Seismic and Petrophysical Relationships from UK Continental Shelf Rocks at Elevated Pressures

Abstract

There are few published seismic (P- and S-waves) properties for seafloor bedrocks. At low pressures (1 to 10 MPa), velocities and attenuations are determined mainly by open microcracks. At higher pressures, the microcracks close, and the velocities and attenuations depend primarily on the matrix porosity. We have investigated both the relationships between the acoustic, petrophysical, and geological properties of the rocks at 40 MPa pressure and the effect of microcracks on the acoustic properties at 10 MPa pressure. In this paper we discuss the former; the latter will be discussed separately.

P- and S-wave velocity and attenuation measurements were carried out on a suite of seabed sedimentary and igneous rocks at effective pressures from 10 to 40 MPa at ultrasonic frequencies. The porosities and permeabilities of the rocks ranged from 0% to 32% and 0 to 110 mDarcy, respectively. Characterization of the rocks revealed that most of the sandstones have a substantial clay content (kaolinite, illite, and chlorite) and fractures. Most of the igneous rocks are chloritized.

The seismic properties of the rocks are markedly lower than those of similar continental rocks because of the microporosity formed by the alteration of feldspars, micas, and mafic minerals to clays (e.g., chloritization of pyroxenes) and the corresponding reduction of the elastic moduli. The results of this study suggest that the values of velocities and quality factors used for ocean acoustic propagation models are lower than normally assumed.     

造山带大陆斜坡沉积类型

造山带大陆斜坡可以划分出有扇与无扇大陆斜坡两种沉积类型。有扇大陆斜坡以近源浊积岩、碎屑流为特色;无扇大陆斜坡以远源浊积岩、等深岩、半远洋沉积为特色。因而大陆斜坡也是一个多种沉积作用活跃的场所。造山带深水沉积绝不是常人认为是单一的复理石、千篇一律的重力流,而是内容十分丰富的沉积作用非常活跃和堆积的场所。     

典型国际海洋划界案例相似性研究

简要研究了2012年国际法院最新判例——尼加拉瓜诉哥伦比亚领土和海洋划界案,总结了本案中国际法院关于海上争议岛屿主权判定把握的要点,国际法院受理该案件的理由和受理的内容。国际法院用三阶段方法确立尼加拉瓜和哥伦比亚海上边界。提出了维护我国海洋权益必须研究国际最新判例相似性的建议。     

Vertical zonation and aggregated distribution of the Manila clam on subtidal sand flats in a coastal brackish lagoon along the Sea of Japan

The Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum, has maintained small‐sized populations in a semi‐enclosed brackish lake along the Sea of Japan, the Honjo area of Lake Nakaumi, although the environment and biota of this area have changed dramatically due to a large‐scale reclamation project. There should be underlying processes that enable the restoration of this species from small‐sized populations, such as the existence of source (i.e. reproductive) populations in other areas and depth zones of the lake. However, there has been no robust, properly designed evaluation of the distribution of the Manila clam in the subtidal sand flats. In order to elucidate the possible mechanisms that allow for the persistence of populations of the Manila clam, we examined the spatiotemporal and vertical variation in distributions of 0‐age clams in the subtidal zone of sand flats. Seasonal effects on population variations showed erratic changes among depth zones without a decreasing trend along the depth gradient. Further, many local populations became extinct even in the shallower zones due to seasonal (summer) hypoxia at deeper zones and hypoxia by the accumulation of key benthic species (Asian mussel and decaying macroalgae) in mats at shallower zones. A few surviving local populations were stable with a spatial‐fragmental (patchy) distribution, associated with fragmented accumulations of Asian mussels and macroalgae. Efforts to maintain stable populations and to restore this species in the subtidal area may depend on these small, restricted, patchy local populations. These findings suggest that high fertility and productivity of the Manila clam as well as patchy distribution of small populations may contribute to the maintenance of the population and the avoidance of extinction (by spatially diffusing the risk of extinction) in harsh environments resulting from the reclamation project.     

山西吕梁地区吕梁群变基性火山岩原岩形成年龄、地球化学特征及形成环境

华北克拉通古元古代中期构造环境及演化至今尚存有争议,该时期相关岩浆作用的成因研究可为这些问题的解决提供重要证据。本文对华北克拉通中部山西吕梁地区古元古代中期形成的吕梁群近周营组基性火山岩开展综合研究,获得2 180±19 Ma 的形成年龄,岩石地球化学低TiO₂、高Al₂O₃ 和K₂O,属钙碱性系列。微量元素富集Rb、Ba、Th、U、Sr 等大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta、Ti 和P等高场强元素,富集Pb,具轻稀土略富集、铕弱异常的右倾稀土模式,与典型消减带弧岩浆产物特征一致。同位素组成显示正ε_Nd（t）= 1.0～2.6 和ε_Hf（t）= 1.8～9.2, 指示它们来源于亏损地幔,低的Ti/Y（246～385）和Ce/Y 值（0.99～1.77）进一步揭示,地幔源区受到俯冲流体的交代和沉积物的参与,是楔尖晶石二辉橄榄岩与石榴石二辉橄榄岩过渡带略亏损地幔区发生部分熔融,并经历了橄榄石、单斜辉石等矿物分离结晶作用而形成。结合同期埃达克岩-高镁安山岩-富Nb玄武岩-安山岩组合以及弧花岗岩类的出现提出,2 200 Ma 华北中部带已演化至活动大陆边缘弧的构造环境。     

中国北部黄海近岸水体周丛硅藻的群落群集动态特征的研究

The colonization features of periphytic diatoms were studied in coastal waters of the Yellow Sea, northern China from May to June 2010, using glass slides as an artificial substratum. Samples were collected at a time interval of 1, 3, 7, 10, 14, 21 and 28 d from two depths of 1 and 3 m. The dynamics of diatom colonization process had a similar pattern in community structure and fitted the logistic model in growth curve at both depths. The maximum abundance and the time for reaching 50% maximum abundance （10 d） showed no significant differences （P〉0.05） between two depths 1 and 3 m. Although the diatom communities repre- sented similar taxonomic composition, they differed in the temporal pattern of structural parameters and in succession dynamics of dominant species between the two layers. The species richness showed significantly higher values during the colonization period more than 14 d, while the species diversity and evenness rep- resented a higher variability with significantly different values （P〈0.05） at a depth of 1 m than at a deeper layer. The results suggest that the diatom colonization follows the logistic model growth curve and differs in colonization features between different depths in the coastal waters, and that the sampling strategy at i m is more effective to detect the ecological features for bioassessment in marine ecosystems.     

Limited differences among habitats in deep‐sea macro‐infaunal communities off New Zealand: implications for their vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbance

The spread of human activities into the deep sea may pose a high risk to benthic communities and affect ecosystem integrity. The deep sea is characterized by physical and biological heterogeneity and different habitat types are likely to differ in their vulnerability to anthropogenic impacts. However, across‐habitat comparisons are rare, and no comprehensive ecological risk assessment has yet been developed. To address this gap in our knowledge, we compared macro‐infaunal community structure in four habitats (slope, canyons, seamounts and methane seeps) at depths between 700 and 1500 m in the Hikurangi Margin and Bay of Plenty regions off New Zealand. The most striking contrast in community structure was between the two study regions, due to an order of magnitude difference in macro‐infaunal abundance that we believe was caused by differences in surface productivity and food availability at the sea bed. We found differences in structural and functional attributes of macro‐infaunal communities among some habitats in the Hikurangi Margin (slope, canyon and seep), but not in the Bay of Plenty. We posit that differences between canyon and slope communities on the Hikurangi Margin are due to enhanced food availability inside canyons compared with adjacent slope habitats. Seep communities were characterized by elevated abundance of both symbiont‐bearing and heterotrophic taxa, and were the most distinct, and variable, among the habitats that we considered on the Hikurangi Margin. Communities of seamounts were not distinct from slope or canyon communities on the Hikurangi Margin, probably reflecting similar environmental conditions in these habitats. The communities of deep‐sea canyon and seep habitats on the Hikurangi Margin were sufficiently dissimilar from each other and from slope habitats to warrant separate management consideration. By contrast, the low dissimilarity between communities of canyon and slope habitats in the Bay of Plenty suggests that habitat‐based management is not required in this region, for macro‐infauna at least. Although the two study regions share similar species pools, populations of the Hikurangi Margin region may be less vulnerable than the sparser populations of the Bay of Plenty due to the higher availability of potential colonizers and faster population growth. Thus regions, and habitats in some regions, should be subject to separate ecological risk assessment to help identify the key risks and consequences of human activities, and to inform options for reducing or mitigating impacts.     

Distribution and feeding modes of macrobenthos within three oceanographic feature areas of the KwaZulu-Natal Bight,South Africa

The composition and distribution of macrobenthic communities was investigated in three areas in the KwaZulu- Natal Bight, a section of shelf off the east coast of South Africa. Areas were pre-selected on the basis of three known oceanographic features, posited to deliver land- or Agulhas Current-derived nutrients onto the shelf and to drive ecosystem functioning in this region. Replicate sediment samples were collected with a 0.2 m² van Veen grab, during two surveys (A, B) corresponding with normal periods of high and low rainfall, respectively. A subset of the full station array was selected across the shelf in an arrangement of increasing depths (inner-, mid- and outer shelf) through each feature area to investigate the spatial distribution and feeding modes of macrobenthic taxa. The two periods showed some differences in abundance and numbers of macrobenthic taxa, but were not statistically different. Total macrobenthic abundance from Survey A was 20 215 individuals from 642 taxa, decreasing to 18 000 individuals from 503 taxa during Survey B. Polychaeta and Crustacea were the dominant taxa sampled; abundance of the latter was attributed largely to a proliferation of Paguristes sp.1 at inner-shelf samples in the midbight (Thukela) region during Survey B. Similarity classification distinguished seven sample groups reflecting differences in feature areas and shelf positions under investigation. The Thukela River midshelf community supported the highest macrobenthic abundance, while the midshelf off the southern bight (Durban region) was most species rich. Findings were attributed to the habitat complexity of the midshelf which includes a palaeo-dune cordon at the 60 m isobath. Functionally, the community was dominated by interface- and deposit-feeding fauna, emphasising the importance of trophic plasticity in an environmentally variable and heterogeneous shelf environment.     

微焦X射线扫描成像技术在岩石物性特征研究的现状

微焦X射线扫描成像技术是在微米—纳米级尺度上对储层岩石物性特征的重构及透视表征,是目前国际范围内较为先进的储层定性定量研究技术。在系统文献资料研究基础上,对微焦X射线扫描成像技术的原理及研究主要内容进行归纳总结,指出该技术是为研究岩石基质及赋存于不同岩石孔隙空间之中的流体而开发建立的不断成熟起来的油气储层定性定量研究技术。可以实现岩石整体、岩石骨架和孔隙三维重构,能够以透视岩心成像的方式直观清晰地观察分析岩石内部三维孔隙空间的分布、大小及其连通性。通过阈值分割,可对孔隙三维组构、孔隙网络中流体流动、天然气水合物生成与分解等特征进行建模分析,达到四维研究的水平。分析探讨了原理及前人研究实例,对其在油气和天然气水合物实际勘探开发运用中的现状及前景做出展望。