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GC-Sustainable Earth

Post Energy Geosciences Division GC-Sustainable Earth Research Highlight Resilient Energy

EESA Experts Participate in First High-Resolution Field Measurements of Induced Seismicity and Fault Slip

March 13, 2019

Induced seismicity refers to typically minor earthquakes and tremors triggered by human activity, deliberate or not. Rarely are humans aware of these mostly low-magnitude events occurring deep underground. However, some regions have over the past decade shown quite significant earthquakes, such as a few larger than magnitude 5 events in Oklahoma, which have been linked to wastewater injection…

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Post Energy Geosciences Division GC-Sustainable Earth Publication Research Highlight

New Research Shows How Surface Roughness Affects Subsurface Rock Micro-Fractures

October 17, 2018

Mineral surface area largely controls the interactions of minerals with fluids and microbes, and the rate of chemical reactions, including mineral dissolution, precipitation, and oxidation-reduction which involves a transfer of electrons between two species. New research from EESA explores the impact of surface roughness on mineral dissolution rates in micro-fractures within rocks deep underground. The…

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Post Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division Climate Sciences Department Discovery Geosciences Program Domain Energy Geosciences Division Environmental and Biological Systems Science Program GC-Climate Carbon Sink GC-Future Water GC-Microbial Engines GC-Resilient Systems GC-Sustainable Earth Geophysics Department Geothermal Systems

Geosciences Measurement Facility Celebrates Its 45th Summer Field Season

August 21, 2018

Within the Department of Energy complex of national laboratories, the Geosciences Measurement Facility (GMF) at Berkeley Lab is distinguished by its ability to build, test, and deploy customized instrumentation and innovative data acquisition and telemetry solutions, which are enabling scientists to address some of the most critical Earth, energy and environmental challenges that we face.…

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Post BES Isotopes Program Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division Ecology Department Energy Geosciences Division GC-Future Water GC-Sustainable Earth Geochemistry Department Hydrogeology Department Publication Research Highlight

Berkeley Lab Isotope Geochemists Study Isotopic Fractionation by Plants

August 3, 2018

Isotope geochemists at Berkeley Lab are the first to establish the degree of Potassium (K) isotopic fractionation by plants. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons. Scientists have just in the past decade begun studying for key nutrient elements (other than C, O, N and H which have…

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Post GC-Sustainable Earth Geothermal Systems Uncategorized

Tool created at Geosciences Measurement Facility Enables Unprecedented Look at Subsurface Rock Fractures

June 1, 2018

A new instrument developed at the Geosciences Measurement Facility at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will help scientists working to identify ways to improve enhanced geothermal systems technologies to expand access to clean energy. Two of the instruments, called SIMFIP (Step-Rate Injection Method for Fracture In-Situ Properties), were installed in late May nearly 5,000 feet below…

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Post Announcements Discovery Geosciences Program Domain Energy Geosciences Division Energy Resources Program Area Energy Resources Program Domain GC-Resilient Systems GC-Sustainable Earth Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geophysics Department Geothermal Systems Publication Research Highlight Resilient Energy

EESA Scientists Leverage Machine Learning to Connect Measurements of Shale Across Scales

May 2, 2018

EESA Scientists were able to use the new synchrotron Infrared Nano Spectroscopy (SINS) capability at Advanced Light Source. Above: Diagrams of the setup of (a) the Germanium-hemisphere enhanced attenuated total reflection (Ge micro-ATR) and (b) the resonance enhanced SINS. Berkeley Lab scientists have identified a way to use machine learning to connect fine- and large-scale…

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Post Climate & Carbon Sciences Program Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division Climate Modeling Program GC-Climate Carbon Sink GC-Sustainable Earth

EESA Faculty Scientist Shares Forest Insights Relevant to Wildfires with California State Assembly

April 12, 2018

Jeff Chambers, faculty scientist within the Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division at Berkeley Lab, provided testimony during a recent informational hearing of the California State Assembly focused on the impact of climate change on wildfire risk. Chambers was among a number of subject matter  experts called upon to share knowledge relevant to the lawmakers’ consideration…

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Post Announcements Discovery Geosciences Program Domain Energy Geosciences Division Energy Resources Program Domain GC-Sustainable Earth Sustainable Energy Systems Program Domain

Berkeley Lab Signs Memorandum of Understanding with French Geological Survey

April 12, 2018

On April 10, Berkeley Lab and France’s Geological Survey, BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières), signed a Memorandum of Understanding representing their intent to expand a collaborative partnership.  The French geological survey is one of Berkeley Lab’s key European counterparts in working to address the need to protect and sustain Earth’s energy and environmental resources.…

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Post Announcements Discovery Geosciences Program Domain Energy Geosciences Division Energy Resources Program Domain GC-Sustainable Earth Geologic Carbon Sequestration Program Geothermal Systems Hydrocarbon Resources Hydrogeology Department Resilient Energy Resilient Energy Water Infrastructure

Scientists Unveil New Version of Popular Flow-Simulation Tool

March 22, 2018

Scientists from the Energy Geosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have released the latest version of TOUGH (Transport Of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat), a suite of software codes used worldwide to simulate nonisothermal multiphase flow and transport in fractured and porous media. TOUGH3 builds on the impressive legacy of its TOUGH predecessors, which…

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