The petroleum geology of the Unst Basin, North Sea

The Unst Basin is situated in the northern North Sea between the East Shetland Basin and the Shetland Isles. The basin is essentially a three-armed, Permo-Triassic fault-controlled basin containing up to 3600 m of red-beds. This is overlain by a westerly thickening Jurassic and early Cretaceous sequence, the stratigraphy of which is very similar to that of the East Shetland Basin. In particular, the Brent Group (140 m), Humber Group (685 m) and Cromer Knoll Group (300 m) are well represented.As a result of Laramide uplift of the area, the thick Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene strata of the East Shetland Basin are absent from the Unst Basin. This uplift resulted in substantial erosion within the Unst Basin providing the major source for Palaeocene sands in the Viking Graben and the Faeroes Basin. Late Palaeocene and younger Tertiary strata transgress westwards across this erosion surface.Petroleum exploration within the basin culminated in the drilling of two exploration wells. These wells encountered potential reservoir and source rocks in the Jurassic section. However, geochemical analyses indicate these source rocks are immature for hydrocarbon generation within the Unst Basin. It is concluded that the Unst Basin has a low petroleum potential.     

Magnetic pulsation behaviour in the magnetosphere inferred from whistler mode signals

During a long series of recordings of the Doppler shift of signals from NLK, Seattle, which have propagated in ducts in the whistler mode, a number of occasions have been noted where the duct has been acted on by the electric field of micropulsation events in the Pc4–5 range. Large oscillations are produced in the Doppler shift of the received VLF signal.It is shown that the field line has an antinode of motion in the equatorial plane, and that the Doppler shift is responding almost entirely to the radial component of the duct motion. The latter enables a comparison to be made between the magnetic disturbance in the magnetosphere and that seen on the ground. Some support is given to the prediction of Hughes (1974) and Inoue (1973) that the magnetospheric disturbance vector when seen on the ground is rotated 90° by the currents induced in the ionosphere. Models of the oscillating field line enable an estimate to be made of the azimuthal component of the electric field in the equatorial plane. This is typically $\text{1}\text{mV}\text{m}$. The model also predicts the north-south magnetic field strength of the transverse standing wave at the base of the magnetosphere, and this value may be compared with that seen on the ground. Values of the order 1–2 times the ground H-component or 5–10 times the ground D-component were found.     

The response of lake margin sedimentary systems to climatically driven lake level fluctuations: Middle Devonian,Orcadian Basin,Scotland

Lake margin sedimentary systems can provide highly sensitive records of sedimentary response to climate change. The Middle Old Red Sandstone of Northern Scotland comprises a thick succession of cyclic lacustrine sediments. Within this succession the deepest lake phase, the Achanarras fish bed, allows bed‐scale correlation over 160 km across the basin. This provides a unique opportunity to examine the character of synchronous lake margin deposits, and their response to climatically driven lake level fluctuations, across a large continental basin. Detailed characterization of two separate lake margin systems was carried out utilizing multiple sections in western Orkney, in the north, and Easter Ross, in the south. Seven facies have been recognized, which include upper and lower shoreface, deep lake, shallow lake, playa, turbidite and fluvial facies. Differences in vertical and lateral facies stacking patterns reflect the response of these systems to climatically driven fluctuations in lake level. Comparison of the northern and southern systems examined highlights the variable response of lake margin systems to the same climatic change and related lake level fluctuations. In the south, a greater fluvial influence is recognized on the development of the lake margin successions, whereas in the northern example, which lay on the downwind margin of the lake, shore zone facies are more commonly developed. The variability recognized can be accounted for by regional variations in sediment supply, coastal physiography, lake size, bathymetry and potential fetch. Lake level stability is also recognized as a major control on the development of lake margin sedimentary systems, as is the linked or unlinked relationship of the catchment and the lake basin climate for which a conceptual model is proposed.     

Observations and Modeling of an Explosive Coronal Mass Ejection as Observed by LASCO

We present a qualitative and quantitative comparison of a single coronal mass ejection (CME) as observed by LASCO on 5 October 1996 with the results of a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. This event was selected as a clear example of a CME that is not caused by the disruption of a helmet streamer. This CME occurs against the background of multiple bright streamers on the west limb. The CME is first seen as a brightening of the entire west limb. The CME has a bright, sharp front that moves outward with no significant change in shape. The CME moves outward with roughly constant velocity that is approximately twice as fast at high latitude as near the streamer. The measured CME mass is 1.2×10¹⁶ g. There are two parts to the MHD model. The pre-event corona was calculated using a 2-dimensional bi-modal model. The CME is simulated using a time dependent perturbation at the base of the corona. The model successfully reproduces the observed morphology, velocity profiles, and change in coronal mass. The observed velocity asymmetry is a natural consequence of the structure of the pre-event corona. Animations have been generated from both the data and model to illustrate the good agreement between the observations and simulation. These animations can be found on the CD-ROM which accompanies this volume. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005178630316     

Exhumed hydrocarbon traps on the North Atlantic margin: Stratigraphy,palaeontology, provenance and bitumen distribution,an integrated approach

Previous work has demonstrated the presence of a number of exhumed hydrocarbon traps in central East Greenland. Re-evaluation of the stratigraphy alongside detailed investigation of the occurrence of bitumen within the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg exhumed hydrocarbon traps provides new perspectives on these structures, as well as the petroleum geology of East Greenland and the wider North Atlantic. Sedimentological and stratigraphic studies, augmented with palynological and provenance investigations, have constrained the dating and correlation of the strata exposed in the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg. Petrographic analysis, alongside analysis of the bitumen identified, has highlighted a much wider distribution of hydrocarbon than previously recognized. It was previously considered that Jurassic strata formed the main reservoir interval within the Mols Bjerge and Laplace Bjerg exhumed hydrocarbon traps. It is shown here that the reservoir intervals in the Laplace Bjerg trap lie within the Late Triassic Ørsted Dal and Vega Sund members, which contain up to 18% pyrobitumen and were previously misidentified as Jurassic. The Jurassic Bristol Elv Formation is the most extensively bitumen stained unit in the Mols Bjerge trap. However, occurrences of pyrobitumen (up to 3%) are recorded throughout the Triassic stratigraphy, including the Early Triassic Wordie Creek Formation. Faults, thick calcrete development and regionally continuous mudstone units play an important role in compartmentalizing the palaeohydrocarbon accumulations.     

A regional and global analysis of carbon dioxide physiological forcing and its impact on climate

An increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has both a radiative (greenhouse) effect and a physiological effect on climate. The physiological effect forces climate as plant stomata do not open as wide under enhanced CO₂ levels and this alters the surface energy balance by reducing the evapotranspiration flux to the atmosphere, a process referred to as ‘carbon dioxide physiological forcing’. Here the climate impact of the carbon dioxide physiological forcing is isolated using an ensemble of twelve 5-year experiments with the Met Office Hadley Centre HadCM3LC fully coupled atmosphere–ocean model where atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are instantaneously quadrupled and thereafter held constant. Fast responses (within a few months) to carbon dioxide physiological forcing are analyzed at a global and regional scale. Results show a strong influence of the physiological forcing on the land surface energy budget, hydrological cycle and near surface climate. For example, global precipitation rate reduces by ~3% with significant decreases over most land-regions, mainly from reductions to convective rainfall. This fast hydrological response is still evident after 5 years of model integration. Decreased evapotranspiration over land also leads to land surface warming and a drying of near surface air, both of which lead to significant reductions in near surface relative humidity (~6%) and cloud fraction (~3%). Patterns of fast responses consistently show that results are largest in the Amazon and central African forest, and to a lesser extent in the boreal and temperate forest. Carbon dioxide physiological forcing could be a source of uncertainty in many model predicted quantities, such as climate sensitivity, transient climate response and the hydrological sensitivity. These results highlight the importance of including biological components of the Earth system in climate change studies.     

Generic identification of fragmentary Quaternary molluscs by amino acid chromatography: A tool for Quaternary and palaeontological research

The amino acid signature of fourteen genera of Mollusca, both Bivalvia and Gastropoda, was determined on over 300 individual valves. Examination of eight specific sets of amino acid ratios (for example: aspartic acid/glutamic acid, leucine/valine) indicates that these 14 genera (Patella, Littorina, Nucella, Buccinum, Turritella, Macoma, Scrobicularia, Mytilus, Cerastoderma, Arctica, Gtycymeris, Venus, Mya, and Hiatelld) can be distinguished one from another with a high degree of certainty. Discrimination between genera can be based on quantitative assessment of the probability of an individual analysis belonging to a specific genus. We conclude that the amino acid signature is sufficiently distinct that small shell fragments can be assigned to a genus on the basis of the amino acid chromatography. In some instances, for example Littorina, it may even be possible to identify fragments to specific species.     

Soil-zone microfabrics in calcrete and in desiccation cracks from the upper Jurassic purbeck formation of dorset

Soil-zone microfabrics, alveolar-septal structure, needle-fibre calcite, and calcans are described from horizontal calcrete layers, stringers, and infillings in vertical desiccation cracks from an Upper Jurassic limestone in the Lower Purbeck Formation of Dorset. These calcrete palaeosols occur in an oolitic limestone (the Hard Cap) which represents former evaporitic lagoonal to carbonate mudflat environments. The calcretes occur 6-10 cm below the Great Dirt Bed, a former rendzina soil with rooted tree remains. Desiccation cracks and vugs formed in the oolitic sediment before Great Dirt Bed times. After formation of the Great Dirt Bed, soil-water rich in dissolved CaCO₃ preferentially flowed through natural conduits in the underlying sediment, namely the desiccation cracks and vugs. Calcrete precipitated in these cracks and vugs around decaying plant roots, and probably, during more arid (evaporative) climatic periods. These palaeosol microfabrics are among the first to be described from the British Jurassic and were probably preserved due to the semiarid Lower Purbeck climate where rapid oxidation of organic matter limited the amount and strength of carbonic acid generation, thereby limiting extensive dissolution of early formed soil-zone carbonate. Early diagenetic cementation of the sediment also aided microfabric preservation by sealing off soil-zone structures from subsequent diagenetic fluids.     

Determination of sediment provenance by unmixing the mineralogy of source-area sediments: The “SedUnMix” program

Along the margins of areas such as Greenland and Baffin Bay, sediment composition reflects a complex mixture of sources associated with the transport of sediment in sea ice, icebergs, melt-water and turbidite plumes. Similar situations arise in many contexts associated with sediment transport and with the mixing of sediments from different source areas. The question is: can contributions from discrete sediment (bedrock) sources be distinguished in a mixed sediment by using mineralogy, and, if so, how accurately? To solve this problem, four end-member source sediments were mixed in various proportions to form eleven artificial mixtures. Two of the end-member sediments are felsic, and the other two have more mafic compositions. End member and mixed sediment mineralogies were measured for the < 2 mm sediment fractions by quantitative X-ray diffraction (qXRD). The proportions of source sediments in the mixtures then were calculated using an Excel macro program named SedUnMix, and the results were evaluated to determine the robustness of the algorithm. The program permits the unmixing of up to six end members, each of which can be represented by up to 5 alternative compositions, so as to better simulate variability within each source region. The results indicate that we can track the relative percentages of the four end members in the mixtures. We recommend, prior to applying the technique to down-core or to other provenance problems, that a suite of known, artificial mixtures of sediments from probable source areas be prepared, scanned, analyzed for quantitative mineralogy, and then analyzed by SedUnMix to check the sensitivity of the method for each specific unmixing problem.