A Field Investigation on the Effects of Background Erosion on the Free Span Development of a Submarine Pipeline

The safety of submarine pipelines is largely influenced by free spans and corrosions. Previous studies on free spans caused by seabed scours are mainly based on the stable environment, where the background seabed scour is in equilibrium and the soil is homogeneous. To study the effects of background erosion on the free span development of subsea pipelines, a submarine pipe- line located at the abandoned Yellow River subaqueous delta lobe was investigated with an integrated surveying system which in- eluded a Multibeam bathymetric system, a dual-frequency side-scan sonar, a high resolution sub-bottom profiler, and a Magnetic Flux Leakage （MFL） sensor. We found that seabed homogeneity has a great influence on the free span development of the pipeline. More specifically, for homogeneous background scours, the morphology of scour hole below the pipeline is quite similar to that without the background scour, whereas for inhomogeneous background scour, the nature of spanning is mainly dependent on the evolution of seabed morphology near the pipeline. Magnetic Flux Leakage （MFL） detection results also reveal the possible connec- tion between long free spans and accelerated corrosion of the pipeline.

Marine Engineering Geological Exploration Information System(MEGEIS):A GIS-based Application to Marine Resources Exploitation

Based on the ArcGIS geographic information system and the ORACLE database management system,this paper reports our studies on the technology of Marine Engineering Geological Exploration Information System(MEGEIS). By analyzing system structure,designing function modules and discussing data management,this paper systematically proposes a framework of technol-ogy to integrate,manage,and analyze the seabed information comprehensively. Then,the technology is applied to the design and development of the Bohai Sea Oilfield Paradigm Area Information System. The system can not only meet the practical demands of marine resources exploration and exploitation in the Bohai Sea oilfield,but also serve as a preparatory work in theory and technology for the realization of the 'Digital Seabed'.

Size Distribution of Submarine Landslides Along the Middle Continental Slope of the East China Sea

This paper investigates the size distribution of submarine landslides on the middle continental slope of the East China Sea (ECS) using the size of the landslide source regions. Geomorphometric mapping is used to identify 102 mass movements from multibeam bathymetric data and to extract morphological information about the head scarps and side walls. These mass movements have areas ranging between 0.06 km2 and 15.51 km2 and volumes between 0.002 km3 and 2 km3. The area vs volume relationship of these failure scarps is approximately linear, suggesting a fairly uniform failure thickness in each event with scarce deep excavating landslides. The cumulative area distribution of the slope failures can be described by an inverse power law. The submarine landslides on the mid-ECS continental slope could be considered as a large-scale self-organizing system because they have the characteristics of a dissipative system in a critical state.

Sedimentary Evolution of the Holocene Subaqueous Clinoform off the Southern Shandong Peninsula in the Western South Yellow Sea

Based on the stratigraphic sequence formed since the last glaciation and revealed by 3000 km long high-resolution shallow seismic profiles and the core QDZ03 acquired recently off the southern Shandong Peninsula, we addressed the sedimentary characteristics of a Holocene subaqueous clinoform in this paper. Integrated analyses were made on the core QDZ03, including sedimentary facies, sediment grain sizes, clay minerals, geochemistry, micro paleontology, and AMS 14 C dating. The result indicates that there exists a Holocene subaqueous clinoform, whose bottom boundary generally lies at 15–40 m below the present sea level with its depth contours roughly parallel to the coast and getting deeper seawards. The maximum thickness of the clinoform is up to 22.5 m on the coast side, and the thickness contours generally spread in a banded way along the coastline and becomes thinner towards the sea. At the mouths of some bays along the coast, the clinoform stretches in the shape of a fan and its thickness is evidently larger than that of the surrounding sediments. This clinoform came into being in the early Holocene(about 11.2 cal kyr BP) and can be divided into the lower and upper depositional units(DU 2 and DU 1, respectively). The unit DU 2, being usually less than 3 m in thickness and formed under a low sedimentation rate, is located between the bottom boundary and the Holocene maximum flooding surface(MFS), and represents the sediment of a post-glacial transgressive systems tract; whereas the unit DU 1, the main body of the clinoform, sits on the MFS, belonging to the sediment of a highstand systems tract from middle Holocene(about 7–6 cal kyr BP) to the present. The provenance of the clinoform differs from that of the typical sediments of the Yellow River and can be considered as the results of the joint contribution from both the Yellow River and the proximal coastal sediments of the Shandong Peninsula, as evidenced by the sediment geochemistry of the core. As is controlled mainly by coactions of multiple factors such as the Holocene sea-level changes, sediment supplies and coastal dynamic conditions, the development of the clinoform is genetically related with the synchronous clinoform or subaqueous deltas around the northeastern Shandong Peninsula and in the northern South Yellow Sea in the spatial distribution and sediment provenance, as previously reported, with all of them being formed from the initial stage of the Holocene up to the present.

Stress Analysis of Top Tensioned Riser Under Random Waves and Vessel Motions

The bending stresses of top tensioned riser(TTR) under combined excitations of currents,random waves and vessel motions are presented in this paper,and the effect of the internal flowing fluid on the riser stresses is also considered.The computation programs which are used to solve the differential equations in the time domain are compiled and the principal factors of concern including the angular movements at the upper and lower ends of the riser,lateral displacements and bending stresses are presented.Then the effects of current velocity,random wave,top tension,vessel mean offset,low frequency motion and internal flow velocity on the bending stresses of the riser are analyzed in detail.

Experimental Study on Ocean Internal Wave Force on Vertical Cylinders in Different Depths

A series of experimental studies about the force of internal solitary wave and internal periodic wave on vertical cylinders have been carried out in a two-dimensional layered internal wave flume. The internal solitary waves are produced by means of gravitational collapse at the layer thickness ratio of 0.2, and the internal periodic waves are produced with rocker-flap wave maker at the layer thickness ratio of 0.93. The wave parameters are obtained through dyeing photography. The vertical cylinders of the same size are arranged in different depths. The horizontal force on each cylinder is measured and the vertical distribution rules are researched. The internal wave heights are changed to study the impact of wave heights on the force. The results show that the horizontal force of concave type internal solitary wave on vertical cylinder in the upper-layer fluid has the same direction as the wave propagating, while it has an opposite direction in the lower-layer. The horizontal force is not evenly distributed in the lower fluid. And the force at different depths increases along with wave height. Internal solitary wave can produce an impact load on the entire pile. The horizontal force of internal periodic waves on the vertical cylinders is periodically changed at the frequency of waves. The direction of the force is opposite in the upper and lower layers, and the value is close. In the upper layer except the depth close to the interface, the force is evenly distributed; but it tends to decrease with the deeper depth in the lower layer. A periodic shear load can be produced on the entire pile by internal periodic waves, and it may cause fatigue damage to structures.

Research on reservoir bed heterogeneity,interlayers and seal layers and controlling factors of 2+3 sands of upper second member,Shahejie Formation,in the west of the Pucheng Oilfield

Terminal fans have formed the sedimentary system of the 2＋3 sands of the upper second member, Shahejie formation in the west of the Pucheng Oilfield, Bohai Bay Basin, East China. Based on well logging data and physical properties of the reservoir beds, the 2＋3 sands were divided into 16 sublayers. The heterogeneity of reservoir beds and distribution of interlayers and seal layers in the 2＋3 sands were investigated. The intra-layer heterogeneity and inter-layer heterogeneity primarily belong to the severely heterogeneous classification. The spatial differentiation of sedimentary microfacies resulted in a change of reservoir bed heterogeneity, strong in the middle and southern parts, weak in the northern part. Spatial distribution of interlayers and seal layers is dominated by sedimentary microfacies, and they are thick in north-eastern and middle parts, thin in the south-western part.

Late Quaternary Strata and Carbon Burial Records in the Yellow River Delta, China

Sediment carbon sequestration plays an essential role in mitigating atmospheric CO2 increases and the subsequently global greenhouse effect. To clarify the late Quaternary strata and carbon burial records in YeUow River delta （YRD）, detailed analysis of benthic foraminifera, total carbon （TC）, organic carbon （Corg）, sedimentary characteristics and moisture contents of sediments, was performed on core ZK3, 30.3 m in length and obtained from YRD in 2007. Eight depositional units （designated U1-U8 in ascending order） were identified. A comprehensive analysis method of historical geography and sedimentary geology was used to de- termine the precise depositional ages of the modem Yellow River delta （MYRD）, from which pre-MYRD ages were deduced. The results indicates that the maximum burial rates of TC, inorganic carbon （IC） and Corg occurred in the delta front （U5）, and the mini- mum in the shallow sea （U3）. Remarkable high sedimentation rates in the MYRD are responsible for burial efficiency of carbon, with an average rate of Corg burial reaching 2087±251 g（m2yr）-1, and that of IC reaching 13741±808g（m2yr）-1, which are much higher than those of other regions with high contents of Corg. Therefore, YRD has a significant burial efficiency for carbon sequestration.

Nonlinear Coupled in-Line and Cross-Flow Vortex-Induced Vibration Analysis of Top Tensioned Riser

The fluctuating furces of the fluid exerted on the top terrsioned riser （＇FIR） in the in-line and cross-flow directions are both modeled by van del Pol wake oscillator model and the nonlinear coupled dynamics of the in-line and cross-flow vortex-induced vibrations （VIV） of the riser are analyzed in time domain in this papar. The numencal shnulation results of the riser＇s in-line and cross-flow displacements and curvatures are compared with experimental measurements and the comparison shows the validity of this method in modeling some main features of the riser＇s VIV. Finally, the effects of the riser＇s top tensions and internal flow velocities on the coupled vibrations of the riser are investigated.

Composition and Provenance of Sandstones and Siltstones in Paleogene,Huimin Depression,Bohai Bay Basin,Eastern China

This study was conducted to distinguish the compositions and provenance of sandstones and siltstones in the Ek1-Es3 members of Huimin （惠民） depression. The samples have been analyzed for petrographic, major element and selected trace element compositions （including REE）. The results show that the sandstones from the first member of Kongdian （孔店） Formation （Ek1） have higher quartz compositions than those from the fourth member （Es4） and the third member （Es3） of Shahejie （沙河街） Formation. The alkali feldspar/plagioclase ratio in the A-CN-K diagrams decreases in the order Ek1〉Es4〉Es3, which suggests that the Ek1 member had a more alkali feldspar-rich granitoid source and more intense weathering of the source than the Es4 and Es3 members. The mineral distributions in the A-CN-K diagrams also indicate that the sandstones and siltstones in the three members underwent K-metasomatism. Extrapolation of the sandstones and siltstones back to the plagioclase-alkali feldspar line in the A-CN-K diagram suggests a high average plagioclase to alkali feldspar ratio in the provenance （tonalite to granite）. In addition, the chemical index of weathering （CIW） and chemical index of alteration （CIA） parameters of the sandstones and siltstones suggest that the weathering of the first cycle material was intense, and the CIW decreases in the order Ek1〉Es4〉Es3 Trace element ratios suggest all the sedimentary rocks were mostly derived from granitoids. Elemental ratio plots （e.g., Th/Sc vs. Eu/Eu^＊） of sandstones and siltstones suggest a mix of a granodiorite-tonalite source as a source of the sandstones and siltstones. The sandstones and siltstones of Es3 and Es4 members also contain higher Eu/Eu＊ and lower Th/Sc ratios than the sandstones and siltstones of Ek1 member. As is consistent with the petrography, it suggests that the sandstones and siltstones of Es3 and Es4 members are derived from a source with less granite and more granodiorite-tonalite than the sandstones and siltstones of Ek1 member.

Three-Dimensional Finite Element Numerical Simulation and Physical Experiment for Magnetism-Stress Detecting in Oil Casing

The casing damage has been a big problem in oilfield production. The current detection methods mostly are used after casing damage, which is not very effective. With the rapid development of China's offshore oil industry, the number of offshore oil wells is becoming larger and larger. Because the cost of offshore oil well is very high, the casing damage will cause huge economic losses. What's more, it can also bring serious pollution to marine environment. So the effective methods of detecting casing damage are required badly. The accumulation of stress is the main reason for the casing damage. Magnetic anisotropy technique based on counter magnetostriction effect can detect the stress of casing in real time and help us to find out the hidden dangers in time. It is essential for us to prevent the casing damage from occurring. However, such technique is still in the development stage. Previous studies mostly got the relationship between stress and magnetic signals by physical experiment, and the study of physical mechanism in relative magnetic permeability connecting the stress and magnetic signals is rarely reported. The present paper uses the ANSYS to do the three-dimensional finite element numerical simulation to study how the relative magnetic permeability works for the oil casing model. We find that the quantitative relationship between the stress' s variation and magnetic induction intensity's variation is: Δδ =K* ΔB, K = 8.04×109, which is proved correct by physical experiment.

Combined Adaptive Multiple Subtraction Based on Optimized Event Tracing and Extended Wiener Filtering

The surface-related multiple elimination(SRME) method is based on feedback formulation and has become one of the most preferred multiple suppression methods used. However, some differences are apparent between the predicted multiples and those in the source seismic records, which may result in conventional adaptive multiple subtraction methods being barely able to effectively suppress multiples in actual production. This paper introduces a combined adaptive multiple attenuation method based on the optimized event tracing technique and extended Wiener filtering. The method firstly uses multiple records predicted by SRME to generate a multiple velocity spectrum, then separates the original record to an approximate primary record and an approximate multiple record by applying the optimized event tracing method and short-time window FK filtering method. After applying the extended Wiener filtering method, residual multiples in the approximate primary record can then be eliminated and the damaged primary can be restored from the approximate multiple record. This method combines the advantages of multiple elimination based on the optimized event tracing method and the extended Wiener filtering technique. It is an ideal method for suppressing typical hyperbolic and other types of multiples, with the advantage of minimizing damage of the primary. Synthetic and field data tests show that this method produces better multiple elimination results than the traditional multi-channel Wiener filter method and is more suitable for multiple elimination in complicated geological areas.

Seismic geomorphology of buried channel systems in the western South Huanghai Sea:retrodiction for paleo-environments

Quantitative morphologic analysis of shallowly buried, dendritic channel systems in the continental shelf off the abandoned Huanghe River （Yellow River） mouth has been made based on interpretation of high resolution seismic profiles, with the attempt to estimate the paleo-hydrologic parameters when the incised-channels formed, then assess the paleoenvironment. The results indicate that the buried channel systems were formed about 44 cal ka BP when the shelf was subaerially exposed and subsequently drowned and filled during the Holocene transgression with the sea level rise continuously. The study area has experienced the processes from fluvial and estuarine to fully marine.

Time-Domain Full Waveform Inversion Using the Gradient Preconditioning Based on Transmitted Wave Energy

The gradient preconditioning approach based on seismic wave energy can effectively avoid the huge memory consumption of the gradient preconditioning algorithms based on the Hessian matrix. However, the accuracy of this approach is prone to be influ- enced by the energy of reflected waves. To tackle this problem, the paper proposes a new gradient preconditioning method based on the energy of transmitted waves. The approach scales the gradient through a precondition factor, which is calculated by the ‘ap- proximate transmission wavefield’ simulation based on the nonreflecting acoustic wave equation. The method requires no computing nor storing of the Hessian matrix and its inverse matrix. Furthermore, the proposed method can effectively eliminate the effects of geometric spreading and disproportionality in the gradient illumination. The results of model experiments show that the time-domain full waveform inversion (FWI) using the gradient preconditioning based on transmitted wave energy can achieve higher inversion accuracy for deep high-velocity bodies and their underlying strata in comparison with the one using the gradient preconditioning based on seismic wave energy. The field marine seismic data test shows that our proposed method is also highly applicable to the FWI of field marine seismic data.

The Character and Formation of Elongated Depressions on the Upper Bulgarian Slope

Seafloor elongated depressions are indicators of gas seepage or slope instability. Here we report a sequence of slopeparallel elongated depressions that link to headwalls of sediment slides on upper slope. The depressions of about 250 m in width and several kilometers in length are areas of focused gas discharge indicated by bubble-release into the water column and methane enriched pore waters. Sparker seismic profiles running perpendicular and parallel to the coast, show gas migration pathways and trapped gas underneath these depressions with bright spots and seismic blanking. The data indicate that upward gas migration is the initial reason for fracturing sedimentary layers. In the top sediment where two young stages of landslides can be detected, the slopeparallel sediment weakening lengthens and deepens the surficial fractures, creating the elongated depressions in the seafloor supported by sediment erosion due to slope-parallel water currents.

Numerical simulation of seismic wavefields in TTI media using the rotated staggered-grid compact finite-difference scheme

Numerical simulation in transverse isotropic media with tilted symmetry axis（TTI） using the standard staggered-grid finite-difference scheme（SSG）results in errors caused by averaging or interpolation. In order to eliminate the errors, a method of rotated staggered-grid finite-difference scheme（RSG） is proposed. However, the RSG brings serious numerical dispersion. The compact staggered-grid finite-difference scheme（CSG） is an implicit difference scheme, which use fewer grid points to suppress dispersion more effectively than the SSG. This paper combines the CSG with the RSG to derive a rotated staggered-grid compact finite-difference scheme（RSGC）. The numerical experiments indicate that the RSGC has weaker numerical dispersion and better accuracy than the RSG.

Distribution and Provenance of Detrital Minerals in Southern Coast of Shandong Peninsula

Detrital minerals of 137 offshore and 22 river sediment samples collected from Qingdao coastal areas have been analyzed. Four mineral assemblage provinces can be classified by Q-mode cluster analysis. Factor analysis identifies two major factors that account for the total variability in most common minerals: 1) based on the relationship of quartz, hornblende, actinolite, micas, and authigenic pyrite, 41.55% of the variability is related to sediment sources; 2) based on the relationship of epidote, garnet, sphere, and ilmenite, 23.21% can be related to strong hydrodynamic conditions that control transport and sedimentation. By comparing mineral compositions of river waters in the study area, the following four mineral provenances can be identified. The Qingdao-Laoshan nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-epidote-hornblende-limenite-limonite-sphene assemblage, which is largely attributed to relict sediment and coastal erosion. The Jimo-Haiyang nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-hornblende-epidote-limonite-mica-actinolite assemblage, derived largely from the Wulong River and Rushan River, and is also affected by the Huanghe River, while the Qianliyan Island area in the deeper offshore area separated by a mud belt has a similar assemblage. The Haiyang-Rushan nearshore area has a quartz-feldspar-hornblende-epidote-micas-limonite assemblage, indicating multiple sources from the Rushan River, the Wulong River, the Huanghe River, and coastal erosion. The central area, located in an eddy center, has a mica-authigenic pyrite-hornblende-quartz-feldspar assemblage, indicating multiple sources dominated by Huanghe River distal sediments.

Distribution of potential geological hazards and control factors in Qingdao offshore, China

Engineering construction actively occurs in coastal zones, and these areas have numerous potential geological hazard factors. Since 2009, the development of geological surveys in sea areas has promoted extensive geophysical surveys in Qingdao offshore. In the present study, the types and distribution of potential geological hazard factors were systematically revealed using sub-bottom profile data, side-scan sonar data, and single-channel seismic data, among others. Based on previous research findings, the potential geological hazard factors are classified, and control factors in Qingdao offshore are discussed. The research results show that the primary potential geological hazards include active faults, buried paleo channels, shallow gas, irregular bedrock, eroded gullies, estuary deltas, tidal sand ridges, and seawater intrusion. In addition, neotectonic movement, sea level changes and sedimentary dynamic processes were the main factors that affected the distribution of geological hazards in Qingdao offshore.

Internal Multiple Prediction Based on Imaging Profile Prediction and Kirchhoff Demigration

This paper introduces an internal multiple prediction method based on imaging profile prediction and Kirchhoff demigration.First,based on an inputted prestack time migration profile,the method predicts the prestack time migration profile that only includes internal multiples by inverse scattering series method.Second,the method uses velocity-weighted Kirchhoff demigration to create shot gathers that contains only internal multiples.Internal multiple prediction based on the prestack time migration profile effectively reduces the computational cost of multiple predictions,and the internal-multiple shot gathers created by Kirchhoff demigration remarkably reduces the complexity of the practical problem.Internal multiple elimination can be conducted through the combined adaptive multiple subtraction based on event tracing.Synthetic and field data tests show that the method effectively predicts internal multiples and possesses considerable potential in field data processing,particularly in areas where internal multiples develop seriously.

Magnetic Characteristics of Surface Sediments of Liaodong Bay, China

Analysis of magnetic properties of marine surface sediments has been gradually proved to be one of the effective means for researching the source of marine sediments. In this paper, samples from 39 sites in Liaodong Bay were collected to analyze the magnetic characteristics of the surface sediments. Magnetic study indicated that the surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay are char- acterized by magnetite. In the middle and eastern part and the southwest comer of the Bay, the main magnetic grains were coarse multi- domain and pseudo-single-domain particles, while in other areas single-domain and pseudo-single-domain particles constitute the majority. Based on grain size and environmental magnetism data, the content of magnetic minerals has a positive correlation with the hydrodynamic environment when the magnetic mineral domain is finer. However, the content of magnetic minerals is in a complex relationship with the hydrodynamic environment in the coarse magnetic domain of magnetic minerals found in central Liaodong Bay and places outside the Fuzhou Bay, implying that the strong hydrodynamic environment accelerates the sedimentation of coarse magnetic minerals. Based on geographic pattern of magnetic properties, it can be inferred that the main provenance of the surface sediments of the Liaodong Bay is the surrounding rivers, and the comparative analysis indicates that Yellow River substances maybe also exist in the bay.