Arctic Shelf Oil and Gas Prospects from Lower-Middle Paleozoic Sediments of the Timan–Pechora Oil and Gas Province Based on the Results of a Regional Study

The Timan–Pechora oil and gas province (TPP), despite the good geological and geophysical knowledge of its central and southern regions, remains poorly studied in the extreme northwestern part within the north of the Izhma–Pechora depression and the Malozemelsk–Kolguev monocline, and in the extreme northeast within the Predpaikhoisky depression. Assessing the oil and gas potential of the Lower Paleozoic part of the section is urgently required in the northwestern part of the TPP, the productivity of which has been proven at the border and in the more eastern regions of the province (Pechora–Kolva, Khoreyverskaya, Varandei–Adzva regions), that have been evaluated ambiguously. A comprehensive interpretation of the seismic exploration of regional works was carried out, with the wells significantly clarifying the structural basis and the boundaries of the distribution of the main seismic facies’ complexes. The capabilities of potentially oil- and gas-producing strata in the Silurian–Lower Devonian were studied. An analysis of migration routes in transit strata used for basin modeling in order to reconstruct the conditions of oil and gas formation that are common in the land and water areas of the Arctic zone of the TPP was carried out. Modeling allowed us to reach an understanding of the formation of large zones with possible accumulations of hydrocarbons, including the time at which the formation occurred and under what conditions, to establish space–time links with possible centers of generation to identify migration directions and, based on a comparison with periods of intensive generation of hydrocarbons both directly located within the work area and beyond (noting the possible migration), to identify zones of the paleoaccumulation of hydrocarbons. The body of existing literature on the subject made it possible to outline promising oil and gas accumulation zones, with the allocation of target objects for further exploration in the Lower Paleozoic part of the section.

Geologic and geophysical exploration of the Russian Arctic in search for new oil and gas regions

Many specialists who studied Russian Arctic and subarctic regions consider that the latter should be rich in various minerals, for example, gold, tin, coal, kimberlites and, especially in oil and gas. The purpose of the article is to show the potential of regional geological and geophysical (remote sensing) methods for the study of tectonic and morphological features of the structure of the Arctic region subsoil allowing to conduct a regional study of potential resources of oil and gas in the Arctic shelf areas as well as in the mountainous or swampy Subarctic regions of Eastern Siberia inaccessible for other exploration methods (for example, seismic surveying). This article presents the results of the conducted scientific work, which together with other geological and geophysical methods will make it possible to carry out better aerospace studies of the tectonic structure of the Arctic region. In particular, the article introduces a block diagram of a computer software package for mathematical processing and the geological and geophysical interpretation of remote sensing data obtained as a result of measurements over the Arctic and Subarctic regions. The findings obtained on morphological (concentric) structures of the central type formed as a result of the occurrence of paleo-mantle plumes are compared with independent data on geological and geophysical sections of the earth's crust constructed in the zones where these structures are located. The obtained data on the oil and gas potential of some regions of the Arctic and Subarctic are compared with the results of forecasts made by other researchers and organizations.

Geographic Factors for Managing Cruise Ship Destination Port to Attraction Passenger Transfer in the Caribbean Region

The Cruise Line industry (CLI) is working on plans to recover from the economic impacts of COVID-19. Along with the expected benefits of a post COVID19 surge in cruise tourism, destination ports have an opportunity to mitigate potential impacts that come with the tourist economy. In this study, we expand on our previous work on four CLI destination sites (two in the Caribbean and two meso-American) to a larger regional study area in the Caribbean Sea and investigate the sustainability of destination marine infrastructure and near port transportation resilience. Twenty- Eight destinations were analyzed in the study. All the CLI destinations ports in the study are considered mature for cruise tourism and have tourist attractions of interest (including historic, natural, shopping, and other areas with sociocultural authenticity), which can be reached during a one day ship visit. An analysis of the marine traffic and geographic settings provides a more complete picture on key parameters that can potentially impact the commerce and livelihoods of local communities near destination ports. The results of the study also provide potential solutions for mitigating these impacts. As a baseline for fully operational cruise industry in the Caribbean Sea, the 2019 cruise year was analyzed since it was the last full year without impact from COVID-19. This paper offers a wider empirical view of CLI impacts on the Caribbean region once the industry resumes to full capacity following the COVID-19 pandemic, and it presents results and recommendations to build a framework for continued study of CLI sustainability.

Opportunity for GNSS Reflectometry in Sensing the Regional Climate and Soil Moisture Instabilities in Myanmar

The climate crisis is happening globally, and the consequent process has revealed soil evolution and meteorological interactions. The GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique recently encompassed sea surface monitoring, land changes, and snow sensing in addition to position, navigation, and timing. After the launch of NASA’s eight CYGNSS satellites, spaceborne soil moisture retrieval has become more opportune in a global and regional investigation. The research carried out by the CYGNSS DDM SNR with SMAP data to correlate diurnal mean soil moisture sensing was analyzed in the regional study of Myanmar, which is prone to climatic and weather conditions. The results showed that spaceborne GNSS-R soil moisture sensitivity was very useful during seasonal changes in regional observation. The DDM SNR surface reflectivity was strongly correlated with soil moisture according to surface temperature variations prepared from SMAP passive reflectometry. Sentinel SAR-1 data included the validation and verification of flood-prone areas affected by tropical storm surges or weather depressions in the monsoon season. The availability of surface reflectivity primarily relied on the surface roughness, surface temperature, and vegetation opacity for soil moisture retrieval.