Estimation of clay content in soil based on resistivity modelling and laboratory measurements

The determination of clay content in near‐surface formations is crucial for geotechnical, hydrogeological and oil‐contamination studies. We have developed a technique for estimating clay content that consists of the minimization of the difference between the theoretically calculated and measured soil resistivities as a function of water salinity. To calculate the resistivity, we used a model that takes into account the electrochemical processes in the clay micropores. The experimental measurements of soil resistivity were performed on soil samples, completely saturated by brines at different concentrations of NaCl salt in the range 0.6–100 g/l, to obtain the resistivity versus salinity curve. The parameters obtained with this curve inversion are the clay content, the total porosity and the cation exchange capacity. To verify the new technique, we determined clay concentrations of artificial mixtures of calibrated sand and clay. The relative mean error in the clay content does not exceed 20% for a 5% fitting error of the resistivity versus salinity curves. Such evaluations allow the correct separation of the main lithological groups (sand, sandy loam, loam, and light, medium and heavy clay). We applied this technique to estimate the petrophysical parameters of soils (clay content, porosity and cation exchange capacity) at various sites in Mexico. The results improved the interpretation of the vertical electrical soundings, the lithological soil characterization and the delineation of oil‐contaminated areas.     

Grounded-source transientE-field modeling of a shallow resistive layer with 3-D inhomogeneity

There is growing interest in the use of transient electromagnetic (TEM) sounding for shallow geotechnical, environmental and groundwater investigations. Two commonly used transmitterreceiver configurations for TEM sounding are 1) loop-loop or its variation, in-loop configuration and 2) wire-loop configuration. The less common configuration of a horizontal electric dipole (HED) transmitter and receiver is treated in this study and called wire-wire configuration.Two important problems of shallow investigation in hard and soft rocks respectively are, defining 1) a fractured/fissured zone of medium resistivity, sandwiched between an overlying surface weathered rock of low resistivity and an underlying fresh compact rock of high resistivity and 2) a body of resistive sand buried in conductive clay. Lateral change in the middle layer resistivity is modeled by including a 3-D body of anomalous resistivity. The effect of perturbing the resistivity of the 3-D inclusion and the host middle layer for the wire-wire configuration is compared with that of the commonly used loop-loop configuration. The wire-wire configuration is found more sensitive to the model perturbations than the loop-loop configuration.1-D inversion of synthetic 1-D data sets for the wire-wire configuration finds resolution and estimation errors to be less than 10 percent for all the model parameters. For 3-D models, 1-D inversion results give a resolution error of 10 percent or less for the depth to, resistivity and thickness of, the 3-D inclusion. The estimate is within 10 percent of the true value for the first parameter but 40 percent for the other two. Resolution as well as estimation of the basement resistivity is always very poor.Using the wire-wire configuration, it is theoretically possible to define a buried resistive layer and any lateral change in its resistivity, subject to the above limitations of 1-D inversion. However, the basement resistivity cannot be estimated with reasonable accuracy in the presence of a lateral inhomogeneity in the overlying layer.     

Delineation of a quick clay zone at Smørgrav,Norway, with electromagnetic methods under geotechnical constraints

In many coastal areas of North America and Scandinavia, post-glacial clay sediments have emerged above sea level due to iso-static uplift. These clays are often destabilised by fresh water leaching and transformed to so-called quick clays as at the investigated area at Smørgrav, Norway. Slight mechanical disturbances of these materials may trigger landslides. Since the leaching increases the electrical resistivity of quick clay as compared to normal marine clay, the application of electromagnetic (EM) methods is of particular interest in the study of quick clay structures.For the first time, single and joint inversions of direct-current resistivity (DCR), radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) and controlled-source audiomagnetotelluric (CSAMT) data were applied to delineate a zone of quick clay. The resulting 2-D models of electrical resistivity correlate excellently with previously published data from a ground conductivity metre and resistivity logs from two resistivity cone penetration tests (RCPT) into marine clay and quick clay. The RCPT log into the central part of the quick clay identifies the electrical resistivity of the quick clay structure to lie between 10 and 80 Ω m. In combination with the 2-D inversion models, it becomes possible to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of the quick clay zone. As compared to the inversions of single data sets, the joint inversion model exhibits sharper resistivity contrasts and its resistivity values are more characteristic of the expected geology. In our preferred joint inversion model, there is a clear demarcation between dry soil, marine clay, quick clay and bedrock, which consists of alum shale and limestone.     

不同泥质分布形式泥质砂岩导电规律实验研究

本文利用人工制作的不同含量分散泥质和层状泥质砂岩岩心样品,测量不同矿化度和不同含油饱和度的岩心电阻率,从实验角度研究了不同泥质分布形式和含量的岩心导电规律,结果表明,泥质分布形式或含量不同,则泥质砂岩导电规律不同.基于层状泥质与分散泥质砂岩的并联导电实验规律,以及分散粘土和地层水混合物的导电规律可用HB电阻率方程描述,建立了考虑泥质分布形式影响的泥质砂岩电阻率模型.通过1组不同泥质分布形式泥质砂岩人造岩心实验数据的测试,表明该模型可以描述分散泥质砂岩、层状泥质砂岩和混合泥质砂岩地层的导电规律.分散泥质,层状泥质,人造岩样,实验测量,并联导电,HB方程,电阻率模型     

The cone penetration test and 2D imaging resistivity as tools to simulate the distribution of hydrocarbons in soil

The purpose of geophysical electrical surveys is to determine the subsurface resistivity distribution by making measurements on the ground surface. From these measurements, the true resistivity of the subsurface can be estimated. The ground resistivity is related to various geological parameters, such as the mineral and fluid content, porosity and degree of water saturation in the rock. Electrical resistivity surveys have been used for many decades in hydrogeological, mining and geotechnical investigations. More recently, they have been used for environmental surveys. To obtain a more accurate subsurface model than is possible with a simple 1-D model, a more complex model must be used. In a 2-D model, the resistivity values are allowed to vary in one horizontal direction (usually referred to as the x direction) but are assumed to be constant in the other horizontal (the y) direction. A more realistic model would be a fully 3-D model where the resistivity values are allowed to change in all three directions. In this research, a simulation of the cone penetration test and 2D imaging resistivity are used as tools to simulate the distribution of hydrocarbons in soil.     

Geomorphology of the Alluvial Sediments and Bedrock in an Intermontane Basin: Application of Variogram Modeling to Electrical Resistivity Soundings

The study describes a methodology used to integrate legacy resistivity data with limited geological data in order to build three-dimensional models of the near subsurface. Variogram analysis and inversion techniques more typically found in the petroleum industry are applied to a set of 1D resistivity data taken from electrical surveys conducted in the 1980s. Through careful integration with limited geological data collected from boreholes and outcrops, the resultant model can be visualized in three dimensions to depict alluvium layers as lithological and structural units within the bedrock. By tuning the variogram parameters to account for directionality, it is possible to visualize the individual lithofacies and geomorphological features in the subsurface. In this study, an electrical resistivity data set collected as part of a groundwater study in an area of the Peshawar basin in Pakistan has been re-examined. Additional lithological logs from boreholes throughout the area have been combined with local outcrop information to calibrate the data. Tectonic activity during the Himalayan orogeny has caused uplift in the area and generated significant faulting in the bedrock resulting in the formation of depressions which are identified by low resistivity values representing clays. Paleo-streams have reworked these clays which have been eroded and replaced by gravel–sand facies along paleo-channels. It is concluded that the sediments have been deposited as prograding fan-shaped bodies and lacustrine deposits with interlayered gravel–sand and clay–silt facies. The Naranji area aquifer system has thus been formed as a result of local tectonic activity with fluvial erosion and deposition and is characterized by coarse sediments with high electrical resistivities.     

Direct and indirect methods for groundwater investigations: A case-study of MRS and VES in the southern part of Sweden

Magnetic Resonance Sounding (MRS) has been successfully tested for detecting groundwater in two areas in southern Sweden. Measurements of Schlumberger VES have been conducted in the same place as the MRS and the results are generally consistent. Low resistivity layers interpreted as clay are sometimes identified close to the surface. The MRS result in site 2 is a good example of signals penetrating through the clay and deeper aquifer still being detected. The MRS data suggest aquifers that are not only hosted in soft sediment materials (moraine, sand, and mixed materials), but hosted in basement rocks. Based on the MRS and borehole pumping test data, the results agree with yield, average water content and subsurface geological data.     

Characterisation of glacial sediments using geophysical methods for groundwater source protection

A sequence of glacial and alluvial deposits overlying the Cretaceous Chalk in Eastern England was characterised using two geophysical techniques: electrical resistivity imaging and electromagnetic (EM) induction. Extensive geological data were available from trenching and boreholes. Synthetic modelling of the electrical resistivity imaging technique was undertaken to identify its limitations and to optimise survey design. The EM induction method provided a quick and cost-effective reconnaissance technique for identifying large-scale lateral variation in lithology, and for siting resistivity profiles and further boreholes. The resistivity imaging technique provided detailed information on the vertical continuity of permeable units, and was able to identify permeable pathways through the sequence. Certain limitations in detecting thin sand or gravel layers underlying electrically conductive clay were seen in both the synthetic and field data. Nevertheless, the study shows that knowledge of these limitations allows interpretation for the purpose of groundwater vulnerability assessment, given that an appropriate amount of invasive investigation has been conducted.     

Characterisation of glacial sediments using geophysical methods for groundwater source protection

A sequence of glacial and alluvial deposits overlying the Cretaceous Chalk in Eastern England was characterised using two geophysical techniques: electrical resistivity imaging and electromagnetic (EM) induction. Extensive geological data were available from trenching and boreholes. Synthetic modelling of the electrical resistivity imaging technique was undertaken to identify its limitations and to optimise survey design. The EM induction method provided a quick and cost-effective reconnaissance technique for identifying large-scale lateral variation in lithology, and for siting resistivity profiles and further boreholes. The resistivity imaging technique provided detailed information on the vertical continuity of permeable units, and was able to identify permeable pathways through the sequence. Certain limitations in detecting thin sand or gravel layers underlying electrically conductive clay were seen in both the synthetic and field data. Nevertheless, the study shows that knowledge of these limitations allows interpretation for the purpose of groundwater vulnerability assessment, given that an appropriate amount of invasive investigation has been conducted.     

Site response analysis in the valley of Mexico: Selection of input motion and extent of non-linear soil behaviour

It is well known that seismic waves in the lake-bed zone of Mexico city are dramatically amplified, and that the soft clays in this region exhibit an unusually large elastic range. New field and laboratory data show that clays in certain areas within the Valley of Mexico have lower elastic thresholds and, hence, non-linear soil behaviour would be more likely to take place. In this paper, we analyse geotechnical and strong-motion data to model, using a one-dimensional (1-D) approach, the non-linear soil response at two sites in Mexico City during the September 19, 1985 (M_s = 8.1) Michoacán earthquake. Results suggest that, even for motions as large as those recorded during the 1985 Michoacán event, a linear viscoelastic behaviour must be assumed for the examined area, although, as far as it is presently known, the clays from this area show the greatest modulus reduction among the Mexico City clays. Thus, a linear 1-D propagation analysis continues to be a suitable engineering option in computing expected ground motions at soft sites for the Valley of Mexico. Caution, however, is warranted when selecting input motions, since, as shown in this paper, large differences can result depending on the choice of outcrop motions.     

Hydrothermal clays and pyrite in geothermal fields: Their significance for the geochemistry of present-day endogenous processes in southern Kamchatka

The studies reported in this paper were carried out in the Pauzhetka and Nizhne-Koshelevskii geothermal fields situated in the southern Kamchatka Peninsula within the Pauzhetka-Kambalnyi-Koshelevskii geothermal area. Layer-by-layer sampling of clays was carried out by stripping, pitting, and hand-operated drilling of core holes in the Verkhne-Pauzhetka thermal field and the Nizhne-Koshelevskii thermal anomaly, which were studied previously using several geological, geophysical, and hydrogeothermal techniques. Hydrothermal clays were found to compose a nearly continuous sheet on the surface of the thermal field and of the thermal anomaly. The sheet has an average thickness of 1.3 to 1.5 m. The chemical and mineralogic composition of the clays have been characterized. The concentrations of Au, Hg, Pb, and Ag (a total of 41 elements) were determined in clay layers selected every 15–20 cm in vertical sections. The elements show inhomogeneous distributions, both along the strike and in vertical sections of the hydrothermal clay sheet, which can be accounted for by the physicochemical, hydrogeochemical, and temperature conditions prevailing during the generation of these clays in specific areas of the thermal fields. It was found that the hydrothermal clay sheet lying on the ground surface of the geothermal fields has a significance of its own as an independent geological body, not only is it an aquifer and a heat-isolating horizon; it also serves as a dynamically active geochemical barrier in the structure of the present-day hydrothermal system. Pyrite is a concentrator of ore elements in hydrothermal clays, in addition to sulfates of Ca, Fe, Mg, Ba, and Al, and (possibly) alumosilicates.     

Delineation of Near-Surface Structure in the Southern Part of 15th of May City, Cairo, Egypt Using Geological, Geophysical and Geotechnical Techniques

The integration of geological, geophysical, and geotechnical interpretation at the southern part of 15th of May City, have been used to evaluate the subsurface stratigraphy, especially the clay layer which may cause serious danger to construction. Those techniques have been used to delineate the subsurface structures as normal faults, which play a critical role on the stability of buildings. Geological setting of the area has been evaluated through the construction of a geological map from different geological sections and samples obtained from more than 30 observation points. Geophysical tools such as vertical electrical soundings (12 VESs), 2-D dipole–dipole array (7 sections), P-wave shallow seismic refraction (31 profiles) and multiple channel analysis of surface waves (31 MASW profiles) have been carried out to image the subsurface situation. Geotechnical evaluation using 26 boreholes, samples, laboratory tests and geotechnical parameters has been done at the area of interest. The geological setting demonstrates that the city had been constructed on the second and third members of Qurn Formation (Upper Eocene) composed of argillaceous limestone, marl and shale. Two normal faults are passing through the area were observed. The resistivity (VES and dipole–dipole) and seismic (P-waves and MASW) results reflect the presence of the two normal faults cross the study area, affecting the obtained section of marl, clayey marl and limestone layers. The geotechnical information indicate the presence of the normal faults and the existence of clay layer with swelling ability reaching 140%, which may cause cracks in the upper layers and/or subsidence.     

双控动力固结法加固软粘土地基的应用研究

饱和软粘土含水率大、渗透性差,强夯处理时,超孔隙水压力不易消散,常规的排水措施效果不佳,而电渗降水已经被证明是一种有效的软粘土排水措施。本文提出了将电渗降水和强夯法相结合的地基处理方法——双控动力固结法,进行了双控动力固结法的处理试验,并与不降水强夯法和井点降水强夯法进行对比分析。结果表明,电渗法可迅速降低地下水位和地基土含水量,有效避免“弹簧土”的产生,提高单点夯最佳夯击能;可有效抑制夯后超孔隙水压力的急剧上升,并促进超孔隙水压力快速消散;在降水速度和土性改良方面,电渗降水优于井点降水。因此,应用双控动力固结法处理软粘土,有着很显著的加固效果。     

Evaluation of DC, FDEM and IP resistivity methods for imaging perched saltwater and a shallow channel within coastal tidal flat sediments

Presently, electrical resistivity methods are applied in a wide variety of geological and environmental site investigations. Geologically, the coastal tidal flat sediments formed shallow channel-like features at the northern part of Germany. Three geoelectrical methods are applied to image the near surface sediments including a shallow conductive zone within the tidal deposits at the North Sea coast. These methods, direct current (DC) resistivity, frequency domain electromagnetic (FDEM) and spectral induced polarization (SIP), are evaluated to show which one can provide the required spatial resolution under study area conditions. This evaluation also includes a synthetic modeling to assess the DC resistivity imaging technique.The results constitute an encouraging example using these geophysical methods in characterizing the coastal aquifers. The inversion results show that the subsurface resistivity distribution of tidal sediments can change rapidly within a short distance. A thin high conductive layer is observed above the peat and clay layers reflecting a perched saltwater. The 2D IP section shows that the perched saltwater is restricted to patched forms above an impermeable layer of clay. According to the IP images the boundaries of the clay layer are recognized with a good resolution due to the high membrane polarization of the clays. The EM and DC profiles show a shallow channel-like feature within tidal deposits. In this paper, the best FDEM field parameters and the role of EM in lithologic studies are emphasized. Two main limitations can be observed from DC synthetic modeling: (a) A smearing in the lower boundary of the perched saltwater; (b) an amplification of the lateral effect of the highly conductive layer. These limitations decrease the resolution of DC imaging for accurate defining our targets. Because the IP response depends on microgeometry, fluid chemistry and saturation, the 2D IP results demonstrate the suitability of this method to characterize the tidal deposits in the coastal area with a good resolution. In this study, the success of SIP method supports further investigations into studying the hydraulic parameters of tidal deposits in this area. The obtained results during this investigation provide an overview of the coastal aquifer and they can serve as a basis for refining the conceptual model of morphological elements and sedimentary sequences of the coastal tidal flat.     

浅地表地球物理技术在岩土工程中的应用与挑战

地球物理勘探方法在岩土工程的应用已有很长一段时间,但其成效与工程师的期待往往有不小的落差,以致于在一般的工程应用上仍不普遍.近年来浅地表地球物理技术有显着的进展,特别是在走时速度层析成像(Traveltime Tomography)、电阻率层析成像法(Electrical Resistivity Tomography)及多道瞬态面波法(Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave).本文首先介绍这些方法在台湾岩土工程的应用,主要包括地层土壤液化潜能评估、坝体的安全检测、土壤与地下水污染调查及地基改良的质量管控等,应用案例以台湾常使用的地球物理勘探方法逐一介绍.虽然许多成功案例与新的应用方向对于浅地表地球物理技术在岩土工程应用的推广起了鼓舞作用,本文从工程师的角度提出地球物理勘探工程大量应用的挑战与瓶颈,包括如何提升探测数据的客观性、数据反演非唯一性问题、探测深度与分辨率的限制、实际条件违背反演基本假设的情况、以及地物性质与工程性质链接的不确定性问题,并进一步针对这些问题说明相关研究的进展与实务对策.希冀透过上述探讨,降低物探师与工程师认知上的差距,提升地球物理勘探在工程的应用的合理性与普及性.     

Factors affecting shear modulus degradation of cement treated clay

Cement stabilization is often used to improve the bearing capacity and compressibility of soft clays. The present paper aims to investigate the shear modulus degradation of cement treated clay during cyclic loading. A series of cyclic triaxial test was conducted on artificially cement treated marine clay to study the factors affecting the shear modulus degradation. The parameters considered for the study are cement content (2.5–7.5%), curing days (7–28), cyclic shear strain amplitude (0.3–1%), number of loading cycles (1–100) and loading frequency (0.1–0.5 Hz). As in the case of natural clays, cement treated clays exhibit stiffness degradation which depends on mix ratio, curing days and loading conditions. The results show that the shear modulus degradation decreases with increase in the shear strain amplitude, cement content and curing days. It is also noted that irrespective of the mix ratio and curing conditions, the degradation decreases with increase in loading frequency. An empirical relationship is proposed to predict the shear modulus degradation based on Idriss׳s degradation model. The performance of the proposed empirical model is validated with the present experimental results.     

大斜度井和水平井井地三维电阻率数值模拟和联合反演

井地电阻率成像法利用井套管作电流源向井下供入大功率直流电流,在地表测量由地下介质的电性变化形成的电位分布,通过反演可得到地下介质的电阻率分布.针对大斜度井和水平井开展井地三维电阻率数值模拟和反演研究,对油田注水及压裂效果监测具有重要意义.基于井地电阻率成像法原理,采用有限差分法和不完全切勒斯基共轭梯度法进行了三维正演模拟,研究了大斜度井和水平井的井地电位响应特征.提出了采用层状约束阻尼最小二乘法由浅到深地进行大斜度井和水平井的多层联合反演,并对实际水平井井地电位各个层段数据进行了三维反演.模拟结果表明,倾斜线源和水平线源会对地面电位响应产生明显影响,在反演中需要考虑线源形态.实际水平井井地电位反演成像表明,考虑倾斜线源或者水平线源的联合反演得到了准确的水平井三维注水层成像图,得出注水层的真电阻率分布,能够判断注水运移方向.     

Salt-water intrusion mapping by geoelectrical imaging surveys

The geoelectrical imaging method is a tool for mapping the intrusion boundary between fresh water and saline water due to its inherent capability to delineate the lateral changes in pore-water salinity. A new field survey technique that can be used for environmental and geotechnical investigations has been developed. This study evaluates the multiscale survey technique as a tool employed in electrical imaging to detect the salt-water intrusion boundary in Yan, State of Kedah, northwest Malaysia. The technique was incorporated into these surveys, and it has proved to be a robust method for accurately mapping the fresh-water/saline-water boundary. The resulting resistivity sections from these surveys were consistent with both the available geological and borehole information from the area and the previous resistivity surveys conducted by the Geological Survey of Malaysia at those sites.     

Impact of small amounts of swelling clays on the physical properties of debris‐flow‐like granular materials. Implications for the study of alpine debris flow

The effect of the small fraction of clays on the rheological behaviour of alpine debris flow is poorly understood. This is partly due to the complexity of the debris flow mineralogy and the broad particle size distribution. This study has investigated this issue by simulating an alpine debris flow with a mixture of well characterized fractions and then varying the clay fraction composition. Four samples were tested, ranging from a clay fraction made up of only kaolinite (1:1 type clay) to samples where 80 per cent of the kaolinite is replaced by bedeillite (a 2:1 type clay similar to smectite). Changing the content of 2:1 type clay has a strong influence on the behaviour of the whole material, despite its low weight fraction of around 2 per cent. The tests carried out on these reconstituted materials were compared with the results obtained for natural debris flow materials and showed some common trends: in particular, the rheological parameters for materials with and without 2:1 clays with respect to yield stress as a function of solid content. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

BOREHOLE SEISMIC PROFILING AND TUBE WAVE APPLICATIONS IN A DAM SITE INVESTIGATION*

Continuous, single-channel reflection profiling has been carried out in PVC-lined boreholes, primarily with the aim of ascertaining the position of an old subsurface gas storage tunnel on a proposed dam site. Tube wave reflection patterns thus generated have been interpreted in terms of sediment rigidity and shear wave velocity, and these results could be compared with some independent data. It is interesting to note that, within the well section penetrating Tertiary clays, the velocity of the hydraulic transients apparently was not affected by the PVC casing, which might be explained by a tight coupling between casing and clay wall. In such situations, tube waves turn out a straightforward tool for the determination of shear wave velocity and the derivation of dynamic elastic moduli of unconsolidated sediments. Further applications of the study of the distribution of seismic velocities on the dam site dealt with the consolidation history of the clays. A level of abnormally low P-wave velocities has been detected and interpreted as a gas-charged horizon which, by its coincidence with the base level of clay diapirs, might be considered to have contributed to clay flowage in past geological times. Data about maximum past burial depth, derived from shear wave velocities, turned out to be in agreement with results from consolidation testing.