Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同大尺度强迫条件下考虑初始场与侧边界条件不确定性的对流尺度集合预报试验

研究了不同大尺度强迫条件下的暴雨个例中,考虑不同尺度特征的初始扰动与侧边界扰动相互作用构造对流尺度集合预报的可行性,为进一步构建“自适应”于不同强对流天气的对流尺度集合预报系统提供依据。结果表明,在大尺度强迫显著的个例1中,以大尺度扰动信息为主的动力降尺度的增长趋势较集合转换卡尔曼滤波(ETKF)更为显著,且总扰动能量在预报中后期超过集合转换卡尔曼滤波,而在大尺度强迫较弱的个例2中,集合转换卡尔曼滤波扰动能量始终高于动力降尺度。此外,当大尺度强迫显著时,初始扰动与侧边界扰动相匹配会产生相互促进的作用,而不匹配时初始扰动会在预报中后期抑制侧边界扰动的发展,当大尺度强迫较弱时,即使是互相间不匹配的初始扰动与侧边界扰动也能在大部分预报时段起到相互促进的作用,说明初始扰动与侧边界扰动的相互作用机制不仅与天气形势相关,也与二者是否匹配挂钩,另外,扰动的发展特征同样依赖于天气形势;从集合离散度的角度来看,当大尺度强迫明显时,侧边界扰动的作用会在更短的时间内取代初始扰动,从而对离散度起到主导地位;两种初始扰动方法相比,集合转换卡尔曼滤波在多数情况下对总离散度的贡献均大于动力降尺度;从降水量预报及概率预报情况来看,大尺度强迫明显的个例可预报性更高,且各集合成员间的差异较小,大尺度强迫较弱的个例则相反,且当两种初始扰动方案与侧边界扰动相结合时,较仅侧边界扰动均有一定提高。      

Impact of sub-pixel heterogeneity on modelled brightness temperature for an agricultural region

Knowledge of sub-pixel heterogeneity, particularly at the passive microwave scale, can improve the brightness temperature (and ultimately the soil moisture) estimation. However, the impact of surface heterogeneity (in terms of soil moisture, soil temperature and vegetation water content) on brightness temperature in an agricultural setting is relatively unknown. The Soil Moisture Active Passive Validation Experiment 2012 (SMAPVEX12) provided an opportunity to evaluate sub-pixel heterogeneity at the scale of a Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) or the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) radiometer footprint using field measured data. The first objective of this study was to determine if accounting for surface heterogeneity reduced the error between estimated brightness temperature (T_b) and T_b measured by SMOS. It was found that when accounting for variation in surface soil moisture, temperature and vegetation water content within the pixel footprint, the error between the modelled T_b and the measured T_b was less than if a homogeneous pixel were modelled. The correlation between the surface parameters and the error associated with not accounting for surface heterogeneity were investigated. It was found that there was low to moderate correlation between the error and the coefficient of variance associated with the measured soil moisture, soil temperature and vegetation volumetric water content during the field campaign. However, it was found that the correlations changed depending on the stage of vegetation growth and the amount of time following a precipitation event. At the start of the field campaign (following a precipitation event), there was strong correlation between the error and all three surface parameters (r ≥ 0.75). Following a precipitation event close to the middle of the field campaign (during which there was rapid growth in vegetation), there was strong correlation between the error and the variability in vegetation water content (r = 0.89), moderate correlation with soil moisture (r = 0.61) and low correlation with soil temperature (r = 0.26).     

河南义马地区页岩气储层孔隙非均质性

运用高压压汞、液氮吸附及渗透率测试等实验,利用极差、突进系数、变异系数等参数,表征煤系页岩孔渗特征及孔隙层间非均质性,分析孔隙层间非均质性主控因素。结果表明:河南义马地区上、下石盒子组泥页岩微孔与小孔较为发育,山西组大孔较为发育,分别提供了气体吸附附着面积和储存运移空间;上石盒子组孔容与孔径相对偏差最小,孔隙分布均匀,山西组比表面积相对偏差最小,表面积分布均匀;随围压增大,渗透率不断降低,且满足负指数相关关系;渗透率级差、突进系数和变异系数显示下石盒子组渗透率非均质性较弱,山西组渗透率非均质性很弱,更易于压裂开发。非均质性宏观上主要受沉积物质组成和构造改造作用影响,微观上受成岩演化影响。     

Anthropogenic factors and habitat complexity influence biodiversity but wave exposure drives species turnover of a subtropical rocky inter‐tidal metacommunity

Coastal ecosystems are complex and species rich, but are vulnerable to degradation from a variety of anthropogenic activities. Nevertheless, information on inter‐tidal community composition in the Caribbean Basin and at other oceanic sites is lacking. Such information is essential to developing a more comprehensive understanding of rocky inter‐tidal systems and their responses to global change. The goals of this study were to determine the relative importance of environmental (wave power density, wave height), habitat (e.g. algal cover, slope, complexity of rock surfaces) and anthropogenic (distance to roads, population density) factors associated with the structure of local assemblages at multiple shore heights and the regional metacommunity of mobile invertebrates on oceanic rocky inter‐tidal habitats. Environmental characteristics associated with habitat complexity (algal cover, rock surface complexity) and human population density were most strongly associated with abundance and biodiversity of invertebrates. Species richness was positively correlated with surface complexity, but abundance was negatively correlated with both surface complexity and per cent algal cover. By contrast, abundance of invertebrates was positively correlated with human population density, and diversity was negatively correlated with human population density. Abundance of invertebrates was greatest in the mid inter‐tidal zone, whereas diversity was greatest in the lower inter‐tidal zone. Metacommunity structure was Gleasonian, but the gradient along which species turnover occurred was correlated with measures of wave exposure, rather than anthropogenic activity. Unlike in previous studies, mostly at mainland sites, human activity primarily altered dominance patterns of communities, while having relatively little effect on species richness or composition.     

Controls on reservoir heterogeneity of tight sand oil reservoirs in Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in Longdong Area,southwest Ordos Basin,China: Implications for reservoir quality prediction and oil accumulation

Compared to conventional reservoirs, pore structure and diagenetic alterations of unconventional tight sand oil reservoirs are highly heterogeneous. The Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is a major tight-oil-bearing formation in the Ordos Basin, providing an opportunity to study the factors that control reservoir heterogeneity and the heterogeneity of oil accumulation in tight oil sandstones.The Chang 8 tight oil sandstone in the study area is comprised of fine-to medium-grained, moderately to well-sorted lithic arkose and feldspathic litharenite. The reservoir quality is extremely heterogeneous due to large heterogeneities in the depositional facies, pore structures and diagenetic alterations. Small throat size is believed to be responsible for the ultra-low permeability in tight oil reservoirs. Most reservoirs with good reservoir quality, larger pore-throat size, lower pore-throat radius ratio and well pore connectivity were deposited in high-energy environments, such as distributary channels and mouth bars. For a given depositional facies, reservoir quality varies with the bedding structures. Massive- or parallel-bedded sandstones are more favorable for the development of porosity and permeability sweet zones for oil charging and accumulation than cross-bedded sandstones.Authigenic chlorite rim cementation and dissolution of unstable detrital grains are two major diagenetic processes that preserve porosity and permeability sweet zones in oil-bearing intervals. Nevertheless, chlorite rims cannot effectively preserve porosity-permeability when the chlorite content is greater than a threshold value of 7%, and compaction played a minor role in porosity destruction in the situation. Intensive cementation of pore-lining chlorites significantly reduces reservoir permeability by obstructing the pore-throats and reducing their connectivity. Stratigraphically, sandstones within 1 m from adjacent sandstone-mudstone contacts are usually tightly cemented (carbonate cement > 10%) with low porosity and permeability (lower than 10% and 0.1 mD, respectively). The carbonate cement most likely originates from external sources, probably derived from the surrounding mudstone. Most late carbonate cements filled the previously dissolved intra-feldspar pores and the residual intergranular pores, and finally formed the tight reservoirs.The petrophysical properties significantly control the fluid flow capability and the oil charging/accumulation capability of the Chang 8 tight sandstones. Oil layers usually have oil saturation greater than 40%. A pore-throat radius of less than 0.4 μm is not effective for producible oil to flow, and the cut off of porosity and permeability for the net pay are 7% and 0.1 mD, respectively.     

西北印度洋中脊玄武岩源区地幔特征

利用全球岩石地球化学数据库(Pet DB)中有关卡尔斯伯格洋脊(CR)、北中印度洋脊(NCIR)及南中印度洋脊(SCIR)玄武岩的微量元素及同位素组成数据,分析了玄武岩的元素地球化学特征及其沿脊轴的变化,旨在探讨玄武岩源区地幔的(不)均一性及岩浆作用过程的差异。初步研究结果表明:CR、NCIR及SCIR玄武岩组成相近,仅在个别脊段表现有微量稀土元素和同位素组成上的差异,玄武岩整体与N-MORB组成特征相近,与先前通常认为的典型印度洋中脊玄武岩不同。玄武质岩浆主要源自尖晶石二辉橄榄岩地幔的熔融,岩浆源区主要由两个地幔端元构成,即以亏损型地幔(DMM)为主(69%),其次为富集型地幔(EMⅡ,27%)。富集组分可能源自古老陆壳物质的混染。自CR经NCIR到SCIR整个印度洋中脊西北分支玄武岩的Sr、Nd及Pb同位素组成表现出均一性,表明岩浆源区地幔组成相近。在SCIR 19°S附近脊段岩浆源区地幔存在有不均一性,有EMⅡ型地幔端元混入的迹象。在CR 3.5°N附近脊段,玄武岩明显富集K、Ba、La及U等微量元素,但由于缺少同位素数据,源区地幔特征有待进一步研究。在上述研究成果的基础上,提出了该区大比例尺的调查填图及密集采样和精细室内分析是CR深入研究的基础,同时加强Sr、Nd、Pb及Re、Os、Be等同位素分析测试,可提供揭示CR地幔不均一性的可靠依据,而厘清印度洋型地幔对CR的影响程度则有助于深入认识地幔不均一性的成因及地幔动力学过程。     

Effects of linear and exponential heterogeneity on the dynamic response of a moving load in an irregular isotropic half-space: a comparative study

Heterogeneity, being a trivial feature inside the earth or in a geostructure, makes a strong basis for its consideration in the study of geomechanics. Inclusion of the concept of heterogeneity along with irregularity in the medium brings a novelty to the existing literature related to the study of the moving load. The present study investigates the effects of linear and exponential heterogeneity on the dynamic response due to a normal load moving with constant velocity on a rough irregular heterogeneous isotropic half-space in a comparative approach. Expressions for both normal and shear stresses for either case of heterogeneity have been established in closed form. Substantial effects of the affecting parameters such as depth, irregularity factor, maximum depth of irregularity, frictional coefficient, linear heterogeneity parameter and exponential heterogeneity parameter on normal and shear stresses for both the cases of heterogeneity have been observed. Numerical computation has been carried out and the effects of said parameters have been meticulously examined by means of graphs. Moreover, different cases of heterogeneity and homogeneity along with various types of irregularity namely rectangular, parabolic and no irregularity are compared which serve as a focal theme of the study.     

川东长兴组台缘礁滩相储层纵向非均质性特征及形成机制——以川东宣汉盘龙洞长兴组剖面为例

近几年,随着四川盆地海相碳酸盐岩储层勘探的不断加强,碳酸盐岩储层强的非均质性已成为制约礁滩气藏勘探开发的现实问题。以川东宣汉盘龙洞长兴组典型台缘礁滩剖面为研究对象,通过对典型台缘礁滩野外剖面的精细观察,结合镜下薄片及岩矿资料分析,重点探讨了盘龙洞礁滩储层纵向非均质性特征及成因。剖面上礁滩体垂向上存在很强的旋回性和储层非均质性,其储集岩分布、储层厚度、白云岩化程度、溶蚀作用等受海平面周期性的升降变化影响而呈现周期性变化。礁滩储层非均质性受高能相带、海平面升降变化和建设性成岩作用的共同控制,高能相带控制储层原生孔隙的发育,决定了储层的沉积非均质性,白云岩化和溶蚀作用有利于礁滩体储层的形成,大气淡水淋滤改造对于优化储层具有关键作用,海平面升降变化决定了礁滩体旋回性发育,而建设性成岩作用的选择性改造深化了储层非均质性。     

非均匀各向异性储层地震AVAZ响应模拟及分析

基于波动理论的各向异性反射率方法能够充分考虑地震波动力学特征。对单界面理论模型、实际非均匀各向异性模型分别进行正演模拟及分析,比较Ruger理论与反射率方法模拟结果的波动力学特征。结果表明,对于界面模型两种方法均能得到相同的计算结果,但对于实际非均匀各向异性介质,基于Ruger理论的算法受时间采样率的影响,而基于波动理论的反射率方法输入实际空间域模型,计算结果不受时间采样率的限制。