The impact of wave loads and pore-water pressure generation on initiation of sediment transport

The build-up of pore-water pressure by waves can lead to sediment liquefaction and subsequent transport by traction currents. This process was investigated by measuring pore-water pressures both in a field experiment and laboratory wave tank tests. Liquefaction was observed in the wave tank tests. The results suggest that sand is less susceptible than silts to wave-induced liquefaction because of the tendency to partially dissipate pore-water pressures. However, previous studies have determined that pore-water pressures must approach liquefaction before current velocities necessary to initiate transport are reduced. Once liquefaction has occurred more sediment can be transported.     

Lyman-alpha observations of Comet West (1975n)

Images of Comet West in atomic hydrogen (1216 Å) emission were obtained from a sounding rocket on 1976 March 5.5 (R = 0.38 AU). The hydrogen production rate derived from the fit of a simple radial-outflow model to the observed inner isophotes was 3.2 × 10³⁰ atoms/sec. The outer isophotes did not fit the predictions of the complex dynamic model of Keller and Meier, partly because of optical depth effects, but also because the nucleus was breaking up at about this time and it is quite possible that additional hydrogen was being emitted from smaller chunks of the nucleus distributed along the orbit. The above production rate, taken with data on C and O obtained simultaneously by Feldman and Brune, gives Q_H: Q_o: Q_c = 8:3.5:1. For Comet Kohoutek we obtained the ratio 7:1.7:1. The difference, if real, may be due to minor differences in composition or evolution, but in any case it appears that the two comets are similar.     

Predicting saturation of gas hydrates using pre-stack seismic data, Gulf of Mexico

A promising method for gas hydrates exploration incorporates pre-stack seismic inversion data, elastic properties modeling, and seismic interpretation to predict saturation of gas hydrates (Sgh). The technology can be modified slightly and used for predicting hydrate concentrations in shallow arctic locations as well. Examples from Gulf of Mexico Walker Ridge (WR) and Green Canyon (GC) protraction areas illustrate how Sgh was derived and used to support the selection of well locations to be drilled for gas hydrates in sand reservoirs by the Chevron-led Joint Industry Project (JIP) Leg II cruise in 2009. Concentrations of hydrates were estimated through the integration of seismic inversion of carefully conditioned pre-stack data, seismic stratigraphic interpretation, and shallow rock property modeling. Rock property trends were established by applying principles of rock physics and shallow sediment compaction, constrained by regional geological knowledge. No nearby sonic or density logs were available to define the elastic property trends in the zone of interest. Sgh volumes were generated by inverting pre-stack data to acoustic and shear impedance (PI and SI) volumes, and then analyzing deviations from modeled impedance trends. In order to enhance the quality of the inversion, we stress the importance of maximizing the signal to noise ratio of the offset data by conditioning seismic angle gathers prior to inversion. Seismic interpretation further plays an important role by identifying false anomalies such as hard, compact strata, which can produce apparent high Sgh values, and by identifying the more promising strata and structures for containing the hydrates. This integrated workflow presents a highly promising methodology, appropriate for the exploration of gas hydrates.