Can Novel Seismic Survey Sources Mitigate Potential Impacts To Fisheries?
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$998,608.00
Summary
3D Marine seismic surveys (MSS) are typically used by the petroleum industry to locate potential oil and gas deposits. In Australia, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) requires an Environmental Plan (EP) be developed to demonstrate that the MSS will be carried out in a manner that is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development, and that the environmental impacts and risks associated with the MSS will be reduced to as ....3D Marine seismic surveys (MSS) are typically used by the petroleum industry to locate potential oil and gas deposits. In Australia, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) requires an Environmental Plan (EP) be developed to demonstrate that the MSS will be carried out in a manner that is consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development, and that the environmental impacts and risks associated with the MSS will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable. However, during the public consultation phase of the EP, there is often a perceived conflict between the proponents of the survey and the fishing industry, with the later party often concerned that the survey will harm the fishery stocks and their livelihoods. As such, there is a need to break the continual cycle where each EP seemingly triggers the same ill feeling and distrust from the fishing industry. One possible way to do this is to introduce new seismic sources or ways of using current sources, such that some or all of the potential impacts are mitigated. While there are new seismic sources and source designs that should lessen any impact on animals, these have not been tested with animals anywhere in the world and have never been tested or used in Australia in general and only sparsely overseas. As such there is an urgent need to compare a current industry standard seismic array to arrays using alternate sources of seismic signals or different source designs to determine the relative impact of each on marine animals, while also comparing the quality of the geophysical records obtained from each source. This approach would put Australian fisheries management, NOPSEMA, Australian Oil and Gas, the fishing industry, etc. ahead of the game of determining what alternate sources will reduce conflict between two key industries. It would also move us into a position to start mitigating the impacts of seismic surveys, rather than the situation we currently have, where each individual seismic survey causes a large amount of angst between a large number of stake holders. Objectives: 1. Compare standard and alterative seismic sources 2. Determine the impact of each seismic source on Pecten fumatus 3. Determine the impact of each seismic source on Jasus edwardsii 4. Relative impact and threshold distances of each seismic source Read moreRead less
Communication Of 2019-051 "Seismic Impacts To Octopus" Results At OceanNoise 2023 Conference In Barcelona
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$6,000.00
Summary
Presentation of study results in a plenary session - having the opportunity to present in a plenary session provides the opportunity to communicate research results to a highly relevant cohort of colleagues who are also active researchers in the field of aquatic noise. Directly communicating the results will raise the profile of the project, ensuring wider attention and citation of FRDC funded research. We are also hoping to develop collaborative efforts with these colleagues to extend the fin ....Presentation of study results in a plenary session - having the opportunity to present in a plenary session provides the opportunity to communicate research results to a highly relevant cohort of colleagues who are also active researchers in the field of aquatic noise. Directly communicating the results will raise the profile of the project, ensuring wider attention and citation of FRDC funded research. We are also hoping to develop collaborative efforts with these colleagues to extend the findings of the FRDC funded project into additional projects in the future to value-add to the already conducted research. Attendance at the conference will also provide Ryan with insight into the current state of research from other experts, potentially leading to innovative research avenues in the future.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100329
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Linking seismic structure to geodynamic processes beneath Australasia. This project aims to understand the relationship of mantle discontinuities beneath the Australian tectonic plate to mantle convection processes. Subducting slabs stagnate at different depths in the mantle, but the reason is not known. The Australian plate has complex boundaries which exhibit a range of subduction behaviours, making it an ideal location to study convection mechanisms. The project will use specialised seismic s ....Linking seismic structure to geodynamic processes beneath Australasia. This project aims to understand the relationship of mantle discontinuities beneath the Australian tectonic plate to mantle convection processes. Subducting slabs stagnate at different depths in the mantle, but the reason is not known. The Australian plate has complex boundaries which exhibit a range of subduction behaviours, making it an ideal location to study convection mechanisms. The project will use specialised seismic stations for detailed studies beneath New Zealand and Indonesia. The goal is to determine the relationship between seismic observations and geodynamical processes beneath Australasia, and understand how deeper mechanisms influence seismic activity and earthquake hazard at Earth's surface. Such detailed observations will help us to understand processes at the Earth's surface, with implications for earthquake hazard.Read moreRead less
Lighting Up Dark Fibre for Seismic Imaging. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of this powerful tech ....Lighting Up Dark Fibre for Seismic Imaging. Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of this powerful technique include fine-scale seismic imaging of the Earth’s subsurface as the best proxy for geological processes and geochemistry. Benefits include transforming exploration of mineral resources, water, changes in subsurface structure, as well as geohazard assessments for Australia and worldwideRead moreRead less
Measuring the seismic pulse of the Earth using fibre optics . Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of ....Measuring the seismic pulse of the Earth using fibre optics . Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a newly emerging passive seismic technique that converts telecommunication fibre-optic cables (dark fibres) into thousands of individual ground motion sensors. This project aims to harness DAS and the big data arising from it to develop unprecedented high-resolution images of the Earth’s structure, detect micro-seismicity, and thereby relate geological observations to Earth processes. Outcomes of this powerful technique include fine-scale seismic imaging of the Earth’s subsurface as the best proxy for geological processes and geochemistry. Benefits include transforming exploration of mineral resources, water, changes in subsurface structure, as well as geohazard assessments for Australia and worldwide.Read moreRead less
The link between cratonic roots, redox state, and mantle geodynamics. This project aims to understand the role of Earth's redox state on the geodynamic evolution of continental cratonic roots. Cratonic roots form strong, buoyant rafts upon which Australia's oldest crust and mineral deposits survived. Cratons preserve a record of planetary-scale chemical shifts, including the rise of surface oxygen, but it is unclear how these redox shifts themselves affected lithospheric processes. This project ....The link between cratonic roots, redox state, and mantle geodynamics. This project aims to understand the role of Earth's redox state on the geodynamic evolution of continental cratonic roots. Cratonic roots form strong, buoyant rafts upon which Australia's oldest crust and mineral deposits survived. Cratons preserve a record of planetary-scale chemical shifts, including the rise of surface oxygen, but it is unclear how these redox shifts themselves affected lithospheric processes. This project integrates new developments in geochemistry, geophysics, and geodynamics, to map the geochemical state and structure of cratonic roots, aiding mineral exploration, and also shedding light on the processes that modify, mineralise, and sometimes destroy cratonic roots.Read moreRead less
Chemical influences on the seismic structure of the Earth's upper mantle. This project aims to determine the sensitivity of the seismic properties of Earth’s upper mantle (to 400 km depth) to variations in the prevailing chemical environment. The unique capability of the ANU Rock Physics Laboratory for low-frequency measurement of wave speeds and attenuation will be exploited to clarify the newly discovered importance of redox conditions, and document the effect of varying proportions of the mos ....Chemical influences on the seismic structure of the Earth's upper mantle. This project aims to determine the sensitivity of the seismic properties of Earth’s upper mantle (to 400 km depth) to variations in the prevailing chemical environment. The unique capability of the ANU Rock Physics Laboratory for low-frequency measurement of wave speeds and attenuation will be exploited to clarify the newly discovered importance of redox conditions, and document the effect of varying proportions of the most abundant upper-mantle minerals olivine and pyroxene. The expected outcome will be a robust and comprehensive model to guide the interpretation of the complex architecture of the upper mantle, and thereby provide an improved understanding of the tectonic processes responsible for its evolution through geological time.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100025
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,143.00
Summary
Probing Antarctic Ice Sheet by Correlation Seismology. This project aims to advance research on the internal structure and temporal change in the Antarctic ice sheet by analysing seismic ground motion records of natural sources, including ambient noise. This approach expects to complement existing satellite and airborne methods to resolve glacial structures over large areas and detect changes hidden under snow cover. The intended outcome is new knowledge of the ice sheet’s stratification, its lo ....Probing Antarctic Ice Sheet by Correlation Seismology. This project aims to advance research on the internal structure and temporal change in the Antarctic ice sheet by analysing seismic ground motion records of natural sources, including ambient noise. This approach expects to complement existing satellite and airborne methods to resolve glacial structures over large areas and detect changes hidden under snow cover. The intended outcome is new knowledge of the ice sheet’s stratification, its long-term variation due to climate change, and its rapid response to local weather events. The benefits include improving the reliability of ice sheet evolution modelling and sea-level rise prediction, unlocking a polar gateway to study Earth deep interior, and preparing for space missions to icy worlds. Read moreRead less
Enhanced 3-D seismic structure for Southwest Australia. The ancient cratonic lithosphere of Southwest Australia appears to have a distinct contrast in geophysical properties and complex geologic structure, while having some of the highest levels of earthquakes on the continent. The project aims to produce novel 3-D models of this region that combine new seismic data collected over two years with previously collected geophysical datasets from the partner investigators. A compilation of 3-D models ....Enhanced 3-D seismic structure for Southwest Australia. The ancient cratonic lithosphere of Southwest Australia appears to have a distinct contrast in geophysical properties and complex geologic structure, while having some of the highest levels of earthquakes on the continent. The project aims to produce novel 3-D models of this region that combine new seismic data collected over two years with previously collected geophysical datasets from the partner investigators. A compilation of 3-D models will subsequently be developed, to form an effective characterisation of the geologic structure of the craton and its margins. These models will provide enhanced assessment of seismic ground shaking from regional earthquakes and facilitate an improved understanding of mineral resource potential. Read moreRead less