Rock Interior Research Articles

Moisture patterns and fluxes in evolving tafoni developed in arkosic sandstone in temperate climate

AbstractCavernous weathering forms have long been studied and discussed as enigmas in geomorphology. Recently, their evolution has been shown to be controlled by moisture patterns, which are still poorly understood. For the first time, capillary water and vapor fluxes were characterized in detail at tafone in a temperate climate of central Europe using a wide range of methods adapted from soil hydrology. Time domain reflectometry showed that moisture flows from the rock interior to the evaporation front in the shallow subsurface of both — the backwalls and the outer surface. When overland flow occurs on the outer surfaces (after heavy rains), 10 mm/day can infiltrate and flow toward the backwalls. The main sources of water for tafone are the influx of water from the rock interior and the infiltration of overland flow after heavy rains, while condensation of air humidity is a minor source. Influx from the rock interior is coupled to the evaporation rate, which varies between 100 and 300 kg/m2/year in summer and less than 15 kg/m2/year in winter. More water evaporates from the backwall of the tafone than from the outer surface, and more salt is deposited in the backwalls, resulting in predominant salt weathering in the backwalls. The tafoni studied thus evolve, and the cavities deepen. Tafoni in arid and semi‐arid environments generally show a much higher contrast between evaporation rates from backwalls and outer surfaces than tafoni and honeycombs in temperate and coastal environments. Tafoni in temperate settings are therefore more susceptible to degradation when evaporation decreases or inflow to the tafone increases. This study also shows that microtensiometers can be used to determine moisture content with high spatial resolution, while time domain reflectometry allows accurate characterization of moisture patterns with depth.

The Mechanism Study of Fracture Porosity in High-Water-Cut Reservoirs

Many onshore oil fields currently adopt water flooding as a means to supplement reservoir energy. However, due to reservoir heterogeneity, significant differences in permeability exist not only between different reservoirs but also within the same reservoir across different planar orientations. After prolonged fluid flushing in the near-wellbore zone of injection wells, the resulting increased flow resistance between layers exacerbates inefficient and ineffective circulation. A considerable amount of remaining oil is left unexploited in untouched areas, significantly impacting the overall recovery. To investigate the multiscale plugging mechanisms of fracture-dominated pore channels in high-water-cut oil reservoirs and achieve efficient management of fractured large channels, this study explores the formation of the fracture-flushing zone-low saturation oil zone. A physical experimental model with fractures and high-intensity flushing is established to analyze changes in pore structure, mineral composition, residual oil distribution, and other characteristics at different positions near the fractures. The research aims to clarify the mechanism behind the formation of large channels with fracture structures. The results indicate that under high-intensity water flushing, cementing materials are washed away by the flowing water, clay particles are carried to the surface with the injected fluid, and permeability significantly increases, forming high-permeability zones with fracture structures. In the rock interior away from the fracture end, channels, corners, and clustered oil content noticeably decrease, while the content of film-like oil substantially increases, and clay minerals are not significantly washed away. Under strong flushing conditions, the number of residual clay particles near the fracture end is mainly influenced by flow velocity and flushing time; thus, the greater the flushing intensity, the faster the water flow, and the longer the flushing time, the fewer residual clay particles near the fracture end.

Influence of microwave irradiation and water-based cooling on the fracturing behavior and failure mode transition of CSTBD granite

Utilizing microwave heating in conjunction with water-based cooling technology can effectively reduce the fracture toughness of hard rocks. However, the fracturing characteristics and failure modes of hard rocks following microwave heating and water-based cooling remain undisclosed. Granite, being one of the most common types of hard rocks, was selected for this study, employing Cracked Straight Through Brazilian Disc (CSTBD) specimens for laboratory testing. CSTBD specimens with various crack angles (0, 30, 60, and 90°) underwent treatment with varying microwave durations (30, 60, 180, 300, and 420 s). Subsequently, Brazilian splitting tests were conducted on the damaged specimens. To simulate the entire process of microwave heating and mechanical testing of CSTBD specimens, we developed a coupled Finite Element Method – Distinct Lattice Spring Model (FEM-DLSM) approach. The results indicate that microwave heating with water-based cooling significantly influences the fracture toughness of CSTBD granite. Mode-I fracture toughness decreases with microwave heating temperature at a low crack angle (pure tensile failure and tensile–shear mixed failure) and increases at a high crack angle (compressive–shear failure and compressive failure). Mode II fracture toughness decreases with microwave heating temperature at any crack angle. Microwave heating with water-based cooling causes a decrease in the transition angles from tensile–shear failure to compressive–shear failure and from compressive–shear failure to compressive failure. Thermally induced microcracks in the rock specimen are responsible for changes in fracture toughness and failure mode transitions. After microwave heating and water-based cooling, numerous microcracks are induced in the rock interior. While macroscopic cracks predominantly control failure, growing microcracks, by weakening the rock matrix, shift the initiation position of the failure crack from the tip of the macroscopic crack to other positions, following the principle of the weakest failure path.

Biosignature Detection and MinION Sequencing of Antarctic Cryptoendoliths After Exposure to Mars Simulation Conditions.

In the search for life in our Solar System, Mars remains a promising target based on its proximity and similarity to Earth. When Mars transitioned from a warmer, wetter climate to its current dry and freezing conditions, any putative extant life probably retreated into habitable refugia such as the subsurface or the interior of rocks. Terrestrial cryptoendolithic microorganisms (i.e., those inhabiting rock interiors) thus represent possible modern-day Mars analogs, particularly those from the hyperarid McMurdo Dry Valleys in Antarctica. As DNA is a strong definitive biosignature, given that there is no known abiotic chemistry that can polymerize nucleobases, we investigated DNA detection with MinION sequencing in Antarctic cryptoendoliths after an ∼58-sol exposure in MARTE, a Mars environmental chamber capable of simulating martian temperature, pressure, humidity, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and atmospheric composition, in conjunction with protein and lipid detection. The MARTE conditions resulted in changes in community composition and DNA, proteins, and cell membrane-derived lipids remained detectable postexposure. Of the multitude of extreme environmental conditions on Mars, UV radiation (specifically UVC) is the most destructive to both cells and DNA. As such, we further investigated if a UVC exposure corresponding to ∼278 martian years would impede DNA detection via MinION sequencing. The MinION was able to successfully detect and sequence DNA after this UVC radiation exposure, suggesting its utility for life detection in future astrobiology missions focused on finding relatively recently exposed biomarkers inside possible martian refugia.

Quantitative investigation of the cracking mechanism of 3D sand-printed rock containing a fold flaw

Natural discontinuities originating inside rocks are often distributed in folds rather than simple straights. To represent the details of fold-shaped flaws, rock-like specimens containing a fold flaw are created by 3D sand printing, and cases involving four undulation angles (α) are considered. Uniaxial compression tests, digital image correlation (DIC), and the extended finite element method (XFEM) on rock-like models are conducted to investigate the influence of undulation angles on the cracking mechanism of the specimens. The 3D sand-printed specimen has obvious advantages in simulating natural rocks. Two types of crack initiation modes are observed: tip cracking and nontip cracking. DIC-based measurements and XFEM simulations show that the maximum value of maximum principal stress and strain occur near when α = 0° and 10°, while they appear in the flaw inflexion when α = 20° and 30°, which explains the difference in crack initiation. Two types of cracks are identified based on the displacement vector analysis: tensile and horsetail cracks. The crack initiation position of these two cracks is precisely determined by extracting strain data around the flaw tip. The undulation angle cannot alter the final coalescence, which is induced by the connection of horsetail cracks with the flaw.

A Computational Tool for Geometric Characterization of Pores and Fractures in Microtomography Rock Images

Pores and fractures are important structures for the study and characterization of fluid flow inside rocks. It is through them that there can be the propagation and conduction of fluids and chemical substances inside the reservoirs, since the connections between these spaces provide the existence of flow. To understand the behavior of these structures, we have developed a computational tool that, through the use of high resolution images derived from computed microtomography, aims to detect and characterize the geometry of pores and faults with the objective of being an environment that allows the detailed understanding of these structures. For this task, image processing techniques were applied to identify the structure of the contours, obtained through data segmentation, and to evaluate their geometric parameters in conjunction with the algorithms implemented in this work. With this, we seek to provide a tool capable of assisting in the characterization of reservoirs and fluid analysis, and to reduce the uncertainties found in manual work through a computational approach, prioritizing the preservation of important samples collected in the field.

Investigation on energy characteristics of shock wave in rock-breaking tests of high voltage electric pulse based on Hilbert-Huang transform

High voltage electric pulses (HVEPs) can damage hard rocks with electrical energy as the driving force. Fracture process of rock and energy characteristics of shock wave (SW) can better explain the fracture mechanism of HVEP. Self-developed HVEP system fractures rocks. By using high-speed camera technology, the extension of cracks can be shown in form of pictures. The Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT) is utilized to characterize the instability of rock fracture in terms of time domain-frequency domain-energy deposition. The results show that increased voltage leads to structural transformation of rock interior to instability. The peak energy of SWs occurs near 0 s, and decreases rapidly within 0.1 s 0–20 Hz is the region of concentrated distribution of SWs energy. In addition, instabilities occur at the moment of rock fracture, including an increase in the vibration frequency range of SWs and a shift in the main frequency of vibration. The occurrence of cracks suppresses waves propagation.

Effect of water on the rock strength and creep behavior of green mudstone

The weakening of rock mass after immersion substantially affects slope stability. Considering the mudstone in the north slope of the Fushun West Open pit as the research object, we investigated the failure and creep characteristics of mudstone under different immersion times and confining pressures. For this, we used a self-developed experimental apparatus that applies biaxial compression loading in a water immersion environment. Water significantly changed the strength and failure mode of the mudstone. The increase in confining pressure limits the expansion of the crack aperture, reduces the rock strength-weakening coefficient, and delays the rock weakening time. The change in cohesion is primarily responsible for the weakening of shear strength during immersion. Based on the creep test results, the creep curve of the soaking specimen was identical to that of the dry specimen in the initial phase. The weakening effect of water on the specimen increased as the soaking duration increased, due to which the creep curve of the soaking specimen gradually approached that of the saturated specimen. Water entered the microcracks and reacted with the rock interior, accelerating rock failure. Consequently, the soaking specimen had the lowest stress level for creep failure and the shortest failure time. The results of this experiment provide a reference for the long-term stability of the flooded slope.

Decay of ignimbrite fairy chimneys of Arizona's Basin and Range Province, USA

AbstractFairy chimneys of ignimbrite are well studied in Cappadocia in central Anatolia, Turkey. The ignimbrite landforms of Arizona's Basin and Range, USA, in contrast, remain relatively unexplored in geomorphic scholarship, despite decades of geological research on the characteristics of the ignimbrites themselves. This research focuses on the rock‐decay processes that modify Arizona's Basin and Range fair chimneys. Dissolution of glass and groundmass, measured along joints using digital image processing of back‐scattered electron microscope imagery, reveal a 3× higher porosity than inside the rock interior. This method also measured a 3‐4× increase in dissolution near the base of the chimney compared with the rock interior, leading to notch development that promotes chimney mass wasting and subsequent ballistic impacts. Epilithic organisms studied with electron microscopy both enhance rock decay and promote case hardening. These observations are consistent with prior understanding of how fairy chimneys evolve over time: columnar joints exposed on cliff faces experience enough decay to allow erosion of joint material, this erosion separates the chimney from the rock face and notch development near the chimney base promotes mass wasting. The rock‐decay processes studied here likely operate on very different timescales. Mass wasting events leading to ballistic impacts occur at observable timescales. Varnish microlamination dating, using ultrathin sections of rock varnish formed on fairy chimneys, indicates that the case hardening of the top of fairy chimneys are much more stable than the sides; the tops last experienced surface detachment during the early Holocene, as opposed to the sides that experienced flaking throughout the late Holocene. The timescale of basal notch development is not known, with the exception that the very surface of notches erode at rates too fast to accumulate rock varnish. The timescales of epilithic organisms enhancing rock decay and dissolution of columnar joints are not known.

Acoustic emission precursor information of rock failure under true triaxial loading and unloading conditions

Rock failure generally leads to serious consequences, and it is significant to obtain the precursor information prior to failure using associated techniques. Acoustic emission (AE) is one of the indispensable methods for disaster warning of hard and brittle rock. Acoustic emission detection technology can effectively monitor real-time information about changes in the rock interior and predict the process of rock damage failure. To probe the relationship among the AE precursor information of red sandstone under different intermediate principal stresses, an experimental study was conducted by us to examine the alterations in AE parameters during the failure of red sandstone under both loading and unloading circumstances. The study shows that the ringing count rate and absolute energy versus time curves are divided into four stages, namely, quiet, frequent, sudden increase and decline periods. The cumulative count curve is also divided into four phases: pre-unloading period, post-unloading period, sharp increase period, and decrease period. With the rise of the intermediate principal stress, the ringing count rate and energy exhibited during the frequent period of AE demonstrate a consistent increase, with a larger increase in the maximum value and a smaller increase in the average value. In addition, the peak value of AE signals during failure also increases accordingly. The occurrence moment and clarity of the frequent period determine the reliability and priority of the information related to the rock’s failure precursor; moreover, the reliability and priority of the AE precursor information will increase with the increase of the intermediate principal stress. After comparison, it is found that the AE precursor information occurs prior to the thermal infrared precursor information.

The Utilization of a Coupled Electro-Thermal-Mechanical Model of High-Voltage Electric Pulse on Rock Fracture

Our research proposes a unique coupled electro-thermal-mechanical model that takes electric breakdown and heterogeneity into account to show the mechanism of rock fracturing under high-voltage electropulses. Using finite element numerical software, the process of high voltage electrical pulse injection into the rock interior for breakdown is described, and the formation law of plasma channels during the electrical breakdown process is comprehensively analyzed in conjunction with the conductor particles present within the rock. On the basis of electrical, thermal, and mechanical theories, a coupled multi-physical field numerical model of rock failure under the action of high-voltage electrical pulses is developed, and a random distribution model is utilized to simulate the potential occurrence of conductor particles in the rock. Innovative numerical model indicates plasma channel creation in the rock-crushing process. Prior to the formation of the plasma channel, the temperature and stress are approximately 103 k and 10-2 MPa, respectively. Once the plasma channel is formed, the temperature and stress increase abruptly in a short time, with the temperature reaching 104 k and the stress reaching 103 MPa or higher. In addition, it is revealed that the breakdown field strength is the essential factor in plasma channel creation. The heterogeneity of the particles within the rock and the fluctuation in electrode settings are also significant variables influencing the creation of channels. The presented model contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of rock fragmentation during high-voltage electrical pulses, which has substantial implications for oil exploration and mineral extraction.

Phosphorus hotspots in pedogenic carbonate coatings determined by zoned microscale arrangement and organo-mineral interactions

Subsoils of calcareous soils are often characterized by pedogenic carbonate precipitates coating soil aggregate and rock surfaces. Numerous studies identified the key mechanisms of pedogenic carbonate formation in calcareous soils. Still, little is known about the ecosystem function of carbonate precipitates for nutrient supply, their microscale structure and the interaction of microscale structure with nutrient distribution such as P. We investigated the mineral composition and P speciation of lithogenic carbonate coated by pedogenic carbonate precipitates. Subsoil horizons of a Rendzic Leptosol (Tuttlingen, C horizon) and a Eutric Cambisol (Benediktenwand, BC horizon) in Central Europe were sampled. We combined wet-chemical methods with X-ray diffraction, synchrotron-based P XANES spectroscopy, and specific surface area analysis (N2-BET). To investigate the spatial arrangement and elemental distribution at the microscale, a complementary approach using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) as well as XANES spectroscopy at the microscale (µXANES) was conducted. In both soils, the pedogenic carbonate coatings showed an intricate porous microstructure and large specific surface area. The δ13C values of the coatings were halfway between those of the primary bedrock and soil organic matter (SOM), proving their formation by re-precipitation of dissolved carbonate through organic and inorganic (H2CO3) acids. Compared to the primary rocks, the coatings were enriched in Al, Fe, Mn, and K and in organic C, N, and P; additionally, they contained silicate minerals (muscovite, illite) and quartz. Whereas the P in the rock interior was mainly present as apatite, the P in the coatings was mainly organic P bound to Ca and Al minerals. NanoSIMS and µXANES analyses at Tuttlingen revealed a zoned microstructure of the pedogenic coating: An inner zone with most P co-localized and bound to Al minerals and an outer zone enriched again in Ca and SOM. The formation of these zones indicates the infiltration and residual accumulation of Al minerals which may contribute to mitigate P losses by leaching. Intensive penetration by fine plant roots and observations of fungal hyphae within the coatings indicate the potential of pedogenically altered carbonates as microbial habitat and ecosystem nutrient source, thus contributing to the scarce ecosystem P nutrition of initial calcareous soils.

Lithic cyanobacterial communities in the polyextreme Sahara Desert: implications for the search for the limits of life

The hyperarid Sahara Desert presents extreme and persistent dry conditions with a limited number of hours during which the moisture availability, temperature and light allow phototrophic growth. Some cyanobacteria can live in these hostile conditions by seeking refuge under (hypolithic) or inside (endolithic) rocks, by colonizing porous spaces (cryptoendoliths) or fissures in stones (chasmoendoliths). Chroococcidiopsis spp. have been reported as the dominant or even the only phototrophs in these hot desert lithic communities. However, the results of this study reveal the high diversity of and variability in cyanobacteria among the sampled habitats in the Sahara Desert. The chasmoendolithic samples presented high coccoid cyanobacteria abundances, although the dominant cyanobacteria were distinct among different locations. A high predominance of a newly described cyanobacterium, Pseudoacaryochloris sahariense, was found inhard, compact, and more opaque stones with cryptoendolithic colonization. On the other hand, the hypolithic samples were dominated by filamentous, non-heterocystous cyanobacteria. Thermophysiological bioassays confirmed desiccation and extreme temperature tolerance as drivers in the cyanobacterial community composition of these lithic niches. The results of the present study provide key factors for understanding life strategies under polyextreme environmental conditions. The isolated strains, especially the newly described cyanobacterium P. sahariense, might represent suitable microorganisms in astrobiology studies aimed at investigating the limits of life.

Determination and numerical simulation for HJC constitutive model parameters of Jinping marble

Holmquist-Johnson-Cook (HJC) constitutive model has been widely used in dynamic response analysis of concrete-like materials under impact and explosion. Based on the available data from uniaxial compression tests, triaxial compression tests, Brazilian splitting tests as well as SHPB experiments of 2400 m deep Jinping marble, a set of HJC model parameters suitable for high strength brittle marble were determined. Then, on the basis of one-dimensional static dynamic combined SHPB experiments, the numerical simulation of one-dimensional static dynamic combined SHPB experiments of Jinping marble were carried out by LS-DYNA software. Comparing the experimental and numerical simulation results, the rationality of the model parameters was verified. The numerical simulation results show that: from the perspective of stress-strain curve, the numerical simulation curve is consistent with the experimental curve, and the deviation of peak strength is less than 5%; from the perspective of damage evolution, the marble in the one-dimensional static and dynamic combined SHPB experiments are mainly tensile splitting failure. With the increase of prestress, the more serious the crack expansion and internal damage, the more broken the rock interior. Finally, the sensitivity of each parameter in the model is quantitatively calculated, and the high-sensitivity parameters are G, B, f c, S max, μ c and K 1, which should be accurately obtained based on experiments.

Species criteria in palaeontology and ichnology and the possibilities of using ichnofossils in geology

Paleontology is a science between biology and geology thus paleontologists use both biological and geological approaches to solve different kinds of problems. One of the main issues for paleontologist is the use of species criteria and species identification. The fossil record shows evidence of evolution of separate phyla and the biosphere in general. A significant part of the biosphere is represented by soft-body animals. The marks of activities different animals have appeared in the fossil record at least from rocks of Ediacaran to modern age. They could be imprints of “sitting” or moving tracks (of invertebrates or vertebrates), evidence of birth (for instance, egg fragments), crawling traces of molluscs, etc. There are a plenty of issues regarding the identification of the nature of ichnofossils. Sometimes it is possible to identify animal species that left their traces or imprints. We observe ichnofossils on the surface and inside sedimentary rocks, but their identification is often impossible. Therefore, an artificial nomenclature is used for the naming of “species” of ichnofossils. Ichnofossils of different age and from various facial conditions are investigated on all continents. Ichnology as a relatively new branch of geology is developing due to the use of modern technological approaches.

Pre-Cambrian roots of novel Antarctic cryptoendolithic bacterial lineages

BackgroundCryptoendolithic communities are microbial ecosystems dwelling inside porous rocks that are able to persist at the edge of the biological potential for life in the ice-free areas of the Antarctic desert. These regions include the McMurdo Dry Valleys, often accounted as the closest terrestrial counterpart of the Martian environment and thought to be devoid of life until the discovery of these cryptic life-forms. Despite their interest as a model for the early colonization by living organisms of terrestrial ecosystems and for adaptation to extreme conditions of stress, little is known about the evolution, diversity, and genetic makeup of bacterial species that reside in these environments. Using the Illumina Novaseq platform, we generated the first metagenomes from rocks collected in Continental Antarctica over a distance of about 350 km along an altitudinal transect from 834 up to 3100 m above sea level (a.s.l.).ResultsA total of 497 draft bacterial genome sequences were assembled and clustered into 269 candidate species that lack a representative genome in public databases. Actinobacteria represent the most abundant phylum, followed by Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. The “Candidatus Jiangella antarctica” has been recorded across all samples, suggesting a high adaptation and specialization of this species to the harshest Antarctic desert environment.The majority of these new species belong to monophyletic bacterial clades that diverged from related taxa in a range from 1.2 billion to 410 Ma and are functionally distinct from known related taxa.ConclusionsOur findings significantly increase the repertoire of genomic data for several taxa and, to date, represent the first example of bacterial genomes recovered from endolithic communities. Their ancient origin seems to not be related to the geological history of the continent, rather they may represent evolutionary remnants of pristine clades that evolved across the Tonian glaciation. These unique genomic resources will underpin future studies on the structure, evolution, and function of these ecosystems at the edge of life.Ar7T6ZUsn22t2KkUgdSXvLVideo abstract

The Boulder Population of Asteroid 4 Vesta: Size‐Frequency Distribution and Survival Time

AbstractDawn's framing camera observed boulders on the surface of Vesta when the spacecraftwas in its lowest orbit (Low Altitude Mapping Orbit, LAMO). We identified, measured, and mapped boulders in LAMO images, which have a scale of 20 m per pixel. We estimate that our sample is virtually complete down to a boulder size of 4 pixels (80 m). The largest boulder is a 400 m‐sized block on the Marcia crater floor. Relatively few boulders reside in a large area of relatively low albedo, surmised to be the carbon‐rich ejecta of the Veneneia basin, either because boulders form less easily here or live shorter. By comparing the density of boulders around craters with a known age, we find that the maximum boulder lifetime is about 300 Ma. The boulder size‐frequency distribution (SFD) is generally assumed to follow a power law. We fit power laws to the Vesta SFD by means of the maximum likelihood method, but they do not fit well. Our analysis of power law exponents for boulders on other small Solar System bodies suggests that the derived exponent is primarily a function of boulder size range. The Weibull distribution mimics this behavior and fits the Vesta boulder SFD well. The Weibull distribution is often encountered in rock grinding experiments and may result from the fractal nature of cracks propagating in the rock interior. We propose that, in general, the SFD of particles (including boulders) on the surface of small bodies follows a Weibull distribution rather than a power law.

Study on Permeability of Deep‐Buried Sandstone under Triaxial Cyclic Loads

The triaxial cyclic loading and unloading test was carried out on a TAW‐2000 rock mechanics to study the permeability characteristics of deep‐buried sandstone. This paper analyzed the evolution laws of permeability, elastic modulus, rock damage, dissipated energy, and acoustic emission events of sandstone under different confining pressures. It also introduced the concept of relative strain and further discussed the relationship between relative strain and permeability. The test results showed that the permeability of sandstone under cyclic loading and unloading obviously experienced three stages. At a low strain level, the damage degree of sandstone was low. As a result, both the number of acoustic emission events and the proportion of the dissipated energy density were small. In this stage, with increasing the stress, the permeability decreased. With the increase of the relative strain, the propagation of fissure increased through rock interior and the damage of rock was accumulated. Consequently, the number of acoustic emission events grew slowly, and the proportion of dissipated energy density and the damage variable (D) increased gradually. In this stage, the permeability increases. As the axial strain reached the peak strain, the fissures developed into cracks and the rock failure happened. The number of acoustic emission events increased rapidly; both the proportion of the dissipated energy density and the damage variable (D) obtain the maximum value. In this stage, the permeability increased greatly. In this study, the point of fissure propagation of rock specimens was used as the point of demarcation. Before the fissures propagated, the permeability increased slowly and it was in accordance with a linear function. After the fissures propagated, the degree of rock damage increased, and the permeability increased in the form of an exponential function. The larger the confining pressure was, the smaller the relative strain corresponding to the point of fissure propagation was.

Metagenomes in the Borderline Ecosystems of the Antarctic Cryptoendolithic Communities.

Antarctic cryptoendolithic communities are microbial ecosystems dwelling inside rocks of the Antarctic desert. We present the first 18 shotgun metagenomes from these communities to further characterize their composition, biodiversity, functionality, and adaptation. Future studies will integrate taxonomic and functional annotations to examine the pathways necessary for life to evolve in the extremes.

Longevity of Enhanced Geothermal Systems with Brine Circulation in Hydraulically Fractured Hydrocarbon Wells

A simple, semi-analytical heat extraction model is presented for hydraulically fractured dry reservoirs containing two subparallel horizontal wells, connected by a horizontal fracture channel, using injected brine as the working fluid. Heat equations are used to quantify the heat conduction between fracture walls and circulating brine. The brine temperature profiles are calculated for different combinations of fracture widths, working fluid circulation rates, and initial fracture wall temperatures. The longevity of the geothermal heat extraction process is assessed for a range of working fluid injection rates. Importantly, dry geothermal reservoirs will not recharge heat by the geothermal flux on the time scale of any commercial heat extraction project. A production plan is proposed, with periodic brine circulation maintained in a diurnal schedule with 8 h active production alternating with 16 h of pump switched off. A quasi-steady state is achieved after both the brine temperature and rock temperature converge to a limit state allowing fracture-wall reheating by conduction from the rock interior in the diurnal production schedule. The results of this study could serve as a fast tool for assisting the planning phase of geothermal reservoir design as well as for operational monitoring and management.