Source‐to‐sink analysis of ancient sedimentary systems using a subsurface case study from the Møre‐Trøndelag area of southern Norway: Part 2 – sediment dispersal and forcing mechanisms

The composition, volume and stratigraphic organisation of submarine fan systems deposited along continental margins are expected to reflect the landscape from which the sediment was derived. During the Late Cretaceous, the Møre‐Trøndelag margin, Norwegian North Sea was dominated by the deposition of deep‐marine fines; the emplacement of 11 sand‐rich submarine fan systems occurred only during a c. 3 Myr period in the Turonian‐Coniacian. The systems were fed by sediment that was routed through submarine canyons incised into the basin margin; the canyons are underlain by angular unconformities and are interpreted to have resulted from tectonically induced changes in slope physiography and erosion by gravity flows. The areal extent of the onshore drainage catchments that supplied sediment to the fans has been estimated based on scaling relationships derived from modern source‐to‐sink systems. The results of our study suggest that the Turonian fans were sourced by drainage catchments that were up to ca.3600 km², extending more than ca.100 km inland from the palaeo‐shoreline. The estimated inboard catchment extent correlates with the innermost structures of a large, long‐lived, basement‐involved, normal fault complex. On the basis of our analysis, we conclude that increased sediment supply to the Turonian fan systems reflects tectonic rejuvenation of the landscape, rather than eustatic sea‐level or climate fluctuations. The duration of fan deposition is thus interpreted to reflect the ‘relaxation time’ of the landscape following tectonic perturbation, and fan system retrogradation and abandonment is interpreted to reflect the eventual depletion of the onshore sediment source. We demonstrate that a better understanding of the stratigraphic variability in deepwater depositional systems can be gained by taking a complete source‐to‐sink view of ancient sediment dispersal systems.     

Investigation on the Levels of Heavy Metals,Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons,and Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Sewage Sludge Samples and Ecotoxicological Testing

This article reports the levels of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sewage sludges taken from two wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Konya (Turkey) as well as their toxicity. The concentrations of heavy metals, including Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn in sludge samples from plant #2 did not exceed the limits described in both Turkish and European Union (EU) regulations. The similar result was observed in samples obtained from plant #1, except for sludge taken in May 2010. The ΣPAHs concentration ranging from 960 to 7680 µg/kg dry matter shows that sewage sludges from plant #1 could be used for agricultural purpose. However, sewage sludges from plant #2 (ΣPAHs: 1077–17 509 µg/kg dry matter) was not suitable for using in agriculture. The concentrations of ΣPCBs in all investigated sludges from plant #1 (7.46–709.36 µg/kg dry matter) and plant #2 (14.12–788.47 µg/kg dry matter) were lower than the limits reported in Turkish and EU regulations. The probable sources of PAHs and PCBs in sludges were also determined. The ecotoxicological tests examined on Vibrio fischeri and Lepidium sativum organisms showed that sludges from plant #1 had no significant toxic effect, while sludges from plant #2 had acute toxic property. Finally, all the results showed that sewage sludges from plant #1 had potential for being used in agriculture.     

Accuracy and efficiency of stencils for the eikonal equation in earth modelling

Motivated by the needs for creating fast and accurate models of complex geological scenarios, accuracy and efficiency of three stencils for the isotropic eikonal equation on rectangular grids are evaluated using a fast marching implementation. The stencils are derived by direct modelling of the wave front, resulting in new and valuable insight in terms of improved upwind and causality conditions. After introducing a method for generalising first-order upwind stencils to higher order, a new second-order diagonal stencil is presented. Similarly to the multistencil fast marching approach, the diagonal stencil makes use of nodes in the diagonal directions, whereas the traditional Godunov stencil uses solely edge-connected neighbours. The diagonal stencil uses nodes close to each other, reaching upwind, to get a more accurate estimate of the angle of incidence of the arriving wave front. Although the stencils are evaluated in a fast marching setting, they can be adapted to other efficient eikonal solvers. All first- and second-order stencils are evaluated in a range of tests. The first test case models a folded structure from the Zagros fold belt in Iran. The other test cases are constructed to investigate specific properties of the examined stencils. The numerical investigation considers convergence rates and CPU times for non-constant and constant speed first-arrival computations. In conclusion, the diagonal stencil is the most efficient and accurate of the three alternatives.     

An approach to combined rock physics and seismic modelling of fluid substitution effects

The aim of seismic reservoir monitoring is to map the spatial and temporal distributions and contact interfaces of various hydrocarbon fluids and water within a reservoir rock. During the production of hydrocarbons, the fluids produced are generally displaced by an injection fluid. We discuss possible seismic effects which may occur when the pore volume contains two or more fluids. In particular, we investigate the effect of immiscible pore fluids, i.e. when the pore fluids occupy different parts of the pore volume. The modelling of seismic velocities is performed using a differential effective‐medium theory in which the various pore fluids are allowed to occupy the pore space in different ways. The P‐wave velocity is seen to depend strongly on the bulk modulus of the pore fluids in the most compliant (low aspect ratio) pores. Various scenarios of the microscopic fluid distribution across a gas–oil contact (GOC) zone have been designed, and the corresponding seismic properties modelled. Such GOC transition zones generally give diffuse reflection regions instead of the typical distinct GOC interface. Hence, such transition zones generally should be modelled by finite‐difference or finite‐element techniques. We have combined rock physics modelling and seismic modelling to simulate the seismic responses of some gas–oil zones, applying various fluid‐distribution models. The seismic responses may vary both in the reflection time, amplitude and phase characteristics. Our results indicate that when performing a reservoir monitoring experiment, erroneous conclusions about a GOC movement may be drawn if the microscopic fluid‐distribution effects are neglected.     

The population–agriculture–environment nexus in the Malian cotton zone

Since the late 1950s, production of both cash-crop cotton and food crops has increased immensely in the Malian cotton zone. The response of farmers to external incentives or obstacles has been swift. In an opportunistic way, farmers seem to seek immediate and maximum profits. This has been particularly evident with the boom in both cotton and food crop production after the devaluation of the CFA franc in January 1994. Such reactions support the idea that it is not only African pastoral production systems which are non-equilibrial and opportunistic, but that this also characterises farming communities. Furthermore, the agricultural development in the cotton zone is regularly said to cause serious environmental degradation mainly through deforestation and soil depletion. The paper questions this view. The environmental transformation taking place is analysed, but whether this transformation represents ‘degradation’ or ‘improvement’ is largely a normative question subject to the values and environmental perceptions of the individual actors.     

Submarine-fan facies associations of the Eocene Butano Sandstone,Santa Cruz mountains,California

The Eocene Butano Sandstone was deposited as a submarine fan in a relatively small, partly restricted basin in a borderland setting. It is possibly as thick as 3000 m and was derived from erosion of nearly Mesozoic granitic and older metamorphic rocks located to the south. Deposition was at lower bathyal to abyssal water depths. The original fan may have been 120-to 160-km long and 80-km wide. Outcrops of submarine-canyon, innerfan, middle-fan, and outer-fan facies associations indicate that the depositional model of Mutti and Ricci Lucchi can be used to describe the Butano Sandstone.     

The effect of dissolved copper on the increase in length of four species of intertidal fucoid algae

The growth of Pelvetia canaliculata (L.) Dec. et Thur., Fucus spiralis L., Fucus vesiculosus L. and Fucus serratus L. is measured in various concentrations of copper (12–970 μg/litre) during a period of ten days. Significant reductions in growth were observed at 12 μg/litre of copper added for P. canaliculata and F. spiralis, at 25 μg/litre for F. serratus and at 50 μg/litre for F. vesiculosus. There is a linear relationship between the percentage reduction (z) in growth rate and the product of time (x) and concentration (y), giving the equation z = kx × xy. The constant k is specific and may be used as a measure of resistance capacity to copper exposure. When previous data on Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) Le Jolis are included the five large Fucoids in the intertidal area may be ranked as follows according to their resistance capacity: $\text{A. nodosum > F. vesiculosus > P. canaliculata ? F. spiralis > F. serratus}$.     

Trench-fill submarine-fan facies associations of the Upper Cretaceous Chugach terrane,southern Alaska

Turbidites of the Upper Cretaceous Chugach terrane of southern Alaska were deposited in a trench during northward-directed subduction. The fault-bounded outcrop belt of the Chugach terrane is about 2000-km long and 100-km wide and was accreted to Alaska during the Cenozoic. Turbidites are at least 5000 m thick, are extensively deformed, have been regionally metamorphosed, and have been intruded by anatectic granites. Facies associations indicate an east-to-west progression from inner-fan to middle-fan, outer-fan, fan-fringe, and basin-plain deposits. To the north is a marginal trench-slope facies association and a basin.