Space weather effects on drilling accuracy in the North Sea

The oil industry uses geomagnetic field information to aid directional drilling operations when drilling for oil and gas offshore. These operations involve continuous monitoring of the azimuth and inclination of the well path to ensure the target is reached and, for safety reasons, to avoid collisions with existing wells. Although the most accurate method of achieving this is through a gyroscopic survey, this can be time consuming and expensive. An alternative method is a magnetic survey, where measurements while drilling (MWD) are made along the well by magnetometers housed in a tool within the drill string. These MWD magnetic surveys require estimates of the Earth’s magnetic field at the drilling location to correct the downhole magnetometer readings. The most accurate corrections are obtained if all sources of the Earth’s magnetic field are considered. Estimates of the main field generated in the core and the local crustal field can be obtained using mathematical models derived from suitable data sets. In order to quantify the external field, an analysis of UK observatory data from 1983 to 2004 has been carried out. By accounting for the external field, the directional error associated with estimated field values at a mid-latitude oil well (55 N) in the North Sea is shown to be reduced by the order of 20%. This improvement varies with latitude, local time, season and phase of the geomagnetic activity cycle. By accounting for all sources of the field, using a technique called Interpolation In-Field Referencing (IIFR), directional drillers have access to data from a “virtual” magnetic observatory at the drill site. This leads to an error reduction in positional accuracy that is close to matching that of the gyroscopic survey method and provides a valuable independent technique for quality control purposes

Non-exponential hydrodynamical growth in density-stratified thin Keplerian discs

The short time evolution of three dimensional small perturbations is studied. Exhibiting spectral asymptotic stability, thin discs are nonetheless shown to host intensive hydrodynamical activity in the shape of non modal growth of initial small perturbations. Two mechanisms that lead to such behavior are identified and studied, namely, non-resonant excitation of vertically confined sound waves by stable planar inertia-coriolis modes that results in linear growth with time, as well as resonant coupling of those two modes that leads to a quadratic growth of the initial perturbations. It is further speculated that the non modal growth can give rise to secondary strato-rotational instabilities and thus lead to a new route to turbulence generation in thin discs

Recent changes of the Earth's core derived from satellite observations of magnetic and gravity fields

International audienceTo understand the dynamics of the Earth's fluid, iron-rich outer core, only indirect observations are available. The Earth's magnetic field, originating mainly within the core, and its temporal variations can be used to infer the fluid motion at the top of the core, on a decadal and subdecadal timescale. Gravity variations resulting from changes in the mass distribution within the Earth may also occur on the same timescales. Such variations include the signature of the flow inside the core, though they are largely dominated by the water cycle contributions. Our study is based on 8 y of high-resolution, high-accuracy magnetic and gravity satellite data, provided by the CHAMP and GRACE missions. From the newly derived geomagnetic models we have computed the core magnetic field, its temporal variations, and the core flow evolution. From the GRACE CNES/GRGS series of time variable geoid models, we have obtained interannual gravity models by using specifically designed postprocessing techniques. A correlation analysis between the magnetic and gravity series has demonstrated that the interannual changes in the second time derivative of the core magnetic field under a region from the Atlantic to Indian Ocean coincide in phase with changes in the gravity field. The order of magnitude of these changes and proposed correlation are plausible, compatible with a core origin; however, a complete theoretical model remains to be built. Our new results and their broad geophysical significance could be considered when planning new Earth observation space missions and devising more sophisticated Earth's interior models. Earth's interior ∣ core dynamic

Hemodynamic support in the early phase of septic shock: a review of challenges and unanswered questions

BACKGROUND: Improving sepsis support is one of the three pillars of a 2017 resolution according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Septic shock is indeed a burden issue in the intensive care units. Hemodynamic stabilization is a cornerstone element in the bundle of supportive treatments recommended in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) consecutive biannual reports. MAIN BODY: The "Pandera\u27s box" of septic shock hemodynamics is an eternal debate, however, with permanent contentious issues. Fluid resuscitation is a prerequisite intervention for sepsis rescue, but selection, modalities, dosage as well as duration are subject to discussion while too much fluid is associated with worsen outcome, vasopressors often need to be early introduced in addition, and catecholamines have long been recommended first in the management of septic shock. However, not all patients respond positively and controversy surrounding the efficacy-to-safety profile of catecholamines has come out. Preservation of the macrocirculation through a "best" mean arterial pressure target is the actual priority but is still contentious. Microcirculation recruitment is a novel goal to be achieved but is claiming more knowledge and monitoring standardization. Protection of the cardio-renal axis, which is prevalently injured during septic shock, is also an unavoidable objective. Several promising alternative or additive drug supporting avenues are emerging, trending toward catecholamine\u27s sparing or even "decatecholaminization." Topics to be specifically addressed in this review are: (1) mean arterial pressure targeting, (2) fluid resuscitation, and (3) hemodynamic drug support. CONCLUSION: Improving assessment and means for rescuing hemodynamics in early septic shock is still a work in progress. Indeed, the bigger the unresolved questions, the lower the quality of evidence

A shallow-water theory for annular sections of Keplerian Disks

A scaling argument is presented that leads to a shallow water theory of non-axisymmetric disturbances in annular sections of thin Keplerian disks. To develop a theoretical construction that will aid in physically understanding the relationship of known two-dimensional vortex dynamics to their three-dimensional counterparts in Keplerian disks. Using asymptotic scaling arguments varicose disturbances of a Keplerian disk are considered on radial and vertical scales consistent with the height of the disk while the azimuthal scales are the full $2\pi$ angular extent of the disk. The scalings lead to dynamics which are radially geostrophic and vertically hydrostatic. It follows that a potential vorticity quantity emerges and is shown to be conserved in a Lagrangian sense. Uniform potential vorticity linear solutions are explored and the theory is shown to contain an incarnation of the strato-rotational instability under channel flow conditions. Linearized solutions of a single defect on an infinite domain is developed and is shown to support a propagating Rossby edgewave. Linear non-uniform potential vorticity solutions are also developed and are shown to be similar in some respects to the dynamics of strictly two-dimensional inviscid flows. Based on the framework of this theory, arguments based on geophysical notions are presented to support the assertion that the strato-rotational instability is in a generic class of barotropic/baroclinic potential vorticity instabilities. Extensions of this formalism are also proposed. The shallow water formulation achieved by the asymptotic theory developed here opens a new approach to studying disk dynamics.Comment: Accepted (July 21, 2008), now in final for

On the viability of the shearing box approximation for numerical studies of MHD turbulence in accretion disks

Most of our knowledge on the nonlinear development of the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) relies on the results of numerical simulations employing the shearing box (SB) approximation. A number of difficulties arising from this approach have recently been pointed out in the literature. We thoroughly examine the effects of the assumptions made and numerical techniques employed in SB simulations. This is done in order to clarify and gain better understanding of those difficulties as well as of a number of additional serious problems, raised here for the first time, and of their impact on the results. Analytical derivations and estimates as well as comparative analysis to methods used in the numerical study of turbulence are used. Numerical experiments are performed to support some of our claims and conjectures. The following problems, arising from the (virtually exclusive) use of the SB simulations as a tool for the understanding and quantification of the nonlinear MRI development in disks, are analyzed and discussed: (i) inconsistencies in the application of the SB approximation itself; (ii) the limited spatial scale of the SB; (iii) the lack of convergence of most ideal MHD simulations; (iv) side-effects of the SB symmetry and the non-trivial nature of the linear MRI; (v) physical artifacts arising on the too small box scale due to periodic boundary conditions. The computational and theoretical challenge posed by the MHD turbulence problem in accretion disks cannot be met by the SB approximation, as it has been used to date. A new strategy to confront this challenge is proposed, based on techniques widely used in numerical studies of turbulent flows - developing (e.g., with the help of local numerical studies) a sub-grid turbulence model and implementing it in global calculations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Linear dynamics of weakly viscous accretion disks: A disk analog of Tollmien-Schlichting waves

This paper discusses new perspectives and approaches to the problem of disk dynamics where, in this study, we focus on the effects of viscous instabilities influenced by boundary effects. The Boussinesq approximation of the viscous large shearing box equations is analyzed in which the azimuthal length scale of the disturbance is much larger than the radial and vertical scales. We examine the stability of a non-axisymmetric potential vorticity mode, i.e. a PV-anomaly. in a configuration in which buoyant convection and the strato-rotational instability do not to operate. We consider a series of boundary conditions which show the PV-anomaly to be unstable both on a finite and semi-infinite radial domains. We find these conditions leading to an instability which is the disk analog of Tollmien-Schlichting waves. When the viscosity is weak, evidence of the instability is most pronounced by the emergence of a vortex sheet at the critical layer located away from the boundary where the instability is generated. For some boundary conditions a necessary criterion for the onset of instability for vertical wavelengths that are a sizable fraction of the layer's thickness and when the viscosity is small is that the appropriate Froude number of the flow be greater than one. This instability persists if more realistic boundary conditions are applied, although the criterion on the Froude number is more complicated. The unstable waves studied here share qualitative features to the instability seen in rotating Blasius boundary layers. The implications of these results are discussed. An overall new strategy for exploring and interpreting disk instability mechanisms is also suggested.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 18 pages. This version 3 with corrected style fil