A semi-empirical approach to model pressure dependence of elastic moduli in granular media accounting for variations of coordination-number and Poisson-ratio

The effective medium theory based on the Hertz–Mindlin contact law is the most popular theory to relate dynamic elastic moduli (or elastic velocities) and confining pressure in dry granular media. However, many experimental results proved that the effective medium theory predicts pressure trends lower than experimental ones and over-predicts the shear modulus. To mitigate these mispredictions, several evolutions of the effective medium theory have been presented in the literature. Among these, the model named modified grain contact theory is an empirical approach in which three parametric curves are included in the effective medium theory model. Fitting the parameters of these curves permits to adjust the pressure trends of the Poisson ratio and the bulk modulus. In this paper, we present two variations of the modified grain contact theory model. First, we propose a minor modification in the fitting function for the porosity dependence of the calibration parameters that accounts for non-linearity in the vicinity of the critical porosity. Second, we propose a major modification that reduces the three-step modified grain contact theory model to a two-step model, by skipping the calibration parameter–porosity fit in the model and directly modelling the calibration parameter–pressure relation. In addition to an increased simplicity (the fitting parameters are reduced from 10 to 6), avoiding the porosity fit permits us to apply the model to laboratory data that are not provided with accurate porosity measurements. For this second model, we also estimate the uncertainty of the fitting parameters and the elastic velocities. We tested this model on dry core measurements from literature and we verified that it returns elastic velocity trends as good as the original modified grain contact theory model with a reduced number of fitting parameters. Possible developments of the new model to add predictive power are also discussed.     

Small-strain dynamic characterization of clayey soil from the Texcoco Lake,Mexico

The area occupied by the former Texcoco Lake was part of a system of lakes inside the Basin of Mexico. The subsoil there has been studied in the past but there is still a need for more and more thorough investigations into the dynamic properties of its highly compressible clays. This paper describes the results of an experimental laboratory research in which a triaxial cell fitted with bender elements was used to measure shear wave velocities (V_s) in clay specimens from the former Texcoco Lake. Soil specimens were subjected to isotropic loading–unloading cycles and values of V_s were determined during the saturation stage and after each stress increment or decrement. Our results show that irrespective of the testing method, shear waves velocities differ in no more than 7–15%.     

基于图像分析的双台面波相速度频散曲线快速提取方法

双台波形的互相关方法是面波相速度频散曲线提取的一种常用方法。传统的方法精度不高,效率较低。本文提出了一种基于图像分析的频散曲线快速提取方法,采用图像显示互相关振幅矩阵,且提出了快速追踪整条频散曲线的算法,并用Matlab编写了交互式的处理软件。基于这种方法编写的资料处理软件提高了双台相速度频散曲线提取的速度和精度,为大批量处理地震数据资料提供了坚实的软件基础。基于图像分析的方法可以更为清晰地展现出双台问的面波频散曲线的特征,对频散曲线的识别和分析也提供了更为有效的研究工具。     

An experimental study of velocities under pressure for ancient oceanic rocks

Abstract

Seismic velocities of Indus suture rock types from Dras‐Sanko‐Kargil, Kashmir Himalaya, as a function of pressure up to 10 kbar were studied. The high‐pressure measurements on the rocks reflect the depthwise increase in velocity, and in general they help in better understanding and better interpretation of the regional rocks in terms of their geological observations. An attempt has been made at correlation with ocean‐dredged samples, and it was found that the ultramafics, gabbros, and dykes are compatible with oceanic rocks and other ophiolite sequences, whereas metavolcanics are incompatible, suggesting the dismembered nature of Indus ophioli‐tes.     

Hydrological characteristics of vegetated river flows: a laboratory flume study

Abstract

Laboratory flume experiments were undertaken to measure the vertical profiles of mean flow velocity for three different flow discharges and four different stem densities of Hydrilla verticillata. The data were used to calculate three parameters, namely Manning's roughness coefficient, the Reynolds number and the Froude number. In addition, empirical equations were obtained for the vertical distribution of measured flow velocity within the transitional zone and above the plant canopy. The results show that: (a) the vertical distribution of measured flow velocity exhibits three zone profiles; (b) Manning's roughness coefficient decreases with increasing depth-averaged flow velocity; (c) the relationship between Manning's roughness coefficient and the depth-averaged flow velocity is within the smooth left inverse curve; (d) Manning's roughness coefficient significantly changes with increasing density of Hydrilla; (e) the Froude number is independent of the density of Hydrilla; and (f) both the Reynolds number and the Froude number increase with increasing depth-averaged flow velocity.

Citation Shi, J.Z., Li, Y.-H., Hughes, J.M.R., and Zhao, M., 2013. Hydrological characteristics of vegetated river flows: a laboratory flume study. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (5), 1047–1058.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

超声激励低渗煤层甲烷增透机理

超声激励增透煤层是一种不受甲烷储层地质条件和气源特性限制,具有普遍应用价值的增采技术.但由于煤岩致密、裂隙发育,煤岩孔隙度存在多尺度效应,受储层介质尺度效应影响的增透促吸机理尚不明确.本文通过CT观测实验和渗透率测定实验,对超声波作用下煤样不同尺度裂隙发展规律进行了分析,对比测定超声作用煤样渗透率变化规律,建立了超声增透煤层甲烷渗透率的修正公式.研究结果表明:CT观测实验很好地证明了超声的机械震碎作用;在声场衰减范围内,煤体损伤和机械震碎作用明显;超声波作用后的煤层渗透率有平均135%～169%的提高.研究工作为超声激励增加煤层的渗透率提供了实验基础.     

Mechanical compaction and ultrasonic velocity of sands with different texture and mineralogical composition

This study presents the results of experimental compaction while measuring ultrasonic velocities of sands with different grain size, shape, sorting and mineralogy. Uniaxial mechanical compaction tests up to a maximum of 50 MPa effective stress were performed on 29 dry sand aggregates derived from eight different sands to measure the rock properties. A good agreement was found between the Gassmann saturated bulk moduli of dry and brine saturated tests of selected sands. Sand samples with poor sorting showed low initial porosity while sands with high grain angularity had high initial porosity. The sand compaction tests showed that at a given stress well‐sorted, coarse‐grained sands were more compressible and had higher velocities (Vp and Vs) than fine‐grained sands when the mineralogy was similar. This can be attributed to grain crushing, where coarser grains lead to high compressibility and large grain‐to‐grain contact areas result in high velocities. At medium to high stresses the angular coarse to medium grained sands (both sorted sands and un‐sorted whole sands) showed high compaction and velocities (Vp and Vs). The small grain‐to‐grain contact areas promote higher deformation at grain contacts, more crushing and increased porosity loss resulting in high velocities. Compaction and velocities (Vp and Vs) increased with decreasing sorting in sands. However, at the same porosity, the velocities in whole sands were slightly lower than in the well‐sorted sands indicating the presence of loose smaller grains in‐between the framework grains. Quartz‐poor sands (containing less than 55% quartz) showed higher velocities (Vp and Vs) compared to that of quartz‐rich sands. This could be the result of sintering and enlargement of grain contacts of ductile mineral grains in the quartz‐poor sands increasing the effective bulk and shear stiffness. Tests both from wet measurements and Gassmann brine substitution showed a decreasing Vp/Vs ratio with increasing effective stress. The quartz‐rich sands separated out towards the higher side of the Vp/Vs range. The Gassmann brine substituted Vp and Vs plotted against effective stress provide a measure of the expected velocity range to be found in these and similar sands during mechanical compaction. Deviations of actual well log data from experimental data may indicate uplift, the presence of hydrocarbon, overpressure and/or cementation. Data from this study may help to model velocity‐depth trends and to improve the characterization of reservoir sands from well log data in a low temperature (<80–100^o C) zone where compaction of sands is mostly mechanical.     

埋藏基岩断裂对地震波动影响的超声模拟研究

地球表层的地质构造对地震波动有不容忽视的影响，研究其规律，对于探查地壳结构乃至了解地球表层动力学特征具有重要意义。应用超声模拟方法，从基岩断裂对波传播和波场分布的影响以及基岩断裂倾向对地表地震动频率的影响三个方面研究了埋藏基岩断裂对地震波动的影响，揭示了一系列现象和规律。     

Temporal vP/vS variation characteristics in different zones of China’s Capital Circle area before and after Wen’an earthquake

On July 4, 2006, an earthquake of MS5.1 took place in Wen’an, Hebei Province, just at the south center of China’s Capital Circle area digital seismograph network. It is the strongest event recorded ever since the network went into operation in 2002. We processed the vast amounts of phase data yielded by the 107 digital seismic stations between 2002~2007 using Wadati method. In order to improve the precision and stability of shear and compressional wave velocities (vP/vS) calculation, we impose a number of restrictions on the computation environment and condition, e.g., the earthquakes are densely concentrated, selected stations are limited in range, the number of stations in- volved in the computation is larger than 5 and linear fitting features high precision and small error. Under these restrictions, the study shows that vP/vS in and around Wen’an and Tangshan underwent a normal-low-normal proc- ess one year before Wen’an earthquake, vP/vS became obviously low and the low ratio lasted for about one year, meanwhile, little variation of vP/vS was seen in Xingtai, northwest of Beijing, southwest of Beijing, Beijing-Tianjin and Beijing; after the quake, the vP/vS returned normal in Wen’an and Tangshan. Error and stability analysis of the calculated result for vP/vS shows it is convincible that anomaly appeared in and around Wen’an and Tangshan be- fore Wen’an earthquake.     

Two-phase hydrodynamic and sediment transport modeling of wave-generated sheet flow

This numerical investigation was carried out to advance mechanistic understanding of sediment transport under sheet flow conditions. An Euler–Euler coupled two-phase flow model was developed to simulate fluid–sediment oscillatory sheet flow. Since the concentration of sediment particles is high in such flows, the kinematics of the fluid and sediment phases are strongly coupled. This model includes interaction forces, intergranular stresses and turbulent stress closure. Each phase was modeled via the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations, with interphase momentum conservation accounting for the interaction between the phases. The generation and transformation of turbulence was modeled using the two-equation k–ε$k''–''\epsilon$ turbulence model. Concentration and sediment flux profiles were compared with experimental data for sheet flow conditions considering both symmetric and asymmetric oscillatory flows. Sediment and fluid velocity variations, concentration profiles, sediment flux and turbulence parameters of wave-generated sheet flow were studied numerically with a focus on sediment transport characteristics. In all applications, the model predictions compared well with the experimental data. Unlike previous investigations in which the flow is driven by a horizontal pressure gradient, the present model solves the Navier–Stokes equations under propagating waves. The model’s ability to predict sediment transport under oscillatory sheet flow conditions underscores its potential for understanding the evolution of beach morphology.