scholarly journals Regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO<sub>2</sub> injection – Part 2: A simulated case study in the North German Basin

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2751-2775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kissinger ◽  
Vera Noack ◽  
Stefan Knopf ◽  
Wilfried Konrad ◽  
Dirk Scheer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Variable Density ◽  
Salt Transport ◽  
Saline Aquifers ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Initial Salt ◽  
Deep Saline Aquifers ◽  
Salt Distribution ◽  
German Basin

Abstract. Saltwater intrusion into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the hazards associated with the geological storage of CO2. Thus, in a site-specific risk assessment, models for predicting the fate of the displaced brine are required. Practical simulation of brine displacement involves decisions regarding the complexity of the model. The choice of an appropriate level of model complexity depends on multiple criteria: the target variable of interest, the relevant physical processes, the computational demand, the availability of data, and the data uncertainty. In this study, we set up a regional-scale geological model for a realistic (but not real) onshore site in the North German Basin with characteristic geological features for that region. A major aim of this work is to identify the relevant parameters controlling saltwater intrusion in a complex structural setting and to test the applicability of different model simplifications. The model that is used to identify relevant parameters fully couples flow in shallow freshwater aquifers and deep saline aquifers. This model also includes variable-density transport of salt and realistically incorporates surface boundary conditions with groundwater recharge. The complexity of this model is then reduced in several steps, by neglecting physical processes (two-phase flow near the injection well, variable-density flow) and by simplifying the complex geometry of the geological model. The results indicate that the initial salt distribution prior to the injection of CO2 is one of the key parameters controlling shallow aquifer salinization. However, determining the initial salt distribution involves large uncertainties in the regional-scale hydrogeological parameterization and requires complex and computationally demanding models (regional-scale variable-density salt transport). In order to evaluate strategies for minimizing leakage into shallow aquifers, other target variables can be considered, such as the volumetric leakage rate into shallow aquifers or the pressure buildup in the injection horizon. Our results show that simplified models, which neglect variable-density salt transport, can reach an acceptable agreement with more complex models.

scholarly journals Regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO<sub>2</sub> injection – Part 2: a simulated case study in the North German Basin

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kissinger ◽  
Vera Noack ◽  
Stefan Knopf ◽  
Wilfried Konrad ◽  
Dirk Scheer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Variable Density ◽  
Salt Transport ◽  
Saline Aquifers ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Initial Salt ◽  
Deep Saline Aquifers ◽  
Salt Distribution ◽  
German Basin

Abstract. Saltwater intrusion into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the hazards associated with the geological storage of CO2. Thus, in a site-specific risk assessment, models for predicting the fate of the displaced brine are required. Practical simulation of brine displacement involves decisions regarding the complexity of the model. The choice of an appropriate level of model complexity depends on multiple criteria: the target variable of interest, the relevant physical processes, the computational demand, the availability of data, and their uncertainty. In this study, we set up a regional-scale geological model for a realistic (but not real) on-shore site in the North German Basin with characteristic geological features for that region. A major aim of this work is to identify the relevant parameters controlling saltwater intrusion in a complex structural setting and to test the applicability of different model simplifications. The model that is used to identify relevant parameters fully couples flow in shallow freshwater aquifers and deep saline aquifers. This model also includes variable-density transport of salt and realistically incorporates surface boundary conditions with groundwater recharge. The complexity of this model is then reduced in several steps, by neglecting physical processes (two-phase flow near the injection well, variable-density flow) and by simplifying the complex geometry of the geological model. The results indicate that the initial salt distribution prior to the injection of CO2 is one of the key parameters controlling shallow aquifer salinization. However, determining the initial salt distribution involves large uncertainties in the regional-scale hydrogeological parametrization and requires complex and computationally demanding models (regional-scale variable-density salt transport). In order to evaluate strategies for minimizing leakage into shallow aquifers, other target variables can be considered, such as the volumetric leakage rate into shallow aquifers or the pressure buildup in the injection horizon. Our results show that simplified models, which neglect variable-density salt transport, can reach an acceptable agreement with more complex models.

scholarly journals Brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO<sub>2</sub> injection – a simulated case study in the North German Basin with stakeholder involvement

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kissinger ◽  
Vera Noack ◽  
Stefan Knopf ◽  
Wilfried Konrad ◽  
Dirk Scheer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Variable Density ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Saline Aquifers ◽  
Surface Boundary ◽  
North German Basin ◽  
The North ◽  
Brine Migration ◽  
Deep Saline Aquifers ◽  
German Basin

Abstract. Brine migration into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the potential hazards associated with the Carbon Capture and Storage technology (CCS). Thus, in any site selection process, an important criterion should be the evaluation of brine migration resulting from the injection. We follow an interdisciplinary approach using participatory modeling to incorporate stakeholder opinion at an early stage in order to discuss and evaluate model conception and relevant scenarios for brine migration. The basis for this approach is a realistic (but not real) on-shore site in the North German Basin with characteristic geological features for that region. Our model fully couples flow in shallow and in deep saline aquifers including variable-density transport of salt and a realistic description of the top surface boundary conditions with groundwater recharge and rivers. We investigate different scenarios to identify relevant system components. Further, different model simplifications are compared and discussed with respect to the relevant physical processes and the expected data availability, i.e. to find a model as complex as necessary and as simple as possible. It becomes clear that the initial salt distribution plays a key role as to where noticeable concentration changes may occur. Also the boundary conditions are important for determining the amount of vertically displaced brine. Simplifications in the model setup, such as neglecting variable-density flow or simplifying the complex geometry may prove valid options given sparse data availability.

scholarly journals Regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO<sub>2</sub> injection – Part 1: The participatory modeling approach

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2739-2750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Scheer ◽  
Wilfried Konrad ◽  
Holger Class ◽  
Alexander Kissinger ◽  
Stefan Knopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Saline Aquifers ◽  
Co2 Injection ◽  
Geological Model ◽  
Participatory Modeling ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Brine Migration ◽  
Management Concepts ◽  
Deep Saline Aquifers ◽  
Simulation Results

Abstract. Saltwater intrusion into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the potential hazards associated with the geological storage of CO2. Thus, in a site selection process, models for predicting the fate of the displaced brine are required, for example, for a risk assessment or the optimization of pressure management concepts. From the very beginning, this research on brine migration aimed at involving expert and stakeholder knowledge and assessment in simulating the impacts of injecting CO2 into deep saline aquifers by means of a participatory modeling process. The involvement exercise made use of two approaches. First, guideline-based interviews were carried out, aiming at eliciting expert and stakeholder knowledge and assessments of geological structures and mechanisms affecting CO2-induced brine migration. Second, a stakeholder workshop including the World Café format yielded evaluations and judgments of the numerical modeling approach, scenario selection, and preliminary simulation results. The participatory modeling approach gained several results covering brine migration in general, the geological model sketch, scenario development, and the review of the preliminary simulation results. These results were included in revised versions of both the geological model and the numerical model, helping to improve the analysis of regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO2 injection.

scholarly journals Regional-scale brine migration along vertical pathways due to CO<sub>2</sub> injection – Part 1: the participatory modeling approach

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk Scheer ◽  
Wilfried Konrad ◽  
Holger Class ◽  
Alexander Kissinger ◽  
Stefan Knopf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Saline Aquifers ◽  
Scenario Development ◽  
Participatory Modeling ◽  
Modeling Approach ◽  
Risk Assessment Models ◽  
Brine Migration ◽  
Deep Saline Aquifers ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
A Site

Abstract. Saltwater intrusion into potential drinking water aquifers due to the injection of CO2 into deep saline aquifers is one of the hazards associated with the geological storage of CO2. Thus, in a site-specific risk assessment, models for predicting the fate of the displaced brine are required. From the very beginning, this research on brine migration, has been aimed at involving expert and stakeholder knowledge in simulating the impacts of injecting CO2 into deep saline aquifers by means of a participatory modeling process. The involvement exercise made use of two approaches. First, guideline-based interviews were carried out aimed at eliciting expert and stakeholder knowledge and assessments on geological structures and mechanisms affecting CO2 induced brine migration. Second, a stakeholder workshop, including the world café format, was used to evoke evaluations and judgments on the modeling approach, on scenario selection, and on preliminary simulation results. The participatory modeling approach gained several results covering brine migration in general, the geological model sketch, scenario development, and the review of the preliminary simulation results.

The Marine Environment

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Penny Holliday ◽  
Stephanie Henson
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Seasonal Cycle ◽  
Physical Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
Physical Features ◽  
Growth Distribution

The growth, distribution, and variability of phytoplankton populations in the North Atlantic are primarily controlled by the physical environment. This chapter provides an overview of the regional circulation of the North Atlantic, and an introduction to the key physical features and processes that affect ecosystems, and especially plankton, via the availability of light and nutrients. There is a natural seasonal cycle in primary production driven by physical processes that determine the light and nutrient levels, but the pattern has strong regional variations. The variations are determined by persistent features on the basin scale (e.g. the main currents and mixed layer regimes of the subtropical and subpolar gyres), as well as transient mesoscale features such as eddies and meanders of fronts.

scholarly journals Influence of the North Atlantic oscillation on the atmospheric levels of benzo[a]pyrene over Europe

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Jiménez-Guerrero ◽  
Nuno Ratola
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
North Atlantic Oscillation ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
The North ◽  
The North Atlantic ◽  
The North Atlantic Oscillation

AbstractThe atmospheric concentration of persistent organic pollutants (and of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs, in particular) is closely related to climate change and climatic fluctuations, which are likely to influence contaminant’s transport pathways and transfer processes. Predicting how climate variability alters PAHs concentrations in the atmosphere still poses an exceptional challenge. In this sense, the main objective of this contribution is to assess the relationship between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index and the mean concentration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP, the most studied PAH congener) in a domain covering Europe, with an emphasis on the effect of regional-scale processes. A numerical simulation for a present climate period of 30 years was performed using a regional chemistry transport model with a 25 km spatial resolution (horizontal), higher than those commonly applied. The results show an important seasonal behaviour, with a remarkable spatial pattern of difference between the north and the south of the domain. In winter, higher BaP ground levels are found during the NAO+ phase for the Mediterranean basin, while the spatial pattern of this feature (higher BaP levels during NAO+ phases) moves northwards in summer. These results show deviations up to and sometimes over 100% in the BaP mean concentrations, but statistically significant signals (p<0.1) of lower changes (20–40% variations in the signal) are found for the north of the domain in winter and for the south in summer.

Metamorphic Gradient: A Regional-Scale Area Selection Criterion for Gold in the Northeastern Superior Province, Eastern Canadian Shield

SEG Discovery ◽  
2007 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Michel Gauthier ◽  
Sylvain Trépanier ◽  
Stephen Gardoll
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
James Bay ◽  
Area Selection ◽  
The North ◽  
First Pass ◽  
Abitibi Subprovince ◽  
Frontier Region ◽  
Metamorphic Gradient

ABSTRACT One hundred years after the first gold discoveries in the Abitibi subprovince, the Archean James Bay region to the north is experiencing a major exploration boom. Poor geologic coverage in this part of the northeastern Superior province has hindered the application of traditional Abitibi exploration criteria such as crustal-scale faults and “Timiskaming-type” sedimentary rocks. New area selection criteria are needed for successful greenfield exploration in this frontier region, and the use of steep metamorphic gradients is presented as a possible alternative. The statistical robustness of the metamorphic gradient area selection criterion was confirmed by using the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) to estimate the correlation between metamorphic fronts and the distribution of known Abitibi orogenic gold producers. The criterion was then applied to the James Bay region during a first-pass craton-scale exploration program. This was part of the strategy that led to the discovery of the Eleonore multimillion-ounce gold deposit in 2004.

scholarly journals Climate impact on the development of Pre-Classic Maya civilisation

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1253-1273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kees Nooren ◽  
Wim Z. Hoek ◽  
Brian J. Dermody ◽  
Didier Galop ◽  
Sarah Metcalfe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Atlantic ◽  
Agricultural Intensification ◽  
Climatic Variability ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Climate Impact ◽  
Classic Period ◽  
Beach Ridge ◽  
Maya Lowlands ◽  
The North ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The impact of climate change on the development and disintegration of Maya civilisation has long been debated. The lack of agreement among existing palaeoclimatic records from the region has prevented a detailed understanding of regional-scale climatic variability, its climatic forcing mechanisms and its impact on the ancient Maya. We present two new palaeo-precipitation records for the central Maya lowlands, spanning the Pre-Classic period (1800 BCE–250 CE), a key epoch in the development of Maya civilisation. A beach ridge elevation record from world's largest late Holocene beach ridge plain provides a regional picture, while Lake Tuspan's diatom record is indicative of precipitation changes at a local scale. We identify centennial-scale variability in palaeo-precipitation that significantly correlates with the North Atlantic δ14C atmospheric record, with a comparable periodicity of approximately 500 years, indicating an important role of North Atlantic atmospheric–oceanic forcing on precipitation in the central Maya lowlands. Our results show that the Early Pre-Classic period was characterised by relatively dry conditions, shifting to wetter conditions during the Middle Pre-Classic period, around the well-known 850 BCE (2.8 ka) event. We propose that this wet period may have been unfavourable for agricultural intensification in the central Maya lowlands, explaining the relatively delayed development of Maya civilisation in this area. A return to relatively drier conditions during the Late Pre-Classic period coincides with rapid agricultural intensification in the region and the establishment of major cities.

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