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At least 109 records · Page 6

Microstructural Characterization of TiO2-II in the Chicxulub Peak Ring

The peak ring of the approximately 180 kilometer-diameter Chicxulub impact crater on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, was recently drilled during IODP-ICDP (International Ocean Discovery Program-International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) Expedition 364, producing core M0077A. The new core provides insights into the anatomy, composition, tectonic deformation, shock metamorphism, and post-impact overprint of crater-filling impactites and crystalline basement rocks. The basement rocks were shocked to approximately 12.5-17.5 gigapascals, uplifted, and hydrothermally altered. This study presents a combined Raman spectroscopic and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) study of TiO2-II, a high-pressure polymorph of TiO2 with an alpha-PbO2 structure (orthorhombic; space group Pbcn; density 4.34 grams per cubic centimeter, in shocked granitoid rock of the Chicxulub peak ring.

Schmieder, Martin↗

Recent Thermal and Hydraulic Stimulation Results at Raft River, ID EGS Site

The Raft River geothermal system, located 160 km northwest of Salt Lake City, Utah is the site of a Department of Energy Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) stimulation demonstration project. The target well RRG-9 ST-1, is roughly 1.6 km (1 mile) south of the power plant. This well has undergone a series of thermal and hydraulic stimulation treatments. Furthermore, the well passes through approximately 1,524 m MD (5,000 ft. MD) of laterally discontinuous Quaternary and Tertiary volcanoclastic and volcanic rocks that unconformably overlie the Precambrian basement. The Elba Quartzite formation located in the Precambrian basement is the target zone for the stimulation program. Fluid injected into the well exits through a fracture zone in the Elba Quartzite at 1,567 m TVD (5,140 ft. TVD). In June 2013 low-rate stimulation began at RRG-9 ST-1 using injection water from the geothermal plant. The average injection rate, temperature, and well head pressure of the low-rate stimulation was 163 Lpm (43 gpm), 34°C, and 1,931kPa (280 psig), respectively. This injection continued through late August of 2013 when wellhead pressures were intentionally increased to approximately 5,516 kPa (800 psig) at approximately 984 Lpm (260 gpm). From September 12 to September 24, 2013 cold well water was injected. The average surface injection temperature was approximately 12°C. On September 25, 2013 injection of the warmer plant water was resumed. This was continued through the rest of 2013 and into 2014. Between April 1, 2014 and April 4, 2014, a higher rate hydraulic stimulation was conducted. Colder water (~10°C) was injected at rates of 20 bpm to 30 bpm (3,178 Lpm to 4,770 Lpm) at wellhead pressures of 5,861 kPa (850 psig) over approximately 24 hours. Microseismic activity was recorded near the Tertiary-Precambrian contact. Subsequently, injection of water from the plant was resumed. As of mid-January, 2015, over 666 million liters (176 million gallons) have been injected into the well. The fate of this water is the subject of ongoing numerical analyses and continuous site monitoring. Various analyses have been implemented to monitor and assess the ongoing stimulation program. Modified Hall plot analysis shows increasing conductivity and/or a decreasing skin factor around the wellbore. Since April, 2014, the injectivity index has increased significantly from 0.28 Lpm/kPa (0.5 gpm/psig) to 0.93 Lpm/kPa (1.7 gpm/psig).

enhanced geothermal system↗

Hydrologic Modeling of Subsurface Brine Density Stratification for Deep Borehole Disposal - 20213

Density-dependent and topographically-driven subsurface brine flow was modeled in regional-scale and Deep Borehole Disposal-scale domains under varying conditions. These conditions included variable basement permeability, brine density, and hydraulic head. Findings revealed the possibility of hydraulic isolation of deep basement for at least 1 million years under appropriate conditions, which supports the viability of the Deep Borehole Disposal concept. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

3D seismic imaging of a fracture damage zone controlling reservoir compartmentalization at the Raft River EGS using multi-azimuth walkaway VSP

Accurate imaging of steeply dipping fracture zones in crystalline enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) is critical for constraining permeability architecture and guiding stimulation design. However, such structures remain poorly resolved by conventional surface seismic methods. We present a fully three-dimensional (3D) elastic-waveform inversion-migration workflow applied to multi-azimuth walkaway vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data acquired in a deviated borehole at the Raft River EGS. The workflow integrates first-arrival traveltime tomography, multi-scale elastic waveform inversion (EWI), and elastic least-squares reverse-time migration (ELSRTM) to recover high-resolution compressional-and shear-wave velocity models and to image structural discontinuities in the crystalline basement. The results reveal a laterally continuous low-velocity anomaly, with shear-wave velocity reductions of 25-30%, consistent with fractureinduced mechanical weakening. Two steeply dipping discontinuities bound a 50-80 m wide fracture damage zone. Independent constraints from microseismic clustering and geochemical compartmentalization corroborate the geometry and structural significance of this feature. Synthetic modeling further confirms that structures of this scale are resolvable (~30 m). These findings indicate that the Narrows structure is a distributed fracture damage zone rather than a discrete fault plane. By resolving fracture-zone geometry at the tens-of-meters scale using a single borehole, this workflow provides a practical and transferable approach for improving structural characterization, reducing uncertainty in permeability architecture, and supporting reservoir modeling and stimulation design in fractured crystalline EGS reservoirs.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Embryonic lung morphogenesis in organ culture: experimental evidence for a proteoglycan function in the extracellular matrix

The lung rudiment, isolated from mid-gestation (11 day) mouse embryos, can undergo morphogenesis in organ culture. Observation of living rudiments, in culture, reveals both growth and ongoing bronchiolar branching activity. To detect proteoglycan (PG) biosynthesis, and deposition in the extracellular matrix, rudiments were metabolically labeled with radioactive sulfate, then fixed, embedded, sectioned and processed for autoradiography. The sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) types, composing the carbohydrate component of the proteoglycans, were evaluated by selective GAG degradative approaches that showed chondroitin sulfate PG principally associated with the interstitial matrix, and heparan sulfate PG principally associated with the basement membrane. Experiments using the proteoglycan biosynthesis disrupter, beta-xyloside, suggest that when chondroitin sulfate PG deposition into the ECM is perturbed, branching morphogenesis is compromised.

NASA Discipline Number 93-10↗

Geomechanical characterization of Rock Valley carbonates

In Rock Valley, Nevada, the USA, past earthquake sequences and shallow faulting in Paleozoic carbonates remain poorly understood. Carbonates are typically more ductile rocks that do not experience large stress drops or fracture coalescence, which contradicts previous observations in the region. As part of the Source Physics Experiment, an effort has been made to experimentally characterize the petrophysical and geomechanical properties of carbonates from Rock Valley. Well core and outcrop samples were used to determine the difference between shallow-buried Tertiary limestones and deeply buried Paleozoic limestones and dolostones. The carbonates possessed porosities between 3 and 9%, with V P and V S in the Tertiary carbonates around 2700 and 1800 m/s, respectively, and 6000 and 3100 m/s, respectively, in the Paleozoic carbonates. Microstructural characterization revealed that the Paleozoic carbonates contained significantly more pre-existing damage and alteration than the Tertiary carbonates, though the deformation varies from localized to diffuse. Unconfined Brazilian tests and triaxial tests with confining pressures between 0 and 50 MPa showed that, although samples all experienced failure, the dolostones typically failed at greater stresses and possessed greater E/ν ratios than the limestones. Furthermore, the Hoek–Brown failure criterion was used to construct failure envelopes with the compressive and tensile failure tests. Velocity, density, and porosity measurements were used to construct a hypothetical velocity-depth profile and compare the results with the theoretical petrophysical measurements. Using brittleness analysis, the likely failure conditions were determined to be low-porosity dolomitic rock for fault nucleation in the Paleozoic basement.

Brittleness↗

Seismic identification of geothermal prospecting in Harrat Rahat, Northern Arabian Shield

Harrat Rahat volcanic field lies along the Makkah-Madinah-Nafud active volcanic line. It has extensive linear weak zones of wrench faults that could provide ideal conduits for upwelling magma and hydrothermal fluids as well. Here, passive seismic data recorded by seismic stations installed within and around Harrat Rahat has been processed for the detection of microseismic events. Moreover, ambient noise was also gathered and analyzed to construct a subsurface velocity model. This model indicates low velocity zone in Harrat Rahat, and two areas with coincident basement faults and possibly with enhanced subsurface temperatures were identified. It is concluded that Harrat Rahat has high geothermal potential and promising for geothermal renewable power.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Borehole breakout modeling in arkose and granite rocks

The existence of a deep borehole in the Earth’s crust disturbs the local stresses and creates a stress concentration that may result in breakout and damage to the borehole. Maintaining wellbore integrity mitigates environmental impacts such as groundwater contamination, gas leakage to the atmosphere, and fluid spills and seepage at the surface. In this paper, the stability of deep boreholes (5 km) is examined by laboratory experiments and numerical models in the context of nuclear waste disposal in Israel. Two rock types in southern Israel are considered: the crystalline basement (granite) and the Zenifim Formation (arkose). A series of room-temperature triaxial rock deformation experiments were conducted at different confining pressures. This mechanical characterization was then used to parameterize the elastic properties and damage behavior of the rocks. This facilitated modeling the stability of the deep boreholes by two different formulations of damage rheology: a dynamic-oriented formulation used to model deformation immediately after the creation of the open hole and a quasi-static formulation used to model longer stress corrosion regime. The calibrated modeling results indicate greater stability with Zenifim arkose than the crystalline granite for deep borehole conditions despite the granite having a greater triaxial compressive strength. Dissipation associated with dilation and porous compaction in the arkose during deformation plays a significant stabilizing role in the borehole compared to crystalline rocks. These results suggest that common strength-based borehole stability assessment may lead to inaccurate predictions. Three-dimensional modeling of bottom-hole stress conditions and the effects of transient borehole geometry show conventional two-dimensional analysis may not be conservative when predicting borehole damage.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Optimizing Cornell’s future geothermal district heating performance through systems engineering and simulation

Cornell University’s intention to lower its carbon footprint has motivated this engineering evaluation of using low-temperature geothermal energy to supply heat to the campus district energy system. Optimal selection and operation of heat pumps can significantly improve system performance. To support this analysis, we model the quantitative relationships between heat pump configurations and source flow, supply and distribution temperatures, facility heating design options, output heat generation, and carbon abatement outcomes. A systems approach is used for analysis, troubleshooting, and improvement of the model. The result of this effort is a dynamic tool that appropriately responds to hourly thermal demand and communicates energy response for techno-economic analysis. Simulations indicate that a single well-pair in the local Basement Contact Zone reservoir can satisfy almost 68% of annual thermal demand at nearly 20 MWth average capacity while remaining financially competitive compared to conventional heating with levelized cost of heating (LCOH) as low as $4.55/MMBTU ($15.53/MWh th ). A direct-use scheme with heat pump augmentation provided more carbon abatement and 50 to 150% more annual heat supply than one without augmentation. Exploration of three and four well-pair scenarios prove the capability to achieve 50 MW th baseload heating capacity with competitive LCOH and significant carbon reductions.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Factors controlling injection-induced rupture of intersecting faults during geological sequestration of CO 2

This study addresses coupled multiphase fluid flow and geomechanics effects on potential fault activation associated with subsurface CO 2 injection around intersecting faults. An enhanced fault-representation model is used to capture geomechanical responses of two intersecting faults with finite length during CO 2 injection. The faults are embedded in a strike-slip stress regime of a caprock-reservoir-basement system with the faults represented by zero-thickness interfaces with adjacent finite-thickness damage zones. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the effect of fault permeability, slip-weakening behavior, well location relative to the orientation of faults, and well placement (the number and location of injection wells). Five metrics (pressure, CO 2 plume, shear state on the fault, as well as shear displacement and stress path at selected fault monitoring points) are selected to assess CO 2 migration and reactivation of intersecting faults. The results show that induced ruptures are favored by low permeability faults due to high pressure buildup and by slip-weakening behavior resulting from fault strength reduction. The location of one injection well relative to fault orientation determines the magnitude of changes in effective normal stress and shear stress, affecting the location of induced ruptures. Well placement (two injection wells used in the paper) dominates pressure diffusion around the intersection and tips of faults. This redistributes changes in effective normal stress caused by each injection well, influencing the spatial distribution of ruptures along faults. A larger injection volume induces far-field ruptures that are controlled by stress transfer within the injection layer. The findings presented here can provide valuable insights into engineering operations for a long-term, safe, and reliable geologic CO 2 storage.

Fault permeability↗

Detrital U-Pb zircon and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar muscovite geochronology from Middle Pennsylvanian strata in the Anadarko Basin, Texas Panhandle, USA

The Late Mississippian-Permian Anadarko Basin formed in Texas and Oklahoma, USA as the result of inversion of Neoproterozic and Cambrian rift structures. Subsidence was driven by flexural loading of the Amarillo-Wichita Uplift, and this uplift may represent the easternmost element of the Ancestral Rocky Mountains system. The northwestern part of this basin has generally been interpreted to have been filled by sediment derived from the Ancestral Front Range Uplift, ~475 km to the northwest during the early stages of basin filling. We test this model using U-Pb detrital zircon and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar detrital muscovite results from three subsurface samples of the Morrow B sandstone in the northwestern part of the Anadarko Basin. We provide a new maximum depositional age of 310.9 ± 4.9 Ma that indicates the age of the Morrow B to be no older than late Atokan to early Desmoinesian Age (Moscovian), ~10 Myr younger than previously interpreted. In contrast to some previous interpretations, we propose that the most likely source for the sediment in the Morrow B is the Amarillo Uplift to the south. Detrital zircon and detrital muscovite data have age peaks at 900–1300 Ma, 1370 Ma and 1600–1800 Ma corresponding to derivation from Grenville, Granite-Rhyolite and Yavapai-Mazatzal basement provinces, respectively. A dominant detrital zircon peak at 1370 Ma suggests that Mesoproterozoic granites in the Amarillo Uplift were exposed by Middle Pennsylvanian time, and detritus eroded from the Amarillo Uplift dominated the lowstand sediment budget of the Texas Panhandle during this time; small volumes of sediment were likely sourced from the Ancestral Front Range. In conclusion, this study presents the first detrital geochronology data from the subsurface Anadarko Basin and the first detrital muscovite data from late Paleozoic southwestern Laurentia. The results presented here highlight the interpretive power of combined detrital zircon and muscovite datasets.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

The Kalahari sediments and hominins in southern Africa

In this study, the temporal coupling of the structural evolution of the Kalahari Basin and the accumulation of the Kalahari Group sediments has been an accepted paradigm leading to the assumption that the Kalahari group sediments have been accumulating gradually since the mid-Cretaceous. Here we review the first actual ages for the Kalahari Group based on cosmogenic ages from six geological localities. These results demonstrate that Kalahari Basin infill was a more dynamic process than previously thought and that the Kalahari Group sediments are mostly Plio-Pleistocene in age (~4 Ma to 1–2 Ma). The hiatus between the initial structural subsidence of the basin, during the Cretaceous, and the general young age of the investigated sediments, implies a dynamic landscape in which significant phases of erosion occurred during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The magnitude of erosion is manifested by the fact that in many locations Kalahari Neogene to Quaternary sediments overlie Precambrian basement. The age of the present infill of the Kalahari thus falls within the temporal range of the genus Homo. In light of this new understanding, we provide a review of the archaeological evidence from the Kalahari Basin and along its southern fringe. Initial hominin presence is found at Wonderwerk Cave during the Olduvai Event and there is subsequent high-density occupation along the southern fringe of the Kalahari Basin during the Acheulean and the Fauresmith. Middle Stone Age occupation is limited to localities of limited size and small artifact counts and it appears that the focus of human occupation, particularly in the later stages of the Middle Stone Age, shifts southward, including along the coastal regions.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Radon kinetics in a natural indoor radon chamber

An unusual 180 m 3 storage room in the basement of a two-story laboratory building is unventilated, and separated from occupiable rooms by double steel doors. The space completely borders on soil through the concrete floor and two of its concrete walls. The room also contains a separate inner chamber with 1 m thick concrete walls designed to damp vibrations in the room above it. The space boasts a relatively high radon level, 1083 Bq m –3 , which varies with local outdoor environmental conditions. Measurements were made of radon concentrations at various locations and heights within the facility. More than a year of continuous radon concentration data corresponding to a single location are also available, along with measurements of indoor and outdoor pressure, temperature, and humidity. Data were also collected with as many as five fans placed in different locations and cycled on for variable time periods. First order linear kinetic models were created to explain the observed approaches to steady state due to changing conditions and wash-out resulting from intentional ventilation. Results demonstrate a good fit between changes in the radon concentration level and the developed compartmental models. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between radon concentration at different locations or heights in the chamber.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Effects of laminin-111 peptide coatings on rat neural stem/progenitor cell culture

Neurons require adhesive scaffolds for their growth and differentiation. Laminins are a major cell adhesive component of basement membranes and have various biological activities in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Here, we evaluated the biological activities of 5 peptides derived from laminin-111 as a scaffold for mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a cells and rat neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs). The 5 peptides showed Neuro2a cell attachment activity similar to that of poly-d-lysine. However, when NPCs were cultured on the peptides, 2 syndecan-binding peptides, AG73 (RKRLQVQLSIRT, mouse laminin α1 chain 2719-2730) and C16 (KAFDITYVRLKF, laminin γ1 chain 139–150), demonstrated significantly higher cell attachment and neurite extension activities than other peptides including integrin-binding ones. Long-term cell culture experiments showed that both AG73 and C16 supported the growth of neurons and astrocytes that had differentiated from NPCs. Furthermore, C16 markedly promoted the expression of neuronal markers such as synaptosomal-associated protein-25 and syntaxin 1A. These results indicate that AG73 and C16 are useful for NPC cultures and that C16 can be applied to specialized research on synapses in differentiated neurons. These peptides have the potential for use as valuable biomaterials for NPC research.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Proteomic Profiling of the Substantia Nigra to Identify Determinants of Lewy Body Pathology and Dopaminergic Neuronal Loss

Proteinaceous aggregates containing ?-synuclein protein called Lewy bodies in the substantia nigra is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. The molecular mechanisms of Lewy body formation and associated neuronal loss remain largely unknown. To gain insights on proteins and pathways associated with Lewy body pathology, we performed quantitative profiling of the proteome. We analyzed substantia nigra tissue from 51 subjects arranged into three groups: cases with Lewy body pathology, Lewy body-negative controls with matching neuronal loss and controls with no neuronal loss. Using label-free LC-MS/MS approach we quantified the 2,963 most abundant proteins. Statistical testing for differential protein abundance, followed by pathway enrichment and Bayesian learning of the causal network structure were performed to identify likely drivers of Lewy body formation and dopaminergic neuronal loss. The identified pathways include (1) Arp2/3 complex-mediated actin nucleation; (2) synaptic function; (3) poly(A) RNA binding; (4) basement membrane and endothelium; and (5) hydrogen peroxide metabolic process. According to the data, the endothelial/basement membrane pathway is tightly connected with both pathologies and likely to be one of the drivers of the neuronal loss. The poly(A) RNA-binding proteins, including the ones relevant to other neurodegenerative disorders (e.g. TDP-43 and FUS) have strong inverse correlation with Lewy bodies and may reflect alternative mechanism of nigral neurodegeneration.

Petyuk, Vladislav A.↗

The Role of Premagmatic Rifting in Shaping a Volcanic Continental Margin: An Example From the Eastern North American Margin

Both magmatic and tectonic processes contribute to the formation of volcanic continental margins. Such margins are thought to undergo extension across a narrow zone of lithospheric thinning (~100 km). New observations based on existing and reprocessed data from the Eastern North American Margin contradict this hypothesis. With ~64,000 km of 2-D seismic data tied to 40 wells combined with published refraction, deep reflection, receiver function, and onshore drilling efforts, we quantified along-strike variations in the distribution of rift structures, magmatism, crustal thickness, and early post-rift sedimentation under the shelf of Baltimore Canyon Trough (BCT), Long Island Platform, and Georges Bank Basin (GBB). Results indicate that BCT is narrow (80–120 km) with a sharp basement hinge and few rift basins. The seaward dipping reflectors (SDR) there extend ~50 km seaward of the hinge line. In contrast, the GBB is wide (~200 km), has many syn-rift structures, and the SDR there extend ~200 km seaward of the hinge line. Early post-rift depocenters at the GBB coincide with thinner crust suggesting “uniform” thinning of the entire lithosphere. Models for the formation of volcanic margins do not explain the wide structure of the GBB. We argue that crustal thinning of the BCT was closely associated with late syn-rift magmatism, whereas the broad thinning of the GBB segment predated magmatism. Correlation of these variations to crustal terranes of different compositions suggests that the inherited rheology determined the premagmatic response of the lithosphere to extension.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Frictional and Lithological Controls on Shallow Slow Slip at the Northern Hikurangi Margin

Slow slip events (SSEs) have been identified at subduction zones globally as an important link in the continuum between elastodynamic ruptures and stable creep. The northern Hikurangi margin is home to shallow SSEs which propagate to within 2 km of the seafloor and possibly to the trench, providing insights into the physical conditions conducive to SSE behavior. We report on a suite of friction experiments performed on protolith material entering the SSE source region at the Hikurangi margin, collected during the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 375. We performed velocity stepping and slide-hold-slide experiments over a range of fault slip rates, from plate rate (5 cm/yr or 1.6 × 10 –9 m/s) to ~1 mm/s (10 –3 m/s) and quantified the frictional velocity dependence and healing rates for a range of lithologies atdifferent stresses. The frictional velocity dependence (a-b) and critical slip distance DC increase with fault slip rate in our experiments. We observe atransition from velocity weakening to strengthening at slip rates of ~0.3 µm/s. This velocity dependence of DC could be due to a combination of dilatant strengthening and a widening of the active shear zone at higher slip rates. We document low healing rates in the clay-rich volcaniclastic conglomerates, which lie above the incoming plate basement at least locally, and relatively higher healing rates in the chalk lithology. Finally, our experimental constraints on healing rates in different input lithologies extrapolated to timescales of 1–10 years are consistent with the geodetically inferred low stress drops and healing rates characteristic of the Hikurangi SSEs.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

CANVAS: An Adjoint Waveform Tomography Model of California and Nevada

Abstract We present the California‐Nevada Adjoint Simulations (CANVAS) model, an adjoint waveform tomography model of the crust and uppermost mantle of the states of California and Nevada. We used WUS256 (Rodgers et al., 2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2022jb024549 ) as the starting model and iteratively decreased the minimum period of CANVAS from 30 to 12 s. CANVAS was iterated in two distinct stages: the first stage with source mechanisms from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) catalog and the second stage with inverted moment tensors (MT) using the CANV_WUS model (Doody et al., 2023, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023jb026463 ). We show that updating the MTs with 3D Green's functions improved waveform fits and azimuthal coverage of windowed data used to calculate the gradients. As for the model itself, we improved waveform fits over WUS256, particularly in the dispersed surface waves. CANVAS resolved tectonic features seen in other models and accurately defined the depth to basement of major basins, including the Central Valley and the Ventura Basin. We propose CANVAS as a starting model for crustal tomography models on smaller scales.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗