| 1. |
- Giongo, Adriana, et al.
(författare)
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Discovery of a chemosynthesis-based community in the western South Atlantic Ocean
- 2016
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Ingår i: Deep Sea Research Part I. - : Elsevier. - 0967-0637 .- 1879-0119. ; 112, s. 45-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemosynthetic communities have been described from a variety of deep-sea environments across the world's oceans. They constitute very interesting biological systems in terms of their ecology, evolution and biogeography, and also given their potential as indicators of the presence and abundance of consistent hydrocarbon-based nutritional sources. Up to now such peculiar biotic assemblages have not been reported for the western South Atlantic Ocean, leaving this large region undocumented with respect to the presence, composition and history of such communities. Here we report on the presence of a chemosynthetic community off the coast of southern Brazil, in an area where high-levels of methane and the presence of gas hydrates have been detected. We performed metagenomic analyses of the microbial community present at this site, and also employed molecular approaches to identify components of its benthic fauna. We conducted phylogenetic analyses comparing the components of this assemblage to those found elsewhere in the world, which allowed a historical assessment of the structure and dynamics of these systems. Our results revealed that the microbial community at this site is quite diverse, and contains many components that are very closely related to lineages previously sampled in ecologically similar environments across the globe. Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaeal groups were found to be very abundant at this site, suggesting that methane is indeed an important source of nutrition for this community. In addition, we document the presence at this site of a vestimentiferan siboglinid polychaete and the bivalve Acharax sp., both of which are typical components of deep-sea chemosynthetic communities. The remarkable similarity in biotic composition between this area and other deep-sea communities across the world supports the interpretation that these assemblages are historically connected across the global oceans, undergoing colonization from distant sites and influenced by local ecological features that select a stereotyped suite of specifically adapted organisms. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 2. |
- Miller, Dennis J., et al.
(författare)
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Natural gas hydrates in the Rio Grande Cone (Brazil) : A new province in the western South Atlantic
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marine and Petroleum Geology. - : Elsevier. - 0264-8172 .- 1873-4073. ; 67, s. 187-196
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Rio Grande Cone is a large-scale fanlike feature in the continental slope of the Pelotas Basin, Southern Brazil, where ubiquitous world-class bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) are readily observed in seismic records. With the purpose of searching for natural gas hydrate deposits in the Cone area, four oceanographic cruises were carried out between May 2011 and July 2013, leading to the discovery of two pockmark fields, active faults and gas hydrates in shallow sediments. Multichannel seismic, multibeam echo sounder, side scan sonar and sub-bottom profiler records were used to map the shallow section and select sites for piston core sampling. Gas hydrates were recovered in several piston cores within muddy sediments collected inside pockmarks displaying high backscatter in the multibeam and side scan sonar data. We present two representative piston cores where numerous levels of gas hydrates occur, along with degassing features, authigenic carbonate and soupy sediments. Gas dissociated from gas hydrate samples is dominantly methane (>99.78%) with minor quantities of ethane. The chemical and isotopic compositions of the gas strongly suggest a biogenic origin for the analyzed samples. These new findings are regarded as strong enough evidence to consider the Rio Grande Cone as a new gas hydrate province. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 3. |
- da S. Ramos, Alessandro, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative assessment between different sample preparation methodologies for PTGA CO2 adsorption assays—Pellet, powder, and fragment samples
- 2018
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Ingår i: Adsorption Science and Technology. - : Sage Publications. - 0263-6174 .- 2048-4038. ; 36:7-8, s. 1441-1455
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The carbon dioxide sorption process at coal seams is very important for understanding the trapping mechanisms of carbon capture and storage. The gas retention capacity of coal seams can be estimated using indirect methods based on the adsorption/desorption isotherms obtained in the laboratory. However, the gas sorption capacity can be overestimated or underestimated depending on the sample preparation. This work evaluates different sample preparations and their theoretical adsorption capacity using coal samples from the Cambui coal field (Parana Basin), southern Brazil. Experiments using a thermogravimetric balance were done to calculate the theoretical adsorption capacity, while sample characterization was done through immediate analysis, elementary analysis, and mineralogical studies. The sample preparations used in this work were powder, pellets, and fragments. While the powder form presents an average behavior, without any experimental complication, the pellet is extremely sensitive to any variation in the sample preparation, such as fractures, and the fragment requires a much longer experiment time than the other sample preparations, being impracticable for some cases.
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| 4. |
- dos Santos, Victor Hugo J. M., et al.
(författare)
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Classification of Fuel Blends Using Exploratory Analysis with Combined Data from Infrared Spectroscopy and Stable Isotope Analysis
- 2017
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Ingår i: Energy & Fuels. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0887-0624 .- 1520-5029. ; 31:1, s. 523-532
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chemometric tools were applied for exploratory analysis and classification of fuel blends using the combined information on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and stable isotope analysis through isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Principal component analysisand hierarchical clustering analysis were applied for exploratory analysis, while support vector machine (SVM) was used to classify the biodiesel/diesel blends. All of the chemometric models used present better results from the combination of spectral information with isotopic data for biodiesel contents of over 10% in the mixture, with the best results being Obtained from the SVM classification. Therefore, the development presented in this paper could become an important technique to improve the discrimination of the feedstock used in biodiesel production and a resource for quality control in industry.
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| 5. |
- dos Santos, Victor Hugo J. M., et al.
(författare)
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Discriminant analysis of biodiesel fuel blends based on combined data from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and stable carbon isotope analysis
- 2017
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Ingår i: Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems. - : Elsevier. - 0169-7439 .- 1873-3239. ; 161, s. 70-78
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A multivariate approach was used for classification of fuel blends using the combined information from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and stable carbon isotopes analysis by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS). Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) and Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) were applied to the classification of biodiesel/diesel fuel blends containing 0-100% (v/v) of biodiesel. The LDA and PLS-DA methods were able to discriminate samples ranging from 10% to 100% biodiesel (v/v) using the combined information from FTIR and IRMS. Since the global trend is toward a gradual increase in the percentage of biodiesel in fuel blends, the technique presented in this paper could be an important development in improving the traceability and identification of different raw materials used in biodiesel production.
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| 6. |
- Ketzer, João Marcelo, et al.
(författare)
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Gas hydrate dissociation linked to contemporary ocean warming in the southern hemisphere
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2041-1723. ; 11:1, s. 1-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ocean warming related to climate change has been proposed to cause the dissociation of gas hydrate deposits and methane leakage on the seafloor. This process occurs in places where the edge of the gas hydrate stability zone in sediments meets the overlying warmer oceans in upper slope settings. Here we present new evidence based on the analysis of a large multi-disciplinary and multi-scale dataset from such a location in the western South Atlantic, which records massive gas release to the ocean. The results provide a unique opportunity to examine ocean-hydrate interactions over millennial and decadal scales, and the first evidence from the southern hemisphere for the effects of contemporary ocean warming on gas hydrate stability. Widespread hydrate dissociation results in a highly focused advective methane flux that is not fully accessible to anaerobic oxidation, challenging the assumption that it is mostly consumed by sulfate reduction before reaching the seafloor.
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| 7. |
- Ketzer, João Marcelo, et al.
(författare)
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Gas Seeps at the Edge of the Gas Hydrate Stability Zone on Brazil’s Continental Margin
- 2019
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Ingår i: Geosciences. - : MDPI. - 2076-3263. ; 9:5, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gas hydrate provinces occur in two sedimentary basins along Brazil’s continental margin: (1) The Rio Grande Cone in the southeast, and (2) the Amazon deep-sea fan in the equatorial region. The occurrence of gas hydrates in these depocenters was first detected geophysically and has recently been proven by seafloor sampling of gas vents, detected as water column acoustic anomalies rising from seafloor depressions (pockmarks) and/or mounds, many associated with seafloor faults formed by the gravitational collapse of both depocenters. The gas vents include typical features of cold seep systems, including shallow sulphate reduction depths (<4 m), authigenic carbonate pavements, and chemosynthetic ecosystems. In both areas, gas sampled in hydrate and in sediments is dominantly formed by biogenic methane. Calculation of the methane hydrate stability zone for water temperatures in the two areas shows that gas vents occur along its feather edge (water depths between 510 and 760 m in the Rio Grande Cone and between 500 and 670 m in the Amazon deep-sea fan), but also in deeper waters within the stability zone. Gas venting along the feather edge of the stability zone could reflect gas hydrate dissociation and release to the oceans, as inferred on other continental margins, or upward fluid flow through the stability zone facilitated by tectonic structures recording the gravitational collapse of both depocenters. The potential quantity of venting gas on the Brazilian margin under different scenarios of natural or anthropogenic change requires further investigation. The studied areas provide natural laboratories where these critical processes can be analyzed and quantified.
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| 8. |
- Ramos, Alessandro da S., et al.
(författare)
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Geochemical Characterization of Irati And Palermo Formations (Parana Basin-Southern Brazil) for Shale Oil/Gas Exploration
- 2015
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Ingår i: Energy Technology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 2194-4288. ; 3:5, s. 481-487
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shale gas/oil currently are two of the most important unconventional energy resources. Their exploitation has caused an energy revolution in USA, and many countries are investing in it. Brazil has large areas covered with sedimentary basins, but little attention has been devoted to the study of shale containing oil and gas. The parameters analyzed and studied for geochemical data evaluation are: clay mineral identification, mineral matter analysis, elemental analysis (including total organic carbon, total carbon, H, N, and S), and the methane adsorption capacity of shale. Adsorption in Palermo Formation samples (depth 238.5m) was 13.72cm(3)g(-1) and for samples from Irati Formation (depth 218.45, 95.3, and 107.5m) 11.73, 6.17, and 4.61cm(3)g(-1).
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| 9. |
- Rodrigues, Luiz F., et al.
(författare)
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High-Pressure and Automatized System for Study of Natural Gas Hydrates
- 2019
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Ingår i: Energies. - : MDPI. - 1996-1073. ; 12:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to the declining of oil reserves in the world in the coming decades, gas hydrate (GH) is seen as the great promise to supply the planet's energy demand. With this, the importance of studying the behavior of GH, several researchers have been developing different systems that allow greater truthfulness in relation to the conditions where GH is found in nature. This work describes a new system to simulate formation (precipitation) and dissociation of GH primarily at natural conditions at deep-sea, lakes, and permafrost, but also applied for artificial gas hydrates studies (pipelines, and transport of hydrocarbons, CO2, and hydrogen). This system is fully automated and unique, allowing the simultaneous work in two independent reactors, built in Hastelloy C-22, with a capacity of 1 L and 10 L, facilitating rapid analyses when compared to higher-volume systems. The system can operate using different mixtures of gases (methane, ethane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia), high pressure (up to 200 bar) with high operating safety, temperature (-30 to 200 degrees C), pH controllers, stirring system, water and gas samplers, and hyphenated system with gas chromatograph (GC) to analyze the composition of the gases formed in the GH and was projected to possibility the visualizations of experiments (quartz windows).
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| 10. |
- Rodrigues, Luiz F, et al.
(författare)
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Origin and alteration of organic matter in hydrate-bearing sediments of the Rio Grande Cone, Brazil : evidence from biological, physical, and chemical factors.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Radiocarbon. - : Cambridge University Press. - 0033-8222 .- 1945-5755. ; 62:1, s. 197-206
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Rio Grande Cone is a major fanlike depositional feature in the continental slope of the Pelotas Basin, Southern Brazil. Two representative sediment cores collected in the Cone area were retrieved using a piston core device. In this work, the organic matter (OM) in the sediments was characterized for a continental vs. marine origin using chemical proxies to help constrain the origin of gas in hydrates. The main contribution of OM was from marine organic carbon based on the stable carbon isotope (δ13C-org) and total organic carbon/total nitrogen ratio (TOC:TN) analyses. In addition, the 14C data showed important information about the origin of the OM and we suggest some factors that could modify the original organic matter and therefore mask the “real” 14C ages: (1) biological activity that could modify the carbon isotopic composition of bulk terrestrial organic matter values, (2) the existence of younger sediments from mass wasting deposits unconformably overlying older sediments, and (3) the deep-sediment-sourced methane contribution due to the input of “old” (>50 ka) organic compounds from migrating fluids.
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