1887
Volume 9 Number 2
  • ISSN: 1569-4445
  • E-ISSN: 1873-0604

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Surface nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a non‐invasive geophysical method that can provide valuable information about aquifer properties related to groundwater flow and storage. Our ability to extract such information from surface NMR data, however, is limited by an insufficient understanding of the relaxation parameter governing the decay rate of the surface NMR signal in Earth’s magnetic field. In this study, we use a combination of numerical and laboratory experiments to systematically explore the effect of two key geologic properties, pore size and magnetic susceptibility, on the relaxation process. A one‐dimensional numerical model is developed and parametrized to simulate the surface NMR response for a wide range of geologic materials. These simulations illuminate the processes controlling relaxation and identify conditions under which exhibits varied sensitivity to pore size. For materials with low magnetic susceptibility, is highly sensitive to pore size; however, as susceptibility increases, this sensitivity diminishes and becomes dominated by complex dephasing effects, particularly when pores are large. Laboratory Earth’s field NMR experiments complement the numerical simulations. Measurements on water‐saturated quartz sands show that for weakly magnetic materials, can be sensitive to pore size and thus could provide useful information about aquifer properties.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2010062
2010-10-01
2024-04-20
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. AudolyB., SenP.N., RyuS. and SongY.‐Q.2003. Correlation functions for inhomogeneous magnetic field in random media with application to a dense random pack of spheres. Journal of Magnetic Resonance164, 154–159.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. BrownsteinK.R. and TarrC.E.1979. Importance of classical diffusion in NMR studies of water in biological cells. Physical Review A19, 2446–2453.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. CallaghanP.T., CoyA., DykstraR., EcclesC.A., HalseM.E., HunterM.W., MercierO.R. and RobinsonJ.N.2007. New Zealand developments in Earth’s field NMR. Applied Magnetic Resonance32, 63–74.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. CarrH.Y. and PurcellE.M.1954. Effects of diffusion on free precession in nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. Physical Review94, 630–638.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. ChenQ., MarbleA.E., ColpittsB.G. and BalcomB.J.2005. The internal magnetic field distribution, and single exponential magnetic resonance free induction decay, in rocks. Journal of Magnetic Resonance175, 300–308.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. DunnK.‐J., BergmanD.J. and LatorracaG.A.2002. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Petrophysical and Logging Applications.Pergamon.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. GallegosD.P., MunnK. and SmithD.1987. A NMR technique for the analysis of pore structure: Application to materials with well‐defined pore structure. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science119, 127–140.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. HertrichM.2008. Imaging of groundwater with nuclear magnetic resonance. Progress in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy53, 227–248.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. HuntC.P., MoskowitzB.M. and BanerjeeS.K.1995. Magnetic properties of rocks and minerals. In: Rock Physics and Phase Relations: A Handbook of Physical Constants (ed. ThomasJ. Ahrens ), pp. 189–204. American Geophysical Union.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. HürlimannM.D.1998. Effective gradients in porous media due to susceptibility differences. Journal of Magnetic Resonance131, 232–240.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. KenyonW.E., HowardJ.J., SezginerA., StraleyC., MattesonA., HorkowitzK. and EhrlichR.1989. Pore‐size distriubtuion and NMR in microporous cherty sandstones. SPWLA 13th Annual Logging Symposium, Expanded Abstracts, LL.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. KenyonW.E., StraleyC. and WillemsenJ.F.1988. A three‐part study of NMR longitudinal relaxation properties of water‐saturated sandstones. SPE Formation Evaluation3, 622–636.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. LegchenkoA., BaltassatJ.M., BeauceA. and BernardJ.2002. Nuclear magnetic resonance as a geophysical tool for hydrogeologists. Journal of Applied Geophysics50, 21–46.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. LegchenkoA. and VallaP.2002. A review of the basic principles for proton magnetic resonance sounding measurements. Journal of Applied Geophysics50, 3–19.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. LideD.R.2003. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 84th edn. CRC Press.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. LubczynskiM. and RoyJ.2003. Hydrogeologic interpretation and potential of the new magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) method. Journal of Hydrogeology283, 19–40.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. MendelsonK.S.1993. Continuum and random‐walk models of magnetic relaxation in porous media. Physical Review B47, 1081–1083.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. MullerM., KoomanS. and YaramanciU.2005. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) properties of unconsolidated sediments in field and laboratory. Near Surface Geophysics3, 275–285. doi:10.3997/1873‐0604.2005023
    [Google Scholar]
  19. PlataJ. and RubioF.2008. The use of MRS in the determination of hydraulic transmissivity: The case of alluvial aquifers. Journal of Applied Geophysics66, 128–139.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. RoyJ., RouleauA., ChouteauM. and BureauM.2008. Widespread occurrence of aquifers currently undetectable with the MRS technique in the Grenville geological province, Canada. Journal of Applied Geophysics66, 82–93.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. SchirovM., LegchenkoA. and CreerG.1991. A new direct non‐invasive groundwater detection technology for Australia. Exploration Geophysics22, 333–338.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. SemenovA.1987. NMR hydroscope for water prospecting. Proceedings of the Seminar on Geotomography, Hyderabad, Expanded Abstracts, 66–67.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. SimpsonJ.H. and CarrH.Y.1958. Diffusion and nuclear spin relaxation in water. Physical Review111, 1201–1202.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. SongY.‐Q.2003. Using internal magnetic fields to determine pore size distributions of porous media. Concepts in Magnetic Resonance Part A18, 97–110.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. StraleyC., RossiniD., VinegarH.J., TutunjianP.N. and MorrissC.E.1997. Core analysis by low‐field NMR. The Log Analyst38, 84–94.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. TimurA.1969. Pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance studies of porosity, movable fluid, and permeability of sandstones. Journal of Petroleum Technology21, 775–786.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. ValckenborgR.M.E., HuininkH.P., v.d. SandeJ.J. and KopingaK.2002. Random‐walk simulations of NMR dephasing effects due to uniform magnetic‐field gradients in a pore. Physical Review E65, 21306–21313.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. VouillamozJ.‐M., DescloitresM., BernardJ., FourcassierP. and RomagnyL.2002. Application of integrated magnetic resonance sounding and resistivity methods for borehole implementation. A case study in Cambodia. Journal of Applied Geophysics50, 67–81.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. WalshD.O.2008. Multi‐channel surface NMR instrumentation and software for 1D/2D groundwater investigations. Journal of Applied Geophysics66, 82–93.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. YaramanciU., LangeG. and KnoedelK.1999. Surface NMR within a geophysical study of the aquifer at Haldensleben (Germany). Geophysical Prospecting47, 923–943. doi:10.1046/j.1365‐2478.1999.00161.x
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2010062
Loading
/content/journals/10.3997/1873-0604.2010062
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error