Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Seismic stratigraphy of the Guinea Plateau before, during and after the opening of the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway
Published: 2024-01-18
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Guinea Plateau contains a ~200-million-year stratigraphic record, encompassing the mid-Cretaceous opening of the Equatorial Atlantic Gateway (EAG). Here we present new 2D seismic data to constrain the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the plateau. Seismic stratigraphic analysis reveals five megasequences of ~25-65 My duration: M1, a Jurassic syn-rift sequence with prominent [...]
A new structure determination of the magnesium phosphate mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4· 6H2O) at 100 K
Published: 2024-01-17
Subjects: Other Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The magnesium phosphate mineral struvite (MgNH4PO4·6H2O) is of interest for the recovery of phosphorus from wastewaters and for use as a fertilizer in agriculture, yet its structure is still debated. The structure of synthetic single crystals of struvite was characterized through refinement of a single-crystal X-ray diffraction pattern acquired at 100 K with the positions of all hydrogen atoms [...]
Assessment of Hydrochemistry and Groundwater Quality in Ijokodo and It’s Environment, Ibadan, Nigeria
Published: 2024-01-17
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The study area occurs within the Precambrian basement complex composed of quartzite, quartz-schist, biotite-andbiotite-hornblende-gneiss (migmatite) as the main rock units. Physiochemical assessment of shallow groundwater in Ijokodo area was carried out to determine its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. Thirteen (13) groundwater samples were collected and subjected field [...]
Fast relocking and afterslip-seismicity evolution following the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel earthquake in Chile
Published: 2024-01-16
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Large subduction earthquakes induce complex postseismic deformation, primarily driven by afterslip and viscoelastic relaxation, in addition to interplate relocking processes. However, these signals are intricately intertwined, posing challenges in determining the timing and nature of relocking. Here, we use six years of continuous GNSS measurements (2015-2021) to study the spatio-temporal [...]
B-value variations in the Central Chile seismic gap assessed by a Bayesian transdimensional approach
Published: 2024-01-15
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The b-value can be used to characterize the seismic activity for a given earthquake catalog and provide information on the stress level accumulated at active faults. Here we develop an algorithm to objectively estimate variations of b-value along one arbitrary dimension. To this end, we employ a Bayesian transdimensional approach where the seismic domains will be self-defined according to [...]
Retrogressive thaw slump activity in the western Canadian Arctic (1984-2016)
Published: 2024-01-15
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The spatial distribution and links to climate of retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity over 32 years were examined using Google Earth Engine Timelapse videos for five areas in the western Canadian Arctic totalling 150 000 km2, each previously identified as having a high spatial concentration of these thermokarst landforms. Four spatial datasets run from 1984 to 2016 (Banks Island, northwest [...]
New Insights into the Structural and Stratigraphic Evolution of the Malay Basin Using 3D Seismic Data: Implications for Regional Carbon Capture and Storage Potential
Published: 2024-01-15
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Malay Basin is a mature hydrocarbon province that is being re-assessed for CO2 storage. Selecting appropriate storage sites requires a comprehensive understanding of the structural and stratigraphic history of the basin, but previous studies of the basin have been limited to observations from either regional, 2D seismic lines or individual 3D seismic volumes. Here, we access and utilize a [...]
The Stability of Frictional Sliding on Dip-Slip and Finite-Length Faults
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The Response of Surface Temperature Persistence to Arctic Sea-Ice Loss
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We investigate the response of surface temperature persistence, quantified using a lagged autocorrelation, to imposed Arctic sea-ice loss in coupled model experiments. Sea-ice loss causes increases in persistence over ocean in midlatitudes and the low-Arctic, which are of a similar magnitude to the total response to climate change in these regions. Using an idealised model, we show that sea-ice [...]
The Northern Chile forearc constrained by 15 years of permanent seismic monitoring
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
In this review article, we compile seismological observations from the different constituent parts of the Northern Chile forearc: the downgoing Nazca Plate, the plate interface, the upper South American Plate as well as the mantle wedge beneath it. As Northern Chile has been monitored by a network of permanent seismic stations since late 2006, there is a wealth of observations that enables us to [...]
An Assessment of Annual Load Estimation Methods in Small Watersheds for Cross Site Comparisons
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Streams and rivers export dissolved materials and eroded sediments from the watersheds they drain. Much can be learned about rivers and their watersheds by measuring the magnitude, timing and form of these exports. Such watershed load datasets are used to gain fundamental understanding of watershed ecosystems as well as to assess water quality and the efficacy of management approaches to sustain [...]
Polar feedbacks in clearsky radiative-advective equilibrium from an air-mass transformation perspective
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We develop a novel single-column model of clear-sky radiative-advective equilibrium where advective heating is internally determined by relaxing the column temperature and humidity toward fixed midlatitude profiles, consistent with an air-mass transformation perspective. The model reproduces observed polar temperature and advective heating rate profiles, and also captures many of the [...]
Capturing geological uncertainty in salt cavern developments for hydrogen storage: Case study from Southern North Sea
Published: 2024-01-12
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Future energy systems with greater contributions from renewable energy will require long-duration energy storage to optimise integration of renewable sources, hydrogen is an energy vector that could be utilised for this. Grid-scale underground natural gas storage is already in operation in solution-mined salt caverns, where individual cavern capacities are ~25 - 275 GWh. While traditionally salt [...]
Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous orogenesis in the Klamath Mountains Province (northern California-southern Oregon) occurred by tectonic switching: Insights from Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of the Condrey Mountain schist
Published: 2024-01-11
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Tectonics and Structure
The Klamath Mountains province (KMP) of northern California and southern Oregon consists of generally east-dipping terranes assembled via Paleozoic to Mesozoic subduction along the western margin of North America. The KMP more than doubled in mass from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous time, due to alternating episodes of extension (e.g, rifting and formation of the Josephine ophiolite) and [...]
Mineral precipitation and geometry alteration in porous structures: How to upscale variations in permeability-porosity relationship?
Published: 2024-01-11
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Porous materials in natural and engineered environments are subject to morphological changes resulting from interacting chemical and physical processes. The complexity of coupled flow, transport, and chemical processes that occur on different temporal and spatial scales makes it difficult to predict the resulting porosity and permeability alterations. Delineating the controls of mineral [...]