Evaluation of undiscovered natural gas in the Upper Cretaceous Ferron Coal/Wasatch Plateau Total Petroleum System, Wasatch Plateau and Castle Valley, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henry, M.E.; Finn, T.M.

2003-01-01

The Total Petroleum System approach was used to estimate undiscovered gas potential of the Wasatch Plateau and Castle Valley, central Utah. The Ferron Coal/Wasatch Plateau Total Petroleum System was geologically defined and subdivided into seven assessment units, six of which were formally evaluated. Geologic data considered in defining the assessment unit boundaries included thermal maturity, coal presence and thickness, overburden thickness, and faulting intensity. Historical production data were also used to estimate volumes of gas from undrilled areas. The one conventional assessment unit includes almost the entire area of the petroleum system and is characterized by known accumulations that occur in structural or combination traps in sandstone reservoirs. The estimated undiscovered conventional producible gas that may be added to reserves of this unit ranges from a low (F95) of 14.8 billion cubic feet (BCFG) [419 million cubic meters (Mm3)] of gas to a high (F5) of 82 BCFG [2321 Mm3] and a mean value of 39.9 BCFG [1130 Mm3]. Continuous gas accumulations are those in which the entire assessment unit is considered to be gas-charged. Within these assessment units, there may be wells drilled that are not economic successes but all are expected to contain gas. Coalbed gas is in this continuous category. Mean estimates of undiscovered gas for the five continuous assessment units are: (1) Northern Coal Fairway/Drunkards Wash-752.3 BCFG [21,323 Mm3]; (2) Central Coal Fairway/Buzzard Bench-536.7 BCFG [15,194 Mm3]; (3) Southern Coal Fairway-152.6 BCFG [4320 Mm3]; (4) Deep (6000 feet plus) Coal and Sandstone-59.1 BCFG [1673 Mm3]; (5) Southern Coal Outcrop-10.6 BCFG [300 Mm3]; and Joes Valley and Musinia Grabens-not assessed.The mean estimate of undiscovered gas for the entire TPS is 1551.2 BCFG [43,914 Mm3]. There is a 95% chance that at least 855.7 BCFG [24,225 Mm3] and a 5% chance that at least 2504 BCFG [70,888 Mm3] of undiscovered producible gas remain in the TPS. ?? 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal-fields area, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, Kidd M.; Contratto, P. Kay; Sumsion, C.T.; Butler, John R.

1981-01-01

Data obtained during a hydrologic reconnaissance in 1975-77 in the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal-fields area of Utah were correlated with existing long-term data. Maps were prepared showing average precipitation, average streamflow, stream temperature, ground- and surface-water quality, sediment yield, and geology. Recommendations were made for additional study and suggested approaches for continued monitoring in the coalfields areas.moDuring the 1931-75 water years, the minimum discharges for the five major streams that head in the area ranged from about 12,000 to 26,000 acre-feet per year, and the maximum discharges ranged from about 59,000 to 315,000 acre-feet per year. Correlations indicate that 3 years of low-flow records at stream sites in the Wasatch Plateau would allow the development of relationships with long-term sites that can be used to estimate future low-flow records within a standard error of about 20 percent.Most water-quality degradation in streams occurs along the flanks of the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs. In the uplands, dissolved-solids concentrations generally ranged from less than 100 to about 250 milligrams per liter, and in the lowlands, the concentrations ranged from about 250 to more than 6,000 milligrams per liter.Most springs in the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs discharge from the Star Point Sandstone or younger formations, and the water generally contains less than about 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. The discharges of 65 springs ranged from about 0.2 to 200 gallons per minute. The Blackhawk Formation, which is the principal coal-bearing formation, produces water in many of the mines. The dissolved-solids concentration in water discharging from springs and mines in the Blackhawk ranged from about 60 to 800 milligrams per liter.In the lowland areas, the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Maneos Shale appears to have the most potential for subsurface development of water of suitable chemical quality for human consumption. Three wells in the Ferron yielded water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from about 650 to 1,230 milligrams per liter.

PROTON MICROPROBE ANALYSIS OF TRACE-ELEMENT VARIATIONS IN VITRINITES IN THE SAME AND DIFFERENT COAL BEDS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minkin, J.A.; Chao, E.C.T.; Blank, Herma; Dulong, F.T.

1987-01-01

The PIXE (proton-induced X-ray emission) microprobe can be used for nondestructive, in-situ analyses of areas as small as those analyzed by the electron microprobe, and has a sensitivity of detection as much as two orders of magnitude better than the electron microprobe. Preliminary studies demonstrated that PIXE provides a capability for quantitative determination of elemental concentrations in individual coal maceral grains with a detection limit of 1-10 ppm for most elements analyzed. Encouraged by the earlier results, we carried out the analyses reported below to examine trace element variations laterally (over a km range) as well as vertically (cm to m) in the I and J coal beds in the Upper Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale in central Utah, and to compare the data with the data from two samples of eastern coals of Pennsylvanian age.

Nonlinear Simulation of DIII-D Plasma and Poloidal Systems Using DINA and Simulink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, M. L.; Leuer, J. A.; Deranian, R. D.; Humphreys, D. A.; Khayrutdinov, R. R.

2002-11-01

Hardware-in-the-loop simulation capability was developed previously for poloidal shape control testing using Matlab Simulink [1]. This has been upgraded by replacing a linearized plasma model with the DINA nonlinear plasma evolution code [2]. In addition to its use for shape control studies, this new capability will allow study of current profile control using the DINA model of electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) and current profile information soon to be available from the Plasma Control System (PCS) real time EFIT [3] calculation. We describe the incorporation of DINA into the Simulink DIII-D tokamak systems model and results of validating this combined model against DIII-D data. \\vspace0.1em [1] J.A. Leuer, et al., 18th IEEE/NPSS SOFE (1999), p. 531. [2] R.R. Khayrutdinov, V.E. Lukash, J. Comput. Phys. 109, 193 (1993). [3] J.R. Ferron, et al., Nucl. Fusion 38, 1055 (1988).

Polyaluminium chloride as an alternative to alum for the direct filtration of drinking water.

PubMed

Zarchi, Idit; Friedler, Eran; Rebhun, Menahem

2013-01-01

The efficiency of various polyaluminium chloride coagulants (PACls) was compared to the efficiency of aluminium sulfate (alum) in the coagulation-flocculation process preceding direct filtration in drinking water treatment. The comparative study consisted of two separate yet complementary series of experiments: the first series included short (5-7 h) and long (24 h) filter runs conducted at a pilot filtration plant equipped with large filter columns that simulated full-scale filters. Partially treated surface water from the Sea of Galilee, characterized by very low turbidity (-1 NTU), was used. In the second series of experiments, speciation of aluminium in situ was investigated using the ferron assay method. Results from the pilot-scale study indicate that most PACls were as or more efficient a coagulant as alum for direct filtration of surface water without requiring acid addition for pH adjustment and subsequent base addition for re-stabilizing the water. Consequently, cost analysis of the chemicals needed for the process showed that treatment with PACl would be significantly less costly than treatment with alum. The aluminium speciation experiments revealed that the performance of the coagulant is more influenced by the species present during the coagulation process than those present in the original reagents.

Geologic report on the San Rafael Swell Drilling Project, San Rafael Swell, Utah

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bluhm, C.T.; Rundle, J.G.

1981-08-01

Twenty-two holes totaling 34,874 feet (10,629.6 meters) were rotary and core drilled on the northern and western flanks of the San Rafael Swell to test fluvial-lacustrine sequences of the Morrison Formation and the lower part of the Chinle Formation. The objective of the project was to obtain subsurface data so that improved uranium resource estimates could be determined for the area. Although the Brushy Basin and the Salt Wash Members of the Morrison Formation are not considered favorable in this area for the occurrence of significant uranium deposits, uranium minerals were encountered in several of the holes. Some spotty ormore » very low-grade mineralization was also encountered in the White Star Trunk area. The lower part of the Chinle Formation is considered to be favorable for potentially significant uranium deposits along the west flank of the San Rafael Swell. One hole (SR-202) east of Ferron, Utah, intersected uranium, silver, molybdenum, and copper mineralization. More exploratory drilling in the vicinity of this hole is recommended. As a result of the study of many geochemical analyses and a careful determination of the lithology shown by drilling, a sabkha environment is suggested for the concentration of uranium, zinc, iron, lead, copper, silver, and perhaps other elements in parts of the Moody Canyon Member of the Moenkopi Formation.« less

Remote Sensing Applications for Antrim Shale Fracture Characterization, Michigan Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuuskraa, Vello

1997-01-01

Advanced Research International (ARI) sent seven staff members to the 1997 International Coalbed Methane Symposium, held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama from May 12-17. ARI gave a short course on risk reduction strategies, including remote fracture detection, for coalbed methane exploration and development that was attended by about 25 coalbed methane industry professionals; and presented a paper entitled 'Optimizing coalbed methane cavity completion operations with the application of a new discrete element model.' We met with many potential clients and discussed our fracture detection services. China has vast coalbed methane resources, but is still highly dependent on coal-and wood-burning. This workshop, sponsored by the United Nations, was intended to help China develop its less-polluting energy reserves. ARI is successfully finding new applications for its fracture detection services. Coalbed methane exploration became an important market in this quarter, with the inception of a joint industry/government collaboration between ARI, Texaco and DOE to use remote fracture detection to identify areas with good potential for coalbed methane production in the Ferron Coal Trend of central Utah. Geothermal energy exploration is another emerging market for ARI, where fracture detection is applied to identify pathways for groundwater recharge, movement, and the locations of potential geothermal reservoirs. Ari continued work on two industry/government collaborations to demonstrate fracture detection to potential clients. Also completed the technical content layout for multimedia CD-ROM that describes our remote fracture detection services.

Enhanced Coagulation-Flocculation Performance of Iron-Based Coagulants: Effects of PO4 3- and SiO3 2- Modifiers

PubMed Central

Teng, Houkai; Wang, Yili; Zhang, Yuxin; Zhao, Chuanliang; Liao, Yong

2015-01-01

PO4 3- and SiO3 2- are often used as modifier to improve stability and aggregating ability of the iron-base coagulants, however, there are few reports about their detailed comparison between the coagulation performance and mechanisms. In this study, three coagulants—polyferric phosphoric sulfate (PFPS), polysilicon ferric sulfate (PFSS), and polyferric sulfate (PFS) were synthesized; their structure and morphology were characterized by Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). Alkali titration and Ferron species analysis were employed to investigate the hydrolysis performance and species distribution. Jar test was conducted to measure their coagulation behaviors at different dosage, pH, and temperatures in which the flocs properties were measured. The results showed that a number of new compounds were formed due to the presence of PO4 3- and SiO3 2-. Moreover, PFPS and PFSS had similar level in Fea as well as Feb. Among them, PFPS produced more multi-core iron atoms polymer and content of Feb, and the formed flocs were larger and denser. It exhibited superior coagulation performance in terms of turbidity reduction, UV254 removal and residual ferric concentration. Jar test and floc breakage/regrowth experiments indicated other than charge neutrality, the dominated mechanism involved in PFSS was the adsorption between polysilicic acid and solution particle, while PFPS was sweeping, entrapment/adsorption resulting from larger polymer colloid of Fe-P chemistry bond. PMID:26339902

Grain size controls on the morphology and stratigraphy of river-dominated deltas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burpee, Alex; Parsons, Daniel; Slingerland, Rudy; Edmonds, Doug; Best, Jim; Cederberg, James; McGuffin, Andrew; Caldwell, Rebecca; Nijhuis, Austin

2015-04-01

The proportions of sand and mud that make up a river-dominated delta strongly determine its topset morphology, which in turn controls its internal facies and clinoform geometry. These relationships allow prediction of the stratigraphy of a delta using the character of its topset and reconstruction of deltaic planform from measures of clinoform geometry. This paper presents results from the Delft3D modeling system which was used to simulate nine self-formed deltas that possess different sediment loads and critical shear stresses that are required for re-entrainment of mud. The simulated deltas were set to prograde into a shallow basin without waves, tides, Coriolis forcing, and buoyancy. Model results indicate that sand-dominated deltas are more fan-shaped whilst mud-dominated deltas are more birdsfoot in planform, because the sand-dominated deltas have more active distributaries, a smaller variance of topset elevations, and thereby experience a more equitable distribution of sediment to their perimeters. This results in a larger proportion of channel facies in sand-dominated deltas, and more uniformly-distributed clinoform dip directions, steeper dips, and greater clinoform concavity. These conclusions are consistent with data collected from the Goose River Delta, a coarse-grained fan delta prograding into Goose Bay, Labrador, Canada and also allow us to undertake a re-interpretation of the Kf-1 parasequence set of the Cretaceous Last Chance Delta, a unit of the Ferron Sandstone near Emery, Utah, USA. We argue that the Last Chance delta likely possessed numerous distributaries with at least five orders of bifurcation.

Sedimentological and geophysical studies of clastic reservoir analogs: Methods, applications and developments of ground-penetrating radar for determination of reservoir geometries in near-surface settings. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McMechan, G.A.; Soegaard, K.

1998-05-25

An integrated sedimentologic and GPR investigation has been carried out on a fluvial channel sandstone in the mid-Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone at Coyote Basin along the southwestern flank of the San Rafael Uplift in east-central Utah. This near-surface study, which covers a area of 40 {times} 16.5 meters to a depth of 15 meters, integrates detailed stratigraphic data from outcrop sections and facies maps with multi-frequency 3-D GPR surveys. The objectives of this investigation are two-fold: (1) to develop new ground-penetrating radar (GPR) technology for imaging shallow subsurface sandstone bodies, and (2) to construct an empirical three-dimensional sandstone reservoir model suitablemore » for hydrocarbon flow-simulation by imaging near-surface sandstone reservoir analogs with the use of GPR. The sedimentological data base consists of a geologic map of the survey area and a detailed facies map of the cliff face immediately adjacent to the survey area. Five vertical sections were measured along the cliff face adjacent to the survey area. In addition, four wells were cored within the survey area from which logs were recorded. In the sections and well logs primary sedimentary structures were documented along with textural information and permeability data. Gamma-ray profiles were also obtained for all sections and core logs. The sedimentologic and stratigraphic information serves as the basis from which much of the processing and interpretation of the GPR data was made. Three 3-D GPR data sets were collected over the survey area at frequencies of 50 MHZ, 100 MHZ, and 200 MHZ.« less

Mobile Phone Apps for Smoking Cessation: Quality and Usability Among Smokers With Psychosis.

PubMed

Ferron, Joelle C; Brunette, Mary F; Geiger, Pamela; Marsch, Lisa A; Adachi-Mejia, Anna M; Bartels, Stephen J

2017-03-03

Smoking is one of the top preventable causes of mortality in people with psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Cessation treatment improves abstinence outcomes, but access is a barrier. Mobile phone apps are one way to increase access to cessation treatment; however, whether they are usable by people with psychotic disorders, who often have special learning needs, is not known. Researchers reviewed 100 randomly selected apps for smoking cessation to rate them based on US guidelines for nicotine addiction treatment and to categorize them based on app functions. We aimed to test the usability and usefulness of the top-rated apps in 21 smokers with psychotic disorders. We identified 766 smoking cessation apps and randomly selected 100 for review. Two independent reviewers rated each app with the Adherence Index to US Clinical Practice Guideline for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. Then, smokers with psychotic disorders evaluated the top 9 apps within a usability testing protocol. We analyzed quantitative results using descriptive statistics and t tests. Qualitative data were open-coded and analyzed for themes. Regarding adherence to practice guidelines, most of the randomly sampled smoking cessation apps scored poorly-66% rated lower than 10 out of 100 on the Adherence Index (Mean 11.47, SD 11.8). Regarding usability, three common usability problems emerged: text-dense content, abstract symbols on the homepage, and subtle directions to edit features. In order for apps to be effective and usable for this population, developers should utilize a balance of text and simple design that facilitate ease of navigation and content comprehension that will help people learn quit smoking skills. ©Joelle C Ferron, Mary F Brunette, Pamela Geiger, Lisa A Marsch, Anna M Adachi-Mejia, Stephen J Bartels. Originally published in JMIR Human Factors (http://humanfactors.jmir.org), 03.03.2017.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

D.A. Gates; J.R. Ferron; M. Bell

In 2003, the NSTX plasma control system was used for plasma shape control using real-time equilibrium reconstruction (using the rtEFIT code - J. Ferron, et al., Nucl. Fusion 38 1055 (1998)). rtEFIT is now in routine use for plasma boundary control [D. A. Gates, et al., submitted to Nuclear Fusion (2005)]. More recently, the system has been upgraded to support feedback control of the resistive wall mode (RWM). This paper describes the hardware and software improvements that were made in support of these physics requirements. The real-time data acquisition system now acquires 352 channels of data at 5kHz for eachmore » NSTX plasma discharge. The latency for the data acquisition, which uses the FPDP (Front Panel Data Port) protocol, is measured to be {approx}8 microseconds. A Stand-Alone digitizer (SAD), designed at PPPL, along with an FPDP Input multiplexing module (FIMM) allows for simple modular upgrades. An interface module was built to interface between the FPDP output of the NSTX control system and the legacy Power Conversion link (PCLINK) used for communicating with the PPPL power supplies (first used for TFTR). Additionally a module has been built for communicating with the switching power amplifiers (SPA) recently installed on NSTX. In addition to the hardware developments, the control software [D. Mastrovito, Fusion Eng. And Design 71 65 (2004)] on the NSTX control system has been upgraded. The control computer is an eight processor (8x333MHz G4) built by Sky Computers (Helmsford, MA). The device driver software for the hardware described above will be discussed, as well as the new control algorithms that have been developed to control the switching power supplies for RWM control. An important initial task in RWM feedback is to develop a reliable mode detection algorithm.« less

Intergrated 3-D Ground-Penetrating Radar,Outcrop,and Boreholoe Data Applied to Reservoir Characterization and Flow Simulation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McMechan et al.

2001-08-31

Existing reservoir models are based on 2-D outcrop;3-D aspects are inferred from correlation between wells,and so are inadequately constrained for reservoir simulations. To overcome these deficiencies, we initiated a multidimensional characterization of reservoir analogs in the Cretaceous Ferron Sandstone in Utah.The study was conducted at two sites(Corbula Gulch Coyote Basin); results from both sites are contained in this report. Detailed sedimentary facies maps of cliff faces define the geometry and distribution of potential reservoir flow units, barriers and baffles at the outcrop. High resolution 2-D and 3-D ground penetrating radar(GPR) images extend these reservoir characteristics into 3-D to allow developmentmore » of realistic 3-D reservoir models. Models use geometric information from the mapping and the GPR data, petrophysical data from surface and cliff-face outcrops, lab analyses of outcrop and core samples, and petrography. The measurements are all integrated into a single coordinate system using GPS and laser mapping of the main sedimentologic features and boundaries. The final step is analysis of results of 3-D fluid flow modeling to demonstrate applicability of our reservoir analog studies to well siting and reservoir engineering for maximization of hydrocarbon production. The main goals of this project are achieved. These are the construction of a deterministic 3-D reservoir analog model from a variety of geophysical and geologic measurements at the field sites, integrating these into comprehensive petrophysical models, and flow simulation through these models. This unique approach represents a significant advance in characterization and use of reservoir analogs. To data,the team has presented five papers at GSA and AAPG meetings produced a technical manual, and completed 15 technical papers. The latter are the main content of this final report. In addition,the project became part of 5 PhD dissertations, 3 MS theses,and two senior undergraduate research projects.« less

CarbonSAFE Rocky Mountain Phase I : Seismic Characterization of the Navajo Reservoir, Buzzard Bench, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haar, K. K.; Balch, R. S.; Lee, S. Y.

2017-12-01

The CarbonSAFE Rocky Mountain project team is in the initial phase of investigating the regulatory, financial and technical feasibility of commercial-scale CO2 capture and storage from two coal-fired power plants in the northwest region of the San Rafael Swell, Utah. The reservoir interval is the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone, an eolian dune deposit that at present serves as the salt water disposal reservoir for Ferron Sandstone coal-bed methane production in the Drunkards Wash field and Buzzard Bench area of central Utah. In the study area the Navajo sandstone is approximately 525 feet thick and is at an average depth of about 7000 feet below the surface. If sufficient porosity and permeability exist, reservoir depth and thickness would provide storage for up to 100,000 metric tonnes of CO2 per square mile, based on preliminary estimates. This reservoir has the potential to meet the DOE's requirement of having the ability to store at least 50 million metric tons of CO2 and fulfills the DOE's initiative to develop protocols for commercially sequestering carbon sourced from coal-fired power plants. A successful carbon storage project requires thorough structural and stratigraphic characterization of the reservoir, seal and faults, thereby allowing the creation of a comprehensive geologic model with subsequent simulations to evaluate CO2/brine migration and long-term effects. Target formation lithofacies and subfacies data gathered from outcrop mapping and laboratory analysis of core samples were developed into a geologic model. Synthetic seismic was modeled from this, allowing us to seismically characterize the lithofacies of the target formation. This seismic characterization data was then employed in the interpretation of 2D legacy lines which provided stratigraphic and structural control for more accurate model development of the northwest region of the San Rafael Swell. Developing baseline interpretations such as this are crucial toward long-term carbon storage monitoring.

Preliminary hydrologic evaluation of the North Horn Mountain coal-resource area, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, M.J.; Tooley, John E.; Price, Don

1981-01-01

North Horn Mountain is part of a deeply dissected plateau in central Utah which is characterized by deep, narrow, steep-walled canyons with local relief of more than 1,000 feet. Geologic units exposed in the North Horn Mountain area range in age from Late Cretaceous to Holocene and contain two mineable seams of Cretaceous coal. The area is in the drainage basin of the San Rafael River, in the Colorado River Basin. Runoff from the mountain is ephemeral. This runoff to the San Rafael River is by way of Cottonwood and Perron Creeks and represents less than 10 percent of their average annual runoff. Probable peak discharges (100-year flood) for the ephemeral streams draining North Horn Mountain are estimated to range from 200 to 380 cubic feet per second.The chemical quality of surface water in the area is good. The water is generally of a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type with average dissolved solids less than 500 milligrams per liter. Annual sediment yield in most of the area ranges from 0.1 to 0.2 acre-foot per square mile but locally is as high as 1.0 acre-foot per square mile. Most of the sediment is eroded during cloudbursts.Most of the ground water above the coal on North Horn Mountain probably is in perched aquifers. These aquifers support the flow of small seeps and springs. In some areas, the regional water table appears to extend upward into the coal. The principal source of recharge is precipitation that probably moves to aquifers along faults, joints, or fractures. This movement is apparently quite rapid. The dissolved-solids concentrations of ground water in the North Horn Mountain area range from less than 500 to about 1,000 milligrams per liter.Coal mining on North Horn Mountain should have minor "effects on the quantity and quality of surface water. The maximum predicted decrease in the annual flow of Ferron and Cottonwood Creeks is less than U percent. The sediment loads of affected streams could be significantly increased if construction were to take place during the summer cloudburst season. Subsidence, which usually follows underground coal mining, could create rock fractures through which a perched aquifer might be drained, thus depleting the flow of seeps or springs fed by that aquifer. It is considered unlikely that the mining will adversely affect the chemical quality of the ground water.

Simulation of ground-water flow and solute transport in the Glen Canyon aquifer, East-Central Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freethey, Geoffrey W.; Stolp, Bernard J.

2010-01-01

The extraction of methane from coal beds in the Ferron coal trend in central Utah started in the mid-1980s. Beginning in 1994, water from the extraction process was pressure injected into the Glen Canyon aquifer. The lateral extent of the aquifer that could be affected by injection is about 7,600 square miles. To address regional-scale effects of injection over a decadal time frame, a conceptual model of ground-water movement and transport of dissolved solids was formulated. A numerical model that incorporates aquifer concepts was then constructed and used to simulate injection.The Glen Canyon aquifer within the study area is conceptualized in two parts—an active area of ground-water flow and solute transport that exists between recharge areas in the San Rafael Swell and Desert, Waterpocket Fold, and Henry Mountains and discharge locations along the Muddy, Dirty Devil, San Rafael, and Green Rivers. An area of little or negligible ground-water flow exists north of Price, Utah, and beneath the Wasatch Plateau. Pressurized injection of coal-bed methane production water occurs in this area where dissolved-solids concentrations can be more than 100,000 milligrams per liter. Injection has the potential to increase hydrologic interaction with the active flow area, where dissolved-solids concentrations are generally less than 3,000 milligrams per liter.Pressurized injection of coal-bed methane production water in 1994 initiated a net addition of flow and mass of solutes into the Glen Canyon aquifer. To better understand the regional scale hydrologic interaction between the two areas of the Glen Canyon aquifer, pressurized injection was numerically simulated. Data constraints precluded development of a fully calibrated simulation; instead, an uncalibrated model was constructed that is a plausible representation of the conceptual flow and solute-transport processes. The amount of injected water over the 36-year simulation period is about 25,000 acre-feet. As a result, simulated water levels in the injection areas increased by 50 feet and dissolved-solids concentrations increased by 100 milligrams per liter or more. These increases are accrued into aquifer storage and do not extend to the rivers during the 36-year simulation period. The amount of change in simulated discharge and solute load to the rivers is less than the resolution accuracy of the numerical simulation and is interpreted as no significant change over the considered time period.

A review on regional convection permitting climate modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Lipzig, Nicole; Prein, Andreas; Brisson, Erwan; Van Weverberg, Kwinten; Demuzere, Matthias; Saeed, Sajjad; Stengel, Martin

2016-04-01

With the increase of computational resources, it has recently become possible to perform climate model integrations where at least part the of convection is resolved. Since convection-permitting models (CPMs) are performing better than models where convection is parameterized, especially for high-impact weather like extreme precipitation, there is currently strong scientific progress in this research domain (Prein et al., 2015). Another advantage of CPMs, that have a horizontal grid spacing <4 km, is that they better resolve complex orography and land use. The regional climate model COSMO-CLM is frequently applied for CPM simulations, due to its non-hydrostatic dynamics and open international network of scientists. This presentation consists of an overview of the recent progress in CPM, with a focus on COSMO-CLM. It consists of three parts, namely the discussion of i) critical components of CPM, ii) the added value of CPM in the present-day climate and iii) the difference in climate sensitivity in CPM compared to coarser scale models. In terms of added value, the CPMs especially improve the representation of precipitation's, diurnal cycle, intensity and spatial distribution. However, an in depth-evaluation of cloud properties with CCLM over Belgium indicates a strong underestimation of the cloud fraction, causing an overestimation of high temperature extremes (Brisson et al., 2016). In terms of climate sensitivity, the CPMs indicate a stronger increase in flash floods, changes in hail storm characteristics, and reductions in the snowpack over mountains compared to coarser scale models. In conclusion, CPMs are a very promising tool for future climate research. However, additional efforts are necessary to overcome remaining deficiencies, like improving the cloud characteristics. This will be a challenging task due to compensating deficiencies that currently exist in `state-of-the-art' models, yielding a good representation of average climate conditions. In the light of using CPMs to study climate change it is necessary that these deficiencies are addressed in future research. Coordinated modeling programs are crucially needed to advance parameterizations of unresolved physics and to assess the full potential of CPMs. Brisson, E., K. Van Weverberg, M. Demuzere, A. Devis, S. Saeed, M. Stengel, N.P.M. van Lipzig, 2016. How well can a convection-permitting climate model reproduce 1 decadal statistics of precipitation, temperature and cloud characteristics? Clim. Dyn. (minor revisions). Prein, Andreas F., Wolfgang Langhans, Giorgia Fosser, Andrew Ferrone, Nikolina Ban, Klaus Goergen, Michael Keller, Merja Tölle, Oliver Gutjahr, Frauke Feser, Erwan Brisson, Stefan Kollet, Juerg Schmidli, Nicole P. M. van Lipzig, Ruby Leung. (2015) A review on regional convection-permitting climate modeling: Demonstrations, prospects, and challenges. Reviews of Geophysics 53:10.1002/rog.v53.2, 323-361

Light Scattering and Absorption Studies of Sickle Cell Hemoglobin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim-Shapiro, Daniel

1997-11-01

The use of physical techniques has been very important in understanding the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease. In particular, light scattering and absorption studies have been used to measure the kinetics of sickle cell hemoglobin polymerization and depolymerization (melting). The theory of sickle cell polymerization that has been derived and tested by these methods has not only led to an increased understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease but has also led to improved treatment strategies. Sickle cell disease effects about 1 out of 600 people of African descent born in the United States. The disease is caused by a mutant form of hemoglobin (the oxygen transporting molecule in the blood), hemoglobin S (HbS), which differs from normal adult hemoglobin by the substitution of a single amino acid for another. The polymerization of HbS, which occurs under conditions of low oxygen pressure, causes distortion and increased rigidity of the sickle red blood cell that leads to blockage of the capillaries and a host of resulting complications. The disease is associated with tissue damage, severe painful crises and a high degree of mortality. Light scattering studies of purified HbS and whole cells (conducted by F.A. Ferrone, J. Hofrichter, W.A. Eaton, and their associates) have been used to determine the mechanism of HbS polymerization. Polymerization will generally not occur when the hemoglobin is in an oxygen-rich environment. The question is, when HbS is rapidly deoxygenated (as it is when going from the lungs to the tissues) what is the kinetics of polymerization? Photolysis methods were used to rapidly deoxygenate HbS and light scattering was used as a function of time to measure the kinetics of polymerization. Polarized light scattering may be a more effective way to measure polymer content than total intensity light scattering. It was found that no polymerization occurs during a period of time called the delay time and subsequent polymerization occurs exponentially. The length of this delay time depends on the concentration of deoxy-HbS. The kinetics of polymerization was described by a novel double nucleation mechanism. These light scattering studies led to the understanding that many cells could travel through oxygen deficient tissue without sickling due to the delay time in polymerization. Some treatment strategies involve prolonging the delay time. Less work has been done in trying to understand polymer melting. Such investigations are important in order to determine whether polymers that reach the lungs melt before they enter the oxygen deficient tissues. I have initially addressed this problem by exploring the kinetics of oxygen binding to the polymers. These studies were conducted using time-resolved linear dichroism following laser photolysis. Preliminary studies in my laboratory indicate that polymer melting is slow enough to be an important consideration in understanding sickle cell disease. One of the most common therapies for sickle cell disease that is currently used involves administering the drug, hydroxyurea. The mechanism by which this drug benefits patients is not fully understood. One of its mechanisms (as determined by light scattering and absorption studies) involves increasing the delay time for polymerization.

Tectonic impact on the dynamics of CO2-rich fluid migration in Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadine, E. Z.; Jean Luc, F.; Remy, D.; Battani, A.; Olivier, V.

2009-12-01

With the objective to rank the first order parameters acting in the long term CO2 storage, IFP is developing an integrated study based on the analytical results around the natural silici-clastic analogue of the Colorado Plateau in Utah. What are the dominant parameters which governed the fluid/gas migration in front of the Sevier fold-and-thrust Belt, particularly the CO2-enriched ones? Several sites have been investigated in Utah and Idaho provinces; in the Colorado Plateau, East and in front of the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt, as well as in the Basin & Range geological province North and South West of Salt Lake city (Sevier basin). As a first site selection, three distinct structural provinces have been analysed depending on their seal/reservoir characteristics for confinement: the Green River leaking area (Utah), where large WNW-ESE faults (Salt Wash, Little Wash F...) show several water, oil and gas (CO2, HC) seepages; the Basin & Range province (Utah & Idaho provinces) where low-angle normal faults are seismically active (leaking locally); and the Canyonlands zone (Utah), south of the Moab fault, where the system is well confined. The migration pathways used by composite gas and particularly CO2-enriched fluids (in the Green River area) combined with a reducing agent are locally easily recognisable by the bleaching effect where some reservoir levels or the faults pathways have been flushed. The architecture of the paleo and active fluid migration network can thus be mapped. As a second selective ranking, natural gas have been sampled either from oil/gas producing wells in the Moab area and Ferron Valley, or from natural seepages along leaking fault sections or from geysers along the Green-River fault system. The results, based on noble gas isotope analyses (Battani et al, AGU fall meeting 2009) show that 3 distinct provinces can be "isolated", either marked by the occurrence of mantle-derived CO2, or mixed mantle/crustal CO2 signature of varying ratio. How to explain the existence of these distinct provinces? Is it due to the physical properties of the reservoirs, to the evolution of the fracture and fault patterns changing through time in connection with paleostress fields, to the occurrence of a thick salt pillow in the Moab area which has driven the tectonic style and played as local seal, to the shale sealing properties when PCO2 increased at depth to the physical phase of the CO2 during migration or storage (dissolved, super-critical or gas), or finally to the seismic cyclicity. A possible strong linkage between the seismicity and the volcanic activity, corresponding to large CO2-rich gas expel, have been investigated. In order to constrain the architecture of the deep buried reservoirs and traps we analyzed the deformation through analogue models, the models have been acquired with X-Ray tomography at IFP. These parameters have been analysed for the three investigated areas, allowing to propose an integrated model of the local circulation and/or storage of the CO2-enriched fluid for each area.

2014 Nuclear Fusion Prize Acceptance Speech 2014 Nuclear Fusion Prize Acceptance Speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, P. B.

2015-01-01

It is a great honor to receive the 2014 Nuclear Fusion Prize, here at the 25th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference. On behalf of everyone involved in this work, I would like to thank the IAEA, the Nuclear Fusion journal team, the IOP, and specifically Mitsuru Kikuchi, for their support of this important award. I would also like to acknowledge the many important contributions made by the other ten papers nominated for this prize. Our paper investigates the physics of the H-mode pedestal in tokamaks, specifically the development of a predictive understanding of the pedestal structure based on electromagnetic instabilities which constrain it, and the testing of the resulting theoretical model (EPED) against detailed observations on multiple devices. In addition to making pedestal predictions for existing devices, the paper also presents predictions for ITER, including methods for optimizing its pedestal height and fusion performance. What made this work possible, and indeed a pleasure to be involved with, was an extensive set of collaborations, including theory-experiment, multi-institutional, and international collaborations. Many of these collaborations have gone on for over a decade, and have been fostered in part by the ITPA Pedestal Group. The eight authors of this paper, from five institutions, all made important contributions. Rich Groebner, Tom Osborne and Tony Leonard carried out dedicated experiments and data analysis on the DIII-D tokamak, testing the EPED model over a very wide range of parameters. Jerry Hughes led dedicated experiments on Alcator C-Mod which tested the model at high magnetic field and pedestal pressure. Marc Beurskens carried out experiments and data analysis on the JET tokamak, testing the model at large scale. Xueqiao Xu conducted two-fluid studies of diamagnetic stabilization, which enabled a more accurate treatment of this important effect. Finally, Howard Wilson and I have been working together for many years to develop analytic formalism and numerical techniques which enable efficient quantitative study of peeling-ballooning modes. More broadly, I would like to thank the full DIII-D, C-Mod and JET teams, the LLNL and General Atomics Theory groups, and the York Plasma Institute. In addition, I would like to thank the US DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences, EURATOM, and the UK EPSRC for supporting this research. On a more personal note, I would like to thank my mentors over the years, including Nat Fisch, Greg Hammett, Ron Waltz, Vincent Chan, and Tony Taylor, and numerous colleagues who provided insight related to this work, including Lang Lao, Alan Turnbull, Ming Chu, Bob Miller, Rip Perkins, John Greene, Keith Burrell, John Ferron, Mickey Wade, Wayne Solomon, George McKee, Zheng Yan, Andrea Garofalo, Raffi Nazikian, Jack Connor, Jim Hastie, Chris Hegna, Samuli Saarelma, Guido Huijsmans, Alberto Loarte, Yutaka Kamada, Naoyuki Oyama, Hajime Urano, Nobuyuki Aiba, Andrew Kirk, David Dickinson, Lorne Horton, Costanza Maggi, Wolfgang Suttrop, P.A. Schneider, Rajesh Maingi, Amanda Hubbard, Ahmed Diallo, John Walk, and Matthew Leyland. Recently, the model developed in this paper has been used to discover a new regime of operation, the Super H-Mode, and to shed light on mechanisms for suppressing Edge Localized Modes. I hope that the model will continue to be useful, both as a tool for predicting and optimizing pedestal and fusion performance, and as a platform on which the fusion community continues to build our understanding of the complex physics of the edge barrier region, which plays such an important role in overall confinement and stability.

Active layer thermal monitoring at Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Maritime Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michel, Roberto; Schaefer, Carlos; Simas, Felipe; Pregesbauer, Michael; Bockheim, James

2013-04-01

International attention on the climate change phenomena has grown in the last decade, intense modelling of climate scenarios were carried out by scientific investigations searching the sources and trends of these changes. The cryosphere and its energy flux became the focus of many investigations, being recognised as a key element for the understanding of future trends. The active layer and permafrost are key components of the terrestrial cryosphere due to their role in energy flux regulation and high sensitivity to climate change (Kane et al., 2001; Smith and Brown, 2009). Compared with other regions of the globe, our understanding of Antarctic permafrost is poor, especially in relation to its thermal state and evolution, its physical properties, links to pedogenesis, hydrology, geomorphic dynamics and response to global change (Bockheim, 1995, Bockheim et al., 2008). The active layer monitoring site was installed in the summer of 2008, and consist of thermistors (accuracy ± 0.2 °C) arranged in a vertical array (Turbic Eutric Cryosol 600 m asl, 10.5 cm, 32.5 cm, 67.5 cm and 83.5 cm). King George Island experiences a cold moist maritime climate characterized by mean annual air temperatures of -2°C and mean summer air temperatures above 0°C for up to four months (Rakusa-Suszczewski et al., 1993, Wen et al., 1994). Ferron et al., (2004) found great variability when analysing data from 1947 to1995 and identified cycles of 5.3 years of colder conditions followed by 9.6 years of warmer conditions. All probes were connected to a Campbell Scientific CR 1000 data logger recording data at hourly intervals from March 1st 2008 until November 30th 2012. Meteorological data for Fildes was obtained from the near by stations. We calculated the thawing days, freezing days; thawing degree days and freezing degree days; all according to Guglielmin et al. (2008). The active lawyer thickness was calculated as the 0 °C depth by extrapolating the thermal gradient from the two deepest temperature measurements (Guglielmin, 2006). Interannual variability of the active layer shows parallel behaviour despite contrasts between different years, the temperature at 10.5 cm reaches a maximum daily average (4.06 °C ± 0.46) in early January, reaching a minimum (-8.03 °C ± 1,36) between late July and early August. At 83.5 cm maximum temperature (0.30 °C ± 0.24) occurs in late March and the minimum reading (-4.06 °C ± 0.98) was recorded around mid August. Disparities can be noticed when comparing the different years; 2008 had a mild winter (21 freezing days and -0,88 freezing degree days at 83.5 cm in July) contrasted by a severe winter in 2011 (31 freezing days and -80,00 freezing degree days at 83.5 cm in July), the summer of 2009 was considerably warmer (31 thawing days and 64,77 thawing degree days at 10.5 cm in January ) compared to the summer of 2010 (17 thawing days and 21,15 thawing degree days at 10.5 cm in January). Active layer thickness varied between 67 cm (max of 2012, March) and 101 cm (max of 2009, March). The active layer thermal regime in the studied period for both soils was typical of periglacial environments, with extreme variation in surface during summer resulting in frequent freeze and thaw cycles. Despite the variability when comparing temperature readings and active layer thickness over the studied period no trend can be identified.

Triton's Summer Sky of Methane and Carbon Monoxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-04-01

According to the first ever infrared analysis of the atmosphere of Neptune's moon Triton, summer is in full swing in its southern hemisphere. The European observing team used ESO's Very Large Telescope and discovered carbon monoxide and made the first ground-based detection of methane in Triton's thin atmosphere. These observations revealed that the thin atmosphere varies seasonally, thickening when warmed. "We have found real evidence that the Sun still makes its presence felt on Triton, even from so far away. This icy moon actually has seasons just as we do on Earth, but they change far more slowly," says Emmanuel Lellouch, the lead author of the paper reporting these results in Astronomy & Astrophysics. On Triton, where the average surface temperature is about minus 235 degrees Celsius, it is currently summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the northern. As Triton's southern hemisphere warms up, a thin layer of frozen nitrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide on Triton's surface sublimates into gas, thickening the icy atmosphere as the season progresses during Neptune's 165-year orbit around the Sun. A season on Triton lasts a little over 40 years, and Triton passed the southern summer solstice in 2000. Based on the amount of gas measured, Lellouch and his colleagues estimate that Triton's atmospheric pressure may have risen by a factor of four compared to the measurements made by Voyager 2 in 1989, when it was still spring on the giant moon. The atmospheric pressure on Triton is now between 40 and 65 microbars - 20 000 times less than on Earth. Carbon monoxide was known to be present as ice on the surface, but Lellouch and his team discovered that Triton's upper surface layer is enriched with carbon monoxide ice by about a factor of ten compared to the deeper layers, and that it is this upper "film" that feeds the atmosphere. While the majority of Triton's atmosphere is nitrogen (much like on Earth), the methane in the atmosphere, first detected by Voyager 2, and only now confirmed in this study from Earth, plays an important role as well. "Climate and atmospheric models of Triton have to be revisited now, now that we have found carbon monoxide and re-measured the methane," says co-author Catherine de Bergh. Of Neptune's 13 moons, Triton is by far the largest, and, at 2700 kilometres in diameter (or three quarters the Earth's Moon), is the seventh largest moon in the whole Solar System. Since its discovery in 1846, Triton has fascinated astronomers thanks to its geologic activity, the many different types of surface ices, such as frozen nitrogen as well as water and dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), and its unique retrograde motion [1]. Observing the atmosphere of Triton, which is roughly 30 times further from the Sun than Earth, is not easy. In the 1980s, astronomers theorised that the atmosphere on Neptune's moon might be as thick as that of Mars (7 millibars). It wasn't until Voyager 2 passed the planet in 1989 that the atmosphere of nitrogen and methane, at an actual pressure of 14 microbars, 70 000 times less dense than the atmosphere on Earth, was measured. Since then, ground-based observations have been limited. Observations of stellar occultations (a phenomenon that occurs when a Solar System body passes in front of a star and blocks its light) indicated that Triton's surface pressure was increasing in the 1990's. It took the development of the Cryogenic High-Resolution Infrared Echelle Spectrograph (CRIRES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) to provide the team the chance to perform a far more detailed study of Triton's atmosphere. "We needed the sensitivity and capability of CRIRES to take very detailed spectra to look at the very tenuous atmosphere," says co-author Ulli Käufl. The observations are part of a campaign that also includes a study of Pluto [eso0908]. Pluto, often considered a cousin of Triton and with similar conditions, is receiving renewed interest in the light of the carbon monoxide discovery, and astronomers are racing to find this chemical on the even more distant dwarf planet. This is just the first step for astronomers using CRIRES to understand the physics of distant bodies in the Solar System. "We can now start monitoring the atmosphere and learn a lot about the seasonal evolution of Triton over decades," Lellouch says. Notes [1] Triton is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde motion, which is a motion in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation. This is one of the reasons why Triton is thought to have been captured from the Kuiper Belt, and thus shares many features with the dwarf planets, such as Pluto. More information This research was presented in a paper to appear in Astronomy & Astrophysics ("Detection of CO in Triton's atmosphere and the nature of surface-atmosphere interactions", by E. Lellouch et al.), reference DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361/201014339. The team is composed of E. Lellouch, C. de Bergh, B. Sicardy (LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, France), S. Ferron (ACRI-ST, Sophia-Antipolis, France), and H.-U. Käufl (ESO). ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive astronomical observatory. It is supported by 14 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and VISTA, the world's largest survey telescope. ESO is the European partner of a revolutionary astronomical telescope ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. ESO is currently planning a 42-metre European Extremely Large optical/near-infrared Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky".