29 June 2012 – Seminar

When: 11am on Friday, 29 June 2012
Where: DIAS, Geophysics Section, 5 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, (library)

Speaker: Louis Moresi (Monash University)
Title: Whole of Basin modelling in the Australian context

Abstract:

The Whole of Basin project is an attempt to give an overview of the competing uses of basins as sources of fresh water, hydrocarbons, and heat, and  as potential storages for CO2. Exploitation of any one of these resources can impact the ability to utilise the others effectively through subsurface pressure and stress changes. We are attempting to build tools to assist in the management and regulation of basins to help maximise the benefit of the subsurface resources and minimise adverse impacts. To do this, we are developing the capacity to import 3D geological models which have constructed by interpretation of potential field geophysics, seismic sections and field mapping into our 3D thermal/mechanical modelling code: Underworld.
Our aim with Underworld has been to build a computationally efficient, very high performance platform which allows us to contemplate very large numbers of very high  resolution runs so that we can explore the consequences of uncertainties in the subsurface  structure and properties, and improve our knowledge of the subsurface by including geodynamic constraints into the interpretation / evaluation processes.