Atmospheric noble gases as tracers of biogenic gas dynamics in a shallow unconfined aquifer

Jones, Katherine L.; Lindsay, Matthew B.J.; Kipfer, Rolf; Mayer, K. Ulrich

doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.12.008

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Natural systems are more likely than not to be very complex, with multiple non-conserved species added and/or removed from the soil column. The present work provides experimental confirmation for the approach taken by Jones et al (2014), who applied DG modeling of noble gases to deconvolve subsurface biogeochemical and transport processes associated with hydrocarbon degradation at an oil-spill site. The ability to constrain both the processes and rates of gas transport and generation in complex systems is an excellent example of how the multicomponent conserved species, such as the noble gases, can provide valuable information regarding gas dynamics in vadose and saturated zones.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

“…The models differ in formulation in that the DG model explicitly accounts for Knudsen diffusion (Thorstenson and Pollock, 1989a, 1989b). The apparent success of these two models in simulating transport and matching field‐measured soil gas data has often been cited as validation of the models (e.g., Jones et al, 2014). However, field studies involve complex natural systems with many unconstrained variables; thus, a controlled, laboratory‐based evaluation of the models would more directly test their validity.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Thermal gradients , gravity, and the production and depletion of gases from biologic, magmatic, or other sources will alter the distribution and isotopic compositions of the indigenous atmospheric gases in unsaturated soils, regolith, firn, or other surface material (e.g., Severinghaus et al, 1996, 2003; Evans et al, 2001; Camarda et al, 2007; Freundt et al, 2013; Jones et al, 2014). Atmospheric noble gases, comprising a mass range from 3 to 136 atomic mass units, have the potential to probe and quantify the various processes and soil properties impacting gas transport (Severinghaus et al, 1996; Jones et al, 2014). Below a few decimeters, shallow soil horizons are quasi‐isothermal (thermally buffered).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Experimental Studies and Model Analysis of Noble Gas Fractionation in Porous Media

Ding

Kennedy

Evans

et al. 2016

Vadose Zone Journal

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The noble gases, which are chemically inert under normal terrestrial conditions but vary systematically across a wide range of atomic mass and diffusivity, offer a multicomponent approach to investigating gas dynamics in unsaturated soil horizons, including transfer of gas between saturated zones, unsaturated zones, and the atmosphere. To evaluate the degree to which fractionation of noble gases in the presence of an advective-diffusive flux agrees with existing theory, a simple laboratory sand column experiment was conducted. Pure CO 2 was injected at the base of the column, providing a series of constant CO 2 fluxes through the column. At five fixed sampling depths within the system, samples were collected for CO 2 and noble gas analyses, and ambient pressures were measured. Both the advection-diffusion and dusty gas models were used to simulate the behavior of CO 2 and noble gases under the experimental conditions, and the simulations were compared with the measured depth-dependent concentration profiles of the gases. Given the relatively high permeability of the sand column (5 ´ 10 −11 m 2 ), Knudsen diffusion terms were small, and both the dusty gas model and the advection-diffusion model accurately predicted the concentration profiles of the CO 2 and atmospheric noble gases across a range of CO 2 flux from ?700 to 10,000 g m −2 d −1 . The agreement between predicted and measured gas concentrations demonstrated that, when applied to natural systems, the multi-component capability provided by the noble gases can be exploited to constrain component and total gas fluxes of non-conserved (CO 2 ) and conserved (noble gas) species or attributes of the soil column relevant to gas transport, such as porosity, tortuosity, and gas saturation.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 68%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Experimental Studies and Model Analysis of Noble Gas Fractionation in Porous Media

Ding

Kennedy

Evans

et al. 2016

Vadose Zone Journal

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“…Recently, researchers have drawn considerable attention to the shallow biogenic gas in the near-surface marine and coastal sediments such as bay or estuarine deposits and late Quaternary incised-valley fills (García-García et al 2007;Xu et al 2009;Lin et al 2010;Zhang et al 2013;Jones et al 2014;Okay and Aydemir 2016), in terms of the shallow-burial depth ranging from several tens of meters to hundreds of meters and easy exploitation with low investment and high benefit. Commercial reservoirs of shallow biogenic gas have been widely found in the world, including the North Sea (Heggland 1997; Vielstädte et al 2015), Ria de Vigo incised valley, Spain (Garcia-Gil et al 2002), western Gulf of Maine, USA (Rogers et al 2006), and Lawrence Estuary, Canada (Pinet et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and accumulation model of the late Quaternary shallow biogenic gas in the modern Changjiang delta area, eastern China

Zhang

Lin

2017

Pet. Sci.

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The Changjiang (Yangtze) is one of the largest rivers in the world. It formed a huge incised valley at its mouth during the Last Glacial Maximum; the incised-valley fill, approximately 80-110 m thick, supplies an important foundation for the generation of shallow biogenic-gas reservoirs. Two cores and 13 cone penetration tests were used to elaborate the characteristics, formation mechanism, and distribution of the shallow biogenic-gas reservoirs in the study area. The natural gas is mainly composed of CH 4 (generally[95%) with a d 13 C CH4 and d 13 C CO2 of -75.8 to -67.7% and -34.5 to -6.6%, respectively, and a dD CH4 of -215 to -185%, indicating a biogenic origin by the carbon dioxide reduction pathway. Commercial biogenic gas occurs primarily in the sand bodies of fluvial-channel, floodplain, and paleo-estuary facies with a burial depth of 50-80 m. Gas sources as well as cap beds are gray to yellowish-gray mud of floodplain, paleoestuary, and offshore shallow marine facies. The organic matter in gas sources is dominated by immature type III kerogen (gas prone). The difference in permeability (about 4-6 orders of magnitude) between cap beds and reservoirs makes the cap beds effectively prevent the upward escape of gas in the reservoirs. This formation mechanism is consistent with that for the shallow biogenic gas in the late Quaternary Qiantang River incised valley to the south. Therefore, this study should provide further insight into understanding the formation and distribution of shallow biogenic gas in other similar postglacial incised-valley systems.

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“…Although mass spectrometry has successfully been used in the laboratory for many decades, there is a need for continuous gas measurements in the field (e.g., Kotiaho, 1996) to identify transient phenomena. This is particularly relevant in the vadose zone, where gas concentrations exhibit rapid and large temporal variations resulting from coupled biochemical and transport processes (Freundt et al, 2013; Gómez et al, 2008; Jones et al, 2014; Urmann et al, 2005).…”

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confidence: 99%

Continuous Monitoring of the Vadose Zone Gas Phase by Mass Spectrometry

Guillon

Gréau

Pili

2016

Vadose Zone Journal

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International audienceLong-term continuous measurements of gas concentrations in the vadose zone are required to identify gas transport processes. A magnetic sector mass spectrometer, originally developed for industrial process monitoring, was deployed in the field, and its performance was assessed for continuous monitoring of vadose zone gases. This instrument allows unattended concentration measurements of a large number of gas species without any purification. With a detection limit on the order of 10 nL L −1 , it allows determination of trace gases such as Kr and Xe isotopes at their natural atmospheric abundances. Good precision and accuracy were obtained for major, minor, and trace gases with a daily calibration. Continuous monitoring of vadose zone gases for 6 mo in two boreholes at various depths at the Roselend Natural Laboratory (French Alps) showed strong spatial and temporal variability of gas concentrations, not only O 2 and CO 2 but also inert gases. Such time series allow determination of transport processes and interactions between water and gas fluxes in the vadose zone. Abbreviations: FC, Faraday cup; SEM, secondary electron multiplier

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Atmospheric noble gases as tracers of biogenic gas dynamics in a shallow unconfined aquifer

Cited by 15 publications

References 63 publications

Experimental Studies and Model Analysis of Noble Gas Fractionation in Porous Media

Experimental Studies and Model Analysis of Noble Gas Fractionation in Porous Media

Characteristics and accumulation model of the late Quaternary shallow biogenic gas in the modern Changjiang delta area, eastern China

Continuous Monitoring of the Vadose Zone Gas Phase by Mass Spectrometry

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