Hydrocarbon gas in sediment from the shelf,slope, and basin of the Bering Sea

Hydrocarbon gases (methane, ethane, ethene, propane, propene, isobutane and n-butane) are present in low concentrations in the top two meters of sediment from the shelf, slope and basin of the Bering Sea. Methane is most abundant and its concentration increases with depth in the sediment. Average concentrations of methane recovered from these sediments are between about 4000 and 5000 nl per 1 of interstitial water. Ethane, ethene, propane and propene are present in almost all samples, but the concentrations of these gases are about two orders of magnitude lower than the concentration of methane. The average ratios of ethane to ethene are usually greater than one in shelf sediment, about one in slope sediment, and usually less than one in basin sediments. These hydrocarbon gases are probably derived from low-temperature chemical and biochemical processes operating at or near the sea-floor. At one location on the shelf, hydrocarbon gases suggest the possibility of petroleum at depth.     

Surface settlements at a soft soil site due to bedrock dewatering

Construction of a 16-m deep, 55-m wide, almost square, underground structure through 8-m of soft soils and 8-m of sandstone and siltstone led to the development of widespread settlements. The affected area extended to distances of over 200 m from the perimeter of the structure. The floor slab of the underground structure was not designed for water pressure. Thus, operation of the structure requires continuous pumping of seepage water collected at a sump located at the lowermost elevation within the structure. Subsurface investigation and monitoring data obtained over 5.75-year period following the construction of the structure indicated that the settlement resulted from consolidation of soft soils due to depressurization of an aquifer within the underlying bedrock caused by continuous dewatering needed for the operation of the structure. An analytical study was undertaken to project the long term settlement. A simple analytical model could be used to simulate the complex hydrogeological problem reasonably. The details of hydrogeologic setting, subsurface investigation and monitoring activities, and the analytical model for projecting long-term settlements are presented in this paper.