Geomechanical modeling of hydrate‐bearing sediments during dissociation under shear

Methane hydrate‐bearing sediments exist throughout the world in continental margins and in Arctic permafrost. Hydrates are ice‐like compounds when dissociate due to temperature rise or reduction in fluid pressure, release gas. Because of the mechanical property changes caused by dissociation in which the loads supported by the hydrates are transferred to soil grains, these sediments may become unstable. To quantify the risk of ground instability triggered by dissociation, which may happen during operation to extract methane gas or from climate changes, a reliable predictive model is indispensable. Even though many models have been proposed, a detailed validation of the ability to model dissociation impact is still needed. This study investigated the adequacy of an spatially mobilized plane constitutive model and a modeling framework using laboratory‐induced dissociation tests under shear from literature. Using laboratory‐imposed temperature and pressure changes and the resulting hydrate saturation changes as input, this study was able to capture the geomechanical responses and determine the stability state of methane hydrate‐bearing sediments as observed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Postglacial chironomid assemblage succession in northernmost Ungava Peninsula,Canada

Sediment cores spanning the postglacial period were recovered from two coastal freshwater basins located 300 km apart in northernmost Ungava (Nunavik, Canada). A basal date from the sequence recovered near Wakeham Bay suggests that the region was ice‐free by as early as 9600 cal. a BP. The initial development of both investigated lacustrine ecosystems was characterised by chironomid assemblages strongly dominated by the Subtribe Tanytarsina. These early postglacial assemblages showed greatly reduced diversity but much greater abundance than during subsequent periods of lake evolution. An abrupt and distinct turnover in sedimentary chironomid assemblage composition and productivity, marked by a switch to a dominance of Orthocladiinae, occurred around 6 ka BP. This turnover likely corresponds with a significant disturbance in the regional environment, which could be linked to the final disappearance of the last remnants of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. These findings, based on the first palaeolimnological investigations undertaken in northernmost Ungava, provide new insights into lateglacial and postglacial faunal recolonisation patterns in aquatic ecosystems of the eastern Canadian Arctic. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetic characterisation and correlation of a Younger Dryas tephra in North Atlantic marine sediments

A technique for identifying non‐visible basaltic tephra‐rich horizons of Younger Dryas (YD)/Greenland Stadial (GS) 1 age in northeast Atlantic sediments using rapid, non‐destructive magnetic measurements is presented. Three high‐resolution marine sediment cores have been studied in an E–W transect across the Hebridean margin: St Kilda Basin (MD95‐2007), Barra Fan (MD95‐2006) and Rockall Trough (MD04‐2822). Magnetic susceptibilities and remanent magnetisations were measured at contiguous 1 cm resolution on bulk sediments. In all three cores, an interval with higher proportions of hard magnetic minerals coincides with a clearly defined peak in basaltic tephra shard (>250 µm) counts, which can be constrained to the early part of the YD/GS1 based on faunal climate proxies. Electron microprobe analyses of the magnetically distinct basaltic tephra interval, in all three cores, displays the same major element geochemistry as published for the Vedde basaltic (I Tab. 1), i.e. sourced from the Icelandic volcano Katla. The identification of transitional alkalic basaltic tephras within marine sediments could potentially be facilitated by magnetic analysis as a useful chronostratigraphic screening tool. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

First evidence for episodic flooding events in the arid interior of central Saudi Arabia over the last 60 ka

Although evidence for Quaternary environmental changes in the Arabian Peninsula is now growing, research has mostly been conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and in the Sultanate of Oman. There have been virtually no recent studies in Saudi Arabia, especially in the central region such as around Al‐Quwaiayh. In this area there are a series of outwash plains developed along the eastern edge of the Arabian Shield that formed in the late Quaternary. Four sedimentary sections, which are representative of the deposits that have accumulated, have been studied and five luminescence ages obtained. These are the first luminescence ages acquired from Quaternary sediments in central Saudi Arabia. The preserved fluvial deposits in the study area have formed during humid events at ca. 54 ka, ca. 39 ka and ca. 0.8 ka. In more recent times aeolian sands have been encroaching on to the distal parts of the outwash plains. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical prediction on the scour burial of cylinder object freely resting on the sandy seabed in the East China Sea using the DRAMBUIE model1

After experiencing 8-day combined tidal current, circulation and wave actions, scour depth surrounding cylinder object freely resting on sandy seabed in the East China Sea (ECS) in January is numerical...     

Distribution of n-alkan-2-ones in Qionghai Lake sediments,southwest China,and its potential for late Quaternary paleoclimate reconstruction

Studies on long-chain n-alkan-2-ones from lake sediments remain sparse. In this study, we present an n-alkan-2-one record from Qionghai Lake, southwest China, to assess the paleoclimate significance of variations in their compositions. A homologous series of n-alkan-2-ones ranging from C₂₁ to C₃₅ were identified, with maximum concentrations of the C₂₉ or C₃₁ chain lengths and a strong odd-over-even predominance. This type of n-alkan-2-one is considered to derive mainly from microbial oxidation of the corresponding n-alkanes, and partial inputs from plants. The n-alkan-2-one-derived average chain length (ACL) and carbon preference index (CPI) values changed significantly over the past 28k cal a bp , consistent with the sediment grain size and n-alkane proxies from the same core. Generally, the high CPI_27-33-ket and low ACL_27-33-ket values indicated cold and dry climates such as for the Last Glacial Maximum (23.2–19.7k cal a bp ), Heinrich 1 event (17.6–15.6k cal a bp ) and Younger Dryas (12.8–11.6k cal a bp ), but low CPI_27-33-ket and high ACL_27-33-ket values denoted a warm and humid Holocene Climatic Optimum (7.0–4.3k cal a bp ). Therefore, n-alkan-2-ones have great paleoclimatic potential and can be applied together with other biomarkers to reconstruct a reliable paleoclimate record in lake sediments.     

The Campo Felice late Pleistocene Glaciation (Apennines,central Italy)

Study of the glacial deposits and lacustrine sediments of Campo Felice (Apennines, central Italy) has enabled the glacial phases of the last 40 ka to be dated more precisely, and has demonstrated that the maximum glacial advance did not occur in correspondence with the last global glacial maximum and with the coldest and most arid phase suggested by the pollen, but in a period dated between about 33 and 27 ka, characterized by a less extreme climate. Furthermore, a glacial expansion took place also in the period prior to 35 ka. Correlation with the Alpine glacial variations has shown that the Apennine last glacial maximum occurred before that of the southern slope of the Alps. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advective flow in sediments under the influence of compaction

Abstract

Models on flow and transport in surface water sediments currently neglect compaction, although it is well understood that compaction is one of the major processes below the free fluid-sediment interface. Porosity changes in the sediment layers, as a result of compaction, are measured in almost all probes: porosity decreases with the distance from the surface water-sediment interface. This paper provides a rigorous derivation of basic flux terms for a frame of reference that is moving with the fluid-sediment interface. It is shown how burial rate, interface velocity, velocities of fluid and solid phase and porosity are connected—under steady-state conditions. It turns out that porosity and the velocities in a one-dimensional column can be directly computed from each other. These findings are important not only for the understanding of compaction-driven flow itself; they are crucial for all studies on storage and transport of chemical components in sediments. As mass fluxes across the sediment-water interface may be affected, there is an indirect link on surface water quality, making these findings relevant also for research on eutrophication of surface water bodies and/or on biogeochemical cycles.     

海底沉积物孔隙压力原位长期观测技术回顾和展望

海底沉积物孔隙压力对海底地质灾害过程反应敏感,是表征海床稳定性的一个重要指标,通过海底沉积物的孔隙压力观测可以判断海床的稳定状态,对于海底地质灾害预测预警具有重要意义。海底沉积物孔隙压力观测存在(1)超高背景压力下的高精度测量;(2)贯入过程传感器超量程破坏;(3)系统长期供电及传感器漂移;(4)深海海底布放和回收等技术难点。国际上海底孔隙压力观测技术从20世纪60年代开始发展,逐渐形成了系列核心监测技术和成熟的商业化设备产品。挪威岩土工程研究所NGI与美国伊利诺伊大学共同研发的NGI-Illinois压差式孔隙压力观测系统,是已知最早的海底沉积物孔隙压力观测设备。此后,美国地质调查局USGS、美国桑迪亚国家实验室、英国牛津大学等相继研发了不同结构的观测设备,覆盖浅海到深海。其中,英国海洋科学研究所研发成功的深海孔隙压力原位长期观测设备PUPPI是一个重要的历史节点,该设备能够在6 000 m水深的环境中连续运行一年,成为当时最成功的海底孔隙压力观测设备,其现代化的设备结构和设计理念被后续的观测设备广为借鉴。21世纪以来,得益于海洋科学技术的整体进步,国际孔隙压力观测技术发展呈现加速趋势。法国海洋开发研究院IFREMER研发的Piezometer系列孔隙压力观测探杆,代表了当今世界的先进水平,可能是目前应用次数最多的海底孔隙压力观测设备。我国在深海探测、观测技术领域起步较晚,在深海沉积物孔隙压力原位长期观测技术方面几乎空白,发展很不成熟。其中,中国海洋大学、自然资源部第一海洋研究所等单位进行了较多的探索性研发工作。近年来,以港珠澳大桥建设、南海天然气水合物试采等为标志的大批国家级海洋建设项目如火如荼,深海油气矿产资源开发、深海天然气水合物开采利用等海洋新兴产业快速起步,深海孔隙压力原位长期监测关键核心技术等“卡脖子”问题仍然突出,严重制约了我国海洋工程产业发展的步伐。因此,迫切需要发展具有自主知识产权和关键核心技术的国产深海沉积物孔隙压力原位长期监测技术。本文回顾了国际、国内海底孔隙压力观测技术的相关研究进展,旨在分析总结孔隙压力观测技术及其应用中涉及的一些核心技术和亟待解决的关键问题,以期为我国该项技术的发展和应用提供借鉴。     

基于煤层气井生产数据的储层含气量校正新方法

勘探实践发现沁水盆地潘庄、潘河区块及鄂尔多斯盆地保德区块煤层气井累计产量远远大于原始计算的地质探明储量。该现象对体积法计算的煤层气资源储量提出了挑战,同时为全面“上储增效”提出了新的方向。在采用体积法计算煤层气储量时,含气面积、含气量的准确性以及煤岩密度与煤层厚度的非均质特征都会对储量参数的准确性产生影响。其中,由于取心测试过程的局限性,煤层含气量的数值常存在一定的误差。本次研究基于鄂尔多斯盆地和沁水盆地的煤层气井生产数据并结合等温吸附实验结果提出了计算储层临界最低含气量的方法(临界最低法)。将校正后的临界最低含气量与实测含气量(基于美国矿业局直接法(USBM)和史密斯-威廉姆斯法)进行对比,并剖析含气量测试损失量的地质控制机理。结果表明:在中低至中高煤阶(R_o=0.7%~2.1%)范围,临界最低法计算的含气量总体高于其它两种方法计算的含气量,临界最低法在中低煤阶至中高煤阶具有较强的适应性。在高煤阶(R_o=2.1%~2.8%)范围,临界最低法计算结果可以与取心测试结果相互验证。总体上,煤层含气量测试(USBM法)损失量受不同煤阶煤岩孔裂隙发育特征、煤体结构、含气饱和度及逸散时间的影响。含气量测试损失量与孔渗发育特征、构造煤发育程度、含气饱和度及逸散时间呈正相关。此外,针对未取心的煤层气井,可以采用钻井岩屑测试等温吸附参数进而利用临界最低法求取储层含气量,为煤层气进一步的勘探开发提供数据基础。