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Sedimentary noble gases

This paper presents experimental data for the trapped noble gas contents in a variety of shales and related samples. These data, along with those previously available, indicate that the normal sedimentary rock pattern is one of progressive enrichment of the heavier gases in comparison with the proportions in air, from which sedimentary rock gases were presumably acquired. Within this normal pattern, however, variations considerably beyond an order of magnitude characterize both abundance and composition, so that multiple processes appear to be necessary to account for trapping of noble gases in sedimentary rocks. Relative to the normal pattern a number of cases of anomalous Ne enhancement occur. This unexplained phenomenon, previously thought to be exotic, must now be considered unexceptional.Noble gases in air occur in approximately the ‘planetary’ proportions characteristic of meteorites, except for more than an order of magnitude deficiency of Xe. It is commonly held that atmospheric noble gases are indeed planetary, the Xe deficiency in air being made up by the inventory in sedimentary rocks. We consider that while this hypothesis cannot be proved false the available data do not support it. At least equal weight should be given to the alternatives: either that (preferentially) Xe has failed ever to become part of the atmosphere or that the total terrestrial noble gas inventory is simply not planetary.     

Ocean bottom refraction seismograph (OBRS)

This paper describes a pop-up ocean bottom seismograph designed primarily for refraction surveys both on the continental shelf and in deep sea. Its development is the extension of our system based on seismic detectors located on the sea floor with radio transmission of seismic signals and used for seismic refraction studies on the continental shelf. The seismic detectors (vertical geophone or hydrophone and two orthogonally mounted horizontal geophones) are located outside of the pressure vessel on the main frame. Optionally, the seismic sensors may be decoupled from the main frame assembly. This decoupling is performed by a mobile arm positioning the separate three component sensor package on the sea floor.Contribution No. 455 of the Département Scientifique, Centre Océanologique de Bretagne.     

Recent advances in offshore geotechnics for deep water oil and gas developments

The paper presents an overview of recent developments in geotechnical analysis and design associated with oil and gas developments in deep water. Typically the seabed in deep water comprises soft, lightly overconsolidated, fine grained sediments, which must support a variety of infrastructure placed on the seabed or anchored to it. A particular challenge is often the mobility of the infrastructure either during installation or during operation, and the consequent disturbance and healing of the seabed soil, leading to changes in seabed topography and strength. Novel aspects of geotechnical engineering for offshore facilities in these conditions are reviewed, including: new equipment and techniques to characterise the seabed; yield function approaches to evaluate the capacity of shallow skirted foundations; novel anchoring systems for moored floating facilities; pipeline and steel catenary riser interaction with the seabed; and submarine slides and their impact on infrastructure. Example results from sophisticated physical and numerical modelling are presented.     

On the possibility of creating a radio-astronomical inertial coordinate system based on the measurement of arcs between QSOs with the aid of VLBI

The aim of this paper has been to discuss a possibility of the formation of an inertial system of coordinates, precise within 0″.001, with the aid of the measures of mutual angular distances of quasars by the VLBI technique used in radio-astronomy. Such a system depends on neither the rotation, nor revolution of the Earth around the Sun — a fact which permits a separation of the astronomical and geophysical aspects of the problem. The proposed system should permit us to resolve some general astrometric problems — such as of the precession and nutation of the Earth as well as of the motion of the terrestrial axis of rotation within the Earth, or fluctuations in the angular veoocity of terrestrial rotation.     

The thermal structure of the Dvurechenskii mud volcano and its implications for gas hydrate stability and eruption dynamics

The sediment temperature distribution at mud volcanoes provides insights into their activity and into the occurrence of gas hydrates. If ambient pressure and temperature conditions are close to the limits of the gas hydrate stability field, the sediment temperature distribution not only limits the occurrence of gas hydrates, but is itself influenced by heat production and consumption related to the formation and dissociation of gas hydrates. Located in the Sorokin Trough in the northern Black Sea, the Dvurechenskii mud volcano (DMV) was in the focus of detailed investigations during the M72/2 and M73/3a cruises of the German R/V Meteor and the ROV Quest 4000 m in February and March 2007. A large number of in-situ sediment temperature measurements were conducted from the ROV and with a sensor-equipped gravity corer. Gas hydrates were sampled in pressurized cores using a dynamic autoclave piston corer (DAPC). The thermal structure of the DMV suggests a regime of fluid flow at rates decreasing from the summit towards the edges of the mud volcano, accompanied by intermittent mud expulsion at the summit. Modeled gas hydrate dissociation temperatures reveal that the gas hydrates at the DMV are very close to the stability limits. Changes in heat flow due to variable seepage rates probably do not result in changes in sediment temperature but are compensated by gas hydrate dissociation and formation.     

Bayesian analysis of stage–fall–discharge models for gauging stations affected by variable backwater

Parsimonious stage–fall–discharge rating curve models for gauging stations subject to backwater complications are developed from simple hydraulic theory. The rating curve models are compounded in order to allow for possible shifts in the hydraulics when variable backwater becomes effective. The models provide a prior scientific understanding through the relationship between the rating curve parameters and the hydraulic properties of the channel section under study. This characteristic enables prior distributions for the rating curve parameters to be easily elicited according to site‐specific information and the magnitude of well‐known hydraulic quantities. Posterior results from three Norwegian and one American twin‐gauge stations affected by variable backwater are obtained using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The case studies demonstrate that the proposed Bayesian rating curve assessment is appropriate for developing rating procedures for gauging stations that are subject to variable backwater. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of the dominant polychaete Scolelepis squamata on nematode colonisation in sandy beach sediments: An experimental approach

The effect of an abundant sandy beach polychaete, Scolelepis squamata, on the colonisation of defaunated sediments by marine nematodes indicates that sandy beach fauna can be partially controlled by biological interactions within and across size groups. Experimental cores, equipped with windows allowing infaunal colonisation, were filled with defaunated sandy beach sediment containing two different treatments with and without S. squamata. These cores were inserted into microcosms filled with sediment with indigenous meiofauna collected from the field. The treatments were incubated in the laboratory at ambient temperature and salinity for 2, 7, 14 and 21 days, in order to follow the colonisation process of the defaunated sediments by the indigenous nematode fauna over time. Nematodes initially colonised both treatments, with abundances of up to 10% of the densities in the control; after 2 weeks, nematode densities in the cores without S. squamata surpassed the control densities. Nematode assemblages in both treatments were not species rich, and also differed in composition from the natural assemblages. The most successful colonising species, Enoplolaimus litoralis, was rare in the surrounding sediment, suggesting that colonisation was determined by species-specific characteristics such as body size, motility and feeding strategy. Initially the presence of macrofauna did not affect the nematode community composition, but after 2 weeks of the experiment, the presence of the polychaete seemed to facilitate the earlier establishment of non-opportunistic species.     

A numerical simulation of gas flow during coal/gas outbursts

Summary A model of the gas flow in airways during an instantaneous outburst of coal and gas is formulated and solved numerically using MacCormack's explicit finite-difference scheme. This model is based on the assumption that geological structures, in-situ stresses and high-gas-pressure gradients play important roles in initiating an outburst, with the gas content and gas-pressure gradients being the most dominant factors. The fluid-dynamic processes that occur after an outburst are computed by the numerical integration of the complete time-dependent Navier-Stokes equations. The mixture velocity, the density and the gas-concentration profiles in both time and space domains (immediately after an outburst) are presented. The global results are useful in gaining an improved understanding of gas-flow patterns during coal/gas outbursts and in determining the range of the disturbance so that effective methods of control can be developed.Nomenclature a speed of sound - C gas concentration (mass) - C _v specific heat at constant volume - C _p specific heat at constant pressure - CFL Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy number - E total energy of the mixture - F the vector defined in Equation 27 - G the vector defined in Equation 28 - h entropy - h _i entropy at inlet - J _xi diffusion flux in the i-direction - k thermal conductivity of a gas - M Mach number - P pressure of a mixture (the partial pressure of gas) - P gas pressure - P _a atmospheric pressure     

Zircon U-Pb dating of intermediate-acid intrusive rocks in the middle section of Ningzhen district and their metallogenic implicationsEI北大核心CSCD

The Ningzhen metallogenic district is an important part of the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Valley metallogenic belt. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating of the three intermediate-acid intrusions, i.e., Anjishan, Xinqiao, and Shima, in the central part of the Ningzhen district, indicates that those intrusions were emplaced in the Late Early Cretaceous, with ages of 107.0±1.1 Ma-108.0±1.6 Ma, 108.0±1.3 Ma, and 102.5±1.1 Ma, respectively. Combined with the molybdenite Re-Os isotope age (106-108 Ma) of porphyry copper deposit in this regions, the Ningzhen district exists an intensively magmatic-metallogenic-thermal event at 102.5-108.0 Ma. The age of this event is similar with the age of the third period of large scale mineralization in South China, however obviously later than the magmatic activity of other ore field (124-148 Ma) in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Valley metallogenic belt. It is suggested that the tectonic-magmatic-thermal events in the Ningzhen area is formed under regional lithospheric extension environment, which is also consistent with the tectonic background of the third period of large scale mineralization in South China. The zircon U-Pb ages of the intrusions and the Re-Os ages of molybdenites from the porphyry deposits in the study area demonstrate that the Ningzhen district underwent intensive magmatism and hydrothermal mineralization during the period from 102.5 to 108.0 Ma, which is consistent with the third pulse of large scale mineralization in the South China. ©, 2015, Science Press. All right reserved.