Projects
Technical Services has constructed a circulating refrigerated sea water system for Earth Sciences to do neoichnological experiments involving marine invertebrates native to Newfoundland coastal waters.
Tanks were designed and built to carry varying amounts of sediment (sand, mud) and sea water, simulating the habitat of several benthic marine invertebrates of Newfoundland . Experimental animals include clams, burrowing anemones, borrowing sea cucumbers and Nereid polychaetes.
Sediment composition and depth are altered to imitate changes in a natural depositional environment. Burrowing activity is monitored using a CT scanner, revealing 3-D images or burrow shapes and composition. Changes to physical properties of the sediment are also observable. The data collected will be used to better understand fossil burrows and their effects on porosity and permeability of ancient petroleum reservoir intervals.
This work forms part of an MSC project for Ginette Rafuse, a graduate student with Dr. Duncan McIlroy of Earth Sciences. The system was constructed by our Electronics Shop with assistance from Refrigeration, Glass Blowing and Machining.
