Quasi-static poroelastic parameters in rock and their geophysical applications

The constitutive equations of poroelasticity contain four static moduli. Different sets of moduli are reviewed in the context of their laboratry measurement and their geophysical applications. One complete set consits of the drained bulk modulus and Poisson's ratio, and their undrained counterparts. Skempton's coefficient (ratio of pore pressure increment to mean stress increment under undrained conditions) and the Biot-Willis parameter serve equally well for the undrained bulk modulus and Poisson's ratio, because they permit the drained and undrained moduli to be related to each other. Time dependence is introduced into poroelastic behavior through Darcy's law. Geophysical applications that can be approximated by undrained conditions (fast loading) include seismicity, tidal and barometric loading, and tectonic compression. Several of these problems are most directly formulated in terms of Skempton's coefficient, undrained Poisson's ratio, and hydraulic diffusivity.     

A Review to Develop new Correlations for Geotechnical Properties of Organic Soils

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Organic soils are considered one of the most problematic soils due to their high compressibility and low shear strength at small strains. Characterizing...     

Comparison of extrapolation and interpolation methods for estimating daily photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)

Measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), which are indispensable for simulating plant growth and productivity, are generally very scarce. This study aimed to compare two extrapolation and one interpolation methods for estimating daily PAR reaching the earth surface within the Poyang Lake national nature reserve, China. The daily global solar radiation records at Nanchang meteorological station and daily sunshine duration measurements at nine meteorological stations around Poyang Lake were obtained to achieve the objective. Two extrapolation methods of PARs using recorded and estimated global solar radiation at Nanchang station and three stations (Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang) near the nature reserve were carried out, respectively, and a spatial interpolation method combining triangulated irregular network (TIN) and inverse distance weighting (IDW) was implemented to estimate daily PAR. The performance evaluation of the three methods using the PARs measured at Dahuchi Conservation Station (day number of measurement = 105 days) revealed that: (1) the spatial interpolation method achieved the best PAR estimation (R ₂ = 0.89, s.e. = 0.99, F = 830.02, P < 0.001); (2) the extrapolation method from Nanchang station obtained an unbiased result (R ₂ = 0.88, s.e. = 0.99, F = 745.29, P < 0.001); however, (3) the extrapolation methods from Yongxiu, Xingzi and Duchang stations were not suitable for this specific site for their biased estimations. Considering the assumptions and principles supporting the extrapolation and interpolation methods, the authors conclude that the spatial interpolation method produces more reliable results than the extrapolation methods and holds the greatest potential in all tested methods, and more PAR measurements should be recorded to evaluate the seasonal, yearly and spatial stabilities of these models for their application to the whole nature reserve of Poyang Lake.     

Comparison of Extrapolation and Interpolation Methods for Estimating Daily Photosynthetically Active Radiation(PAR)——A Case Study of the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve,China

Measurements of photosynthetically active radiation(PAR),which are indispensable for simulating plant growth and productivity,are generally very scarce.This study aimed to compare two extrapolation and one interpolation methods for estimating daily PAR reaching the earth surface within the Poyang Lake national nature reserve,China.The daily global solar radiation records at Nanchang meteorological station and daily sunshine duration measurements at nine meteorological stations around Poyang Lake were obtain...     

The analysis of oil trapped during secondary migration

During secondary migration, there is an opportunity for oil to be trapped as fluid inclusions (FIs) within framework grains such as quartz and within diagenetic cements that have a crystalline structure. Oil saturation on migration pathways remains relatively low, so typically fewer oil inclusions get trapped compared with samples from an oil column. Geochemical analysis of the much smaller amounts of inclusion oil present in samples from interpreted oil migration pathways has been attempted for two samples from the Champagny-1 and Delamere-1 wells in the Vulcan Sub-Basin, northern offshore Australia. A combination of petrographic analysis, bulk geochemical inclusion analysis and log evaluation confirmed that both samples were from oil migration pathways. Despite the small number of oil inclusions, reliable geochemical data were acquired from both samples that were significantly above the levels detected for the system and outside-rinse blanks. The FI oil trapped on the interpreted oil migration pathway in Champagny-1 was generated from clay-rich marine source rock with little terrigenous organic matter input. It was generated at peak oil window maturity and correlates best with oils derived from the Late Jurassic Lower Vulcan Formation. In contrast, the Delamere-1 FI oil contains evidence of greater input of terrigenous organic matter and was generated at early oil window maturity. This FI oil also contains a signature of a biodegraded component, which could have been generated either from the Middle Jurassic Plover Formation, or from an older source rock. These data indicate that it is feasible to geochemically map migration pathways across prospects or basins, and to analyse palaeo-oil compositions in oil zones where the few inclusions get trapped. This also suggests that the few oil inclusions that sometimes occur in Proterozoic or Archaean rocks may be analysable in the future, which would provide relatively pristine and robust data on the composition and diversity of Earth’s early biosphere.     

Modeling climate change and biophysical impacts of crop production in the Austrian Marchfeld Region

Climate change affects major biophysical processes in agricultural crop production (e.g. evaporation of plants and soils, nutrient cycles, and growth of plants). This analysis aims to assess some of these effects by simulating regional climate projections that are integrated in the biophysical process model EPIC (Environmental Policy Integrated Climate). Statistical climate models have been developed for six weather parameters based on daily weather records of a weather station in the Austrian Marchfeld region from 1975 to 2006. These models have been used to estimate daily weather parameters for the period 2007–2038. The resulting projections have been compared to climate scenarios provided from the TYNDALL Centre for Climate Change Research, which are based on General Circulation Models (GCMs). The comparison indicates some differences, namely a smaller temperature increase and a higher precipitation amount in the TYNDALL data. Both climate datasets have been used to simulate impacts of climate change on crop yields, topsoil organic carbon content, and nitrate leaching with EPIC and thus to perform a sensitivity analysis of EPIC. Yield impacts have been assessed for four simulated crops, i.e. 6.2?t/ha for winter wheat for statistical climate projections compared to 5.7?t/ha for TYNDALL scenarios, 10.6?t/ha for corn compared to 10.5?t/ha, 3.9?t/ha for sunflower compared to 3.7?t/ha, and 4.5?t/ha for spring barley compared to 4.3?t/ha—all values as an average over the period 2007–2038. Smaller differences have been simulated for topsoil organic carbon content i.e. 55.1?t/ha for the statistical climate projections compared to 55.3?t/ha for the TYNDALL scenarios and nitrate leaching i.e. 7.1?kg/ha compared to 11.1?kg/ha. All crop yields as well as topsoil organic carbon content and nitrate leaching show highest sensitivity to temperature and solar radiation.     

Controls on channel deposits of highly variable rivers: Comparing hydrology and event deposits in the Burdekin River,Australia

Discharge event frequency, magnitude and duration all control river channel morphology and sedimentary architecture. Uncertainty persists as to whether alluvial deposits in the rock record are a time-averaged amalgam from all discharge events, or a biased record of larger events. This paper investigates the controls on channel deposit character and subsurface stratigraphic architecture in a river with seasonal discharge and very high inter-annual variability, the Burdekin River of north-east Australia. In such rivers, most sediment movement is restricted to a few days each year and at other times little sediment moves. However, the maximum discharge magnitude does not directly correlate with the amount of morphological change and some big events do not produce large deposits. The Burdekin channel deposits consist of five main depositional elements: (i) unit bars; (ii) vegetation-generated bars; (iii) gravel sheets and lags; (iv) antidune trains; and (v) sand sheets. The proportions of each depositional element preserved in the deposits depend on the history of successive large discharge events, their duration and the rate at which they wane. Events with similar peak magnitude but different rate of decline preserve different event deposits. The high intra-annual and inter-annual discharge variability and rapid rate of stage change make it likely that small to moderate-scale bed morphology will be in disequilibrium with flow conditions most of the time. Consequently, dune and unit bar size and cross-bed set thickness are not good indicators of event or channel size. Antidunes may be more useful as indicators of flow conditions at the time they formed. Rivers with very high coefficient of variance of maximum discharge, such as the Burdekin, form distinctive channel sediment bodies. However, the component parts are such that, if they are examined in isolation, they could lead to misleading interpretation of the nature of the depositional environment if conventional interpretations are used.