This paper will describe firstly the combined
cognitive and geostatistical modelling methodology
that was developed in order to produce a structural
model of the Chalk under London and secondly
how the resultant model has improved our
understanding of how the London Basin evolved
during the Cretaceous period.
Urban regeneration in the UK tackles deprivation stemming from industrial decline. These long-term projects (up to 25 years) are some of Europe’s largest. They implement land recycling, sustainable development and effective management of land and water resources. Those engaged in regeneration and large-scale construction (e.g. Olympic Games 2012 in London) need accessible and readily understood environmental geoscience information. The British Geological Survey (BGS) increasingly meets these needs with interactive, bespoke, 3D attributed geologic models, constructed with GSI3D and other software, and related GIS datasets. Close partnerships with decision-makers, including environmental regulators, help ensure effective data use. For example, in the Clyde Corridor, Scotland’s national regeneration priority, BGS works with Glasgow City Council, delivering 3D models of surficial deposits and bedrock in an urban area undermined for coal and ironstone, and masked by variably contaminated anthropogenic deposits. Comprehensive geochemical datasets are also produced. The models incorporate engineering data, and provide a platform for groundwater recharge and flow models, developed using ZOOM object-oriented software, which will be parameterized with data from a groundwater monitoring network under development. This will facilitate monitoring of groundwater quality and levels during regeneration, and aid assessment of: large-scale remediation of chromium waste; point-source groundwater recharge associated with sustainable urban drainage, a growing part of metropolitan drainage strategy; and the potential for and sustainability of ground source heat from extensive minewaters and aquifers beneath Glasgow.
Estimation of settling velocities of large orthopyroxene megacrysts, found within anorthosite intrusions, are calculated and compared with ascent rates achieved by diapirism and conduit propagation. Calculations suggest that diapirism is far too slow to be an appropriate ascent mechanism for anorthositic crystal mush and favour conduit emplacement. The intrusions of the Nain Plutonic Suite (NPS) are located along the Abloviak shear zone, which marks the boundary between the Nain and Churchill provinces, and within the zone of juxtaposition of the Saglek and Hopedale blocks of the Nain Province. These crustal weaknesses have probably controlled the emplacement and distribution of the intrusions. Contact relations between intrusions of anorthosite and their gneissic host rock provide evidence for two emplacement styles within the NPS, the first typified by strongly deformed and recrystallized rocks, and the second by an outer border zone of mafic rocks. It is proposed that these differences in intrusive style are due to differences in ductility contrast between the magma and its surrounding host rocks, such that those intrusions emplaced into the thermally softened shear zone have deformed margins, whereas those intruded into the cooler Archaean crust have undeformed margins.
This report describes the results of the NERC Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) workshop that was held at BGS Keyworth on the 4th to 5th February, 2014. The meeting brought together some 35 scientists from the NERC Science Office and five NERC centres and surveys. The workshop builds on previous meetings which have been convened over a number of years; such as the International summit on Integrated Environmental Modelling, Washington (2010), the AGU fall meeting, San Francisco (2009), and the international congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (2010). From these meetings it was recognised that there were many communities involved in developing IEM and that the two main groups of the US and Europe needed to work together to create an open community for all. Out of these meetings it was clear that there was a need to; provide accessible linkable components, to address uncertainty, to professionalise the development of integrated models, to engage with the user community (particularly decision and policy-makers) and to develop a community of practise to aid the development and uptake of IEM.
The aim of this meeting was to:
Develop a strategy for Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) within NERC
Develop an Integrated Environmental Modelling Methodology that can be easily adopted both inside and outside NERC
Establish several exemplar projects that are cross-cutting (institutional and discipline) and also deliver the key goals of IEM and the new NERC strategy
The outcomes from the Washington meeting in 2010 have been considered and further developed. From this, the proposed NERC IEM strategy has been broken down into 4 key areas which formed the topics for each of the breakout groups and are: -
1. The premise that eventually all models will at some point in their life-cycle need to be linked to other models. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
2. To encourage the development of modelling platforms. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
3. To assess and quantify uncertainty arising from integrated modelling. What needs to be done to enable this to happen?
4. To develop specific exemplar projects. How should this be done within NERC and with NERC's partners?
The report outlines the strategy and vision for Integrated Environmental Modelling in NERC and then gives a description of the main findings from each of the 4 main topics areas addressed within the NERC IEM workshop
'%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0v30h60V0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='6' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='4' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='10' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='6' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
