Some seismic, electrical and thermal properties of sub-seabottom permafrost samples from the Beaufort Sea

• Main Authors: M. S. King, J. A. Hunter
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1982
• Subjects: Mackenzie River; Mer de Beaufort; Beaufort Sea; Mackenzie river; permafrost
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.597.1643; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/cpc/cpc4-268.pdf

Ultrasonic compressional and shear-wave velocities, complex resistivity and phase-angle relation-ships, and thermal conductivity have been measured in the laboratory at subzero temperatures on sub-seabottom samples of sand, silt, and clay permafrost recovered from the Beaufort Sea. The physical properties of the off-shore permafrost samples are similar to those measured on similar samples of on-shore permafrost recovered from the Mackenzie River; the slight differences observed are attributed to the slightly saline pore fluid solutions contained in the off-shore permafrost. The compressional-wave velocities measured in the laboratory agree well with those inferred from seismic and temperature surveys conducted in the same areas as those from which the test samples were obtained. In view of the generally higher temperatures observed in permafrost off-shore than on-shore, it is concluded that more measurements are required of the physical properties of off-shore permafrost in the critical temperature range- 2 to 1°C. En laboratoire, a des temperatures inferieures a zero, on a mesure sur des echantillons de pergelisol composes de sable, de limon et d'argile, et preleves dans les fonds marins de la mer de Beaufort, les vitesses de propagation d'ondes ultrasoniques (ondes de cisaillement et ondes de compression), ainsi que des relations complexes de rtsistivite et de dephasage et la conductibilite thermique caracterisant