Geologists make wild discovery about ‘upside down’ North Seabed | World | News
Researchers have revealed hundreds of large sand formations that seemed to be challenging basic geological rules and can significantly affect energy and carbon storage efforts.
In addition to data and rock samples from hundreds of drilling fields, scientists using the latest 3D seismic (sound wave) technology described the tremendous sand mounds that seem to have descended down-down-down, older, less dense and softer materials.
This creates stratigraphic inversion – a complete flip in the typical geological ranking in which new rocks are normally placed on an unprecedented scale. The research was conducted by researchers from Manchester University, who works with industry partners.
Although stratigraphic inversion has previously witnessed small scales, the formations revealed by the Manchester research team, now called “labyrinths”, represent the largest documented example of this phenomenon.
The discovery on Communications Earth & Environment Journal may have great consequences for scientists for understanding underground structures and carbon storage attempts.
Professor Mads Huuse, the chief researcher at the University of Manchester, explained: “This discovery reveals a geological process that we haven’t seen before. What we find is the structures where the intense sand sinks into the top of the sand.
It is believed that these platinum established until the Pliocene periods millions of years ago until the late Miocene. Earthquakes or sudden changes in underground pressure may have caused the sand to liquefy and sink down from the natural fractures on the sea base.
This was largely under the underlying, more porous but solid, infiltration rafts, which were largely composed of microscopic sea fossils – tied with shrinkage cracks, swimming upwards. Researchers called this lighter, raised features ‘Floatites’.
This discovery can help scientists better predict where oil and gas can be stuck and that carbon dioxide is safe to be safe to storage underground.
Prof Huuse said: “This research shows how liquids and sediment can move in unexpected ways in the world shell. Understanding these sinks are formed, how to evaluate underground reservoirs, sealing and liquid migration – all of them are vital for carbon capture and storage”.
The team is now carefully documenting other examples of this process and evaluating exactly how it affects our understanding of underground reservoirs and sealing intervals.
“As with many scientific discoveries, there are many skeptical sounds, but there are many people who express their support for the new model. Time and more research will tell you how common the model is.”
