Stable Isotope Geochemistry of the Organic Elements within Shales and Crude Oils: A Comprehensive Review

Over time, stable isotopes have proven to be a useful tool in petroleum geochemistry. However, there is currently insufficient literature on stable isotope geochemistry of the organic elements within shales and crude oils in many petroleum systems around the world. As a result, this paper critically reviews the early and recent trends in stable isotope geochemistry of organic elements in shales and crude oils. The bulk and compound-specific stable isotopes of H, C, and S, as well as their uses as source facies, depositional environments, thermal maturity, geological age, and oil–oil and oil–source rock correlation studies, are all taken into account. The applications of the stable isotopes of H and C in gas exploration are also discussed. Then, the experimental and instrumental approaches to the stable isotopes of H, C, and S, are discussed.

Waiora: the importance of Indigenous worldviews and spirituality to inspire and inform Planetary Health Promotion in the Anthropocene

We now live in a new geological age, the Anthropocene – the age of humans – the start of which coincides with the founding of the International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) 70 years ago. In this article, we address the fundamental challenge facing health promotion in its next 70 years, which takes us almost to 2100: how do we achieve planetary health? We begin with a brief overview of the massive and rapid global ecological changes we face, the social, economic and technological driving forces behind those changes, and their health implications. At the heart of these driving forces lie a set of core values that are incompatible with planetary health. Central to our argument is the need for a new set of values, which heed and privilege the wisdom of Indigenous worldviews, as well as a renewed sense of spirituality that can re-establish a reverence for nature. We propose an Indigenous-informed framing to inspire and inform what we call planetary health promotion so that, as the United Nations Secretary General wrote recently, we can make peace with nature.

In search for the unlikely: Leaf-mining caterpillars (Gracillariidae, Lepidoptera) from Upper Cretaceous and Eocene ambers

Fossil leaf-mining caterpillars from amber are firstly described as the new species Phyllocnistis cretacea from Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber and Phyllonorycter inopinata from Eocene Baltic amber. Both show typical traits of leaf-miners, and specifically, of later instars of caterpillars of their respective genera. The findings give further evidence for these being quite old and conservative genera of Gracillariidae. These are basal Ditrysia which retained the larval feeding and mining live mode. The findings also represent direct fossil evidence of individual stages of hypermetamorphosis known from extant Gracillariidae. The finds from the Upper Cretaceous and their putative identifications give direct evidence for a minimal geological age for the genus Phyllocnistis (Phyllocnistinae) and, by indirect conclusion based on their divergence, also for the genus Phyllonorycter in a sister clade (Lithocolletinae). It also predates mining habit closer to the time of radiation of their angiospermous host plants.

Fossil wood diversity record from Merangin region, Jambi, Indonesia

Merangin is a region in Jambi province, Indonesia, which well-known for its geodiversity. As part of geodiversity, fossil woods play an important role in reconstructing the ancient trees during geological history. Since the study on fossil wood origin Merangin Regency, Jambi, is still limited, this study was conducted to determine fossil wood identity through anatomical features observation and estimate the age of fossil wood samples through geological analysis. The anatomical characteristics were observed using a light microscope to identify the botanical identity of the discovered fossil wood samples. The description of anatomical features refered to the IAWA list of microscopic features for hardwood identification. The result showed that all fossil woods had similarities with the modern wood from the Dipterocarpaceae family, namely Dryobalanoxylon sp. (Kamper), Hopenium sp. (Merawan/Hopea), Shoreoxylon sp. (Meranti), and Cotylelobioxylon sp. (Giam/Resak). These fossil woods were found in different estimated geological age namely Late Permian/Perem age (254-252 million years old), Late Miocene age (7.24-5.33 million years old); Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene age (3.60-2.58 million years old); and Holocene age (11,700 years old - present). Another approach by using Global Mapper 11 resulted that all the fossil woods were estimated grown in Permian age (290 - 250 million years).

Properties Affecting the Reactivity of Lime

Lime reactivity is the most used identification parameter for lime quality. The reaction may vary in its rate and maximum reached temperature. In this study, the influence of the properties of limestone on the course of the reaction is studied. The samples are thoroughly examined from a geological point of view (geological age and origin, genesis and diagenesis) and their physicochemical properties are described (total porosity, limestone category, chemical analysis, insoluble residue). Different temperatures and isothermal loads were selected to study the effect of the burning process on the lime microstructure. The newly formed CaO is observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM images). Lime reactivity analysis is performed, and different reaction courses are compared.

Decomposition of Crystalline Limestones during the Burning Process

The decomposition of limestone during the firing process is mainly based on the decarbonation of CaCO3. In the case of crystalline limestone, it is the decomposition of calcite crystals. In this study, different limestone properties on the course of decarbonation are studied. Therefore, the samples are determined from a geological and physicochemical point of view (geological age and origin, total porosity, limestone category, chemical analyses and insoluble residue). After thorough identification of the samples, various analyses focused on limestone and lime microstructure are performed, such as SEM image analysis or lime reactivity. For these analyses, the samples are burned at different temperatures. The decrepitation amount of limestones during burning process is determined.

Anthropocene: Does the New Geological Age push towards a Metamorphosis of the World

The Anthropocene has created a new cartography. Various disciplines and discourses overlap each other. Two fields of knowledge: geology and anthropology are unified in one single concept. The Axial Age separated everyday practices from an unbiased and objective view of the world. Romanticism, in the nineteenth century, challenged the separation between the natural sciences and the sciences of the spirit. Paul J. Crutzen and Eugene Stoermer had two distinct parts; a first establishes "a period of time" the second an "epistemic tool". This paper is intended to illustrate the epistemological dimension of the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene defines the present geological epoch as dominated by humans. Eduard Suess, Antonio Stopani, Teilhard de Chardin, Vladimir Vernadsky etc., a century ago, anticipated the concept of Anthropocene. "Noösphere" is a term from the "world of thought". The hypothesis of an earth as a living organism, which is inspired by J.W. Goethe's "Naturwissenschaft", allows two disciplines to be inte-grated into one term: geology and anthropology. We have atmospheric phenomena that are in-compressible without presupposing life. The Anthropocene modifies the foundations of our vi-sion of the world. In the Gaia Hypothesis we find the same roots as in the Anthropocene concept: Goethe, Vernadky, etc. The concepts of symbiogenesis, homeostasis, etc., allow us to formulate new questions. This paper analyzes the reconfiguration of relations between the earth and all its inhabitants. It is, for the social sciences, a challenge: a metamorphosis of our vision of the world is taking place.

Research and Application of Globally Optimized Sequence Stratigraphic Seismic Interpretation Technology: Taking the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation of Xujiaweizi Fault Depression as an Example

In the study of sequence stratigraphy in continental rift basins, the use of seismic data to track different levels of sequence stratigraphic boundaries laterally is the key to the division of sequence stratigraphic units at all levels and the establishment of an isochronous sequence stratigraphic framework. Traditional seismic interpretation and the establishment of a 3D sequence stratigraphic structure model are a difficult research work. This paper introduces the concept of cost function minimization and performs global stratigraphic scanning on 3D seismic data to interpret horizons and faults in a large grid. Constrained by the results, human-computer interactive intelligent interpretation, by adding iterative interpretation of geological knowledge, established a global stratigraphic model with a relative geological age. The application in the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation of Xujiaweizi fault depression shows that this technology has improved the accuracy and efficiency of sequence stratigraphic interpretation, and the application of this technology has achieved the interpretation of each event horizon under the current seismic data resolution conditions. In this way, a continuous sequence stratigraphic model is established. From this stratigraphic model, any high-frequency sequence-interpreted seismic horizon can be extracted, which provides a basis for the combination of lateral resolution and longitudinal resolution of subsequent reservoir prediction.

The Capitalinian: The First Geological Age of the Anthropocene

Assuming that the Anthropocene will soon be officially designated as the earth's current epoch, there remains the question of the geological age with which the Anthropocene begins. Adopting the standard nomenclature for the naming of geological ages, the term Capitalinian is proposed as the most appropriate name for the new geological age, conforming to the historical period that environmental historians see as commencing around 1950, in the wake of the Second World War, the rise of multinational corporations, and the unleashing of the process of decolonization and global development.