Excess pore pressure in Mississippi delta front sediments: Initial report

Abstract

In September 1975, a differential piezometer probe was successfully implanted in the soft seafloor sediments of Block 28, South Pass, Mississippi Delta. The probe sensor is located approximately 6.4 m below the mudline in a water depth of 19 m, and has essentially continuously monitored excess pore pressure (the difference between sediment pore pressure and hydrostatic pressure at that depth) since installation. Excess pore pressure will be monitored until March 1976, when the probe will be recovered.

Immediately after deployment, an excess pore pressure of 54 kPa was recorded. An ambient excess pore pressure of approximately 32 kPa remained after dissipation of that developed during probe installation. Because of the possible presence of gas in the sediments in this area, it is not known with certainty whether the measured excess pressure is pore water pressure, pore gas pressure, or some combination of the two. An excess pore pressure of about 32 ±4 kPa was monitored during Hurricane Eloise and subsequent storms. The exact magnitude and time distribution of these pressure fluctuations is presently being evaluated.     

Initial results and progress of the Mississippi delta sediment pore water pressure experiment

Abstract

This report describes the instrumentation, initial results, and progress of an experiment designed to measure and monitor submarine sediment pore water and hydrostatic pressures in a selected area of the Mississippi Delta. The experiment also is intended to monitor significant pressure perturbations during active storm periods. Initial analysis of the data revealed excess pore water pressures in the silty clay sediment at selected depths below the mudline. Continuous monitoring of the pore water and hydrostatic pressures was expected to reveal important information regarding sediment pore water pressure variations as a function of the geological processes active in the Mississippi Delta.     

In situ pore‐pressure measurement in Mississippi delta front sediments

Abstract

A differential piezometer was used to monitor excess pore pressure in the soft clayey seafloor sediments of Block 28, South Pass, Mississippi delta, from September 1975 to March 1976. An ambient excess pore pressure of about 32 kPa was measured at a depth of 6.4 m below the mudline in a water depth of 19 m. Storm‐wave‐generated cyclic fluctuations of ± 4 kPa about the ambient were measured during Hurricane Eloise. Irregular, long‐period, small‐amplitude fluctuations in excess pore pressures persisted for 4 days following the storm. An effective stress analysis was made by using excess pore pressures; in situ field vane‐shear strength, t _fv, measurements; and laboratory wet unit weights measured by Lehigh and NOAA. The effective stress of the SEA‐SWAB site soil was calculated to be zero to a depth of about 6 m, below which it increased to 3.5 kPa at a depth of 15 m. Values of c´ = 4.6 kPa, ?´ = 56°, and T _FV/σ_vo(c/p) =0.1–0.2 were calculated, and it was concluded that these data do not represent the in situ condition of the soil because of the probability that the measured soil properties were affected by the presence of gas. However, it is clear that the soil is significantly underconsolidated.     

Pore‐water pressure measurements: Mississippi delta submarine sediments

Abstract

A pore‐water pressure probe (piezometer) was implanted in Mississippi delta sediments at a preselected site (Block 28, South Pass area, 29°00´N, 89°15´W) 145 m from an offshore production platform (water depth approx. 19 m) in September 1975. Total pore‐water pressures (u_w ) were monitored for extended periods of time at depths of approximately 15 and 8 m below the mudline concurrently with hydrostatic pressures (u₈ ) measured at depths of 15 m and approximately 1 m below the mudline. Relatively high excess pore‐water pressures, u_e = (u_w ‐u₈ ), were recorded at the time of probe insertion measuring 99 kPa (14.4 psi) at 15 m and 50 kPa (7.3 psi) at 8 m. Six hours after the probe was implanted, excess pore pressures were still high at 81 kPa (11.8 psi, 15 m) and 37 kPa (5.4 psi, 8 m). Pore pressures appeared to become relatively constant at the 8‐m depth after 7 h had elapsed, and at the 15 m depth after 10–12 h. Excess pore‐water pressures averaged 72 kPa (10.4 psi, 15 m) and 32 kPa (4.6 psi, 8 m) prior to the initial effects of Hurricane Eloise, which passed in close proximity to the probe site. Significant variations in pressures were recorded during storm activity. As the effects of the storm subsided, excess pore‐water pressures began to decline slightly at the 15‐m depth; however, concurrently at the 8‐m depth, pore pressures began to increase gradually. During the period of 21–25 days after the probe was implanted, excess pore pressures appeared to become more constant, averaging 24 kPa (3.5 psi) at 15 m and 43 kPa (6.2 psi) at the 8‐m depth. The presence of methane, a common occurrence in these delta muds, may have influenced, or contributed to, the total pore‐water pressures measured during this experiment.     

Implications of gas content for predicting the stability of submarine slopes

Abstract

The behavior of gas‐laden, soft submarine soils subjected to changes in mean normal and shearing stresses is discussed. Information developed for partially saturated soils is extended to soft sediments. Calculations indicating that gas‐laden submarine soils generally have degrees of saturation in situ that exceed ～ 90% are presented. Therefore, it is suggested that insignificant error is introduced in predicting the effective stresses of soft sediments using the standard effective stress equation and neglecting the pore‐gas pressure.

The presence of gas is shown to permit volume changes of soft sediments under wave loadings. The compressibility of the gaswater pore fluid is quantified. The pore‐pressure response, related to the ratio of the compressibility of the pore fluid and soil structure, is shown to be similar to that of fully saturated soils. The relevance of “undrained”; shipboard tests to the prediction of slope stability is discussed. It is concluded that the presence of gas leads to undrained strengths, as measured on recovered samples, which are lower than those that occur in situ. The use of these measured strengths in stability calculations leads to conservative predictions of submarine slope stability.     

内孤立波浅化破碎过程斜坡沉积物孔压响应特征实验分析

观测资料显示内孤立波沿斜坡浅化过程对海底沉积物的作用犹如一台水中吸尘器,在破碎转换阶段达到最强,甚至会触发一系列地质活动,引发地质灾害。为界定此过程中沉积物的动力响应特征和影响因素,在大型重力式分层流水槽中模拟不同振幅内孤立波和不同类型沉积物斜坡连续作用过程,利用孔隙水压力采集系统实时记录孔隙水压力变化,对比分析不同水动力、坡度、沉积物类型情况下沉积物中超孔压变化特征。分析结果表明,内孤立波破碎过程,破波位置海床表层波压力和不同深度超孔隙水压力都存在相似的"U"型负压力变化过程;破碎波经过位置沉积物表现为和表面波压力正相关的孔压响应特征。破碎点沉积物中超孔压幅值随深度减小,约在6%波长深度位置减少到坡面压力的50%。超孔压幅值和内孤立波振幅、沉积物类型和斜坡度密切相关,坡度由0.071变化到0.160时,波压力幅值可增大至1.6倍。内孤立波振幅变化不影响不同类型海床土动力响应规律,只与超孔隙水压力值大小有关,内孤立波对海床的动力作用可认为弹性作用。     

Submarine slope stability analysis during natural gas hydrate dissociation

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the stability of submarine slope during the natural gas hydrate dissociation. A model is deduced to calculate the excess pore fluid pressure. In addition, a new method is proposed to define and calculate the factor of safety (FoS) of the submarine slope. Case study is also performed, results of which show that dissociation of hydrates would decrease the stability of submarine slope. If the cohesion of the hydrate-bearing sediments is small, the submarine slope would become unstable because of the shear failure. If the cohesion of the hydrate-bearing sediments is large enough, the tensile failure would happen in the hydrate-bearing sediments and the excess pore pressure may explode the submarine slope. Under the drained condition, the submarine slope may remain stable because the buildup of excess pore fluid pressure could not take place. Moreover, FoS would be underestimated by the assumption that natural gas hydrates dissociate in the horizontally confined space, but would be overestimated by only taking into account of the base of the natural gas hydrate-bearing sediments. The compressibility factor of natural gas should also be considered because treating natural gas as ideal gas would underestimate the stability of submarine slope.     

Discussion of “formation mechanism of large pockmarks in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta”

Abstract

The excess pore pressure accumulation is a key factor when estimating the formation mechanism of large pockmarks, as it determines the liquefaction potential of marine sediments due to water waves. The governing equations for excess pore pressure may have different forms for various types of sediments and then shall reflect the cyclic plasticity of the soil. For water waves propagating over a porous seabed, the liquefaction area induced by waves is generally progressive, which indicates that the liquefaction area will move forward following the wave train. Therefore, the excess pore pressure accumulation can be used to explain the occurrence of the large pockmarks, but the dimension of the pockmark may be related to the heterogeneity of sediment or the wave properties affected by the topography in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta.     

Formation mechanism of large pockmarks in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta

Abstract

We have identified large pockmarks in an area of approximately 0.3?km² in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta in the Chengdao Sea. Gas eruption channels not been identified in the sediment layers in this area, and the formation mechanism of these large pockmarks remains unknown. To study the formation mechanism of these large pockmarks, we constructed a layered silty sediment model composed of appropriate geological materials. Then, we calculated the stress, displacement, and excess pore pressure in the layered silty sediment from the surface to a depth of 10?m using the Biot theory. A comparative analysis of the calculated results and the data measured in the field was then performed. Based on these results, we established a new formation mechanism for the large pockmarks. With the occurrence of storm waves, two extreme areas of displacement and excess pore pressure appeared in the layered silty sediment. These extreme values increased quickly in the seabed during the continuous action of storm waves. When the excess pore pressure surpassed the effective stress, the top silty layer instantly liquefied and then reconsolidated. Then, when the pore pressure of the interface position exceeded the effective stress produced by the overlying sediment, the sediments experienced “sand boil” damage. With the repeated action of strong waves, the boundary of the pockmark continued to expand, forming a large and stable pockmark. This work is of great value for further understanding and mitigating marine geologic hazards, such as coastal erosion, silt deposition, and unstable sediment, in the subaqueous Yellow River Delta.     

Surface waves and bottom sediment response

Abstract

Field measurements of bottom oscillations and wave characteristics have been made in a study of the interaction of fine‐grained sediments and surface waves. A wave staff, pressure sensor, and accelerometer were used in East Bay, Louisiana, an area that has a fine‐grained clay bottom. The accelerometer contained three solid‐state accelerometers mounted at right angles. The instrument was placed about 0.3 m below the mudline. The results of the study indicate that bottom motions under wave action show well‐defined periodic features. The bottom sediments appear to be undergoing an elastic response to bottom pressures, such that the bottom is depressed under a surface wave crest. Under the range of bottom pressures measured, bottom displacement varied linearly with bottom pressure. Measured bottom pressures were up to 35% larger than predicted by linear wave theory. The effect of a movable bottom on wave pressure is considered. The energy lost from the surface wave to the bottom in forcing the bottom response is shown to be significant and larger than the energy lost to bottom friction.     

Measurement of a negatively buoyant plume in the coastal waters off freeport, Texas

Continuous discharge of a nominal 230 part per thousand brine solution was initiated in March 1980 at a rate of approx. 225,000 barrels/day (3.58 × 10 ⁷ l/day) from a submerged multiport diffuser in 70 ft (21.3 m) of water at a distance of 12.5 statute miles (20 km) off the Freeport, Texas coast. A measurement system is described which was designed and used to measure the excess salinity and areal extent of the negatively buoyant brine plume. This system consists of a towing sled in which an in situ conductivity, temperature and depth probe is mounted. The towing sled is towed by Texas A & M University's research vessel, R.V. Excellence, on a predetermined search course through the expected plume area. The probe continuously measures the salinity at distance of 10 in. (25.4 cm) above the sea floor.The measured salinity data are used to construct isohalines of the bottom area, or plume contours, which indicate the areal coverage of the plume and the magnitude of the excess salinity concentration. Vertical salinity profiles were also measured in the plume area to evaluate the vertical extent of the plume.Plume contours and vertical profiles constructed from the data collected on 22, 30 March and 10 April, 1980 are discussed. The largest excess salinity contour was 5 parts per thousand above ambient and the area inside this contour was 6 acres (0.02 km². The highest vertical extent of the plume was 25 ft (4.6 m). These measurements indicated the bottom mounted diffuser system was successfully diluting the highly concentrated brine solution and natural processes of advection and diffusion were dispersing the plume satisfactorily.     

An experimental study of seabed responses around a marine pipeline under wave and current conditions

Experiments on three types of soil (d₅₀=0.287, 0.057 and 0.034 mm) with pipeline(D=4 cm) either half buried or resting on the seabed under regular wave or combined with current actions were conducted in a large wave flume to investigate characteristics of soil responses. The pore pressures were measured through the soil depth and across the pipeline. When pipeline is present the measured pore pressures in sandy soil nearby the pipeline deviate considerably from that predicted by the poro-elasticity theory. The buried pipeline seems to provide a degree of resistance to soil liquefaction in the two finer soil seabeds. In the silt bed, a negative power relationship was found between maximum values of excess pore pressure p_max and test intervals under the same wave conditions due to soil densification and dissipation of the pore pressure. In the case of wave combined with current, pore pressures in sandy soil show slightly decrease with time, whereas in silt soil, the current causes an increase in the excess pore pressure build-up, especially at the deeper depth. Comparing liquefaction depth with scour depth underneath the pipeline indicates that the occurrence of liquefaction is accompanied with larger scour depth under the same pipeline-bed configuration.     

Laboratory flume studies on monochromatic wave-fine sandy bed interactions Part 2. Sediment suspensions

As reported in preceding paper (Part 1. Soil Fluidization), the observed phenomena of sediment suspensions above a fluidized sandy bed of Sand II (d₅₀ = 0.092 mm) under monochromatic wave actions are quantitatively investigated. The suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at a single point within 5 cm above the bed was synchronously measured with water waves and bed soil's pore pressures with an intrusive optical sediment-concentration probe. The measurements show that SSC initiates several wave cycles after initiation of bed soil's fluidized response and grows to a peak value mainly in the post-fluidization phase. Under similar wave loadings in the same test series, SSC is usually higher over a resonantly fluidized (RF) bed than over a non-resonantly fluidized (NRF) bed. On the contrary, only relatively low SCC can be identified above an unfluidized bed. The analyses illustrate that to certain extent, peak values of SSC are directly proportional to the thickness of fluidized soil layer d_f. Values of d_f usually decrease with repeated fluidized response, longer consolidation periods, and in deeper water depths. Once the fluidized responses initiate, pore pressures are generally much significantly amplified in both shallow fluidized soil layers and near below the fluidized layer, especially during the resonance event. The resulting depth gradients of dynamic pore pressure amplitudes in shallow layers are likely to have caused higher initial rises of SSC in a RF bed than in the subsequent NRF bed. Those in deeper layer should have contributed to sustain the fluidization state for further SSC increments. Immediately after termination of wave loading, re-deposited suspended sediments always result in a typical flat bed form. For a pre-fluidized bed, wave-induced drastic sediment suspensions are still obtainable very near above the bed with even a rather thin fluidized surface soil layer.     

Experimental investigation on the wave-induced pore pressure around shallowly embedded pipelines

A series of regular wave experiments have been done in a large-scale wave flume to investigate the wave-induced pore pressure around the submarine shallowly embedded pipelines.The model pipelines are buried in three kinds of soils,including gravel,sand and silt with different burial depth.The input waves change with height and period.The results show that the amplitudes of wave-induced pore pressure increase as the wave period increase,and decay from the surface to the bottom of seabed.Higher pore pressures are recorded at the pipeline top and the lower pore pressures at the bottom,especially in the sand seabed.The normalized pressure around pipeline decreases as the relative water depth,burial depth or scattering parameters increase.For the silt seabed,the wavelet transform has been successfully used to analyze the signals of wave-induced pore pressure,and the oscillatory and residual pore pressure can be extracted by wavelet analysis.Higher oscillatory pressures are recorded at the bottom and the lower pressures at the top of the pipeline.However,higher residual pressures are recorded at the top and the lower pressures at the bottom of the pipeline.     

Spreading of submarine slopes caused by trenching

Abstract

Submarine trenching for pipeline installation in potentially unstable sediments has recently been of increasing concern. Although typical pipeline depths are less than 3 or 4 m, trenching operations generally cause local stress concentrations within the sediments and induce excess pore pressures. The result of these stress concentrations and pore pressure increases may be spreading of submarine slumps that can endanger pipelines or other nearby installations. A simplified analytical approach is described to estimate the extent of slump spreading caused by trenching. It is shown that the spreading potential is affected by many geotechnical characteristics of the sediments in addition to geomorphic processes and the oceanographic regimes governing the area. The primary geotechnical factors that influence spreading include the porepressure parameter A_f , the degree of consolidation, the coefficient of earth pressure at rest, and the strength characteristics of the soil. Dimensionless parameters are developed to illustrate graphically the functional relationships among these parameters. A Gulf of Mexico soil profile is used to quantify the spreading phenomenon.     

Wave-induced uplift force on a submarine pipeline buried in a compressible seabed

A two-dimensional finite-element simulation of the wave-induced hydrodynamic uplift force acting on a submarine pipeline buried in sandy seabed sediments subject to continuous loading of sinusoidal surface waves is presented. Neglecting inertia forces, a linear-elastic stress-strain relationship for the soil and Darcy's law for the flow of pore fluid are assumed. The model takes into account the compressibility of both components (i.e., pore fluid and soil skeleton) of the two-phase medium.The results of numerical analysis are presented and discussed with respect to soil and pore fluid parameters where special attention is paid to the question of soil saturation conditions. The meaning of the results is also related to surface wave conditions. As a general conclusion, the practical, engineering recommendation is given in order to make a realistic, safe and economic estimation of the wave-induced uplift force acting on a buried submarine pipeline.     

Excess pore pressure observation in marine sediment based on Fiber Bragg Grating pressure sensor

Abstract

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) technology has emerged as a relatively new sensing technology for engineering applications because of lots of advantages. In this study, a large diameter probe instrumented with FBG pressure sensors to monitor excess pore pressure in marine sediment is proposed. The principle of FBG differential pressure sensor was introduced. Laboratory tests were carried out to check the workability and stability of the FBG pressure sensor. Offshore field test was also conducted in a wharf in Qingdao of China to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed probe. The installation procedure of the probe was introduced in detail. The excess pore pressure in dissipation test, after installation and pulling process were reported. The permeability coefficient of marine sediment was calculated based on the measured data. The field data show that the proposed probe based on FBG pressure sensor has good feasibility and accuracy in monitoring the excess pore pressure of marine sediment. The generation and dissipation of excess pore pressure is closely related to the degree of soil disturbance. The variation of excess pore pressure after installation can reflect the tide well in the site.     

Laboratory flume studies on monochromatic wave-fine sandy bed interactions: Part 1. Soil fluidization

Tests on two fine sandy soils (d₅₀ = 0.134 mm and 0.092 mm) under monochromatic wave actions were conducted in a wave flume of 37 m (L) by 1.2 m (H) by 1 m (W) to investigate characteristics of fluidized responses. The pore pressure measurements demonstrate only an unfluidized response in the coarser sandy bed, while in the finer one, two more feature fluidized responses. Fluidized responses are similarly classified into resonantly and non-resonantly fluidized according to Foda and Tzang [Foda, M.A., Tzang, S.-Y., 1994. Resonant fluidization of silty soil by water waves. J. Geophys. Res., 99-C10: 20463–20475.]. At a given depth, they are in principle defined by magnitude of fluidization ratio between excess pore pressure and static soil stresses and by the occurrence of a resonance event in the same test series. Inside the sandy bed, the excess pore pressures of a fluidized response are almost initiated simultaneously. Their magnitudes are essentially in static balance to the integrated weight of overlaying fluidized soil layers. Comparisons with previously reported data from a silty bed (d₅₀ = 0.05 mm) by Foda and Tzang have immediately indicated the importance of grain fraction. With less fine constituents, surface layers of the two sandy soils are less susceptible to fluidization. Resonance mechanism is evidently diminishing in a resonantly fluidized response, and re-fluidization becomes less potential in the subsequent tests. In a resonantly fluidized response, pore pressures at a given depth would start to resonantly grow from a fluidization ratio of 7–14%. In a few wave cycles, resonant growth subsides at a fluidization ratio of greater than 50%, which value increases with depth. The analyses clearly illustrate that fluidization tends to be initiated in surface layers and fast spreads into lower layers. Fluidization is dependent on finer constituting grains, smaller shear modulus G and permeability k and thinner boundary layers in bed soils. Measurements of previous silt tests are analyzed to show that lower limits of wave steepness on resonantly fluidizing a soil bed increase linearly with relative water depth ranging from 0.13 to 0.23. Data of present fine sand tests have preliminarily confirmed the linear trend. Over a fluidized sandy bed, similar vivid sediment suspensions were observed during wave generations as had been reported in silt tests.     

Fundamental response of pore-water pressure to microfabric and permeability characteristics: Eckernförde Bay

Ambient and dynamic in situ pore pressures were measured, and microfabric was examined in finegrained, shallow-water sediment in Eckernförde Bay, Germany. In situ permeabilities were calculated from piezometer data. Pore-water pressure decay times in sediments 0.5–1.0 m subbottom are indicative of clayey materials. Shallower sediments, although of similar classical grain size as the deeper sediments, have quicker decay times typical of silty marine sediment. Pore pressure response is a function of the microfabric, porometry, and sediment permeability. Aggregates (composed of fine-grained material, biota, and extracellular polymers) produce large pores and complex microstructure, resulting in effective permeabilities characteristic of silts.     

Wave interaction with a submarine pipeline in clayey soil due to random waves

The wave pressure and uplift force due to random waves on a submarine pipeline (resting on bed, partially buried and fully buried) in clayey soil are measured. The influence of various parameters viz., wave period, wave height, water depth, burial depth and consistency index of the soil on wave pressures around and uplift force on the submarine pipeline was investigated. The wave pressures were measured at three locations around the submarine pipeline (each at 120° to the adjacent one). It is found that the wave pressure and uplift force spectrum at high consistency index of the soil is smaller compared to that of low consistency index. Just burying the pipeline (e/D=1.0) in clayey soil reduces the uplift force to less than 60% of the force experienced by a pipeline resting on the seabed (e/D=0.0) for I_c=0.33.