The Effects of 180 years of Aging on the Physical and Seismic Properties of Partially Saturated Sands

Wright, Vashan; Hornbach, Matthew J.

doi:10.1029/2020jb021341

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The cemented and uncemented granular media models assume that grains are identical spheres experiencing equal contact forces, which are idealizations for Martian and other sediments (Bachrach & Avseth, 2008;Day-Lewis et al, 2005;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Makse et al, 1999Makse et al, , 2004. These model assumptions sometimes lead to overpredictions in low effective stress environments on Earth (Buckingham, 2000;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Wright & Hornbach, 2021;Zimmer et al, 2007). The cementation models predict elastic moduli by homogeneously distributing the entire volume of cement within the sediments, which may also be too idealistic for actual sediments (Dvorkin & Nur, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gravitational acceleration impacts grain contact forces significantly (Equation 6). Assuming 100% smooth grain contacts routinely results in better seismic velocities predictions in shallow sediments on Earth (up to 600 m below the surface in some cases) (Buckingham, 2000;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Wright & Hornbach, 2021;Zimmer et al, 2007). Low friction at grain contacts, despite cohesion and possibly partial cementation, appears to have prevented InSight's heatflow probe from penetrating the shallow subsurface (Spohn et al, 2022).…”

Section: Inferring Subsurface Properties From Poisson's Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Minimally Cemented Shallow Crust Beneath InSight

Wright

Dasent

Kilburn

et al. 2022

Geophysical Research Letters

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Cements in the Martian crust can have multiple origins, including ice frozen from liquid water or condensed from vapor, hydrated minerals formed in situ, or minerals precipitated from aqueous fluids (e.g., salts, carbonates, and sulfates). The presence, amount, and composition of ice and other mineral cements in the shallowest sections of the Martian crust have implications for robotic and human exploration of Mars, the processes that shape and shaped the surface, and the search for past or extant life. Research on these topics is central to determining if Mars ever supported life, to understand the climate history and processes, to understand Mars as a geological system, and to prepare for human exploration.Cementation affects and records geological processes. Cement can strengthen sediments (herein defined to include regolith and all other granular media layers) by creating stiffer contacts between particles. Cementation affects the permeability and porosity of sediments and fractured rocks, which impacts gas transport driven by atmospheric pressure changes (Morgan et al., 2021). Pores and fractures filled with ice or other mineral cement could confine any deeper liquid water, creating aquifers (Carr, 1979). Ground ice can promote weak explosive eruptions at rootless cones on lava flows (Brož et al., 2021) and may promote phreatomagmatic eruptions (Moitra et al., 2021). Cemented sediments are less prone to eolian and fluvial transport and erosion. The distribution of cements in the Martian sediments may record the accumulation and transport of volatiles in geologically recent times (Dundas et al., 2021). Cements may also preserve organic compounds diagnostic of past or present biological activity (Rivera-Valentín et al., 2020).Cementation impacts human exploration, and a primary motivation for the Mars Ice Mapper mission concept is to map ice in the shallowest crust (Davis & Haltigin, 2021). The presence of ice and hydrated minerals in shallow sediments and fractured rocks could provide a source of water for in situ resource utilization (Piqueux et al., 2019). Cementation-induced strengthening of sediments affects foundations used for engineering infrastructure (Kalapodis et al., 2020). Cemented sediments can be used as a construction material (Liu et al., 2021) and have prompted studies of a range of Mars simulants in preparation for future human missions (Karl et al., 2021).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Inferring Subsurface Properties From Poisson's Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

A Minimally Cemented Shallow Crust Beneath InSight

Wright

Dasent

Kilburn

et al. 2022

Geophysical Research Letters

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The cemented and uncemented granular media models assume that grains are identical spheres experiencing equal contact forces, which are idealizations for Martian and other sediments (Makse et al, 1999(Makse et al, , 2004Day-Lewis et al, 2005;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Bachrach & Avseth, 2008). These model assumptions sometimes lead to overpredictions in low effective stress environments on Earth (Buckingham, 2000;Zimmer et al, 2007;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Wright & Hornbach, 2021). The cementation models predict elastic moduli by homogeneously distributing the entire volume of cement within the sediments, which may also be too idealistic for actual sediments (Dvorkin & Nur, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gravitational acceleration impacts grain contact forces significantly (Equation 6). Assuming 100% smooth grain contacts routinely results in better seismic velocities predictions in shallow sediments on Earth (up to 600 m below the surface in some cases) (Buckingham, 2000;Zimmer et al, 2007;Majmudar & Behringer, 2005;Wright & Hornbach, 2021). Low friction at grain contacts, despite cohesion and possibly partial cementation, appears to have prevented InSight's heatflow probe from penetrating the shallow subsurface (Spohn et al, 2022).…”

Section: Inferring Subsurface Properties From Poisson's Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

A minimally cemented shallow crust beneath InSight

Wright¹,

Dasent²,

Kilburn³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Ice and other mineral cements in Mars' shallow subsurface affect the mechanical properties of the shallow crust, the geologic processes that shape the planet's surface, and the search for past or extant Martian life. Cements increase seismic velocities. We use rock physics models to infer cement properties from seismic velocities. Model results confirm that the upper 300 m of Mars beneath InSight is most likely composed of sediments and fractured basalts. Grains within sediment layers are unlikely to be cemented by ice or other mineral cements. Hence, any existing cements are nodular or formed away from grain contacts. Fractures within the basalt layers could be filled with gas, 2% mineral cement and 98% gas, and no more than 20% ice. Thus, no ice- or liquid water-saturated layers likely exist within the upper 300 m beneath InSight. Any past cement at grain contacts has likely been broken by impacts or marsquakes.

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A Review of Sand Aging: Mechanisms and Impacts

Castilla-Barbosa,

Ocampo-Terreros,

Rincón-Arango

2024

Geotech Geol Eng

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Sand aging, defined by time-dependent increases in stiffness and strength over periods ranging from days to months, poses significant challenges in geotechnical engineering and soil science. Despite its relevant implications, the mechanisms driving sand aging remain understood. This review systematically examines sand aging, emphasizing the classification of chemical and mechanical processes involved. Key advancements in chemical aging understanding, particularly the influence of surface chemistry and electrokinetic forces, are discussed. Additionally, the review underscores the critical role of micromechanical modeling, especially discrete element methods, in elucidating particle interactions and aging phenomena. The review also identifies essential directions for future research, notably incorporating particle shape and surface texture into aging models. Hence, this comprehensive resource aims to enhance the understanding of sand aging.

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The Effects of 180 years of Aging on the Physical and Seismic Properties of Partially Saturated Sands

Abstract: The physical properties and seismic velocities of shallow sediments vary with depth and time since deposition (

Cited by 3 publications

References 49 publications

A Minimally Cemented Shallow Crust Beneath InSight

A Minimally Cemented Shallow Crust Beneath InSight

A minimally cemented shallow crust beneath InSight

A Review of Sand Aging: Mechanisms and Impacts

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