FICUS,a new in-situ probe for resistivity measurements in unconsolidated marine sediments

Physical properties of shallow sediments measured at a particular site can not easily be extrapolated over a given profile. The number of samples required to define sediment properties adequately can then become time-consuming and expensive. Laboratory and in-situ experimentations have shown that electrical probing provides a useful complementary technique to extrapolate results from cores. These experiments have pointed out the need for quantitative, easily-transportable and fast resistivity measurements combining high vertical resolution with azimuthal resolution and full coverage, in the shallow subsurface. A new prototype probe called FICUS (Formation Imaging and Coring for Unconsolidated Sediments) has been developed to bridge this gap. FICUS is designed to provide in-situ high resolution electrical resistivity images of the upper few meters of shallow unconsolidated sediments.Laboratory experiments have been completed to test the feasibility of this technique to provide resistivity images of unconsolidated sediments. Laboratory images agree with theoretical predictions from numerical modelling. The obtained cm-scale resolution could be used for petrophysical and sedimentary purposes. The probe may offer additional information about changes in porosity and pore morphology caused by climatic cycles, since electrical resistivity is known to be especially sensitive to these changes. The probe could also allow to detect and map organic pollutants in the future.     

First measurements from a deep-tow transient electromagnetic sounding system

An electromagnetic sounding system has been developed to map the shallow electrical conductivity structure of the deep sea floor. The instrument consists of a magnetic source and several colinear magnetic receivers forming an array which is towed along the seafloor. The source generates a time varying magnetic field; the shape of the resulting magnetic field waveform at the receivers depends on the electrical conductivity below the seafloor between the receivers and the source. The instrument can be towed systematically over a study area under acoustic transponder or GPS navigation to construct a map of the electrical conductivity. Towing speeds of greater than 1 m s^–1 (2 knots) can be achieved without adversely effecting data quality. The instrument is sufficiently robust to survive continual contact with thinly sedimented, abrasive basalt. We present the first results from a deployment in August, 1990 near the Cleft Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge along an 8 km track to the west of the spreading center. Unforeseen problems with the instrument restricted the utility of the measurements for constructing detailed vertical conductivity profiles, but the measurements were adequate to determine an average conductivity in the upper 25 m, at more than 70 stations. The conductivity was found to vary from 0.1 to 0.4 S/m along the track.     

The measurement of marine geothermal heat flow by a multipenetration probe with digital acoustic telemetry and insitu thermal conductivity

The design and use of a marine heat probe with capability for measuring thermal conductivity insitu with high accuracy, and providing digital acoustic transmission of data to the ship, is described. The instrument employs the violin bow strength member and parallel sensor string configuration suggested by C. R. B. Lister. Several hundred measurements have been made in the deep ocean on multipenetration or pogostick profiles using a 3 m probe and in deep inlets of western Canada using a 7 m probe. The insitu thermal conductivity technique using a calibrated heat pulse has been studied in detail through laboratory calibration of the probe in materials of known conductivity, through numerical models, and through comparison of insitu measurements with needle probe measurements on sediment cores taken from the same sites. The insitu technique permits a conductivity accuracy of better than ±5% with a recording time of 7 minutes following 7 minutes in the bottom to establish the geothermal gradient. The pulse heating is also more energy efficient than the conventional continuous heating technique.Contribution from the Earth Physics Branch No. 807.     

Laboratory and Field Observations for Golden Horn Marine Clay

Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and one of the major metropolitan areas in the world, cleaned one of its environmentally polluted areas—Golden Horn—by dredging 5 million m³ of the bottom sediments and pumping the resulting sludge to a storage area behind a dam built at an abandoned rock quarry site in Alibey district. The reclamation of the land that formed over the storage area of Golden Horn dredged material is socially and economically very desirable. In this paper, results from experimental studies that are focused on determining the shear strength behavior of the dredge material and undisturbed soil are presented. Slurry consolidometer test, large model tests and small model tests are used to consolidate the dredged soil samples from Halic to simulate the natural consolidation behavior of these soils. Shear strength parameters are determined by laboratory vane tests; unconfined compression tests; undrained-unconsolidated (UU) and consolidated-undrained (CU) triaxial tests on samples that are obtained through in situ undisturbed samples and laboratory model tank and slurry consolidation. Moreover, the effects of fly ash and lime additives on the undrained shear strength were determined by mixing the materials with the dredged clay from Golden Horn during the model experiments conducted in the laboratory. Based on these findings, equations are proposed that govern the relationships between undrained shear strength and water content value.     

海底宏渗漏气体走航式海洋电阻率法探测效果模拟与观测系统设计

为实现海底宏渗漏气体连续调查,提出了一种走航式海洋电阻率探测技术。根据前人原位观测资料和含气水体电阻率特征构建地电模型;采用数值模拟和室内试验方法获得不同参数电阻率映像剖面,分析确定探测剖面异常特征,评价探测效果。在此基础上进一步进行了探测系统设计和实验测试。研究结果表明,走航式海洋电法探测电缆可由2个供电电流极和8个电位测量极组成,电位极距需小于0.05 m;测量可采用偶极装置通过并行采集方式实现。气体分布区表现为高阻异常,异常模式由走航速度、排列长度和气体分布区横向宽度共同决定,可分为7种情形;探测电阻率极大值和气体喷出流速存在正相关指数关系。该技术可实现气体分布范围和喷出速率快速探测。     

In Situ Time-Series Measurements of Subseafloor Sediment Properties

The capabilities and diversity of subsurface sediment sensors lags significantly from what is available for the water column, thereby limiting progress in understanding time-dependent seabed exchange and high-frequency acoustics. To help redress this imbalance, a new instrument, the autonomous sediment profiler (ASP), is described herein. ASP consists of a four-electrode, Wenner-type resistivity probe and a thermistor that log data at 0.1-cm vertical intervals over a 58-cm vertical profile. To avoid resampling the same spot on the seafloor, the probes are moved horizontally within a 20 times 100-cm^-2 area in one of three preselected patterns. Memory and power capacities permit sampling at hourly intervals for up to 3-mo duration. The system was tested in a laboratory tank and shown to be able to resolve high-frequency sediment consolidation, as well as changes in sediment roughness. In a field test off the southern coast of France, the system collected resistivity and temperature data at hourly intervals for 16 d. Coupled with environmental data collected on waves, currents, and suspended sediment, the ASP is shown to be useful for understanding temporal evolution of subsurface sediment porosity, although no large depositional or erosional events occurred during the deployment. Following a rapid decrease in bottom-water temperature, the evolution of the subsurface temperature field was consistent with the 1-D thermal diffusion equation coupled with advection in the upper 3-4 cm. Collectively, the laboratory and field tests yielded promising results on time-dependent seabed change.     

破碎波群间隔统计分布

基于一系列实验室风浪破碎实验,讨论破碎波群间隔的统计分布。实验时风速分别设定在6～9 m/s间几个不同的风速水平,破碎波群间隔定义为两个相继发生破碎的波群中破碎首发时刻之间的时间间隔,破碎依据波面信号和实验者同步记录的破碎标记信号判别,分布拟合检验采用Kolmogorov-Smirnov检验。数据分析结果表明:1)所有实验信号的破碎波群间隔都服从Gamma分布;2)低风速情形的破碎波群间隔大多服从指数分布——Gamma分布的一种特殊情形;3)相同实验条件下的破碎波群间隔具有相同的分布。这意味着破碎波群的发生可以视为一种更新过程。     

A Remotely Operated Serial Sampler for Collecting Gas-Tight Fluid Samples

This paper describes the design, construction and preliminary test results for a gas-tight serial sampler intended to be deployed at seafloor for long-term operation to take time-series fluid samples from deep-sea environments such as cold seeps, water column and hydrothermal vents. The serial sampler is a modular system that is based on independent and identical sampling modules, which are designed to collect six 160 ml gas-tight fluid samples maintained at high pressure to a depth of 4000 meters. With two working modes, the sampler can be deployed either with seafloor cabled observatory for remote control or as a stand-alone device for autonomous operation. A prototype of the instrument has been constructed and tested on the MARS cabled observatory for two months. The laboratory and field tests proved the success of the design and construction of the serial sampler, and indicated the potential for future ocean sciences.     

Laboratory measurements of instantaneous sediment concentrationunder waves

An optical instrument which detects the light attenuation in sediment-laden flows has been developed to measure the instantaneous and time-average suspended concentration of cohesive sediments. In a flume test with natural muds, the device showed that the instantaneous sediment concentration oscillated with the waves but that the amplitude decreased rapidly with the distance above the mud bed. Strong sediment motion was found near the benthic boundary layer. This indicates a weak vertical turbulent diffusion in the upper portion of the water column in a pure wave erosion process. It is concluded that the probe design can be easily modified and the apparatus can be deployed for both laboratory and field measurements     

Determination of Shaft Capacity for Pile under Cyclic Axial Loading in Clay

For load-controlled and displacement-controlled test data of piles cyclically axially loaded in clay, the displacement conditions are suggested for determining the shaft capacity. According to the suggested displacement conditions, not only the results of shaft capacity from laboratory model piles are close to those from in-situ piles, but also the results of load-controlled tests are in satisfactory agreement with those of displacement-controlled tests. Moreover, based on the test data of laboratory model piles in combination with the test data published, the paper suggests the values of the normalized shaft capacity of piles under a variety of static and cyclic loading combinations.     

Estimation of net theoretical excavation rates in concrete and sandstone

Abstract

The estimation of excavation rates in specific geological and geotechnical conditions is one of the most delicate aspects for mining and geotechnical operations particularly offshore. Many models have been developed to study the effectiveness of a drilling tool in contact with the ground. In this article, the results of laboratory cutting tests on concrete specimens are shown. The comparison of the results of laboratory tests with different predictive models, helped to identify the most representative models. The models were then used to study in more detail, the effectiveness of the excavation tools through a parametric analysis. The research helped to define how to obtain rubrics, which can estimate the theoretical net cutting production of an excavation machine, when the power of its engines is known, or to evaluate, when the requested net cutting production is available, the power that the cutting machine must have. The findings were also applied to a sandstone previously investigated. The results are based on theoretical models and cannot be used on geomaterials with the same (or similar) geotechnical properties.     

基于潮间带现场数据的底部切应力算法对比

底部切应力作为水动力和泥沙输移模型中的关键参数,对底床泥沙起动、侵蚀淤积速率的研究十分重要.目前基于现场实测流速数据计算底部切应力的理论方法有6种:LP-mean法、LP-max法、TKE法、TKE W法、RS法和ID法,这些方法都有其特定的适用条件.河口海岸浅水区域水流和波浪作用复杂,遴选合适的方法计算底部切应力非常...     

Drag-type in-situ acoustic measurement system: Design,operation, and experimental results

The Drag-type In-Situ Acoustic Measurement System (DISAMS) is a new instrument designed for rapid measurement of seabed sediment acoustic parameters, including the sediment sound velocity and acoustic attenuation coefficient. The DISAMS consists of six independent acoustic probes arranged symmetrically such that each side has one transmitting probe and two receiving probes. The entire operation is controlled and monitored in real time by a deck control unit on board, and the center frequency of the DISAMS is 30?kHz. The DISAMS can record full waveforms to determine the sound velocity and attenuation coefficient in the seabed sediment. In addition to site measurements, the DISAMS can also carry out towing measurements, resulting in improved efficiency compared with existing in-situ acoustic measurement systems. This article presents the configuration, electronics, and tests of the DISAMS in detail. Laboratory tests were conducted in a sediment pool, sea trials were carried out in the Zhoushan Islands, and sound velocity and attenuation coefficient data were obtained. The test results demonstrated that the DISAMS performed well and was able to measure the sound velocity and attenuation coefficient rapidly and accurately in both site measurements and towing measurements.     

Design and tests of a trawl-resistant package for an acousticDoppler current profiler

A package designed to protect an RD Instrument Ltd. acoustic Doppler current profiler survived several passages of a bottom trawl. The package, in the shape of a truncated pyramid, has a base 4 m by 3.3 m and a height of 53 cm. The authors describe the package, its deployment method, and field test results where a trawl was repeatedly dragged over the unit. The device has been used successfully three times on the continental shelf. Some acoustic measurements were also made to ascertain the effect of the package on the beam pattern. The results show that this design can protect the instrument from bottom trawls and the acoustic beams are minimally affected by the plastic plate in front of the instrument transducers     

船载水样自动采集与分配系统所采水样的适用性研究

为研究船载水样自动采集与分配系统(自动采样系统)所采水样的适用性,在胶州湾海域用自动采样系统和传统采水器两种方式采集水样,在陆基实验室进行了测定,并应用方差分析和相关分析对数据进行了统计分析。结果表明,自动采样系统输送的水样可以满足营养盐和重金属常规监测的需要,并且提高了采样效率。首次探讨了自动采样系统与传统采水器对采样分析结果的影响。     

Effects of Laboratory Consolidation on Petrophysical Properties of Fine-Grained Marine Sediments: Electron Microscopic Observations

Pliocene-Recent marine sediments, recovered at site 1125 by ODP Leg 181 on the eastern New Zealand margin, were subjected to laboratory consolidation tests and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after consolidation test. The primary objective of this study is to document the effects of consolidation on microfabric and petrophysical properties. X-ray diffraction and grain-size distribution data indicate that the samples are mineralogically and texturally similar and thus are ideal for the present study on the role of consolidation solely on petrophysical properties. Porosity was measured before and after each consolidation test, and permeability was estimated indirectly based on the theoretical method. SEM photomicrographs show details of changes of pore geometry and distribution after the consolidation test that account for the porosity loss.     

In situ tests for ice strength measurements

Ice effects have caused extensive damage. Enormous forces have been recorded. On the other hand, ice has been used as a structural material under various situations. To use ice beneficially and to assess the danger of ice forces, it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of ice.Results from the large number of ice tests carried out in laboratories show the difficulties of sampling and testing procedures. Most of the tests have not reproduced faithfully enough the conditions existing in nature. To obtain adequate results, laborious and slow samplings and preparations of test specimens have been necessary. Recently, extensive use has been made of in situ tests in order to reduce the number of factors whixh can induce errors in measurements. Large scale tests have simulated actual structures. General ice properties have become available from small-scale in situ tests. Since these tests give rapid results, a large number are already available with a good coverage of field conditions.A theoretical basis has been devised for these in situ tests which measure essentially the unconfined and confined compressive strengths of ice, and practical devices have been developed to execute these tests. A correlation of measurements from laboratory tests and in situ tests has established a link between natural and artificial environments. Brittle elastic and clastic theories have been applied, to find the best correlations for ice tests. Test results have been related to the mechanical properties as used in engineering practice.A very summary conclusion of results is that cold sea ice and cold fresh water ice are both very strong. However, depending on the load rate, ice can be quite brittle, which mitigates dangerous effects from ice action against massive structures.