A feasibility study into the use of UHF-EM transillumination measurements in geophysics is presented. The electrical properties and absorption rates of common crustal materials are examined with the goal of identifying specific conditions under which sufficient material penetration at UHF frequencies is available. / A prototype 445 MHz continuous-wave transillumination instrument designed for underground use is described. Test surveys, with this instrument, were conducted at the Big Nickel Mine in Sudbury, Ontario, to obtain a number of through-rock absorption rates. Estimated effective resistivities of between 500 and 1500 ohm-metres are determined from the survey data. / Effective conductivities and permittivities from AC and DC electrical property measurements on geological samples from the mine site corroborate these transillumination survey results. / The results of the field surveys indicate that the UHF-EM transillumination technique is a feasible and useful geophysical method.

No description available.

No description available.

<p> Near surface soils can greatly influence the amplitude, duration, and frequency content of ground motions. The amount of their influence depends on many factors, such as the geometry and engineering properties of the soils and underlying bedrock, as well as the earthquake source mechanism and travel path. Building codes such as the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) define six site categories for seismic design of structures, which are based on the sites defined by the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). Site categories A, B, C, D, and E are defined by the time averaged shear wave velocity over the top 30 meters of the soil deposit. Site category F is defined as sites that include liquefiable or sensitive soils, as well as sites with more than 3 meters (10 ft) of peat or highly organic clays, more than 7.5 meters (25 ft) of soil with PI > 75, and more than 37 meters (120 ft) of soft to medium stiff clays. The IBC specifies simplified procedures to calculate design spectra for NEHRP sites A through E, and requires a site specific investigation for NEHRP F sites. However, established procedures for performing the required site specific investigations for NEHRP F sites are limited. </p><p> The objective of this research is to develop a simplified procedure to estimate design spectra for non-liquefiable NEHRP F sites, specifically sites with organic soils, highly plastic soils, and deep soft soil deposits. The results from this research will directly affect US practice by developing much needed guidelines in this area. </p><p> There is little empirical data on the seismic response of non-liquefiable NEHRP F sites. As a result, this study focused on generating data from site response analyses. To capture the variability of ground motions, this study selected five base case scenarios according to tectonic environments and representative cases encountered in common US practice. Suites of ground motions for each scenario were created by collecting ground motions from online databases. Some of the ground motions were scaled and others were spectrally matched to their respective target response spectra. Fifteen different NEHRP E and F sites were created for the site response analyses. Seven of the sites are based on actual sites from the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Ottawa, Canada, Guayaquil, Ecuador, and Hokkaido, Japan. The other eight sites are variations of the seven base case sites. This study conducted a total of 14,541 site response analyses using a well documented site response analysis program. </p><p> This study then developed a simplified model to estimate response spectra for non-liquefiable NEHRP F sites. The simplified model was developed in two stages. In the first stage, the results for each site were regressed separately against the ground motion intensity to estimate the effect of the ground motion scenario. In the second stage, the site specific coefficients calculated from the first stage were regressed against site properties to determine their site dependence. These two parts were then combined to form the final model. The simplified model was validated against a separate database than the one used to develop it. This validation database consisted of 24 effective stress nonlinear site response analyses for three sites and eight ground motion scenarios. </p><p> The simplified model developed in this study does not replace a site response analysis, but rather augments it. It is hoped that the results of this dissertation will help practicing engineers gain a better understanding of their site before conducting site response analyses</p>

Development work in the field of mineral borehole logging was made in the areas of instrumentation, field testing, data processing and interpretation. / Instrumentation work included a VLF logging tool compatible with a field digital computer configured to perform log instrumentation control, numerical data acquisition and recording together with video screen graphic display. Significant improvements in the overall precision and reliability of the logging operation has been realized through the use of digital technology. / The field tests included the measurements of the following parameters: electrical resistivity, induced polarization, spontaneous polarization, electromagnetic field ratio and phase difference and temperature. The tests were performed for a wide variety of environments and targets including massive and disseminated sulfides, structural problems, coal and gold fields on properties located in Eastern Canada from Sudbury to Cape Breton Island. / The interpretation of the data yields information complementing core information such as detection of materials with some electric property contrast, localization of off-hole mineralization both in massive and disseminated form and determination of absolute value of specific in-situ rock physical properties. A better understanding of several underground processes (such as SP, uniform field induction, etc.) has resulted from the project.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 192-194). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph. D.) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1966. / Prepared under NR 083-157, Contract Nonr 1841(74) Office of Naval Research. Bibliography: leaves 184-187.

Thesis (M.S. in Geophysics)--A. & M. College of Texas.

<p> Hydrocarbon recovery rates within the Niobrara Shale are estimated as low as 2&ndash;8%. These recovery rates are controlled by the ability to effectively hydraulic fracture stimulate the reservoir using multistage horizontal wells. Subsequent to any mechanical issues that affect production from lateral wells, the variability in production performance and reserve recovery along multistage lateral shale wells is controlled by the reservoir heterogeneity and its consequent effect on hydraulic fracture stimulation efficiency. Using identical stimulation designs on a number of wells that are as close as 600ft apart can yield variable production and recovery rates due to inefficiencies in hydraulic fracture stimulation that result from the variability in elastic rock properties and in-situ stress conditions. </p><p> As a means for examining the effect of the geological heterogeneity on hydraulic fracturing and production within the Niobrara Formation, a 3D geomechanical model is derived using geostatistical methods and volumetric calculations as an input to hydraulic fracture stimulation. The 3D geomechanical model incorporates the faults, lithological facies changes and lateral variation in reservoir properties and elastic rock properties that best represent the static reservoir conditions pre-hydraulic fracturing. Using a 3D numerical reservoir simulator, a hydraulic fracture predictive model is generated and calibrated to field diagnostic measurements (DFIT) and observations (microseismic and 4D/9C multicomponent time-lapse seismic). By incorporating the geological heterogeneity into the 3D hydraulic fracture simulation, a more representative response is generated that demonstrate the variability in hydraulic fracturing efficiency along the lateral wells that will inevitability influence production performance. </p><p> Based on the 3D hydraulic fracture simulation results, integrated with microseismic observations and 4D/9C time-lapse seismic analysis (post-hydraulic fracturing &amp; post production), the variability in production performance within the Niobrara Shale wells is shown to significantly be affected by the lateral variability in reservoir quality, well and stage positioning relative to the target interval, and the relative completion efficiency. The variation in reservoir properties, faults, rock strength parameters, and in-situ stress conditions are shown to influence and control the hydraulic fracturing geometry and stimulation efficiency resulting in complex and isolated induced fracture geometries to form within the reservoir. This consequently impacts the effective drainage areas, production performance and recovery rates from inefficiently stimulated horizontal wells. </p><p> The 3D simulation results coupled with the 4D seismic interpretations illustrate that there is still room for improvement to be made in optimizing well spacing and hydraulic fracturing efficiency within the Niobrara Formation. Integrated analysis show that the Niobrara reservoir is not uniformly stimulated. The vertical and lateral variability in rock properties control the hydraulic fracturing efficiency and geometry. Better production is also correlated to higher fracture conductivity. 4D seismic interpretation is also shown to be essential for the validation and calibration hydraulic fracture simulation models. The hydraulic fracture modeling also demonstrations that there is bypassed pay in the Niobrara B chalk resulting from initial Niobrara C chalk stimulation treatments. Forward modeling also shows that low pressure intervals within the Niobrara reservoir influence hydraulic fracturing and infill drilling during field development.</p><p>