Preprints
There are 5493 Preprints listed.
pyisotopomer: A Python package for obtaining intramolecular isotope ratio differences from mass spectrometric analysis of nitrous oxide isotopocules
Published: 2021-12-24
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
RATIONALE Obtaining nitrous oxide isotopocule measurements with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) involves analyzing the ion current ratios of the nitrous oxide parent ion (N2O+) as well as those of the NO+ fragment ion. The data analysis requires correcting for “scrambling” in the ion source, whereby the NO+ fragment ion obtains the outer N atom from the N2O molecule. While descriptions [...]
Imaging evolution of Cascadia slow-slip event using high-rate GPS
Published: 2021-12-24
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geophysics and Seismology, Tectonics and Structure
The slip history of short-term slow slip event (SSE) is typically inferred from daily Global Positioning System (GPS) data, which, however, cannot image the sub-daily processes, leaving the underlying mechanisms of SSEs elusive. To address the temporal resolution issue, we attempted to employ the kinematic subdaily GPS analysis, which has never been applied to SSE studies because its [...]
Seasonal fluctuations of the rusty carbon sink in thawing permafrost peatlands
Published: 2021-12-23
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
In permafrost peatlands, up to 20% of total organic carbon (OC) is bound to reactive iron (Fe) minerals in the active layer overlying intact permafrost, potentially protecting OC from microbial degradation and transformation into greenhouse gases (GHG) such as CO2 and CH4. During the summer, shifts in runoff and soil moisture influence redox conditions and therefore the balance of Fe oxidation [...]
Investigating influences on the Pb pseudo-isochron using three-dimensional mantle convection models with a continental reservoir
Published: 2021-12-23
Subjects: Earth Sciences
For mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) and ocean island basalts (OIBs), measurements of Pb isotope ratios show broad linear correlations with a certain degree of scatter. In 207Pb/204Pb - 206Pb/204Pb space, the best fit line defines a pseudo-isochron age (τPb) of ~1.9 Gyr. Previous modelling suggests a relative change in the behaviours of U and Pb between 2.25-2.5 Ga, resulting in net recycling of [...]
Quantifying the environmental impact of a major coal mine project on the adjacent Great Barrier Reef ecosystems
Published: 2021-12-23
Subjects: Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment, Environmental Sciences, Oceanography, Oil, Gas, and Energy
A major coal mine project in Queensland, Australia, is currently under review. It is planned to be located about 10 km away from the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA). Sediment dispersal patterns and their impact on marine ecosystems have not been properly assessed yet. Here, we simulate the dispersal of different sediment types with a high-resolution ocean model, and derive their [...]
GANSim-3D for conditional geomodelling: theory and field application
Published: 2021-12-22
Subjects: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Computational Engineering, Geology, Hydrology, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing, Oil, Gas, and Energy, Theory and Algorithms, Water Resource Management
Geomodelling of subsurface reservoirs is important for water resources, hydrocarbon exploitation, and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). Traditional geostatistics-based approaches cannot abstract complex geological patterns and are thus not able to simulate very realistic earth models. We present a Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)-based 3D reservoir simulation framework, GANSim-3D, which can [...]
Temperatures of Anvil Clouds and Radiative Tropopause in a Wide Array of Cloud-Resolving Simulations
Published: 2021-12-22
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
We present 123 cloud-resolving simulations to study how temperatures of anvil clouds and radiative tropopause (RT) change with surface warming. Our simulation results show that the RT warms at approximately the same rate as anvil clouds. This relationship persists across a variety of modeling choices, including surface temperature, greenhouse gas concentration, and the representation of radiative [...]
A snapshot of the earliest stages of normal fault growth
Published: 2021-12-22
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geology, Tectonics and Structure
Observations of how faults lengthen and accrue displacement during the very earliest stages of their growth are limited, reflecting the fact that the early syn-kinematic sediments that record this growth are often deeply buried and difficult to image with geophysical data. Here, we use borehole and high-quality 3D seismic reflection data from offshore Norway to quantify the lateral propagation [...]
Towards a predictive multi-phase model for alpine mass movements and process cascades
Published: 2021-12-22
Subjects: Engineering
Alpine mass movements can generate process cascades involving different materials including rock, ice, snow, and water. Numerical modelling is an essential tool for the quantification of natural hazards, but state-of-the-art operational models reach their limits when facing unprecedented or complex events. Here, we advance our predictive capabilities for process cascades on the basis of a [...]
Red noise in steady-state multiphase flow
Published: 2021-12-21
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Understanding the interaction between competing fluids in the pore space of rocks is key for predicting subsurface flow and trapping, such as with CO2 in a saline aquifer. These processes occur over a large span of timescales (from seconds to thousands of years), and length scales (from microns to kilometres). Understanding the link between these temporal and spatial scales will enable us to [...]
Evolution of rift systems and their fault networks in response to surface processes
Published: 2021-12-21
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Continental rifting is responsible for the generation of major sedimentary basins, both during rift inception and during the formation of rifted continental margins. Geophysical and field studies revealed that rifts feature complex networks of normal faults but the factors controlling fault network properties and their evolution are still matter of debate. Here, we employ high-resolution 2D [...]
Understanding process controls on groundwater recharge variability across Africa through recharge landscapes
Published: 2021-12-21
Subjects: Engineering
Groundwater is critical in supporting current and future reliable water supply throughout Africa. Although continental maps of groundwater storage and recharge have been developed, we currently lack a clear understanding on how the controls on groundwater recharge vary across the entire continent. Reviewing the existing literature, we synthesize information on reported groundwater recharge [...]
Basement sliding and the formation of fault systems on Mt Etna volcano
Published: 2021-12-18
Subjects: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
The influence of faulting on the eruptive mechanisms of Mt Etna has been intensively studied, especially regarding the importance of regional tectonics, magma pressure, gravitational spreading and east flank instability. Here we examine the influence of an additional process: the wholesale sliding of the Etna massif along its sloping basement. Using laboratory analogue experiments, we create a [...]
Downward-propagating eruption following vent unloading implies no direct magmatic trigger for the 2018 lateral collapse of Anak Krakatau
Published: 2021-12-18
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Stratigraphy, Volcanology
The lateral collapse of Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia, in December 2018 highlighted the potentially devastating impacts of volcanic edifice instability. Nonetheless, the trigger for the Anak Krakatau collapse remains obscure. The volcano had been erupting for the previous six months, and although failure was followed by intense explosive activity, it is the period immediately prior to collapse [...]
How do tectonics influence the initiation and evolution of submarine canyons? A case study from the Otway Basin, SE Australia
Published: 2021-12-18
Subjects: Earth Sciences, Geomorphology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Sedimentology
The architecture of canyon-fills can provide a valuable record of the link between tectonics, sedimentation, and depositional processes in submarine settings. We integrate 3D and 2D seismic reflection data to investigate the dominant tectonics and sedimentary processes involved in the formation of two deeply buried (c. 500 m below seafloor), and large (c. 3-6 km wide, >35 km long) Late Miocene [...]