Discrimination of Seafloor Sediment Properties by VWA

Analytical results of sound velocity and spectrum for seafloor sediment ore obtained by VWA (velocity-wave-amplitude) discrimination technique. Based on velocity-wave-amplitude, an understanding is gained of the physical condition and structural characteristics of seafloor sediment, which is combined with other geological information of the sedimentary layer to synthetically discriminate the properties of seafloor sediment. Experimental results show that, by using the relationship between sound velocity, wave form envelope, amplitude shape and size, and such parameters as sedimentary structure, microstructure, bedding, grain composition, mineral composition, and physical-mechanics, etc., the basic properties of the shallow surface seafloor sediment in the experimental sea area can be discriminated and the burial depth of traces of ancient marine transgression and regression events in the borehole cores of seafloor sediment can be divided, thus making an attempt of and contribution to the practice of acoustically remote-sensing and telemetering seafloor sediment.     

海南岛东南外海海底沉积物特征及其声学物理性质研究

分析研究了南海北部大陆架西南缘的海南岛东南外海海底沉积物声学物理特性,在多个航次中进行了海底沉积层取样、海水CTD测量、浅地层及旁侧声呐扫测等工作.在实验室里对沉积物样品进行声学参数、沉积学基本参数、物理力学参数和14C年龄测试等分析.根据多尔特曼公式求解出弹性模量、体积弹性模量、压缩系数、切变模量、泊松比和拉梅常数等六项沉积物弹性参数.分析结果表明在该海区海底沉积物的压缩波速为1.474~1.700 m/s,在不同的海区内有高低声速两类性质的沉积物分布;沉积物的切变波速为150~600 m/s;沉积物在100 kHz的声衰减为35~260 dB/m;沉积物的密度为1.4~2.0 g/cm3;沉积物的孔隙度为42%~88%.     

海底沉积物的基本地声结构与地声模型

为准确建立海底地声模型,本文探讨地声模型的基本组成和基本结构。通过样品实验室测量,分析南海海底表层沉积物的密度、孔隙度与声速随着埋深变化的关系,得出海底实际存在的低声速表面–声速缓慢变化类型、低声速表面–声速增大类型、高声速表面–声速缓慢变化类型和高声速表面–声速增大类型4种典型地声结构;对比钻探测量,分析黄海海底沉积物的密度、孔隙度与声速随埋深变化关系,得出海底地声模型分层特征与地声结构组合特征。研究表明,地声模型可以归结为4种基本地声结构的组合,通过与底层海水声速、同层内声速剖面以及与上层海底沉积物下表面声速的比较,可以建立各种海底地声模型;基于实验室测量法建立的地声模型可以作为参考地声模型,但需要考虑实际海底温度和压力梯度以及海底沉积物的频散特性等,借助于声速比校正法和频散性理论模型进行计算及修正。     

含砂量变化影响海底沉积物压缩波速度的分析研究

本文通过对南海海底沉积物样品的声学物理参数和沉积粒度特征统计分析,发现了高、低含砂量沉积物的声学物理特征存在明显差异,建立了海底沉积物的含砂量与压缩波速度、孔隙度、含水量和密度等经验公式,分析了含砂量变化与沉积物的体积压缩模量和密度变化的关系,从声速理论基础上阐明了含砂量变化引起沉积物压缩波速度变化的内在原因是含砂量变化引起了体积压缩模量和密度发生了变化,说明了含砂量增大引起沉积物压缩波速度增大的内在原因是含砂量增大引起了体积压缩模量变化量大于密度变化量,从而在数据统计和理论分析结合基础上,论证了含砂量是影响海底沉积物压缩波速度的重要因素之一。这一研究对声学方法反演海底沉积物粒度参数和沉积物类型、地声参数转换模型的建立,以及对水声反演海底和海底资源勘探等方面都具有重要理论意义和应用价值。     

Sea Floor Sediment and Its Acouso-Physical Properties in the Southeast Open Sea Area of Hainan Island in China

Acouso-physical properties of sea floor sediments in the southeast offshore sea area of Hainan Island on the northern continental shelf of the South China Sea are analyzed. In many cruises, conductivity-temperature-depth measurements of seawater, measurements of shallow stratum and side-scan sonar have been made. Acoustic parameters, basic sedimentary parameters, physical-mechanical parameters and ¹⁴C age, etc., have been measured. The sediment elastic parameters, including Young's modulus, bulk modulus, constrained modulus, rigidity modulus, Poisson's ratio, Lames constant, etc., have been calculated. Results show that the compression wave velocity of the seafloor sediment in the sea area ranges from 1474–1700 m/s, and there are high and low sound velocity sediment types in the different sea areas; the shear wave velocity is 150–600 m/s; at 100 kHz the sediment sound attenuation is 35–260 dB/m, the sediment density is 1.4–2.0 g/cm³; the sediment porosity is 42–88%. Sound field parameters and describing sound reciprocity between sea and seafloor are described.     

中国东南近海海底沉积物声学物理性质及其相关关系

在获得的数据资料基础上,发现了中国东南近海海底沉积物声学物理参数的平面分布规律,通过对这些参数的回归分析以及对声速和沉积物密度的估计,建立了经验公式。结果显示,中国东南近海海底沉积物的基本声学物理特性如下:沉积物类型多样而且复杂,从黏土到砂砾有13个颗粒组分组合;沉积物物理力学参数变化范围较大;沉积物声学性质相对于附近海域的数据变化范围更大。这些都与海底沉积环境、沉积物来源、沉积条件和沉积作用过程有关。该项研究有助于建立海底地声模型及开展应用。     

应力-应变过程中海底沉积物微结构变化对其声速的影响

本文阐述了对海底沉积物样品在应力-应变过程中进行同步声学测量的实验工具和方法,分析了采自南海45个站位的海底沉积物样品的实验数据资料,结果表明,沉积物颗粒越粗、孔隙越小、无侧限抗压强度越大,声速越高。沉积物样品在受力应变过程中,声速具有明显的随应力而变化的特征。进一步探讨了不同应变阶段沉积物的声学特征以及应力所导致沉积物微结构变化对其声速的影响过程,这一研究将在石油地质测井和海底工程基底稳定性评价等方面具有重要的应用意义。     

在轴向应力-应变下海底沉积物声速及其变化

对南海南部海域海底浅表层沉积物短柱状样进行轴向应力-应变/声学测量,结果表明沉积物纵波声速有三种不同的变化结果:(1)声速从应变过程开始随应力-应变曲线变化,在最大应力时声速同时也是最大值,结束时可能高于或低于开始时的声速;(2)声速从应变过程开始逐渐减小,结束时是最小值;(3)声速从应变过程开始逐渐增大,最大值出现在结束时.这些结果与海底浅表层沉积物的物理力学性质、颗粒接触状态、颗粒的微结构等特征有关.研究结果可为深入认识南海南部各种海底沉积物作为承载界面的可靠性、声遥测遥感海底沉积物的工程力学性质等科学目的提供理论依据.     

Sound Velocity of Seafloor Sediment and its Response under Axial Stress-Strain

The results of axial stress-strain measurements made from short columnar samples of seafloor shallow surface sediment in the southern South China Sea area indicate that there are three kinds of variations in the longitudinal wave sound velocity, which are related to such characteristics as physical-mechanical properties, grain contact status and grain structure and microstructure of the submarine shallow surface sediment. This study may make theoretical contributions to further understanding the reliability of various submarine sediments in the southern South China Sea as bearing interfaces and such scientific objectives as phonotelemetering and remote sensing of the engineering mechanical properties of seafloor sediment.     

小尺度海底沉积物的声衰减特性研究

为研究小尺度海底沉积物样品的声衰减特性,作者提出了用声学探针测量海底沉积物声波幅值的新方法,对沉积物样品扰动小,两个测量点的距离可小于波长,为海底沉积物微观声衰减测量提供了新手段。作者用小于波长的间隔逐点测量了沉积物的压缩波幅值,数据分析表明沿沉积物柱状样全长的声衰减满足指数衰减模型。目前主要用同轴差距衰减测量法获得海底沉积物声衰减数据,但该方法不能辨识声衰减模型,因此不同海区的测量结果难以建立联系。对此作者又提出用声吸收系数反演的幅值比与声衰减系数反演的R值(两种幅值比的比值)作评价依据,分析了垂直轴差距衰减测量法获得的南海海底沉积物声衰减测量数据,发现部分沉积物样品声衰减的R值远大于1,其声衰减不满足指数衰减模型。在声衰减满足指数衰减模型的条件下,用Hamilton的声衰减和频率经验公式预报的南海沉积物声衰减比与作者用声学探针测量海底沉积物所得的声衰减比对比,通过对R值分析得出Hamilton的声衰减和频率经验公式可以预报南海沉积物声衰减比的范围。作者提出的声学探针测量海底沉积物声衰减的方法的优点是既能获得声衰减数据又能辨识声衰减模型,不同海区测量的沉积物声衰减比可用R值建立联系。     

A Preliminary Study of Shear Wave in Seafloor Surface Sediments

This article preliminarily reports and analyses the transmission characteristics and behaviors of shear wave in the offshore seafloor surface sediments in China, discusses the relationships between the physical and mechanical features of the shear wave and the compression wave, and compares the testing results with that of Hamilton and Chen et al. The result shows that the shear wave can be tested if the seafloor surface sediment has tangent modulus. The shear wave velocity ranges from 50-600 m/s and the measuring frequency from 50-200 kHz. The sound velocity rate of shear wave and compression wave can be used to appraise the stress-strain feature of seafloor surface sediments. This study provides a basis for further describing and appraising the seafloor sedimentary acoustic-mechanical feature and building a geological-acoustic model on China's offshore sea area.     

受控三轴应力-应变下沉积物声速与物理力学性质的关系

对南海某海域深度100～400 m的海底浅层（约2 m埋深范围）沉积物柱状样在接近海底水压力下进行三轴应变-声学同步测量,结果表明沉积物纵波声速有两个特征:（1）从应变过程开始到结束,沉积物纵波声速不断变化;（2）平均声速随着平均静弹性模量的增加,由大变小又由小变大,存在声速最小值。这些结果与海底浅表层沉积物的物理力学性质、围压、颗粒的结合状态改变有关。此外,沉积物动弹性模量和孔隙度呈良好的负相关性,这与孔隙度增大含水量增大有关;动弹性模量是静弹性模量的10～100倍,这主要与三轴应变试验的应变数量级与声波振动产生的应变数量级的差异大有关。采用本论文实验测量的数据分别建立了双复合参数-声速和孔隙度-声速经验公式,分析结果表明双复合参数-声速公式声速预报误差约是孔隙度-声速公式的1/4,表明双复合参数-声速公式更加有效。     

海底沉积物纵波波速与物理-力学性质的理论关系和比较

本文提出以密度变化比和等效弹性模量变化比为参数描述海底沉积物纵波波速,得到密度变化比是由孔隙率、海水密度和海底沉积物固相密度构成的复合参数,建立了以复合参数和等效弹性模量变化比为变量的泰勒多项式海底沉积物纵波波速公式。基于单因素分析法得出纵波波速可表示为参考声速与调制函数的乘积,沉积物的参考声速由海底底质物理性质确定,建立了复合参数-声速的近似理论模型。对该理论模型与现有的主要纵波波速经验公式的分析结果表明,孔隙率-纵波波速经验公式只是参考声速不同,但调制函数是互相等效的,验证了本文海底沉积物纵波波速理论关系的有效性。     

A study of stability of the seafloor foundation on a gently sloping continental shelf

Abstract

The possibility of seafloor failure under external loadings on a gently sloping continental shelf is controlled, to a large extent, by the geotechnical characters of subbottom sediments (e.g., shear strength, compressibility, and liquefaction potential) and structural factors (e.g., sedimentary stratification). By means of undis‐turbing coring, in‐situ acoustic measurement, and subbottom profiling, the authors conducted an investigation into the seafloor instabilities and possibilities of sediment slope failure within the continental shelf off the Pearl River mouth, which is one of the most important areas for offshore development in the northern South China Sea. Based on in‐situ and laboratory measurements and tests for sediment physical properties, static and dynamic behavior, and acoustic characteristics, the analyses indicate: (1) subbottom sediments that originated from terrigenous clay during the Pleistocene are compact and overconsolidated, and the mean sound velocity in such sediments is relatively high; (2) the maximum vertical bearing capacity of subbottom sediments is efficiently conservative on the safe side for dead loads of light structures, and the trench walls are stable enough while trenching to a depth of about 2 m below the seafloor under still water; and (3) it is quite improbable that the subbottom sediments liquefy under earthquake (M ≤ 6) or storm wave loading.     

Sound velocity and related properties of seafloor sediments in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea

The Bering Sea shelf and Chukchi Sea shelf are believed to hold enormous oil and gas reserves which have attracted a lot of geophysical surveys. For the interpretation of acoustic geophysical survey results, sediment sound velocity is one of the main parameters. On seven sediment cores collected from the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea during the 5th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition, sound velocity measurements were made at 35, 50, 100, 135, 150, 174, 200, and 250 k Hz using eight separate pairs of ultrasonic transducers. The measured sound velocities range from 1 425.1 m/s to 1 606.4 m/s and are dispersive with the degrees of dispersion from 2.2% to 4.0% over a frequency range of 35–250 k Hz. After the sound velocity measurements, the measurements of selected geotechnical properties and the Scanning Electron Microscopic observation of microstructure were also made on the sediment cores. The results show that the seafloor sediments are composed of silty sand, sandy silt, coarse silt, clayey silt, sand-silt-clay and silty clay. Aggregate and diatom debris is found in the seafloor sediments. Through comparative analysis of microphotographs and geotechnical properties, it is assumed that the large pore spaces between aggregates and the intraparticulate porosity of diatom debris increase the porosity of the seafloor sediments, and affect other geotechnical properties. The correlation analysis of sound velocity and geotechnical properties shows that the correlation of sound velocity with porosity and wet bulk density is extreme significant, while the correlation of sound velocity with clay content, mean grain size and organic content is not significant. The regression equations between porosity, wet bulk density and sound velocity based on best-fit polynomial are given.     

温度对海底沉积物声学特性影响实验研究

温度的变化是影响海底沉积物声学特性非常重要的因素之一。文章采用同轴差距衰减测量法,在不同温度下对海底沉积物声学特性进行测量,实验得出南海海底沉积物随着温度的升高具有以下声学特性:1)沉积物声速变化比较缓慢,上下波动点较明显,但总体趋势接近线性下降;2)衰减幅值随着温度升高一直下降,偶尔有些波动的异常点,声衰减幅值呈现线性下降的趋势;3)声衰减系数变化呈现抛物线趋势,具有强非线性。对于此类沉积物声速特殊情况,还有待从理论和实验方面更深入地研究解释其成因。     

基于海底表层沉积物声速特征的南海地声模型

在由垂直声速梯度建立的地声模型基础上,通过引入沉积物与海水声速比和沉积物压缩波与切变波声速比两个表征沉积物声学特征参数得到更全面和有实际指导意义的地声模型。在沉积物声波传播FCMCM模型基础上,基于热作用和重力作用下沉积物两相介质的应力应变分析,建立TFCMCM和DFCFCM模型,运用模型校正表层沉积物声速特征来计算和解释地声模型。根据海底表层沉积物存在低声速和高声速两种类型,结合沉积物沿纵深孔隙度不变和变化两种类型,得到南海海底沉积物的两类四种典型地声模型:低声速孔隙度不变型、低声速孔隙度减小型、高声速不变型和高声速孔隙度减小型。运用这四种典型地声模型的组合解释了卢博提出的南海三种典型声速结构。认知声速结构将为南海声学探测海底、划分海底区域提供模型支持。     

海底浅表层沉积物原位声学测量方法探讨

研究透射式和折射式两类海底沉积声学原位测量方法,通过分析10种海底浅表层沉积物声学原位测量仪器的特征,指出不同声学原位测量技术对沉积物声学特性测量结果的影响。比较黄海海底浅表层沉积声学原位测量数据与实验室测量结果的差异,分析原位声学测量数据普遍小于实验室测量数据的原因,指出原位测量的作用和重要性。探讨指出海底浅表层沉积物原位声学测量所需要配合发展的其他物理性质原位测量技术。     

Variation of temperature-dependent sound velocity in unconsolidated marine sediments: Laboratory measurements

Laboratory measurements of sound velocity in unconsolidated marine sediment were performed to establish specific correction curves between temperature and sound velocity. Cores from the Hupo Basin and the southern sea of Geumo Island were cooled and sound velocity was measured while gradually increasing temperature (from 3 to 30°C). Sediment textural and physical properties (porosity, water content, and bulk density) were measured at the same depth. Sound velocity increases with temperature for clay, mud, silt, and sand sediment, resulting in values of approximately 2.65, 2.72, 2.78, and 3.10?m/s/°C, respectively. These results are similar to those of previous studies, and differences are likely due to density, porosity, and clay contents of the sediment. Using these results, we present correction curves for sound velocity temperature dependence for each sediment texture, which can be used to correct from laboratory to in situ values to develop accurate geoacoustic model.     

海底松散沉积物声学性质原位测量实验研究

分析研究了国内外海底松散泥沙的声速和声衰减系数测量的研究现状,并据此研制了海底表层沉积物声速声衰减系数原位测量系统。利用原位测量系统分别在实验室和海滩对不同粒度的沉积物进行了测量分析,得到了不同粒度沉积物的声速和声衰减系数。数据分析表明,沉积物的声速和声衰减系数与沉积物的粒径有密切的关系,粒径越粗,声速越高,声衰减系数越大。通过沉积物声学性质研究,可以开发海底浅层沉积物声学性质原位测量技术,提高相关海洋调查的速度和效率。