Ultrasonic wave measurements on frozen soils at permafrost temperatures

Kurfurst, P J

doi:10.1139/e76-163

Cited by 23 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Figure 2 shows the result for specimens containing less than 40 % clay-sized particles; Figure 3 shows the results for those containing 40 % or more clay-sized particles. Descriptions of the Mackenzie River samples and some Vp measurements have been reported by Kurfurst (1976). Descriptions of the Beaufort Sea samples and Vp measurements have been reported by ..…”

Section: Test Specimens and Experimental Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Theoretical aspects of these points have been discussed in considerable detail in a review prepared by Anderson and Morgenstern (1973). Experimental studies of the factors referred to have been reported by Timur (1968), Nakano et ale (1972), Kurfurst (1976), King (1977), Pandit and King (1979), King et ale (1982), and King and Garg (1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…In earlier studies, elastic wave velocities were measured by the author under contracts with the Geological Survey of Canada [Kurfurst (1976)] and Panarctic Oils Ltd. [King et a1. (1982) .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The influence of clay-sized particles on seismic velocity for Canadian Arctic permafrost

King¹

1984

Can. J. Earth Sci.

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Seismic-wave velocities have been measured on 37 unconsolidated permafrost samples as a function of temperature in the range -16 to +5 °C. The samples, taken from a number of locations in the Canadian Arctic islands, the Beaufort Sea, and the Mackenzie River valley, were tighty sealed immediately upon recovery in several layers of polyethylene film and maintained in their frozen state during storage, specimen preparation, and until they were tested under controlled environmental conditions. During testing, the specimens were subjected to a constant hydrostatic confining stress of 0.35 MPa (50 psi) under drained conditions. At no stage was a deviatoric stress applied to the permafrost specimens. The fraction of clay-sized particles in the test specimens varied from almost zero to approximately 65%. At temperatures below -2 °C the compressional-wave velocity was observed to be a strong function of the fraction of clay-sized particles, but only a weak function of porosity. At temperatures above 0 °C the compressional-wave velocity was observed to be a function only of porosity, with virtually no dependence upon the fraction of clay-sized particles. Calculation of the fractional ice content of the permafrost pore space from the Kuster and Toksöz theory showed that for a given fraction of clay-sized particles the ice content increases with an increase in porosity. It is concluded that the compressional-wave velocity for unconsolidated permafrost from the Canadian Arctic is a function of the water-filled porosity, irrespective of the original porosity, clay content, or temperature.

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Section: Test Specimens and Experimental Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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The influence of clay-sized particles on seismic velocity for Canadian Arctic permafrost

King¹

1984

Can. J. Earth Sci.

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“…65 to 3· 80 km s'). Recent work on Arctic frozen soil has shown that field velocities can be consistently predicted from laboratory determinations using ultrasonic waves (Kurfurst 1976), and so we took a number of our water-saturated samples and froze them at -5°c. The results (Fig.…”

Section: Using the Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Densities, porosities, and seismic velocities of some rocks from Victoria Land, Antarctica

Barrett

Froggatt

1978

New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics

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Density, porosity, and compressional wave velocity have been measured in the laboratory for 7S samples representing the major rock units of Victoria Land and the adjacent sea floor.Granitic and metamorphic rocks from the Late Precambrian-Early Paleozoic basement show significant differences in saturated density (2' 66 and 2' 77 Mg m") and velocity (4· 7 and 5' 3 km s"). Low rank metasedimentary and sedimentary rocks from north Victoria Land give intermediate values. Field-measured velocities in granite are O: 9 km s" higher than laboratory velocities for surface granitic rocks, but are in the same range as velocities from granite cored below 156 mat DVDP Site 6.The basement rocks are overlain by the Beacon Supergroup, a flat-lying sandstone sequence up to 2 km thick and of Devonian to Triassic age. The physical properties of Beacon samples show a wide range (density 2· 22-2·61 Mg m"; porosity 6-21%; velocity 2· 2-4'4 km s"); there appears to be no consistent relationship between these properties and lithology or stratigraphic position. The Beacon Supergroup is intruded by extensive sills of Jurassic dolerite 30 to 300 m thick, and these are much more consistent in density and velocity (2'90Mg m· 3 and 5·skm s"). Field measurement, however, indicates a velocity 1· 1 km s" higher at depth. Because no other major known rock type in the region has a higher velocity, Beacon and older rocks beneath the uppermost major dolerite sill will be inaccessible by seismic refraction techniques.Early Cenozoic sediments are known mainly from erratics around McMurdo Sound, but have recently been found at DSDP Site 270, 400 km to the east. They have a shallow marine character and are typically calcareous. The range in density (2·40-2· 71 Mg rn") and velocity (3. 0-4'2 km s") overlaps considerably with the Beacon samples. The widespread Late Cenozoic sediments beneath the Ross Sea, which are largely pebbly mudstone of glacial origin, are significantly different (1. 68-2 ·12 Mg rn" and 1· 6-2'6 km s") from the older pre-glacial strata.The McMurdo Volcanic Group includes Late Cenozoic basaltic and intermediate rocks, which at DVDP Site 3 have densities and velocities of 2· 77 and 2· 21 Mg m", and 4· 6 and 2'6 km s" for a flow-dominated and a pyroclastic sequence respectively. These data are consistent with Robinson's suggestion of a 2 km-thick layer of volcanic ash overlying basalt beneath the sea floor south and west of Hut Point. However, farther out in McMurdo Sound the velocity gradient beneath the sea floor is steep, and the upper kilometre of strata there is believed to include both Early and Late Cenozoic sedimentary rocks.

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“…Hence, seismic and acoustic logging methods constitute the best way to quantify the degree of ice and water saturation. Laboratory measurements of acoustic velocities in frozen porous media have been reported by several researchers, notably Nakano, Martin and Smith (1972), King (1977) and Kurfurst (1976). All of them observed a sharp increase in velocities as the temperature was decreased below 0ЊC, mainly in sandstone samples.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Seismic and ultrasonic velocities in permafrost

Carcione

Seriani

1998

Geophysical Prospecting

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We calculate the compressional‐ and shear‐wave velocities of permafrost as a function of unfrozen water content and temperature. Unlike previous theories based on simple slowness and/or moduli averaging or two‐phase models, we use a Biot‐type three‐phase theory that considers the existence of two solids (solid and ice matrices) and a liquid (unfrozen water). The compressional velocity for unconsolidated sediments obtained with this theory is close to the velocity computed with Wood's model, since Biot's theory involves a Wood averaging of the moduli of the single constituents. Moreover, the model gives lower velocities than the well‐known slowness averaging theory (Wyllie's equation). For consolidated Berea sandstone, the theory underestimates the value of the compressional velocity below 0°C. Computing the average bulk moduli by slowness averaging the ice and solid phases and Wood averaging the intermediate moduli with the liquid phase yields a fairly good fit of the experimental data. The proportion of unfrozen water and temperature are closely related. Fitting the wave velocity at a given temperature allows the prediction of the velocity at the whole range of temperatures, provided that the average pore radius and its standard deviation are known.

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Ultrasonic wave measurements on frozen soils at permafrost temperatures

Cited by 23 publications

References 1 publication

The influence of clay-sized particles on seismic velocity for Canadian Arctic permafrost

The influence of clay-sized particles on seismic velocity for Canadian Arctic permafrost

Densities, porosities, and seismic velocities of some rocks from Victoria Land, Antarctica

Seismic and ultrasonic velocities in permafrost

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