Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Author: C. Herb Ward

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-06-26

Total Pages: 917

ISBN-13: 1493934473

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This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. The Gulf of Mexico is an open and dynamic marine ecosystem rich in natural resources but heavily impacted by human activities, including agricultural, industrial, commercial and coastal development. The Gulf of Mexico has been continuously exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for millions of years from natural oil and gas seeps on the sea floor, and more recently from oil drilling and production activities located in the water near and far from shore. Major accidental oil spills in the Gulf are infrequent; two of the most significant include the Ixtoc I blowout in the Bay of Campeche in 1979 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Unfortunately, baseline assessments of the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before these spills either were not available, or the data had not been systematically compiled in a way that would help scientists assess the potential short-term and long-term effects of such events. This 2-volume series compiles and summarizes thousands of data sets showing the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Volume 1 covers: water and sediment quality and contaminants in the Gulf; natural oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico; coastal habitats, including flora and fauna and coastal geology; offshore benthos and plankton, with an analysis of current knowledge on energy capture and energy flows in the Gulf; and shellfish and finfish resources that provide the basis for commercial and recreational fisheries.

Hydrocarbon Seepage
Hydrocarbon Seepage

Author: Fred Aminzadeh

Publisher:

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13: 9781560803102

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"With the increased resolution power of many geophysical methods, we are seeing direct evidence of seeps on a wide variety of data, including conventional seismic. New methods and technology have also evolved to better measure and detect seeps and their artifacts and reservoir charge and to map migration and remigration routes. In addition, detection of seepage is important for minimizing the risks associated with shallow gas drilling hazards, ensuring platform stability, and preventing well blow-outs. This volume is organized into three sections, each with a different focus. The first section, "Descriptions and Observations of Seeps", includes field studies, observations of seep environments, migration systems, and use of modern sampling techniques. The second section, "Science of Seepage -- Methodology", discusses new techniques including DNA sampling, use of biomarkers, Neural Network analysis, and remote multispectral analysis. The final section, "Implications of Seeps", shows how seeps may be used to reduce prospect risk and assess risk elements such as trap seal and fault leakage. This volume is intended to be a reference for understanding seep occurrences and demonstrating the development and use of new technologies to image them with a focus on exploration and field development applications. It will be a valuable reference to geologists, geophysicists, and petroleum engineers everywhere"--Provided by publisher.

Oil in the Sea III
Oil in the Sea III

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2003-03-14

Total Pages: 278

ISBN-13: 0309084385

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Since the early 1970s, experts have recognized that petroleum pollutants were being discharged in marine waters worldwide, from oil spills, vessel operations, and land-based sources. Public attention to oil spills has forced improvements. Still, a considerable amount of oil is discharged yearly into sensitive coastal environments. Oil in the Sea provides the best available estimate of oil pollutant discharge into marine waters, including an evaluation of the methods for assessing petroleum load and a discussion about the concerns these loads represent. Featuring close-up looks at the Exxon Valdez spill and other notable events, the book identifies important research questions and makes recommendations for better analysis ofâ€"and more effective measures againstâ€"pollutant discharge. The book discusses: Inputâ€"where the discharges come from, including the role of two-stroke engines used on recreational craft. Behavior or fateâ€"how oil is affected by processes such as evaporation as it moves through the marine environment. Effectsâ€"what we know about the effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine organisms and ecosystems. Providing a needed update on a problem of international importance, this book will be of interest to energy policy makers, industry officials and managers, engineers and researchers, and advocates for the marine environment.

Natural Gas Seepage
Natural Gas Seepage

Author: Giuseppe Etiope

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-01-30

Total Pages: 203

ISBN-13: 3319146017

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The book offers a modern, comprehensive, and holistic view of natural gas seepage, defined as the visible or invisible flow of gaseous hydrocarbons from subsurface sources to Earth’s surface. Beginning with definitions, classifications for onshore and offshore seepage, and fundamentals on gas migration mechanisms, the book reports the latest findings for the global distribution of gas seepage and describes detection methods. Seepage implications are discussed in relation to petroleum exploration, environmental impacts (hazards, pollution, atmospheric emissions, and past climate change), emerging scientific issues (abiotic gas and methane on Mars), and the role of seeps in ancient cultures. With an updated bibliography and an integrated analysis of available data, the book offers a new fundamental awareness - gas seepage is more widespread than previously thought and influences all of Earth’s external “spheres”, including the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere.

Gas Migration
Gas Migration

Author: Leonid F. Khilyuk Ph.D.

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2000-07-14

Total Pages: 409

ISBN-13: 0080507190

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This breakthrough new book may help save countless lives and avoid enormous losses. It presents a methodology for using gas migration to predict earthquakes and explosive gas buildup. Using rigorous scientific investigation and documented worldwide case histories, this remarkable book presents compelling evidence showing that changes in gas rates, composition, and migration accompany the tectronic events preceding earthquakes and their associated seismic events, such as volcanoes and tsunamis. Because these gas parameters are detectable and measurable, they provide an early warning of seismic activity.Gas Migration is the first book to accumulate, analyze and apply the interdisciplinary knowledge on gas migration and detail its connection to tectronic, seismic, and geologic phenomena. It combines geological, geochemical, geophysical, seismological, and petroleum engineering insights to demonstrate how gas migration and its associated phenomena can be used in earthquake and environmental geohazard identification and prediction. Topics include-·Tectonics and Earthquakes·Gas Migration at Plate Boundaries·Surface Soil-Gas Surveys·Faults and Petroleum Reservoirs·Earthquake Precursors·Whispering Gases·Paths and Mechanics of Gas Migration·Subsidence, Gas Migration, and Seismic Activity·And much moreWith this information, environmental specialists, civil engineers, petroleum geologists, seismologists, and urban planners now have a new and powerful conceptual basis and tool for understanding and perhaps even predicting gas explosions and earthquakes.

Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota
Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota

Author: Noreen A. Buster

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2011-05-30

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1603442901

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Volume 3 of Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota; a series edited by John W. Tunnell Jr., Darryl L. Felder, and Sylvia A. Earle A continuation of the landmark scientific reference series from the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota, Volume 3, Geology provides the most up-to-date, systematic, cohesive, and comprehensive description of the geology of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. The six sections of the book address the geologic history, recent depositional environments, and processes offshore and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico region is continuous, extensive, and has broad-based influence upon scientific, governmental, and educational communities. This volume is a compilation of scientific knowledge from highly accomplished and experienced geologists who have focused most of their careers on gaining a better understanding of the geology of the Gulf of Mexico. Their research, presented in this volume, describes and explains the formation of the Gulf Basin, Holocene stratigraphic and sea-level history, energy resources, coral reefs, and depositional processes that affect and are represented along our Gulf coasts. It provides valuable synthesis and interpretation of what is known about the geology of the Gulf of Mexico. Five years in the making, this monumental compilation is both a lasting record of the current state of knowledge and the starting point for a new millennium of study.

Texas Aquatic Science
Texas Aquatic Science

Author: Rudolph A. Rosen

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2014-11-19

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 1623492270

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This classroom resource provides clear, concise scientific information in an understandable and enjoyable way about water and aquatic life. Spanning the hydrologic cycle from rain to watersheds, aquifers to springs, rivers to estuaries, ample illustrations promote understanding of important concepts and clarify major ideas. Aquatic science is covered comprehensively, with relevant principles of chemistry, physics, geology, geography, ecology, and biology included throughout the text. Emphasizing water sustainability and conservation, the book tells us what we can do personally to conserve for the future and presents job and volunteer opportunities in the hope that some students will pursue careers in aquatic science. Texas Aquatic Science, originally developed as part of a multi-faceted education project for middle and high school students, can also be used at the college level for non-science majors, in the home-school environment, and by anyone who educates kids about nature and water. To learn more about The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, sponsors of this book's series, please click here.

Environmental Studies, South Texas Outer Continental Shelf, Biology and Chemistry: Chapters 1-10
Environmental Studies, South Texas Outer Continental Shelf, Biology and Chemistry: Chapters 1-10

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 1979

Total Pages: 678

ISBN-13:

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"This study of the South Texas Outer Continental Shelf (STOCS) was conducted on behalf of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management...The resultant data from this investigation represent the first step in understanding how to assess and control the impact of petroleum exploration and development in the STOCS area. The central goal of these and other environmental quality surveys of continental shelf areas is the protection of the living marine sources from deleterious effects"--Page iii.