Physical and mechanical properties and microstructures of submarine soils in the Yellow Sea

In recent years,the exploration of seabed has been intensified,but the submarine soils of silt and sand in the Yellow Sea area have not been well investigated so far.In this study,the physical and mechanical properties of silt and sand from the Yellow Sea were measured using a direct shear apparatus and their microstructures were observed using a scanning electron microscope.The test results suggest that the shear strength of silt and sand increases linearly with the increase of normal stress.Based on the direct shear test,the scanning electron microscope was used to observe the section surface of sand.It is observed that the section surface becomes rough,with many“V”‐shaped cracks.Many particles appear on the surface of the silt structure and tend to be disintegrated.The X‐ray diffraction experiment reveals that the sand and silt have different compositions.The shear strength of sand is slightly greater than that of silt under high stress,which is related to the shape of soil particles and the mineral composition.These results can be a reference for further study of other soils in the Yellow Sea;meanwhile,they can serve as soil parameters for the stability and durability analyses of offshore infrastructure construction.

Numerical study on local scour characteristics around submarine pipelines in the Yellow River Delta silty sandy soil under waves and currents

Due to their high reliability and cost-efficiency,submarine pipelines are widely used in offshore oil and gas resource engineering.Due to the interaction of waves,currents,seabed,and pipeline structures,the soil around submarine pipelines is prone to local scour,severely affecting their operational safety.With the Yellow River Delta as the research area and based on the renormalized group(RNG)k-εturbulence model and Stokes fifth-order wave theory,this study solves the Navier-Stokes(N-S)equation using the finite difference method.The volume of fluid(VOF)method is used to describe the fluid-free surface,and a threedimensional numerical model of currents and waves-submarine pipeline-silty sandy seabed is established.The rationality of the numerical model is verified using a self-built waveflow flume.On this basis,in this study,the local scour development and characteristics of submarine pipelines in the Yellow River Delta silty sandy seabed in the prototype environment are explored and the influence of the presence of pipelines on hydrodynamic features such as surrounding flow field,shear stress,and turbulence intensity is analyzed.The results indicate that(1)local scour around submarine pipelines can be divided into three stages:rapid scour,slow scour,and stable scour.The maximum scour depth occurs directly below the pipeline,and the shape of the scour pits is asymmetric.(2)As the water depth decreases and the pipeline suspension height increases,the scour becomes more intense.(3)When currents go through a pipeline,a clear stagnation point is formed in front of the pipeline,and the flow velocity is positively correlated with the depth of scour.This study can provide a valuable reference for the protection of submarine pipelines in this area.

Sedimentary architecture of submarine channel-lobe systems under different seafloor topography:Insights from the Rovuma Basin offshore East Africa

Seafloor topography plays an important role in the evolution of submarine lobes.However,it is still not so clear how the shape of slope affects the three-dimensional(3-D)architecture of submarine lobes.In this study,we analyze the effect of topography factors on different hierarchical lobe architectures that formed during Pliocene to Quaternary in the Rovuma Basin offshore East Africa.We characterize the shape,size and growth pattern of different hierarchical lobe architectures using 3-D seismic data.We find that the relief of the topographic slope determines the location of preferential deposition of lobe complexes and single lobes.When the topography is irregular and presents topographic lows,lobe complexes first infill these depressions.Single lobes are deposited preferentially at positions with higher longitudinal(i.e.across-slope)slope gradients.As the longitudinal slope becomes higher,the aspect ratio of the single lobes increases.Lateral(i.e.along-slope)topography does not seem to have a strong influence on the shape of single lobe,but it seems to affect the overlap of single lobes.When the lateral slope gradient is relatively high,the single lobes tend to have a larger overlap surface.Furthermore,as the average of lateral slope and longitudinal slope gets greater,the width/thickness ratio of the single lobe is smaller,i.e.sediments tend to accumulate vertically.The results demonstrate that the shape of slopes more comprehensively influences the 3-D architecture of lobes in natural deep-sea systems than previously other lobe deposits and analogue experiments,which helps us better understand the development and evolution of the distal parts of turbidite systems.

The significant role of submarine groundwater discharge in an Arctic fjord nutrient budget

Under global climate change,water flow and related nutrient biogeochemistry in the Arctic are changing at an unprecedented rate,and potentially affect nutrient cycling in the Arctic Ocean.However,nutrient fluxes via submarine groundwater discharge(SGD)are potentially important yet poorly understood in the Arctic.Here we quantified that nutrient fluxes through radium-derived SGD were three orders of magnitude higher than those from the local river and constituted 25%-96%of the total nutrient inputs into the Kongsfjorden.These large groundwater nutrient fluxes with high NIN/DIP molar ratio(average 99)may change the biomass and community structure of phytoplankton.Meanwhile,combining other SGD study cases around the Arctic region,SGD rates tend to increase over the past three decades,possibly on account of the effects of global warming.The SGD-derived nutrient may cause the increase of net primary productivity in the Arctic Ocean.The results will provide important basic data for land-ocean interactions in the typical fjord of the Arctic under the influence of global warming.

Bending Failure Mode and Prediction Method of the Compressive Strain Capacity of A Submarine Pipeline with Dent Defects

A dent is a common type of defects for submarine pipeline.For submarine pipelines,high hydrostatic pressure and internal pressure are the main loads.Once pipelines bend due to complex subsea conditions,the compression strain capacity may be exceeded.Research into the local buckling failure and accurate prediction of the compressive strain capacity are important.A finite element model of a pipeline with a dent is established.Local buckling failure under a bending moment is investigated,and the compressive strain capacity is calculated.The effects of different parameters on pipeline local buckling are analyzed.The results show that the dent depth,external pressure and internal pressure lead to different local buckling failure modes of the pipeline.A higher internal pressure indicates a larger compressive strain capacity,and the opposite is true for external pressure.When the ratio of external pressure to collapse pressure of intact pipeline is greater than 0.1,the deeper the dent,the greater the compressive strain capacity of the pipeline.And as the ratio is less than 0.1,the opposite is true.On the basis of these results,a regression equation for predicting the compressive strain capacity of a dented submarine pipeline is proposed,which can be referred to during the integrity assessment of a submarine pipeline.

The Middle Miocene lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans in the Lingshui Sag,Qiongdongnan Basin:source-to-sink system,genesis and implication

Deepwater oil and gas exploration is the key to sustainable breakthroughs in petroleum exploration worldwide.The Central Canyon gas field has confirmed the Lingshui Sag is a hydrocarbon-generating sag,and the deepwater reservoirs in the Lingshui Sag still have more fabulous oil and gas exploration potential.Based on drilling data and three-dimensional(3D)seismic data,this paper uses seismic facies analysis,seismic attribute analysis,and coherence slice analysis to identify the types of submarine fans(lobe-shaped and band-shaped submarine fans)that developed in the Lingshui Sag during the Middle Miocene,clarify the source-to-sink system of the submarine fans and discuss the genesis mechanism of the submarine fans.The results show that:(1)the deepwater source-to-sink system of the Lingshui Sag in the Middle Miocene mainly consisted of a“delta(sediment supply)-submarine canyon(sediment transport channel)-submarine fan(deepwater sediment sink)”association;(2)the main factor controlling the formation of the submarine fans developed in the Lingshui Sag was on the relative sea level decline;and(3)the bottom current reworked the lobe-shaped submarine fan that developed in the northern Lingshui Sag and formed the band-shaped submarine fan with a greater sand thickness.This paper aims to provide practical geological knowledge for subsequent petroleum exploration and development in the deepwater area of the Qiongdongnan Basin through a detailed analysis of the Middle Miocene submarine fan sedimentary system developed in the Lingshui Sag.

A Havelock Source Panel Method for Near-surface Submarines

A panel method is described for calculating potential flow around near-surface submarines. The method uses Havelock sources which automatically satisfy the linearized free-surface boundary condition. Outputs from the method include pressure field, pressure drag, wave resistance, vertical force, trim moment and wave pattern. Comparisons are made with model tests for wave resistance of Series 58 and DARPA SUBOFF hulls, as well as with wave resistance, lift force and trim moment of three length-to-diameter variants of the DSTO Joubert submarine hull. It is found that the Havelock source panel method is capable of determining with reasonable accuracy wave resistance, vertical force and trim moment for submarine hulls. Further experimental data are required in order to assess the accuracy of the method for pressure field and wave pattern prediction. The method is implemented in the computer code“HullWave”and offers potential advantages over RANS-CFD codes in terms of speed, simplicity and robustness.

Recent progress in submarine geosciences in China

In China submarine geosciences represents a newly established discipline of oceanography, focusing on the oceanic lithosphere, and its interface with the hydrosphere and biosphere. Recently, supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program and other high-tech development projects, significant progress has been made in the development of advanced technologies and equipment. This en- ables the scientists in China to carry out explorations of the international seabed area in the Pacific Ocean and on the Southwest Indian Ridge. In addition, they have been active in the research activities associated the mid-ocean ridges and western Pacific marginal seas. It is anticipated that this research field will continue to be highly fruitful in the near future.

Submarine Landslides on the North Continental Slope of the South China Sea

Recent and paleo-submarine landslides are widely distributed within strata in deep-water areas along continental slopes, uplifts, and carbonate platforms on the north continental margin of the South China Sea(SCS). In this paper, high-resolution 3D seismic data and multibeam data based on seismic sedimentology and geomorphology are employed to assist in identifying submarine landslides. In addition, deposition models are proposed that are based on specific geological structures and features, and which illustrate the local stress field over entire submarine landslides in deep-water areas of the SCS. The SCS is one of the largest fluvial sediment sinks in enclosed or semi-enclosed marginal seas worldwide. It therefore provides a set of preconditions for the formation of submarine landslides, including rapid sediment accumulation, formation of gas hydrates, and fluid overpressure. A new concept involving temporal and spatial analyses is tested to construct a relationship between submarine landslides and different time scale trigger mechanisms, and three mechanisms are discussed in the context of spatial scale and temporal frequency: evolution of slope gradient and overpressure, global environmental changes, and tectonic events. Submarine landslides that are triggered by tectonic events are the largest but occur less frequently, while submarine landslides triggered by the combination of slope gradient and overpressure evolution are the smallest but most frequently occurring events. In summary, analysis shows that the formation of submarine landslides is a complex process involving the operation of different factors on various time scales.

Experi mental Study on Vortex-Induced Vibrations of Submarine Pipeline near Seabed Boundary in Ocean Currents

Unlike most previous studies on vortex-induced vibrations of a cylinder far from a boundary, this paper focuses on the influences of close proximity of a submarine pipeline to a rigid seabed boundary upon the dynamic responses of the pipeline in ocean currents. The effects of gap-to-diameter ratio and those of the stability parameter on the amplitude and frequency responses of a pipeline are investigated experimentally with a novel hydro-elastic facility. A comparison is made between the present experimental results of the amplitude and frequency responses for the pipes with seabed boundary effects and those for wall-free cylinders given by Govardhan and Williamson （2000） and Anand （1985）. The comparison shows that the close proximity of a pipeline to seabed has much influence on the vortex-induced vibrations of the pipeline. Both the width of the lock-in ranges in terms of Vr and the dimensionless amplitude ratio Amax/D become larger with the decrease of the gap-to-diameter ratio e/D, Moreover, the vibration of the pipeline becomes easier to occur and its amplitude response becomes more intensive with the decrease of the stability parameter, while tire pipeline frequency responses are affected slightly by the stability parameter.

Analysis on Buckling Performance of Submarine Pipelines During Deepwater Pipe-Laying Operation

Pipes inevitably encounter high ambient pressure and bending moment during the deepwater pipe-laying process,which can lead to elliptical buckling and even deterioration failure.For the safety of pipe-laying operation,available formulas for the pipe stability are established on the basis of the assumption of uniform deformation along the tube length and symmetrical buckling.This method can predict the nonlinear response of elliptical collapse of steel circular tubes for different ratios of diameter to thickness（D/t）under pure bending or combined bending and external pressure.In these formulas,the strain-displacement relationship is deduced from the nonlinear ring theory,and the Ramberg-Osgood constitutive model is applied to simulate the inelastic material behavior.Meanwhile,the principle of virtual work is adopted to derive the equilibrium equations.A set of equations is solved by the Newton-Raphson method,and the iterative scheme contains nested iteration for the constitutive relation.In order to check the effectiveness of this theoretical method,illustrative examples are presented in this paper.Besides,the numerical simulation is carried out by use of ANSYS.A comparison of the results shows that the theoretical method can provide reasonable prediction for engineering practice.

Study on Interaction Relationship for Submarine Pipeline with Axial Corrosion Defects

Corrosion is one of the main reasons to cause the operation accident of submarine oil and gas transmission pipelines. As the major corrosion pattern in submarine pipelines, the effects of corrosion clusters consisting of the adjacent corrosion defects on failure pressure are investigated through non-linear large-deformation finite element method. Typically, the failure behavior and limit strength of submarine pipeline with axial groove- groove corrosion defect pair exposed to interhal pressure are analyzed. The effects of corrosion depth and axial spacing between a pair of corrosion defects on failure pressure are concluded. An interaction relationship for corrosion defects in pipelines, as well as prediction formulations for assessing the remaining strength of corroded pipelines are proposed. The expressions based on the proposed interaction relationship give more accurate results than the methods used in the existing design guidelines.

Application of Tube-Packaged FBG Strain Sensor in Vibration Experi ment of Submarine Pipeline Model

Optical fiber sensors have received increasing attention in the fields of aeronautic and civil engineering for their superior ability to stand explosion, immunity to electromagnetic interference and high accuracy, especially fit for measureroent applications in harsh environment. In this study, a novel FBG （fiber Bragg grating） strain sensor, which is packaged in a 1.2 mm stainless steel tube with epoxy resin, is developed. Experiments are conducted on the universal material testing machine to calibrate its strain transferring characteristics. The sensor has the advantages of small size, high precision and flexible use, and exhibits promising potentials. Five tube-packaged strain FBG sensors have been applied to the vibration experiment of a submarine pipeline model. The strain measttred with the FBG sensor agrees well with that measttred with the electric resistance strain sensor.

Effect of Internal Flow on Vortex-Induced Vibration of Submarine Free Spanning Pipelines

At present, most researches on the vortex-induced vibration of submarine free spanning pipelines ignore the effect of internal flowing fluid; furthermore, there are no research reports considering the coupling effect of internal and external fluid with the free span. In this paper, combining Iwan's wake oscillator model with the differential equation derived for the dynamic response of submarine free spanning pipelines with inclusion of internal flow, the pipe-fluid coupling equations are developed to investigate the effect of internal flow on the vortex-induced vibration of the free spans. The finite element approximation is implemented to derive the matrix equations of equilibrium. The Newmark method combined with simple iteration is used to solve the system of equations. The results indicate that the internal fluid flow may cause the shift of resonance band to the lower frequency and a slight decrease in the peak value; the effect will be more pronounced with the increase of the span length and can be weakened in the presence of the axial tension.

Experimental Study on Free Spanning Submarine Pipeline Under Dynamic Excitation

Seismic load has a significant effect on the response of a free spanning submarine pipeline when the pipeline is constructed in a seismically active region. The model experiment is performed on an underwater shaking table to simulate the response of submarine pipelines under dynamic input. In consideration of the effects of the terrestrial and submarine pipeline, water depth, support condition, distance from seabed, empty and full pipeline, and span on dynamic response, 120 groups of experiments are conducted. Affecting factors are analyzed and conclusions are drawn for reference. For the control of dynamic response, the span of a submarine pipeline is by far more important than the other factors. Meanwhile, the rosponse difference between a submarine pipeline under sine excitation and that under random excitation exists in experiments.

Finite element analysis on thermal upheaval buckling of submarine burial pipelines with initial imperfection

In-service hydrocarbons must be transported at high temperature and high pressure to ease the flow and prevent the solidification of the wax fraction. The pipeline containing hot oil will expand longitudinally due to the rise in temperature. If such expansion is resisted, for example by frictional effects over a kilometer or so of pipeline, compressive axial stress will be built up in the pipe-wall. The compressive forces are often so large that they induce vertical buckling of buffed pipelines, which can jeopardize the structural integrity of the pipeline. A typical initial imperfection named continuous support mode of submarine pipeline was studied. Based on this type of initial imperfection, the analytical solution of vertical thermal buckling was introduced and an elastic-plasticity finite element analysis （FEA） was developed. Both the analytical and the finite element methodology were applied to analyze a practice in Bohai Gulf, China. The analyzing results show that upheaval buckling is most likely to build up from the initial imperfection of the pipeline and the buckling temperature depends on the amplitude of initial imperfection. With the same amplitude of initial imperfection, the triggering temperature difference of upheaval buckling increases with covered depth of the pipeline, the soil strength and the friction between the pipeline and subsoil.

The early-middle Miocene submarine fan system in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea

Based on a large amount of seismic, drilling and core data, the characteristics of the early- middle Miocene submarine fans in the Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea are investigated. By analyzing the sedimentary processes of submarine fans in SQ21 （SQ21 refers to the 3rd-order sequence with its bottom boundary 21 Ma）, a sedimentary model of the sand-rich fans is established and the main factors controlling fan deposition are detailed. The results indicate that from early to middle Miocene the Pearl River Mouth Basin developed seven 3rd-order sequences in all, with each lowstand systems tract （LST） of the sequence corresponding to submarine fans. However, only the fans in SQ13.8 and SQ21 are sand-rich fans, the others being mud-rich fans. The cores reveal that the submarine fans in the Pearl River Mouth Basin developed five lithofacies： （1） mud clast-bearing sandstone, interpreted as channel deposits; （2） typical turbidite sandstones, also interpreted as channel deposits; （3） thin-bedded sandstone and mudstone, interpreted as channel-levee complex deposits; （4） massive sandstones, interpreted as lobe deposits; （5） massive mudstone, interpreted as hemipelagic mud. The sand-rich submarine fans in the Pearl River Mouth Basin mainly developed in LST, and in LST reverse faults were active, which led to the formation of accommodation on the shelf. Different from the theory of classic sequence stratigraphy, the accommodation on the shelf captures terrigenous debris transported by the Pearl River, and the uplift at the edge of shelf serves as a ＂Linear Source＂ for the deep water area instead of the Pearl River. Therefore, the fans mainly derived from the eroded debris from the uplift. Factors controlling fan deposition include the basin＇s tectonic framework, the evolution of the slope break, relative sea-level changes as well as the evolution of the fault system, and the fans are formed under the combination of the above factors.

Oceanic internal solitary waves at the Indonesian submarine wreckage site

On 21 April 2021 local time(20 April UTC),the Indonesian Navy submarine(KRI Nanggala-402)sank near the Lombok Strait,~100 km north of the Bali Island(see magenta star in Fig.1a),with 53 crew members dead.On the basis of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)satellite images(Jackson,2007)。

Runout prediction and dynamic characteristic analysis of a potential submarine landslide in Liwan 3-1 gas field

A large number of submarine landslides with different scales have been identified in the canyon area of the submarine pipeline route of Liwan 3-1 gas field. There is still much chance that submarine slope failures would happen, and the following mass movement would present great risk to the submarine pipeline. In view of this, a numerical prediction method based on Eulerian-Eulerian two-phase flow model is introduced to simulate the mass movement of potential submarine landslides. The sliding soil and ambient water are respectively simulated by Herschel-Bulkley rheology model and Newtonian fluid model. The turbulence is simulated using the k-e model. Compared with both the experiment data and Bing result, the two-phase flow model shows a good accuracy, and its result is more close to the actual situation; the dynamic coupling between soil and ambient water can be effectively simulated and the phenomena of hydroplaning and head detachment can be obtained. Finally, the soil movement of a potential submarine landslide is simulated as an example, according to the seismic profile in the canyon area. The result shows that the hydroplaning occurs during the movement process. The runout distance calculated by the two-phase flow model is 877 m, which is 27.1% larger than the Bing result. However, the peak front velocity of soil is relative small, with a maximum value of 8.32 m/s. The Bing program with a simple and rapid process can be used for a preliminary evaluation, while the two-phase flow model is more appropriate for an accurate assessment.

Multi-factor sensitivity analysis on the stability of submarine hydrate-bearing slope

There are many factors affecting the instability of the submarine hydrate-bearing slope (SHBS),and the interaction with hydrate is very complicated.In this paper,the mechanical mechanism of the static liquefaction and instability of submarine slope caused by the dissociation of natural gas hydrate (NGH) resulting in the rapid increase of pore pressure of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) and the decrease of effective stress are analyzed based on the time series and type of SHBS.Then,taking the typical submarine slope in the northern South China Sea as an example,four important factors affecting the stability of SHBS are selected,such as the degree of hydrate dissociation,the depth of hydrate burial,the thickness of hydrate,and the depth of seawater.According to the principle of orthogonal method,25 orthogonal test schemes with 4 factors and 5 levels are designed and the safety factors of submarine slope stability of each scheme are calculated by using the strength reduction finite element method.By means of the orthogonal design range analysis and the variance analysis,sensitivity of influential factors on stability of SHBS are obtained.The results show that the degree of hydrate dissociation is the most sensitive,followed by hydrate burial depth,the thickness of hydrate and the depth of seawater.Finally,the concept of gas hydrate critical burial depth is put forward according to the influence law of gas hydrate burial depth,and the numerical simulation for specific submarine slope is carried out,which indicates the existence of critical burial depth.