Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
We explore the use of seismic noise produced by rivers to monitor the bed load transport in the case of a low-discharge braided river in the French Alps: the "torrent de St Pierre". For this purpose, we deployed two dedicated seismic networks during summers 2007 and 2008, for which the characteristics of the recorded continuous signal are similar despite changes in the sensor locations. For dry weather conditions, only melting of nearby glaciers controls the supply of water to the stream. In these conditions, the river hydrology and the seismic energy in the 2-80 Hz frequency band both follow a diurnal fluctuation similar to the thermal amplitude. In contrast during rainfall episodes, the temperature variation fails to explain the hydrodynamic changes. Dense cloud covers reduce glacier melting and the recorded seismic energy denotes bursts of high-frequency seismic noise well correlated with water level data. Comparisons between the recorded seismic signals and the collected hydrological and sediment load data indicate that a frequency band of 3-9 Hz best explains the water level changes and thus the seismic waves coming from the flow turbulence. These analyses also reveal the presence of a seismic noise threshold that might be linked to the water shear stress exerted by the flowing water. Using the seismic energy in this frequency band as a proxy of the fluvial shear stress, the seismic-hydrologic relationship may be sensitive to variations in bed load transport. The spectral content of the seismic energy shows patterns consistent with the mobilization of sediment particles. From the interpretations of the seismic wave attenuation of river sources, we finally propose that stations at a distance from the stream less than 50 m are able to record most sediment particles. Farther stations are still useful during extreme events when largest grain sizes are mobilized. More generally this study demonstrates the feasibility of using the river seismic signal to survey bed load transport in various river types from small braided mountain rivers like the "torrent de St Pierre" to the large entrenched Himalayan rivers.
ISSN: 0022-1694

hal-00644789
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00644789
DOI : 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.07.014

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Résumé : low frequency seismic attenuation
International audience
The study of wave attenuation in partially saturated porous rocks over a broad frequency range provides valuable information about the fluid system of reservoirs, which are inherently multiple phase fluid system. Until now, not much laboratory data have been collected in the seismically relevant low frequency range and existing literature data on partially saturated rock are very limited. The main goal of our work is to experimentally measure the bulk seismic attenuation on fluid-bearing rocks, using natural rock samples in an efficient way at in situ conditions. We are currently fine-tuning our attenuation measurement prototype. Preliminary bench-top results are promising and show consistency with reported experimental data with dry, partially and fully fluid saturated rocks. Measurements with the machine are accurate and precise.
ISSN: 1052-3812

hal-00564863
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00564863
DOI : 10.1190/1.3513397

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Oxford University Press (OUP)
Résumé : International audience
Energy dissipation is observed on seismic data when a wave propagates through a porous medium, involving different frequency regimes depending on the nature of rock and fluid types. We focus here on the role of partial fluid saturation in unconsolidated porous media, looking in particular at P-wave phase velocity and attenuation. The study consists in running an experiment in a sand-filled tank partially saturated with water. Seismic propagation in the tank is generated in the kHz range by hitting a steel ball on a granite plate. Seismic data are recorded by buried accelerometers and injecting or extracting water controls the partial saturation. Several imbibition/drainage cycles were performed between the water and gas residual saturations. A Continuous Wavelet Transform applied on seismic records allowed us to extract the direct P-wave at each receiver.We observe an hysteresis in phase velocities and inverse quality factors between imbibition and drainage. Phase velocities and inverse quality factors are then jointly inverted to get a final poro-visco-elastic model of the partially saturated sand that satisfactorily reproduces the data. The model formulation consists in generalizing the Biot theory to effective properties of the fluid and medium (permeability and bulk modulus) in order to properly explain the phase velocity variation as a function of the saturation. The strong level of attenuation measured experimentally is further explained by an anelastic effect due to grain to grain sliding, adding to Biot's losses. This study shows that fluid distribution at microscopic scale has strong influence on the attenuation of direct P-waves at macroscopic scale and confirms that seismic prospection may be a powerful tool for the characterization of transport phenomena in porous media.
ISSN: 0956-540X

hal-00779920
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00779920
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00779920/document
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00779920/file/Barriere_et_al_HAL.pdf
DOI : 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05691.x

Éditeur(s) : HAL CCSD Elsevier
Résumé : International audience
The characteristic frequencies at which two different melt-related attenuation mechanisms occur in partially molten gabbronorite are computed as a function of aspect ratios of the melt-filled cracks, and the melt viscosity. The computations were done for basaltic and andesitic melts. The melt viscosity is constrained by (i) laboratory measurements performed in the range 10(8)-10(14) Pa s with a creep apparatus and in the range 10(-1) to 10(5) Pas with a rotational Couette viscorneter, and (ii) modeling of viscosity at high temperatures. The results of the characteristic frequency calculations suggest that melt squirt flow is a viable attenuation mechanism at seismic frequencies for aspect ratio of melt inclusions in the range 10(-1) to 10(-2) for the andesite, and 10(-4) to 10(-3) for the two basalts.
ISSN: 0031-9201

hal-00412014
https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00412014
DOI : 10.1016/j.pepi.2008.04.010

Éditeur(s) : Amer Geophysical Union
Résumé : The oblique convergence between North American and Caribbean plates is accommodated in a bookshelf faulting manner by active, oblique-normal faults in the northern part of the Lesser Antilles arc. In the last 20 years, two M > 6 earthquakes occurred along a large, arc parallel, en echelon fault system, the 16 March 1985 in Redonda and 21 November 2004 in Les Saintes. A better understanding of active faulting in this region permit us to review the location and magnitude of historical earthquakes by using a regional seismic attenuation law. Several others moderate earthquakes may have occurred along the en echelon fault system implying a strong seismic hazard along the arc. These faults control the effusion of volcanic products and some earthquakes seem to be correlated in time with volcanic unrest. Shallow earthquakes on intraplate faults induced normal stress and pressure changes around neighboring volcano and may have triggered volcanic activity. The Redonda earthquake could have initiated the 1995 eruption of Montserrat's Soufriere Hills by compressing its plumbing system. Conversely, pressure changes under the volcano increased Coulomb stress changes and brought some faults closer to failure, promoting seismicity. We also discuss the magnitude of the largest 11 January 1839 and 8 February 1843 megathrust interplate earthquakes. We calculate that they have increased the stress on some overriding intraplate faults and the extensional strain beneath several volcanoes. This may explain an increase of volcanic and seismic activity in the second half of the 19th century culminating with the devastating, 1902 Mount Pelee eruption.
Journal Of Geophysical Research-solid Earth (0148-0227) (Amer Geophysical Union), 2011-10 , Vol. 116 , N. B10308 , P. 1-26

Droits : Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00200/31097/29515.pdf
DOI:10.1029/2011JB008443
http://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00200/31097/