Dip Structure Research Articles

Comparison of tunneling spectra for normal and charge density wave states in 1T-TiSe2

The tunneling spectrum of 1T-TiSe2 in the charge density wave (CDW) state shows a dip structure below the Fermi level, and it is unclear whether this dip is a CDW gap. Answering this question is important because information regarding the CDW gap estimated from the dip is referred in discussions of the driving mechanism of this CDW. Therefore, we used scanning tunneling microscopy/scanning tunneling spectroscopy to acquire tunneling spectra for the normal and CDW states in TiSe2 and compared the spectra. Specifically, we measured pure TiSe2 at 293 K (>TCDW) and 4.2 K (<TCDW) and annealed TiSe2, in which the CDW is suppressed. As a result, we found that the tunneling spectra for the normal states exhibit a dip below the Fermi level similar to the spectrum for the CDW state. These results indicate that the dip itself is not a CDW gap.

Magnetotelluric insights into the formation and reactivation of trans-crustal shear zones in Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent

Three-dimensional inversion of regional long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data reveals the presence of two distinct sets of high-conductivity belts in the Precambrian basement of the eastern U.S. Midcontinent. One set, beneath Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and western Ohio, is defined by northwest−southeast-oriented conductivity structures; the other set, beneath Kentucky, West Virginia, western Virginia, and eastern Ohio, includes structures that are generally oriented northeast−southwest. The northwest-trending belts occur mainly in Paleoproterozoic crust, and we suggest that their high conductivity values are due to graphite precipitated within trans-crustal shear zones from intrusion-related CO2-rich fluids. Our MT inversion results indicate that some of these structures dip steeply through the crust and intersect the Moho, which supports an interpretation that the shear zones originated as “leaky” transcurrent faults or transforms during the late Paleoproterozoic or the early Mesoproterozoic. The northeast-trending belts are associated with Grenvillian orogenesis and also potentially with Iapetan rifting, although further work is needed to verify the latter possibility. We interpret the different geographic positions of these two sets of conductivity belts as reflecting differences in origin and/or crustal rheology, with the northwest-trending belts largely confined to older, stable, pre-Grenville cratonic Laurentia, and the northeast-trending belts largely having formed in younger, weaker marginal crust. Notably, these high-conductivity zones spatially correlate with Midcontinent fault-and-fold zones that affect Phanerozoic strata. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that Midcontinent fault-and-fold zones were particularly active during Phanerozoic orogenic events, and some remain seismically active today, so the associated high-conductivity belts likely represent long-lived weaknesses that transect the crust.

Mechanical characteristics and energy evolution in a rock mass with a weak structural plane

The present aims to investigate the mechanical characteristics and energy evolution in rock masses containing weak structural planes under conventional triaxial loading conditions. Using a fluid–solid coupling test system of coal rock, numerous conventional triaxial compression tests were performed on rock masses at various dip angles of the structural plane. The obtained empirical outcomes revealed that the deviatoric stress–strain curve of the weak structural plane rock mass with an inclination angle greater than 20° rises step-by-step. On the macro level, slip-stability occurs on the upper and lower parts of the rock mass on the weak structural plane. Then mechanism of the slip-stability phenomenon is explored by analyzing the stress level in the rock mass with various inclination angles. It is found that the energy evolution during deformation and failure reflects the damaged state of the rock. Accordingly, the concept of ‘slip dissipation energy’ is proposed, and the values of each energy are calculated. The results have a good correspondence with the deviatoric stress–strain curve. Furthermore, it was found that the energy evolution of rock mass with a weak structural plane can be primarily classified into four stages, including storage of the initial energy, slip dissipation, abrupt increase in the pre-peak dissipation energy, and sudden drop in post-peak energy. Rock masses with various levels of dip angles exhibit similar elastic strain energy and dissipation energy at the peak point, demonstrating that energy evolution is dominated by energy storage and dissipation. At the same time, a negative correlation is observed between the structural plane dip angle and the occurrence of instantaneous impact instability failure in rock masses, indicating that a greater dip angle makes the rock mass less prone to experiencing instantaneous impact instability failure. This article provides a new idea for analyzing the geological disasters caused by external disturbances.

Active Dipping Interface of the Southern San Andreas Fault Revealed by Space Geodetic and Seismic Imaging

AbstractThe Southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF) in California is one of the most thoroughly studied faults in the world, but its configuration at seismogenic depths remains enigmatic in the Coachella Valley. We use a combination of space geodetic and seismic observations to demonstrate that the relatively straight southernmost section of the SSAF, between Thousand Palms and Bombay Beach, is dipping to the northeast at 60–80° throughout the upper crust (&lt;10 km), including the shallow aseismic layer. We constrain the fault attitude in the top 2–3 km using inversions of surface displacements associated with shallow creep, and seismic data from a dense nodal array crossing the fault trace near Thousand Palms. The data inversions show that the shallow dipping structure connects with clusters of seismicity at depth, indicating a continuous throughgoing fault surface. The dipping fault geometry has important implications for the long‐term fault slip rate, the intensity of ground shaking during future large earthquakes, and the effective strength of the southern SAF.

Enhancements for stabilizing functional in potential field inversion to recover sparse models with reasonable values and dipping structures

Regularization theory is a powerful tool for addressing the ill-posed problem of potential field inversion. For this purpose, various types of stabilizing functionals have been applied in potential field inversion to obtain smooth or sparse models. However, the smooth constrained inversion using a quadratic stabilizer often generates results with fuzzy boundaries and underestimated values, while the results of sparse inversion depend too much on the constraint or appear to have a staircasing problem with either horizontal or vertical boundaries. To better understand the problems and provide some solutions, we analyze several reweighting functions in the unifying inversion framework and propose two improvements to the stabilizing functional for sparse inversion. For the stabilizing functional of model parameters, an L0E norm stabilizing functional is adopted to increase the constraint weight of high absolute values to ameliorate the bound dependence problem. For the stabilizing functional of the model parameter gradients, a reformulated modulus constraint is used instead of the component constraint to avoid the staircasing phenomenon in the inversion results. Moreover, a combined regularization scheme is performed to integrate the benefits of the two proposed stabilizing functionals. The inversion results based on model data show that this combined method alleviates the dependence on the bound constraint and obtains sparse models with reasonable values and dipping structures. Finally, we apply this approach to real gravity gradient data collected from the Decorah region in northwestern Iowa, illustrating that this method can better recover sparse results with dipping structures.

Understanding total variation regularization: Why can it recover dipping structures?

AbstractMany geological features of scientific and/or economic interest have structural orientations that are neither horizontal nor vertical. Being able to recover such dipping structures from geophysical inversions is, therefore, important. Different regularization strategies have been proposed to help recover dipping structures. One notable example is total variation. However, there seems to be a lack of understanding within the geophysical community regarding why total variation regularization allows dipping structures to be recovered, whereas L1 norm regularization does not. In this paper, we compare these two regularization strategies from an optimization point of view using two simple block models. We also perform three‐dimensional inversions using a synthetic example and a field data example involving gravity gradient data to demonstrate the resolving power of total variation in potential field data inversion.

Pockels Effect at the Interface between Water and Ti Electrode

The Pockels coefficient of interfacial water between bulk water and a Ti electrode was estimated from the electroreflectance spectra (ΔR/R) to be r13≈−150 pm/V as the maximum value of magnitude, which is comparable in magnitude to the largest coefficient for electrode interfacial water, i.e., 200 pm/V for interfacial water on a transparent oxide electrode. This Pockels signal increased by a factor of about ±3 by applying a DC bias voltage of ±1 V. The reflectance (R) of the Ti electrode had a dip structure in the UV region (3.5–4.5 eV) due to the interference of a 14 nm thick surface oxide film, and the ΔR/R spectra in aqueous electrolyte solution showed a large reflectance change in the UV region with a dispersive shape due to the contribution of the TiO2 film. The reproducibility of the electroreflectance experiment was high, suggesting that the surface oxide film contributes to the large Pockels effect of interfacial water and the robustness of the electrode.

Geo-Body and Geostatistical Modelling of Carbonate Reservoir Facies Architecture and Characterization

Carbonate reservoirs present significant challenges in characterizing and extracting hydrocarbons due to their low permeability, matrix heterogeneities, fractures, and dissolution patterns. Accurately predicting the facies architecture and reservoir properties in such complex formations has been a persistent challenge for geoscientists. This paper proposes an integrated approach that combines geo-body extraction and geostatistical modeling to accurately predict the facies architecture and reservoir properties in carbonate reservoirs. The methodology begins by generating 3D seismic root mean square amplitude (RMS) attributes, which are then used to extract geo-bodies along the pay sequences. The extracted geo-bodies are then subjected to geostatistical modeling to analyze reservoir properties to facilitate the optimization of drilling and production strategies. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a small field in the Mumbai offshore basin is chosen as a case study. This field is located on the Mumbai High-Deep Continental Shelf and exhibits westerly dipping structures. Structural mapping confirms the presence of an antiformal structure, with one particular well (D-8) at the crest showing the absence of hydrocarbons. The proposed approach mapped two seismic reflectors within the reservoir zones and generated window-based 3D seismic RMS attributes to extract three geo-bodies within the reservoir. Facies and property modeling revealed the presence of distinct non-reservoir facies with poor reservoir properties near dry wells (D-8, D-4, and D-7), which is in line with the production performance observed in the drilled wells. The proposed integrated approach of geo-body extraction and geostatistical modeling is effective in delineating the facies architecture and reservoir heterogeneity of carbonate reservoirs. It enables the identification of favorable reservoir facies and facilitates a comprehensive assessment of the remaining potential.

Expected EMIC Wave Generation and Unexpected MS Wave Disruption in a Magnetic Dip

AbstractMagnetic dip plays a potentially important role in the ring‐current‐radiation‐belt‐coupling. Here, we report a proton‐driven magnetic dip event accompanied by the expected generation of electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave and the unexpected disruption of fast magnetosonic (MS) wave observed by the Van Allen Probe B on 03 November 2015. The effect of magnetic dip on the EMIC wave generation and MS wave propagation is analyzed. The analysis of EMIC wave instability demonstrates that EMIC waves are more easily excited in the magnetic dip. Moreover, the cold plasma density shows a highly positive correlation with the magnetic field fluctuation, and they are closely related to the disappearance of MS wave during the magnetic dip structure, which is confirmed by theoretical estimation. Our results indicate that magnetic dip may play different roles in the activities of EMIC and MS waves, which has rarely been discussed before.

Orientation mapping of YbSn3 single crystals based on Bragg-dip analysis using a delay-line superconducting sensor

Recent progress in high-power pulsed neutron sources has stimulated the development of the Bragg-dip and Bragg-edge analysis methods using a two-dimensional neutron detector with high temporal resolution to resolve the neutron energy by the time-of-flight method. A delay-line current-biased kinetic inductance detector (CB-KID) is a two-dimensional superconducting sensor with a high temporal resolution and multi-hit capability. Here, it is demonstrated that a delay-line CB-KID with a 10B neutron conversion layer can be applied to high-spatial-resolution neutron transmission imaging and spectroscopy up to 100 eV. Dip structures are observed in the transmission spectra of YbSn3 single crystals, induced by Bragg diffraction and nuclear resonance absorption. The orientation mapping of YbSn3 crystals is successfully performed via the analysis of observed Bragg-dip positions in the transmission spectra.

Electronic density of state in valence fluctuating kondo lattice systems studied by point-contact spectroscopy (Review article)

This article reviews our recent point-contact spectroscopy (PCS) investigation in valence fluctuating Kondo lattice systems, EuNi2P2 and Ge-substituted EuNi2(P0.8Ge0.2)2, and YbPd. A heavy fermion (HF) compound EuNi2P2 exhibits a significant valence fluctuation owing to the intermediate Eu valence of 2.5 + at low temperatures, leading to a strong hybridization between the conduction and f electrons (c–f hybridization). The electronic density of state measurements on EuNi2P2 by using PCS technique reveal that the HF behavior arises from the formation of the indirect hybridization gap with a double-peak structure near the Fermi level due to c–f hybridization. In EuNi2(P0.8Ge0.2)2, the valence fluctuation is suppressed by the Ge substitution, and the separation of the double-peak structure decreases. These suggest that the HF behavior is induced by the valence fluctuation. In YbPd, where two-dimensional (2D) layers of Yb3+ and Yb2.6+ are alternately aligned, a HF-like behavior with a large Sommerfeld coefficient appears at low temperatures in the specific heat. The PCS spectra represent a zero-bias dip structure with an asymmetric background, reproduced by the summation of two Fano curves with two different characteristic temperatures, meaning the formation of two Kondo resonance states for each Yb3+ and Yb2.6+ site. These suggest that a local coherence causes the large Sommerfeld coefficient in the 2D layers of Yb3+, which are screened by the conduction electrons provided by the valence fluctuating Yb2.6+ sites. The observed results indicate that PCS is a powerful technique for examining the variation of electronic DOS in valence fluctuating Kondo lattice systems.

Crystalline Orientation of CaF2 window determined by Neutron Transmission Imaging using a Delay Line Current-Biased Kinetic-Inductance Detector

The combination of a high speed two-dimensional neutron detector and an intensive pulsed neutron source provides not only neutron transmission imaging but also information on crystal structures, orientations and constituent elements by analyzing neutron transmission spectra. The delay-line current-biased kinetic-inductance detector (CB-KID) is a two-dimensional superconducting neutron detector with high spatial and temporal resolutions, and multi-hit tolerance. We demonstrated that the delay-line CB-KID with a 10B neutron conversion layer can be applied for neutron transmission measurements up to 100 keV. We observed two-different dip structures in the transmission spectra in a CaF2 single crystal, i.e., one is from the Bragg diffraction and the other is from nuclear resonance absorption. We consider that some duplicated structures in resonance absorption dips are originating from a double-bunch structure of proton pulses for producing pulsed neutrons in the accelerator.

Third-order nonlinear Hall effect in two-dimensional Dirac systems

We theoretically investigate the third-order nonlinear Hall effect by employing the quantum kinetic equation and present an analytic formula for the third-order harmonic conductivity, where the intraband and the mixed inter-band contributions caused by the external electric field as well as the multiphoton process dressed Berry curvature are unveiled. These results are applied in a two-dimensional Dirac system. We find that the third-order harmonic conductivity exhibits a crossover from the negative to positive value due to the intraband transition of the electrons in the low-frequency region, whereas a kink or dip structure due to the multiphoton process between the conduction and valence bands in the high-frequency region. In experiment, these features can be identified by detecting the transverse current. Our work deepens the understanding of the multiphoton process in the nonlinear transport of topological materials and enlightens a possible way to its characterization in experiments.

Convolutional Neural-Network-Based Reverse-Time Migration with Multiple Reflections.

Reverse-time migration (RTM) has the advantage that it can handle steep dipping structures and offer high-resolution images of the complex subsurface. Nevertheless, there are some limitations to the chosen initial model, aperture illumination and computation efficiency. RTM has a strong dependency on the initial velocity model. The RTM result image will perform poorly if the input background velocity model is inaccurate. One solution is to apply least-squares reverse-time migration (LSRTM), which updates the reflectivity and suppresses artifacts through iterations. However, the output resolution still depends heavily on the input and accuracy of the velocity model, even more than for standard RTM. For the aperture limitation, RTM with multiple reflections (RTMM) is instrumental in improving the illumination but will generate crosstalks because of the interference between different orders of multiples. We proposed a method based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) that behaves like a filter applying the inverse of the Hessian. This approach can learn patterns representing the relation between the reflectivity obtained through RTMM and the true reflectivity obtained from velocity models through a residual U-Net with an identity mapping. Once trained, this neural network can be used to enhance the quality of RTMM images. Numerical experiments show that RTMM-CNN can recover major structures and thin layers with higher resolution and improved accuracy compared with the RTM-CNN method. Additionally, the proposed method demonstrates a significant degree of generalizability across diverse geology models, encompassing complex thin layers, salt bodies, folds, and faults. Moreover, The computational efficiency of the method is demonstrated by its lower computational cost compared with LSRTM.

A New Method to Estimate Slab Dip Direction Using Receiver Functions and Its Application in Revealing Slab Geometry and a Diffuse Plate Boundary Beneath Sumatra

AbstractWhile dip direction is a fundamental parameter of slab geometry, it is rarely estimated quantitatively. Here, we develop a new method, Dip Direction Searching (DDS), of receiver functions (RFs) that reduces the uncertainty of slab dip direction estimation from tens to several degrees. DDS can also resolve the thickness and depth of a dipping structure. We then apply DDS to the RFs in the Sumatran subduction zone. Travel time differences of the converted phases from the upper and lower (oceanic Moho) boundaries of the dipping low‐velocity layer (LVL) along the plate interface show a thickness of 10–14 km. The results also show increased dip direction of the slab Moho from 47 ± 5.3° in southern Sumatra to 70 ± 10.7° in northern Sumatra, indicating a complicated slab geometry and internal deformation along strike. Similar dip directions are obtained for the upper and lower LVL boundaries beneath Nias and Enggano forearc islands in the north and south, whereas we find a larger discrepancy of ∼14–23° beneath Siberut and Pagai in between. The thicker LVL with a non‐negligible difference in the dip directions of its upper and lower bounds in the center of Sumatra is interpreted as a partially serpentinized mantle layer above the oceanic crust, forming a distinct channel atop the subducting slab. Our results provide basic observational constraints on the structure and geometry of the oceanic slab and associated subduction processes. Both synthetics and data analyses also indicate DDS can be applied in other subduction zones and for other dipping interfaces.

Geophysical transects in the Abitibi greenstone belt of Canada from the mineral-exploration-oriented Metal Earth project

The Metal Earth project integrates geophysics, geology, geochemistry, and geochronology to improve the understanding of metal endowment in Precambrian terranes. Magnetics (airborne), gravity, magnetotellurics, and reflection seismic methods are the primary geophysical tools employed. Data were collected along 13 transects in the initial phase of the project. All geophysical tools are crucial for understanding the structure of the shallow, middle, and deeper crust and identifying pathways along which the constituents of critical minerals might have migrated from a source to a deposit. The magnetic data are used predominantly to help map the geology away from the transects, and the gravity data are useful for extending the near-surface geology to depths up to 8 km. The magnetotelluric data show the upper Archean crust to about 10 km as highly resistive, except for some conductive subvertical zones that correspond to major deformation zones, many of which are known to be metalliferous. This suggests that these conductive zones could have been hydrothermal fluid pathways feeding the mineral deposits. These zones can be traced to larger horizontal conductive zones in the midcrust. The seismic reflection data are consistent with and complement this: the upper crust is primarily nonreflective; however, the midcrust shows many horizontal reflectors, usually with a consistent dip to the north. Processing crooked-line seismic data is problematic, and techniques have been developed to improve the imaging, including multifocusing, 3D processing, full-waveform inversion, and cross-dip moveout methods. Passive seismic data have also been collected. Ambient-noise surface-wave tomography can be used to infer broad zones of similar seismic velocity between major reflectors, while receiver function analysis has been used to identify deeper structures such as horizontal features at or below the Moho and a dipping structure evident to about 70 km depth.

Steeply dipping structure imaging with prismatic waves incorporating wavefield decomposition

AbstractPrismatic waves in seismic data can effectively delineate steeply dipping subsurface structures. However, the conventional migration of prismatic wave either requires the exact location of basement reflectors embedded in the accurate migration velocity model or the explicit isolation of prismatic wave from the recorded data to avoid crosstalk artefacts caused by mistaken imaging of primary reflections. Neither of the requirements is a trivial task for field data application with complicated subsurface structures. To image steeply dipping structures with an accurate but smooth enough migration velocity and without the need to extract prismatic waves from the recorded data, we analyse the prismatic imaging condition based on wavefield decomposition. In the up‐ and down‐going wavefield decomposition, the prismatic imaging condition can effectively remove the high‐wavenumber artefacts with incorrect polarity. However, the expected steeply dipping image is buried in low‐wavenumber noises. In contrast, the prismatic imaging condition based on left‐ and right‐going wavefield decomposition can accurately isolate the artefacts induced by the mistaken migration of primary waves from the steeply dipping interfaces in the image and is free of low‐wavenumber noises. Based on this analysis, we develop a reverse time migration workflow using the modified prismatic imaging condition to depict steeply dipping structures: First, we use the primary imaging condition based on the up‐and‐down‐going wavefield decomposition to obtain an image that can approximate the basement reflectors. Then, we use the modified prismatic imaging condition based on left‐ and right‐going wavefield decomposition to recover the steep interfaces. Finally, a combined subsurface image containing both basement reflectors and faults or steeply dipping structures is generated. We verify the feasibility and robustness of the modified prismatic imaging condition based reverse time migration method for delineating steeply dipping structures using several synthetic tests.

Temperature evolution of the Fano line shape in the Raman spectra of BaTiO3 nanoparticles

The Fano line shape at about 185 cm−1 is observed in temperature-dependent Raman spectra of BaTiO3 nanoparticles. The dip structure appears at the low-energy side, indicating a positive asymmetric parameter q, which is assigned to the interference between a central peak from the quasi-elastic scattering mode and the A(TO) vibrational mode around 180 cm−1. Furthermore, the relation between the phase change of BaTiO3 nanoparticles and the Fano line shape is discussed. This work deepens the understanding of the mechanism underlying the Fano line shape in Raman spectral and provides a powerful strategy to characterize phase change of the nanostructured BaTiO3.

Progress and prospects of EOR technology in deep, massive sandstone reservoirs with a strong bottom-water drive

The Triassic massive sandstone reservoir in the Tahe oilfield has a strong bottom-water drive and is characterized by great burial depth, high temperature and salinity, a thin pay zone, and strong heterogeneity. At present, the water-cut is high in each block within the reservoir; some wells are at an ultra-high water-cut stage. A lack of effective measures to control water-cut rise and stabilize oil production have necessitated the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) technology. This paper investigates the development and technological advances for oil reservoirs with strong edge/bottom-water drive globally, and compares their application to reservoirs with characteristics similar to the Tahe oilfield. Among the technological advances, gas injection from the top and along the direction of structural dip has been used to optimize the flow field in a typical bottom-water drive reservoir. Bottom-water coning is restrained by gas injection-assisted water control. In addition, increasing the lateral driving pressure differential improves the plane sweep efficiency which enhances oil recovery in turn. Gas injection technology in combination with technological measures like channeling prevention and blocking, and water plugging and profile control, can achieve better results in reservoir development. Gas flooding tests in the Tahe oilfield are of great significance to identifying which EOR technology is the most effective and has the potential of large-scale application for improving development of deep reservoirs with a strong bottom-water drive.

Fast pre-stack multi-channel inversion constrained by seismic reflection features

Classical multi-channel technology can significantly reduce the pre-stack seismic inversion uncertainty, especially for complex geology such as high dipping structures. However, due to the consideration of complex structure or reflection features, the existing multi-channel inversion methods have to adopt the highly time-consuming strategy of arranging seismic data trace-by-trace, limiting its wide application in pre-stack inversion. A fast pre-stack multi-channel inversion constrained by seismic reflection features has been proposed to address this issue. The key to our method is to re-characterize the reflection features to directly constrain the pre-stack inversion through a Hadamard product operator without rearranging the seismic data. The seismic reflection features can reflect the distribution of the stratum reflection interface, and we obtained them from the post-stack profile by searching the shortest local Euclidean distance between adjacent seismic traces. Instead of directly constructing a large-size reflection features constraint operator advocated by the conventional methods, through decomposing the reflection features along the vertical and horizontal direction at a particular sampling point, we have constructed a computationally well-behaved constraint operator represented by the vertical and horizontal partial derivatives. Based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) optimization, we have derived a fast algorithm for solving the objective function, including Hadamard product operators. Compared with the conventional reflection features constrained inversion, the proposed method is more efficient and accurate, proved on the Overthrust model and a field data set.