Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies

Sedimentary basins in Northern Ireland are increasingly recognised as promising targets for low- to medium-temperature geothermal energy, yet their subsurface architecture and reservoir properties remain poorly constrained. The Lough Neagh Basin exhibits elevated geothermal gradients relative to other regions of Ireland and represents a low-enthalpy, sedimentary-basin geothermal system. The basin is known to contain sedimentary rocks ranging from at least Permian to Upper Cretaceous in age, overlain by thick Paleogene basalts. Within this system, the electrically conductive Triassic Sherwood Sandstone Group is considered the principal geothermal reservoir, although deeper Permian sandstone units may also have reservoir potential.In this study, we assess the geothermal potential of the Lough Neagh Basin using a broadband magnetotelluric (MT) dataset comprising more than 250 MT stations, including 118 newly acquired stations as part of the GEMINI (Geothermal Energy Momentum on the Island of Ireland) project. MT data were processed to derive impedance tensors and vertical magnetic transfer functions, followed by phase tensor and induction arrow analyses to characterise dimensionality and lateral resistivity variations. Three-dimensional (3-D) MT inversion was then applied to recover the subsurface resistivity structure.The resulting 3-D resistivity structure reveals laterally extensive low-resistivity zones with a spatially variable upper boundary, typically initiating at depths of ~0.7–1.0 km and extending to ~2–2.5 km beneath a high-resistivity basalt sequence. These zones are interpreted as the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group–Sherwood Sandstone Group succession with variable thickness, consistent with borehole constraints and regional geological understanding. While MT primarily constrains the geometry of this conductive package, integration with petrophysical measurements from selected rock samples and other geophysical datasets (i.e., gravity and passive seismics) aids discrimination between mudstone- and sandstone-dominated intervals, enabling first-order estimates of reservoir geometry and associated heat capacity within the Lough Neagh Basin geothermal system.

A series of powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurred between 10 and 14 May 2024. As these eruptions propagated through the corona, they generated multiple solar type II radio bursts, indicating the presence of shock waves. This study characterises a series of type II radio bursts associated with a CME that occurred on 14 May, focusing on the coronal conditions during the event and identifying the likely location of the shocks where the radio bursts are generated. The CME was tracked using a combination of white light and extreme ultraviolet observations of the solar corona taken by three instruments: the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) and two coronagraphs of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO), together with ground-based radio observations between 10-240 MHz from the Irish Low-Frequency Array (I-LOFAR). The radial distances of the radio sources were examined using a series of density models, with both potential field source surface and magnetohydrodynamic models used to examine the coronal plasma conditions. Four type II bursts were identified in the I-LOFAR radio dynamic spectrum over ∼15 minutes, exhibiting features such as band splitting, herringbones, and fragmentation. The shocks were found to have speeds ranging between ∼443-2075 km s -1 $, with drift rates of ∼-361 to -78 kHz s^-1. The shocks were found to have a M_A ≈ 3.21-3.57. indicating that they were super-Alfvénic. The first type II burst was triggered $∼18 minutes after the CME launch, with each burst appearing to have been generated at a different height in the corona. Analysis of the derived kinematics and modelling results suggests that the type II bursts were likely produced at the shoulders of the CME near the flanks, where open magnetic field lines and relatively low Alfvén speeds facilitated shock formation. This multi-instrument study shows that multiple type II bursts from a single CME originated at different coronal heights, with modelling indicating their generation near the CME flanks where low Alfvén speeds and open magnetic field lines facilitated shock formation. The findings highlight the role of coronal conditions, particularly the magnetic field configuration and the Alfvén speed distribution, in determining the heights and locations where these bursts originate. Our results reinforce the importance of continuous, multi-wavelength observations for understanding shock dynamics and improving constraints on coronal models.

We present a new list of bow shock and magnetopause crossings based on automated region classification for the MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging) mission. We fit a random forest model to magnetometer and ephemeris

Abstract Sabancaya volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the Central Andes. Its ongoing eruptive process is accompanied by large‐scale deformation, with activation of the Huambo‐Cabanaconde fault system, marked by intense seismicity over an area of about 50 × 30 . We present a pilot magnetotelluric survey performed in 2022, covering the Ampato‐Sabancaya complex, Hualca‐Hualca volcano, as well as the related system of normal faults. Our three‐dimensional electrical resistivity model reveals pronounced vertical gradients and lateral contrasts at elevations above sea level, along with generally low resistivity values at depth. Seismicity at depths km below sea level predominantly occurs in a low resistivity environment: 90% of seismic events occur at resistivity values below 10 m. Two prominent electrical conductors (<0.5 and 2–4 m) are imaged at depths 11–18 km and 3–8 km, respectively. Using petrological constraints, we interpret them as the signature of the magmatic plumbing system, connecting the Hualca‐Hualca and Ampato‐Sabancaya volcanoes. The deeper conductor is inferred to represent a magma reservoir situated beneath the older Hualca‐Hualca volcano, consistent with long‐term deformation and seismicity. It is connected to the laterally offset shallow magma chamber below Sabancaya. At depth 2–10 km, a strong conductor (<0.1 m) is imaged in the Huambo‐Cabanaconde fault zone. The extremely high conductivity of this body is attributed to the abundance of ultra‐saline brines, originating from the deep magma reservoir below. We speculate that the strong seismicity cluster detected in 2013 facilitated the passage of magmatic fluids exsolved from the magma reservoir, and replenished this ultra‐conductive body.

Abstract We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of intermediate-to-high-mass young stellar objects (YSOs) in the low-metallicity star-forming region NGC 346 located within the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We conduct these integral field unit observations with the Medium Resolution Spectroscopy mode of the Mid-Infrared Instrument on board JWST. The brightest and most active star-forming region in the SMC, NGC 346, has a metallicity of ∼1/5 Z ⊙ , analogous to the era when star formation in the early Universe ( z ≃ 2) peaked. We discuss the emission and absorption features present in the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of five YSOs with coverage from 4.9 to 27.9 μ m and three other sources with partial spectral coverage. Via SED model fitting, we estimate their parameters, finding masses ranging from 2.9 to 18.0 M ⊙ . These targets show dusty silicates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and ices of CO 2 , CO, H 2 O, and CH 3 OH in their protostellar envelopes. We measure emission from H 2 and atomic fine-structure lines, suggesting the presence of protostellar jets and outflows. We detect H i lines, indicating ongoing accretion, and estimate accretion rates for each source that range from 2.50 × 10 −6 to 2.23 × 10 −4 M ⊙ yr −1 , based on the H i (7–6) line emission. We present evidence for a ∼30,000 au protostellar jet traced by fine-structure, H i , and H 2 emission about YSO Y535—the first mid-infrared detection of a resolved protostellar outflow in the SMC and the most distant yet detected by JWST.

Abstract We present observations of a rare configuration of Mercury's magnetosphere in response to sub‐Alfvénic upstream conditions, driven by an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) that impacted the planet on 1 May 2013. Using data from the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, supported by a global three‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation of the event, we demonstrate that Mercury's magnetospheric response during this interval was distinct from the typical super‐Alfvénic state. During the sub‐Alfvénic upstream conditions, MESSENGER measured a distorted magnetotail with a depleted southern magnetotail lobe. An MHD simulation closely reproduces these observations, providing a plausible global context for the reconfiguration of Mercury's magnetosphere under sub‐Alfvénic conditions. The simulation predicts that a pair of Alfvén wings formed during this event, redirecting magnetic flux and plasma within the magnetosphere. The interplanetary magnetic field orientation during this event was primarily sunward/dawnward, generating asymmetric Alfvén wings with respect to the flow direction, in contrast to previously observed north–south wing configurations at the planet. Using Solar Orbiter observations in the inner heliosphere, we estimate that the solar wind is sub‐Alfvénic approximately 2.5 times per Earth year near solar maximum, with intervals lasting between 10 s and 12 hr. Studies of these rare, sub‐Alfvénic solar wind‐magnetospheric interactions provide valuable insights into exoplanet–stellar wind interactions under similarly sub‐Alfvénic conditions where in situ observations are not available.

Near the peak of Solar Cycle 25 in 2024, Earth was impacted by two major solar eruptive events which triggered dramatic geomagnetic storm activity. In May 2024, multiple solar eruptive events generated the largest geomagnetic storm since the early 2000s; this was followed by a similar size geomagnetic storm in October 2024, driven by a single solar eruptive event. Both storms occurred in the `social media era' where the widespread use of mobile imaging devices on `smartphones' encouraged the public to go outside and witness the storms, often capturing and sharing photographs; examples local to the island of Ireland are analysed in this study. While the socio-historic impact of the storms was significant, in this manuscript the sources and effects of the two storms are compared and contrasted. A ``Sun-to-Mud'' analysis is presented, from the solar origins of the events down to regional electrodynamic effects over the island of Ireland. Results indicate that while the May storm was driven by a compound CME-CME event following a quiet period, the single CME driving the October storm arrived at a magnetosphere primed by previous activity. Both storms exhibit strong solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling, and the precursor activity in October demonstrates that the time history of magnetosphere-ionosphere priming is an important factor that influences the ultimate effect of a transient solar-driven event. Locally over the island of Ireland, observations suggest auroral electrojets poleward of local magnetometers, and both events generate remarkable geomagnetically induced currents; these observations are presented along with local auroral photographs.