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===East Midlands Province===
In the East Midlands Province, groundwater supplies are mostly from the four Principal aquifers in the area, the Cretaceous Chalk, Lincolnshire Limestone, Permo-Triassic Sandstone and the Magnesian Limestone. In addition, more localised Principal aquifers including the Corallian and Carboniferous Limestones were sampled. Additional samples were collected from Secondary aquifers; West Walton Formation, Coal Measures and the Millstone Grit Group (Table 5). The geology of the region and the location of these samples are shown in Figure 9. The Namurian Bowland Shale Group is also the target formation for unconventional gas exploration in this area (Andrews, 2013<ref name="Andrews 2013">ANDREWS, I J. 2013. The Carboniferous Bowland Shale gas study: geology and resource estimation. ''British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK''. </ref>).
In the East Midlands Province, groundwater supplies are mostly from the four Principal aquifers in the area, the Cretaceous Chalk, Lincolnshire Limestone, Permo-Triassic Sandstone and the Magnesian Limestone. In addition, more localised Principal aquifers including the Corallian and Carboniferous Limestones were sampled. Additional samples were collected from Secondary aquifers; West Walton Formation, Coal Measures and the Millstone Grit Group (Table 5). The geology of the region and the location of these samples are shown in Figure 9. The Namurian Bowland Shale Group is also the target formation for unconventional gas exploration in this area (Andrews, 2013<ref name="Andrews 2013"></ref>).
Bell, R A, Manamsa, W G K, and Dochartaigh, B É Ó. 2015. The baseline concentrations of methane in Great British groundwater - the National Methane Baseline survey. British Geological Survey Internal Report, OR/15/071.
During the three year Survey, 248 samples were collected from a variety of aquifers across GB. The location of these sites shown in Figure 5, including the legacy data collected during earlier studies. The summary data (Table 2) highlight the differences in methane concentration seen in the target areas.
Figure 5 Samples collected as part of the National Methane Baseline Survey.
Table 2 Summary results of the survey per target area.
CH4 Concentration (µg/l)
Minimum Median Average Maximum
Central Southern Scotland <0.1 3.6 132 1,680 31
Lancashire & Cheshire Basins 0.2 2.5 9.3 91 23
East Midlands Province <0.05 0.9 31 1,320 93
Southern England <0.05 1.3 39 4,720 251
South Wales 0.1 32 58 483 25
Cumbria and Northumberland 0.2 0.65 93 1,434 16
* Samples below the detection limit have been reported as the limit concentration.
Most of the groundwaters sampled by BGS during this sampling campaign have low methane concentrations; ~80% of sites have concentrations below 10µg/l and ~45% have concentrations below 1µg/l. All median values are far below the LEL of 1,600µg/l; this limit has only been exceeded three times (twice at one site after repeat sampling) and neither of these sites is a public drinking water supply. The results are described further on a regional basis in Regional summaries.
Regional summaries[edit]
The natural quality of groundwater varies depending on geology, land use and distance from the sea. BGS, jointly with the EA, have produced a series of Baseline Reports summarising the natural water quality of different aquifers (Shand et al., 2007[1]) across England and Wales. Another series of reports produced by BGS, jointly with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, as part of the Baseline Scotland project are available and a summary of Scottish groundwater bodies and aquifers is in Ó Dochartaigh et al (2015)[2]. The sections below summarise our current understanding of the aquifers sampled and the methane data collected in the various regions.
Lancashire and Cheshire Basins[edit]
The geology of Lancashire and Cheshire target area is shown in Figure 6 with the locations of the Survey samples. In this region, four aquifers were sampled as part of the Survey (Table 3), including the Permo-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group (SSG) and the shallow Quaternary Superficial Deposits. In addition, two samples were collected from the Carboniferous; one from the Namurian Bowland Shale and one from the Millstone Grit. The targets for unconventional oil and gas exploration in this area are the organic rich mudstones of the Bowland Shale Group, which is prospective at depth (Andrews, 2013[3]). The exploration company Cuadrilla have previous drilled into the Bowland Shale at Preese Hall (Green et al., 2012[4]).
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Survey is in Table 4; a total of 23 samples were collected, 13 of those in the SSG and 8 in the Superficial Deposits. Where adequate data were available, summary statistics have been collated per aquifer, in addition to the regional information. The methane data per aquifer are compared in Figure 7.
Table 3 Stratigraphy of the aquifers sampled in the Lancashire/Cheshire Basin.
Lancashire/Cheshire
Quaternary Superficial Deposits
Permian-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group (SSG)
Carboniferous Millstone Grit
Bowland Shale Group
* Blue shaded aquifers as designated as Principal aquifers.
Figure 6 Bedrock geology of the Lancashire & Cheshire region.
The Superficial Deposits are of substantial thickness, up to 40 m, and consist of glacial sands, gravels, and boulder clay; in places the boulder clay acts as a confining layer. The sands and gravels are discontinuous and supplies can be unpredictable. These Superficial Deposits are classified as a 'Secondary B aquifer' and are generally not used for public water supply, although they may be used for local scale private supplies such as irrigation and farming. The groundwater tends to be reducing with consequent elevated concentrations of iron, manganese and arsenic.
Less than half the samples collected in this region were from the unconfined SSG aquifer which is used for public water supply and numerous other private supplies. To both the east and west of the study area the SSG is confined by the Mercia Mudstone Group but there are very few boreholes that penetrate the confined zone.
Baseline hydrogeochemical data is available for the SSG in two parts of the region; West Cheshire and the Wirral (Griffiths et al., 2002[5]) and Manchester and East Cheshire (Griffiths et al., 2003[6]). The baseline conditions of the SSG in this area are known to be highly variable due to anthropogenic inputs to the aquifer, including both point and diffuse sources. The presence of thick, poorly permeable Superficial Deposits, mentioned above, can create reducing environments which also impact on quality.
The two samples collected from the Carboniferous formations were from small scale farming operations; very little is known about the construction of these boreholes.
Table 4 Summary results for Lancashire/Cheshire.
Lancashire and Cheshire
CH4 Concentration (μg/l)
All samples 0.2 2.5 9.3 91 23
Superficial Deposits 0.5 7.2 9.7 21 8
Sherwood Sandstone 0.2 1.8 8.5 91 13
Methane concentrations in both the SSG aquifer and the Superficial Deposits are consistently above the detection limit, highlighting the ubiquitous presence of methane in baseline groundwater environments. The magnitude of methane concentrations are well below the LEL and also lower than that required for further investigation (1,000µg/l). As shown in Figure 7, methane concentrations are typically lower in the SSG than those in the Superficial Deposits; groundwater in the Superficial Deposits is generally relatively reducing, although it is unlikely that conditions are such that sulphate reduction and ultimately methanogenesis are occurring. The source of this additional methane could be from small scale reducing 'pockets' around organic matter in the Superficial Deposits. A combination of oxic conditions and a lack of organic carbon in the SSG could be responsible for lower methane concentrations, although this is very site dependent.
Figure 7 Methane data from the SSG and Superficial aquifers in the Lancashire & Cheshire Basins.
Figure 8 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the basin. The highest methane concentration was recorded at a site in the SSG; this site is close to central Manchester and the borehole log for this site reports a 6 m overburden of boulder clay which could create reducing groundwater conditions. In relation to other regions the maximum recorded methane concentration is well below that of other areas, 73% of samples have methane concentrations less than 10µg/l.
Figure 8 Methane data from the Lancashire & Cheshire region, dots are proportional to the CH4 concentration.
East Midlands Province[edit]
In the East Midlands Province, groundwater supplies are mostly from the four Principal aquifers in the area, the Cretaceous Chalk, Lincolnshire Limestone, Permo-Triassic Sandstone and the Magnesian Limestone. In addition, more localised Principal aquifers including the Corallian and Carboniferous Limestones were sampled. Additional samples were collected from Secondary aquifers; West Walton Formation, Coal Measures and the Millstone Grit Group (Table 5). The geology of the region and the location of these samples are shown in Figure 9. The Namurian Bowland Shale Group is also the target formation for unconventional gas exploration in this area (Andrews, 2013[3]).
Table 5 Stratigraphy of the aquifers sampled in the East Midlands Province.
Midlands/Yorkshire
Cretaceous Chalk
Spilsby Sandstone
Jurassic Corallian Limestone
West Walton Formation
Lincolnshire Limestone
Permian Permo-Triassic sandstone (SSG)
Zechstein Group (Magnesian Limestone)
Carboniferous Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation
Millstone Grit Group
Carboniferous Limestone
Figure 9 Location of Survey samples in the East Midlands Province.
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Survey is in Table 6; a total of 93 samples were collected. Where adequate data were available, summary statistics have been collated per aquifer, in addition to the regional information. The methane data per aquifer are compared in Figure 10a.
The Chalk in this Northern Province has a total thickness in excess of 430 m and is unconfined in the upland Wolds. Further east the Chalk becomes semi-confined, then fully confined, where it is overlain by glacial till deposits of varying permeability. The groundwater quality in the unconfined and semi-confined sections of the aquifer is of good status generally and oxidising, although with obvious impacts on quality from agricultural pollution. In the confined section, especially the Holderness Peninsula, the groundwater is reducing and of poor drinking water quality. Of the 23 samples collected, the majority were from the unconfined aquifer; 15 are from the Yorkshire Chalk and 8 from the Lincolnshire Chalk. Baseline hydrogeochemical data is available for this northern chalk province from Smedley et al (2004)[7].
A total of 13 samples were collected from the Jurassic Lincolnshire Limestone, the majority from private water supplies. The aquifer is relatively thin (~30 m) and localised but is used for public water supply. The majority of the samples collected as part of the Survey are from the shallow confined section of the aquifer where the aquifer is overlain by the clays of the Upper Estuarine Series. The baseline quality of the Lincolnshire Limestone is covered by Griffiths et al (2006)[8].
The Permian rocks in this region include the SSG and the Magnesian Limestone. A third of the samples collected from this region were collected from the SSG, used extensively in the region for public water supply. The baseline groundwater quality of the SSG in this region is covered by Shand et al (2002)[9]. The SSG is at outcrop in the west, although overlain by thick glacial deposits, and confined by the Mercia Mudstone to the east. Of the 34 samples collected, nearly one quarter (8 samples) are from the confined section of the aquifer. The Magnesian Limestone, comprising thinly bedded dolomitic limestone and dolomite, has a thickness between 21 m in Northern England to 35 m in Yorkshire. A total of ten samples were collected, with some of these being quarterly repeats; the majority of these samples were from public water supplies.
Table 6 Methane data from the East Midlands Province.
East Midlands Province
All samples <0.05 0.9 31 1,320 93
Cretaceous Chalk 0.07 0.9 1.0 4.7 23
Lincolnshire Limestone 0.05 2.6 6.7 32 13
Sherwood Sandstone <0.05 0.5 15 465 34
Zechstein Group 0.2 0.4 0.8 2.1 10
Similar to other areas, methane concentrations in all aquifers are consistently above the detection limit. No samples exceed the LEL and have therefore not required further investigation. In general, methane concentrations are highest in the Lincolnshire Limestone and lowest in the SSG, although very few samples exceed 10µg/l. The majority of the samples collected from the Lincolnshire Limestone are from the confined zone, in contrast to the samples from both the Chalk and SSG, which could account for this difference.
Figure 10 a) Methane data from the East Midlands Province, for the SSG, Chalk and Lincolnshire Limestone. b) Comparison of methane data between the confined and unconfined zones of the SSG in the East Midlands Province.
In Gooddy and Darling (2005)[10] methane data were collected from both the SSG and the Lincolnshire Limestone. Methane concentrations in the Lincolnshire Limestone varied between 0.05µg/l to 2,300µg/l, a range within which the new Survey samples fit.
The study also investigated the impact of aquifer confinement on methane concentrations; as almost all samples from the Lincolnshire Limestone in the current Survey were from confined sections, it wasn't possible to assess this. It was however possible to assess the impact of confinement for the SSG; in the 2005 study, methane concentrations in the confined zone were similar to those in the unconfined zone. Figure 10b, using data from the Survey, illustrates slightly elevated methane concentrations in the confined zone, although the maximum value was from a sample in the unconfined section. Due to the thick nature of the glacial drift deposits in the area, the groundwater in the unconfined zone may be relatively reducing, increasing the potential for elevated methane concentrations. Figure 11 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the region. The highest methane concentrations were recorded at the two samples taken from the Carboniferous Millstone Grit. Both boreholes logs record the presence of organic rich shales at intermediate depths which could be the source of this additional methane. The SSG sample close to Doncaster with elevated methane concentration was collected during the 2005 study and it was suggested that the complex drift cover could be a reason, with the abstracted groundwater being a mixture of reducing and oxic waters.
Figure 11 Methane data from the East Midlands Province, dots are proportional to the CH4 concentration.
Southern England[edit]
The geology of Southern England is shown in Figure 12 with the locations of the Survey samples. This region encompasses the Weald Basin, Hampshire Basin and the area around Bristol and Gloucester. In this region, numerous different aquifers were sampled as part of the Survey (Table 7), including the Principal aquifers, Chalk and Lower Greensand. In addition, many samples from formations classed as Secondary aquifers were collected. The targets for unconventional exploration in this region are the Jurassic, organic-rich, marine shales that have the potential for shale oil (Andrews, 2014[11]).
Figure 12 Bedrock geology of Southern England.
Table 7 Stratigraphy of the aquifers sampled in Southern England.
Quaternary Superficial Deposits — gravels
Palaeogene Barton Group, Harwich Formation, Lambeth Group, Thanet Formation
Upper and Lower Greensand
Hastings Subgroup — Tunbridge Wells Sand, Ashdown Formation
Jurassic Corallian Group
Greater and Inferior Oolite
Blue Lias — Langport
Permian Sherwood Sandstone
Carboniferous Carboniferous Limestone
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Survey is shown in Table 8; a total of 251 samples were collected. Where adequate data were available, summary statistics have been collated per aquifer, in addition to the regional information. The methane data per aquifer are compared in Figure 13.
In Southern England, a total of 251 sites have been sampled for methane from a number of different aquifers. The majority of samples came from four main aquifers; Chalk, Greensand, Wealden Group and Greater and Inferior Oolites. The additional aquifers can be important locally and are used for private supplies. In this southern province, the Chalk is used extensively for public water supply and outcrops in the Chilterns, North and South Downs, Salisbury Plain, Wessex Downs and on the south coast. It reaches a maximum thickness of 200 m.
Over half the samples in the region are from the Chalk aquifer and almost half of those from public water supplies; the remainder are from EA observation boreholes. Baseline hydrogeochemical data is available for the Chalk in Edmunds et al (2002)[12] and Smedley et al (2003)[13].
The Lower Greensand aquifer consists of sands and sandstones, and groundwater flows preferentially where the sand is unconsolidated. The Lower Greensand is at outcrop around the edge of the Wealden anticline and has a maximum thickness of 220 m. Where confined, it is separated from the Chalk by the Gault Clay. Groundwater from this aquifer is used for public water supply. Over 50 samples have been collected from the Greensand aquifer; 51 from the Lower Greensand and 3 from the Upper Greensand. Baseline hydrogeochemical information is available for the Lower Greensand in Shand et al (2003)[14].
The Great and Inferior limestones are highly permeable Jurassic limestones, separated by the mudstones of the Fullers Earth Formation. To the north of the region both formations are at outcrop and unconfined. Both aquifers are used moderately for public and private water supply, Of the 12 samples collected, half were from the Great Oolite and half from the Inferior Oolite. The majority of samples are from the unconfined sections of the Great Oolite and confined sections of the Inferior Oolite. Baseline hydrogeochemical information is available for the Great and Inferior Oolite in Neumann et al (2003)[15].
The aquifers of the Hastings Subgroup include the Tunbridge Wells Sand (TWS) and the Ashdown Formation; the two aquifers are separated by the Wadhurst Clay Formation which confines the underlying Ashdown Formation (Allen et al., 1997[16]). Away from outcrop, the TWS is confined by the Weald Clay. Both aquifers are complex and thought to be multi-layered, with the additional complication of major faulting which affects groundwater flow. Although complex, both these aquifers are used privately and by water companies and almost 20 samples have been collected as part of the Survey.
Table 8 Summary methane data from Southern England.
All samples <0.05 1.3 39 4,720 251
Chalk <0.05 0.5 3.6 83 137
Greensand <0.05 4.9 8.0 105 54
Hastings Subgroup 0.4 19 461 4,720 19
Oolites <0.1 0.5 1.3 7.6 12
Figure 13 Methane data from the Chalk, Greensand, Oolites and Hastings Subgroup.
Methane concentrations at all sample sites are consistently above the detection limit; 98% of samples are below 100µg/l and 45% below 1µg/l. As shown in Figure 13, methane concentrations are typically lowest in the Oolites which show similar concentrations to the Chalk. These low concentrations are typical of high purity carbonate aquifers containing little organic carbon, required for the process of methanogenesis. Elevated concentrations are consistently seen in the Greensand; this observation is echoed in the Darling 2005 study where methane concentrations in the Greensand were an order of magnitude above those in the Chalk. Methane concentrations in the Hastings Subgroup are higher than those in the other aquifers, and the two highest values were from the TWS.
The two samples over the LEL were taken from the same borehole; the sample was repeated after the initial analysis. There is a known zone of shallow methane in this region (Selley, 2012[17]) and hydrocarbon well logs from the area report significant gas in the shallow Cretaceous sandstones in the area. Additional analysis of the dissolved gas content of this sample implied a thermogenic source, although isotope investigation was not possible due to access issues with the sample site. Given the shallow nature of the gas, the source could be either thermogenic gas migrated up from depth, or of biogenic origin, sourced from the thin lignite layers within the Weald Clay (Selley, 2012[17]). The reservoir for established oil fields in this area is the Middle Jurassic Great Oolite at ~1 km depth; Upper Jurassic rocks are thought to be too shallow for hydrocarbon generation (Trueman, 2003[18]). The spatial distribution, source and hydrogeological controls on this potentially thermogenic methane are as yet, poorly understood.
Figure 14 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the region. The higher methane concentrations in the Hastings Subgroup and the Greensand can be seen in the Weald Basin and the lower methane concentration samples from the Chalk.
Figure 14 Methane concentrations in Southern England.
South Wales[edit]
The geology of South Wales is shown in Figure 15 with the location of the Survey samples. In this region 25 samples were analysed for methane from two main aquifers, the Carboniferous Limestone and the Coal Measures sandstones (Table 9). The target formation for unconventional gas development in this area is the Marros Group, with siliceous mudstones and local quartz rich sandstones.
Figure 15 Bedrock geology and methane samples in South Wales.
Carboniferous Upper Coal Measures sandstones
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Survey is in Table 10; a total of 25 samples were collected, almost half from both the Carboniferous Limestone and Coal Measures. Where adequate data were available, summary statistics have been collated per aquifer, in addition to the regional information. The methane data per aquifer are compared in Figure 16.
The coal measures sandstones in South Wales are very hard and dense, and groundwater will only tend to flow through fractures. Due to mining subsidence, there are zones of increased fracturing, and therefore increased water storage and flow. This aquifer is classed as Secondary A aquifer and is not used for public water supply. Only one sample collected can be attributed specifically to the Pennant Sandstone. All the samples collected as part of the Survey are from private supplies or Natural Resources Wales (NRW) monitoring boreholes.
In the southern UK, the Carboniferous Limestone is a Principal aquifer and groundwater flows rapidly through a network of fractures, conduits and caves. In South Wales, this aquifer has no public water supply sources, although it is used for many private supplies. The Carboniferous Limestone outcrops discontinuously between Porthcawl and Cardiff and has a maximum thickness of 425 m. All the samples collected from this aquifer as part of the Survey were from Natural Resources Wales monitoring boreholes.
Table 10 Summary methane data for South Wales.
All samples <0.10 32 58 483 25
Coal Measures <0.10 34 53 216 13
Carboniferous Limestone <0.10 32 69 483 11
Figure 16 Methane data from the Coal Measures and Carboniferous Limestone in South Wales.
Methane concentrations in the Coal Measures and Limestone appear to be relatively similar, although elevated compared to the average concentrations in other areas of the UK. This could be due to the impact of methane adsorbed to the coal within the Coal Measures sequence and the stratigraphic position of the Carboniferous Limestone, directly below the Millstone Grit which contains layers of shales. In other carbonate aquifers the methane concentrations tend to be lower, reflecting the lack of organic matter and high degree of mixing. The absence of correct environmental conditions for methane production in the Carboniferous Limestone implies that the methane source is more likely to be a contiguous formation. Only 20% of samples have methane concentrations below 1µg/l, fewer compared to other regions, although 88% of samples are less than 100µg/l. Although in general the methane concentrations are above those in other regions, with aquifers such as the Chalk and the SSG, no samples collected from South Wales have exceeded the LEL.
Figure 17 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the region. The highest methane concentration was from a borehole in the Carboniferous Limestone; the borehole log for this site is unavailable, although logs from sites close by suggest that the aquifer is confined in this location, under an impermeable clay unit. This site was chosen as a quarterly site and the temporal data collected from all boreholes in South Wales showed large variations in the methane concentrations, including this one. This is discussed further in Temporal variation in methane concentrations.
Figure 17 Methane data for South Wales, dots are proportional to methane concentration.
Carlisle Basin and Northumberland Trough[edit]
In the Carlisle Basin and Northumberland Trough, 16 sites have been sampled for methane in a number of different aquifers. The two main aquifers are Permo-Triassic sandstone and the Fell Sandstone and Border Group (Table 11). The geology of the region and the methane samples are shown in Figure 18. The shale units present in the Northumberland Trough are the Bowland Shale and other black shales of Visean-Tournaisian age that are typically inter-bedded with sandstone, siltstone and mudstone. These shales are thinner, shallower and not laterally extensive when compared to the Bowland Shale Formation in Lancashire and Yorkshire. Over in Cumberland the coal seams of the Pennine Coal Measures Group are reported to have potential for coal bed methane.
Figure 18 Bedrock geology and methane samples in the Carlisle Basin and Northumberland Trough.
Table 11 Stratigraphy of aquifers in the Carlisle Basin
and Northumberland Trough.
Carlisle Basin and Northumberland Trough
Permian-Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group (Undiff)
Penrith Sandstone Formation
Carboniferous Carboniferous Limestone (Undiff)
Carboniferous Sandstone (including Border Group)
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Survey is in Table 12; a total of 16 samples were collected with half of those in the Permo-Triassic Sandstone. Where adequate data were available, summary statistics have been collated per aquifer, in addition to the regional information.
To the west of the target area is the Carlisle Basin, the majority of which is comprised of Triassic sandstone; this can be up to 600 m thick and is made up of sandstone, conglomerates and marls. The southern part of the Carlisle Basin is Permian sandstone consisting of sandstone, marls and breccias. Both the Triassic and Permian sandstones are classed as Principal aquifers. All Permo-Triassic sandstone samples in this region are from the Carlisle Basin and all are from private, agricultural supplies. Only one sample from the Carlisle Basin was collected from the Carboniferous limestone.
At shallow depths, the Carboniferous Fell Sandstone and Border Group is an important aquifer for the north east of England, used for both small, local supplies and public water supply. It is a Principal aquifer up to 300 m thick and is made of laterally extensive quartz rich sandstones with silty or pebbly bands. Low permeability shales or marl units can be present within the sequence which effectively isolates individual sandstone units from one another (Turner et al., 1993[19]).
Where the Fell Sandstone is overlain by the mudstones of the Scremeston Coal Group, it is reported to be artesian (Hodgson and Gardiner, 1971[20]). Due to the low matrix porosity and permeability of the Fell Sandstone, fractures have a significant impact on groundwater flows (Jones et al., 2000[21]). All seven samples from the Northumberland Trough are from the Fell Sandstone and Border Group.
Samples were difficult to locate in the centre of the target area, around the Northumberland National Park and the Kielder Water reservoir. Instead, samples were collected from the western and eastern extremes in the Carlisle Basin and across the Northumberland Trough, where boreholes could be located.
Table 12 Summary methane data for the Carlisle Basin and Northumberland Trough.
Carlisle & Northumberland
All samples <0.2 0.65 93 1,434 16
Sherwood Sandstone <0.2 0.8 6 30 8
Carboniferous Sandstone <0.2 0.6 205 1,434 7
Figure 19 a) Methane data from the Permo-Triassic sandstone and Carboniferous Sandstone. b) Methane data for the Permo-Triassic sandstone in the Carlisle Basin in comparison to the SSG methane data in the East Midlands.
From the data collected, the methane concentrations are comparable between the two aquifers (Figure 19a). The one elevated methane concentration in the Northumberland Trough was from a borehole located in a fen, classed as a Special Area of Conservation; additional analysis of the dissolved gas content of this sample implied a biogenic source, which would correlate with the presence of peat rich soils. Nearly 70% of all the samples have methane concentrations <1µg/l and ~94% have concentrations <100µg/l.
Although the Fell Sandstone succession in the Northumberland Trough is known to contain some shale groups and thin coal seams, the baseline methane concentrations in the groundwater are all below 1µg/l, with the exception of the fen sample. In comparison to the methane concentrations seen in the Permo-Triassic sandstone in the East Midlands, the samples from the Carlisle Basin are slightly elevated, but otherwise show a similar distribution (Figure 19b).
Figure 20 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the region; overall the concentrations are orders of magnitude below the LEL, with the one outlier being the sample from the peat rich fen.
Figure 20 Methane data for Cumbria and Northumberland, dots are proportional to methane concentration.
Central and Southern Scotland[edit]
In Central and Southern Scotland 31 sites have been sampled for dissolved methane from a number of different aquifers, mostly from Carboniferous sediments (Table 13). These data were collected as part of the Baseline Scotland project and reported in Ó Dochartaigh et al (2011)[22]. Four of the samples collected were from mine shafts or adits, the rest from boreholes. The geology of the region and the methane samples are shown in Figure 21. In this area the formation most likely to have potential for shale gas and/or oil is the West Lothian Oil-Shale Formation, which lies stratigraphically immediately below the Clackmannan Group in the eastern part of central Scotland.
Table 13 Stratigraphy of the aquifers sampled
in Central-Southern Scotland.
Central-Southern Scotland
Carboniferous Coal Measures
Clackmannan Group
Strathclyde Group
Inverclyde Group
Devonian Devonian sandstone
Ordovician/Silurian Siltstones
Figure 21 Bedrock geology and methane samples in Central-Southern Scotland.
A summary of the methane data collected as part of the Baseline Scotland project is in Table 14; of the samples collected within the study area, 25 are from Carboniferous sedimentary aquifers (Clackmannan, Inverclyde, Strathclyde and Coal Measures Groups), two from the Devonian sandstones and four from Ordovician/Silurian fractured aquifers.
In this region, groundwater was historically an important resource for industry, but today is not widely used; in southern Scotland there is local groundwater abstraction for agriculture and domestic use. The Clackmannan and Coal Measures groups form multi-layered and vertically segmented aquifers, in which fine grained, well-cemented sandstone layers act as discrete aquifer units in which groundwater flow is predominantly through fractures, and which are separated by lower permeability siltstones, mudstones and coals (Ó Dochartaigh et al., 2011[22]). Groundwater may be present at various depths under unconfined or confined conditions, and different groundwater heads are seen in different aquifer layers.
The thickness of the Carboniferous sedimentary aquifers varies from less than 500 m in southern Scotland to 3,000 m in central Scotland. Groundwater from the Clackmannan and Coal Measures groups in this area is typically reducing and contains a high proportion of old water, recharged more than 35–60 years ago. Mining activity in this area has had a major impact on groundwater quality (MacDonald and Ó Dochartaigh, 2005[23]).
Table 14 Summary results for Central-Southern Scotland.
All samples <0.1 3.6 132 1,680 31
Carboniferous aquifers <0.1 4.6 178 1,680 25
Figure 22 Methane data from the Carboniferous aquifers of Central-Southern Scotland.
Methane concentrations in the Carboniferous sediments are similar to those seen in the Carboniferous Limestones of South Wales, and elevated concentrations have been found in previous work on Carboniferous sediments (Gooddy and Darling, 2005[10]). Approximately 40% of the samples had a concentration less than 1µg/l and 77% are less than 100µg/l (Figure 22). Of the higher methane concentrations in the area, the highest was from a borehole in the Clackmannan Group and others were from the Coal Measures, sometimes where known, or suspected to be impacted by mining. One sample in the Ordovician siltstones had a concentration of 150µg/l. These elevated concentrations are most likely a consequence of high organic carbon content within the aquifers, specifically within the coal seams. Figure 23 illustrates the distribution of methane concentrations in the region.
Figure 23 Methane data for Central-Southern Scotland, dots are proportional to methane concentrations.
Temporal variation in methane concentrations[edit]
To investigate the possibility of seasonal or other medium-term changes in groundwater methane concentration, a subset of sites was selected for quarterly monitoring. A total of 17 sites were chosen (Table 15) to give a geographical spread and range of aquifers (Figure 22). At some sites a complete data set was impossible to collect due to operational issues or significant declines in water levels (specifically South Wales).
Table 15 Summary of quarterly samples in each region.
Region Aquifers sampled quarterly
Lancashire & Cheshire Basin Superficial Deposits
Sherwood Sandstone
East Midlands Province Chalk
Zechstein Group
South Wales Coal Measures
Southern England Barton Group
Lower Greensand
Tunbridge Wells Sand
Ashdown Formation
Carboniferous Limestone and Inferior Oolite
Dolomitic conglomerate/Carboniferous Limestone
Figure 24 Quarterly sample locations and aquifer types.
Assessment of methane concentrations in US aquifers has shown variability over time in low methane concentration boreholes (<1,000µg/l) of ~1µg/l and in high methane boreholes (4,000–6,000µg/l) of between 20–40% (Senior, 2014[24]). Little is currently known about changes with time in methane concentrations in UK groundwater; previous work has usually involved only a single sample to determine methane concentration at a particular location. A number of potential sources of variability exist: barometric fluctuations, changes in microbiological communities or nutrient inputs, sampling error, analytical error and complex hydrogeology i.e. fractured or karstic aquifers. Duplicates done as part of the Survey both within the BGS laboratory and also between different labs were within the expected 10% precision so would appear to rule out analytical error as a significant contributor to variation. The data collected from the various regions are summarised below.
The quarterly results are shown in Figure 25 and discussed per region in the sections below. The data collected show that in the majority of cases the annual variability of methane concentrations in groundwater is minimal. Exceptions appear to be when the aquifer is karstic (Lower Magnesian Limestone or Carboniferous Limestone) or organic-rich (Coal Measures). Compared to data in the US, concentrations are much lower and show much less variability (Humez et al., 2016[25]).
Figure 25 Regional results for quarterly methane monitoring.
Lancashire and Cheshire Basin[edit]
Two quarterly monitoring sites were selected in the Lancashire and Cheshire Basins, one in the SSG and the other in the Superficial Deposits. Additional sites had been identified, but proved impossible to access regularly over the course of the project. The two boreholes were initially sampled in March 2012 then re-visited in 2014 at the start of the quarterly monitoring. The SSG samples are from a public water supply borehole and the Superficial Deposit samples are from an EA groundwater level monitoring borehole. This EA borehole had no installed pump so was sampled using a submersible pump following stability of wellhead parameters. The quarterly data for Lancashire and Cheshire have been collected over a longer time period than other regions due to additional baseline monitoring work in the area. After initial elevated levels in both aquifers, the concentrations methane concentrations have stayed low. The range of concentrations for the SSG is <0.5–10.6µg/l and <0.5–15.5µg/l for the Superficial Deposits. Although these ranges show changes of up to 97%, the concentrations remain very low.
Five quarterly monitoring sites were selected in the East Midlands Province; two in the Chalk, two in the SSG and one in the Lower Magnesian Limestone. All samples were from public water supply boreholes; at one pumping station two boreholes were present abstracting from two different aquifers (SSG and Lower Magnesian Limestone). Although in close proximity, this represented an opportunity to investigate temporal variations in two aquifers at the same location. All these boreholes were initially sampled in December 2012 and then again in May 2014 for the start of the quarterly monitoring.
All the boreholes show very little change in concentration over the course of a year. The range for the SSG is 0.05–1.2µg/l, Chalk 0.1–4.7µg/l and 0.29–1.8µg/l for the Lower Magnesian Limestone. These ranges show the limited variability in methane concentrations in these regularly pumped public water supply boreholes in carbonate aquifers and Permo-Triassic sandstones.
In total, eight quarterly monitoring sites were selected in Southern England, all from different aquifers covering Paleogene, Cretaceous, Triassic, Permo-Triassic and Carboniferous formations. Samples from the Wealden Basin were initially collected in 2012; those in Bristol/Bath were originally sampled in the spring of 2014. All boreholes were then re-sampled as part of the quarterly monitoring in June 2014. Gaps exist for some of the public water supply boreholes due to operational issues. All samples were collected from public water supply boreholes.
Concentrations from boreholes in the LGS, SSG (Keuper Sandstone), Carboniferous Limestone and the Chalk are all consistently low (all <5µg/l), again with very little variability. Higher concentrations were found in the Wealden Group aquifers (TWS and Ashdown Formation) and the Barton Group, the latter in particular showing very little variation around 15µg/l.
Three quarterly monitoring sites were chosen for South Wales, two in the Carboniferous Upper Coal Measures Sandstones and one in the Carboniferous Limestone. Originally one additional borehole in the Carboniferous Limestone was included, but was removed on the second round owing to logistical reasons. The boreholes were initially sampled in February 2012 and then from May 2014 as part of the quarterly monitoring. All these boreholes are part of the NRW groundwater level observation network and have no pumps installed. For consistency between sampling rounds, the pump was placed at the same point within the screen and the same volume of water purged for each sample collected. No sample was collected from the Carboniferous Limestone in August 2014 as the water level had dropped below 30m, which was beyond the capability of the submersible pump.
After the first two rounds of monitoring at the three sites, it was observed that the variation in methane concentrations was far greater than in any of the other regions, especially in the Coal Measures. This could be for a number of reasons. Within the Coal Measures, methane is often adsorbed to the matrix of the coal; during pumping, the hydrostatic head is lowered, potentially drawing in these gases. In both the boreholes, the records report thin coal seams within the main sandstone aquifer, which could be the source of the methane. Another potential reason for the fluctuation is the impact on dissolved gases from the submersible pump itself; there is some evidence that centrifugal pumps can cause pressure changes and disturbance of the water column if the flow rate is too high (Nielsen and Yeates, 1985[26]; Parker, 1994[27]). The Coal Measures aquifer is also highly fractured; during the different seasons (therefore changing water levels), different fractures could be contributing more or less to the borehole inflows, potentially changing the chemistry of the water.
To help investigate this further, additional work was done in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and NRW, targeting the impacts of purging time on methane concentrations. From an initial assessment of the data already gathered it was identified that vertical flows and hydraulic heads appear to impact on methane concentrations, but had opposite effects in the two Coal Measures boreholes (Halwa, 2015[28]). A drop in water level at one borehole corresponded with the lowest methane concentration and as water levels increased with rainfall, the methane levels also rose; the opposite pattern occurred in the other Coal Measures borehole. New samples collected as part of the study were taken at different stages of the purging; at one of the boreholes as purging time increased, methane concentrations increased, while at the other, the opposite occurred. It was suggested that where methane concentrations increased during purging, this could be due to the borehole location, between an old colliery and a landfill, plus the potential for water to be drawn in from thin coal seams within the sequence. Where the concentrations reduced, flow could be sourced instead predominately from fractures in the sandstone, the quality of the mixed waters being dominated by this fracture flow. Although the rate of vertical flows in these boreholes is unknown, McMillan et al (2014)[29] have identified that in boreholes where ambient up flows increase to ~50% of the pumping rate and the ambient flow rates vary seasonally, the sample origin may vary, even with consistent purge times and pump depth. The conclusion from the work in South Wales is that an understanding of in-well mixing and vertical head gradients is essential to understanding the variability of methane in occasionally-pumped groundwater boreholes. This work therefore highlights a knowledge gap on how sampling methodologies, vertical flows and in-well mixing affect methane concentrations.
↑ SHAND, P, EDMUNDS, W M, LAWRENCE, A R, SMEDLEY, P L, and BURKE, S. 2007. The natural (baseline) quality of groundwater in England and Wales.
↑ Ó DOCHARTAIGH, B É, MACDONALD, A M, FITZSIMONS, V, and WARD, R S. 2015. Scotland's aquifers and groundwater bodies. British Geological Survey Open Report, OR/15/028.
↑ 3.0 3.1 ANDREWS, I J. 2013. The Carboniferous Bowland Shale gas study: geology and resource estimation. British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK.
↑ GREEN, C A, STYLES, P, and BAPTIE, B J. 2012. Preese Hall Shale Gas Fracturing: Review and Reccomendations for Induced Seismic Mitigation. Department for Energy and Climate Change.
↑ GRIFFITHS, K J, SHAND, P, and INGRAM, J. 2002. Baseline report series. 2, the Permo-Triassic sandstones of west Cheshire and the Wirral. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/02/109N.
↑ GRIFFITHS, K J, SHAND, P, and INGRAM, J. 2003. Baseline Report Series 8: The Permo-Triassic Sandstones of Manchester and East Cheshire. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/03/265C.
↑ SMEDLEY, P L, NEUMANN, I, and FARRELL, R. 2004. Baseline report series. 10, the Chalk aquifer of Yorkshire and North Humberside. British Geological Survey Comissioned Report, CR/04/128N.
↑ GRIFFITHS, K J, SHAND, P, MARCHANT, P, and PEACH, D W. 2006. Baseline Report Series 23: The Lincolnshire Limestone. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/06/060N.
↑ SHAND, P, TYLER-WHITTLE, R, MORTON, M, SIMPSON, E, LAWRENCE, A R, PACEY, J, and HARGREAVES, R. 2002. Baseline report series. 1, the Triassic sandstones of the Vale of York. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/02/102N.
↑ 10.0 10.1 GOODDY, D C, and DARLING, W G. 2005. The potential for methane emissions from groundwaters of the UK. Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 339, 117–126.
↑ ANDREWS, I J. 2014. The Jurassic shales of the Weald Basin: geology and shale oil and shale gas resource estimation. British Geological Survey for Department of Energy and Climate Change, London, UK.
↑ EDMUNDS, W M, DOHERTY, P, GRIFFITHS, K J, SHAND, P, and PEACH, D W. 2002. Baseline Report Series 4: The Chalk of Dorset. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/02/268N; Environment Agency Report, NC/99/74/4.
↑ SMEDLEY, P L, GRIFFITHS, K, TYLER-WHITTLE , R, HARGREAVES , R, LAWRENCE, A R, and BESIEN, T. 2003. Baseline Report Series 5: The Chalk of the North Downs, Kent and East Surrey. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/03/033N; Environment Agency Report, NC/99/74/5.
↑ SHAND, P, COBBING, J, TYLER-WHITTLE, R, TOOTH, A F, and LANCASTER, A. 2003. Baseline report series. 9, the Lower Greensand of southern England. British Geological Survey Comissioned Report, CR/03/273N.
↑ NEUMANN, I, BROWN, S, SMEDLEY, P L, and BESIEN, T. 2003. Baseline Report Series 7: The Great and Inferior Oolite of the Cotswolds District. British Geological Survey Commissioned Report, CR/03/202N; Environment Agency Report, NC/99/74/7.
↑ ALLEN, D J, BREWERTON, L J, COLEBY, L M, GIBBS, B R, LEWIS, M A, MACDONALD, A M, WAGSTAFF, S J, and WILLIAMS, A T. 1997. The physical properties of major aquifers in England and Wales. British Geological Survey Technical Report, WD/97/34.
↑ 17.0 17.1 SELLEY, R C. 2012. UK Shale gas: The story so far. Marine and Petroleum Geology, Vol. 31, 100–109.
↑ TRUEMAN, S. 2003. The Humbly Grove, Herriard, Storrington, Singleton, Stockbridge, Goodworth, Horndean, Palmers Wood, Bletchingly and Albury Fields, Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex, UK Onshore. In: Gluyas, J G, and Hichens, H M. (eds). United Kingdom Oil and Gas Fields, Commemorative Millennium Volume, Vol. 20, 929–941.
↑ TURNER, B R, YOUNGER, P L, and FORDHAM, C E. 1993. Fell Sandstone Group lithostratigraphy southwest of Berwick-Upon-Tweed: implications for the regional development of the Fell Sandstone. Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society, Vol. 49, 296–281.
↑ HODGSON, A V, and GARDINER, M D. 1971. An investigation of the aquifer potential of the Fell Sandstone of Northumberland. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology, Vol. 4, 91–108.
↑ JONES, H K, MORRIS, B L, CHENEY, C S, BREWERTON, L J, MERRIN, P D, LEWIS, M A, MACDONALD, A M, COLEBY, L M, TALBOT, J C, MACKENZIE, A A, BIRD, M J, CUNNIGHAM, J, and ROBINSON, V K. 2000. The physical properties of minor aquifers in England and Wales. British geological Survey Technical Report. Environment Agency R & D Pub.68., WD/00/4.
↑ 22.0 22.1 Ó DOCHARTAIGH, B É, SMEDLEY, P L, MACDONALD, A M, DARLING, W G, and HOMONICK, S. 2011. Baseline Scotland: groundwater chemistry of the Carboniferous sedimentary aquifers of the Midland Valley. British Geological Survey Open Report OR/11/021.
↑ MACDONALD, A M, and Ó DOCHARTAIGH, B E. 2005. Baseline Scotland: an overview of available groundwater chemistry data for Scotland. British Geological Survey, CR/05/239N.
↑ SENIOR, L A. 2014. A Reconnaissance Spatial and Temporal Baseline Assesment of Methane and Inorganic Constituents in Groundwater in Bedrock Aquifers, Pike County, Pennsylvania, 2012–2013. USGS.
↑ HUMEZ, P, MAYER, B, NIGHTINGALE, M, ING, J, BECKER, V, JONES, D, and LAM, V. 2016. An 8-year record of gas geochemistry and isotopic composition of methane during baseline sampling at a groundwater observation well in Alberta (Canada). Hydrogeology Journal, Vol. 24(1), 109–123.
↑ NIELSEN, D M, and YEATES, G L. 1985. A Comparison of Sampling Mechanisms Available for Small-Diameter Groundwater Monitoring Wells. Ground Water Monitoring Review, Vol. 2, 83–99.
↑ PARKER, L V. 1994. The Effects of Groundwater Sampling Devices on Water Quality: A Literature Review. Ground Water Monitoring Review, 130–141.
↑ HALWA, L. 2015. An investigation of the variability in baseline methane concentrations in groundwater in South Wales, UK. University of Birmingham.
↑ MCMILLAN, L A, RIVETT, M O, TELLAM, J H, DUMBLE, P, and SHARP, H. 2014. Influence of vertical flows in wells on groundwater sampling. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, Vol. 169, 50–61.
Retrieved from 'http://earthwise.bgs.ac.uk/index.php?title=OR/15/071_Results&oldid=44317'
OR/15/071 The baseline concentrations of methane in Great British groundwater - the National Methane Baseline survey

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Beginning October 1, 2018, prospective securities industry professionals looking to become registered with a firm at the representative level will be required to pass the new Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam in addition to a revised representative-level qualification exam. These exams are considered "corequisites" in meeting the exam requirement and obtaining a registration. This means there is no required order in which these exams must be taken or passed.
What does the current Series 6 Exam look like?
According to FINRA, an individual registered as an investment company and variable contracts product representative is permitted to solicit, purchase, or sell mutual funds, closed-end funds on the initial public offering only, variable annuities, variable life insurance, unit investment trusts, and municipal fund securities.
Prior to October 1, 2018 current registration candidates must pass the Series 6 exam by demonstrating they possess the knowledge needed to perform the four main job functions of an investment company and variable contract products representative. Candidates have 135 minutes to answer 100 multiple choice questions, and the exam requires a passing score of 70%.
What will the SIE Exam look like?
All individuals engaging in the securities business will be required to take the SIE exam as of October 1, 2018 (not just Series 6 candidates). It will assess common securities industry knowledge and general concepts and will focus on industry terminology, securities products, the structure and function of the markets, regulatory agencies and functions, and regulated and prohibited practices.
On January 12, FINRA released the exam structure and specifics. Candidates will have 105 minutes to complete the SIE exam's 75 multiple choice questions. The exam will be scored using a statistical adjustment process known as equating. Equating the scores will consider the slight variations in difficulty among the exam items and allows for a fair comparison of scores so that each candidate will be held to the same passing standard.
How will the Series 6 Exam be restructured?
Because of the new requirement and creation of the SIE exam, the Series 6 representative-level exam is being restructured and will be referred to as a "top-off" exam. With the SIE exam being structured to assess general securities industry knowledge, the restructured Series 6 representative-level exam will have fewer questions and a more in-depth focus on the four main job functions as an investment company and variable contract products representative.
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Among other groups of Fast and Furious victim stories Univision says it will tell in the special to air Sunday evening at 7 p.m., is one about how "16 young people attending a party in a residential area of Ciudad Juárez in January of 2010" were gunned down with weapons the Obama administration gave to drug cartel criminals through Fast and Furious.
A video preview published on Friday shows a number of the bodies of people killed with Fast and Furious weapons, as well as victims' family members pleading with outgoing Mexican President Felipe Calderon for justice.
Congressional investigators from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Judiciary Committee have been probing Fast and Furious since early 2011, shortly after U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered with Fast and Furious weapons. Terry was killed on Dec. 14, 2010, in Peck Canyon, Ariz.
Others whose murders have been connected to Fast and Furious weapons include Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent Jaime Zapata and Mexican citizen Mario Gonzalez. Gonzalez's sister, Patricia Gonzalez, was the state prosecutor for the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
Fast and Furious was a program of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, overseen by Attorney General Eric Holder's DOJ. It sent thousands of weapons to Mexican drug cartels via straw purchasers — people who purchased guns in the United States with the known intention of illegally trafficking them somewhere else.
Mexican government officials have estimated that at least 300 people in Mexico were killed with Fast and Furious weapons.
Holder and President Barack Barack Obama have obstructed the congressional investigations into this scandal. After months of failure to comply with a subpoena for Fast and Furious documents, information and witnesses, Holder was voted on a bipartisan basis into criminal and civil contempt of Congress. Obama has asserted executive privilege over the documents.
The DOJ's internal inspector general recently released a report concluding that Holder was not cleared by his currently ongoing investigation, despite a swath of media coverage saying that Holder was "exonerated" by it. Though he did conclude that he couldn't find evidence or proof Holder knew about Fast and Furious, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz testified before Congress that almost everyone in Holder's inner circle at DOJ did know, and that he and his team think it's odd at best that Holder didn't.
Former White House National Security Council staffer Kevin O'Reilly — who was intimately involved in Fast and Furious planning with Phoenix ATF officials, according to emails obtained throughout the congressional investigation — has since been reassigned by the Department of State to a detail in Iraq. Obama administration officials have refused to make O'Reilly available to congressional investigators and to Horowitz's internal DOJ investigation.
On Friday, CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson reported that congressional Republicans are now threatening to subpoena O'Reilly and force his testimony on Fast and Furious.


Toyota Avensis achieves the highest score in the midsize segment and also achieves the highest overall score among all models.
Toyota demonstrates its reputation for owner satisfaction in the 2014 J.D. Power Germany Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction StudySM (VOSS).
Toyota demonstrates its reputation for owner satisfaction in the 2014 J.D. Power Germany Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction StudySM (VOSS). The brand finishes second, with its Avensis achieving the highest score among midsize cars and also the highest score overall, whilst the Yaris ending in first place in the small car segment. The AYGO achieves a second place in the city car segment, and the Auris ends in third place in the compact segment.
The study also reveals that new-vehicle owners in Germany most frequently cite reliability/durability (56%), "the deal" (48%) and safety (46%) as having the most influence on their purchase decision.


text:
Tamia Announces 'Love Life' Tour (Dates)
by Gary Gentles July 7, 2015
R&B veteran Tamia will support her brand new album, Love Life, with an accompanying tour. The 9-stop trek will kick off on August 20 at Irving Plaza in NYC and make stops in big cities like Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas. Additional dates will be announced soon.
"Let's #LoveLife together #tamia," Tamia writes while posting the dates.
Tamia's Love Life album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart. The set is preceded by the singles "Sandwich and a Soda" and "Stuck With Me."
'Love Life' Tour Dates:
Aug. 20: Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Aug. 21: Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD
Aug. 22: Howard Theatre – Washington, D.C.
Aug. 26: Center Stage – Atlanta, GA
Aug. 27: Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
August 29: House of Blues – Orlando, FL
September 16: House of Blues – Houston, TX
September 19: House of Blues – Dallas, TX
TaggedTamia
Janet Jackson – No Sleeep (Lyric Video)
Jill Scott Drops Support For Bill Cosby: "Completely Disgusted"
Gary Gentles
Founder and Creator of Singersroom.com and IncredibleWork.com. Follow me on Instagram at @gary.gentles.
View all posts by Gary Gentles →
Lil Wayne, Family Officially Welcome Baby Boy
Beyonce, Solange 'Sad' Over Knowles Divorce
That Space (feat. W!ll & T-Lee) by Kela
Beyonce's 'Dreamgirls' Sings at the Box Office
Chris Brown To Transform MTV With Video Premieres
T-Pain Reveals Release Date of 'Stoicville: The Phoenix' LP


text:
Turkish Professor Received Two Year Sentence Over Headscarf Ban
Dr. Rennan Pekunlu, a professor of astrophysics at Ege University in Turkey was sentenced to two years in jail over charges that he stopped students that were wearing headscarves from attending classes. Dr. Pekunlu denies the charges and says that he was only telling students that they were violating the ban on wearing headscarves at Universities. The ban was lifted in 2010. His lawyer, Fatih Ulku, is appealing the conviction to the European Human Rights court.
President Recip Tayyip Erdogan
Presidential Palace
06560 Bestepe-Ankara,
Republic of Turkey
Email: cumhurbaskanligi@tccb.gov.tr
Your Excellency:
We are writing in concern for Professor Rennan Pekunlu.
Dr. Pekunlu, a professor of astrophysics at the Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Ege University, was sentenced to two years in jail for preventing students from entering classes wearing headscarves, charges that he disputes. Prosecutors now threaten him with 12 years in jail based on two other cases on the same charge. According to reports, Pekunlu was dismissed from his position by the Higher Education Board (YOK).
Pekunlu claims he did not prevent the students from entering their classrooms, according to his lawyer Fatih Ulku. He told the students that he would report them for violating the law against headscarves in force at the time (the ban was later lifted by the Higher Education Board). He received a suspended sentence on similar charges in 2012. His lawyer, who said he is the first person in Turkey to be jailed for this offense, is appealing the conviction to the European Human Rights court.
We believe that a sentence of 12 years on actions that may have been lawful at the time is vastly excessive, as is a sentence of two years. In view of this threat, we urge you to investigate this case and dismiss the prosecution for actions that were lawful when they were taken and require reinstatement of Pekunlu in his position at Ege University. His suspension from his position for a time is certainly sufficient punishment.
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Turkish professor given prison sentence over headscarf ban (todayszaman.com)
Filed Under: Turkey Tagged With: Ankara, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Scientists


For those of you who have followed our Tours With Tom and many of our property pictures, or may yet do so, and seen that in many of our photos one or two Standard Poodles are inspecting the properties, we wish to add this important post script.
Our beloved Ben, or Benny, as we called him, our male Standard Poodle, passed away very suddenly on the afternoon of 23 January (2007), of a medical condition we never truly understood. And that was after too many Vets and too few informed opinions.
The death of our beloved friend, Ben, leaves a tangible hole in our family, and like blood rushing from a grievous wound, our anguish over his loss simply can't be expressed or staunched easily. But we also know that having been blessed with a companion and family member of such remarkable qualities, our lives have been - and will remain - the richer, and our perception of true love - everlasting. We miss him terribly and will always be grateful for those few years he was with us.
If we had to come up with a one word description of Ben, there is no question what it would be: Benevolent.
...So perfect a characterization that it is the elongated version of his name.
He managed at once to be companion, confident, understanding friend, and lively conversationalist. He liked Mozart and Handel, and thoroughly distrusted Wagner, and would leave the room if Rap somehow momentarily came on the radio. He would discover any injury we had even when it was not apparent on the surface, and do his best to help relieve it. He gave us unreserved support when things were rough, and was faithfully calm and delighted when things were going well. He appreciated life - and celebrated happiness with an open and inclusive manner that neither Val nor I had ever before experienced. He was our dear, dear Ben.
them then to inscribe it as a memorial to me.
to John and Christena and - but if I should list all those who have loved me it would force my Masters to write a book.
have always been an extremely lovable dog.
love of one's Master and Mistress.
would be a poor tribute to my memory never to have a dog again.
trifle). Some dogs, of course, are better than others.
Poodles, naturally, as everyone knows, are best.
happiness I know will be his in my old home.
keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.
Church in Whycocomagh (W. Gordon). Click for better look.
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What a day....last week we found out on a routine dentist cleaning appointment that Riley had some teeth that needed pulled....So to make it easier on Riley??? (mind you it was NOT easy) they set him up for surgery at Childrens Hospital yesterday......and needless to say it was a very hard day! I think we all did ok UNTIL they got ready to take him back and as he crossed from me to the hand of the nurse to take him back for "anesthesia" he let out a BLOOD curdling SCREAM..."MAMA" and tried to bolt and run for me.....lets just say I "LOST IT" right after that....since I knew what was next and that was for them to TRY and get a mask over his mouth to put him to sleep...and that is exactly why they dont let you come back with them because not telling what they had to do to get that mask on him...so when it is all over and he comes back to his room with us and he awakens enough to tell me he is hurting still and the nurse comes to give him some pain meds...welllllllll he must have remembered her HOLDING him down and he went POSTAL...it took 3 of us holding him and trying to get LORITAB in his mouth and he spits it everywhere...very bitter stuff...but the story ends with his Aunt MIMI and I getting him home and fast asleep and I headed off to take a 2-part exam (who knows how that went??? lol) and all is well today......THANK YOU, JESUS!!!
Oh what fun we had making homemade laundry soap for homeschool project day...the kids loved helping with this project and we had much success...we made 5 gallons each that turn into 10 gallons when transferred to from storage bucket to dispenser...so we paid about 6.00 each for 6 months worth of laundry soap...You do the math on that one!!!!
Well my 11 year old wanted to go to Staduim Fest because she love love loves Toby Mac sooooooooooooo the rest of us "endured" but ended up having fun being hanging out....Casting Crowns, Toby Mac and a finish of fireworks was just great!!!!!!!


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The Phenom: Movie Review
Interesting character study with unclear intentions.
The Phenom is not a baseball movie; that fact should make it more universal, but its disorienting structure and unclear journey do make this otherwise sound character study a difficult watch. Hopper Gibson (Johnny Simmons) is a young man who believes (and is told) that he is destined for greatness; however, to actually achieve that greatness, he must overcome personal demons from his past – mainly his abusive father. The story is an interesting and affecting one. 2016
Directed by: Noah Buschel
Screenplay by: Noah Buschel
Starring: Johnny Simmons, Ethan Hawke
Hopper is a top-ranked pitching prospect. His struggles, to live up to the hype that surrounds him, can be applied to any field. It doesn't have to be a baseball diamond (in fact, we barely even see a baseball diamond in this film) and Simmons really brings out the base character traits that make him human, not just a baseball player. Similar things have been said about Whiplash and its lead character. It's a very valid and worthy comparison.
There's an early scene where Hopper, still in high school, breaks up with his girlfriend because she's making things about her when everything should be about him. Something Andrew almost said verbatim during his daily quest battling his ego, the people who build his ego up, and the same people who tear his ego down, and the abusiveness of his mentor as he continues his quest for greatness. And that's exactly what is explored in this independent film about an almost great starting pitcher who might not make it.
Hopper has the belief in himself, the talent, and the dedication to make his dream a reality, but the film opens with a downtrodden Hopper seeing a sports psychologist because his rookie season is going down in flames. Through flashbacks to a slightly younger Hopper, we see the abusive relationship he had with his barely-there, criminal addict father, Hopper Senior (Ethan Hawke).
At its heart, The Phenom is a fascinating character study with Simmons admirably walking that line between arrogant asshole and victim of an abusive father and playing in a system where he's doing everything right and still can't win. One of the themes it best handles with Hopper is the very real phenomenon where those people close to him will hang their hopes and dreams on him, while simultaneously heaping praise on him about how great he can be and tearing him down by telling him how worthless he is. Mostly his father, but other role models do the same thing in smaller ways.
The film also includes the role of therapy as Hopper goes from cautiously trusting his therapist to passive aggressively undermining him to reluctantly trusting him. With Paul Giamatti as his therapist, there are also themes about how much we reveal of ourselves and how much we lie. In just 90 minutes, the film bites off more than it can chew and never gives the audience a clear picture of where it's going, but it is a solid addition to the misunderstood genius genre of films.
Labels: 7 Star Movies, Character Study, Drama, Sports
Moonlight: Movie Review
Other People: Movie Review


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Pixel January update includes 911 calling fix, but the Pixel 6 is left out for now
The latest Pixel update is rolling out now, bringing with it the January security patch and a host of bug fixes to some of Google's best Android phones like the Pixel 5a. This marks the first update of the year for Pixel smartphones, although Pixel 6 owners will have to wait a bit longer before they can get their hands on it.
The most notable fix addresses the mysterious Microsoft Teams bug that prevented users from making emergency calls. The app was already updated to address this problem, but Google is issuing its own system-wide update, which should hopefully prevent this problem from surfacing again.
Microsoft Teams isn't explicitly mentioned, but the support page lists it as a "[f]ix for issue preventing emergency calls in certain conditions while some third-party apps are installed." Notably, this is listed as applicable to the Pixel 3, despite support for the phone officially ending in October. That said, the word is that Google was preparing another update for the phone, although it's unclear if this is said update as the phone isn't listed among available software versions.
The update also fixes issues with picture-in-picture on certain apps, a problem with the notification shade, a bug related to the Pixel Stand, and more.
The update is rolling out to Pixel smartphones starting today. However, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are left out of the fun while Google puts their updates on hold to address problems that arose with the December update. The support page assures that these devices "will receive the update later this month," so Pixel 6 owners will have to wait a bit longer, as was the case with the December update rollout.
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Patience is a virtue
Every PS5 video game delay in 2022 — and their upcoming release dates
Many high-profile games were delayed throughout the last couple of years due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, the games industry saw that trend continue well into 2021. So we've compiled a list of every game delayed or bumped into 2022 and beyond. Here's what you can expect!
Customize your iPhone Home Screen with this gorgeous new icon pack
CES 2022: NVIDIA Announces Desktop RTX 3050, Mobile RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 3080 Ti


Laura Restrepo in conversation with Juan Diego Mejía at Medellín's 2019 Hay Festival. Photo by Sophie Foggin.
Laura Restrepo's fascination with politics was evident within moments of our meeting at Medellín's 2019 Hay Festival for Literature.
Small talk about Barcelona – her current home of five years – raised the subject of the region's complicated political relationship with the rest of Spain, one of the reasons she most enjoys living there, she claimed.
A journalistic-like curiosity was also one of the first things about Restrepo that caught my attention.
"Where are you from?" she asked me. On learning I was from the UK, she immediately questioned me about the political progress of Brexit, wearing a facial expression communicating a sense of concern that could only be interpreted as genuine.
Bogotá-born Restrepo begun her career as a journalist, writing about politics in the Colombian weekly Semana, where she went on to become political editor.
The early years of Restrepo's career sent her abroad to Central America and the Caribbean to cover local conflicts, into the Colombian government's peace negotiations with the M19 guerrilla group, and to political exile in Mexico, where she lived for six years.
Inspired by her own personal and professional experiences, Restrepo decided to dedicate the rest of her writing career to fiction, allowing her to address themes such as political conflict and feminism in a more abstract way.
However, whether it be through her uniquely subtle way of weaving social criticism into novels, or writing fiction based on real events, Restrepo's literature is undoubtedly shaped by the journalist within her.
"I investigate but then I let the investigation rest a bit, I try to forget it as much as possible and then I start to rebuild it," she told The Bogotá Post.
Using fiction to relay fact in a retrospective and analytical way is a skill perhaps most evident in Restrepo's latest novel, Los Divinos, the discussion point for the Hay Festival panel which took place at Medellin's Museum of Modern Art.
Crowds gathered to listen to Laura Restrepo at the MAMM. Image courtesy of @hayfestival_esp Instagram.
In conversation with fellow writer Juan Diego Mejía, the pair talked about how Restrepo took the 2017 femicide of seven-year-old Yuliana Samboní and used Los Divinos as an attempt to explain her interpretation of the reasoning behind this brutal crime.
According to Restrepo, this is the advantage of fiction. It is a means of distancing oneself from the facts in order to understand them, "reflect on them" and learn from them.
"Literature allows you to calm down a bit, to objectify, to get things out of your system," Restrepo explained.
Los Divinos by Laura Restrepo is out now in Spanish and published by ALFAGUARA.


Bills win - Tyler B.
Giants win - Tyler B.
Saints win - Tyler B.
Patriots win - Tyler B.
Chiefs win - Tyler B.
Texans win - Tyler B.
Packers win - Tyler B.
Browns win - Tyler B.
Broncos win - Tyler B.
Chargers win - Tyler B.
Lions win - Tyler B.
Steelers win - Tyler B.
Cowboys win - Tyler B.
Rams win - Tyler B.
NFL Week 13: The bye weeks are over, so we are back to 15 games a week which is exciting for all of us fans. I am going to try something different this week instead of my analysis and comments on each game I am going to pick my fantasy must start, sleeper, and avoided player in each match and a small analysis.
Ravens (6-5) @ Falcons (4-7): My must start is Lamar Jackson as I believe the Falcons bad run and pass defense will be great for him. My sleeper pick for this game is Gus Edwards if you can call him that, because the Falcons run defense is bad with Deion Jones still out and he will feast. I believe the player to avoid in this matchup is Calvin Ridley as the Ravens defense should do a good job shutting down the pass game and the number 2 option might see the effect of it the most. This game will be a game of offense vs defense. I personally love defense and believe it wins games, so I am going to take the top defense in the league regardless of how bad they are on the road under Harbaugh. Ravens 23 – Falcons 21.
Saints win, 35-20 - Tyler B.
Week 12 NFL 2018 Season: The week already had 3 games played on Thanksgiving. Last week we saw Alex Smith suffer a gruesome injury and a few other players get dinged up. There are only two teams left to take a bye week this year and they do so this week and those are the Kansas City Chiefs and LA Rams.
Week 9 2018 Season: There are no more London games as week 8 has wrapped up the final one. We have some phenomenal games this weekend. The trade deadline has passed which we saw fortify some teams. The Eagles gained Golden Tate, the Texans gained Demarius Thomas, and the Redskins gained Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix. Here come the important week 9 predictions. The teams on bye are the Cardinals, Bengals, Colts, Jaguars, Giants, and Eagles.
Bears win, 23-13 - Tyler B.
Panthers win, 27-20 - Tyler B.
Week 8 2018 NFL Season: This week we will see the Falcons, Chargers, Cowboys, and Titans on bye week. The Rams are putting their unbeaten record on the line this week against the Packers. There will be a London game between the Jaguars and Eagles.
Jaguars win, 23-20. - Tyler B.
Ravens win, 26-17. - Tyler B.
Bears win, 30-17. - Tyler B.
Bengals win, 27-24. - Tyler B.
Seahawks win, 23-21. - Tyler B.
Chiefs win, 35-10. - Tyler B.
Redskins win, 24-13. - Tyler B.
Steelers win, 27-13. - Tyler B.
Raiders win, 30-24. - Tyler B.
49ers win, 13-10. - Tyler B.
Rams win, 33-30. - Tyler B.
Saints win, 26-20. - Tyler B.
Patriots win, 27-13. - Tyler B.


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Posts tagged 'AI'
PZ Myers does not understand Ray Kurzweil
PZ Myers wrote an essay claiming that "Ray Kurzweil does not understand the brain", which has some good points, but is entirely based on the premise that Kurzweil says we will reverse-engineer the brain from the genome, that contains 25 million [relevant] bytes, or a million lines of code (second-hand comments on erroneous press reports, taken out of context).
Kurzweil responded to the claims in a lengthy article, well worth the read. The relevant part regarding the quote that was taken out of context is
I mentioned the genome in a completely different context. I presented a number of arguments as to why the design of the brain is not as complex as some theorists have advocated. This is to respond to the notion that it would require trillions of lines of code to create a comparable system. The argument from the amount of information in the genome is one of several such arguments. It is not a proposed strategy for accomplishing reverse-engineering. It is an argument from information theory, which Myers obviously does not understand.
The reasoning behind the "million lines of code" calculation makes sense if you think about the Kolmogorov complexity of the DNA responsible for coding the design instructions for building the brain.
Trying to reverse engineer a complete brain biologically, in order to have a computer simulate the same principles (only faster) is dumb. I've read Kurzweil's How to Create a Mind, and he knows his shit. He gave specific examples of how his team gained some insights that helped improve speech recognition from reverse engineering several processes.
I completely agree with HuguesT's Slashdot comment…
Mostly I think that in general the human population, myself included, is an incredibly stupid, short sighted, nasty, egotistic species with occasional streaks of artistic, political or scientific brilliance. Hopefully we can do better than simulate that.
Code, Science, Singularity
How to Create a Mind
Kolmogorov
Kolmogorov complexity
PZ Myers
Keloid – A Short Film by BLR
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote about an experiment which had to do with Artificial Intelligence. In a near future, man will have given birth to machines that are able to rewrite their codes, to improve themselves, and, why not, to dispense with them. This idea sounded a little bit distant to some critic voices, so an experiment was to be done: keep the AI sealed in a box from which it could not get out except by one mean: convincing a human guardian to let it out.
What if, as Yudkowsky states, 'Humans are not secure'? Could we chess match our best creation to grant our own survival? Would man be humble enough to accept he was superseded, to look for primitive ways to find himself back, to cure himself from a disease that's on his own genes? How to capture a force we voluntarily set free? What if mankind worst enemy were humans?
In a near future, we will cease to be the dominant race.
In a near future, we will learn to fear what is to come.
Animation, Art, Music, Singularity, Video
Self Modifying Code
Yudkowsky