Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2022, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (5): 229-245.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2021.9.30

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Long-term in situ observation of pore pressure in marine sediments: A review of technology development and future outlooks

CHEN Tian1,2(), JIA Yonggang1,3,*(), LIU Tao1,3, LIU Xiaolei1,3, SHAN Hongxian1,3, SUN Zhongqiang1   

  1. 1. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Coastal Science and Integrated Management, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
    3. Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China
  • Received:2021-01-05 Revised:2021-03-27 Online:2022-09-25 Published:2022-08-24
  • Contact: JIA Yonggang

Abstract:

Pore pressure in marine sediments is an important seabed stability indicator due to its sensitivity to marine geological hazards. Seabed stability can be assessed by measuring pore pressure accumulation in marine sediments, which is important for the forecast and early warning of marine geological hazards. However, there are several technical challenges in deep-ocean pore pressure observation, such as (1) high-resolution measurement under ultra-high background hydrostatic pressure; (2) sensor over-range damage during penetration process; (3) long-term power supply and sensor drift; and (4) equipment deployment and recovery off deep ocean floor. The international deep-ocean pore pressure observation technology has been developed since the 1960s to yield a series of core technologies and commercial products. The NGI-Illinois Differential Piezometer Probe System, jointly developed by Norwegian Geotechnical Institute and University of Illinois, is known as the earliest observational equipment. Since then, USGS, Sandia National Laboratory, Oxford University, etc. have developed various observational equipments covering shallow to the deep sea. Thereinto, PUPPI, a pop-up pore pressure instrument developed by UK's Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, marked an important historical achievement. At the time it was the most successful observational equipment that could continuously operate 6000 m underwater for one year, and its advanced design concept was widely borrowed by subsequent equipment developers. Since the 21st century, benefited from the overall progress in marine science and technology, the technology development for pore pressure observation has shown an accelerated trend. At the moment, the Piezometer series equipment, developed by the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), represents today's advanced level and is probably the most frequently used equipment worldwide. China started late in its deep-ocean exploration and observation technology development, including deep-ocean pore pressure observation. Currently, exploratory observational technology developments are carried out by Ocean University of China, Ministry of Natural Resources First Institute of Oceanography, etc. In recent years, a large number of national marine construction projects are in full swing, marked by the construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the test mining of natural gas hydrate in the South China Sea, and new marine industries start quickly in the areas of deep-sea oil and gas resources development and deep-sea natural gas hydrate exploitation. Therefore, it is urgent to develop domestic long-term in situ marine observation technology with independent intellectual property rights. In providing a reference for such endeavor, this paper reviews the international and domestic research progress in observation technology for pore pressure in seabed sediments, sought to summarize its core technologies and key application problems.

Key words: long-term in situ observation, pore pressure, marine sediments, geological disaster, marine engineering

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