Showing papers on "Pore water pressure published in 2015"

Sediment Pore Waters

Abstract: Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in marine sediment pore waters plays an important role in sediment carbon and nitrogen remineralization and may also be involved in sediment carbon preservation. In this chapter we examine this topic, focusing on: the composition and reactivity of pore water DOM, with particular reference to its role in sediment organic matter remineralization; the factors that control pore water DOM concentrations over various time and space scales; the role of benthic DOM fluxes in the oceanic cycles of carbon and nitrogen; and role of pore water DOM in sediment carbon preservation. Approaches to modeling pore water DOM are also described.

Micro/Nano-pore Network Analysis of Gas Flow in Shale Matrix

Abstract: The gas flow in shale matrix is of great research interests for optimized shale gas extraction. The gas flow in the nano-scale pore may fall in flow regimes such as viscous flow, slip flow and Knudsen diffusion. A 3-dimensional nano-scale pore network model was developed to simulate dynamic gas flow, and to describe the transient properties of flow regimes. The proposed pore network model accounts for the various size distributions and low connectivity of shale pores. The pore size, pore throat size and coordination number obey normal distribution, and the average values can be obtained from shale reservoir data. The gas flow regimes were simulated using an extracted pore network backbone. The numerical results show that apparent permeability is strongly dependent on pore pressure in the reservoir and pore throat size, which is overestimated by low-pressure laboratory tests. With the decrease of reservoir pressure, viscous flow is weakening, then slip flow and Knudsen diffusion are gradually becoming dominant flow regimes. The fingering phenomenon can be predicted by micro/nano-pore network for gas flow, which provides an effective way to capture heterogeneity of shale gas reservoir.

Behavior of Geotextile-Encased Granular Columns Supporting Test Embankment on Soft Deposit

Abstract: A 5.35 m high test embankment was constructed on a soft foundation improved by geotextile-encased granular columns (GECs). The embankment construction was performed in four stages over 65 days, resulting in a total applied stress of around 150 kPa. The soft soil and the encased columns were instrumented to measure surface settlements, excess pore pressure, surface vertical stresses, and radial deformation of the geotextile encasement. Stress concentration and the difference in settlement between the top of the encased columns and the soft soil were studied. Results showed that the differential settlement increased as the embankment height increased and when the excess pore pressure was being dissipated. Due to soil arching, the vertical stress supported by the encased column was over two times greater than the stress transmitted to the soft soil. Also, vertical stress on the encased column increased as consolidation progressed, whereas it did not vary significantly on the soft soil.

Established methods and new opportunities for pore water stable isotope analysis

Abstract: The vadose zone plays a crucial role in the water cycle for storing water, providing water to vegetation and transporting solutes or degrading contaminants. Earth scientists have long acknowledged the importance of the vadose zone, and numerous methods have been developed to better understand and predict hydrological processes within this ‘critical zone’. For several decades, stable isotopes (18O and 2H) of pore water have been used as environmental tracers to gain insights into vadose zone water movement and other processes. To determine the pore water stable isotopic composition, various sampling procedures have been developed. We present the procedure and the accompanied advantages and drawbacks of each method. We further discuss possible opportunities and limitations regarding the scale of interest and the pore space that is sampled. The methodological review reveals that the choice of sampling method is crucial for the interpretation of pore water stable isotopes in the vadose zone, but a thorough comparison between the different methods is yet missing. Spiking experiments, where water of known isotopic composition is added to oven-dried soil, have been shown to be questionable, as the extracted water is usually depleted compared with the standard water. A comparative study analysing soil samples with the recently developed direct water vapour equilibration method and the widely used cryogenic extraction shows deviations, which can only be partly explained, but discloses the need for a more thorough experimental comparative study. Especially promising are developments of continuous isotope measurements based on laser-based spectrometry that will open up new opportunities for analysing pore water isotopes with higher temporal and spatial resolutions, revealing new insights into hydrological processes across various temporal and spatial scales. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Estimating flow and transport parameters in the unsaturated zone with pore water stable isotopes

Abstract: Determining the soil hydraulic properties is a prerequisite to physically model transient water flow and solute transport in the vadose zone. Estimating these properties by inverse modelling techniques has become more common within the last 2 decades. While these inverse approaches usually fit simulations to hydrometric data, we expanded the methodology by using independent information about the stable isotope composition of the soil pore water depth profile as a single or additional optimization target. To demonstrate the potential and limits of this approach, we compared the results of three inverse modelling strategies where the fitting targets were (a) pore water isotope concentrations, (b) a combination of pore water isotope concentrations and soil moisture time series, and (c) a two-step approach using first soil moisture data to determine water flow parameters and then the pore water stable isotope concentrations to estimate the solute transport parameters. The analyses were conducted at three study sites with different soil properties and vegetation. The transient unsaturated water flow was simulated by solving the Richards equation numerically with the finite-element code of HYDRUS-1D. The transport of deuterium was simulated with the advection-dispersion equation, and a modified version of HYDRUS was used, allowing deuterium loss during evaporation. The Mualem–van Genuchten and the longitudinal dispersivity parameters were determined for two major soil horizons at each site. The results show that approach (a), using only the pore water isotope content, cannot substitute hydrometric information to derive parameter sets that reflect the observed soil moisture dynamics but gives comparable results when the parameter space is constrained by pedotransfer functions. Approaches (b) and (c), using both the isotope profiles and the soil moisture time series, resulted in good simulation results with regard to the Kling–Gupta efficiency and good parameter identifiability. However, approach (b) has the advantage that it considers the isotope data not only for the solute transport parameters but also for water flow and root water uptake, and thus increases parameter realism. Approaches (b) and (c) both outcompeted simulations run with parameters derived from pedotransfer functions, which did not result in an acceptable representation of the soil moisture dynamics and pore water stable isotope composition. Overall, parameters based on this new approach that includes isotope data lead to similar model performances regarding the water balance and soil moisture dynamics and better parameter identifiability than the conventional inverse model approaches limited to hydrometric fitting targets. If only data from isotope profiles in combination with textural information is available, the results are still satisfactory. This method has the additional advantage that it will not only allow us to estimate water balance and response times but also site-specific time variant transit times or solute breakthrough within the soil profile.

What causes large submarine landslides on low gradient (<2°) continental slopes with slow (∼0.15 m/kyr) sediment accumulation?

Abstract: Submarine landslides can cause damaging tsunamis, the height of which scales up with the volume of the displaced mass. The largest underwater landslides are far bigger than any landslides on land, and these submarine megaslides tend to occur on open continental slopes with remarkably low gradients of less than 2°. For geohazard assessments it is essential to understand what preconditions and triggers slope failure on such low gradients. Previous work has suggested that generation of high excess pore pressure due to rapid sediment deposition plays a key role in such failures. However, submarine slope failure also occurs where sedimentation rates are low (<0.15 m/kyr), such as off northwest Africa. We use a fully coupled stress and fluid flow finite element model to test whether such low sedimentation rates can generate sufficient excess pore pressures to cause failure of a 2° slope. The sensitivity of overpressure generation and slope stability is assessed with respect to different sedimentation rates and patterns, sediment consolidation properties, and stratigraphic layer configurations. The simulations show that, in general, it is difficult to generate significant excess pore pressure if sediment accumulation is slow and the only pressure source. However, we identify a sediment compression behavior that can lead to submarine landslides in locations worldwide. Our results imply that compressibility is an important factor for the stability of low gradient continental slopes.

High temperature and high pressure coal and rock true triaxial fracturing and seepage test device and test method

Abstract: The invention relates to a high temperature and high pressure coal and rock true triaxial fracturing and seepage test device and a test method, and belongs to the technical field of rock mechanics and engineering. The device is characterized by comprising a true triaxial servo control real-time loading system 1, a hydraulic fracturing system 2, a supercritical CO2 fracturing system 3, a seepage system 4, a circulating cooling system 5, a temperature loading and keeping control system 6, an acoustic emission monitoring system 7, a pressure-deformation test system 8 and a data acquisition and automation control system 9. The buried conditions of real stratum can be simulated, and a specimen 19 is heated at high temperatures to simulate the depth stratum temperature environment; a fracturing test is conducted by high pressure water power or supercritical CO2; by injecting high pressure pore water or gas, a coal rock permeability test is conducted and the fracturing effect is tested; the fracture initiation, propagation and opening and closing properties of cracks generated by fracturing are monitored by the acoustic emission monitoring system 7 in the whole process, and the mechanism of formation and propagation of the cracks is mastered by observation and analysis, so that the theoretical basis and experimental basis is provided for fracturing exploitation.

Two-Dimensional Model for Accumulation of Pore Pressure in Marine Sediments

Abstract: A two-dimensional (2D) porous model was developed to investigate the accumulation of pore pressure in marine sediments in which the volume-averaged Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (VARANS) equations were used as the governing equations for the wave motion and the Biot consolidation theory was used for the porous seabed. Unlike most of the previous investigations on the accumulation of pore pressure in which the amplitude of the shear stress over the wave period was used in the source term, in this study, the source term was redefined as a time-dependent function using the phase-resolved oscillatory shear stresses. Overall good agreement of both the oscillatory and residual pore pressures with previous analytical solutions and experimental data demonstrated the reliability of the model for the prediction of wave-induced pore-pressure accumulation. For the case with progressive wave loadings, the liquefaction zone related to the initial incident of the wave phases was formed as a 2D pattern during t...

Carbon, nutrient and trace metal cycling in sandy sediments: A comparison of high-energy beaches and backbarrier tidal flats

Abstract: In order to evaluate the importance of coastal sandy sediments and their contribution to carbon, nutrient and metal cycling we investigated two beach sites on Spiekeroog Island, southern North Sea, Germany, and a tidal flat margin, located in Spiekeroog's backbarrier area. We also analyzed seawater and fresh groundwater on Spiekeroog Island, to better define endmember concentrations, which influence our study sites. Intertidal sandy flats and beaches are characterized by pore water advection. Seawater enters the sediment during flood and pore water drains out during ebb and at low tide. This pore water circulation leads to continuous supply of fresh organic substrate to the sediments. Remineralization products of microbial degradation processes, i.e. nutrients, and dissolved trace metals from the reduction of particulate metal oxides, are enriched in the pore water compared to open seawater concentrations. The spatial distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nutrients (PO43−, NO3−, NO2−, NH4+, Si(OH)4 and total alkalinity), trace metals (dissolved Fe and Mn) as well as sulfate suggests that the exposed beach sites are subject to relatively fast pore water advection, which leads to organic matter and oxygen replenishment. Frequent pore water exchange further leads to comparatively low nutrient concentrations. Sulfate reduction does not appear to play a major role during organic matter degradation. High nitrate concentrations indicate that redox conditions are oxic within the duneward freshwater influenced section, while ammonification, denitrification, manganese and iron reduction seem to prevail in the ammonium-dominated seawater circulation zone. In contrast, the sheltered tidal flat margin site exhibits a different sedimentology (coarser beach sands versus finer tidal flat sands) and nutrients, dissolved manganese and DOC accumulate in the pore water. Ammonium is the dominant pore water nitrogen species and intense sulfate reduction leads to the formation of sulfide, which precipitates dissolved iron as iron sulfide. These findings are due to slower advective pore water exchange in the tidal flat sediments. This study illustrates how different energy regimes affect biogeochemical cycling in intertidal permeable sediments.

The impact of bedform migration on benthic oxygen fluxes

Abstract: Permeable sediments are found wide spread in river beds and on continental shelves. The transport of these sediments is forced by bottom water currents and leads to the formation of bedforms such as ripples and dunes. The bottom water flow across the bedforms results in pressure gradients that drive pore water flow within the permeable sediment and enhance the supply of reactive substrates for biogeochemical processes. This transport-reaction system has been extensively studied for the case of stationary bedforms, whereas bedform migration—the most ubiquitous form of sediment transport—has been often ignored. To study the impact of sediment transport on pore water flow, we incorporated an empirical model of bedform migration into a numerical transport-reaction model for porous media, using oxygen as reactive solute. The modeled oxygen flux changes significantly as soon as the sediment divides into an upper mobile layer (migrating bedform) and a stationary layer underneath. The bedform is increasingly flushed with oxic bottom water, whereas pressure gradients and pore water flow reverse at increasing rate underneath the bedform. This suppresses net pore water displacement and reduces the oxygen penetration depth up to 90%. In effect, the overall oxygen uptake decreases significantly with bedform migration although bottom water velocities increase. This counterintuitive effect is systematically described for a range of different sediment types, current velocities, and respiration rates and should be considered in future studies.

Determining the stable isotope composition of pore water from saturated and unsaturated zone core: improvements to the direct vapour equilibration laser spectrometry method

Abstract: A method to measure the δ 2 H and δ 18 O composition of pore waters in saturated and unsaturated geologic core samples using direct vapour equilibration and laser spectrometry (DVE–LS) was first described in 2008, and has since been rapidly adopted. Here, we describe a number of important methodological improvements and limitations encountered in routine application of DVE–LS over several years. Generally, good comparative agreement, as well as accuracy, is obtained between core pore water isotopic data obtained using DVE–LS and that measured on water squeezed from the same core. In complex hydrogeologic settings, high-resolution DVE–LS depth profiles provide greater spatial resolution of isotopic profiles compared to long-screened or nested piezometers. When fluid is used during drilling and coring (e.g. water rotary or wet sonic drill methods), spiking the drill fluid with 2 H can be conducted to identify core contamination. DVE–LS analyses yield accurate formational isotopic data for fine-textured core (e.g. clay, shale) samples, but are less effective for cores obtained from saturated permeable (e.g. sand, gravels) geologic media or on chip samples that are easily contaminated by wet rotary drilling fluid. Data obtained from DVE–LS analyses of core samples collected using wet (contamination by drill water) and dry sonic (water loss by heating) methods were also problematic. Accurate DVE–LS results can be obtained on core samples with gravimetric water contents > 5 % by increasing the sample size tested. Inexpensive Ziploc™ gas-sampling bags were determined to be as good as, if not better than, other, more expensive specialty bags. Sample storage in sample bags provides acceptable results for up to 10 days of storage; however, measurable water loss, as well as evaporitic isotopic enrichment, occurs for samples stored for up to 6 months. With appropriate care taken during sample collection and storage, the DVE–LS approach for obtaining high-resolution pore water isotopic data is a promising alternative to study the hydrogeology of saturated and unsaturated sediments. Eliminating analytical interferences from volatile organics remains a challenge.

Unsaturated soil–woven geotextile interface strength properties from small-scale pullout and interface tests

Abstract: One main concern related to the performance of unsaturated soils during the construction and service life of earthen structures is loss of matric suction due to the seasonal variations of gravimetric water content (GWC), ground water infiltration and possible development of excess pore water pressure. In addition to reducing the soil shear strength, loss of matric suction as a result of wetting could also reduce the soil–reinforcement interface shear strength in comparison with the as-built value at a lower GWC. This paper presents the results of small-scale pullout and interface tests on a woven geotextile reinforcement material in different marginal soils in order to quantify the difference in the soil–geotextile interface shear strength as a function of GWC for practical applications. A moisture reduction factor [MRF = μ(ω)] is used to account for the reduction in the soil–geotextile interface shear strength as a function of matric suction over a range of GWC values that includes the dry and ...

Mechanisms of rainfall-induced landslides in gently inclined red beds in the eastern Sichuan Basin, SW China

Abstract: Red beds are widespread in the eastern Sichuan Basin, SW China, and are often called “landslide prone strata”. The dip angle of these red beds is commonly less than 10°, which is much less than the angle of internal friction between the bedding planes. Thus, in theory, failure will not occur along the bedding planes in such strata. We used field methods, numerical modeling, and ring shear tests to investigate the effects of rainfall on landslides in shallow-dipping red beds, using the Qingning landslide in SW China as an example. Our results suggest that the probable mechanisms leading to failure are (1) permeation of rainfall through the cracks at the back of the landslide site that increases the hydrostatic water pressure, which adds to the sliding stress and reduces the effective stress on the failure surface, gradually destabilizing the mass. In the Qingning landslide, the maximum water pressure was as high as 21.8 m before failure. When the factor of safety decreased markedly to 1.015, the sliding mass started to slowly slide. (2) As sliding takes place, the sliding zone soil is under undrained shear and its shear strength decreases sharply to a critical value, which promotes rapid sliding. In the Qingning landslide, the shear resistance of the sliding zone soil decreased markedly to 25.9 kPa as the pore water pressure increased to 118.3 kPa. This study may provide a theoretical basis for landslide forecasting in gently inclined red beds of the eastern Sichuan Basin as well as in similar geological settings worldwide.