Search

The stratigraphic and temporal framework of the sedimentary filling of the Messinian–Zanclean transition in Malaga basin is discussed. From this framework, the main features of an alternative model for the Lago-Mare event in the Mediterranean are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine context of the Lago Mare deposit near Malaga has received agreement as well as its ascription to the third Lago Mare event of Clauzon et al. (2005). This deposit is not a “transitional unit towards normal marine conditions” but followed the marine reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin, allowing the connection with the Dacic Basin (Eastern Paratethys). We show that this Lago Mare event did not result from a climatic change leading to a dilution episode but from a high sea-level connection. Different interpretations on the respective effects of tectonics and eustatism on the sedimentary archives linked to the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) are once more debated. They depend on (1) the duration assigned to the MSC and its subdivisions, (2) the amplitude of the successive sea level variations, and at last (3) the dimensional (local or regional) view of the MSC. Such discrepancies concern subsidiary matters which cannot mask first order facts and progresses in their knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study on the salinity determination and flow rate estimation in a two-phase air-water system. For this purpose, an automated air-water test loop capable of generating different flow patterns in a horizontal pathway was utilized to do numerous experiments at varying flow rates. A nuclear measuring setup, comprising Cs-137 and Am-241 as radiation sources, one NaI (Tl) scintillation detector to register transmission counts of Cs and three scintillator detectors for registering transmission and scattering counts from Am, was prepared. A pressure drop pipe was also employed for flow rate measurement, with MLPs were selected as the processing element. Notable innovations of this paper can be considered from two perspectives. Firstly, a novel paradigm in nuclear measurement geometry. This novelty uses the benefits of three scintillator detectors to extract features with the maximum potential for classifying and determining salinity. Secondly, there is a new method in data processing and utilizing optimum features to achieve the best performance in predicting flow rates. Results in flow rate prediction independent of salinity and flow regime indicate that the proposed paradigm and method are reliable for using in industrial fields related to multi-phase metering. • This paper proposes a novel paradigm in nuclear measurement geometry. • This paper employs seven ANNs to develop the optimal prediction model. • The combination of wavelet transform and statistical features shows the best performance to determine the flow rates. • The results indicated that the proposed prediction model achieved an MAE of less than 4/237 L/min and an MRE% of 4/842 % for predicting flow rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing discharge of saline wastewater (SWW) from different industries and environmental risks associated with it has compelled researchers to search for efficient treatment methods and safe disposal techniques. Unfortunately, several industries such as agro-food, oil & gas, tannery, and pulp & paper require brine solution units to obtain a finished product that further elevates the salinity of discharged wastewater to a magnitude of 1-3% by weight of NaCl. Among the conventional treatment procedures, electrochemical technologies proved to be more efficient, robust and cost-effective. Electrocoagulation (EC), an electrochemical based technology that produces in situ coagulant which ultimately assist in pollutant removal. It is even more suitable for the treatment of saline water as salinity increases conductivity which further enhances the EC process efficiency. However, the elevated anodic dissolution may increase the cost which can be reduced by using scrap metals as sacrificial electrodes out of iron and aluminum. The mechanism of salt removal from SWW using EC is similar to other pollutant removal mechanisms as salt species being coagulated by the metal hydroxides and are further removed as sludge. However, optimization of process parameters in EC is essential to maintain a balance between anodic passivation and higher metal dissolution so as to make the process efficient. This review paper highlights the theory of the EC technology, process parameters, potential application and recent developments of EC for the treatment of various types of SWW as well as economical assessment associated with this technology. Most of the recent research concerning EC for SWW treatment has been concentrated on the pollutant-specific evaluation without paying special attention to the process optimization, process modeling and commercial usage. This review further outlines the challenges with the recommendations for encouraging research options that can potentially enhance the EC performance, lower the operational costs and expand its range of applications for SWW treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Electrochemical detection for visual analysis of IAA and SA in plants based on paper-based analytical devices. • A multichannel electrochemical station was used to improve the detection throughput. • Contents of IAA and SA in pea seedlings could be obtained and presented with the form of heat maps. • Levels of IAA and SA in Pea seedlings under normal conditions and salinity could be differentiated. Abstract Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and salicylic acid (SA) are two essential phytohormones for plants. Their regulating functions depend on their levels in different locations of plants. However, currently there is no satisfactory method for visual analysis of such small molecules in a whole plant. Herein the levels of IAA and SA in continuous parts of whole pea seedlings were analysed with paper-based electroanalytical devices coupled with a multichannel electrochemical station. The parts of pea seedlings were cut and put on the working electrodes for quantification. The contents of IAA and SA in continuous parts could be presented in the form of heatmaps, illustrating polar distribution of IAA levels and gradual changes of SA levels in whole pea seedlings. The contents distribution of IAA and SA further revealed variation of IAA and SA in different locations of pea seedlings. More importantly, the contents of IAA and SA in pea seedlings under normal conditions and salinity could also be differentiated with heatmaps and the contents distribution. Such results implied that our approach might be able to be extended for the study of mechanisms of plant hormones under various stresses. This study provided a possible route for visualization of small biochemical molecules in vivo with paper-based electrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to understand the properties and parameters of ice growth models, to enable reliable assessment of the impact ice may have on facilities or to ship navigation. To improve the understanding of the different models, the theoretical formulations for ice growth are investigated and calculated results compared with laboratory and full-scale measurement data. The paper describes the ice growth models for level sea ice and how these are applied in brash ice consolidation modelling. In particular, analysis is made to account for modelling of snow cover in level ice growth models, and subsequently also salinity, porosity and the atmospheric boundary including wind effect in brash ice models. The paper presents an overview of laboratory tests and results for both level ice and brash ice. Also models for level ice growth for the case of snow cover are derived and compared with thetest results. Specifically, inclusion of snow thickness in the growth model presents some practical difficulties, as the thickness of snow cover is often not known a priori, and comparison between calculated level ice thickness and measurements suggests that a good assumption in predictive models is to assume the snow cover thickness to be proportional to level ice thickness. Further, it was observed that the wind influences much the heat transfer to atmosphere, which is not zero at the zero wind speed, a value for the heat transfer coefficient to atmosphere is derived based on laboratory tests. The findings from these analyses provide an improved understanding of the ice growth and consolidation process which can be incorporated into modelling techniques for marine design and operations. • Models for brash ice growth and the parameters therein • Laboratory tests on brash ice growth, effect of porosity, salinity and wind • Values for atmospheric heat transfer coefficient with and without wind [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity is one of the major threats to sustainable agriculture that globally decreases plant production by impairing various physiological, biochemical, and molecular function. In particular, salinity hampers germination, growth, photosynthesis, transpiration, and stomatal conductance. Salinity decreases leaf water potential and turgor pressure and generates osmotic stress. Salinity enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in the plant cell as a result of ion toxicity and disturbs ion homeostasis. Thus, it imbalances nutrient uptake, disintegrates membrane, and various ultrastructure. Consequently, salinity leads to osmotic and ionic stress. Plants respond to salinity by modulating various morpho-physiological, anatomical, and biochemical traits by regulating ion homeostasis and compartmentalization, antioxidant machinery, and biosynthesis of osmoprotectants and phytohormones, i. e, auxins, abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, cytokinins, ethylene, gibberellins, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and polyamines. Thus, this further modulates plant osmoticum, decreases ion toxicity, and scavenges ROS. Plants upregulate various genes and proteins that participate in salinity tolerance. They also promote the production of various phytohormones and metabolites that mitigate the toxic effect of salinity. Based on recent papers, the deleterious effect of salinity on plant physiology is discussed. Furthermore, it evaluates the physiological and biochemical responses of the plant to salinity along with phytohormone response. This review paper also highlights omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) approach to understand salt stress tolerance. • Salt stress creates ionic and osmotic stress on plants. • Salinity harms morphological and biochemical functions in plants. • Plants respond to salinity by various strategies involve the complex physiological traits, and metabolic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is an evolving form of a renewable energy process which utilizes the salinity gradient energy from two solutions of different concentrations. One of the main problems limiting the application of PRO is the low performance of the commercially available spiral-wound modules which have poor flow distribution and high pressure drop. The present paper proposes a new spiral-wound module design for PRO application. The performance of the new module design was investigated numerically and compared with the available spiral-wound module. Compared to the available module, the power density of the new design was higher by 25% and 15% at draw concentrations of 35 g/kg and 60 g/kg respectively, while there was a 35% decrease in the pressure drop. The new spiral-wound module design presents an enhanced overall performance due to the better flow distribution and lower pressure drop, yielding a higher water flux and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper present using saline water as a cooling agent for solar panels. • Six different salinities were tested at two different solar radiation intensities. • New internal and external configuration evaporation-based systems were tested. • Results indicated the feasibility of using saline water up to 35 ppt as a cooling agent. • More enhancements were achieved using the new proposed configurations. This paper is one of the first to propose seawater for cooling PV panels. It presents and describes a novel experimental investigation for cooling solar panels using saturated activated alumina with saline water. Six different water salinities of (0, 5, 10, 35, 80, and 337) particles per thousands (PPT) saltwater were used at different radiation intensities. Additionally, new internal and external configuration of materials' containers are suggested. Two radiation intensities of 800 W/m2 and 1000 W/m2 were selected and applied for the complete test period of 6 h. Experiments were repeated for a periodic cycle of four months to monitor the salt effect on the activated alumina tablets; This was done by using an optical microscope to look at the microscopical state. Results showed that saturated activated alumina tablets with saline water gives the same cooling performance as using pure water. At salinities higher than 35 PPT, the tablets depreciation rate and porosity increase, hence limiting the usability to systems with salinities less than 35 PPT. The proposed modifications for the internal and external configuration enhanced the cooling effect of the system by (3–4) °C, compared with the old configurations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 390 major lineaments have been detected, mapped out and analysed in Kribi–Campo. • They are mostly oriented perpendicularly to the beach. • Their lengths range from 95 to 4910 m with an average of 1171 m. • They may affect inland intrusion of seawater in this coastal region. • For this, Landsat-8 image and geological data were used. This study detected, mapped and analysed lineaments from Landsat-8 satellite images of the coastal area of Kribi-Campo, Cameroon. Kribi, a fast-growing coastal city with a youthful population whose main industry is agriculture, is currently under great pressure due to the influx of internally displaced persons, victims of the current socio-political crisis in the western part of Cameroon. With the growing demand for food and water resources, it has been reported that saline soils and groundwater are affecting the agricultural productivity and domestic water supply of the area. This paper investigates the lineaments network in this area to understand its spatial distribution, its extent and the potential effect on inland intrusion of saline water. The datasets, including Landsat-8 imagery, geological data and a digital elevation model were processed using principal component analysis and filtering techniques. Linear features were enhanced based on textural changes of false colour composite images to describe fractures, faults and hydrology features. 390 effective lineaments were extracted automatically and manually from those images and analysed based on length, density and orientation using statistical analysis. But before this processing, non-effective lineaments that may correspond to terraces, linear valleys, cliffs, or tonal contrast as well as to human activities have been deleted. The effective lineaments range in length from 95 to 4910 m with an average of 1171 m. Although the lineaments are not isotropic, their perpendicular orientations to the coast suggest potential intrusion of saline water into regional groundwater resources and farmlands. The paper presents a combined technique of geospatial and statistical analysis in the interpretation of lineament effects which have the potential to inform on salinity intrusion in coastlands. The electrical conductivity of 50 groundwater samples collected in the study area are used to validate the impact of lineaments on seawater intrusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highlights for the manuscript, "Ocean Drifter Velocity Data Assimilation, Part 2: Forecast Validation", include: • 3DVAR velocity data assimilation within an operational prediction system. • Eularian velocities inferred from surface drifter position observations. • Velocity assimilation reduces temperature and salinity forecast error. • Including velocity observations improves the position of fronts and eddies. A large deployment of drifters conducted during August-December, 2020 in the Gulf of Mexico offers a test bed for a data assimilation system developed specifically to include velocity observations. This updated Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation system employs the three-dimensional variational approach and is described in part one of this two-part paper (Helber et al, 2023). In this paper, we examine the impact of velocity data assimilation on the ensuing forecasts of the ocean state including not only velocity but also temperature and salinity fields below the surface. Two high-resolution (1 km) experiments were performed in the Gulf of Mexico; one with velocity data assimilation and the other without. The resulting 48 h forecasts of temperature, salinity, and velocity are examined and compared relative to the observations being assimilated (including the inferred velocities from the drifters) and unassimilated observations of temperature, salinity, and velocity from two gliders near the drifters. In addition, we assess eddy positioning and Lagrangian trajectory separation. Comparisons of these two experiments, with and without velocity data assimilation, suggest that adding velocity observations to the assimilation increases skill in predicting velocity and the subsurface temperature and salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small mammal remains have been discovered in three new outcrops from the Afoud locality. This site is significant from a paleontological point of view because it has yielded fauna of European affinities (Castillomys , Occitanomys , Stephanomys, Eliomys, and Prolagus). The presence of two different species of Arvicanthis from the Afoud locality represents the oldest record in North Africa. The association of small mammals from the AF12-2 deposits provides an approximate view of the local environment and climate at the time of the formation of this locality. This faunal assemblage indicates a warm, temperate, semi-arid climate and an open vegetation cover of wooded savannah. Fossil assemblages documented in this paper expand our knowledge on the Late Miocene–Early Pliocene small mammal communities of the Aït Kandoula Basin. This study provides useful data for understanding the paleobiogeography of the Mediterranean region and faunal exchanges between North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula that took place before the Messinian Salinity Crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The escalating salinity levels in cultivable soil pose a significant threat to agricultural productivity and, consequently, human sustenance. This problem is being exacerbated by natural processes and human activities, coinciding with a period of rapid population growth. Developing halophytic crops is needed to ensure food security is not impaired and land resources can be used sustainably. Evolution has created many close halophyte relatives of our major glycophytic crops, such as Puccinellia tenuiflora (relative of barley and wheat), Oryza coarctata (relative of rice) and Glycine soja (relative of soybean). There are also some halophytes have been subjected to semi-domestication and are considered as minor crops, such as Chenopodium quinoa. In this paper, we examine the prevailing comprehension of robust salinity resilience in halophytes. We summarize the existing strategies and technologies that equip researchers with the means to enhance the salt tolerance capabilities of primary crops and investigate the genetic makeup of halophytes. • Developing halophytic crops is needed to ensure food security is not impaired and land resources can be used sustainably. • The study of these halophytes will help us improve the salt tolerance of our existing crops and diversify the human diets. • We conclude the available strategies and technologies that enable the researchers to improve the salt tolerance performance of the major crops and the genetics of halophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a convenient photothermal material, polydopamine (PDA) has been widely utilized in wood-based evaporators. However, the loading conditions of polydopamine on biomass bulk materials have not been systematically studied. In this paper, the suitable reaction conditions of polydopamine were studied with rattan as the substrate, and a reference for the improvement of the loading conditions was proposed. The polydopamine-loaded rattan-based evaporator (PDA-R) prepared on this basis exhibits excellent working stability due to the unique large-scale hierarchical porous structure of rattan. In addition to excellent salt resistance and cycle performance (evaporation rate decays by 5.1% after 30 cycles), the larger-aperture channel (200–450 μm) also brings better adaptability to salinity changes than polydopamine-loaded basswood-based evaporator (PDA-BW) (the attenuation coefficient of PDA-R is 6.2%, while the attenuation coefficient of PDA-BW is 16.3%). All of these indicate the broad prospects of polydopamine-loaded rattan-based evaporator as a multi-effect treatment scheme of brine. [Display omitted] • Loading conditions of polydopamine on biomass block material is systematic studied. • PDA-R has excellent salt resistance and cycling performance in high salinity brines. • PDA-R has great adaptability to salinity changes. • The effect of uniformly dense pore size of the substrate on salinity adaptability of evaporator is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents the experimental analysis to find the optimum alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) formula and the effects of salinity gradient suitable for oil reservoirs with low salinity formation water. It has been challenging to obtain high oil recovery when the reservoir salinity is lower than the injection salinity of ASP formulation. This paper carried out phase behavior tests for 28 experiments with 22 kinds of surfactant and subsequent coreflooding for the optimum formula with pre-designed salinity gradient profiling for pre-flush, ASP slug, and polymer drive. The optimum ASP formula from the phase behavior study, i.e., 0.5 wt% Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), 2 wt% Diethylene glycol butyl ether (DGBE), and 1 wt% Na 2 CO 3 , results in the optimum salinity of 2.8 wt% NaCl with 10 cc/cc solubilization ratio, and the middle phase type III microemulsion occurs in the range of 2.5–3.4 wt% NaCl. The oil recovery implementing this formula and negative salinity gradient, i.e. Winsor type II-III-I for coreflooding experiments are about 75.8% which is better than the other salinity gradients such as Winsor type I-II-I and I-III-I. Excluding high saline pre-flush, the salinity gradient consisted of Winsor type I-II-I and Winsor type I-III-I are able to recover the desirable amount of oil. The results could be applicable on designing the optimal ASP flooding at low salinity formation considering the formulation of surfactants and co-solvents, and the effects of salinity gradients. Highlights • Phase behavior tests examine ideal ASP formula for low-saline-light-oil reservoir. • High optimum salinity formula is applicable to a low saline reservoir. • Winsor type II-III-I gradient shows the desirable ASP flooding performances. • Excluding high saline pre-flush; type I-II-I&I-III-I gradients are attractive design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• • Development of a research framework for evaluating streamflow discharge and salinity variation in an estuary with multiple river outlets. • • Investigation of the impacts of freshwater discharge on the vertical and longitudinal distribution and spatial variation of salinity due to anthropogenic impacts. • • Identification of the key factors in determining salinity variation during a rainy season with the different scenarios of freshwater discharge. Estuarine salinity is one of the key factors affecting coastal ecosystems. However, due to impenetrable situation of mixing streamflow from river basins and seawater currents, our capability of evaluating salinity variation is far behind requirement in preventing coastal environment. Thus, this paper presents an integrated study on salinity variation in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) in South China in the rainy season since the estuary would experience more salinity variation at the time. The PRE has a complicated water body with eight river outlets, four ones in the east and the others in the west. The paper develops a new research framework to evaluate the impacts of streamflow on the salinity variation, including adjusting diversion ratios of freshwater discharges to the estuary and using two numerical models for simulating basin hydrologic processes and estuary salinity variations. With the salinity observation from a field cruise in the PRE in July 2017 and the newly-developed framework, this study validates the numerical simulation results, detects the salinity variation under different scenarios of freshwater discharge, and discloses the environmental factors related to salinity variation. Specifically, the study shows the distinct characteristics of salinity variation in association with freshwater discharge and environmental factors, including seawater current velocity and topography in the east (a funnel-shaped bay consists of four narrow deep channels), and west (a sub-estuary of the Modaomen waterway) part of the estuary. The results indicate that salinity in the east part is more sensitive to streamflow variation with a farther freshwater-saltwater divide (about 25 km) away from the outlets than that in the west part (14 km). The estuary area affected by salinity variation due to different streamflow diversion ratios is more significant in the east (1,266 km2) which is 7.6 times larger than that in the west (166 km2). However, the values of salinity change due to different discharges are greater in the west (more than 2.0 psu in 34% of the affected area) than those in the east (all less than 2.0 psu). Moreover, the study shows that the seawater salinity variation in the east is greatly influenced by the distance to the outlet, freshwater discharge and seawater depth; while in the west, the salinity variation is largely determined by seawater current velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent modernization of 1.1 Mha of irrigated land in Spain calls for the evaluation of these transformations in terms of environmental impact and resource use efficiency. The available data for this evaluation has increased with the transformation (better, digital and spatially distributed data) allowing for the use of distributed soil water and solute movement models. But most hydrological models require soil hydrologic properties that are costly and time-consuming to gather and soil information in Spain is generally scarce. This paper focuses in analyzing the soil hydrologic features in La Violada Irrigation District (VID; a 5234 ha semi-arid irrigated area recently modernized in northeast Spain) usable in soil water models for the evaluation of the new irrigation system. The recent soil map of the VID (presented in a companion paper) gathered the hydrologic and salinity properties of the horizons in the described soil units. The hydraulic conductivity (K s ) of the horizons was also assessed by the inverse auger-hole method. From these data, the VID was disaggregated in three homogeneous units according to their hydrologic features and Pedotransfer Functions (PTFs) were built for the whole VID (General Model) and separately for the homogeneous soil units (Distributed Model). These PTFs allowed for obtaining field capacity (FC) and wilting point (WP) from texture and organic matter, while K s depended upon texture and gypsum content. Apparently, there were no salinity issues in VID soils due to irrigation. The high Ca 2 + and Mg 2 + levels in the saturation extract resulted in generally low SAR, what along with the high gypsum and carbonate contents may help to prevent soil degradation by sodicity. As a result, the homogeneous hydrologic zones defined in VID may be used to recommend specific irrigation practices and as the basis for the application of distributed soil water movement models. These hydrologic properties may be applied directly as inputs to the models while the PTFs may allow for setting adequate parameters in nearby areas with similar soils from more readily available soil information (texture, organic matter and gypsum). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Frequency dependence of elastic modulus of sea ice in bending. • Dependence of elastic modulus of sea ice in bending from ice structure. • In-situ tests with floating vibrating fixed ends beams of sea ice. • Laboratory test with free-free vibrating beams of sea ice. Thirteen laboratory and field tests were carried out with vibrating sea ice beams to study the dependence of the elastic modulus of sea ice in the spectral range from 1 Hz to 500 Hz. Six full-scale tests with floating fixed ends beams were carried out on the land fast ice of the Spitsbergen fjords. For laboratory testing, smaller ice beams were made sea ice of the same fjords. Three tests with columnar fresh lake ice S2 were conducted to validate the method for calculating of the added mass of a floating beam with fixed ends. A 60% increase in the elastic modulus of columnar sea ice S2 was found due to an increase in the frequency of flexural deformations in the range from 10 Hz to 500 Hz. The paper also discusses the influence of ice structure on the elastic modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently proposed solar-driven reverse-distillation device with a water layer has shown promising potential in solar energy conversion efficiency and impactful advantages in salt rejection by constructing a rapid brine flow driven by gravity/density differences. However, a lack of profound understanding and explanation of the salt-rejection mechanism and accurate salt-discharge regulation strategies may hinder the further improvement of reverse-distillation devices. In this paper, we thoroughly discuss and analyze the mechanism of how gravity affects the internal brine flow and determines the salt rejection/discharge performance while providing comprehensive salt-discharge regulation strategies for feed brine with a wide range of salinities. The results show that only a 4° inclination angle enables the two-dimensional (2D) device with a 1-mm-thick water layer in the dissolution mode to dispose 3.5 wt% brine for 8 h without salt saturation, while the value is also merely 10° for a three-dimensional (3D) device, indicating the realization of the brine flow driven by a small gravity component and demonstrating a strong adaptability for the device. In the salt discharge mode, the ratio of the discharge flow rate to the evaporation rate determines the salt saturation risk. We discuss the salinity distribution of the evaporation surface at varied feed-brine salinities and discharge flow rates, providing a theoretical basis for precisely matching the thermal characteristics and enabling improved design for efficient and sustainable solar-distillation devices. Finally, we discuss the scalability of salt rejection and propose a scheme for scalable water production, which may offer important support for further realizing large-scale sustainable solar desalination by using the reverse-distillation device with a water layer. • Mechanism of salt rejection and discharge driven by gravity is explored. • Accurate salt-discharge regulation strategies are developed. • A small inclination angle enables sustainable distillation without salt saturation. • Feasible schemes for large-scale water production are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in paleosalinity and paleoredox affect the production and preservation of organic matter. The study of ancient salinity and redox conditions of source rocks is of great significance for the enrichment of organic matter and the exploration of petroleum resources. In this paper, the commonly proxies for paleosalinity and paleoredox are distinguished and discussed. The paleosalinity and paleoredox of the Lucaogou Formation in the Jimsar Sag of the Junggar Basin are reconstructed by combining the minerals, corrected elements, biomarkers and isotope indicators. Research suggests that the gammacerane index, carbon and oxygen isotopes, corrected Sr/Ba, and Mg/Al can be used to evaluate the paleosalinity of the Lucaogou Formation. Among the commonly used redox proxies, only V/Cr, U/Th, and V EF can be used to evaluate the redox conditions of the Lucaogou Formation, and their thresholds have been corrected. The paleo-sedimentary environment of the Lucaogou Formation has undergone frequent changes and is generally in a brackish and reductive environment. The paleo-sedimentary environment is an important influencing factor for the enrichment of organic matter of the study area. A relative higher salinity and reduction environment is conducive to the organic matter enrichment and high-quality source rocks formation in the Lucaogou Formation. • The impact of volcanic ash on element evaluation indicators was conducted. • The evaluation indicators of salinity have been corrected. • The evaluation indicators for redox conditions were corrected based on Re-U-Mo method. • The paleosalinity and redox conditions of the Lucaogou Formation were reconstructed with corrected indicators and thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrodialysis (ED) is a desalination technology that has been deployed commercially for decades. However, few studies in the literature have looked at the optimal design and operation of these systems, especially for the concentration of high-salinity brines. In this paper, a set of constraints is defined to allow a fair comparison between different system sizes, designs, and operating conditions. The design and operation of ED are studied for the applications of brackish-water desalination and of high-salinity brine concentration for a fixed system size. The set of variables that determine the power consumption of a fixed-size system is reduced to include only the channel height and the velocity, with all the other design and operation variables depending on these two variables. After studying the minimization of power consumption for a fixed system size, the minimum costs associated with the different system sizes are studied, and the differing trends in brackish-water and high-salinity applications are compared. Finally this paper presents the effect of the cost modeling parameters on the trends of the optimal system size, current density, length, channel height, and velocity for the two applications studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the energy minimised operation of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination process by simultaneous manipulation of feed pressure and reject valve opening. The specific energy consumption (SEC) analysis of SWRO desalination process for maintaining constant permeate flow during feed salinity variation is performed. The analysis is carried out to identify the suitable manipulating variables that can reduce the energy requirement for regulating permeate flow during feed salinity variation. Based on the analysis, a multi-loop control strategy using event-driven programming paradigm aided by regression based predictive model is proposed. The proposed methodology is more desirable than traditional event-driven multi-loop PID control due to smoother control transition and energy reduction. The investigation of SEC and analysis of proposed control strategy were performed using a previously validated dynamic model for SWRO desalination process. The simulation results show that the proposed methodology is superior to conventional PID control by enabling energy-minimised operation of RO process with significant reduction of feed pressure. The analysis shows that the proposed control approach reduces the feed pressure requirement by approximately 300 kPa during feed salinity variation. [Display omitted] • Proposed event-driven approach reduces process specific energy consumption. • Proposed approach helps maintain the process trans-membrane pressure with lesser feed pressure. • Proposed approach aids simultaneous manipulation of feed pressure and reject valve opening. • Smoother control transition between the feedback control loops than the traditional event-driven approach. • Better energy saving than conventional control approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinity gradient power has been identified as a promising new renewable energy technology, but previous attempts to commercialize the technology have failed due to low energy densities and power densities when using seawater as the saline water. One way to overcome these challenges is to use concentrated saline waters, in this context termed hypersaline waters. Hypersaline waters have higher energy densities and very high power densities are possible. Use of desalination brines has already shown promising results in pilot scale, and solutions of higher salinity may offer a potential route for commercialization. The scope of this paper is to review the existing knowledge on the use of hypersaline waters in the salinity gradient process, pressure retarded osmosis. Although only few papers have had the specific aim of investigating hypersaline waters, concentrated solutions have been used in many papers. In this review, the experiences gained from these experiments are collected and used to evaluate both the potential and challenges of using hypersaline waters. In the second part of the review, an overview is made of where hypersaline resources can be found. Finally, we provide an outlook for hypersaline based salinity gradient energy and point to the areas that require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the distribution patterns of cold-water corals, such as Paragorgia arborea , have received increasing attention in recent studies, little is known about their in situ activity patterns. In this paper, we examine polyp activity in P. arborea using machine learning techniques to analyze high-resolution time series data and photographs obtained from an autonomous lander cluster deployed in the Stjernsund, Norway. An interactive illustration of the models derived in this paper is provided online as supplementary material. We find that the best predictor of the degree of extension of the coral polyps is current direction with a lag of three hours. Other variables that are not directly associated with water currents, such as temperature and salinity, offer much less information concerning polyp activity. Interestingly, the degree of polyp extension can be predicted more reliably by sampling the laminar flows in the water column above the measurement site than by sampling the more turbulent flows in the direct vicinity of the corals. Our results show that the activity patterns of the P. arborea polyps are governed by the strong tidal current regime of the Stjernsund. It appears that P. arborea does not react to shorter changes in the ambient current regime but instead adjusts its behavior in accordance with the large-scale pattern of the tidal cycle itself in order to optimize nutrient uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Raman spectra and Brillouin frequency shift can be combined for inversion of ocean salinity. • This paper proposes an inversion method of ocean salinity based on back propagation neural networks. • Compared with the physics-based algorithm model results, the salinity inversion accuracy of ocean salinity is improved. • This model can achieve high-speed and high-precision inversion of seawater salinity. To achieve high-precision and high-speed inversion of salinity using lidar data, this paper proposes a method for inversion of salinity based on back propagation neural network. Both the Raman spectra and the Brillouin frequency shift are related to temperature and salinity of ocean. However, pressure, refractive index, sound velocity, suspended particles, colored dissolved organic matter and ocean currents will affect the detection results when using lidar detection. Therefore, we establish a neural network model with 8 input parameters (NN-8), 5 input parameters (NN-5), and 2 input parameters (NN-2) and compares the inversion results of three models, NN-8 and NN-5 with higher accuracy, analyzes the correlation between the measurement results and the inversion results. The correlation coefficients of both NN-8 and NN-5 are greater than 0.999. Their RMSEs are 0.203‰ and 0.205‰, and REs are 0.09% and 0.105%, respectively. NN-5 can achieve higher inversion precision with fewer parameters. The influence of detection parameters on salinity inversion is evaluated using connection weights. Brillouin frequency shift and Raman spectra play a leading role in the salinity inversion, and other influencing factors can help to improve the inversion accuracy. Raman spectra at different salinities were detected experimentally, and the results are verified using the established model. The model results are consistent with the experimental results, and the error is less than 0.4‰. Compared with other classical regression methods, the results showed that the inversion results have high accuracy, and their errors are all less than 0.4‰. The research can offer data support for the global climates and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manzi et al. (in press) took the opportunity offered by our paper to repeat again all the set of ideas supporting an interpretative model of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), a model they assert to be valid for the whole Mediterranean basin. What emerges from reading this long comment may be summarized in one criticism of our article: we have not systematically applied their interpretative model to our data! The aim of our paper was not to promote their ideas, but to submit the results of more than 20 years of field studies and petrographical and geochemical analyses on Sicilian and Calabrian sequences of the Messinian “Calcare di Base”. It is out of our purpose to enumerate again in this reply the data and interpretations we have developed in our paper, which disagree with their model and rule out most of their propositions. Thus, we will not reply in detail to this repetitive stream of ideas supporting their model. But we want to respond to some general and unfair comments, which are often far away from objectivity, and rectify some inaccurate assertions about the description of some sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salinization is one of the greatest threats in agriculture field limiting the growth and productivity of crops. Soil salinization directly affects the physiological, biochemical, and molecular functions of plants. The Plants adopt various tolerance mechanisms to combat salinity stress by involving complex physiological traits, metabolic pathways, and molecular or gene networks. Various techniques have been used to improve plant growth and productivity through genetic approach, genetic engineering and plant breeding. However, economic feasibility and ease of application can create a huge scope for priming techniques as a "stress reliever" in agricultural crop production. Seed priming is a simple, low-cost technique that enhances germination and seedling establishment by activating various physiological and metabolic processes. Priming regulates molecular mechanisms through increased expression of various stress related genes and proteins, which accelerates stress and cross tolerance. Priming memory and epigenetic changes enables the plants to withstand salinity stress by alterations in key signaling molecules, transcription factors, and change in chromatin states, that will be crucial for the second stress. In this way, priming can both mediate stress tolerance and initiate overarching stress tolerance to a wide range of stresses that further modify gene expression and enhance crop production. This review paper addresses some physiochemical, molecular and trans-generational mechanisms regulating plant adaptation and tolerance/cross tolerance to salinity in primed seeds/seedlings. • Seed priming is the state of readiness which keep plants in an alert mode. • Seed priming is a cost effective strategy and thus reduces the energy expenditure during stress condition. • Cis and trans/cross priming are effective for developing tolerance against salinity. • Seed priming induces different defense mechanisms in seeds/seedlings against salinity stress. • Seed priming activates priming memory and results in trans-generational memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport of live fish is a delicate aquaculture operation that is carried out to distribute the fry or juveniles produced in the laboratories, to the culture farms. In the present work, survival after transport, survival during the subsequent 8 days (8-D PTS), and blood glucose as an indicator of stress, were determined in a simulated transport of Oreochromis niloticus tilapia fry of two sizes (1.2 ± 0.3 g and 2.4 ± 0.3 g), to find the best transport conditions. A total of 63 treatments per size, were tested combining three transport times (4, 8, and 24 h), three densities (54, 66, and 80 g/L), three temperatures (20, 22, and 24 °C), three salinities (3, 6, and 9 ‰) and three concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) (10, 15, and 20 mg/L). The tests were carried out in 2 L plastic bags, containing 0.5 L of water and an atmosphere above of pure oxygen. In general terms, the tested conditions of temperature, salinity, DO and density did not produce fry mortality at the end of transport in any of the treatments. However, the 8-D PTS gradually declined during the first 4–5 days and stabilized up to day 8 of experimentation. Survival of small fry of 1.2 ± 0.3 g was significantly (P < 0.05) lower (77.7 ± 10.4%) compared to that (94.2 ± 6.1%) obtained in 2.4 ± 0.3 g fry. The expected 8-D PTS was plotted as response surfaces to show 8-D survival as a function of density, transport time, and fry weight. Mortality during the 8-day post-transport period was the result of the combined effect of temperature and handling of the fry, rather than due to a lack of oxygen or ammonia concentrations since both variables were at tolerable levels for the species. With these results, it is concluded that the best transport conditions, under the evaluated scenarios, are obtained with fry of 2.4 ± 0.3 g transported at a density of 80 g/L for up to 24 h, at 24 °C and 3 ‰. • Plastic bag system is a good alternative for transport of tilapia fry. • Immediate survival of 1.2 and 2.4 g fry was 99.4% at 80 g/L in 24 h transport. • 8-day post-transport survival was 97.8 and 81% in 2.4 and 1.2 g fry respectively. • Smaller fry are more affected by low temperature, handling and possibly CO 2 toxicity. • Best transport conditions: 2.4 fry, 80 g/L, 24 °C, 3 psu, O 2 supersaturation, 24 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Salinity intrusion (SI) is intensified in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). • Freshwater exploitability is investigated to cope with SI driven by climate change. • SI in the VMD has progressively increased and started earlier in the dry season. • Early and the late of the dry season are suitable time for freshwater exploitation. • Storing freshwater in the river is a promising strategy. Climate change-driven sea level rise has intensified salinity intrusion (SI) in deltas worldwide, posing significant threats to the exploitation of freshwater resources. In the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), the third largest delta globally, SI is a recurring challenge along the coastline, degrading freshwater resources for agricultural and domestic use and affecting socio-economic development. In this paper, we investigate the spatiotemporal extent of salinity intrusion in the Ben Tre Province, the hotspot of salinity disaster within the VMD. Long-term salinity monitoring data (25 years from 1996 to 2020) has been analyzed, and a 1D (Mike 11) coupled with 3D hydrodynamic model (Mike 3) was developed. Three scenarios were used to investigate the freshwater resources exploitation: (i) the year of investigation (2021), (ii) 2021 to 2030 climate change impacts, considering different annual exceedance probability of the upstream Mekong discharge (i.e., average flow, relatively low, low and very low), and (iii) extreme salinity intrusion (i.e., the 2016 condition). Our results indicated that salinity patterns are well-stratified at the beginning and end of the dry season but well-mixed during the middle period. Furthermore, over the last 25 years, SI has progressively increased and started earlier in the dry season. The modeling scenarios for SI have also revealed a growing complexity in the exploitation of freshwater resources, highlighting challenges related to timing, depth, and geographical location. The exceedance probability scenarios disclosed higher and deeper salinity intrusion along the channel in VMD, ranging from 50 % to 95 %. This poses significant limitations on the feasibility of freshwater exploitation throughout the Ben Tre Province. Under the current trajectory of climate change, the 2030 scenario anticipates salinity intrusion reaching further inland from the 2021 scenario. This is likely to exacerbate the existing challenges in freshwater resource exploitation, even with comprehensive water infrastructure. We, therefore, propose several management strategies to adapt to salinity intrusion: storing freshwater in main rivers, maintaining consistent operation of water infrastructure systems, and encouraging water-saving distribution and exploitation methods. Moreover, we also recommend supporting the development of new drought-tolerant crop patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bay of Bengal (BoB) has maintained its salinity distribution over the years despite a continuous flow of fresh water entering it through rivers on the northern coast, which is capable of diluting the salinity. This can be attributed to the cyclic flow of high salinity water (≥ 35 psu), coming from Arabian sea and entering BoB from the south, which moves northward and mixes with this fresh water. The movement of this high salinity water has been studied and analyzed in previous work (Singh et al., 2022). This paper extends the computational methods and analysis of salinity movement. Specifically, we introduce an advection based feature definition that represents the movement of high salinity water, and describe algorithms to track their evolution over time. This method allows us to trace the movement of high salinity water caused due to ocean currents. The method is validated via comparison with established observations on the flow of high salinity water in the BoB, including its entry from the Arabian Sea and its movement near Sri Lanka. Further, the visual analysis and tracking framework enables us to compare it with previous work and analyze the contribution of advection to salinity transport. • Novel feature definitions for salinity transport based on advection. • Algorithms for computing and tracking this feature in the ocean. • Visual analysis of high salinity transport due to advection. • Comparison of salinity movement in the Bay of Bengal against existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low Salinity Waterflooding (LSW) is an emerging attractive enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method because of its oil recovery performance and relatively simple, environmentally friendly implementation, when compared with conventional high salinity waterflooding and EOR approaches. More importantly, another advantage of LSW is that it can be integrated with other EOR methods (in hybrid LSW processes), i.e. chemical or miscible gas flooding. The merits of combining LSW with CO 2 injection is investigated in this paper, and a novel EOR method, Low Salinity Water Alternating CO 2 (CO 2 LSWAG), is proposed. CO 2 LSWAG injection promotes the synergy of the mechanisms underlying these methods which further enhances oil recovery and overcomes the late production problems frequently encountered in conventional WAG. CO 2 LSWAG has been evaluated in both one-dimensional and full-field scale with positive results compared with conventional high salinity WAG. To investigate the advantages of CO 2 LSWAG, a comprehensive ion exchange model associated with geochemical processes has been implemented and coupled to the multi-phase multi-component flow equations in an equation-of-state compositional simulator. 1D simulation of different CO 2 LSWAG schemes are first conducted to understand the combined effects of solubility of CO 2 in brine, dissolution of carbonate minerals, ion exchange, and wettability alteration. CO 2 LSWAG performance is then evaluated on a field scale through an integrated workflow that includes geological modeling, multi-phase multi component reservoir flow modeling and process optimization. The simulation results indicate that CO 2 LSWAG has the highest oil recovery compared to conventional high salinity waterflood, high salinity WAG, continuous CO 2 flooding, and low salinity waterflood. A number of geological realizations are generated to assess the geological uncertainty effect, in particular clay distribution uncertainties, on CO 2 LSWAG efficiency. CO 2 LSWAG injection strategies are optimized by identifying key WAG parameters. Finally, CO 2 LSWAG is evaluated in the full field scale for a North Sea reservoir and the simulation results shows that CO 2 LSWAG yields about 4.5% incremental OOIP compared to the conventional high salinity WAG. The proposed workflow demonstrates the synergy between CO 2 WAG and LSW. Built in a robust reservoir simulator, it serves as a powerful tool for screening, design, optimization, and uncertainty assessment of the process. CO 2 LSWAG is a promising EOR technique as it not only combines the benefits of CO 2 injection and low salinity water floods but also promotes the synergy between these processes through the interactions between geochemical reactions associated with CO 2 injection, ion exchange process, and wettability alteration. This paper demonstrates the merits of this process through modeling, optimization and uncertainty assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low salinity/engineered water injection techniques (LSWI/EWI) have become one of the most important research topics in the oil industry because of their possible advantages for improving oil recovery compared to conventional seawater injection. Researchers have proposed several mechanisms for the LSWI/EWI process in the literature; however, there is no consensus on a single main mechanism for the low salinity effect on oil recovery. Because of the latter, there are few models for LSWI/EWI and especially for carbonates due to their heterogeneity and complexity. In this paper, we present a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on low salinity/engineered water injection for both sandstones and carbonates. This review includes descriptions of underlying mechanisms, spontaneous imbibition and coreflood laboratory work, field-scale pilots, numerical and modeling work, implementation, comparison between sandstones and carbonates, other LSWI/EWI applications, and desalination methods. List of recommendations and conclusions are provided based on this vast literature review and our experiences. This paper can be used as a guide for starting or implementing laboratory- and field-scale projects on low salinity/engineered water injections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and exploitation of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources are required in order to resolve global energy shortages and to reduce the reliance of many countries on fossil fuel combustion. Salinity gradient energy has been considered a potential candidate for renewable energy due to the abundance of saline waters that could be combined with less saline solutions across the globe. Pressure Retarded Osmosis (PRO) is one of the technologies to harness salinity gradient energy. Apart from zero carbon dioxide emission, PRO is capable of producing power with less periodicity, abundance and low environmental impacts. One of the preconditions for the technical and financial feasibility of PRO, however, is the development of a PRO-specific membrane—one that meets the conditions that none of the current commercially-available membranes have met so far. The current paper discusses the progress made in PRO membrane development, particularly during the past decade, and analyses the challenges that are still hindering the implementation of PRO at large scales. Also, this paper explores possibilities for the implementation of PRO by analysing various combinations of existent solutions of various salt concentrations. Australia has been chosen to demonstrate some potential applications of PRO. This vast country has extensive reserves of saline waters that could be paired with less concentrated solutions to generate power. For each combination of solutions, a conceptual idea is presented, and an estimate of power production is given. Also, advantages and disadvantages of each scheme are discussed. The ideas and estimates can be easily extrapolated, with minor adjustments, to other countries with similar conditions. It is hoped that this publication will be valuable to those nations that have similar policies as Australia’s, with government incentives for the development and implementation of new technologies to explore new renewable energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable production is hampered by several abiotic stresses which are very common in this era of climate change. There is a huge pressure on the plants to survive and yield better results even in the prevalence of various environmental stresses such as cold stress, drought, heat stress, salinity etc. This necessitates the need of robust plant growth which is possible with mycorrhizal association. Mycorrhiza improves plants tolerance to several abiotic stresses by various physiological, functional and biochemical changes in plants. The application of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) as vegetable biofertilizers doesn't only influence the plant health, but moreover discursively it lowers the demand for harmful chemical fertilizers. Overall, it may be concluded that inoculation of vegetables with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can be used, as it easily guards plants against undesirable abiotic stresses. In this work, information is provided based on several examples from the literature based on the application of AM to combat harmful abiotic stresses in vegetable crops. This paper reviews the impacts of AM fungi on the plant parameters, its functional activities and molecular mechanisms which makes it more adaptable and underline the future prospects of using AM fungi as a biofertilizer in the stress condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Increasing the salinity, at high pressure, to an optimal salinity, salting-in effect increases the stability of the emulsion. • Increasing the aqueous phase salinity, at high pressure, to an optimal salinity, salting-in effect increases the stability of the emulsion. • When the salinity exceeds to an optimal salinity, the salting-out effect reduces the stability of the emulsion. • At high pressure the salting-out effect occurs at lower salinity. In the interaction between the injected fluid and the produced fluid, emulsion formation is a common phenomenon. It can be important to evaluate the stability of the emulsion formed under reservoir pressure and the effect of salinity of injected water on this stability. In this study, the effect of aqueous phase salinity and pressure on the emulsion formation and stability have been investigated. The results showed that with increasing emulsion formation pressure from ambient pressure to 1000 psi, by considering distilled water as the aqueous phase the average droplets area of water in oil decreased from 157 μm2 to 129 μm2 and caused an increase in the stability of the emulsion. in ambient conditions, increasing the salinity of the aqueous phase from 4167 ppm to 41671 ppm with salting-in effect reduced the average droplet size from 144 μm2 to 92 μm2. At 1000 psi, reducing the salinity of the aqueous phase from 41671 ppm to 13890 ppm reduced the average droplet size from 246 μm2 to 92 μm2 and with increasing salinity of the aqueous phase from this value, the salting-out effect reduced the stability of the emulsion. As the salinity of the aqueous phase increases to a certain extent, the stability of the emulsion increases, so that by the salinity of the aqueous phase exceeds this value, the stability of the emulsion reduces. In this paper, this specific value of aqueous phase salinity, which forms the most stable emulsion, is called the optimal salinity of the aqueous phase. The results of this paper showed that increasing the emulsion formation pressure, reduces the optimal salinity of the aqueous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) is one feasible technology that can be used to exploit the mixing energy from salt gradients which is commonly referred to as salinity gradient power or osmotic power. This paper focuses on the construction of iso-watt diagrams and their application for detailed evaluation of specific power in PRO on basis of membrane characteristics and site specific design parameters. Iso-watt diagrams are demonstrated to be a useful tool for investigation of the effect of variation in the membrane parameters, i.e. the water permeability, the salt permeability and the structure parameter, and how mutual changes in the characteristic parameters will impact the PRO performance. Thus, iso-watt diagrams can be considered an effective aid for goal-oriented membrane development. In addition, iso-watt diagrams can be considered to be useful also with respect to design related aspects, such as e.g. site selection. Further, membrane performance data are reported in the literature for various experimental conditions, which makes direct comparison difficult. The use of iso-watt diagrams enables an efficient way of presenting and comparing the efficiency of different membranes. This is demonstrated in the current paper for ten states of the art membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2005, the IPPC Special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage (SRCCS) summarized the state of knowledge about CCS as an emerging technology for reducing CO 2 emissions to the atmosphere. At the time of writing, the emphasis of the SRCCS was on understanding the fate of injected CO 2 whereas less attention was paid to effects of pressure buildup associated with CO 2 injection. Since then, the CCS community has significantly improved the knowledge base and addressed many of the technical gaps mentioned in 2005. A large body of research has been devoted to identify and verify the main processes that control CO 2 migration, trapping, and containment in deep saline aquifers. Much work has also been conducted to better understand the magnitude and implications of reservoir pressure buildup in response to large CO 2 storage projects. The aim of this paper is to provide a summary and overview of the most relevant recent (since publication of the IPCC SRCCS) literature and findings in the areas of CO 2 migration and pressure evolution. The paper first summarizes recent findings related to CO 2 plume migration and trapping, based on analytical and numerical modeling studies as well as several field injection tests conducted to examine the fate of injected CO 2 in various subsurface settings. The paper then discusses pressure effects as a function of space and time, including the effects of confinement (boundary conditions), highlights possible unwanted pressure impacts such as pressure-driven leakage and geomechanical damage, analyzes potential capacity constraints, reviews current concepts for pressure management, and closes with a discussion about use of pressure signals for advanced monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the traditional approach of linking models to cover integrated water management from the upper reaches of catchments through river basins, into estuaries and to the coastal/marine environment. It highlights some of the deficiencies in the approaches currently being adopted in many non-integrated studies, where artificial boundaries are included in the system, and then highlights the need for a more integrated conceptual approach. A case study is discussed, namely the non-compliance of bathing waters along the Fylde Coast and Ribble Basin (U.K.) from riverine inputs, with the inputs arising from Waste water Treatment Works (WwTW), outfalls and drainage systems. A more integrated approach was applied to this estuary, with refinements to the artificial boundaries. Both hydrodynamic and solute transport processes in 1-D and 2-D domains of this estuary were modelled for a wet event in June 1999. The bio-kinetic decay process representation included the impacts of salinity, solar irradiation, turbidity and water temperature on the decay rate. Solutes modelled included faecal coliform, water temperature and salinity. This paper demonstrates that a similar or better accuracy of the coliform concentrations can be achieved using an integrated model based on a realistic representation of physical and biochemical processes. This is significant because the integrated model does not need extensive calibration to give good results. This is therefore a much more robust model which is not influenced significantly by the position of boundaries. The robustness of the model gives increased confidence in predicted results for new scenarios where measured data is not available. This is particularly important for all types of real time water quality prediction (e.g. toxic spills) including bathing water quality. Hence better decisions can be made when considering investment strategies, appropriate for various treatment options and catchment management solutions in the river basin upstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline pigging for in-line inspection is a fundamental practice in the oil and gas industry. Yet, the so-called “smart pigs” used for this purpose are expensive and delicate and the risk related to their possible blocking inside the pipeline is non-negligible, hence their deployment is rather infrequent (generally, just once in several years). In this paper, we present a new, low-cost and low-risk foam pig with inspection capabilities similar to those of a multi-channel caliper pig (i.e. able to detect, locate and size inner diameter changes and deformations) together with additional features that allow to detect internal roughness changes (e.g. due to corrosion) and perform some pH/salinity determinations, also useful for corrosion assessment purposes. One implementation of the new tool makes use of a foam pig “carrier”, providing the required push with a good capability to surpass restrictions, equipped with specialized sensors and modules for data acquisition and storage. Another implementation, called “skeleton caliper pig” and suitable to prevent the massive displacement of condensates from gas lines, deploys the light plastic system without any foam pig carrier, pushed by the gas velocity alone. In the paper we will discuss the design, construction and field testing of this new low-risk inspection pig. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5• Several data-driven techniques were applied for modeling interfacial tension of methane-brine. systems at high pressure and high salinity conditions. 5• A widespread experimental database was considered for implementing the models. 5• The proposed intelligent schemes exhibit very satisfactory prediction abilities. Natural gas which consists mainly of methane (usually more than 90% in volume), is becoming increasingly an important and efficient source of energy because of the lower greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Achieving satisfactory recovery factors in gas reservoirs is sensitive to the methane-brine/water interfaces induced by the interfacial tension (IFT) between these systems. Accordingly, accurate determination of IFT of the systems methane-brine/water is extremely important for natural gas production. In this paper, several intelligent models were implemented to accurately estimate interfacial tension (IFT) of the systems brine/pure water-methane under wide temperature, pressure and salinity ranges of (278.1–477.59 K), (0.01–260 MPa) and (0–200,000 ppm), respectively. The established models were based on an extensive databank including 879 experimental measurements. The implemented intelligent models in this study were Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Least Square Vector Machine (LSSVM), and Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN). Various optimization algorithms were applied for improving the learning phase of these models. Furthermore, a Committee Machine Intelligent System (CMIS) scheme was proposed by linking the best-found paradigm under a linear single model. The results showed that all the developed intelligent-based paradigms exhibit reliable prediction abilities. In addition, it was found that CMIS and GRNN are the fittest paradigms with overall absolute average percent relative error (AAPRE) values of 1.117% and 1.003%, respectively. Besides, the performance assessment revealed that our best paradigms outperform the existing approaches. Finally, the sensitivity analysis revealed that salinity has a slight impact on IFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in early warning, efficient evacuation, and previous experience with cyclones have largely restricted disaster casualties in the Sundarban delta in India and Bangladesh. Despite the limited loss of life, post-cyclone soil, inland water salinity, and loss of agriculture productivity remain among the impeding factors affecting people's lives. Two severe cyclones, cyclone Amphan, which hit on May 20, 2020, and cyclone Yaas, which hit the delta on May 28, 2021, caused significant damage to the life and livelihood of the local people. In this paper, we inquired into the mental health and socio-psychological aspects of cyclone Amphan and Yaas-induced water insecurity in the Indian Sundarban delta using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The empirically derived data from Focus Group Discussions (N = 17; Number of participants = 157) and household surveys (N = 121) were subjected to various qualitative and quantitative analyses to understand the key determinants of post-cyclone water-induced mental health and well-being. Results suggest varying levels of stress and anxiety among the respondents, which include indecisiveness, general anxiety, fear of waterlessness, irritation, loss of self-esteem, and multiple other mental health issues. The FGD participants pointed out the severe impacts of the cyclones including increased seawater inundation, salinization of agricultural lands, flooding of the freshwater sources and increased water prices. Among all these impacts, seawater inundation and salinization of water and soil have the most long-lasting impact on the life and livelihood of local people. In the quantitative analysis, we observed that the perceived lack of fresh water, including both quality and quantity, alongside, the experience of water-borne diseases, loss of social relations, and loss of livelihood are the key determinants of the self-reported emotional stress of the respondents. In the lieu of existing knowledge gap on disaster-induced water insecurity and its impact on the mental health of affected people, the present research findings emphasize the need for resilient water structures on one side and socio-psychological counselling at the community level on the other side to ensure a sound recovery of the damaged resources as well as make the community a part of the recovery process that can improve their mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents assessment of natural and anthropogenic sources of blue energy within Swedish territory to identify suitable spots for implementing new projects. The natural energy potential of salinity gradients was found to be higher in southwest Sweden, and a national energy resource potential of 2610.6 MW from seawater/river water mixing will be reduced to a technical potential ranging from 1044.3 MW to 1825.4 MW considering technical and environmental constraints. It has been found that the theoretical extractable energy potential in Sweden is equivalent to 13% of the total electricity consumption and 6.2% of the total final energy consumption by energy commodities. Anthropogenic water sources were also highlighted as promising low and high-concentration solutions for SGE extraction. Gotland was identified as an attractive location for generating salinity gradient power. The total salinity gradient power obtainable by mixing municipal wastewater with seawater in Sweden was estimated to be 11.8 MW. The most promising site for this process was determined to be Gryaab AB Ryaverket in Gothenburg, which accounted for 45.8% of the total national potential from anthropogenic sources. [Display omitted] • The blue energy in Sweden was mapped. • The theoretically obtainable blue energy at river mouths in Sweden was calculated. • Hot spots for blue energy harvesting were detected. • The implementation of blue energy extraction at hot spots was evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we aim to explore the dynamics of the evolution of the thermohaline layer and estimate critical power-law time scales in a double-diffusive salt finger system at neutral buoyancy. To achieve this, we employ a high-resolution numerical model that simulates a two-layer finger system similar to a laboratory setup. Our model allows the system to naturally evolve by selecting its own length scale and no finger length scales were imposed. Our investigation reveals that the finger system inherently exhibits characteristics of salinity and density inversion. However, this tendency gradually diminishes at higher Rayleigh numbers (Ra T). We accurately derive the critical power-law time scales for salinity and density inversion, maximum velocity, and the onset time of convection over a wide range of Rayleigh numbers (103 to 109). Notably, we observe an interesting relationship between the power-law time scale of the density inversion ratio (t ρi) -the time scale when both layers become neutrally stable and the ratio Φ, which is approximately equal to 1.618. Specifically, we find the functional form as t ρi ∼ Ra T /Ra T Φ for a significant range of Rayleigh numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low salinity polymer (LSP) based enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technique is getting more attention due to its potential of improving both displacement and sweep efficiencies. Modeling LSP flooding is challenging due to the complicated physical processes and the sensitivity of polymers to brine salinity. In this study, a coupled numerical model has been implemented to allow investigating the polymer-brine-rock geochemical interactions associated with LSP flooding along with the flow dynamics. MATLAB Reservoir Simulation Toolbox (MRST) was coupled with the geochemical software IPhreeqc, which is the interface module of Phreeqc (i.e., pH-Redox-Equilibrium in C programming language). The effects of polymer were captured by considering Todd–Longstaff mixing model, inaccessible pore volume, permeability reduction, polymer adsorption as well as salinity and shear rate effects on polymer viscosity. Regarding geochemistry, the presence of polymer in the aqueous phase was considered by adding a new solution specie and related chemical reactions to Phreeqc database files. Thus, allowing for modeling the geochemical interactions related to the presence of polymer. Coupling the two simulators was successfully performed, verified, and validated through several case studies. The coupled MRST–IPhreeqc simulator allows for modeling a wide variety of geochemical reactions including aqueous, mineral precipitation/dissolution, and ion exchange reactions. Capturing these reactions allows for real time tracking of the aqueous phase salinity and its effect on polymer rheological properties. The coupled simulator was verified against Phreeqc for a realistic reactive transport scenario. Furthermore, the coupled simulator was validated through history matching a single-phase LSP coreflood from the literature. This paper provides an insight into the geochemical interactions between partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and aqueous solution chemistry (salinity and hardness), and their related effect on polymer viscosity. This work is also considered as a base for future two-phase polymer solution and oil interactions, and their related effect on oil recovery. • One of the few papers on hybrid modeling of Polymer & Low Salinity Water injection. • Successful coupling of MRST and IPhreeqc was performed, verified, and validated. • The coupled simulator allows for modeling a wide variety of geochemical reactions. • Capturing these reactions permits for real time tracking of low salinity polymer (LSP). • This work is considered as a base for future two-phase polymer solution & oil interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low Salinity Water Injection (LSWI) has been a well-researched EOR method, with several experimental and theoretical scientific papers reported in the literature over the past few decades. Despite this, there is still an ongoing debate on dominant mechanisms behind this complex EOR process, and some issues remain elusive. Part of the complexity arises from the scale of investigation, which spans from sub-pore scale (atomic and electronic scale) to pore scale, core scale, and reservoir scale. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation has been used as a research tool in the past decade to investigate the nano-scale interactions among reservoir rock (e.g., calcite, silica), crude oil, and brine systems in presence of some impurities (e.g., clay minerals) and additives (e.g., nanoparticles). In this paper, fundamental concepts of MD simulation and common analyses driven by MD are briefly reviewed. Then, an overview of molecular models of the most common minerals encountered in petroleum reservoirs: quartz, calcite, and clay, with their most common types of potential function, is provided. Next, a critical review and in depth analysis of application of MD simulations in LSWI process in both sandstone and carbonate reservoirs in terms of sub-pore scale mechanisms, namely electrical double layer (EDL) expansion, multi-ion exchange (MIE), and cation hydration, is presented to scrutinize role of salinity, ionic composition, and rock surface chemistry from an atomic level. Some inconsistencies observed in the literature are also highlighted and the reasons behind them are explained. Finally, a future research guide is provided after critically discussing the challenges and potential of the MD in LSWI to shed more light on governing mechanisms behind LSWI by enhancing the reliability of MD outcomes in future researches. Such insights can be used for design of new MD researches with complementary experimental studies at core scale to capture the main mechanisms behind LSWI. [Display omitted] • Application of Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation in low salinity water injection of sandstone and carbonate reservoirs is comprehensively reviewed. • Low salinity water injection mechanisms are discussed from a sub-pore scale perspective. • Current challenges and potentials are identified for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low salinity/engineered water injections (LSWI/EWI) have gained popularity as effective techniques for enhancing oil recovery. Surfactant flooding is also a well-established and commercially-available technique in the oil and gas industry. The hybrid surfactant-EWI technique has been studied experimentally and showed promising results. However, very limited numerical applications on the hybrid surfactant-EWI technique in carbonates have been reported in the literature. In this paper, a numerical 2D simulation model was developed to investigate the effect of hybrid surfactant-LSWI/EWI on oil recovery from carbonate cores under harsh conditions. The developed simulation model was validated by history-matching two recently conducted corefloods from the literature. Oil recovery, pressure drop, and surfactant concentration data were utilized whenever possible. The surfactant flooding model was then coupled with a geochemical model that captures different reactions during LSWI/EWI. The geochemical reactions considered include aqueous, dissolution/precipitation, and ion-exchange reactions. Different simulation scenarios were considered and compared including waterflooding, surfactant flooding, engineered water injection, hybrid surfactant-EWI, and hybrid surfactant-LSWI. Additionally, sensitivity analysis was performed on the hybrid surfactant-EWI process through capturing changes in surfactant injected concentration and adsorption. For the case of LSWI/EWI, wettability alteration was considered as the main mechanism underlying incremental oil recovery. However, both wettability alteration and interfacial tension reduction mechanisms were considered for surfactant flooding depending on the type of surfactant used. The results showed that the hybrid surfactant-EWI altered the wettability and achieved higher oil recovery than that of surfactant-LSWI and other techniques. This highlights the importance of selecting the right combinations of potential ions for a certain reservoir to maximize oil recovery rather than a simple water dilution. The results also highlight the importance of surfactant adsorption and surfactant concentration for the hybrid surfactant-EWI technique. This work provides insights into the application of hybrid surfactant-LSWI/EWI on oil recovery especially in carbonates under harsh conditions. The novelty of this work is further expanded through comparing surfactant-LSWI with surfactant-EWI and understanding the controlling parameters of surfactant-EWI through sensitivity analysis. • One of the few papers on the hybrid surfactant-LSWI/EWI technique in carbonates. • The hybrid surfactant-EWI outperformed other injection techniques, which highlights its potential in carbonates. • Wettability alteration by surfactant-EWI technique was more pronounced as opposed to that of surfactant-LSWI. • The findings highlight the importance of selecting the right combinations of potential ions to maximize oil recovery. • The findings of this study hold for the surfactant type used in this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in oil recovery due to Low Salinity Waterfloods (LSW) have been widely investigated. Literature is abundant with studies attempting to pinpoint the relevant mechanisms involved in the LSW process. Recently, there was clear evidence of spontaneous formation of emulsions during LSW under certain conditions. This work examines the diffusion of water through oil as a contributing factor for spontaneous emulsification during LSW. Experimental observations are pore scale using etched-silicon micromodels. Observations are accompanied by pore-scale mass transfer calculations. Spontaneous emulsification is observed as a result of so-called "low salinity water" and crude oil phases contacting under non-equilibrium conditions. The experimental observations provide clear evidence that physical contact between oil and low salinity water phases is imperative for emulsification. In addition, it is concluded that a larger salinity gradient results in greater emulsion concentrations. In such cases, the crude oil is preequilibrated through exposure to a formation brine that has substantial salinity and divalent cations. Emulsification results as the oil phase comes into equilibrium with a brine of lower salinity and different composition. A key mechanism is the osmotic pressure imbalance between water and oil phases that drives water into the oil phase by diffusion. Water reaches a supersaturated state and spontaneous nucleation of the water phase results in emulsions, under appropriate conditions. The experimental and numerical modeling schemes presented here demonstrate and quantify time scales of water-in-oil emulsion formation. • This paper introduces a novel description of spontaneous emulsification. • Water-in oil Microemulsions were visualized in a low salinity pore scale experiments. • A proposed explanation for the formation of these water-in-oil microemulsion is provided. • The explanation is also supported by a mechanistic model. • The idea is that spontaneous emulsifications form due to diffusion of low salinity water into a crude oil that serves as a membrane. The crude oil is with pre-equilibrated higher salinity brine. Osmosis thus drives the LSW into the oil and creates local supersaturation regions that nucleate as microemulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper described an investigation into the properties of water-in-heavy oil emulsion and its role in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Effect of pH and salinity on emulsion stability, droplet size and distribution as well as rheological behavior were researched. Core flooding experiments were conducted to study the role of emulsion on EOR. Results indicated that stability of emulsions decreased as salinity increased. The presence of salt leads to a rise in droplet size and a drop in uniformity of distribution. Besides, emulsion formed at pH of 7 was characterized by the least stability, largest droplet size and unevenest droplet size distribution. An increase or decrease in pH both improved emulsion stability and reduced droplet size. Equally, rheological property of emulsion was greatly affected by salinity and pH. In relatively low shear rate region (<250 s−1), emulsion viscosity decreased as salinity increased; opposite trend was confirmed when shear rate exceeded 250 s−1. As a whole, shear thinning behavior was more pronounced in lower salinity and pH environment. Specifically, Newtonian behavior of emulsions were observed in high salinity and non-acidic condition in shear rate region of 60s−1-400s−1. The core flooding experiments showed that the formation of in-situ emulsion exhibited good mobility control ability, resulting in the improvement of sweep efficiency. In-situ emulsion prolonged the low-water-cut production period, giving rise to the enhancement of heavy oil recovery during waterflooding. Highlights • Higher salinity led to less stable emulsion and larger droplet size. • Emulsion provided the worst stability and largest droplet in neutral environment. • Shear-thinning behavior was more pronounced in emulsion with lower salinity and pH. • The presence of in-situ emulsion improved oil recovery during water flooding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]