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1.
The northern Gulf of Mexico is dominated by salt tectonics, resulting fracturing and numerous seafloor seeps and vents. Woolsey Mound, site of the Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Research Consortium's seafloor observatory, has been investigated extensively via surveys, direct sampling and seafloor instrument systems. This study presents an innovative approach to seismic data interpretation, integrating three different resolution datasets and maximizing seismic coverage of the complex natural hydrocarbon plumbing system at Woolsey Mound.3D industry seismic data reveal the presence of a salt body at in the shallow subsurface that has generated an extended network of faults, some extending from the salt body to the seafloor (master faults). Higher resolution seismic data show acoustic wipe-out zones along the master faults with expulsion features – seafloor pockmarks and craters – located immediately above them and associated, in the subsurface, with high-amplitude, negative anomalies at constant depth of 0.2 s TWTT b.s.f., interpreted as free gas. Since pockmarks and craters provide pathways for hydrocarbons to escape from depth into the water column, related sub-surface seismic anomalies may indicate free gas at the base of the gas hydrates stability zone (GHSZ). Fluid flow and gas hydrates formation are segmented laterally along faults. Gas hydrates formation and dissociation vary temporally in the vicinity of active faults, and can temporarily seal them as conduits for thermogenic fluids. Periodic migrations of gases and other fluids may perturb the GHSZ in terms of temperature and pressure, producing the observed lack of classical BSRs.  相似文献   

2.
Soupy and mousse-like fabrics are disturbance sedimentary features that result from the dissociation of gas hydrate, a process that releases water. During the core retrieval process, soupy and mousse-like fabrics are produced in the gas hydrate-bearing sediments due to changes in pressure and temperature conditions. Therefore, the identification of soupy and mousse-like fabrics can be used as a proxy for the presence of gas hydrate in addition to other evidence, such as pore water freshening or anomalously cool temperature. We present here grain-size results, mineralogical composition and magnetic susceptibility data of soupy and mousse-like samples from the southern Hydrate Ridge (Cascadia accretionary complex) acquired during Leg 204 of the Ocean Drilling Program. In order to study the relationship between sedimentary texture and the presence of gas hydrates, we have compared these results with the main textural and compositional data available from the same area. Most of the disturbed analyzed samples from the summit and the western flank of southern Hydrate Ridge show a mean grain size coarser than the average mean grain size of the hemipelagic samples from the same area. The depositional features of the sediments are not recognised due to disturbance. However, their granulometric statistical parameters and distribution curves, and magnetic susceptibility logs indicate that they correspond to a turbidite facies. These results suggest that gas hydrates in the southern Hydrate Ridge could form preferentially in coarser grain-size layers that could act as conduits feeding gas from below the BSR. Two samples from the uppermost metres near the seafloor at the summit of the southern Hydrate Ridge show a finer mean grain-size value than the average of hemipelagic samples. They were located where the highest amount of gas hydrates was detected, suggesting that in this area the availability of methane gas was high enough to generate gas hydrates, even within low-permeability layers. The mineralogical composition of the soupy and mousse-like sediments does not show any specific characteristic with respect to the other samples from the southern Hydrate Ridge.  相似文献   

3.
A Preliminary Study of Shear Wave in Seafloor Surface Sediments   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
This article preliminarily reports and analyses the transmission characteristics and behaviors of shear wave in the offshore seafloor surface sediments in China, discusses the relationships between the physical and mechanical features of the shear wave and the compression wave, and compares the testing results with that of Hamilton and Chen et al. The result shows that the shear wave can be tested if the seafloor surface sediment has tangent modulus. The shear wave velocity ranges from 50-600 m/s and the measuring frequency from 50-200 kHz. The sound velocity rate of shear wave and compression wave can be used to appraise the stress-strain feature of seafloor surface sediments. This study provides a basis for further describing and appraising the seafloor sedimentary acoustic-mechanical feature and building a geological-acoustic model on China's offshore sea area.  相似文献   

4.
由海底沉积物的纵波速、横波速及湿密度,根据岩土力学原理,整理出一组计算海底沉积物弹性参数的公式;以该公式计算了南海南部海域浅层沉积物的弹性参数,计算结果与已有文献资料数据做了比较,分析了两者误差的原因.  相似文献   

5.
Two sites of the Deep Sea Drilling Project in contrasting geologic settings provide a basis for comparison of the geochemical conditions associated with marine gas hydrates in continental margin sediments. Site 533 is located at 3191 m water depth on a spit-like extension of the continental rise on a passive margin in the Atlantic Ocean. Site 568, at 2031 m water depth, is in upper slope sediment of an active accretionary margin in the Pacific Ocean. Both sites are characterized by high rates of sedimentation, and the organic carbon contents of these sediments generally exceed 0.5%. Anomalous seismic reflections that transgress sedimentary structures and parallel the seafloor, suggested the presence of gas hydrates at both sites, and, during coring, small samples of gas hydrate were recovered at subbottom depths of 238m (Site 533) and 404 m (Site 568). The principal gaseous components of the gas hydrates wer methane, ethane, and CO2. Residual methane in sediments at both sites usually exceeded 10 mll?1 of wet sediment. Carbon isotopic compositions of methane, CO2, and ΣCO2 followed parallel trends with depth, suggesting that methane formed mainly as a result of biological reduction of oxidized carbon. Salinity of pore waters decreased with depth, a likely result of gas hydrate formation. These geochemical characteristics define some of the conditions associated with the occurrence of gas hydrates formed by in situ processes in continental margin sediments.  相似文献   

6.
A design is presented for an expendable seafloor penetrometer system for real time classification of marine sediments and estimate for shear strength. An accelerometer in the nose section of an expendable probe senses deceleration after impact with the ocean bottom and provides this data to the underway launch platform via a two-conductor trailing wire umbilical. Signals are amplified, digitized and processed by microcomputer to provide seafloor classification in virtual real time.  相似文献   

7.
Abstract

This study tests the hypothesis that the in situ void ratio of surficial marine sediments may be predicted from shear wave velocity-depth data with a reliability equal to that of other methods currently available. Shear wave velocity is fundamentally controlled by the number of grain-to-grain contacts per unit volume of material and by the effective stress across those contacts. In this study, three previously established empirical formulae are used to predict void ratio from velocity-depth data. Field data were acquired along a transect off the northern Californian coast across which water depth increased from 35 to 70 m and seafloor sediment type varied from sand to silty-sand, respectively. A towed seafloor sled device was used to collect shear wave refraction data, and a marked, systematic decrease in velocity was observed along the line, ranging from 35–70 m/s for the coarse, near-shore material to 25–40 m/s for the finer, offshore deposits. Void ratios predicted from these velocities were compared with data measured directly from box-core samples. Of the formulae used for prediction, two agree remarkably well with the control data. Both predicted and control values increase from 0.6–0.8 for the sandy material to 1.1–1.5 for the silty-sand. Thus, this study does not disprove the hypothesis set and demonstrates the potential of field shear wave velocity-depth data as a means of delineating spatial variation in void ratio for surficial marine sediments in a remote, nondestructive manner.  相似文献   

8.
This study tests the hypothesis that the in situ void ratio of surficial marine sediments may be predicted from shear wave velocity-depth data with a reliability equal to that of other methods currently available. Shear wave velocity is fundamentally controlled by the number of grain-to-grain contacts per unit volume of material and by the effective stress across those contacts. In this study, three previously established empirical formulae are used to predict void ratio from velocity-depth data. Field data were acquired along a transect off the northern Californian coast across which water depth increased from 35 to 70 m and seafloor sediment type varied from sand to silty-sand, respectively. A towed seafloor sled device was used to collect shear wave refraction data, and a marked, systematic decrease in velocity was observed along the line, ranging from 35-70 m/s for the coarse, near-shore material to 25-40 m/s for the finer, offshore deposits. Void ratios predicted from these velocities were compared with data measured directly from box-core samples. Of the formulae used for prediction, two agree remarkably well with the control data. Both predicted and control values increase from 0.6-0.8 for the sandy material to 1.1-1.5 for the silty-sand. Thus, this study does not disprove the hypothesis set and demonstrates the potential of field shear wave velocity-depth data as a means of delineating spatial variation in void ratio for surficial marine sediments in a remote, nondestructive manner.  相似文献   

9.
The hydrate-bearing sediments above the bottom simulating reflector (BSR) are associated with low attenuation or high quality factor (Q), whereas underlying gas-bearing sediments exhibit high attenuation. Hence, estimation of Q can be important for qualifying whether a BSR is related to gas hydrates and free-gas. This property is also useful for identifying gas hydrates where detection of BSR is dubious. Here, we calculate the interval Q for three submarine sedimentary layers bounded by seafloor, BSR, one reflector above and another reflector below the BSR at three locations with moderate, strong and no BSR along a seismic line in the Makran accretionary prism, Arabian Sea for studying attenuation (Q−1) characteristics of sediments. Interval Q for hydrate-bearing sediments (layer B) above the BSR are estimated as 191 ± 11, 223 ± 12, and 117 ± 5, whereas interval Q for the underlying gas-bearing sediments (layer C) are calculated as 112 ± 7, 107 ± 8 and 124 ± 11 at moderate, strong and no BSR locations, respectively. The large variation in Q is observed at strong BSR. Thus Q can be used for ascertaining whether the observed BSR is due to gas hydrates, and for identifying gas hydrates at places where detection of BSR is rather doubtful. Interval Q of 98 ± 4, 108 ± 5, and 102 ± 5, respectively, at moderate, strong and no BSR locations for the layer immediately beneath the seafloor (layer A) show almost uniform attenuation.  相似文献   

10.
The overall stability of marine strata holding gas hydrates is dependent on their shear strength characteristics. These characteristics, in turn, are dependent on thermal flux that is imposed for dissociation of the hydrates for the safe and efficient extraction of methane gas from the hydrate bearing sediments. Due to the imposition of thermal flux on these sediments, their fabric structure and pore space hydrate saturation changes, which impacts the overall stability of the sea bed. Estimating stability conditions in such a ‘multiphase and dynamic system’ necessitates collection of undisturbed samples without compromising their in-situ thermodynamic conditions. This is a daunting task given the huge cost of procuring samples and the challenge of maintaining an undisturbed sample with in-situ thermodynamic conditions till it is brought to the laboratory. Synthesizing hydrate bearing sample sediments in laboratory for conducting studies to identify heat migration mechanisms and thermal property measurements and linking them to the shear strength characteristics provides an affordable solution to this problem. With this in view, a critical review of the available literature, dealing with laboratory synthesis of hydrate bearing sediments, their thermal and strength characteristics, the coupled phenomenon of heat and fluid migration, and its impact on the overall stability of marine sediments, has been conducted and presented in this paper. This will facilitate understanding the factors governing and the mechanism of heat transfer in a multiphase system, the changes in the system brought about by the hydrate dissociation front, and the overall impact on the stability of seabed.  相似文献   

11.
The presence of a wedge of offshore permafrost on the shelf of the Canadian Beaufort Sea has been previously recognized and the consequence of a prolonged occurrence of such permafrost is the possibility of an underlying gas hydrate regime. We present the first evidence for wide-spread occurrences of gas hydrates across the shelf in water depths of 60–100 m using 3D and 2D multichannel seismic (MCS) data. A reflection with a polarity opposite to the seafloor was identified ∼1000 m below the seafloor that mimics some of the bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs) in marine gas hydrate regimes. However, the reflection is not truly bottom-simulating, as its depth is controlled by offshore permafrost. The depth of the reflection decreases with increasing water depth, as predicted from thermal modeling of the late Wisconsin transgression. The reflection crosscuts strata and defines a zone of enhanced reflectivity beneath it, which originates from free gas accumulated at the phase boundary over time as permafrost and associated gas hydrate stability zones thin in response to the transgression. The wide-spread gas hydrate occurrence beneath permafrost has implications on the region including drilling hazards associated with the presence of free gas, possible overpressure, lateral migration of fluids and expulsion at the seafloor. In contrast to the permafrost-associated gas hydrates, a deep-water marine BSR was also identified on MCS profiles. The MCS data show a polarity-reversed seismic reflection associated with a low-velocity zone beneath it. The seismic data coverage in the southern Beaufort Sea shows that the deep-water marine BSR is not uniformly present across the entire region. The regional discrepancy of the BSR occurrence between the US Alaska portion and the Mackenzie Delta region may be a result of high sedimentation rates expected for the central Mackenzie delta and high abundance of mass-transport deposits that prohibit gas to accumulate within and beneath the gas hydrate stability zone.  相似文献   

12.
The scientific community is engaged in a lively debate over whether and how venting from the gas-hydrate reservoir and the Earth’s climate is connected. The various scenarios which have been proposed are based on the following assumptions: the inventory of methane gas-hydrate deposits is locally enormous, the stability of marine gas-hydrate deposits can easily be perturbed by temperature and pressure changes, enough methane can be released from these deposits to contribute adequate volumes of this isotopically distinct greenhouse gas to alter the composition of oceanic or atmospheric methane reservoirs, and the mechanisms exist for the transfer of methane from deeper geologic reservoirs to the ocean and/or atmosphere. However, some potential transfer mechanisms have been difficult to evaluate. Here, we consider the possibility of marine slumping as a mechanism to transfer methane carbon from gas hydrates within the seafloor into the ocean and atmosphere. Our analyses and field experiments indicate that large slumps could release volumetrically significant quantities of solid gas hydrates which would float upwards in the water column. Large pieces of gas hydrate would reach the upper layers of the ocean before decomposing, and some of the methane would be directly injected into the atmosphere.  相似文献   

13.
An anomalous strong, shallow reflector has been observed in several deep-tow subbottom profiler records in a region of the northern Black Sea characterised by seafloor fluid seeps, mud volcanoes, and the occurrence of gas hydrates. The digital data were processed using adapted seismic processing methods. Synthetic seismograms created to model representative traces from the observed profiles require anomalous alternations of acoustic properties in the upper sediments which can best be explained by interbedded layers of normal sediments and sediments with gas hydrates. The enigmatic strong reflector can be explained by constructive interference of reflections from five of these thin layers. It is proposed that the uppermost region of the gas hydrate stability zone here is represented by thinning layers of interbedded gas hydrates or layers with lower concentrations of gas hydrates.  相似文献   

14.
Seismic character of gas hydrates on the Southeastern U.S. continental margin   总被引:14,自引:0,他引:14  
Gas hydrates are stable at relatively low temperature and high pressure conditions; thus large amounts of hydrates can exist in sediments within the upper several hundred meters below the sea floor. The existence of gas hydrates has been recognized and mapped mostly on the basis of high amplitude Bottom Simulating Reflections (BSRs) which indicate only that an acoustic contrast exists at the lower boundary of the region of gas hydrate stability. Other factors such as amplitude blanking and change in reflection characteristics in sediments where a BSR would be expected, which have not been investigated in detail, are also associated with hydrated sediments and potentially disclose more information about the nature of hydratecemented sediments and the amount of hydrate present.Our research effort has focused on a detailed analysis of multichannel seismic profiles in terms of reflection character, inferred distribution of free gas underneath the BSR, estimation of elastic parameters, and spatial variation of blanking. This study indicates that continuous-looking BSRs in seismic profiles are highly segmented in detail and that the free gas underneath the hydrated sediment probably occurs as patches of gas-filled sediment having variable thickness. We also present an elastic model for various types of sediments based on seismic inversion results. The BSR from sediments of high ratio of shear to compressional velocity, estimated as about 0.52, encased in sediments whose ratios are less than 0.35 is consistent with the interpretation of gasfilled sediments underneath hydrated sediments. This model contrasts with recent results in which the BSR is explained by increased concentrations of hydrate near the base of the hydrate stability field and no underlying free gas is required.  相似文献   

15.
Gas hydrates along continental margins are commonly inferred from the presence of bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) on reflection seismic records. Shale and mud diapirs are often observed in the proximity of BSR-inferred gas hydrates. Analysis of data from documented gas-hydrate occurrences suggests that the areas where mud volcanoes exist on the seafloor are promising locations for sediments with high gas-hydrate concentration. Along the western continental margin of India (WCMI), we have identified several anomalous reflections on single-channel, analogue seismic records in the proximity of BSRs, from which the presence of gas-charged sediments and gas seepages was inferred. These features characterize both the shelf-slope region of the WCMI and the adjoining deep-sea areas. The seismic records also reveal mud/shale diapiric activity and pockmarks near the gas hydrates.  相似文献   

16.
Many gas seepages, temperature, pressure, salinity, anoxic environment and high source gas potential of the Black Sea indicates that the Black Sea might have huge potentials for biogenic and thermogenic gas hydrates. However, the last important parameter to consider gas hydrate as an energy source is the type of sediments. Coarse marine sands are considered as good hydrate reservoirs because of high porosity and high permeability. Only very limited data is available related to the types of lithology of the Black Sea sediments. Hence, in this study, the literature data (especially the drilling and coring data of DSDP Leg 42B program) about gas seepages, temperature gradient, pressure gradient, salinity, anoxic environment and high source gas potential, and the types of the sediments in the Black Sea were investigated and analyzed. Although gas seepages, temperature gradient, pressure gradient, salinity, anoxic environment and high source gas potential of the Black Sea are appropriate for producible gas hydrate reservoirs, the sediments of the Black Sea appear to be generally fine grained with high clay content. Sandy-silt and silty sand layers in turbidites of the Black Sea might be potential producible hydrate reservoirs but these sediments are fine. As well as turbidites, separate thin sand layers might be potential gas hydrate reservoirs as an energy source in the Black Sea.  相似文献   

17.
南海海槽是潜在的天然气水合物发育区,在表层沉积物中分布有石膏-黄铁矿组合。通过对石膏、黄铁矿的形貌特征、矿物组成、化学元素、硫同位素等的分析,讨论和揭示了石膏-黄铁矿组合的成岩环境、形成机理及其与天然气渗漏的关系。石膏集合体为土块状和多孔状、玫瑰状,表面分布有孔洞或微孔,黄铁矿为莓球状、球粒结块状和虫管状。不同形状的石膏、黄铁矿的化学成分没有明显差别。石膏-黄铁矿的形成机理是海底渗漏的天然气与硫酸盐发生缺氧甲烷氧化反应,产物HS^-与沉积物中的Fe^2+反应产生FeS并转变为黄铁矿,在形成FeS的过程中产生的H^+促进碳酸盐溶解,Ca^2+与SO4^2-达到过饱和沉淀出重。^34S的石膏。因此,石膏-黄铁矿组合是海底存在天然气渗漏的证据,这一发现对开展南沙海槽潜在天然气水舍物的调查以及对天然气渗漏事件的研究具有一定的科学意义。  相似文献   

18.
海南岛东南外海海底沉积物特征及其声学物理性质研究   总被引:3,自引:1,他引:2  
分析研究了南海北部大陆架西南缘的海南岛东南外海海底沉积物声学物理特性,在多个航次中进行了海底沉积层取样、海水CTD测量、浅地层及旁侧声呐扫测等工作.在实验室里对沉积物样品进行声学参数、沉积学基本参数、物理力学参数和14C年龄测试等分析.根据多尔特曼公式求解出弹性模量、体积弹性模量、压缩系数、切变模量、泊松比和拉梅常数等六项沉积物弹性参数.分析结果表明在该海区海底沉积物的压缩波速为1.474~1.700 m/s,在不同的海区内有高低声速两类性质的沉积物分布;沉积物的切变波速为150~600 m/s;沉积物在100 kHz的声衰减为35~260 dB/m;沉积物的密度为1.4~2.0 g/cm3;沉积物的孔隙度为42%~88%.  相似文献   

19.
This study is a synthesis of gas-related features in recent sediments across the western Black Sea basin. The investigation is based on an extensive seismic dataset, and integrates published information from previous local studies. Our data reveal widespread occurrences of seismic facies indicating free gas in sediments and gas escape in the water column. The presence of gas hydrates is inferred from bottom-simulating reflections (BSRs). The distribution of the gas facies shows (1) major gas accumulations close to the seafloor in the coastal area and along the shelfbreak, (2) ubiquitous gas migration from the deeper subsurface on the shelf and (3) gas hydrate occurrences on the lower slope (below 750 m water depth). The coastal and shelfbreak shallow gas areas correspond to the highstand and lowstand depocentres, respectively. Gas in these areas most likely results from in situ degradation of biogenic methane, probably with a contribution of deep gas in the shelfbreak accumulation. On the western shelf, vertical gas migration appears to originate from a source of Eocene age or older and, in some cases, it is clearly related to known deep oil and gas fields. Gas release at the seafloor is abundant at water depths shallower than 725 m, which corresponds to the minimum theoretical depth for methane hydrate stability, but occurs only exceptionally at water depths where hydrates can form. As such, gas entering the hydrate stability field appears to form hydrates, acting as a buffer for gas migration towards the seafloor and subsequent escape.  相似文献   

20.
The maximum shear modulus of soil is a principal parameter for the design of earth structures under static and dynamic loads. In this study, the statistical data of the maximum shear moduli of reclaimed ground in the Songdo area on the western coast of Korea were evaluated using various field and laboratory tests, including the standard penetration test (SPT), piezocone penetration test (CPTu), self-boring pressure meter test (SBPT), down-hole seismic test (DHT), seismic piezocone penetration test (SCPTu) and resonant column test (RCT). Soils were classified variously by using a conventional unified soil classification system and classification charts for CPTu data. For the soils containing mostly sand and silt, the soil classifications using the classification charts for CPTu data show good agreement with the unified soil classification. Based on the statistical analysis on various maximum shear moduli, new site-specific empirical correlations between the shear moduli and SPT and CPTu values were proposed. Predictions of the maximum shear moduli using the proposed correlations were compared with the data obtained from the DHT, which is comparatively exact in evaluating the maximum stiffness of soils. The good agreement confirmed that the proposed correlations reasonably predicted the maximum shear moduli of soils in western coastal area of Korea.  相似文献   

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