Data Mining Seismic Shothole Drillers’ Log Records: Regional Baseline Geoscience Information in Support of Pipeline Proposal Design, Assessment, and Development

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Rod Smith
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Sediment Type ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Ground Ice ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Northern Canada ◽  
Granular Aggregate ◽  
Regional Baseline

Assessment and development of pipeline projects in northern Canada, such as the proposed Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline (MGP), are hampered by a lack of baseline terrain geoscience information including drift thickness, sediment type, presence of massive ground ice, and the availability of granular aggregate resources. Clearly there is a need by Industry, Regulators, Aboriginal groups, and others, to understand the nature and character of near-surface earth materials, in order that pipeline proposals can be properly developed, evaluated, and when approved, proceed with the greatest degree of environmental sustainability and economic efficiency. While numerous field-based reports and surficial geology maps have been prepared for the MGP, there are long stretches along the proposed route for which little near-surface geoscience information is available. This is even more apt for areas outside the defined MGP corridor, where the likelihood of tie-in and gathering pipeline systems exist. Drillers’ logs, recorded during auger drilling of seismic shotholes, represent a virtually untapped resource of regional baseline geoscience information. The Geological Survey of Canada recently produced a digital archive of 76,000 shothole records from the Northwest Territories and Yukon, which had originally been collected on file cards in response to the 1970’s MGP proposal. Released in 2007 as a freely downloadable Open File report (#5465), the archive provides users with an Access database of drillers’ logs and derivative GIS maps in which shapefiles of drift isopach thickness, potential granular aggregate resources, geohazards, permafrost and ground ice occurrences, and muskeg thickness can be opened, viewed, and queried, or otherwise incorporated into GIS platforms of the user’s choice. Realizing the amount of additional archival shothole information held by Industry, and the great utility of bringing this forth in a public database and derivative GIS, a subsequent project has focused on capturing and integrating additional data. Receiving near-universal support by the Petroleum Industry, a Version 2 of the database and GIS is currently being assembled, and is scheduled for release in 2009 with some quarter million individual shothole drillers’ records. This presentation highlights the nature, character and distribution of shothole drillers’ logs in northern Canada. It also reviews the derived GIS layers, and how this baseline geoscience information can be beneficially utilized by the Pipeline and related infrastructure development industries, particularly as it may apply to focusing future field studies. It also serves as a key reference tool for those assessing pipeline development proposals.

scholarly journals Ground ice in the Northern Foothills, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

2004 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 495-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Guglielmin ◽  
Hugh M. French
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Ross Sea ◽  
Progress Report ◽  
Ground Ice ◽  
Lake Ice ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Victoria Land ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Glacier Ice ◽  
Surface Ice

AbstractThis progress report classifies the different types of ground-ice bodies that occur in the Northern Foothills, northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Oxygen isotope variations are presented, but interpretation is kept to a minimum pending further investigations. Surface ice, as distinct from moving glacier ice, occurs in the form of widespread buried (‘dead’) glacier ice lying beneath ablation (sublimation) till, together with perennial lake ice, snow banks and icing-blister ice.’Dry’ permafrost is uncommon, and interstitial ice is usually present at the base of the active layer and in the near-surface permafrost. This probably reflects the supply of moisture from the Ross Sea and limited sublimation under today’s climate. Intrusive ice occurs as layers within perennial lake-ice covers and gives rise to small icing blisters. Small ice wedges found beneath the furrows of high-centered polygons appear to agree with the model of sublimation-till development proposed by Marchant and others (2002).

scholarly journals Managing the Hazards of Aeolian, Fluvial and Coastal Erosion in Gudhi Area-Northern Kuwait Bay

2021 ◽  
Vol 904 (1) ◽  
pp. 012040
Author(s):  
Ali Al Dousari ◽  
Modi Ahmed ◽  
Noor Al Dousari ◽  
Abeer Al Saleh ◽  
Teena William
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Kuwait Bay ◽  
Design Assessment ◽  
Nitraria Retusa ◽  
Coastal Margin ◽  
Assessment And Monitoring ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Wave Erosion ◽  
And Control

Abstract Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research plans to set up some research facilities within the Gudhi area, which lies north of the coastal spill of Kuwait Bay. The area is about 653,000 m2, the region highly sensitive from an environmental perspective and ecological. It is a coastal strip dominated by rich fauna and flora mainly Nitraria retusa forming large nabkhas that attract many wildlife scientists. The presence of nabkhas is a good indicator of fluvial and aeolian activities in the area. The establishment of infrastructures within this area is anticipated to cause significant damage to wildlife. Additionally, any future infrastructures in the area is under the following threats: 1-S and encroachment as it is located within an active wind corridor. 2-Fluvial action during flood seasons as it is located at downstream of Jal Al-Zur watershed. 3-The wave erosion along 1200m coastal margin. As an important role of KISR is the attention and care regarding the environmental aspects associated with project actions, therefore, it is proposed that a proper scientific research project should be implemented prior to the establishment of any infrastructure development. The main objective of this study is to assess and control hazards in the Gudhi area by implementation of native plants and mangroves landscape design. Assessment and monitoring of fauna and flora have provided initial information on existing vegetation, soil properties that are considered important to quantify ecological conditions prior to actual vegetation plantation establishment or restoration effort. Nitraria and Lycium populations were found the most proper in controlling hazards of mobile sand and flush floods for the study area.

scholarly journals New ground ice maps for Canada using a paleogeographic modelling approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 753-773 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Brendan O'Neill ◽  
Stephen A. Wolfe ◽  
Caroline Duchesne
Keyword(s):  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Significant Advance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Permafrost Degradation ◽  
Field Observations ◽  
Tree Line ◽  
Ground Ice ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Western Arctic ◽  
Modelling Approach

Abstract. Ground ice melt caused by climate-induced permafrost degradation may trigger significant ecological change, damage infrastructure, and alter biogeochemical cycles. The fundamental ground ice mapping for Canada is now >20 years old and does not include significant new insights gained from recent field- and remote-sensing-based studies. New modelling incorporating paleogeography is presented in this paper to depict the distribution of three ground ice types (relict ice, segregated ice, and wedge ice) in northern Canada. The modelling uses an expert-system approach in a geographic information system (GIS), founded in conceptual principles gained from empirically based research, to predict ground ice abundance in near-surface permafrost. Datasets of surficial geology, deglaciation, paleovegetation, glacial lake and marine limits, and modern permafrost distribution allow representations in the models of paleoclimatic shifts, tree line migration, marine and glacial lake inundation, and terrestrial emergence, and their effect on ground ice abundance. The model outputs are generally consistent with field observations, indicating abundant relict ice in the western Arctic, where it has remained preserved since deglaciation in thick glacigenic sediments in continuous permafrost. Segregated ice is widely distributed in fine-grained deposits, occurring in the highest abundance in glacial lake and marine sediments. The modelled abundance of wedge ice largely reflects the exposure time of terrain to low air temperatures in tundra environments following deglaciation or marine/glacial lake inundation and is thus highest in the western Arctic. Holocene environmental changes result in reduced ice abundance where the tree line advanced during warmer periods. Published observations of thaw slumps and massive ice exposures, segregated ice and associated landforms, and ice wedges allow a favourable preliminary assessment of the models, and the results are generally comparable with the previous ground ice mapping for Canada. However, the model outputs are more spatially explicit and better reflect observed ground ice conditions in many regions. Synthetic modelling products that incorporated the previous ground ice information may therefore include inaccuracies. The presented modelling approach is a significant advance in permafrost mapping, but additional field observations and volumetric ice estimates from more areas in Canada are required to improve calibration and validation of small-scale ground ice modelling. The ground ice maps from this paper are available in the supplement in GeoTIFF format.

Recent advances in remote sensing technologies for hydrocarbon exploration and environmental evaluation

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 554-555
Author(s):  
Yongyi Li ◽  
Roice Nelson ◽  
William Jeffery ◽  
Douglas Foster ◽  
Dominique Dubucq ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Hydrocarbon Exploration ◽  
Active Sensors ◽  
Environmental Evaluation ◽  
Satellite Systems ◽  
Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Surface Geology

Remote sensing detects and monitors the physical and spatial characteristics of the earth's oceans, surface, and atmosphere by measuring the reflected or scattered downwelling or emitted upwelling electromagnetic radiation or acoustic signal using passive or active sensors at a distance. It plays an important role in today's energy and environmental sustainability efforts. Remote sensing from spaceborne, airborne, terrestrial, and marine platforms has long been used in hydrocarbon exploration to map surface geology, topography, and hydrocarbon seepages, as well as to evaluate environments that relate to petroleum industry activities. Since the mid-2000s, remote sensing technologies have undergone substantial advances in data acquisition, processing, and interpretation. In the last decade, rapid advances in satellite systems, unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs), sensors, and scale of surveys have further expanded applications.

scholarly journals High-Durability Concrete Using Eco-Friendly Slag-Pozzolanic Cements and Recycled Aggregate

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (22) ◽  
pp. 8307
Author(s):  
Klaus Voit ◽  
Oliver Zeman ◽  
Ivan Janotka ◽  
Renata Adamcova ◽  
Konrad Bergmeister
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
High Performance ◽  
High Performance Concrete ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Recycled Aggregate ◽  
Basic Material ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
High Durability ◽  
Pozzolanic Cement ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Co2

Clinker production is very energy-intensive and responsible for releasing climate-relevant carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, and the exploitation of aggregate for concrete results in a reduction in natural resources. This contrasts with infrastructure development, surging urbanization, and the demand for construction materials with increasing requirements in terms of durability and strength. A possible answer to this is eco-efficient, high-performance concrete. This article illustrates basic material investigations to both, using eco-friendly cement and recycled aggregate from tunneling to produce structural concrete and inner shell concrete, showing high impermeability and durability. By replacing energy- and CO2-intensive cement types by slag-pozzolanic cement (CEM V) and using recycled aggregate, a significant contribution to environmental sustainability can be provided while still meeting the material requirements to achieve a service lifetime for the tunnel structure of up to 200 years. Results of this research show that alternative cements (CEM V), as well as processed tunnel spoil, indicate good applicability in terms of their properties. Despite the substitution of conventional clinker and conventional aggregate, the concrete shows good workability and promising durability in conjunction with adequate concrete strengths.

scholarly journals Variations of Near Surface Energy Balance Caused by Land Cover Changes in the Semiarid Grassland Area of China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qun’ou Jiang ◽  
Chengcai Tang ◽  
Enjun Ma ◽  
Yongwei Yuan ◽  
Wei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Energy Flux ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Semiarid Grassland ◽  
Land System ◽  
Rapid Economic Growth ◽  
Rate Of Increase

This study applies the Dynamics of Land System (DLS) model to simulating the land cover under the designed scenarios and then analyzes the effects of land cover conversion on energy flux in the semiarid grassland area of China with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The results indicate that the grassland will show a steadily upgrowing trend under the coordinated environmental sustainability (CES) scenario. Compared to the CES scenario, the rate of increase in grassland cover is lower, while the rate of increase in urban land cover will be higher under the rapid economic growth (REG) scenario. Although the conversion from cropland to grassland will reduce the energy flux, the expansion of urban area and decreasing of forestry area will bring about more energy flux. As a whole, the energy flux of near surface will obviously not change under the CES scenario, and the climate therefore will not be possible to be influenced greatly by land cover change. The energy flux under the REG scenario is higher than that under the CES scenario. Those research conclusions can offer valuable information for the land use planning and climate change adaptation in the semiarid grassland area of China.

scholarly journals Validation of the Aeolus Level-2B wind product over Northern Canada and the Arctic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Chun Chou ◽  
Paul J. Kushner ◽  
Stéphane Laroche ◽  
Zen Mariani ◽  
Peter Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Phase ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
European Space Agency ◽  
Arctic Region ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Horizontal Line ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Northern Canada ◽  
Space Agency

Abstract. In August 2018, the European Space Agency launched the Aeolus satellite, whose Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN) is the first spaceborne Doppler wind lidar to regularly measure vertical profiles of horizontal line-of-sight (HLOS) winds with global sampling. This mission is intended to assess improvement to numerical weather prediction provided by wind observations in regions poorly constrained by atmospheric mass, such as the tropics, but also, potentially, in polar regions such as the Arctic where direct wind observations are especially sparse. There remain gaps in the evaluation of the Aeolus products over the Arctic region, which is the focus of this contribution. Here, an assessment of the Aeolus Level-2B wind product is carried out from measurement stations in Canada’s north, to the pan-Arctic, with Aeolus data being compared to Ka-band radar measurements at Iqaluit, Nunavut; to radiosonde measurements over Northern Canada; to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)’s short-range forecast; and to the reanalysis product, ERA5, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Periods covered include the early phase during the first laser nominal flight model (FM-A; 2018-09 to 2018-10), the early phase during the second flight laser (FM-B; 2019-08 to 2019-09), and the mid-FM-B periods (2019-12 to 2020-01). The adjusted r-square between Aeolus and other local datasets are around 0.9, except for somewhat lower values in comparison with the ground-based radar, presumably due to limited sampling. This consistency degraded by about 10 % for the Rayleigh winds in the summer, presumably due to scattering from the solar background. Over the pan-Arctic, consistency, with correlation greater than 0.8, is found in the Mie channel from the planetary boundary layer to the lower stratosphere (near surface to 16 km a.g.l.) and in the Rayleigh channel from the troposphere to the stratosphere (2 km to 25 km a.g.l.). Zonal and meridional projections of the HLOS winds are separated to account for the systematic changes in HLOS winds arising from sampling wind components from different viewing orientations in the ascending and descending phases. In all cases, Aeolus standard deviations are found to be 20 % greater than those from ECCC-B and ERA5. We found that L2B estimated error product for Aeolus is coherent with the differences between Aeolus and the other datasets, and can be used as a guide for expected consistency. Thus, our work confirms the quality of the Aeolus dataset over the Arctic and shows that the new Aeolus L2B wind product provides a valuable addition to current wind products in regions such as the Arctic Ocean region where few direct wind observations have been available to date.

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