Hyperslow drainage in a porous medium: Influence of retention curve

We investigate the process of very slow drainage from pore network simulations in relation with the study of the repository of radioactive waste materials in deep geological formation. The process is characterized by a quite low desaturation of the medium. Considering the special case of a constant stabilizing gradient, we study the sensitivity of the solution given by the classical continuum two-phase flow model to the shape of the retention curve. The solution is found to be very sensitive to the evolution of the retention curve in the range of the high wetting fluid saturations. We show how to construct the retention curve so as to minimize the prediction error with the classical two-phase flow model.     

Chemical denudation on a magnesian limestone hillslope,field evidence and implications for modelling

The pattern of relative denudation at the soil-bedrock interface over a wooded Magnesian Limestone hillslope was investigated using micro-weight loss bedrock tablets. The resulting pattern of weight loss after emplacement for one year indicated a consistent upslope increase in solutional denudation. Results from tablets emplaced for two years confirmed this. Dye tracing and gypsum sphere weight loss results showed that water movement over the slope was by vertical percolation and not by throughflow. The pattern of solutional denudation was related to changes in soil type and associated changes in soil pH. Continued slope development by solutional denudation will ultimately lead to slope decline. Comparison with a similar study suggests that a general soil chemistry based model of hillslope solutional denudation can be proposed.     

Is the connectivity function a good indicator of soil infiltrability distribution and runoff flow dimension?

Among the studies on runoff connectivity of soils with heterogeneous properties, the need to understand the relationships between soil heterogeneity and the associated runoff organization and amount is frequently mentioned. In this study, we simulate the stationary runoff–runon process on bi‐dimensional (2D) flat slopes for five infiltrability distributions, one of them correlated, as a function of rainfall intensity and flow dimension. We define flow dimension by 1 + ε, where ε is the outflow fraction transferred from one pixel to each of the two lateral downslope pixels. Our aim is to assess the effect of ε and soil heterogeneity on the connectivity function compared to the mean runoff flow rate, the wet area and the number of runoff patterns. The analysis of connectivity is carried within the percolation framework. The results show that the integral connectivity scale is more sensitive to the flow dimension and soil heterogeneity compared to the other variables. The wet area fraction does not depend on ε. Unlike previous studies, we find that increased runoff production is not necessarily related to increased connectivity. The use of the connectivity function within the percolation framework appears to be a valuable method for assessing the impact of soil heterogeneity and flow dimension on the runoff organization during a rainfall event. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

安塞油田坪桥难采区油藏特征及开发对策

难动用储量多处于各油藏边部,物性变差、丰度低。坪桥难采区长6储层与已开发的坪桥老区相比,碎屑颗粒细,填隙物含量高,物性差,排驱压力、中值压力大,面孔率小(尤其是残余粒间孔少),属于典型的特低渗储层。具有明显的非达西渗流特征,较大的启动压力梯度。同时,黏土矿物的水化分散和微粒运移造成储层的水敏和速敏损害等特点。为减少储层伤害、增加储层渗流能力、建立有效的压力驱替系统,运用油藏精细描述技术、井网优化技术、超前注水技术、优化压裂改造方案、黏土稳定剂等技术措施,实施效果显著。     

内蒙古柯单山蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩铂族元素(PGEs)的分布特征及分异机制探讨

采用Carius管结合MC-ICPMS法分析了内蒙古柯单山蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩中Ir、Ru、 Pt 和Pd 的含量,与典型的地幔橄榄岩进行对比研究,发现柯单山地幔橄榄岩中Ir和Ru明显亏损,Pt和Pd强烈富集,具有极高的Pd/Ir值,PGEs地幔标准化配分模式具有较陡的正斜率,明显不同于通常观测到的代表部分熔融残留相中铂族元素配分模式(负斜率或平坦型)。柯单山地幔橄榄岩的Ir和Ru与MgO呈正相关关系,表明Ir和Ru的亏损可能与部分熔融过程中硫化物的消耗程度有关,而与PGEs在硫化物/硅酸盐间的能斯特分配系数没有直接关系; Pt、Pd的富集表明本区的地幔橄榄岩不仅仅是经历过部分熔融的残余,而与来自深海的橄榄岩和大陆岩石圈地幔(SCLM)中的方辉橄榄岩相似,因此推测,本区地幔橄榄岩在部分熔融后又经历了富Pd的熔/流体交代,而熔/流体的来源可能是在岩浆分异演化过程中"熔离"出来的硫化物。     

煤岩体采动裂隙网络的逾渗与分形特征关系研究

以平煤八矿己15-22060工作面为背景,引入逾渗和分形理论,分析了煤岩体裂隙网络的演化特征,得到了逾渗概率和分形维数随工作面推进度的变化规律及二者的变化关系。结果表明：逾渗概率的大小受横向离层裂隙和竖向破断裂隙的发育、贯通等因素影响,随工作面推进分阶段线性增大,且增幅有增大的趋势;随工作面推进煤岩体的裂隙网络逐步向工作面前方煤体和上覆岩层扩展,分形维数大小受裂隙的长度、宽度、数量、分布等因素控制,升维过程大致可分为3个阶段;煤岩体裂隙网络的逾渗概率与分形维数的关系可分段拟合为1个幂函数和2个线性函数,且具有很好的相关性,数学模型的建立可为研究煤岩体裂隙网络的等效渗透率奠定一定的基础。     

安塞油田王窑区水淹层储层微观特征

安塞油田王窑区经过20多年的注水开发,储层有不同程度水淹,长期的水驱冲刷引起储层微观特征改变。针对不同水淹区域部署检查井进行储层微观特征变化及机理研究,对检查井密闭取心资料的分析研究表明:强水淹层段储层的粒度粗,面孔率高,孔喉结构较均匀。在强水淹层段有新生矿物方解石的生成,与原生矿物有明显区别。与注水开发前原始储层相比,储层粘土矿物的迁移及新生矿物的产生,导致注水开发后储层的物性变差。注水开发中后期储层吼道中值压力增加,退汞效率降低,相渗曲线变差,水驱油效率降低。     

On the reconstruction of structural and functional properties in random heterogeneous media

Flow and transport in porous media is determined by its structure. Beside spatial correlation, especially the connectivity of heterogeneous conductivities is acknowledged to be a key factor. This has been demonstrated for well defined random fields having different topological properties. Yet, it remains an open question which morphological measures carry sufficient information to actually predict flow and transport in porous media. We analyze flow and transport in classical, two-dimensional random fields showing different topology and we determine a selection of structural characteristics including classical two-point statistics, chord-length distribution and Minkowski functions (four-point statistics) including the Euler number as a topological measure. Using the approach of simulated annealing for global optimization we generate analog random fields that are forced to reproduce one or several of theses structural characteristics. Finally we evaluate in how far the generated analogons reproduce the original flow and transport behavior as well as some more elaborate structural characteristics including percolation probabilities and the pair connectivity function. The results confirm that two-point statistics is insufficient to capture functional properties since it is not sensitive to connectivity. In contrast, the combination of Minkowski functions and chord length distributions carries sufficient information to reproduce the breakthrough curve of a conservative solute. Hence, global topology provided by the Euler number together with local clustering provided by the chord length distribution seems to be a powerful condensation of structural complexity with respect to functional properties.     

Water fluxes at a fluctuating water table and groundwater contributions to wheat water use in the lower Yellow River flood plain,China

Capillary upflow from and deep percolation to a water table may be important in crop water supply in irrigated areas of the lower Yellow River flood plain, north China. These fluxes at the water table and the variations of the capillary upflow in relation to crop evapotranspiration need to be investigated to quantify the effect of a water table on soil water balance and to improve agricultural water management. A large weighing lysimeter was used to determine daily crop evapotranspiration, daily capillary upflow from and daily percolation to a fluctuating water table during a rotation period with wheat growing in a dry season and maize in a rainy season. The water table depth varied in the range 0·7–2·3 m during the maize growth period and 1·6–2·4 m during the wheat growth period. Experimental results showed that the capillary upflow and the percolation were significant components of the soil water balance. Three distinctly different phases for the water fluxes at the water table were observed through the rotation period: water downward period, the period of no or small water fluxes, and water upward period. It implied that the temporal pattern of these water fluxes at the water table was intimately associated with the temporal distribution of rainfall through the rotation period. An empirical equation was determined to estimate the capillary upflow in relation to wheat evapotranspiration and root zone soil water content for local irrigation scheduling. Coupled with the FAO‐Penman–Monteith equation, the equation offers a fast and low cost solution to assess the effect of capillary upflow from a water table on wheat water use. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of watershed subdivision on simulation of water balance components

The present effect of watershed subdivision on simulated water balance components using the thoroughly tested Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has been evaluated for the Nagwan watershed in eastern India. Observed meteorological and hydrological data (daily rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and runoff) for the years 1995 to 1998 were collected and used. The watershed and sub‐watershed boundaries, slope and soil texture maps were generated using a geographical information system. A supervised classification method was used for land‐use/cover classification from satellite imagery of 1996. In order to study the effect of watershed subdivision, the watershed was spatially defined into three decomposition schemes, namely a single watershed, and 12 and 22 sub‐watersheds. The simulation using the SWAT model was done for a period of 4 years (1995 to 1998). Results of the study showed a perfect water balance for the Nagwan watershed under all of the decomposition schemes. Results also revealed that the number and size of sub‐watersheds do not appreciably affect surface runoff. Except for runoff, there was a marked variation in the individual components of the water balance under the three decomposition schemes. Though the runoff component of the water balance showed negligible variation among the three cases, variations were noticed in the other components: evapotranspiration (5 to 48%), percolation (2 to 26%) and soil water content (0·30 to 22%). Thus, based on this study, it is concluded that watershed subdivision has a significant effect on the water balance components. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.