ISGS - September 2010 Activity Highlights

Awards and Honors

David G. Morse has received the 2010 Distinguished Service Award from the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). The award was given to Morse in recognition of his extraordinary commitment and service to the Eastern Section AAPG, National AAPG, and the Illinois Geological Society. (Contact: David Morse)

Chicagoland Geo-Engineering Field Trip

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, coastal geologist Michael Chrzastowski led a Chicagoland Geo-Engineering Field Trip for 31 people. The trip was affiliated with the Illinois-Indiana Chapter of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) and was conducted in conjunction with the fall 2010 meeting of the Illinois Groundwater Association (IGA) held the day before. The full-day trip involved an innovative approach for an urban geology field trip. From onboard a state-of-the-art motor coach, continuous narration addressed the geologic and geo-engineering features being passed. Participants also received a well-illustrated, full-color guidebook that contained maps, diagrams, cross sections, and historical photographs to relate to the narration and the route features. Stops at selected sites provided the opportunity to see features up close. This field trip will run again in fall 2011 when the Illinois-Indiana Chapter of AIPG hosts its national conference in Chicago. (Contact: Michael Chrzastowki)

New Publication on Silurian Deposits in Mt. Auburn Trend

The Illinois State Geological Survey has released Circular 577, Sedimentology and Reservoir Characterization of the Silurian Deposits in the Mt. Auburn Trend of the Sangamon Arch, West-Central Illinois, coauthored by Yaghoob Lasemi, Beverly Seyler, Zakaria Lasemi, and Zohreh Askari Khorasgani. The report documents petroleum reservoir characterization of the Silurian Racine Formation in the Mt. Auburn trend. The Mt. Auburn trend encompasses several oil fields (Forsyth, Decatur, Harristown, Blackland North, Blackland, and Mt. Auburn Consolidated), which have produced hydrocarbon for more than 80 years. This regional subsurface study began in late 2007, in conjunction with a long-term ISGS research project on the Silurian through Devonian succession in the Sangamon Arch and the surrounding areas. Detailed subsurface studies have revealed that several dolomitized reservoirs in the upper part of the Niagaran Racine Formation (equivalent to Moccasin Springs Formation of southern Illinois) are the petroleum producers in the Mt. Auburn trend along the southeastern flank of the Sangamon Arch. A prominent unconformity subdivides the Racine Formation into two depositional sequences; the upper part comprises several producing dolomitized skeletal carbonate facies and coral patch reef/reef-related facies. Hydrocarbon production to date has been chiefly from the carbonate reservoirs in the uppermost part of the upper sequence of the Racine Formation.

Although most of the wells drilled thus far in the Mt. Auburn trend have only tested the upper sequence, this study indicates that the lower Racine sequence also has excellent potential for additional discoveries. Results also indicate that (1) a northwest-southeast gently sloping carbonate ramp existed during the deposition, and (2) sea level fluctuations and early dolomitization controlled reservoir development and petroleum entrapment in the Silurian rocks of west-central Illinois. Various maps and stratigraphic cross sections and proposed models for depositional setting, dolomitization, and cyclicity provide important predictive tools for petroleum exploration in the Mt. Auburn trend and the surrounding areas. Note: this circular can be purchased on our Shop ISGS site. (Contact: Yaghoob Lasemi)

Workshop on Geologic Mapping of the Great Lakes with Ocean Bottom Seismographs

The Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS) contributed to the International Experiments with Portable Ocean Bottom Seismographs (OBS) Workshop at the Snowbird Resort, Utah, September 25-28, 2010 http://www.iris.edu/hq/obs_workshop/. The workshop examined the future of seismology using advanced new portable instrumentation (OBS) to study the Earth's geological structure, dynamics, and seismic hazards. The planned arrival of EarthScope's seismic array (USArray) to the Midwest offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the crustal and mantle structure of the region. Simultaneous deployment of the OBS lake-bottom broadband seismometers and magneto-telluric (MT) stations in the Great Lakes complements the land-based transportable array and possible flexible array campaigns in the area and provide an unprecedented data set to study the Earth's structure in the region. Since a major part of the Mid-Continent Rift (MCR) and the likely focus of rift initiation are located beneath the Great Lakes, dense instrument coverage in and around the Great Lakes will enable a detailed study of the geological structure and should advance our understanding of its origin. Study of the MCR's deep structure will provide insight into the processes that shaped the North American continent and continue to control rifting worldwide. (Contact: Yevgeniy Kontar)

Chicago Regional Emergency Management Conference

Robert Bauer presented earthquake information at the 2^nd Annual Chicago Regional Emergency Management Conference in Chicago on September 24, 2010, to about 150 conference participants at Navy Pier. The presentation covered what effects Chicagoland could experience from Central U.S. earthquakes and the history of earthquakes throughout this area of the country. The presentation showed that nearby earthquakes of magnitude 5 and greater may damage thousands of old brick short buildings. Major New Madrid events south of Illinois and far from Chicago may have many indirect effects, through damage elsewhere, on the nation's electrical and shipping infrastructure. (Contact: Robert Bauer)

Enhanced Mine Data Visualization

Chris Korose, Andrew Louchios, and Dave Morse met with the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund (IMSIF) Board of Directors and staff in Springfield, Illinois. They presented a summary of ISGS Circular 575 (The Proximity of Underground Mines to Urban and Developed Lands in Illinois) and demonstrated a draft version of a new Web interface displaying ISGS digital mine data embedded with Google maps. This Web page will assist the public in determining if the land areas of interest are undermined. (Contact: Andrew Louchios)

Prehistoric Chicago on Discovery Channel

Don Mikulic appeared on the Discovery Channel showing of "Prehistoric Chicago" during September 2010. Don served as an advisor for the general planning of the show specifically suggesting additions of Mesozoic and Carboniferous segments, rock drilling, and the Silurian reef at Thornton. Don was interviewed on camera for segments on the Silurian geologic history and the Des Plaines Disturbance impact site. The show was filmed in 2008. (Contact: Don Mikulic)

Soil Cleanup Objectives

In an ongoing effort that is being coordinated by the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, William Roy was asked to provide guidance and input to a Wisconsin-based consulting company for deriving soil cleanup objectives for three agrichemical dealerships in Illinois. There had been a release of anhydrous ammonia at each facility. To derive the cleanup objectives, Roy will use a new approach that was promulgated by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and is based on research conducted at the Illinois State Geological Survey. The new approach is gaining national acceptance. The new methodtakes into account the soil chemical properties of earth materials at the impacted site, where the method currently being used by the Illinois EPA does not. The results of this effort will be submitted to the Engineering and Assessment Unit of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. (Contact: William Roy)

New Visualization Project Funded

Don Keefer and Jim Damico (Illinois State Geological Survey), together with Eric Shaffer and Lawrence Angrave (University of Illinois), have received a $700,000, 3-year contract from the U.S. Department of Energy for their proposal, "Reservoir Visualization and Analysis: 3D Visualization and Analysis Software to Support Management of Unconventional Oil and Gas Resource." This project will develop a software application, RVA (Reservoir Visualization and Analysis), that will provide advanced three-dimensional visualization, analysis, and data mining tools for exploring data and modeling results for unconventional oil and gas reservoirs. Using novel approaches to visualization, RVA will allow users to simultaneously view the flow characteristics of several different fluid phases (e.g., water, oil, natural gas, CO₂) and the distribution of different dissolved concentrations within these fluids (e.g., salt, dissolved CO₂). RVA will also allow these fluid properties to be viewed together with the distribution of the modeled geologic deposits and their simulated petrophysical properties. The data mining capabilities of RVA will allow users to rapidly explore the combined geological deposits and fluids, based on a range of properties from the various geologic and flow models. Because of the similarity in data structures and project objectives, RVA also is expected to be useful for guiding both CO₂ sequestration projects and more traditional oil and gas exploration and production efforts. (Contact: Don Keefer)

Environmental Information for Danish Consulate-General's Office

Anne Erdmann provided information to Ms. Marianne Meyer, Senior Communications Advisor for the Danish Consulate-General's office, regarding environmental regulations in the United States in general and in Illinois in particular. This included information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) environmental regulations and how environmental enforcement is delegated from the federal to the state level in Illinois. In addition, Ms. Meyer was provided with a list of all 50 state environmental protection agencies in the United States. (Contact: Anne Erdmann)

Monitoring Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve

James Miner is assisting the Nature Preserves Commission regarding a recent oil pipeline break adjacent to the Romeoville Prairie Nature Preserve in Romeoville, Illinois. The spill released approximately 400,000 gallons of crude oil. Although free product was reported to be stopped prior to entering the preserve in surface water, some dissolved phase contaminants were found in the preserve. He has attended numerous meetings and conference calls, reviewed monitoring and sampling plans, and analyzed water-level and water-quality data. The monitoring and other activities are likely to continue for several months. (Contact: James Miner)

Plan for Wetland Creation in Stephenson County

Eric Plankell provided IDOT District 2 with a revised conceptual plan for wetland creation at the former Weber Property in Stephenson County. The plan proposes creation of up to 5.0 acres of forested wetland in the floodplain of the Pecatonica River, near Freeport. The wetland will be created through shallow excavation and manipulation of a culvert that allows flood waters from the Pecatonica River to reach the site through a levee. Following construction, approximately 2.4 acres of the newly created wetland will be planted with trees, and the remainder of the site will be allowed to regenerate naturally. A plan view and two cross-sections were provided to IDOT, and subsequently approved by IDOT engineers. Construction of the new wetland is underway. (Contact: Eric Plankell)

National Disaster Planning

Robert Bauer participated in the State's (at Carterville, Illinois, on September 11, 2010) and National (Washington, D.C., on September 21 and 22, 2010) Mid-Term Planning Conference for the National Level Exercise for 2011. At these meetings, Bauer has been working with the state emergency managers as their science consultant. This exercise will be the nation's first national exercise in response to a natural disaster and will be the nation's largest exercise simulating a catastrophic disaster from a New Madrid earthquake. (Contact: Robert Bauer)

Highlights Archive

Updated 08/01/2012 SLD