Results of seismic surveys are routinely used to assess the presence of methane hydrate in deep
ocean sediments. Accurate estimates of hydrate distribution and volume within the sediment are
required to assess the potential of gas hydrate as an energy resource, driver for climate change or
as a geotechnical hazard. However, seismic velocity may be affected not only by the quantity and
morphology of the hydrate, but also by the properties of the host sediment, for example its
particle size distribution and grain shape. This paper reports the results of experiments conducted
to determine dynamic geophysical properties such as compressional wave velocity (Vp), shear
wave velocity (Vs) and their respective attenuation measurements (Qp
-1 and Qs
-1) of specimens
with varying amounts of disseminated methane hydrate within materials with different particle
shapes and sizes. The results show that the impact of disseminated hydrate is affected both by
mean particle size and by particle sphericity, with the surface area of the sediment grains
influencing the spread of hydrate throughout a material and therefore it’s bonding capabilities.
The sediments with 10% hydrate content show the highest surface areas correspond to the least
increase in seismic velocity while sediments with low surface areas gives the most.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/1794 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Kingston, Emily, Clayton, Chris R.I., Priest, Jeffery, Best, Angus I. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Priest, Jeffrey |
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