower yield in relation to soil variability were evaluated in a two year experiment (1997–1999). Reflectance, biometric and phonological data were collected. Two indices namely normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and ratio of spectral reflectance in infrared region to red region (1R/R) were derived from radiometric observation. Yield data indicated significant difference in different soils. Temporal NDVI behaviour as a function of soil type was not prominent especially in early stages of crop growth. However NDVI at 75 days after sowing (DAS) was found to be relatively better indicator of plant status and yield. IR/R was relatively less effective in indicating the differential response of crop to soil types. Effect of soil and crop interaction on spectral indices was significant at 75 and 90 DAS, which was attributed to attainment of maximum leaf area and leaf area at these stages of growth. Regression analysis showed strong positive relationship between NDVI and leaf area, dry matter and yield. IR/R and leaf area had the strongest and consistent relationship (r = 0.96). A single regression equation accounted for yield variability in the dataset. Thus possible transformation of NDVI maps (satellite data) to LAI units and consequently applications like yield forecasting was indicated. Utility of spectra-temporal data as a pointer of plant development status and yield was also demonstrated.     

Diatoms from surface sediments of Enderby Basin of Indian Sector of Southern Ocean

Diatoms from surface sediment samples collected from Enderby Basin of Indian Sector of Southern Ocean were analyzed to determine the relative abundance and distribution of seven key indicator diatom species viz. Sea ice related species Fragilariopsis rhombica, F. separanda, F. curta, F. ritscheri, Thalassiosira tumida and Actinocyclus actinochilus and Open Ocean species F. kerguelensis on the basis of modern physico-chemical parameters. The relative abundances of different species observed viz. F. rhombica — 6.25%; F. separanda — 12.5%; F. curta — 10.53–13.33%; F. ritscheri — 4.55–12.5%; F. kerguelensis — 6.25–63.64%; T. tumida — 3.13% and A. actinochilus — 9.38–13.33%. The increasing abundance of F. kerguelensis consecutively suggests the effect of Antarctic bottom water in the study area which is further substantiated by the presence and increasing abundance of F. ritscheri. The gradual decrease in abundance or absence of sea ice related species from the sampled stations indicates the summer and winter sea ice extent concentration in the study area. The nutrient concentration correlates with the distribution and abundances of diatom species.     

Glacial-interglacial changes in the surface water characteristics of the Andaman Sea: Evidence from stable isotopic ratios of planktonic foraminifera

Stable carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of the planktonic foraminifera (Globigerinoides ruber) from a deep sea sediment core (GC-1) in the Andaman Sea show high glacial-to-Holocene δ¹⁸O amplitude of 2.1%o which is consistent with previously published records from this marginal basin and suggest increased salinity and/or decreased temperature in the glacial surface waters of this region. A pulse of¹⁸O enrichment during the last deglaciation can be attributed to a Younger Dryas cooling event and/or to a sudden decrease of fresh water influx from the Irrawady and Salween rivers into the Andaman Sea. High δ¹³C values observed during the isotopic stages 2 and 4 are probably due to the enhanced productivity during glacial times in the Andaman Sea.     

Biological data from sharks landed within the United Arab Emirates artisanal fishery

Landing site and market surveys of sharks landed along the Arabian Gulf coast of the United Arab Emirates were undertaken between October 2010 and September 2012 to obtain biological data from this artisanal fishery. Data were collected on the size and sex of 12 482 individuals representing 30 species. Maximum sizes of Carcharhinus sorrah, C. amblyrhynchoides and Hemipristis elongata were extended by at least 300?mm total length (TL) compared with published global maxima. The size at 50% maturity was determined for males of five species and this indicated that the males of smaller shark species (<1 000 mm maximum TL) in the fishery were largely mature. For many species, including Loxodon macrorhinus and Mustelus mosis, overall sex ratios were male-biased, indicating that sexual segregation is likely in those species. Furthermore, sex ratios for several species, such as Rhizoprionodon acutus, showed differences across seasons. Overall, the landings contained a high proportion of juveniles, causing concerns about the sustainability of this fishery. Biological parameters of a number of species differed from those recorded earlier for the region, demonstrating a need for additional local data collection to support the development of management measures.     

Tectonomagnetic study in the seismoactive area of Narmada-Son lineament,central India: Preliminary results on repeat field observations

Repeated measurements of the total geomagnetic field on the five profiles have revealed a picture of stress-induced tectonomagnetic effect in the form of secular variation of the total geomagnetic field in the tectonically and seismically active area of Jabalpur and adjoining areas of the Narmada-Son lineament (NSL), central India. For this experiment, a reference base station was established within the study area at Jabalpur. Using proton precession magnetometers with a sensitivity of 0.1 nT, simultaneous measurements of total geomagnetic field were made annually at the base and all field stations. Five cycles of repeated observations have been performed between 2003 and 2007. For data analysis, a difference method has been applied and the residuals have been calculated as secular variations of the total geomagnetic field with values ranging from ±0.1nT to about ±14.6nT/yr over the different stations. The anomalies in secular variation of the total geomagnetic field may be related to anomalous accumulation of tectonic stresses and tensions on the deep fault zones and crustal blocks due to recent geodynamic processes and active geological inhomogeneities in the NSL.     

Faulting in Deccan Traps in the vicinity of Koyna-Warna Seismic Zone

Studies of sustained activity in the Koyna — Warna Seismic Zone have yielded several models of faults in the basement of the Deccan Traps inferred from geophysical and seismic signatures. There is however, a dearth of unambiguous surface manifestations of such faults, apart from the surface ruptures from the epicentral zone of the December, 1967 earthquake. We report for the first time, an exposed NW-SE trending reverse fault in the Deccan Trap basalts from this region.     

Pre- and post-monsoon variations in the magnetic susceptibilities of soils of Mumbai metropolitan region: implications to surface redistribution of urban soils loaded with anthropogenic particulates

Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) in India represents one of the most industrialized and thickly populated areas of the monsoon dominated Asian region. We present here pre- and post-monsoon magnetic susceptibility variations in the top-soils representing sampling domains of industrial, heavy traffic and forested areas within MMR. The rock magnetic studies (including isothermal and anhysteric remanent magnetization and hysteresis loop analysis) infer predominant pseudo single domain to multi domain grains in an overall ferrimagnetic dominant mineralogy of the soils. The susceptibility-temperature variations (from ?190 to 700°C) infer maghemite (??-Fe₂O₃) as the chief mineral component of pedogenic origin, and the pure magnetite (Fe₃O₄) is of anthropogenic nature. Spatial distribution of ferrimagnetic concentration is in agreement with polluting sources. The post-monsoon redistribution pattern is greatly controlled by the surface runoff and topographic conditions. The study demonstrates that in a ferrimagnetically reach substrate like MMR, the spatial distribution patterns derived from routine concentration- and grain-size-dependent rock magnetic parameters integrated with topographic and seasonal attributes yield significant information on the style and surface re-distribution of anthropogenically loaded soils and sediments to identify its seasonal dumping. Alternatively, knowing the source of signal, the magnetic susceptibility can be further used as a robust parameter to produce detailed maps to monitor the pollutions in urban areas.