Managing the mining cycle using GeoVisionary

Managing the mining cycle from exploration through to evaluation, planning, construction, operation and finally mine closure can involve many datasets in different formats. To be able to visualise all of these different datasets in one environment is important to locate mineral/ore deposits, moderate risks, increase mining efficiency, monitor the impact on the surrounding environment and communicate these factors to stakeholders. Typically, GIS – Geographical Information Systems have been used to manage the life cycle of a mine, however the three dimensional (3D) complexity is lost in these two dimensional (2D) systems. Virtalis alongside the British Geological Survey, have developed the GeoVisionary software which provides the means to aid the management of many aspects of the life cycle of a mine using a combination 2D, 3D and 4D data in the same virtual environment

A 3D geological model for B90745 North Trans Pennine Electrification East between Leeds and York

This report and accompanying 3D geological model were produced for Tata Steel Projects. The report describes the bedrock and Quaternary geology of the study area, comprising 28 km (17.5 miles) of railway line between Leeds and York. The description and spatial distribution of each geological unit is based on the 3D geological model, which was constructed using 1:10,000 scale digital geological map data and 102 borehole logs from the British Geological Survey’s national archive. All boreholes located within the modelled area were considered in the construction of the geological model, together with key boreholes that fall outside the area of study. The top and base of weathered rock as defined is depicted as layers within the model

Ground motion and stratum thickness comparison in Tower Hamlets, London

This report is the published product of a study by the British Geological Survey (BGS) to identify the impact of thickness and distribution of different strata beneath the borough of Tower Hamlets in London compared against temporal ground motion resulting from anthropogenic activities. Other units which are known to have potential high shrink and swelling characteristics in this location were also considered. Focus was on a newly developed Artificially Modified Ground (AMG) 3D layer where the thickness and distribution was calculated using boreholes and landuse types. The layer has been used to refine the thickness of the other lithological units in the area. Ground motion data for the 2015-2018 period was derived using spaceborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) which can measure surface displacement to millimetre accuracy in urban areas. A machine learning technique, called cluster analysis, has been used to group ground motion pattern of 23,245 points within the borough in space and time. The relationship with the thickness of the AMG and the underlying superficial and bedrock units was then studied. The results show that, within the area of study, the main component of motion is the uplift connected, in time, with the underground anthropogenic activities in the area. Ground displacement patterns are not connected with the thickness of the thickest and deepest units (London Clay, Lambeth Group and Thanet Formation) but have a connection to the most superficial deposits (Alluvium, River Terrace Deposits, Langley Silt Member and Kempton Park Gravel Member)

Creation and delivery of a complex 3D geological survey for the Glasgow area and its application to urban geology

The Glasgow area has a combination of highly variable superficial deposits and a legacy of heavy industry, quarrying and mining. These factors create complex foundation and hydrological conditions, influencing the movement of contaminants through the subsurface and giving rise locally to unstable ground conditions. Digital geological three-dimensional models developed by the British Geological Survey are helping to resolve the complex geology underlying Glasgow, providing a key tool for planning and environmental management. The models, covering an area of 3200km2 to a depth of 1.2km, include glacial and post-glacial deposits and the underlying, faulted Carboniferous igneous and sedimentary rocks. Control data, including 95,000 boreholes, digital mine plans and published geological maps, were used in model development. Digital outputs from the models include maps of depth to key horizons, such as rockhead or depth to mine workings. The models have formed the basis for the development of site-scale high-resolution geological models and provide input data for a wide range of other applications from groundwater modelling to stochastic lithological modelling

The role of measuring exhaled breath biomarkers in sarcoidosis: A systematic review

Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease of unknown aetiology with a variable clinical course and prognosis. There is a growing need to identify non-invasive biomarkers to differentiate between clinical phenotypes, identify those at risk of disease progression and monitor response to treatment. Objectives: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis, to evaluate the utility of breath-based biomarkers in discriminating sarcoidosis from healthy controls, alongside correlation with existing non-breath based biomarkers used in clinical practice, radiological stage, markers of disease activity and response to treatment. Methods: Electronic searches were undertaken during November 2017 using PubMed, Ebsco, Embase and Web of Science to capture relevant studies evaluating breath-based biomarkers in adult patients with sarcoidosis. Results: 353 papers were screened; 21 met the inclusion criteria and assessed 25 different biomarkers alongside VOCs in exhaled breath gas or condensate. Considerable heterogeneity existed amongst the studies in terms of participant characteristics, sampling and analytical methods. Elevated biomarkers in sarcoidosis included 8-isoprostane, carbon monoxide, neopterin, TGF-β1, TNFα, CysLT and several metallic elements including chromium, silicon and nickel. Three studies exploring VOCs were able to distinguish sarcoidosis from controls. Meta-analysis of four studies assessing alveolar nitric oxide showed no significant difference between sarcoidosis and healthy controls (2.22ppb; 95% CI -0.83, 5.27) however, a high degree of heterogeneity was observed with an I2 of 93.4% (p<0.001). Inconsistent or statistically insignificant results were observed for correlations between several biomarkers and radiological stage, markers of disease activity or treatment. Conclusions: The evidence for using breath biomarkers to diagnose and monitor sarcoidosis remains inconclusive with many studies limited by small sample sizes and lack of standardisation. VOCs have shown promising potential but further research is required to evaluate their prognostic role

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR

Relationship of edge localized mode burst times with divertor flux loop signal phase in JET

A phase relationship is identified between sequential edge localized modes (ELMs) occurrence times in a set of H-mode tokamak plasmas to the voltage measured in full flux azimuthal loops in the divertor region. We focus on plasmas in the Joint European Torus where a steady H-mode is sustained over several seconds, during which ELMs are observed in the Be II emission at the divertor. The ELMs analysed arise from intrinsic ELMing, in that there is no deliberate intent to control the ELMing process by external means. We use ELM timings derived from the Be II signal to perform direct time domain analysis of the full flux loop VLD2 and VLD3 signals, which provide a high cadence global measurement proportional to the voltage induced by changes in poloidal magnetic flux. Specifically, we examine how the time interval between pairs of successive ELMs is linked to the time-evolving phase of the full flux loop signals. Each ELM produces a clear early pulse in the full flux loop signals, whose peak time is used to condition our analysis. The arrival time of the following ELM, relative to this pulse, is found to fall into one of two categories: (i) prompt ELMs, which are directly paced by the initial response seen in the flux loop signals; and (ii) all other ELMs, which occur after the initial response of the full flux loop signals has decayed in amplitude. The times at which ELMs in category (ii) occur, relative to the first ELM of the pair, are clustered at times when the instantaneous phase of the full flux loop signal is close to its value at the time of the first ELM

Comparing and fusing deterministic and stochastic geological models : an example from the City of Glasgow, UK

Engineering and hydrogeological site investigations in urban areas require an understanding of subsurface lithological variation and related properties, between and within stratigraphic units. In the Glasgow conurbation, Scotland, large-scale and long-term projects aimed at regenerating post-industrial (brownfield) sites are underway; these need to anticipate ground conditions and potential groundwater and contaminant migration pathways. To help planners at early stages in these activities the British Geological Survey (BGS) has undertaken a programme of attributed three-dimensional geological modelling, as part of the Clyde-Urban Super-Project (CUSP) and in partnership with Glasgow City Council and others. The modelling is based on a densely-spaced and extensive digital borehole dataset (>50,000 coded boreholes). This work compares the results of two different types of modelling workflow undertaken in central Glasgow – an area underlain by complex and heterogeneous glacial and post-glacial (including anthropogenic) deposits. The first workflow adheres to a determined lithostratigraphy and requires significant ‘geologically-reasoned’ input from the model operator, while the second adopts a stochastic approach using only lithological codes from the borehole dataset. While there is general agreement in terms of the overall sediment architecture produced by both models, notable differences in output exist between the two. These are assessed and the relative merits of each modelling workflow discussed. Outputs from both methodologies are also compared in terms of their potential for fusion with other (e.g. groundwater) modelling platforms. This combined approach will facilitate better understanding between geologists, groundwater modellers, engineers, planners, and regulators