Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Regional screening of saline aquifers in the Malay Basin for CO2 storage
Published: 2024-11-07
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Malay Basin has received significant attention for geological carbon dioxide storage (GCS), but there are no published studies addressing the selection of appropriate deep saline aquifers. This study closes this gap. We process spatial data and use geological modelling and cluster analysis to identify optimal areas for GCS, considering various subsurface characteristics such as temperature, [...]
A dual lake approach reveals the impact of Holocene oxygen availability and climate on molecular proxy records in the sub-Arctic
Published: 2024-11-06
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Ancient DNA and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are new, powerful tools to reconstruct past ecosystems and climate in high-latitude lakes, but often require contrasting oxygen conditions for reliable interpretations. Here, we present a new approach using adjacent oxic and anoxic lakes to 1) better understand how redox potential impacts these proxies using isoprenoid [...]
Time-lapse geophysical responses of hydrogen-saturated rock: Implications on subsurface monitoring
Published: 2024-11-06
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Rock physics modeling and time-lapse geophysical modeling are effective methods to better understand the influence of hydrogen on rock properties and visualize hydrogen plume distribution and its migration direction. We study rock physics responses of hydrogen in a wedge model and a small field test scenario under different injection conditions. In doing so, we develop and test an integrated [...]
Downward Continuation of Wide-Angle Seismic data: implications for traveltime tomography uncertainty
Published: 2024-11-05
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Controlled-source marine seismic experiments are key in advancing our understanding of the Earth’s subsurface structure to study tectonic, magmatic, sedimentary and fluid flow processes. Joint acquisition of Wide-Angle Seismic (WAS) and Multi-Channel Seismic (MCS) streamer data stands as the most robust approach for marine exploration, however effectively mapping subsurface structure [...]
The ‘trench pull’ force: constraints from elasto-plastic bending models
Published: 2024-11-01
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Stresses transmitted through slabs are thought to provide an important component of the driving force on the trailing plates. This “net slab pull” is usually conceptualized in terms of in-plane differential stress, acting in the sense of deviatoric tension. However, an additional component of the net slab pull arises due to the pressure deficit created by plate downbending. The purpose of this [...]
Geological and Environmental Implications of Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques: Balancing Efficiency with Sustainability
Published: 2024-10-31
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This research paper explores the geological and environmental impacts of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology, focusing on the balance between efficiency and sustainability in fossil fuel extraction. EOR methods, including thermal recovery, gas injection, and chemical flooding, are critical to maximizing reservoir recovery, especially as global energy demand increases and conventional reserves [...]
Geospatial Analysis of Landslide Susceptibility Through Machine Learning In Relation to Environmental Indicators Across Global Regions
Published: 2024-10-30
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Landslides cause over a billion dollars per year in damages and the situation is only exacerbated by climate change. Landslide forecasting, as a result, is key for detecting these disasters. Traditional landslide prediction models often rely on localized data and extensive computational resources, limiting their applicability on a global scale and therefore have an accuracy rate of around 30%. [...]
Carbonated Mantle Lithosphere from the Western Canadian Cordillera
Published: 2024-10-29
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Carbonated mantle is a significant source for many alkaline magmas, yet carbonate minerals are rarely preserved in samples of mantle lithosphere. Here, we report the first occurrence of mantle-equilibrated (“primary”) carbonate within spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Pacific Coast Ranges of North America. The xenoliths are hosted in a 19 Ma basanite dyke at Mt. Preston, British Columbia near [...]
Automated underwater image analysis reveals sediment patterns and megafauna distribution in the tropical Atlantic
Published: 2024-10-29
Subjects: Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The deep sea environment comprises diverse flora, fauna and habitats, whose characterisation is key towards our collective understanding of ocean health and resilience. Whereas direct sampling allows for detailed investigation of the vertical variability of seabed characteristics at small spatial scales, optical imaging is suitable for high-resolution assessment of the spatial distribution of [...]
A new 3D temperature model for Ireland from joint geophysical-petrological inversion of seismic, surface heat flow and petrophysical data
Published: 2024-10-29
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
High-quality maps of subsurface temperature and the geothermal gradient are essential when assessing the geothermal potential of a region. However, determining geothermal potential is a challenge when direct measurements of in-situ temperature and thermal property information are sparse. In addition, indirect geophysical methods are sensitive to a range of parameters, not solely temperature. We [...]
Multi-Phase Tectonic and Volcanic Evolution of a Nascent Backarc Rift: Impacts of Spreading Centre Reorientation, Subduction Reversals, Ridge Collisions, and Asymmetric Slab Rollback on the Northern New Hebrides Backarc
Published: 2024-10-25
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Intra-oceanic backarc are characterized by crustal accretion along seafloor spreading axes; however, little is known about the initial rifting of the over-riding plate prior to the establishment of stable seafloor spreading. To address this knowledge gap, we investigate the ~3.5 Ma backarc troughs in the New Hebrides Subduction Zone. Using available bathymetric data, we developed [...]
Towards surface-wave tomography with 3D resolution and uncertainty
Published: 2024-10-24
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Surface-wave tomography is crucial for mapping upper-mantle structure in poorly instrumented regions such as the oceans. However, data sparsity and errors lead to tomographic models with complex resolution and uncertainty, which can impede meaningful physical interpretations. Accounting for the full 3D resolution and robustly estimating model uncertainty remains challenging in surface-wave [...]
A new unit Weibull distribution
Published: 2024-10-24
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
A new 2 parameter unit Weibull distribution is defined on the unit interval (0,1). The methodology of deducing its PDF, some of its properties and related functions are discussed. The paper is supplied by many figures illustrating the new distribution and how this can make it illegible to fit a wide range of skewed data.
Tropical thermocline helps power Pacific equatorial upwelling
Published: 2024-10-22
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Upwelling in the equatorial Pacific Ocean exerts a primary influence on the Earth’s climate, but there is great uncertainty on whether this influence will intensify or weaken under global warming. The dominant dynamical theory of equatorial upwelling argues that the easterly trade winds ’pull’ water up towards the surface via Ekman suction. In contrast, studies of decadal variability suggest that [...]
Application of machine learning methods to forecast petrophysical properties in basalts of the Serra Geral Group: Implications for carbon storage
Published: 2024-10-22
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
This study applies machine learning techniques for forecasting petrophysical properties (density, porosity, and permeability) in the basalts of the Serra Geral Group, located in the Paraná Basin, Brazil. These properties are crucial for the successful implementation of carbon capture and storage (CCS), an important technology to combat climate change. Employing machine learning models—XGBoost, [...]