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NASA NTRS1986

New results for geologic units mapping of Utah test sites using Landsat TM data

This paper continues a study on the accuracy of geological mapping using Landsat Thematic Mapper data (Short, 1984). In June 1976, both the White Mountain alteration zone and the Waterpocket Fold sedimentary rock sites in Utah were surveyed by the Bendix 24-band scanner on a NASA NC-130B aircraft. Mid-June 1984 TM data for these two sites have been processed like the 1976 data to test the quality of simulation of TM data. Principal-components (PC) color composite images for White Mountain show close correspondence to the Bendix PC images. At this site carbonate strata are uniquely discriminated in both Bendix and TM composites that use an inverted PC 3 image. Alunite/kaolinite and hematite/limonite alteration zones developed on volcanic flows are also sharply separated, but iron oxide and silicified zones are less so. The accuracy of rock-units mapping at the Waterpocket Fold site by supervised classification of the June TM data is significantly better, reaching 70 percent in the best case, than for January 1983 data for that site.

Short, N. M.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ecological acclimation: A framework to integrate fast and slow responses to climate change

Ecological responses to climate change occur across vastly different time-scales, from minutes for physiological plasticity to decades or centuries for community turnover and evolutionary adaptation. Accurately predicting the range of ecosystem trajectories will require models that incorporate both fast processes that may keep pace with climate change and slower ones likely to lag behind and generate disequilibrium dynamics. However, the knowledge necessary for this integration is currently fragmented across disciplines. We develop ‘ecological acclimation’ as a unifying framework to emphasize the similarity of dynamics driven by processes operating on dramatically different time-scales and levels of biological organization. The framework focuses on ecoclimate sensitivities, measured as the change in an ecological response variable per unit of climate change. Acclimation processes acting at different time-scales cause these sensitivities to shift in magnitude and even direction over time. We highlight shifting ecoclimate sensitivities in case studies from diverse ecosystems, including terrestrial plant communities, coral reefs and soil microbiomes. Models predicting future ecosystem states inevitably make assumptions about acclimation processes; these assumptions must be explicit for users to evaluate whether a model is appropriate for a given forecast horizon. Similarly, decision frameworks that clearly account for multiple acclimation processes and their distinct time-scales will help natural resource managers plan for ecological impacts of climate change from years to many decades into the future. We outline a synthetic research programme focused on the time-scales of ecological acclimation to reduce uncertainty in ecological forecasts.

climate adaptation↗

DOE OSTI2020

Sedimentary Geothermal Resources in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Texas

The objectives of this project were to (1) perform a literature review of sedimentary geothermal resources, (2) identify data sources and develop data-collection methodologies that characterize selected resources, (3) screen sedimentary basins and formations for sedimentary geothermal potential, and (4) evaluate the technical feasibility of one or more selected locations. Numerous publications have characterized geothermal resources within sedimentary basins. A literature search reviewed publications describing resources located in Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The most attractive resources have high temperature gradients, low drilling costs, and reservoir permeabilities greater than 10 millidarcies (mD). Prospects in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah exhibit attractive characteristics and were chosen for further analysis. Sedimentary resources in Nevada and Utah are most attractive, followed by tested resources in Texas and untested resources in Colorado. The identified resources in Wyoming and Louisiana had lower geothermal gradients and were not evaluated. Reservoir modeling and techno-economic analysis were performed at Marys River Basin–North in Nevada. Geothermal energy production at this location is expected to have a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranging between 10 and 20 cents/kWh. Additional work may result in lower LCOE estimates at this location and at other attractive prospects in these three regions. The Great Basin carbonate and alluvial aquifer system of eastern Nevada and western Utah includes a lower carbonate aquifer unit, which has the potential for hosting both conduction- and convection-dominated geothermal systems. Mapping has identified lateral thickness variability expressed as a roughly 120–150-km-wide central corridor, which hosts the thickest and most continuous formations and extends from near Las Vegas north to the Idaho border. Purchase and analysis of privately held legacy seismic data could potentially compensate for the lack of sufficient data documenting measured depth to the lower carbonate aquifer unit. Multiple orogenies, extension episodes, and intrusive events have deformed and displaced the target formations of the lower carbonate aquifer unit. This structural complexity and potential for dipping reservoirs emphasizes the need for detailed geological, geophysical, and reservoir modeling. Heat flow within three Colorado sedimentary basins reviewed as part of this study was calculated in targeted studies by the Colorado Geologic Survey and Colorado School of Mines. These calculations are based on bottom-hole temperature data sets with significant limitations and some variability but produce values consistently higher than the global continental average of 65 mW/m2 for all three basins. Heat flow in the Raton Basin is the highest; however, permeability measurements from specific sedimentary formations with high heat flow have not been obtained. Promising formations for sedimentary geothermal systems were found in all three regions studied—Nevada-Utah, Colorado, and Texas. The next steps for developing sedimentary geothermal resources vary due to differences in available data and resource uncertainties. Additional scopes of work are recommended for identified basins in these three regions.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2023

Utah FORGE: Well 16B(78)-32 Drilling Data

This drilling data for Utah FORGE well 16B(78)-32 include a well survey, core summary, mud and mud temperature logs, daily reports of the drilling process, and additional data from the Pason oil and gas company. Well 16B(78)-32 serves as the production well for reservoir creation, fluid circulation, and demonstration of heat extraction for the FORGE project. It has been drilled as a doublet approximately 300 feet parallel to and above the injection well 16A(78)-32. The proposed total depth was 10,658 feet, which was exceeded. Spudding began on April 26th, 2023. As of June 20th, 2023, the total depth measured 10,947 feet and the vertical depth measured 8,357 feet. Drilling included the trial use of insulated drill pipe (IDP) from Eavor Technologies, which was considered a success. IDP restricts counter-current heat transfer between drilling fluid inside the drill string and hotter returning fluid in the annulus, thereby ensuring the bottomhole assembly (BHA) remains submerged in cool fluid. Eavor rented 350 joints of IDP to FORGE which were run in two consecutive BHAs at the well. The results of this trial are included here.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2020

GBCGE Subsurface Database Explorer and APIs

This submission defines a DOI for the Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy's (GBCGE) Subsurface Database Explorer web application and underlying data services, and acknowledges the INGENIOUS project as a major source of funding for data compilation and quality assurance. The GBCGE Subsurface Database Explorer is an interactive web mapping application that provides public access to the GBCGE Subsurface Database, and its collection of datasets pertinent to geothermal exploration, oil and gas exploration, critical mineral exploration, and other subsurface characterization for the Great Basin Region, western US. This is a living database, and will be continuously updated with new data and datasets as funding and motivations allow. The underlying database views that populate the web application are on an automated refresh schedule. Data sources and acknowledgements: We thank our partners with the Nevada Division of Minerals (NDOM), the Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Great Basin State Geological Surveys for their active efforts in data curation, schema design, and quality assurance. We also thank contributors among the USGS, Oregon Institute of Technology, State Divisions of Water Resources, State Divisions of Oil, Gas, and Minerals, and State Geological Surveys for open data availability and direct contributions made under the National Geothermal Data System (NGDS).

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

DOE OSTI2022

Financial Analysis of Experimental Releases Conducted at Glen Canyon Dam during Water Year 2021

This report was prepared by Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) in support of a financial analysis of two Glen Canyon Dam (GCD) flow experiments that were conducted in Water Year 2021. The first experiment, called “spring disturbance flow”, was conducted from March 15 to 26, 2021. This disturbance flow experiment is designed to simulate a spring-timed runoff event so scientists can study its effects on the Colorado River ecosystem. The second experiment was a reduced and steady discharge from May 29 to June 4, 2021. This reduced steady flow experiment was conducted for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to collect high-resolution aerial imagery over Grand Canyon National Park. This analysis was funded by the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Office of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). CRSP markets electricity produced by hydroelectric facilities collectively known as the Salt Lake City Area Integrated Projects including dams equipped for power generation on the Colorado, Green, Gunnison, and Rio Grande Rivers and on Plateau Creek in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. Staff members in Argonne’s Energy Systems Division prepared this technical memorandum with assistance from WAPA’s CRSP and Energy Marketing and Management Offices (EMMO).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration: Phase III (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

The Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP) is one of 7 regional partnerships formed in 2003 under the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships (RCSPs) initiative. The overall purpose of the initiative was to help determine and implement the technology, infrastructure, and regulations most appropriate to promote carbon storage in different regions of the country. Covering Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and parts of Texas, Wyoming, and Kansas, the SWP evaluated regional carbon storage and utilization potential and focused on technologies and sites that could complement the region’s strong position in energy production. The project progressed through three phases: • Phase I (2003–2005): Characterized regional geologic formations and CO 2 sources, assessed sequestration potential, and identified pilot test sites. • Phase II (2005–2013): Conducted small-scale field tests to validate sequestration methods, including geologic and terrestrial projects. • Phase III (2008–2022): Demonstrated large-scale CO 2 injection at a commercial oil field to test monitoring, verification, and long-term storage strategies. This report covers Phase III. The final project site, the Farnsworth Unit (FWU) in Texas, provided real-world testing of reservoir characterization, monitoring, and risk evaluation tools and processes that could be used in any commercial scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) project. Extensive data collection and analysis helped refine best practices for reservoir characterization, injection monitoring, and storage verification. The SWP contributed to national databases, DOE best practice manuals, and regional geological assessments to support future sequestration efforts. Key lessons learned include the importance of robust data management, strategic site selection, regulatory navigation, and effective industry collaboration. The project’s findings will inform ongoing and future carbon storage initiatives. Task 1 (Regional Characterization) • The SWP continued to participate in national outreach efforts and NATCARB. • The SWP evaluated multiple potential sites before selecting the FWU as the primary field test location. Task 2 (Public Outreach and Education) • The SWP contributed to national databases, DOE best practice manuals, and regional geological assessments to support future sequestration efforts. Task 3 (Permitting and Regulatory Compliance) • The SWP ensured compliance with federal and state regulations, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. • The SWP obtained all necessary permits for drilling, injection, and monitoring activities. Task 4 (Site Characterization and Planning) • The SWP developed work plans for four key activities: characterization, simulation, monitoring and verification, and risk evaluation. • The SWP collected and synthesized legacy data from multiple sources to build initial static geological models and dynamic reservoir models demonstrating project feasibility. • The SWP conducted an initial risk evaluation and developed mitigation plans. Task 5 (Field Operations and Data Collection) • The SWP drilled, logged, and cored three characterization wells to gather critical subsurface data. • The SWP conducted multiple geophysical surveys, including 3D seismic, crosswell seismic, and vertical seismic profiling, to improve reservoir characterization. Task 6 (Monitoring and Verification) • The SWP performed extensive geological characterization using data from characterization wells and seismic surveys. • The SWP established a surface monitoring network to track CO 2 flux in soil gas, groundwater chemistry, and near-surface atmospheric CO 2 levels. • The SWP built and refined reservoir models to study the effects of relative permeability on simulation behavior and improve calibration with experimental data. Task 7 (Risk Assessment and Model Refinement) • The SWP conducted multiple studies to evaluate reservoir integrity, predict CO 2 plume behavior and improve predictive modeling capabilities. • The SWP refined geological models and used them to enhance the accuracy of simulation models. • The SWP continued quantitative risk assessment of top-ranked risks and strengthened the link between qualitative and quantitative risk methodologies.

02 PETROLEUM↗

DOE OSTI2020

Seismic response to paleo-sand dunes in the Nugget Sandstone Formation, southwestern Wyoming

We have analyzed a 3D seismic survey acquired for a carbon sequestration project on top of the Moxa Arch in southwestern Wyoming. We observed a zone of discontinuous reflectors on vertical slices of seismic amplitude volume, whereas, the northwest–southeast lineations were observed on the time slices. We performed a seismic to well tie that suggested that the lineations occur within the Nugget Sandstone. The Nugget Sandstone is an eolian sandstone deposit of Early Jurassic age, deposited as a subtropical dune field, and equivalent to the Navajo Sandstone of southwestern Utah. Petrophysical analysis indicates that the Nugget Sandstone is dominated by clean sandstone (70%–80%), whereas evaporites, including halite and anhydrite, are present in certain zones. Previous outcrop studies on the Navajo Sandstone indicate the wind direction to be predominantly northeast–southwest. Seismic attributes, including coherence and curvature, displayed on stratal slices within the Nugget Sandstone interval indicate the presence of lineations in the northwest–southeast direction with irregular spacing. These lineations are approximately perpendicular to the inferred dominant wind direction. We computed the dominant wind direction from the average azimuth of the lineations as seen on the curvature attribute in the Nugget Sandstone interval. Geological feature: Eolian sand dunes with interdunal evaporites Seismic appearance: Parallel lineations with irregular spacing on seismic attribute horizon slices Alternative interpretations: Canyons at continental slopes; slope failures Features with a similar appearance: Marine bars; contourites Formation: The Nugget Sandstone — equivalent to the Navajo Sandstone Age: Early Jurassic Location: Moxa Arch, Wyoming Seismic data: Obtained by the University of Wyoming with U.S. DOE funding Contributors: Dhruv Agrawal, Brady Lujan, Sumit Verma, Shuvajit Bhattacharya, and Subhashis Mallick Analysis tools: Coherence and curvature attributes; seismic inversion; petrophysical inversion

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Expedition UT-GOM2-2 Methods

Methods used during the University of Texas (UT) Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition (UT-GOM2-2) include work done onboard the Helix Q4000 in the offshore Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico), herein “the Gulf”, “dockside” in Salt Lake City, Utah, and some shore-based work in individual laboratories. The goal of this report is two-fold: to provide enough detail on the methods so they can be repeated by others; and to provide a reference document for the team to enhance cross-disciplinary understanding and knowledge. Methods include drilling operations, depth references and depth modification, downhole tool deployment, coring tool performance assessment, core processing, lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, as well as physical properties, including core logging and imaging, rock magnetism, dissolved methane concentration, hydrate saturation, microbiology, and geochemistry. An extensive amount of operational work and planning was required before mobilization of the expedition to permit, build mobile labs, and test downhole tools for deepwater drilling.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

DOE OSTI2022

Geothermal Fault Zone and Fluid Imaging through Joint Airborne ZTEM and Ground MT Data Inversion Analysis

This project has aimed to achieve detailed electrical resistivity resolution at geothermal reservoir scales by combining airborne natural electromagnetic (EM) field surveying (ZTEM) with ground magnetotelluric (MT) measurements to approximate an airborne MT geophysical method. MT alone is relatively expensive and may have permitting challenges in sensitive areas. Airborne ZTEM field data contains only the magnetic field, requires a background assumption, and has been limited to relatively high frequencies, thus suffering uniqueness problems. Based on proto-type 2D simulations, ZTEM ambiguities may be reduced through formal incorporation with possibly sparse ground MT soundings, which we pursued in full 3D for this project. The methodology was tested at the high-temperature Roosevelt Hot Springs geothermal system, Utah, which was considered advantageous given the near total exposure of crystalline reservoir rocks across the project area. ZTEM and ground MT survey data were acquired in 2017, subcontracted to outside parties with which we have worked in the past. These included 80 remote-referenced tensor MT soundings over the Mineral Mountains and adjacent Roosevelt Hot Spring producing geothermal system. These MT stations abut later coverage of a similar number of MT stations taken for the Utah FORGE project providing excellent total data aperture to re-solve structure beneath both project areas better than either set alone. The airborne ZTEM survey covered 704 line kilometers in E-W flight lines with a 250 m line spacing. Although this survey was timed during a maintenance-related shutdown of power production at the Roosevelt Hot Springs, other noise sources difficult to identify but including two high-voltage state-scale transmission lines compromised the ZTEM survey badly leading to unusable responses. Thus, with DOE management concurrence, the project proceeded to emphasize inversion and interpretation of the joint SubTER-FORGE MT data sets with regard to the Roosevelt Hot Springs reservoir recharge and to deep heat sources for both it and the Utah FORGE EGS project area. We also investigated the joint ZTEM-MT sampling concept with data sets from the Eleven Mile Canyon prospect area donated by the U.S. Navy (A. Sabin, PoC). Inversion of the SubTER-FORGE MT data using the HexMT 3D finite element algorithm reveals a large, low-resistivity anomaly extending sub-vertically through the depth range of the crust beneath the western Mineral Mountains. The steep conductive zone connects in the lower crust to a more tabular conductor characteristic of much of the Great Basin that generally is ascribed to current mafic magmatic underplating, hybridization and fluid release. The location of the resolved anomaly relative to the recent (0.5-0.8 Ma) eruptive centers of the Mineral Mountains implicates it as remnants of the magma body which fed these centers. This structure appears to be currently feeding heat and fluids upward into the Roosevelt Hot Springs hydrothermal system, as well as heat laterally to the FORGE project area. Separate and joint inversion models were carried out for the donated Eleven Mile Canyon MT-ZTEM data set to demonstrate concept. ZTEM only inversion showed two main alteration zones in the western portion of the project area known from geological mapping. Joint inversion including an E-W profile of MT soundings sharpened these features considerably. It also resolved in much greater detail the graben related normal faulting structure of the central project area which lies at depths exceeding the sensitivity of ZTEM alone. The sparse number of MT da-ta relative to the ZTEM required upweighting the former by a factor of several, but an exact procedure awaits future research. Our final impression is that sparse MT data can improve resolution of the subsurface over that of ZTEM alone. However, well sampled MT data are to be preferred and offer the simplicity of interpreting just one data type, and possess the superior resolution capability coming with the electric field everywhere, and from their high bandwidth.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

NASA NTRS2020

The Role of Declining Snow Cover in the Desiccation of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, using MODIS Data

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah has been shrinking since the middle of the 19th Century, leading to decreased area and volume, and increased salinity. We use satellite data products from the Terra and Aqua MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Landsat-7 and -8 satellites, along with meteorological and streamflow data, and modeled data products to study the relationship between changing snow-cover conditions and the decline of the GSL since 2000 in the context of the historical record of lake levels. The GSL basin includes much of the snow-dominated Wasatch and Uinta mountain ranges to the east of the lake. Snowmelt feeds the Bear, Jordan, and Weber rivers which are the three main rivers that flow into the lake. Snowmelt-timing maps, derived from a new MODIS standard snow-cover product, MOD10A1F, show that snow melted ~9.5 days earlier in the GSL basin during the study period, extending from 2000 – 2018. Air temperatures derived from 26 meteorological stations and surface temperatures measured by the Aqua MODIS land-surface temperature (LST) products, MYD21A1D and MYD21A1N, show trends of increasing temperature of ~0.94°C (a=0.05), and ~2.18°C, respectively, with most of the LST trends in the GSL basin being statistically significant (a=0.05). Increasing air temperatures in the basin have led to less precipitation falling as snow, lower snow depth (by ~34.5 mm (=0.01)) and snow-water equivalent (0.02 mm (a=0.01)), and earlier snowmelt. Also during the study period, Global Land surface Evaporation Amsterdam Model data show evaporation increasing by ~3.2 mm/yr, with trends in much of the basin being statistically significant (a=0.05). Trends calculated from the various products are generally in agreement indicating higher temperatures, greater evaporation, less snowfall and snow-on-the ground, and earlier snowmelt. Earlier snowmelt contributes to increasing evaporative loss from water flowing toward the lake. Furthermore, a lower mountain snowpack and less precipitation falling as snow (versus rain) is associated with lower stream discharge even if overall precipitation stays the same. The surface-water temperature of the GSL also increased over the study period by ~ 0.69°C, according to the MODIS LST data products, and the surface-water elevation of the lake dropped by ~1.7 m between 2000 and 2018 based on United States Geological Survey measurements, and the areal extent of the lake decreased by ~901 km2 as measured using Landsat imagery. Desiccation of the lake is associated with deleterious effects on wildlife, recreational activities, and some local industries. And, importantly, an expanding lake bed can also fuel dust storms that promote dangerous air quality along the Wasatch Front. This work elucidates the key role that satellite remote sensing can play in documenting earlier snowmelt and other changes in the GSL basin that influence the ongoing decline of the Great Salt Lake.

Dorothy K Hall↗

DOE OSTI2024

Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups

Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission–fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cohesion remains a gap in our knowledge of cooperative behavior in animals. We tracked 574 individuals from six species within the genus Canis in 15 countries on four continents with GPS telemetry to estimate the time that pairs of individuals within social groups spent in close proximity and test hypotheses regarding drivers of cohesion. Pairs of social canids (Canis spp.) varied widely in the proportion of time they spent together (5%–100%) during seasonal monitoring periods relative to both intrinsic characteristics and environmental conditions. The majority of our data came from three species of wolves (gray wolves, eastern wolves, and red wolves) and coyotes. For these species, cohesion within social groups was greatest between breeding pairs and varied seasonally as the nature of cooperative activities changed relative to annual life history patterns. Across species, wolves were more cohesive than coyotes. For wolves, pairs were less cohesive in larger groups, and when suitable, small prey was present reflecting the constraints of food resources and intragroup competition on social associations. Pair cohesion in wolves declined with increased anthropogenic modification of the landscape and greater climatic variability, underscoring challenges for conserving social top predators in a changing world. We show that pairwise cohesion in social groups varies strongly both within and across Canis species, as individuals respond to changing ecological context defined by resources, competition, and anthropogenic disturbance. Our work highlights that cohesion is a highly plastic component of animal sociality that holds significant promise for elucidating ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying cooperative behavior.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗