Petroleum systems modeling in tectonically complex areas — A 2D migration study from the Neuquen Basin, Argentina

A roughly 30 km 2D section across the Faja Plegada y Corrida del Agrio in the Neuquen Basin, Argentina, is the basis for a petroleum systems study, including structural restoration through time, deposition and erosion, pressure, temperature and migration modeling. Integrating tectonic and petroleum systems modeling proved critical to properly evaluate sub-thrust plays. Multi-dimensional modeling of dynamic processes allows accurate assessment and prediction of the potential of petroleum systems in tectonically complex areas such as the Neuquen Basin.     

On the Use of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Data for Monitoring and Forecasting Natural Hazards

Mathematical Geosciences - Recent advances in satellite technologies, statistical and mathematical models, and computational resources have paved the way for operational use of satellite data in...     

Experimental determination of magnesia and silica solubilities in graphite-saturated and redox-buffered high-pressure COH fluids in equilibrium with forsterite + enstatite and magnesite + enstatite

We experimentally investigated the dissolution of forsterite, enstatite and magnesite in graphite-saturated COH fluids, synthesized using a rocking piston cylinder apparatus at pressures from 1.0 to 2.1 GPa and temperatures from 700 to 1200 °C. Synthetic forsterite, enstatite, and nearly pure natural magnesite were used as starting materials. Redox conditions were buffered by Ni–NiO–H₂O (ΔFMQ = ??0.21 to ??1.01), employing a double-capsule setting. Fluids, binary H₂O–CO₂ mixtures at the P, T, and fO₂ conditions investigated, were generated from graphite, oxalic acid anhydrous (H₂C₂O₄) and water. Their dissolved solute loads were analyzed through an improved version of the cryogenic technique, which takes into account the complexities associated with the presence of CO₂-bearing fluids. The experimental data show that forsterite?+?enstatite solubility in H₂O–CO₂ fluids is higher compared to pure water, both in terms of dissolved silica (mSiO₂?=?1.24 mol/kg_H2O versus mSiO₂?=?0.22 mol/kg_H2O at P?=?1 GPa, T?=?800 °C) and magnesia (mMgO?=?1.08 mol/kg_H2O versus mMgO?=?0.28 mol/kg_H2O) probably due to the formation of organic C–Mg–Si complexes. Our experimental results show that at low temperature conditions, a graphite-saturated H₂O–CO₂ fluid interacting with a simplified model mantle composition, characterized by low MgO/SiO₂ ratios, would lead to the formation of significant amounts of enstatite if solute concentrations are equal, while at higher temperatures these fluid, characterized by MgO/SiO₂ ratios comparable with that of olivine, would be less effective in metasomatizing the surrounding rocks. However, the molality of COH fluids increases with pressure and temperature, and quintuplicates with respect to the carbon-free aqueous fluids. Therefore, the amount of fluid required to metasomatize the mantle decreases in the presence of carbon at high P–T conditions. COH fluids are thus effective carriers of C, Mg and Si in the mantle wedge up to the shallowest level of the upper mantle.     

Effects of fish farm waste on Posidonia oceanica meadows: synthesis and provision of monitoring and management tools

This paper provides a synthesis of the EU project MedVeg addressing the fate of nutrients released from fish farming in the Mediterranean with particular focus on the endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica habitat. The objectives were to identify the main drivers of seagrass decline linked to fish farming and to provide sensitive indicators of environmental change, which can be used for monitoring purposes. The sedimentation of waste particles in the farm vicinities emerges as the main driver of benthic deterioration, such as accumulation of organic matter, sediment anoxia as well as seagrass decline. The effects of fish farming on P. oceanica meadows are diverse and complex and detected through various metrics and indicators. A safety distance of 400 m is suggested for management of P. oceanica near fish farms followed by establishment of permanent seagrass plots revisited annually for monitoring the health of the meadows.     

A Mini‐Review of E‐Waste Management in Brazil: Perspectives and Challenges

The accelerated production and replacement of new electrical and electronic equipment demonstrates a tendency for the proportional increase in the generation of e‐waste. Developing countries experience similar social and environmental consequences from this trend, which compounds the other challenges associated with the already poor solid waste management in these regions. Moreover, the dangerous composition of some e‐waste amplifies the problems related to managing these materials. This mini‐review presents a brief overview of e‐waste management in Brazil, including technical aspects, scientific studies, and the challenges ahead. With the Brazilian National Policy of Solid Waste already in place, technical and scientific studies endorse measures that range from incorporating the informal recycling sector into the e‐waste management sector to encouraging the expansion of the recycling industry. All such actions, combined with an intensified commitment of electronic equipment manufacturers to reverse logistics, can improve e‐waste management in Brazil.     

Grazing Management Plans improve pasture selection by cattle and forage quality in sub-alpine and alpine grasslands

Over the last decades, the reduction of manpower for herd management has led to an increase of continuous grazing systems(CGS) in the Italian Alps, which allow cattle to roam freely. Under CGS, due to high selectivity, livestock exploit grasslands unevenly, over-and under-using specific areas at the same time with negative effects on their conservation. To counteract these effects, a specific policy and management tool(i.e. Grazing Management Plan) has been implemented by Piedmont Region since 2010. The Grazing Management Plans are based on the implementation of rotational grazing systems(RGS), with animal stocking rate adjusted to balance it with grassland carrying capacity. A case study was conducted on alpine summer pastures to test the 5-year effects produced by the implementation of a Grazing Management Plan in grasslands formerly managed under several years of CGS on 1) the selection for different vegetation communities by cattle, 2) the abundance of oligo-, meso-, and eutrophic plant species(defined according to Landolt N indicator value), and 3) forage yield, quality, and palatability. A total of 193 vegetation surveys were carried out in 2011 and repeated in 2016. Cows were tracked yearly with Global Positioning System collars to assess their grazing selectivity, and forage Pastoral Value(PV) was computed to evaluate forage yield, quality, and palatability. Five years after RGS implementation, cow selectivity significantly decreased and the preference for the different vegetation communities was more balanced than under CGS. The abundance of meso-and eutrophic species increased, whereas oligotrophic ones decreased. Moreover, the abundance of moderately to highly palatable plant species increased, whereas non-palatable plant species decreased, with a consequent significant enhancement of the PV. Our findings indicate that the implementation of Grazing Management Plans can be considered a sustainable and effective management tool for improving pasture selection by cattle and forage quality in mountain pastures.     

DmpIRFs and DmpST:DAMPE instrument response functions and science tools for gamma-ray data analysis

Observing GeV gamma-rays is an important goal of the DArk Matter Particle Explorer(DAMPE)for indirect dark matter searching and high energy astrophysics. In this work, we present a set of accurate instrument response functions for DAMPE(DmpIRFs) including the effective area, point-spread function and energy dispersion, which are crucial for gamma-ray data analysis based on statistics from simulation data. A dedicated software named DmpST is developed to facilitate the scientific analyses of DAMPE gamma-ray data. Considering the limited number of photons and angular resolution of DAMPE, the maximum likelihood method is adopted in DmpST to better disentangle different source components. The basic mathematics and framework regarding this software are also introduced in this paper.     

Soft proton flux on <Emphasis Type="Italic">ATHENA</Emphasis> focal plane and its impact on the magnetic diverter design

The experience gained with the current generation of X-ray telescopes like Chandra and XMM-Newton has shown that low energy “soft” protons can pose a severe threat to the possibility to exploit scientific data, reducing the available exposure times by up to 50% and introducing a poorly reproducible background component. These soft protons are present in orbits outside the radiation belts and enter the mirrors, being concentrated towards the focal plane instruments, losing energy along their path and finally depositing their remaining energy in the detectors. Their contribution to the residual background will be even higher for ATHENA with respect to previous missions, given the much higher collecting area of the mirrors, even if the instruments will likely suffer no significant radiation damage from this particles flux. As a consequence this soft proton flux shall be damped with the use of a magnetic diverter to avoid excess background loading on the WFI or X-IFU instruments. We present here a first complete evaluation of this background component for the two focal plane instruments of the ATHENA mission in absence of a magnetic diverter, and derive the requirements for such device to reduce the soft protons induced background below the level required to enable the mission science. We estimate the soft proton flux expected in L2 for the interplanetary component and for the component generated locally by acceleration processes in the magnetotail. We produce a proton response matrix for each of the two instruments of ATHENA focal plane, exploiting two independent Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the optics concentration efficiency, and Geant4 simulations to evaluate the energy loss inside the radiation filters and deposited in the detector. With this modular approach we derive the expected fluxes and spectra for the soft protons component of the background. Finally, we calculate the specifics of a magnetic diverter able to reduce such flux below the required level for both X-IFU and WFI.