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At least 235 records · Page 13

Modeling of thermal pressurization in tight claystone using sequential THM coupling: Benchmarking and validation against in-situ heating experiments in COx claystone

We apply thermoporoelasticity and a sequentially coupling technique for modeling thermally-driven coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical (THM) processes in tight claystone. A THM benchmark case with a corresponding analytic solution for thermoporoelasticity under a constant heat loading verifies the model. Thereafter, two in situ heating experiments are simulated for model validation: a smaller-scale heating experiment (TED experiment) and a larger-scale experiment (ALC experiment) in Callovo-Oxfordian (COx) claystone at the Meuse/Haute-Marne underground research laboratory in France. The model exhibits good performance to match the observed temperature and pore pressure evolution for the smaller-scale TED experiment. For the larger-scale ALC experiment, general trends of thermal-pressurization are captured in the modeling, but pressure is underestimated at some monitoring points during cool-down. This indicates that the THM response in the field may be affected by the variability of rock's properties or irreversible or time-dependent mechanical processes that are not included in the current thermoporoelastic model. The main contributions of this work are as follows: (1) we verify and validate the numerical simulator, TOUGH-FLAC, to be a valuable coupled THM modeling tool; (2) prove that the laboratory determined material parameters can be used as reference values for upscaling experiments. However, to better identify and quantify THM processes with modeling of in situ tests, more emphasize should be dedicated to obtaining high-quality mechanical deformation data.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Using Soil Moisture Information to Better Understand and Predict Wildfire Danger: A Review of Recent Developments and Outstanding Questions

Soil moisture conditions are represented in fire danger rating systems mainly through simple drought indices based on meteorological variables, even though better sources of soil moisture information are increasingly available. This review summarises a growing body of evidence indicating that greater use of in situ, remotely sensed, and modelled soil moisture information in fire danger rating systems could lead to better estimates of dynamic live and dead herbaceous fuel loads, more accurate live and dead fuel moisture predictions, earlier warning of wildfire danger, and better forecasts of wildfire occurrence and size. Potential uses of soil moisture information in existing wildfire danger rating systems include (1) as a supplement or replacement for drought indices, (2) for live and (3) dead fuel moisture modelling, (4) for estimating herbaceous fuel curing, and (5) for estimating fuel loads. We identify key remaining research questions and note the logistical challenge of convincing wildfire professionals of the importance of soil moisture compared with more familiar wildfire danger metrics. While obstacles remain, the path forward is clear. Soil moisture information can and should be used to improve fire danger rating systems and contribute to more effective fire management for the protection of communities and ecosystems worldwide.

fuel properties↗

Flow dynamics and bending of wide-angle tailed radio sources

The dynamics of tailed radio sources (WATs) is studied on the basis of VLA observations of 11 wide-angle WATs at 6 and 20 cm. These new images, in conjunction with optical and X-ray data, are used to describe the unifying characteristics of this class. WATs are found in centers of clusters without cooling cores, associated with galaxies of low space velocity. They are large sources, extending at least 50 kpc from the cluster center, and they have radio power close to the Fanaroff-Riley I/II break. The surface brightness and spectral distributions are used to model the flow fields and bending dynamics of the sources. Two limiting models are employed: the adiabatic model, in which no in situ energization takes place, and the kinetic model, in which all of the radio luminosity comes from in situ energization. It is found that the sources cannot be bent by the slow galaxy motion in the kinetic model. The sources can be bent by the ram pressure of a slowly moving central galaxy in the adiabatic model.

O'Donoghue, Aileen A.↗

Estuarine Dissolved Organic Carbon Flux from Space: With Application to Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

This study uses a neural network model trained with in situ data, combined with satellite data and hydrodynamic model products, to compute the daily estuarine export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at the mouths of Chesapeake Bay (CB) and Delaware Bay (DB) from 2007 to 2011. Both bays show large flux variability with highest fluxes in spring and lowest in fall as well as interannual flux variability (0.18 and 0.27 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2010 for CB; 0.04 and 0.09 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2011 for DB). Based on previous estimates of total organic carbon (TOCexp) exported by all Mid-Atlantic Bight estuaries (1.2 Tg C/year), the DOC export (CB + DB) of 0.3 Tg C/year estimated here corresponds to 25% of the TOCexp. Spatial and temporal covariations of velocity and DOC concentration provide contributions to the flux, with larger spatial influence. Differences in the discharge of fresh water into the bays (74 billion m(exp3)/year for CB and 21 billion m9exp3)/year for DB) and their geomorphologies are major drivers of the differences in DOC fluxes for these two systems. Terrestrial DOC inputs are similar to the export of DOC at the bay mouths at annual and longer time scales but diverge significantly at shorter time scales (days to months). Future efforts will expand to the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine, and its major rivers and estuaries, in combination with coupled terrestrial-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical models that include effects of climate change, such as warming and CO2 increase.

Signorini, Sergio↗

Estuarine Dissolved Organic Carbon Flux From Space: With Application to Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

This study uses a neural network model trained with in situ data, combined with satellite data and hydrodynamic model products, to compute the daily estuarine export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at the mouths of Chesapeake Bay (CB) and Delaware Bay (DB) from 2007 to 2011. Both bays show large flux variability with highest fluxes in spring and lowest in fall as well as interannual flux variability (0.18 and 0.27 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2010 for CB; 0.04 and 0.09 Tg C/year in 2008 and 2011 for DB). Based on previous estimates of total organic carbon (TOCexp) exported by all Mid-Atlantic Bight estuaries (1.2 Tg C/year), the DOC export (CB + DB) of 0.3 Tg C/year estimated here corresponds to 25% of the TOCexp. Spatial and temporal covariations of velocity and DOC concentration provide contributions to the flux, with larger spatial influence. Differences in the discharge of fresh water into the bays (74 billion cu. m/year for CB and 21 billion cu. m/year for DB) and their geomorphologies are major drivers of the differences in DOC fluxes for these two systems. Terrestrial DOC inputs are similar to the export of DOC at the bay mouths at annual and longer time scales but diverge significantly at shorter time scales (days to months). Future efforts will expand to the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Maine, and its major rivers and estuaries, in combination with coupled terrestrial-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical models that include effects of climate change, such as warming and CO2 increase.

Estuarine DOC export↗

Bhutan Water Resources Tech Paper: Comparing Precipitation, Temperature, and Phenology Data Trends in Bhutan to Assist the Himalayan Environmental Rhythm Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES) Project

Himalayan countries, including Bhutan, have become vulnerable to warming trends which result in increasing temperature and variable rainfall and snowfall. By combining phenological and meteorological data, Earth observation platforms and sensors were used to assess trends in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation phenology in Bhutan from 1996 through 2017. This project studied precipitation using Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Station data, analyzed temperature using the Famine Early Warning System Network Land Data Assimilation System, incorporated elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, and assessed vegetation phenology using Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to evaluate climate variability and its effects on Bhutan. In situ temperature and precipitation data were also collected from the Himalayan Environmental Rhythm Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES) project and Bhutan’s National Center for Hydrology and Meterology. Modeled and in situ data showed similar trends in precipitation and temperature for the Thimpu, Chhukha, and Gasa regions. Aqua and Terra MODIS phenology data were variable from year to year. However, the data suggested a late onset of spring green up. Partners at the Bhutan Foundation and locally in Bhutan can use this information to better understand and monitor climate variability and replicate these methods for future analysis.

Kinley Dorji↗

Bhutan Water Resources Project Summary - Comparing Precipitation, Temperature, and Phenology Data Trends in Bhutan to Assist the Himalayan Environmental Rhythm Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES) Project

Himalayan countries, including Bhutan, have become vulnerable to warming trends which result in increasing temperature and variable rainfall and snowfall. By combining phenological and meteorological data, Earth observation platforms and sensors were used to assess trends in precipitation, temperature, and vegetation phenology in Bhutan from 1996 through 2017. This project studied precipitation using Climate Hazards Center Infrared Precipitation with Station data, analyzed temperature using the Famine Early Warning System Network Land Data Assimilation System, incorporated elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, and assessed vegetation phenology using Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to evaluate climate variability and its effects on Bhutan. In situ temperature and precipitation data were also collected from the Himalayan Environmental Rhythm Observation and Evaluation System (HEROES) project and Bhutan’s National Center for Hydrology and Meterology. Modeled and in situ data showed similar trends in precipitation and temperature for the Thimpu, Chhukha, and Gasa regions. Aqua and Terra MODIS phenology data were variable from year to year. However, the data suggested a late onset of spring green up. Partners at the Bhutan Foundation and locally in Bhutan can use this information to better understand and monitor climate variability and replicate these methods for future analysis.

DEVELOP Project Summary↗

Induced microearthquakes predict permeability creation in the brittle crust

Predicting the evolution of permeability accurately during stimulation at the reservoir scale and at the resolution of individual fractures is essential to characterize the fluid transport and the reactive/heat-transfer characteristics of reservoirs where stress exerts significant control. Here, we develop a hybrid machine learning (ML) model to visualize in situ permeability evolution for an intermediate-scale (~10 m) hydraulic stimulation experiment. This model includes an ML model that was trained using the well history of flow rate and wellhead pressure and MEQ data from the first three stimulation episodes to predict average permeability from the statistical features of the MEQs alone for later episodes. Moreover, a physics-inspired model is integrated to estimate in situ fracture permeability spatially. This method relates fracture permeability to fracture dilation and scales dilation to the equivalent MEQ magnitude, according to laboratory observations. The seismic data are then applied to define incremental changes in permeability in both space and time. Our results confirm the excellent agreement between the ground truth and model-predicted permeability evolution. The resulting permeability map defines and quantifies flow paths in the reservoir with the averaged permeability comparing favorably with the ground truth of permeability.

induced seismicity↗

Summary of Methodology for Mitigating Risks Associated with Licensing and Qualifying AM Nuclear Materials

The US Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMT) program focuses on accelerating the development, qualification, demonstration, and deployment of advanced materials and manufacturing technologies to enable reliable and economical nuclear energy. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is one of the most popular additive manufacturing (AM) processes for fabricating components with intrinsically complex geometries. LPBF was extensively explored for nuclear applications under the previous Transformational Challenge Reactor program. Additionally, Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed and licensed the Peregrine software and larger digital platform that couples machine learning and in situ data collection during AM to detect anomalies and any evolved defects. The digital platform will be critical to (1) the qualification of AM components for nuclear applications that link location-specific data to macroscopic properties and (2) predict final component performance. Current in situ process monitoring tools are valuable for observing the formation of stochastic flaws, but additional data are needed to predict the resulting microstructures and associated material performance. Rapid cooling rates and large thermal gradients have caused large heterogeneities in the microstructure, which cause anisotropy in mechanical performance. The AMMT program is evaluating the best approaches for addressing these heterogeneities and their effect on component performance using a combination of multiscale modeling, enhanced in situ process monitoring, and high throughput experimental testing. This report summarizes strategies for mitigating the risks associated with qualifying AM components, including developing new sensing capabilities for in situ process monitoring and characterizing melt pool solidification and residual stresses to inform multiscale modeling efforts.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Validation of a Crystal Plasticity Model Using High Energy Diffraction Microscopy

High energy diffraction microscopy is used to measure the crystallographic orientation and evolution of lattice strain in an Al Li alloy. The relative spatial arrangement of the several pancake-shaped grains in a tensile sample is determined through in situ and ex situ techniques. A model for crystal plasticity with continuity of lattice spin is posed, where grains are represented by layers in a finite element mesh following the arrangement indicated by experiment. Comparison is drawn between experiment and simulation.

Beaudoin, A. J.↗

The Global Ocean Observing System

A Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) should be established now with international coordination (1) to address issues of global change, (2) to implement operational ENSO forecasts, (3) to provide the data required to apply global ocean circulation models, and (4) to extract the greatest value from the one billion dollar investment over the next ten years in ocean remote sensing by the world's space agencies. The objectives of GOOS will focus on climatic and oceanic predictions, on assessing coastal pollution, and in determining the sustainability of living marine resources and ecosystems. GOOS will be a complete system including satellite observations, in situ observations, numerical modeling of ocean processes, and data exchange and management. A series of practical and economic benefits will be derived from the information generated by GOOS. In addition to the marine science community, these benefits will be realized by the energy industries of the world, and by the world's fisheries. The basic oceanic variables that are required to meet the oceanic and predictability objectives of GOOS include wind velocity over the ocean, sea surface temperature and salinity, oceanic profiles of temperature and salinity, surface current, sea level, the extent and thickness of sea ice, the partial pressure of CO2 in surface waters, and the chlorophyll concentration of surface waters. Ocean circulation models and coupled ocean-atmosphere models can be used to evaluate observing system design, to assimilate diverse data sets from in situ and remotely sensed observations, and ultimately to predict future states of the system. The volume of ocean data will increase enormously over the next decade as new satellite systems are launched and as complementary in situ measuring systems are deployed. These data must be transmitted, quality controlled, exchanged, analyzed, and archived with the best state-of-the-art computational methods.

Kester, Dana↗

Image-Based Empirical Modeling of the Plasmasphere

A new suite of empirical models of plasmaspheric plasma based on remote, global images from the IMAGE EUV instrument is proposed for development. The purpose of these empirical models is to establish the statistical properties of the plasmasphere as a function of conditions. This suite of models will mark the first time the plasmaspheric plume is included in an empirical model. Development of these empirical plasmaspheric models will support synoptic studies (such as for wave propagation and growth, energetic particle loss through collisions and dust transport as influenced by charging) and serves as a benchmark against which physical models can be tested. The ability to know that a specific global density distribution occurs in response to specific magnetospheric and solar wind factors is a huge advantage over all previous in-situ based empirical models. The consequence of creating these new plasmaspheric models will be to provide much higher fidelity and much richer quantitative descriptions of the statistical properties of plasmaspheric plasma in the inner magnetosphere, whether that plasma is in the main body of the plasmasphere, nearby during recovery or in the plasmaspheric plume. Model products to be presented include statistical probabilities for being in the plasmasphere, near thermal He+ density boundaries and the complexity of its spatial structure.

Adrian, Mark L.↗

Development of Super Ensemble-Based Aviation Turbulence Guidance (SEATG) for Air Traffic Management

A new method for forecasting turbulence is developed and evaluated using the high resolution weather model and in situ turbulence observations from commercial aircraft. The new method is an ensemble of various turbulence metrics from multiple time-lagged ensemble forecasts created using a sequence of four procedures. These include weather modeling, calculation of turbulence metrics, mapping the metrics into a common turbulence-scale, and production of final forecast. The new method uses similar methodology as current operational turbulence forecast with three improvements. First, it uses a higher resolution ((delta)x = 3 km) weather model to capture cloud resolving scale phenomena. Second, it computes the metrics for multiple forecasts that are combined at the same valid time resulting in a time-lagged ensemble of multiple turbulence metrics. Finally, it provides both deterministic and probabilistic turbulence forecasts. Results show the new forecasts match well with observed radar reflectivity along a surface front as well as convectively induced turbulence outside the clouds on research period. Overall performance skill of the new turbulence forecast compared with the observed EDR data during the research period is superior to any single turbulence metric. The probabilistic turbulence forecast is used in an example air traffic management application for creating a wind-optimal route considering turbulence information. The wind-optimal route passing through areas of 50% potential for moderate-or-greater turbulence and the lateral turbulence avoidance routes starting from three different waypoints along the wind-optimal route from Los Angeles international airport to John F. Kennedy international airport are calculated using different turbulence forecasts. This example shows additional flight time is required to avoid potential turbulence encounters.

modeling↗

Fast Surface Oxygen Release Kinetics Accelerate Nanoparticle Exsolution in Perovskite Oxides

Exsolution is a recent advancement for fabricating oxide-supported metal nanoparticle catalysts via phase precipitation out of a host oxide. A fundamental understanding and control of the exsolution kinetics are needed to engineer exsolved nanoparticles to obtain higher catalytic activity toward clean energy and fuel conversion. Since oxygen release via oxygen vacancy formation in the host oxide is behind oxide reduction and metal exsolution, we hypothesize that the kinetics of metal exsolution should depend on the kinetics of oxygen release, in addition to the kinetics of metal cation diffusion. In this report we probe the surface exsolution kinetics both experimentally and theoretically using thin-film perovskite SrTi 0.65 Fe 0.35 O 3 (STF) as a model system. We quantitatively demonstrated that in this system the surface oxygen release governs the metal nanoparticle exsolution kinetics. As a result, by increasing the oxygen release rate in STF, either by reducing the sample thickness or by increasing the surface reactivity, one can effectively accelerate the Fe 0 exsolution kinetics. Fast oxygen release kinetics in STF not only shortened the prereduction time prior to the exsolution onset, but also increased the total quantity of exsolved Fe 0 over time, which agrees well with the predictions from our analytical kinetic modeling. The consistency between the results obtained from in situ experiments and analytical modeling provides a predictive capability for tailoring exsolution, and highlights the importance of engineering host oxide surface oxygen release kinetics in designing exsolved nanocatalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Diffstar: a fully parametric physical model for galaxy assembly history

We present Diffstar, a smooth parametric model for the in situ star formation history (SFH) of galaxies. The Diffstar model is distinct from traditional SFH models because it is parametrized directly in terms of basic features of galaxy formation physics. Diffstar includes ingredients for: the halo mass assembly history; the accretion of gas into the dark matter halo; the fraction of gas that is eventually transformed into stars, ϵ ms ; the time-scale over which this transformation occurs, τ cons ; and the possibility that some galaxies will experience a quenching event at time t q , and may subsequently experience rejuvenated star formation. We show that our model is sufficiently flexible to describe the average stellar mass histories of galaxies in both the IllustrisTNG (TNG) and UniverseMachine (UM) simulations with an accuracy of ~0.1 dex across most of cosmic time. We use Diffstar to compare TNG to UM in common physical terms, finding that: (i) star formation in UM is less efficient and burstier relative to TNG; (ii) UM galaxies have longer gas consumption time-scales, relative to TNG; (iii) rejuvenated star formation is ubiquitous in UM, whereas quenched TNG galaxies rarely experience sustained rejuvenation; and (iv) in both simulations, the distributions of ϵ ms , τ cons , and t q share a common characteristic dependence upon halo mass, and present significant correlations with halo assembly history. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of how Diffstar can be used in future applications to fit the SEDs of individual observed galaxies, as well as in forward-modelling applications that populate cosmological simulations with synthetic galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Comparative Study of Three Reconnection X Line Models at the Earth's Dayside Magnetopause Using in Situ Observations

This work examines the large-scale aspects of magnetic field reconnection at the Earth's dayside magnetopause. We use two sets of reconnection events, which are identified mostly by the in situ detection of accelerated and Alfvenic plasma flows. We intercompare three analytical models that predict the reconnection X line location and orientation, namely, the Trattner et al. (2007) and Swisdak and Drake (2007) models and also a modified version of the component merging model. In the first set of reconnection observations, we show three fortuitous, quasi-simultaneous dayside magnetopause crossing events where two widely separated spacecraft detect reconnection signatures, and the X line location and orientation can be inferred from the observations. We compare X line model predictions to those inferred from observations. These three reconnection events indicate the presence of an extended (greater than 7 Earth radii in length), component-type reconnection X line on Earth's dayside magnetopause connecting and structuring the reconnection signatures at locations far apart. In the second set of reconnection events, we analyze the X line models' performance in predicting the observed reconnection outflow direction, i.e., its north-south and/or east-west senses, in a total of 75 single, rather than multiple and quasi-simultaneous, magnetopause crossing events, where reconnection-associated plasma flows were clearly present. We found that the Swisdak and Drake's (2007) X line model performs slightly better, albeit not statistically significant, when predicting both accelerated plasma flow north-south and east-west components in 73% and 53% of the cases, respectively, as compared to the Trattner et al. (2007) model (70% north-south and 42% east-west) and the modified component merging model (66% north-south and 50% east-west).

Souza, V. M.↗

Application of GRACE to the Estimation of Groundwater Storage Change in a Data-poor Region: A Case Study of Ngadda Catchment in the Lake Chad Basin

The present study is to explore the feasibility of GRACE-based estimation of a groundwater storage change in a data-poor region using a case study of the Ngadda catchment in the Lake Chad Basin. Although the Ngadda catchment has only one set of in situ time series data of groundwater from 2006 to 2009 and a limited number of groundwater measurements in 2005 and 2009, GRACE-based groundwater storage change can be evaluated against thein situ groundwater measurements combined with specific yield data. The cross-correlation analysis in the Ngadda catchment shows that maximum rainfall reached in July and August, whereas both the maximum total water storage anomaly and the maximum groundwater storage anomaly occurred 2months later. Whereas the mean annual amplitude of total water storage anomaly is about 17cm from both the average total water storage anomaly from three mascon products and the one from three spherical harmonic products, the mean annual amplitude of soil moisture storage anomaly is substantially varied from5.58cm for CLM to about 14cm for NOAH and Mosaic. The goodness-of-fit tests show that CLM soil moisture produces the closest estimation of groundwater storage anomaly to thein situ groundwater measurements. The present study shows that GRACE-based estimation for groundwater storage anomaly can be a cost-effective and alternative tool to observe how groundwater changes in a basin scale under the limitation of modelling and in situ data availability.

GRACE↗

Quantification of the REE 3+ aqua ions and chloride species in aqueous fluids by in situ Raman spectroscopy using perturbations of the water band

Acidic NaCl-rich aqueous fluids play a crucial role in forming hydrothermal rare earth elements (REE) mineral deposits. Aqueous REE mobility is mostly controlled by the stabilities of REE 3+ and REE chloride species. Our current knowledge of REE speciation is based on solubility data, thermodynamic models and in situ spectroscopic measurements, sometimes coupled with molecular simulations. Here, in this study, we investigate Nd and Yb speciation in pH2 Cl-bearing solutions at 25 °C and 0.1 MPa with variable Cl/REE ratios using Raman Spectroscopy in solutions with 0.1 to 0.6 mol/kg NdCl 3 or YbCl 3 and 0.2 to 3.2 mol/kg NaCl. Due to the challenges in resolving the REE-Cl band, we developed a new method using the water vibrational mode and multivariate curve resolution (MCR) analysis. The Raman spectra for the vibrational band of water (2700 to 3900 cm –1 ) were collected at 25 °C and fitted by three Gaussian sub-peaks, then quantified using MCR analysis to de-convolute the water band into bulk H 2 O and the perturbations caused by of Cl – , REE 3+ , and REE chloride species. REE speciation based on the perturbations of the water band indicates that REE 3+ aqua ions dominate acidic solutions at 25 °C, but up to ~20 mol% YbCl 2+ forms at high YbCl 3 concentrations. The new method is promising for quantifying in situ speciation of the REE 3+ aqua ions and REE chloride species in aqueous fluids while providing information on the hydration of ions. This method improves our molecular level understanding of REE aqueous species stability and their role in REE mobilization during fluid-rock interaction.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗