Geotechnical properties of deep oceanic sediments recovered from the hydrate occurrence regions in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, offshore Korea

This study presents comprehensive geotechnical data of the natural marine sediments cored from the hydrate occurrence regions during the Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Expedition 1 (UBGH1), East Sea, offshore Korea in 2007. Geotechnical soil index properties of the Ulleung Basin sediments, including grain size distribution, porosity, water content, Atterberg limits, specific gravity, and specific surface area, were experimentally determined. These soil index properties were correlated to geotechnical engineering parameters (e.g., shear strength and friction angle) by using well-known empirical relationships. By performing standard consolidation tests on both undisturbed specimens (as recovered from the original core liner after hydrate dissociation) and remolded specimens, stress-dependent mechanical and hydraulic properties (e.g., compressibility and hydraulic conductivity) were measured. The experimental results provide important engineering parameters, and demonstrate the effect of hydrate presence and consequential dissociation to index properties, engineering parameters, and innate sediment structures.     

Geotechnical Characteristics of Volcanic Beach Sands with Varying Iron Contents

One of the distinguishing features of volcanic beach sand compared to typical silica sand can be found in its relatively high iron content; however, studies on the effect of iron content on the engineering properties of volcanic beach sand have been very limited until now. Consequently, this experimental investigation quantifies the effect of iron content on the engineering properties of Ulleung volcanic beach sands, including small strain stiffness, compressibility, friction angle, and cone tip resistance. Various geotechnical experiments were performed, and test results demonstrate that the small strain stiffness increases with an increase in iron content because of the increased interparticle contact stiffness. In addition, the elastic deformation of soil particles decreases with an increase in iron content because of the greater elastic modulus of iron compared to that of silica. In contrast, the effects of iron content on the intermediate strain constrained modulus and on the large strain friction angle are insignificant, and these properties are mainly determined by state variables. The relationship between the stress-normalized cone tip resistance and the state parameter of tested Ulleung sand is very similar to that on silica sands, reflecting that the effect of iron contents on the cone tip resistance is minimal.     

Circulation and currents in the southwestern East/Japan Sea: Overview and review

A review is made of circulation and currents in the southwestern East/Japan Sea (the Ulleung Basin), and the Korea/Tsushima Strait which is a unique conduit for surface inflow into the Ulleung Basin. The review particularly concentrates on describing some preliminary results from recent extensive measurements made after 1996. Mean flow patterns are different in the upstream and downstream regions of the Korea/Tsushima Strait. A high velocity core occurs in the mid-section in the upstream region, and splits into two cores hugging the coasts of Korea and Japan, the downstream region, after passing around Tsushima Island located in the middle of the strait. Four-year mean transport into the East/Japan Sea through the Korea/Tsushima Strait based on submarine cable data calibrated by direct observations is 2.4 Sv (1 Sv = 10⁶ m³ s⁻¹). A wide range of variability occurs for the subtidal transport variation from subinertial (2–10 days) to interannual scales. While the subinertial variability is shown to arise from the atmospheric pressure disturbances, the longer period variation has been poorly understood.Mean upper circulation of the Ulleung Basin is characterized by the northward flowing East Korean Warm Current along the east coast of Korea and its meander eastward after the separation from the coast, the Offshore Branch along the coast of Japan, and the anticyclonic Ulleung Warm Eddy that forms from a meander of the East Korean Warm Current. Continuous acoustic travel-time measurements between June 1999 and June 2001 suggest five quasi-stable upper circulation patterns that persist for about 3–5 months with transitions between successive patterns occurring in a few months or days. Disappearance of the East Korean Warm Current is triggered by merging the Dok Cold Eddy, originating from the pinching-off of the meander trough, with the coastal cold water carried Southward by the North Korean Cold Current. The Ulleung Warm Eddy persisted for about 20 months in the middle of the Ulleung Basin with changes in its position and spatial scale associated with strengthening and weakening of the transport through the Korea/Tsushima Strait. The variability of upper circulation is partly related to the transport variation through the Korea/Tsushima Strait. Movements of the coastal cold water and the instability of the polar front also appear to be important factors affecting the variability.Deep circulation in the Ulleung Basin is primarily cyclonic and commonly consists of one or more cyclonic cells, and an anticyclonic cell centered near Ulleung Island. The cyclonic circulation is conjectured to be driven by a net inflow through the Ulleung Interplain Gap, which serves as a conduit for the exchange of deep waters between the Japan Basin in the northern East Sea and the Ulleung Basin. Deep currents are characterized by a short correlation scale and the predominance of mesoscale variability with periods of 20–40 days. Seasonality of deep currents is indistinct, and the coupling of upper and deep circulation has not been clarified yet.     

北黄海表层沉积物常量元素分布特征及其控制因素分析

为探讨北黄海表层沉积物中常量元素分布特征,并进一步分析其控制因素和物质来源,以常量元素为依托,对304个站位表层沉积物常量元素含量分布特征及控制因素进行统计分析,结果表明:沉积物中SiO2、Al2O3、Fe2O3、MgO、K2O、P2O5、TiO2七种元素含量的空间分布具有明显的区域性。其中,SiO2、K2O具有相似的空间分布;Al2O3、Fe2O3、MgO、P2O5、TiO2具有相似的空间分布,但与SiO2、K2O的分布趋势相反;CaO、MnO、Na2O在区域内分布较为均匀,未显示出明显的高低变化趋势。聚类分析显示,表层沉积物的常量元素分布主要受粒度效应的控制。主因子分析提取出3种控制常量元素分布的主成分,分析表明,粒度控制效应、源区风化作用和不同物源输入是影响表层沉积物常量元素空间分布的主要因素,贡献累计方差总和达77.12%。以K2O、CaO、TiO2为指标,通过FD函数识别出北黄海不同海域内的主要物质来源,其主要物源包括黄河、鸭绿江和黄海暖流携带的长江物质。对北黄海沉积物物质来源进行分析,不仅在海洋矿产资源勘探、航道开发、沿岸港口建设与整治等方面具有实际意义,而且在认识海洋环境变迁等方面同样具有理论意义。     

Geotechnical sealing material for coastal disposal facility for soils and wastes contaminated by radioactive cesium

Safe disposal of wastes produced due to the process of decontamination in and around Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant is an urgent requirement. The purpose of this study was to develop a sealing material which can be used as an engineered barrier for a final disposal facility for the soils and wastes contaminated by radioactive cesium. The analyses conducted based on 4-m-thick sealing layer revealed that the hydraulic conductivity of the sealing material needs to be kept below 5.0?×?10^?10?m/s to avoid the seepage of contaminants below the environmentally safe limits. Sealing material was developed using marine clay–bentonite mixture and the engineering characteristics were examined. The results of laboratory experiments showed that, with the addition of bentonite, the hydraulic conductivity equal to or less than 5.0?×?10^?10?m/s was achieved when the effective consolidation stress is equal to or more than 27?kPa. From the tests for adsorption properties for cesium, it was found that the sealing material showed the significant capacity of adsorption for cesium in seawater. It was concluded that the construction of waste disposal facility on the sandy seafloor is feasible using the sealing layer proposed in this study.     

西沙群岛基底火山碎屑岩中单斜辉石的矿物化学特征及其地质意义

本文利用电子探针对南海西沙群岛琛航岛珊瑚礁底部火山碎屑岩中的单斜辉石矿物的化学特征进行了研究。结果表明,该单斜辉石属于富钙透辉石,部分有正环带结构,从核部到边部Ca、Fe、Ti的含量逐渐增加,是岩浆正常结晶顺序的反映,说明该区域的岩浆演化是向着富Ca、Fe、Ti方向发展的。主量元素数据显示,单斜辉石具有低Si高Al的特征(SiO₂=41.40%～48.44%,Al₂O₃=5.54%～10.20%),且AlⅣ含量较高,说明母岩浆为不饱和碱性岩浆系列;此外,单斜辉石Ca含量偏高,Ca/(Ca+Mg+Fe)值在46.1%～51.4%之间,推测是母岩浆的高Ca含量导致了大量高钙辉石的产出。结合西沙海域的地震和构造资料,推测琛航岛珊瑚礁的基底是玄武质火山碎屑岩组成的平顶状海山,系岩浆穿过断裂发育的岩石圈层在西沙群岛的海底喷发,随后火山碎屑物质经过堆积、固结作用而形成;该火山碎屑岩的原岩为板内碱性玄武岩。     

The distinctive compositional evolution of glauconite in the Cretaceous Ukra Hill Member (Kutch basin,India) and its implications

An integrated study involving sedimentology, mineral chemistry and spectroscopy highlights a distinctive compositional evolution of Cretaceous glauconite within the Ukra Hill Member. Glauconite occurs at the top part of transgressive systems tract deposits built on a marine shelf. The concentration of glauconite steadily increases towards the maximum flooding surface, maximizing around 50%, and sharply falls at the onset of progradation. Unlike most Phanerozoic examples, Ukra glauconite forms by the variable degree of replacement of quartz, feldspar and mica grains. XRD, FEG-SEM and spectroscopy of glauconite pellets indicate an ‘evolved’ stage of maturation. Mossbauer spectroscopy reflects a minor substitution of Al^3+-Fe³⁺ (total) in tetrahedral sites and significant substitution of the same in octahedral sites. A consistently high value of K₂O as well as Fe₂O₃ contradicts the two popular theories, ‘layer lattice’ and ‘verdissement’, and support replacement origin of glauconite in a high a_Si+ and high a_K+ pore water environment. Incipiently formed glauconite records a marginal increase in K₂O content accompanied by release of Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ to form evolved glauconite pellets; those forming within quartz grains involve an addition of Fe₂O₃ (total) content during maturation. The minimal increase in K₂O content of incipiently formed glauconite, best exhibited by those formed within quartz grains is possibly related to stratigraphic condensation. Compositional evolution like this is exhibited by Precambrian glauconites involving abiotic substrates, but is unusual for the Phanerozoic. Original K₂O and Fe₂O₃ (total) content of glauconites is reduced around peripheries and fractures during diagenesis, adding to compositional variability.     

闽江口沉积硅藻分布特征及其沉积意义

The distribution of diatoms in surface sediments in the Minjiang Estuary, southeast China, was investigated in2009. Total 56 species and other species belonging to 25 genera were identified, among them 11 species were dominant over 5%. Dominant species included Actinocyclus ehrenbergii, Coscinodiscus curvatulus, C. divisus, C.jonesianus, C. radiatus, C. rothii, C. subtilis, Cyclotella stylorum, Epithemia hyndmanii, Hydrosera whampoensis,and Trachyneis aspera. Diatom abundance varied spatially, with the absolute abundance of diatoms ranging from13 valves/g to 11×104 valves/g, and averaging 2.5×104 valves/g. A canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) was used to explain the relationships between diatom distribution and sediment properties in the Minjiang Estuary.CCA revealed that the major elements(Fe_2O_3, Na_2O, CaO, MgO, TiO_2, SiO_2, Al_2O_3, and K_2O) were closely related to diatom abundance. Four diatom assemblages were distinguished, representing different sediment properties,which may assist late Quaternary palaeoceanographic reconstructions of the Minjiang Estuary.     

Green synthesis of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles using two selected brown seaweeds: Characterization and application for lead bioremediation

The exploitation of different plant materials for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles is considered a green technology because it does not involve any harmful chemicals. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-NPs) were synthesized using a completely green biosynthetic method by reduction of ferric chloride solution using brown seaweed water extracts. The two seaweeds Padina pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy and Sargassum acinarium (Linnaeus) Setchell 1933 were used in this study. The algae extract was used as a reductant of FeCl₃ resulting in the phytosynthesis of Fe₃O₄-NPs. The phytogenic Fe₃O₄-NPs were characterized by surface plasmon band observed close to 402 nm and 415 nm; the obtained Fe₃O₄-NPs are in the particle sizes ranged from 10 to 19.5 nm and 21.6 to 27.4 nm for P. pavonica and S. acinarium, respectively. The strong signals of iron were reported in their corresponding EDX spectra. FTIR analyses revealed that sulphated polysaccharides are the main biomolecules in the algae extracts that do dual function of reducing the FeCl₃ and stabilizing the phytogenic Fe₃O₄-NPs. The biosynthesized Fe₃O₄-NPs were entrapped in calcium alginates beads and used in Pb adsorption experiments. The biosynthesized Fe₃O₄-NPs alginate beads via P. pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy had high capacity for bioremoval of Pb (91%) while that of S. acinarium (Linnaeus) Setchell 1933 had a capacity of (78%) after 75 min. The values of the process parameters for the maximum Pb removal efficiency by Fe₃O₄-NPs alginate beads synthesized via P. pavonica (Linnaeus) Thivy were also estimated.     

Discussion of “Experimental study on the hydraulic conductivity of calcareous sand in South China Sea”

Hydraulic conductivity of the granular soils depends on many factors including the soil density and the particle size distribution. For internally unstable soils, the hydraulic conductivity could be changed beyond a critical value of hydraulic gradient. This discussion calls attention to the effect of the internal stability on the hydraulic conductivity, where the internal stability of the soils is assessed and the critical hydraulic gradient is computed using some theoretical methods, and such calculations could be used to plan the experimental tests.     

Evaluation of hydraulic conductivity through particle shape and packing density characteristics of sand–silt mixtures

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the relationship between saturated hydraulic conductivity with particle shape and packing density characteristics of silty sand soils. The article presents a series of hydraulics tests performed on three kinds of sand with different particles shapes (Chlef rounded sand, Fontainebleau sub-rounded sand and Hostun sub-angular sand) mixed with low plastic rounded Chlef silt in the range of 0–30% fines content. The sand–silt mixture samples were tested in the constant-head permeability device at a loose relative density (D_r = 18%) and a constant room temperature (T?=?20?°C). The obtained results indicate that the measured saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) correlates very well with the fines content (F_c), packing density in terms of [maximum void ratio “e_max,” minimum void ratio “e_min,” predicted maximum void ratio “e_max”_pr and predicted minimum void ratio “e_min”_pr] and particle shape characteristics ratios in terms of roundness ratio (R_r = R_hs/R_mixture) and sphericity ratio (S_r = S_hs/S_mixture) of the silty sand materials under consideration. Moreover, the analysis of the available data show a noticeable success in exploring the prediction of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) based on the particle shape and packing density characteristics (R_r, S_r, e_max, and e_min) of the studied sand–silt mixture samples.     

Crustal analysis of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) from enhanced gravity mapping

To facilitate geological analyses of the Ulleung Basin in the East Sea (Japan Sea) between Korea and Japan, shipborne and satellite altimetry-derived gravity data are combined to derive a regionally coherent anomaly field. The 2-min gridded satellite altimetry-based gravity predicted by Sandwell and Smith [Sandwell DT, Smith WHF (1997) J Geophys Res 102(B5):10,039–10,054] are used for making cross-over adjustments that reduce the errors between track segments and at the cross-over points of shipborne gravity profiles. Relative to the regionally more homogeneous satellite gravity anomalies, the longer wavelength components of the shipborne anomalies are significantly improved with minimal distortion of their shorter wavelength components. The resulting free-air gravity anomaly map yields a more coherent integration of short and long wavelength anomalies compared to that obtained from either the shipborne or satellite data sets separately. The derived free-air anomalies range over about 140 mGals or more in amplitude and regionally correspond with bathymetric undulations in the Ulleung Basin. The gravity lows and highs along the basin’s margin indicate the transition from continental to oceanic crust. However, in the northeastern and central Ulleung Basin, the negative regional correlation between the central gravity high and bathymetric low suggests the presence of shallow denser mantle beneath thinned oceanic crust. A series of gravity highs mark seamounts or volcanic terranes from the Korean Plateau to Oki Island. Gravity modeling suggests underplating by mafic igneous rocks of the northwestern margin of the Ulleung Basin and the transition between continental and oceanic crust. The crust of the central Ulleung Basin is about a 14–15 km thick with a 4–5 km thick sediment cover. It may also include a relatively weakly developed buried fossil spreading ridge with approximately 2 km of relief.     

冲绳海槽中部岩心沉积物中浮岩的物理性质和地球化学特征差异及其对岩浆活动的指示

为进一步了解冲绳海槽浮岩的物理性质和地球化学特征差异,对冲绳海槽中部岩心沉积物S9中的浮岩进行了微观结构和地球化学组成分析。结果显示,冲绳海槽中部存在白色、灰白色及棕色3种浮岩,其中灰白色浮岩又可以根据构造特征分为气孔构造和流动构造浮岩两个亚类。浮岩的地球化学组成表明白色、灰白色及棕色浮岩都是由玄武质岩浆经过充分的分离结晶作用形成的流纹质或流纹英安质火山岩。玄武质岩浆在演化的过程中发生了斜长石、角闪石、辉石、Fe-Ti氧化物、磷灰石等矿物的结晶分离。结合有孔虫14C年龄,认为浮岩是冲绳海槽中部距今13.1 ka左右的长英质火山活动的产物。演化程度相对较低的棕色浮岩具有比白色浮岩高的TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO含量,且棕色浮岩具有相对低的稀土总量和轻稀土总量。根据浮岩的物理性质及地球化学组成差异推测,岩浆的黏度和压力是影响浮岩构造特征的主要因素。黏度大、连续减压的岩浆易于形成具有流动构造和密集气孔的浮岩,黏度小、阶段性减压的岩浆易于形成气孔大而疏松的浮岩。     

Closure to “anisotropic hydraulic conductivity and critical hydraulic gradient of a crushed sandstone–mudstone particle mixture”

A closure is presented to the discussion of Anisotropic hydraulic conductivity and critical hydraulic gradient of a crushed sandstone–mudstone particle mixture by Salahou, Jiao, and Yousif (2017 Fener, M., and N. Yesiller. 2013. Vertical pore structure profile of a compacted clayey soil. Engineering Geology 166:204–15. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.08.001.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). The relationship between the critical hydraulic gradient and the uniformity coefficient can be limited to two curves. The internal erosion mechanism of soils with different particle grade curves is different. The maximum diameter of fine particles of different particle grade curves can be calculated by a lot of methods. The density of the original paper is the average density. The anisotropic hydraulic conductivity is caused by uneven density distribution. The hydraulic conductivities are tested on the saturated soils. The saturated hydraulic conductivity can be regard as a constant value for a saturated soil.     

A coupled CFD-DEM simulation of upward seepage flow in coarse sands

Abstract

The suction anchor becomes more popular for offshore oil and gas industry in deeper water. For suction anchor–soil interaction, the prediction of hydraulic conductivity of porous materials is a long-standing problem in offshore engineering. To investigate the hydraulic characteristics, an upward seepage flow through saturated sands is considered in this study. A numerical approach, which is able to describe the fluid–particle interaction at particle scale, has been employed to analyse fluid flow in sands. This approach is constructed by adopting a coupled discrete element method and computational fluid dynamic approach (CFD-DEM numerical model). The coupled CFD-DEM approach is first benchmarked by a classic geomechanics problem where analytical solutions are available, and then employed to investigate the characteristics of upward seepage flow in coarse sand columns. Through numerical modelling, the predicted relation between hydraulic gradient and flow velocity is obtained and it is compared with the classical analytical correlation. The effect of several bulk and micromechanical parameters including packing porosity, particle size combination and inter-particle rolling resistance on the flow characteristics is numerically examined. The results show that the particle polydispersity and packing porosity have significant effect on the hydraulic conductivity in the seepage flow. The introduction of inter-particle rolling resistance can change initial packing structure of particle assembly in some extent rather than the hydraulic conductivity from the particle shape effect perspective. A further development of numerical model, in which the effect of non-spherical particles on the seepage flow, will be carried out later.     

南海北部湾东部海域表层沉积物地球化学特征

通过对南海北部湾东部海域61 个站位表层沉积物粒度和地球化学组成的相关分析和因子分析,探讨了其空间分布特征、元素相关性以及元素组合特征, 揭示了元素在区域上的分布规律和主控因素。结果表明: 绝大多数常微量元素具有相似的平面分布特征, 而MnO、Zr、CaO 和Sr 空间变异系数较大,在部分区域出现了异常高值, 表明其沉积环境受到正常陆源沉积以外其他因素的影响。元素和Al₂O₃的比值分布特征表明, 广西和海南岛近岸沉积物主要由陆源碎屑沉积组成, 在潮汐和近岸径流作用下,由近岸向远海输送; 而研究区西部海域沉积物主要为来自红河的物质。元素相关分析和因子分析结果表明, 研究区表层沉积物中绝大多数常微量元素主要受沉积物粒度的控制; CaO 和Sr 含量主要受生物活动活跃程度控制; Zr 含量分布主要受控于源区母岩矿物组成以及自源区的搬运距离; 而MnO 含量则受陆源、海底热液以及自生作用等多种来源共同影响。     

Organic carbon accumulation and sulfate reduction rates in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin,East/Japan Sea

This study investigated the organic carbon accumulation rates (OCARs) and sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea. These sediments have high organic contents at depths greater than 2,000 m; this is rare for deep-sea sediments, except for those of the Black Sea and Chilean upwelling regions. The mean organic carbon to total nitrogen molar ratio was estimated to be 6.98 in the Ulleung Basin sediments, indicating that the organic matter is predominantly of marine origin. Strong organic carbon enrichment in the Ulleung Basin appears to result from high export production, and low dilution by inputs of terrestrial materials and calcium carbonate. Apparent sedimentation rates, calculated primarily from excess ²¹⁰Pb distribution below the zone of sediment mixing, varied from 0.033 to 0.116 cm year⁻¹, agreeing well with previous results for the basin. OCARs fluctuated strongly in the range of 2.06–12.5 g C m⁻² year⁻¹, these rates being four times higher at the slope sites than at the basin sites. Within the top 15 cm of the sediment, the integrated SRRs ranged from 0.72 to 1.89 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹, with rates approximately twice as high in the slope areas as in the basin areas. SRR values were consistently higher in areas of high sedimentation and of high organic carbon accumulation, correlating well with apparent sedimentation rates and OCARs. The sulfate reduction rates recorded in the basin and slope sediments of the Ulleung Basin are higher than those reported for other parts of the world, with the exception of the Peruvian and Chilean upwelling regions. This is consistent with the high organic carbon contents of surface sediments of the Ulleung Basin, suggesting enhanced organic matter fluxes.     

Behavior of Loose Silty Sand of Chlef River: Effect of Low Plastic Fine Contents and Other Parameters

This article presents a laboratory study of static behavior of silty-sand soils. The objective of this laboratory investigation is to study the effect of initial confining pressures and fines content on the undrained shear strength (known as liquefaction resistance) response, pore pressure, and hydraulic conductivity of sand–silt mixtures. The triaxial tests were conducted on reconstituted saturated silty-sand samples at initial relative density D_r = 15% with fines content ranging from 0 to 50%. All the samples were subjected to a range of initial confining pressures (50, 100, and 200 kPa). The obtained results indicate that the presence of low plastic fines in sand–silt mixture leads to a more compressible soil fabric, and consequently to a significant loss in the soil resistance to liquefaction. The evaluation of the data indicates that the undrained shear strength can be correlated to fines content (F_c), inter-granular void ratio (e_g), and excess of pore pressure (Δu). The undrained shear strength decreases with the decrease of saturated hydraulic conductivity and the increase of fines content for all confining pressures under consideration. There is a relatively high degree of correlation between the peak shear strength (q_peak) and the logarithm of the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_sat) for all confining pressures.     

海水ORP对3C钢腐蚀行为的影响

研究了氧化还原电位(Oxidation Reduction Potential, ORP)对海水中碳钢腐蚀电化学特征的影响,应用动电位极化曲线法探讨了 ORP 与碳钢腐蚀行为之间的关系。结果表明,海水的 ORP 参数对碳钢腐蚀行为具有较大的影响,其中 O2/OH?电对的作用占主导,其他电对如 Fe3+/Fe2+也有一定的影响。随着海水 ORP 的增大,其氧化能力越强,碳钢腐蚀电流增大,腐蚀速度加快。水质相对稳定的开放性大洋海水中,可以考虑海水氧化还原电位在碳钢腐蚀速度预测评估中的应用。