Preliminary laboratory investigations into the attenuation of compressional and shear waves on near-surface marine sediments

The attenuation of compressional and shear waves ( Q _p and Q _s) has been studied by several authors but most of these investigations were performed on deep buried reservoir sandstones in order to distinguish between gas and condensate reservoirs and water-saturated sandstones. We present a preliminary investigation into the use of seismic wave attenuation as a measure of the geotechnical parameters of the near-surface marine sediments, a little-studied geological setting. A 6.9 m-long gravity core was taken from the continental slope of the Barents Sea at a water depth of 2227 m. The core was primarily composed of brown to olive-grey clayey mud, having a high content of foraminifers and being locally bioturbated. The values of Q _p and Q _s were determined using the rise-time method at 19 and 18 different points of the core, respectively, and they were correlated with geotechnical parameters such as wet bulk density, porosity, water content, shear strength and C/P ratio (the ratio of shear strength to overburden pressure). The calculated correlation coefficients for all correlations ranged from −0.39 to 0.41, suggesting that the attenuation characteristics of seismic waves could not be used to derive geotechnical parameters of marine sediments. However, with such a small data set it is difficult to determine clearly whether attenuation is primarily a frequency-dependent parameter and consequently not related to sediment properties, or whether the limited number of data points is the main factor responsible for the low correlation coefficients observed. Moreover, several different methods are available for the computation of the quality factor Q , and the rise-time method may not be the most appropriate means of determining the attenuation on near-surface marine sediments.     

A physical model for shear-wave velocity prediction1

The clay-sand mixture model of Xu and White is shown to simulate observed relationships between S-wave velocity (or transit time), porosity and clay content. In general, neither S-wave velocity nor S-wave transit time is a linear function of porosity and clay content. For practical purposes, clay content is approximated by shale volume in well-log applications. In principle, the model can predict S-wave velocity from lithology and any pair of P-wave velocity, porosity and shale volume. Although the predictions should be the same if all measurements are error free, comparison of predictions with laboratory and logging measurements show that predictions using P-wave velocity are the most reliable. The robust relationship between S- and P-wave velocities is due to the fact that both are similarly affected by porosity, clay content and lithology. Moreover, errors in the measured P-wave velocity are normally smaller than those in porosity and shale volume, both of which are subject to errors introduced by imperfect models and imperfect parameters when estimated from logs. Because the model evaluates the bulk and shear moduli of the dry rock frame by a combination of Kuster and Toksöz’ theory and differential effective medium theory, using pore aspect ratios to characterize the compliances of the sand and clay components, the relationship between P- and S-wave velocities is explicit and consistent. Consequently the model sidesteps problems and assumptions that arise from the lack of knowledge of these moduli when applying Gassmann's theory to this relationship, making it a very flexible tool for investigating how the v_P-v_s relationship is affected by lithology, porosity, clay content and water saturation. Numerical results from the model are confirmed by laboratory and logging data and demonstrate, for example, how the presence of gas has a more pronounced effect on P-wave velocity in shaly sands than in less compliant cleaner sandstones.     

南海中北部陆缘横波速度结构及其构造意义

纵横波联合勘探可以得到更多关于岩石圈层岩性、物性等介质属性方面的信息,有效提高地壳物质组成的约束性.在纵波速度结构模型的基础上,通过射线追踪和走时拟合对OBS2006-3地震剖面径向分量的转换震相进行了横波速度结构模拟.结果表明:沉积层1、沉积层2的横波速度分别为0.7～0.9 km/s和1.6～1.7 km/s,波速...     

STATIC CORRECTIONS FOR SHEAR WAVE SECTIONS*

The computation of static corrections requires information about subsurface velocities. This information can be obtained by different methods: surface wave analysis, short refraction lines, downhole times, uphole times and first arrivals from seismograms. For pure shear waves generated by SH sources the analysis of first arrivals from seismograms combined, if necessary, with short refraction lines has proved to be most accurate and economic. A comparison of first-arrival plots from P- and S-wave surveys of the same line measured in areas of unconsolidated sediments in northern Germany illustrates the characteristic differences between the two velocity models. P-waves show a marked velocity increase at the water table from about 600 to 1800 m/s. S-wave velocities of the same strata increase gradually from about 100 to 400 m/s. As a consequence, S-wave models are vertically and laterally more complex and, in general, show no significant velocity increase at a defined boundary as P-wave models do. Therefore, other suitable correction levels with specific velocities must be chosen. A comparison of “tgd-corrections” (correction time between geophone position and datum level) for P- and S-waves in areas of unconsolidated sediments shows that their ratio is different from the P-/S-velocity ratio for the respective correction level because of the greater depth of the S-wave refractor. Therefore, P- and S-waves are influenced by different near-surface anomalies, and time corrections calculated for both wave types are largely independent.     

Linearized elastic parameter sections1

Contrasts in elastic parameters can be estimated directly from seismic data using offset-dependent information in the PP reflection coefficient. A linear approximation to the PP reflection coefficient including three coefficients is fitted to the data, and relative contrasts in various elastic parameters are obtained from linear combinations of the estimated coefficients. Linearized elastic parameter sections for the contrasts in P-wave impedance, P-wave velocity, density, plane-wave modulus, and the change in bulk modulus and shear modulus normalized with the plane-wave modulus are estimated. If the average P- to S-wave velocity ratio is known, linearized parameter sections including the contrast in the average P- to S-wave velocity ratio and a fluid factor section can be computed. Applied to synthetic data, visual comparison of the estimated and true elastic parameter sections agree qualitatively, and the results are confirmed by an analysis of the standard deviation of the estimated parameters. The parameter sections obtained by inversion of a shallow seismic anomaly in the Barents Sea are promising, but the reliability is uncertain because neither well data nor regional trends are available.     

Inversion of Scholte wave dispersion and waveform modeling for shallow structure of the Ninetyeast Ridge

The construction of S-wave velocity models of marine sediments down to hundreds of meters below the seafloor is important in a number of disciplines. One of the most significant trends in marine geophysics is to use interface waves to estimate shallow shear velocities which play an important role in determining the shallow crustal structure. In marine settings, the waves trapped near the fluid–solid interface are called Scholte waves, and this is the subject of the study. In 1998, there were experiments on the Ninetyeast Ridge (Central Indian Ocean) to study the shallow seismic structure at the drilled site. The data were acquired by both ocean bottom seismometer and ocean bottom hydrophone. A new type of seafloor implosion sources has been used in this experiment, which successfully excited fast and high frequency (>500 Hz) body waves and slow, intermediate frequency (<20 Hz) Scholte waves. The fundamental and first higher mode Scholte waves have both been excited by the implosion source. Here, the Scholte waves are investigated with a full waveform modeling and a group velocity inversion approach. Shear wave velocities for the uppermost layers of the region are inferred and results from the different methods are compared. We find that the full waveform modeling is important to understand the intrinsic attenuation of the Scholte waves between 1 and 20 Hz. The modeling shows that the S-wave velocity varies from 195 to 350 m/s in the first 16 m of the uppermost layer. Depths levels of high S-wave impedance contrasts compare well to the layer depth derived from a P-wave analysis as well as from drilling data. As expected, the P- to S-wave velocity ratio is very high in the uppermost 16 m of the seafloor and the Poisson ratio is nearly 0.5. Depth levels of high S-wave impedance contrasts are comparable to the layer depth derived from drilling data.     

Elastic reverse-time migration based on amplitude-preserving P- and S-wave separation

Imaging the PP- and PS-wave for the elastic vector wave reverse-time migration requires separating the P- and S-waves during the wave field extrapolation. The amplitude and phase of the P- and S-waves are distorted when divergence and curl operators are used to separate the P- and S-waves. We present a P- and S-wave amplitude-preserving separation algorithm for the elastic wavefield extrapolation. First, we add the P-wave pressure and P-wave vibration velocity equation to the conventional elastic wave equation to decompose the P- and S-wave vectors. Then, we synthesize the scalar P- and S-wave from the vector Pand S-wave to obtain the scalar P- and S-wave. The amplitude-preserved separated P- and S-waves are imaged based on the vector wave reverse-time migration (RTM). This method ensures that the amplitude and phase of the separated P- and S-wave remain unchanged compared with the divergence and curl operators. In addition, after decomposition, the P-wave pressure and vibration velocity can be used to suppress the interlayer reflection noise and to correct the S-wave polarity. This improves the image quality of P- and S-wave in multicomponent seismic data and the true-amplitude elastic reverse time migration used in prestack inversion.     

三维地震与OBS联合勘探揭示的神狐海域含水合物地层声波速度特征

以三维高分辨地震与海底高频地震仪（OBS）联合勘探数据为基础,获得海底之下沉积层的地震反射成像剖面及多波信息,并以此确定研究区含天然气水合物沉积层的纵、横波速度的变化特征.根据走时反演获得的横波速度与纵波速度对比分析发现,研究区海底之下500 m深度范围内的某些沉积层具有较高的纵横波速度,这一纵波速度升高区域与水合物稳定带对应,而纵波速度下降并且横波速度变化较小的区域,可能与游离气的存在相关.游离气的可能存在与基于这一区域2007年钻探测井结果的普遍认识不完全相符.     

Velocity anisotropy and attenuation of shale in under- and overpressured conditions

The seismic velocity and attenuation of fully saturated shales were measured for the first time under overpressured conditions, using the ultrasonic reflection technique. Shale cores from naturally overpressured horizons in the North Sea were tested in the laboratory, at confining and pore pressures relevant to in situ conditions.
A single-frequency tone-burst pulse wave was used to determine the seismic wave velocities and quality factors of the shale samples, with errors less than 0.3% and 0.1 dB/cm, respectively, at a frequency of 0.75 MHz. Sample length changes with varying confining and pore pressure were measured and the pore pressure equilibration time was monitored for each sample.
The anisotropy of the seismic attributes ( V _p, V _s, Q _p and Q _s) was determined over a range of differential pressures from 5 to 60 MPa, with respect to the predominant foliation. The ultrasonic velocity data followed a transversely isotropic pattern depending on the direction of wave propagation with respect to the laminations. The Poisson's ratio was found to rise by 5% as the shale material progressed from a normally pressured to an overpressured state. The quality factor ( Q ) characteristics were interpreted in terms of pore geometry and connectivity as well as the directional permeability of the transversely isotropic shale material. The results were converted to bulk and shear loss modulus defects, and a positive bulk loss was observed for waves propagating perpendicular to the lamination plane even above differential pressures of 20 MPa. This indicates different levels of Biot-flow and squirt-flow attenuation mechanisms acting within the shale structure, depending on the wave propagation and vibration directions.     

海洋含水合物沉积层的速度频散与衰减特征分析

随着水合物含量的增加,往往会引起纵、横波速度的增加,同时也会引起衰减的变化.针对含水合物沉积层的速度频散与衰减特征分析,有助于水合物含量的估计.本文以有效介质理论模型(EMT)为基础,研究了海洋未固结含水合物沉积层的纵、横波速度的非线性变化趋势.同时采用BISQ模型替代有效介质模型中的Gassmann方程,具体分析了全频带范围内海洋含水合物沉积层的速度频散与衰减特征.采用该模型,速度与衰减均随着水合物含量的增加而增加,且岩石孔隙度与泥质含量对衰减系数的影响较小.针对大洋钻探计划(ODP)164航次的实际数据,运用该模型方程计算采用声波测井数据(20kHz)与VSP数据(100Hz),分别获取了水合物稳定带的饱和度数据,平均在5%~7%之间,由于速度频散的影响,VSP估算结果要弱低于声波测井估算数据,均与实测保压取芯的甲烷含量数据、他人研究成果以及神经网络趋势预测结果均有着较好的一致性.对南海神狐海域三口钻位开展了水合物含量预测,与保压取芯结果有着较好的吻合关系.同时基于层剥离法提取该区域某地震测线BSR层的等效Q值,采用本文方法估算了该区域的等效天然气水合物含量15%~30%.数值模拟与实际应用结果表明:含水合物沉积层的速度频散与衰减特征均随着水合物含量的变化而变化,联合利用这一些变化特征,有助于天然气水合物含量的估计.     

六种不同变质程度煤的纵横波速度特征及其与密度的关系

对采自不同地区和煤矿的六种不同变质程度煤样进行常温常压条件下的超声测量.测量发现:煤的纵波与横波速度均与密度存在良好的线性正相关关系,且沿煤层走向、倾向和垂直煤层层理方向的纵横波速度逐渐降低;走向、倾向和垂向上的纵波速度与同一方向的横波速度也存在良好的线性正相关性;六种煤样三个方向间的速度各向异性一般都大于10%.通过与经典经验公式—Gardner与Castagna公式理论换算值的对比发现:由于煤层的软岩特征,理论换算煤的纵波速度、横波速度与实验室实测值之间存在较大误差.因此,在煤田地震勘探中应使用根据煤的岩石物理测试而形成的关系式.     

基于三重震相拟合的华南地区上地幔P波与S波速度结构

利用中国数字测震台网（CDSN）记录到的台湾地区两个地震事件6°~30°震中距范围的三重震相波形资料,基于观测与理论波形拟合法,获到华南地区上地幔P波和S波的最佳波形拟合速度模型及其V_P/V_S比值.与AK135模型相比,华南地区410 km深度上方存在明显低速层：S波低速区厚度约为70 km,速度降为2%~5%;而P波低速区厚度为70~230 km,速度降为5%~6%.另外,410 km间断面整体表现为一个梯度层,厚度约为10~40 km,V_P跃增量为4.0%~5.4%,而V_S跃增量为2.6%~11.7%.研究区内,低速层的V_P和V_S异常值大小和410 km间断面速度跃变量由北向南逐步减小.结合以往的接收函数和地震层析成像结果,华南地区410 km间断面上方的低速区可能与太平洋俯冲板块脱水有关.     

横观各向同性页岩岩石物理模型建立——以龙马溪组页岩为例

在龙马溪页岩微观物性特征分析的基础上,综合利用测井解释、微观测试分析资料,建立了一种适用于龙马溪页岩的横观各向同性岩石物理模型,该模型建模过程：将各向异性SCA和DEM模型联合模拟得到的黏土和干酪根混合物作为背景介质;采用SCA模型对脆性矿物混合物进行模拟,利用各向异性DEM将脆性矿物混合物添加到背景介质;进一步将空孔隙添加到页岩基质,并利用Brown-Korringa模型进行各向异性条件下的流体替换,从而得到横观各向同性页岩岩石物理模型.通过对四川盆地A井龙马溪页岩进行岩石物理建模分析,计算了孔隙纵横比、纵横波速、各向异性系数和弹性参数,检验了模型的准确性.研究结果表明：矿物颗粒和孔隙纵横比是影响模型精度的关键参数,黏土和干酪根颗粒纵横比为0.05,图像识别获得的脆性矿物颗粒纵横比主要分布于0.45~1.0（集中分布于0.5~0.85）,横波波速反演获得的孔隙纵横比主要分布于0.1~0.3（平均值约为0.22）;模型预测和实测纵波波速之间误差为-2.40%~2.21%（平均绝对误差仅1.20%）,预测和实测横波波速之间误差为-1.93%~1.42%（平均绝对误差仅0.64%）,证实了本文模型的准确性和精度.本文模型能够准确计算页岩5个独立的刚度系数,为页岩弹性参数、声波波速、各向异性和脆性分析提供了有效手段,也为后续地球物理和工程地质参数分析提供了重要依据.     

Elastic wave velocities in a granitic geothermal reservoir

Geothermal resources have potential for providing cost-effective and sustainable energy. Monitoring of production-induced changes in geothermal reservoirs using seismic waves requires understanding of the elastic properties of the rock and how they change due to injection of fluids and opening and closing of natural and hydraulic fractures. P- and S-wave velocities measured in a granitic geothermal reservoir using sonic logging are systematically lower than those predicted using the composition of the rock. Cracks may occur in granitic rocks from tectonic stresses and from the thermal expansion mismatch between differently oriented anisotropic crystals. An isotropic orientation distribution of microcracks causes a significant reduction in both the P- and S-velocities, consistent with the observed sonic P- and S-velocities. Vertical fractures cause a difference in the velocity of vertically propagating shear waves polarized parallel and perpendicular to the fractures. An assumption that the lower measured velocities are caused by the presence of vertical fractures is inconsistent with the sonic data. This is because vertical fractures cause a decrease in slow S-wave velocity that greatly exceeds the decrease in P-wave velocity, in contrast to the observed data. The growth of vertical fractures in the geothermal reservoir may be monitored using the difference in velocity of the fast and slow shear waves, while the change in P-velocity in a crossplot of measured P- and slow S-velocities is useful for estimating the ratio of the normal-to-shear compliance of the fractures.     

基于散度和旋度纵横波分离方法的改进

纵、横波的分离是多波多分量地震资料处理中很重要的一步,其分离结果直接影响到后续数据处理的质量.各向同性介质中纵波为无旋场,横波为无散场,因此可以在频率-波数域利用散度和旋度算子对地震记录进行纵、横波分离,但是此处理过程必须知道地表处的纵、横波速度.本文给出了一种估算地表纵、横波速度的方法,可以在纵、横波速度值未知的情况下,将其估算出来.针对弹性波场进行散度和旋度运算时,纵、横波的相位和振幅比发生改变的问题,本文给出了相位和纵、横波振幅比的校正方法.     

WEIGHTED STACKING FOR ROCK PROPERTY ESTIMATION AND DETECTION OF GAS*

Amplitude versus offset concepts can be used to generate weighted stacking schemes (here called geo-stack) which can be used in an otherwise standard seismic data processing sequence to display information about rock properties. The Zoeppritz equations can be simplified and several different approximations appear in the literature. They describe the variation of P-wave reflection coefficients with the angle of incidence of a P-wave as a function of the P-wave velocities, the S-wave velocities and the densities above and below an interface. Using a smooth, representative interval velocity model (from boreholes or velocity analyses) and assuming no dip, the angle of incidence can be found as a function of time and offset by iterative ray tracing. In particular, the angle of incidence can be computed for each sample in a normal moveout corrected CMP gather. The approximated Zoeppritz equation can then be fitted to the amplitudes of all the traces at each time sample of the gather, and certain rock properties can be estimated. The estimation of the rock properties is achieved by the application of time- and offset-variant weights to the data samples before stacking. The properties which can be displayed by geo-stack are: P-wave reflectivity (or true zero-offset reflectivity), S-wave reflectivity, and the reflectivity of P-wave velocity divided by S-wave velocity (or ‘pseudo-Poisson's ratio reflectivity’). If assumptions are made about the relation between P-wave velocity and S-wave velocity for water-bearing clastic silicate rocks, then it is possible to create a display which highlights the presence of gas.     

Ultrasonic elastic characteristics of five kinds of metamorphic deformed coals under room temperature and pressure conditions

The calibration of the elastic characteristics of deformed coals is essential for seismic inversion of such units, because the prediction of coal deformation is essential for both mining safety and methane production. Therefore, many samples of broken and mylonitic deformed coal were tested with ultrasonic waves in the laboratory. These samples came from four mining areas: the Huainan, Pingdingshan, Hebi and Jiaozuo coal mines, which present five different metamorphic ranks shown as cylinders striking across circular limits of steel. Under normal pressures and temperatures, ultrasonic P- and S-wave tests show that the velocities, quality factors, and elastic moduli of the deformed coals were greatly reduced compared with undeformed coals. Also, some correlation was found between the P- and S-wave velocities in the deformed coals. However, there is no evidence of linear correlations between velocity and density, velocity and quality factor, or the quality factors of P- and S-waves. Compared with the elastic characteristics of undeformed coals, such as P- and S-wave velocity ratios or Poisson’s ratio, those of deformed coals generally decrease and the P-wave quality factors are less than those of S-waves. Moreover, the analysis of the relationship between pore structure and elastic modulus shows a better correlation between the P- and S-wave velocities and effective porosity, pore volume and specific surface area. Also, there are similar relationships between the pore structure and the Young’s and shear moduli. However, there are no such correlations with other moduli. Correlations between these elastic moduli, pore structure, coal rank and density were not found for the various samples of deformed coals, which is consistent with only structural destruction occurring in the deformed coals with other physical properties remaining unchanged. The experimental results show that it is possible to predict the deformation of coals with multi-component seismic elastic inversion.     

Shear wave constraints on crustal structure of the pole abyssal plain

A study of the crustal structure in the Pole Abyssal Plain of the Arctic Ocean was carried out using P-waves constrained with converted shear waves. The data, recorded with a single ocean bottom seismometer (O.B.S.) on three channels, were modelled for travel time and amplitude variations with WKBJ synthetic seismograms. The study confirms that converted shear waves can be usefully employed to place limits on P-wave data.Shear wave velocities of sediments ranging from 0.3 km/s on the sea bed to 0.9 km/s at the sediment-basement interface with corresponding P-wave velocities of 1.6 to 2.1 km/s were obtained. The resulting Poisson's ratios for the sediments varies between 0.48 and 0.39, and indicate a poorly consolidated sedimentary layer. Well determined P- and S-wave velocities from the PPP and PSP phases give a Poisson's ratio of 0.31 for the lower crust in agreement with results from other studies.The models developed lead to the conclusion that there is considerable lateral heterogeneity in structure, and that the thickness of the crust (layers 2 and 3) under the Pole Abyssal Plain varies between 3.2 km and 4.1 km. The crust here is therefore much thinner than average oceanic crust, a thinning which may be related to the slow spreading rate at the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge.     

The influence of dry and water saturated cracks on seismic velocities of crustal rocks - A comparison of experimental data with theoretical model

The pressure dependence of P- and S-wave velocities, velocity anisotropy, shear wave splitting and crack-porosity has been investigated in a number of samples from different crustal rock types for dry and wet (water saturated) conditions. At atmospheric pressure, P-wave velocities of the saturated, low-porosity rocks (< 1%) are significantly higher than in dry rocks, whereas the differences for S-wave velocities are less pronounced. The effect of intercrystalline fluids on seismic properties at increased pressure conditions is particularly reflected by the variation of the Poisson's ratio because P-wave velocities are more sensitive to fluids than S-wave velocities in the low-porosity rocks. Based on the experimental data, the respective crack-density parameter (), which is a measure of the number of flat cracks per volume unit contained within the background medium (crack-free matrix), has been calculated for dry and saturated conditions. There is a good correlation between the calculated crack-densities and crack-porosities derived from the experimentally determined volumetric strain curves. The shear wave velocity data, along with the shear wave polarisation referred to a orthogonal reference system, have been used to derive the spatial orientation of effective oriented cracks within a foliated biotite gneiss. The experimental data are in reasonable agreement with the self consistent model of O'Connell and Budiansky (1974). Taking the various lithologies into account, it is clear from the present study, that combined seismic measurements ofV _p andV _s , using theV _p V _s -ratio, may give evidence for fluids on grain boundaries and, in addition, may provide an estimate on the in-situ crack-densities.