Observations and modelling of the travel time delay and leading negative phase of the 16 September 2015 Illapel,Chile tsunami

The systematic discrepancies in both tsunami arrival time and leading negative phase (LNP) were identified for the recent transoceanic tsunami on 16 September 2015 in Illapel, Chile by examining the wave characteristics from the tsunami records at 21 Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (DART) sites and 29 coastal tide gauge stations. The results revealed systematic travel time delay of as much as 22 min (approximately 1.7％ of the total travel time) relative to the simulated long waves from the 2015 Chilean tsunami. The delay discrepancy was found to increase with travel time. It was difficult to identify the LNP from the near-shore observation system due to the strong background noise, but the initial negative phase feature became more obvious as the tsunami propagated away from the source area in the deep ocean. We determined that the LNP for the Chilean tsunami had an average duration of 33 min, which was close to the dominant period of the tsunami source. Most of the amplitude ratios to the first elevation phase were approximately 40％, with the largest equivalent to the first positive phase amplitude. We performed numerical analyses by applying the corrected long wave model, which accounted for the effects of seawater density stratification due to compressibility, self-attraction and loading (SAL) of the earth, and wave dispersion compared with observed tsunami waveforms. We attempted to accurately calculate the arrival time and LNP, and to understand how much of a role the physical mechanism played in the discrepancies for the moderate transoceanic tsunami event. The mainly focus of the study is to quantitatively evaluate the contribution of each secondary physical effect to the systematic discrepancies using the corrected shallow water model. Taking all of these effects into consideration, our results demonstrated good agreement between the observed and simulated waveforms. We can conclude that the corrected shallow water model can reduce the tsunami propagation speed and reproduce the LNP, which is observed for tsunamis that have propagated over long distances frequently. The travel time delay between the observed and corrected simulated waveforms is reduced to <8 min and the amplitude discrepancy between them was also markedly diminished. The incorporated effects amounted to approximately 78％ of the travel time delay correction, with seawater density stratification, SAL, and Boussinesq dispersion contributing approximately 39％, 21％, and 18％, respectively. The simulated results showed that the elastic loading and Boussinesq dispersion not only affected travel time but also changed the simulated waveforms for this event. In contrast, the seawater stratification only reduced the tsunami speed, whereas the earth's elasticity loading was responsible for LNP due to the depression of the seafloor surrounding additional tsunami loading at far-field stations. This study revealed that the traditional shallow water model has inherent defects in estimating tsunami arrival, and the leading negative phase of a tsunami is a typical recognizable feature of a moderately strong transoceanic tsunami. These results also support previous theory and can help to explain the observed discrepancies.     

Large-scale laboratory measurements of solitary wave inundation on a 1:20 slope

The run-up flow and related pressure of solitary waves breaking on a 1:20 plane beach were investigated experimentally in a super tank (300 m × 5 m × 5.2 m). Swash flow measurements of flow velocities are compared with an existing analytical solution. By incorporating an analytical solution, the hydrodynamic pressure for a quasi-steady flow state is determined and compared with laboratory data. Concerning the evident extra pressure exerted by the impact of swash flow, an empirical drag coefficient for a circular plate is also suggested in the present study.     

Stochastic evaluation of fluvial to marginal marine sealing facies

Hydrocarbon top seal analyses are particularly difficult in fluvial and marginal marine settings. Although these settings often contain beds comprised of a low-permeability, clay-rich lithology associated with high quality seals, their presence does not guarantee an effective seal because individual beds within the stratal unit may be laterally discontinuous. Lateral facies changes, truncation of fine-grained beds, or the presence of crevasse splays may provide cross-stratal migration pathways, reducing the effective sealing capacity to a magnitude less than the closure height.     

地层测试评价仪在渤海油田的应用

电缆地层测试是求取储层流体性质、进行储层评价最为直接的方法之一。地层测试评价仪（FET）是国产新一代地层测试评价仪器,不仅可以精确测量地层压力并根据压力剖面确定地层流体类型和油气水界面,而且在目的层取样时可以抽排污染流体、实时检测地层流体特性,对确定地层流体性质和分析流体成分起到了重要作用,同时它也可以计算地层渗透率,进行储层产能预测。通过在渤海油田的成功应用,简单介绍FET的基本工作原理和主要用途,重点论述其优越性和局限性,以及在渤海油田成功应用的典型实例,这对FET在其它油田的推广应用具有参考意义。     

复杂结构形式的海堤波浪力及波浪形态数值模拟

依据雷诺方程和k-ε紊流模型,按流体体积(VOF)法追踪波浪自由表面,采用源造波法,建立数值波浪水槽,数值模拟波浪对复杂结构形式海堤的作用.数值模拟结果与经验公式、物理模型试验结果基本符合,说明所建立的数值波浪水槽合理可行.揭示了不规则波作用下复杂结构形式海堤波浪力分布规律,模拟了堤前波浪形态变化,为探讨合理的海堤结构形式提供了依据.     

Environmental limitations on recruitment from seed in invasive Spartina densiflora on a southern European salt marsh

The South American cordgrass, Spartina densiflora, has invaded a range of different habitats that can support different native species assemblages on salt marshes in the Gulf of Cadiz, Spain. Little is known about the mechanisms of invasion. We examined the potential for seed germination and recruitment in a field transplant experiment, representing a wide range of environments, on elevational gradients across marshes with muddy and sandy sediments. The biotic resistance of native, perennial vegetation (where present) to recruitment of the alien was also investigated. Spartina densiflora seeds were able to germinate over a greater than 2-m range of elevation in the tidal frame. Germination success on unvegetated muddy sediments was related to sediment redox potential, with poor germination at strongly negative redox potentials on the lower sites. On sandy, well-drained sediments, germination was apparently constrained by water availability at the highest elevations. Comparison of vegetated and cleared plots on the upper marsh showed that there was a negative relationship between the presence of Atriplex portulacoides and germination on the muddy sediments. Recruitment (survival of seedlings for 12 weeks) was seen only on unvegetated muddy sediments at the highest elevation. Hence the invasive success and wide elevational tolerance of S. densiflora on the marshes of the Gulf of Cadiz are not reflected in its short-term ability to become established from its prolific seed production. Colonization of sub-optimal habitats may be largely by vegetative propagules and clonal growth.     

A modified numerical calculation method of collapse pressure for thick-walled offshore pipelines

Considering the shear deformation and thickness stretching of large deformation, a modified numerical calculation method based on the thick shell theory is established to determine the collapse pressure of thick-walled pipes. Verification experiments are conducted on ten pipe specimens in hyperbaric chambers. The good agreement between experimental results and numerical predictions shows the validity and reliability of the new numerical calculation method. Combining DNV specification, the characteristic collapse pressure is also calculated for comparison. The difference between experimental results and DNV calculations illustrates the latter one is much conservative in predicting collapse pressure for thick-walled pipes. Sensitivity analysis on manufacturing imperfections and material properties is investigated for pipes with different D/t ratios. Thick-walled pipes are easier to be affected by initial ovality, residual stress and hardening factor. Based on the stress distribution at the moment of collapse, a novel discovery is found that the collapse pressure of thick-walled pipes is dominated by material plastic behavior.     

Effects of installation on the cyclic axial behaviour of suction buckets in sandy soils

Suction buckets differ with their easy and cost-efficient installation technique from other foundation types for offshore wind turbines. For successful completion of their installation process, suction is essential, but the imposed seepage leads to the changes in states of the soil in and around the bucket. Especially, a loosening of soil inside the bucket affects the load carrying behaviour of bucket subjected to repetitive loading resulting from environmental conditions. In this study, the behaviour of buckets under cyclic axial compressive loads with considering a possible loosening and related changes in permeability of soil inside the bucket is investigated numerically. In the framework of finite element analysis, a fully coupled two-phase model and a hypoplastic constitutive model are used to describe the saturated sandy soil behaviour under repetitive loading. The porosity-permeability variation is taken into account by Kozeny–Carman relationship. Special attention is dedicated to load carrying behaviour of bucket top plate, inner and outer skirt as well as base and their changes resulting from a loosening of soil inside the bucket with variable aspect ratio. For this purpose, cyclic axial compressive loads which cause an attenuation and progressive failure of soil-bucket system response are considered. The main findings on the changes in load carrying behaviour of bucket are presented and discussed.     

Pressure significance of gas chimneys

Analysis was carried out of part of the northern North Sea to test what the presence and style of gas chimneys indicate about fluid pressure (P_f) within hydrocarbon reservoirs. Previous results suggest that broad chimneys above a trap and thin chimneys on the flanks indicate the presence of hydrocarbons, whilst thin chimneys in the crest suggest the hydrocarbons have escaped. Each type of gas chimney is usually associated with overpressure within Mesozoic reservoirs, but the water leg is hydrostatically-pressured in most Cenozoic reservoirs. This indicates: (a) gas leaking from a trap does not necessarily cause P_f to become hydrostatic; (b) overpressure may not be necessary for the expulsion of gasses through seal units to create the chimneys; (c) although gas chimneys indicate the existence of an active hydrocarbon system, their presence does not appear to indicate anything significant about present-day P_f.     

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.