Multiple-Scale Pattern Recognition Applied to Faint Intergranular G-band Structures

Small-scale solar magnetic flux concentrations are studied in two-dimensional G-band images at very high spatial resolution and compared with Ca ii H enhancements. Among 970 small-sized G-band intergranular structures (IgS), 45% are co-spatial with isolated locations of Ca ii H excess and thus considered as magnetic (MIgS); they may be even twice as frequent as the known G-band bright points. The IgS are recognized in the G-band image by a new algorithm operating in four steps: (1) A set of equidistant detection levels yields a pattern of primary “cells”; (2) for each cell, the intrinsic intensity profile is normalized to its brightest pixel; (3) the cell sizes are shrunk by a unitary single-intensity clip; (4) features in contact at an appropriate reference level are merged by removal of the respective common dividing lines. Optionally, adjoining structures may be excluded from this merging process (e.g., chains of segmented IgS), referring to the parameterized number and intensity of those pixels where enveloping feature contours overlap. From the thus recognized IgS pattern, MIgS are then selected by their local Ca ii H contrast and their mean G-band-to-continuum brightness ratio.     

Euler-Euler two-phase flow simulation of tunnel erosion beneath marine pipelines

In this study an Euler-Euler two-phase model was developed to investigate the tunnel erosion beneath a submarine pipeline exposed to unidirectional flow. Both of the fluid and sediment phases were described via the Navier-Stokes equations, i.e. the model was implemented using time-averaged continuity and momentum equations for the fluid and sediment phases and a modified k−ε turbulence closure for the fluid phase. The fluid and sediment phases were coupled by considering the drag and lift interaction forces. The model was employed to simulate the tunnel erosion around the pipeline laid on an erodible bed. Comparison between the numerical result and experimental measurement confirms that the numerical model successfully predicts the bed profile and velocity field during the tunnel erosion. It is evident that the sediments are transported as the sheet-flow mode in the tunnel erosion stage. Also the transport rate under the pipe increases rapidly at the early stage and then reduces gradually at the end of the tunnel erosion beneath pipelines.     

Influence of the volume loss of framework grains on the quantitative analysis of diagenetic modification of the original intergranular porosity

The evaluation of the original intergranular porosity loss due to compaction (COPL) and cementation (CEPL) is an important tool for understanding the contribution of diagenetic processes to porosity reduction and permeability retention of sandstones and carbonate grainstones. The previous approach for computing CEPL and COPL assumed that the volume of framework grains remained constant during diagenesis. However, such assumption will introduce error in COPL and CEPL if diagenetic processes reduced the volume of framework grains. New equations are presented that account for such situations. Comparably, the previous approach underestimates COPL and the compaction index, but over-estimates CEPL in the case of volume loss of framework grains by dissolution or intergranular pressure solution (DIPL). The deviation of CEPL and COPL caused by DIPL rises with the increase in the intergranular volume and DIPL. Analysis of three published case studies suggests that DIPL values of just a few percentages will significantly impact COPL and CEPL values. The effects of DIPL can be greater than the effects of uncertainty in original porosity estimates and uncertainty in point count data.     

Olivine intergranular plasticity at mantle pressures and temperatures

The ductile behavior of olivine-rich rocks is critical to constrain thermal convection in the Earth's upper mantle. Classical olivine flow laws for dislocation or diffusion creep fail to explain the fast post-seismic surface displacements observed by GPS, which requires a much weaker lithosphere than predicted by classical laws. Here we compare the plasticity of olivine aggregates deformed experimentally at mantle pressures and temperatures to that of single crystals and demonstrate that, depending on conditions of stress and temperature, strain accommodated through grain-to-grain interactions – here called intergranular strain – can be orders of magnitude larger than intracrystalline strain, which significantly weakens olivine strength. This result, extrapolated along mantle geotherms, suggests that intergranular plasticity could be dominant in most of the upper mantle. Consequently, the strength of olivine-rich aggregates in the upper mantle may be significantly lower than predicted by flow laws based on intracrystalline plasticity models.     

Adaptive integration of constitutive rate equations

In finite element calculations the constitutive model plays a key role. The evaluation of the stress response of the constitutive relation for a given strain increment, which is a time integration in the case of models of the rate type, is a typical sub task in such calculations. Adaptive behaviour of the time integration is essential to assure numerical stability and to control the accuracy of the solution. An adaptive second order semi-implicit method is developed in this paper. Its numerical behaviour is compared with an adaptive second order explicit scheme. The two proposed methods control the local error and guarantee numerical stability of the time integration. We include several numerical geotechnical element tests using hypoplasticity with intergranular strain. The element tests simulate the behaviour of a finite element method based on the displacement formulation.     

Some aspects of the role of intergranular fluids in the compositional evolution of metamorphic rocks

Minerals that react with each other during the progressive evolution of metamorphic terranes are not always in physical contact. As such, an “intergranular fluid” could play a major role in element transfer and chemical evolution. However, the nature of this fluid and its specific role remains somewhat elusive. Recent experiments in our laboratory shed some light on the behavior of such a fluid. Here we present a simple mathematical model which accounts for diffusion within crystals and fluid, solubility in the fluid and mass balance between the various reservoirs. The model elucidates the nature of element exchange between two minerals via the mediation of an intergranular fluid. It is shown that a coupling of thermodynamics and kinetics controls the evolution of the system and the concentration of an element in the intergranular fluid is a key parameter of interest. The results have important implications for standard tools of metamorphic petrology such as geothermometers and barometers, geospeedometry and the closure of isotopic systems. For example, homogeneity of mineral grains may be a poor criterion for equilibrium and the rim compositions of minerals showing diffusion zoning may be out of equilibrium with distant exchange partners, even in the presence of a fluid in which transport is fast.     

Geochemische und 13C/12C-isotopenchemische Untersuchung zur Herkunft der Kohlensäure in mineralhaltigen Wässern Nordhessens (Deutschland)

Geochemical and ¹³C/¹²C-isotopical Investigation of Mineral Waters in Northern Hessia (Germany) and the Origin of their CO₂ Content The dissolved carbonate originates from three sources: 1. biogenetic soil-CO₂, 2. volcanic CO₂ related to the evaporites of the Zechstein formation, and 3. carbonate derived from the dissolution of limestones and dolomites. Miocenic basaltic melts penetrated the evaporites of the Zechstein, and the related CO₂ was trapped in the intra- and intergranulars of the salt minerals. Circulating meteoric waters dissolve the salt minerals releasing CO₂ gas. Thus, the occurrence of basalt is related to the CO₂ contents of the evaporites, and the dissolution of only small amounts of salts rich in CO₂ may result in a high concentration of carbonic acid. In waters rich in carbonate, where volcanic CO₂ dominates over the other two sources of carbon, a δ¹³C-value of “salt-CO₂” of about –1‰ (PDB) is obtained. Water with less dissolved carbonate species have smaller quantities of salt-CO₂ down to about 20%.     

Heterogeneity of intergranular,intraparticle and organic pores in Longmaxi shale in Sichuan Basin,South China: Evidence from SEM digital images and fractal and multifractal geometries

Previous studies have determined many types of pores in shale, such as organic pores, inorganic pores and microfractures. In this study, pores are classified as intergranular, intraparticle, and organic pores based on the location of their occurrence. The heterogeneities of the three pore types and their effects on the occurrence of shale gas, which is of utmost practical importance for shale gas exploration and development, are discussed. In this study, the three types of pores are quantitatively characterized using fractal and multifractal methods. The mean fractal dimension and mean width of the multifractal spectrum of these pores are found to be different, i.e., 1.5985 and 1.665 for intraparticle pores, 1.5869 and 1.475 for intergranular pores, and 1.6 and 1.3725 for organic pores. Intraparticle pores have the highest heterogeneity, intergranular pores have intermediate heterogeneity, and organic pores have the lowest heterogeneity. SEM images show that organic pores have good connectivity, homogeneous distribution, and small range of aperture change but have the lowest heterogeneity even where pores are abundant; thus, they provide the largest shale gas occurrence space. In contrast, intergranular pores are less abundant, have lower connectivity, and have higher heterogeneity than organic pores, thereby providing a relatively smaller shale gas occurrence space. Finally, intraparticle pores are the least abundant and possess the poorest connectivity, largest range of aperture change, and highest heterogeneity of the three pore types, thereby providing the smallest shale gas occurrence space. We conclude that organic pores are crucial to the occurrence of shale gas and can provide a new index for the evaluation of shale gas exploration and development.