Measurement of partition coefficients of phenol and cresols in gas-charged crude oil/water systems

An instrument has been constructed for monitoring the partition coefficients of phenol and cresols between crude oil and water under sub-surface conditions. The device has the capacity for introducing methane gas into crude oil, thereby allowing measurements under live oil (solution gas-containing) conditions. The partition coefficients of phenol and cresols have been measured in crude oil: water substrates under “live” oil and “dead” oil (without solution gas) conditions over a temperature range 25–150 °C. Over the range investigated it is seen that the introduction of gas (crude oil saturated at 100 bar with methane) into the system resulted in an approximate doubling of partition coefficients compared to the equivalent dead oil: brine systems. The partition coefficient data obtained using the device may be employed in a number of petroleum exploration and production activities such as the determination of residual oil saturation of a water-flooded petroleum reservoir. Partition coefficient measurements may help in predicting toxic organic solute loadings in oilfield discharge waters.     

Weak and strong constraint data assimilation in the inverse Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS): Development and application for a baroclinic coastal upwelling system

We describe the development and preliminary application of the inverse Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), a four dimensional variational (4DVAR) data assimilation system for high-resolution basin-wide and coastal oceanic flows. Inverse ROMS makes use of the recently developed perturbation tangent linear (TL), representer tangent linear (RP) and adjoint (AD) models to implement an indirect representer-based generalized inverse modeling system. This modeling framework is modular. The TL, RP and AD models are used as stand-alone sub-models within the Inverse Ocean Modeling (IOM) system described in [Chua, B.S., Bennett, A.F., 2001. An inverse ocean modeling system. Ocean Modell. 3, 137–165.]. The system allows the assimilation of a wide range of observation types and uses an iterative algorithm to solve nonlinear assimilation problems. The assimilation is performed either under the perfect model assumption (strong constraint) or by also allowing for errors in the model dynamics (weak constraints). For the weak constraint case the TL and RP models are modified to include additional forcing terms on the right hand side of the model equations. These terms are needed to account for errors in the model dynamics.Inverse ROMS is tested in a realistic 3D baroclinic upwelling system with complex bottom topography, characterized by strong mesoscale eddy variability. We assimilate synthetic data for upper ocean (0–450 m) temperatures and currents over a period of 10 days using both a high resolution and a spatially and temporally aliased sampling array. During the assimilation period the flow field undergoes substantial changes from the initial state. This allows the inverse solution to extract the dynamically active information from the synthetic observations and improve the trajectory of the model state beyond the assimilation window. Both the strong and weak constraint assimilation experiments show forecast skill greater than persistence and climatology during the 10–20 days after the last observation is assimilated.Further investigation in the functional form of the model error covariance and in the use of the representer tangent linear model may lead to improvement in the forecast skill.     

Euler–Lagrange equations for the spectral element shallow water system

We present the derivation of the discrete Euler–Lagrange equations for an inverse spectral element ocean model based on the shallow water equations. We show that the discrete Euler–Lagrange equations can be obtained from the continuous Euler–Lagrange equations by using a correct combination of the weak and the strong forms of derivatives in the Galerkin integrals, and by changing the order with which elemental assembly and mass averaging are applied in the forward and in the adjoint systems. Our derivation can be extended to obtain an adjoint for any Galerkin finite element and spectral element system.We begin the derivations using a linear wave equation in one dimension. We then apply our technique to a two-dimensional shallow water ocean model and test it on a classic double-gyre problem. The spectral element forward and adjoint ocean models can be used in a variety of inverse applications, ranging from traditional data assimilation and parameter estimation, to the less traditional model sensitivity and stability analyses, and ensemble prediction. Here the Euler–Lagrange equations are solved by an indirect representer algorithm.     

Comparative Study of Sand Porosity and a Technique for Determining Porosity of Undisturbed Marine Sediment

Porosity is a fundamental property of marine sediment from which wet bulk density can be easily determined and used in a variety of geoacoustic, geotechnical, and sedimentological studies, analyses, and models. However, methods of sampling marine sands suffer from the common problem of core disturbance making the in situ porosity difficult to obtain. Embedding the sediment within an epoxy resin matrix will minimize the disturbance to the microfabric and preserve the in situ sedimentary structure for subsequent study. Image analysis can then be used on thin sections to study the microfabric and porometry. A comprehensive review and analysis of published data on the porosity of predominantly clean sands has been completed and a simple, accurate, and nondestructive technique is described for preparing and measuring the porosity of marine sediment (siliciclastic sand) that has been infiltrated aboard ship immediately upon sample collection and chemically fixed and infiltrated with epoxy shortly thereafter. The average porosity of 36 samples of marine sand collected offshore Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and embedded with resin was determined to be 41.30%. From the review of published data the average porosity of sand was determined to be 37.7%, 42.3%, and 46.3% for packed, natural (in situ), and loose packing conditions, respectively, for a range of sorting coefficients and grain sizes.     

Bulk sediment properties interpreted in light of qualitative and quantitative microfabric analysis

Sediments from Eckernförde Bay, Germany, are characterized by an aggregate and channel microstructure, with channel dimensions about two orders of magnitude larger than interparticle distances within aggregates. Porosity within aggregates as determined by image analysis of transmission electron micrographs was about 12% less than bulk porosity. Illite and smectite formed the bulk of most aggregates, while numerous biogenic particles generally occurred outside or on the periphery of aggregates. Microfabric analysis provides insights into permeability and consolidometer behavior of this sediment, reveals characteristics not apparent from bulk analyses, and may have implications for geochemistry and physical behavior of the sediment.     

Stability studies of surficial sediments in the Wilmington-Lindenkohl Canyons area,eastern U.S. margin

Stability analysis, based on infinite slope analysis and geotechnical data from a suite of 34 cores collected from the continental slope between Wilmington and Lindenkohl Canyons, indicates that the Quaternary surficial silty clay sediments on gentle slopes are stable; that sediment stability on steeper slopes (14°–19°) is marginal; and that on precipitous slopes (>50°) only a thin veneer of unconsolidated sediments can exist. Small earthquake-induced accelerations or the effects of internal waves can result in slope sediment instabilities.     

A study of the angle dependence of roll damping moment

The angle dependence of the roll damping moment is investigated by analysing experimentally obtained free roll decay records. Two ship models were used with and without bilge keels, also results with forward speed were obtained. The analysis indicate strong angle dependence and explains why the quadratic and cubic velocity dependent damping moments are successful in many cases.     

Bottom processes, morphology, and geotechnical properties of the continental slope south of Baltimore Canyon

The continental slope south of Baltimore Canyon seaward of the coasts of Delaware and Maryland has a different morphology and sedimentary structure than adjacent portions of the continental margin. Ridges of sediment 600 m thick and transverse to the slope contain many unconformities that can be traced from ridge to ridge. The age of the sediment is inferred to be late tertiary to recent with the morphology related to a major drainage system. Physical properties of a suite of sediment cores display a pattern that varies in relationship to the morphology and depositional environment. Sedimentary structures and low shear strengths indicate instability of surficial sediments present on the upper slope and can be correlated with regions where the seismic reflection profiles show slumping has occurred. A veneer of sand overlying the general silty clay of the area is present on the upper slope and on the ridges indicating sand spillover from the shelf with a recent change in deposition pattern.