UK Geoenergy Observatories Cheshire Energy Research Field Site : Science Infrastructure

This report presents a record of the infrastructure provided by the UK Geoenergy Observatories Cheshire Energy Research Field Site. It sets out the basic monitoring, sample collection and analysis that will be carried out by the British Geological Survey on behalf of the UK research community and international collaborators. All data generated by the British Geological Survey and researchers who use the facility will be freely and openly available. It is expected that individual research projects, funded separately, will have specific operational requirements, and where possible on the grounds of capability and capacity these will be accommodated, following discussion with and approval from the facility’s management team. The design of the infrastructure was based on the requirements of the UK Geoenergy Observatories’ Science Plan, which was generated following community consultation. As with all drilling projects, the realities of what can be achieved in the context of geological constraints, health and safety, and budget have meant that the final design is necessarily a compromise. Researchers should use this document as the definitive description of the Observatories’ infrastructure, and refer to it in their published outputs

A geological model of London and the Thames Valley, southeast England

Many geological survey organisations have started delivering digital geological models as part of their role. This article describes the British Geological Survey (BGS) model for London and the Thames Valley in southeast England. The model covers 4800 km2 and extends to several hundred metres depth. It includes extensive spreads of Quaternary river terraces and alluvium of the Thames drainage system resting on faulted and folded Palaeogene and Cretaceous bedrock strata. The model extends to the base of the Jurassic sedimentary rocks. The baseline datasets used and the uses and limitations of the model are given. The model has been used to generate grids for the elevation of the base of the Quaternary, the thickness of Quaternary deposits, and enabled a reassessment of the subcrop distribution and faulting of the Palaeogene and Cretaceous bedrock units especially beneath the Quaternary deposits. Digital outputs from the model include representations of geological surfaces, which can be used in GIS, CAD and geological modelling software, and also graphic depictions such as a fence diagram of cross-sections through the model. The model can be viewed as a whole, and be dissected, in the BGS Lithoframe Viewer. Spatial queries of this and other BGS models, at specific points, along defined lines or at a specified depth, can be performed with the new BGS Groundhog application, which delivers template-based reports. The model should be viewed as a first version that should be improved further, and kept up to date, as new data and understanding emerges

Should science educators deal with the science/religion issue?

I begin by examining the natures of science and religion before looking at the ways in which they relate to one another. I then look at a number of case studies that centre on the relationships between science and religion, including attempts to find mechanisms for divine action in quantum theory and chaos theory, creationism, genetic engineering and the writings of Richard Dawkins. Finally, I consider some of the pedagogical issues that would need to be considered if the science/religion issue is to be addressed in the classroom. I conclude that there are increasing arguments in favour of science educators teaching about the science/religion issue. The principal reason for this is to help students better to learn science. However, such teaching makes greater demands on science educators than has generally been the case. Certain of these demands are identified and some specific suggestions are made as to how a science educator might deal with the science/religion issue. © 2008 Taylor & Francis

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

A review of transport and attenuation of dissolved-phase volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the unsaturated zone

This report is concerned with transport and attenuation of dissolved-phase volatile organic compound (VOC) plumes in the unsaturated zone. The report reviews the international literature in this subject area, but emphasis is placed upon UK context and relevance. The review makes reference to, but does not critically evaluate how current understanding of VOC migration in the unsaturated zone is translated into practical risk-based assessment frameworks. It does, however, make observations as to the critical migration processes that should be considered in such frameworks to allow more effective knowledge-based decision making for the development of conceptual site models and the implementation of remedial actions appropriate to contaminated sites. The key drivers for this review are the cost-effective management of VOC sources and associated contaminant plumes and the protection of groundwater. This requires an understanding and quantification of the processes by which the unsaturated zone offers protection to underlying groundwater resources from chemical releases at ground surface. Times taken for water to infiltrate and recharge the underlying water table may be long, possibly several decades where zones are thick. Furthermore, dissolved-phase chemical contaminants within infiltrating water may undergo attenuation and potentially be prevented from reaching the water table or delayed in arrival with much reduced concentrations present. A combination of processes including dispersion, sorption, volatilisation, chemical reaction and biodegradation may contribute to contaminant attenuation and protection of underlying aquifers. The review is structured in eight sections, which comprise: Section 1, where the context, aims and objectives of the review study are described. In assessing VOC plumes in the unsaturated zone leached from shallow source zones it is important that: (i) understanding of transport and attenuation of chemical contaminants in the unsaturated zone is sufficient to both recognise and quantify the critical controlling processes; and, (ii) that understanding is translated into practical risk-based assessment frameworks to allow contaminated land problem holders, investigators and regulators alike to make effective knowledge-based decisions on remedial actions appropriate to contaminated sites

Development of a suitability map for infiltration sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)

Infiltration sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) such as soakaways and permeable pavements use the capacity of the subsurface to attenuate surface water. The implementation of SuDS is required by the Floods and Water Management Act 2010, and the associated National Standards for Sustainable Drainage prioritise infiltration over other surface water drainage methods. This paper describes the development of a nationally derived Infiltration SuDS Map that enables preliminary assessment of the suitability of the ground for infiltration SuDS. It shows that national geological and hydrogeological datasets, developed by the British Geological Survey, can be used to support early planning decisions. The map comprises 24 GIS layers that both summarise and provide subsurface information on the suitability of the ground with respect to significant flooding and stability constraints, the drainage potential and considerations relating to ground stability and groundwater protection. The map was validated using an independent database of SuDS installations and was found to accurately describe the ground conditions in all 27 cases. The Infiltration SuDS Map suggests that 34.5 %of the United Kingdom is suitable or probably suitable for free-draining SuDS, but that the potential for infiltration SuDS at the city-scale varies depending on the ground conditions. For example, 60 % of Bradford was deemed as suitable, or probably suitable for Infiltration SuDS, whereas only 19 %of the area of Leicester was similarly classified

Release of contaminants from a heterogeneously fractured low permeability unit underlying a DNAPL source zone

The invasion of DNAPL into fractured low permeability deposits results in the formation of secondary source zones that represent a long-term source of VOCs to adjacent aquifers. We present data from a site underlain by a fractured mudstone contaminated with TCE DNAPL that was poised for release following remediation of the overlying aquifer. Observations of contaminant distributions and fracture networks from the site and a nearby mudstone exposure respectively, enabled prediction of the imminent aquifer recontamination. The fractures, likely formed by gypsum dissolution, were characterised by fracture apertures and spacings that ranged from 0.01 to 49 mm and 0.047 to 3.37 m (10th and 90th percentile values) respectively. Numerical model results show that prediction of outward mass flux in the first year was highly variable (8 to 32 g/m2/d for an initial constant concentration with depth profile) and dependent on both the fracture spacing and aperture and the contaminant distribution. However after 1 year, assuming a heterogeneous distribution of fractures, mass flux was predictable within a narrow range of values (at 20 years; 0.04-0.08 g/m2/d). Similar results were obtained from more typical fracture networks with spacings of 0.1 to 0.5 m and apertures of 10 to 100 µm. These results suggest that when considering potential recontamination in a bounding aquifer, fracture characterisation may not be necessary and instead the focus should be on determining the surface area contributing contaminant mass to an aquifer, the contaminant concentration depth profiles, the hydraulic properties of the receiving aquifer and the elapsed time since aquifer remediation