Geophysics and Seismology Commons^™

Mineral Potential Of Arctic Canada, R. G. Mccrossan, R. M. Procter

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Canada is on the threshold of a major new phase in the development of its Arctic resources. The Prudhoe Bay discovery triggered a boom in northern petroleum exploration that is just getting into high gear this year. Mining activity also has greatly expanded in the last few years with some 73 active exploration programs underway and several large new mines just coming into production. The size of these ventures is indicated by ore reserves of two lead-zinc mines to the value of 900 million dollars at Pine Point in southern Northwest Territories, and 1.2 billion dollars at the Anvil property …

Arctic Pipelining -- Tough, Costly, But Feasible, William H. Pearn

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

The development of vitally important Arctic petroleum resources presents new and interesting challenges. Although the answers to some questions will undoubtedly undoubtedly go unresolved until considerable operating experience has accrued, we can improve our present insight through an awareness of the work performed by others under similar conditions. This presentation focuses on Soviet pipelining experience in arctic and subarctic regions of Siberia.

Drilling Problems Associated With Arctic Minerals, Robert L. Parker

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

With major involvements in Alaska, the experience gained from these operations reflect the success of talented personnel in meeting the challenges of climate, equipment, logistics, perma-frost, etc. Real concern stems from present delays in the Arctic program due to financing involved as well as increasing dependency of the United States upon these reserves in today’s market and supply situation.

Arctic Marine Terminals -- Some Environmental And Engineering Considerations, Robert L. Mccollom Jr., William W. Moore

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Studies are presently underway to determine the technical and economic feasibility of various Arctic marine transportation systems, including ice-breaker super-tankers and submarine tankers. An important consideration in these studies is the design and construction of marine terminal facilities which will be suited to the unique problems of the Arctic. Factors which will significantly affect the design of proposed marine terminals include:

1) bathymetric configuration of the continental shelf;
2) influence of moving pack ice on artificial structures, both at the air-water interface and along the bottom;
3) lateral and vertical variations in soil conditions, including residual permafrost, which might adversely …

Arctic Oil And The S.S. Manhattan, Russell H. Venn

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

The discovery of oil on Alaska’s North Slope in 1968 not only focused attention on that remote part of our world, it set the stage for one of the most exciting and significant scientific expeditions of our time—the voyage of the ice breaking tanker SS Manhattan through the Northwest Passage.

In the space available I would like to discuss with you that historic expedition, how it came to be, and comment on the results, as we see them.

Oil And Gas Reserves In The Siberian Shelf, A. J. Eardley

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

The Arctic region must be the world’s largest storehouse of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, and the vast Siberian region, both “on land” and “off shore” must be considered with envy by the free-world’s geologists for its oil and gas potential. It is here estimated that the off shore continental shelf of U.S.S.R. Siberia contains a reserve of 200 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cut. ft. of gas. These very approximate figures come from meager data obtained from the literature on oil and gas discoveries in the Siberian Arctic, the basin location of these discoveries, and the projection of …

The Role Of The Independent In Alaska's Mineral Development, D. L. Simasko

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

In 68 years of oil industry history in Alaska, the independent has already played a substantial role. Eighty-three independent oil companies or operators have participated in drilling 82 exploratory wells or stratigraphic tests. Their activities extended from the discovery of first commercial oil at Katalla in 1902, to the extension of the Prudhoe Bay field in 1970. The success ratio for wildcat wells in Alaska is considerably higher than “outside,” and fields have all been major in statute, thereby reducing the cost per barrel of finding oil.

The most immediate deterrent to the success of the independent in Alaska is …

Maintenance And Operation Of Facilities And Equipment In The Arctic, Charles C. Norris, Charles W. Kelley, Carroll C. Livingston

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

This has been but a short sketch of a few of the problems attached to living and working in the Arctic. Much has been learned about this remote and hostile area of the world; there is much more knowledge and experience required, as has been demonstrated by the controversy surrounding the routing and construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Man’s progress depends not only on means for his survival, but also on deep ecological considerations and solid engineering.--Conclusion.

The Alaska Business Community's View Of The Development Of Alaska, William H. Scott

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

America has discovered Alaska!! Or maybe that’s just the way it seems to us Alaskans. Even though Secretary of State Seward bought the Great Land (that’s what Alaska means in native tongue) more than a hundred years ago, very little of its nature has drifted down to the “Lower 48”. That is until the great oil reserves were discovered on the now-famous North Slope. Only then was the fact of Alaska’s mineral wealth translated into something other than very general admissions that Alaska was the natural resource storehouse of the United States. Now one would naturally conclude that the Prudhoe …

The U.S. Army's Experience In Handling Petroleum In An Arctic Environment, Frederic Johnson

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

This article pinpoints the various facets that the US Military experienced in Petroleum Operations in the Arctic environment Since the Military were the pioneers in Arctic operations, this experience could prove invaluable if and when the TAPS pipeline is constructed. The article deals primarily with various problems which beset the pipeliners during the initial construction phases and the peculiarities experienced during operations. A slightly different aspect will be experienced, however, when the Oil Industry moves relatively hot crude oil through the pipelines with TAPS since the Military moved only clean product.

The article addresses above ground pipeline operations, problems encountered …

The Future Of Anchorage, Claire O. Banks

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

So, in conclusion ... our Air Crossroads of the World contemplates its future, from a similar position as that of the ancient Greeks, or later the city of Rome... and much later ... England — the trade center of its time, between East and West — North and South. In any event, we are in the enviable position of being able to determine our future. Aside from the tremendous growth and build-up factors, we are unique because of our urbanity ... nowhere else are the advantages of modern day living offered to the extent they exist here, while at the …

State Regulatory Controls On Oil & Gas, Thomas R. Marshall Jr.

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Alaska oil and gas regulatory matters are under the jurisdiction of a three-man Oil and Gas Conservation Committee, all of which are state employees.

In the last 10 years State water bottoms in Cook Inlet have been leased, explored and oil production amounting to about 200,000 barrels a day has been established. Cook Inlet is subject to very high tides and heavy ice flows. Five Salmon runs also occur in the Cook Inlet. The average daily production rate per well in the Cook Inlet area is nearly one hundred times the national average.

The Prudhoe Bay oil field discovered in …

Geologic Considerations And Solid Mineral Potential Of Alaska, A. E. Weissenborn

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

In marked contrast to Alaska’s petroleum industry, production from the State’s mining industry has declined drastically. Despite favorable geologic conditions, mineral exploration and development have been held back by inaccessibility, rugged terrain, severe climate, and scarcity and high cost of labor. Changing economic and political conditions, improved exploration techniques, and the ever increasing demand for minerals have again directed attention to Alaska’s mineral potential. Important discoveries in British Columbia and Yukon Territory have further stimulated exploration in Alaska. The probability that significant discoveries will result is high.

The titaniferous iron ores of southeastern Alaska probably will be brought into production …

Alaska's Possible Petroleum Provinces, George Gryc

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Petroleum is the major Alaskan source of energy immediately available to the United States. Petroleum accounted for 89 percent or about $219 million of Alaska’s total mineral production in 1969 estimated at nearly $245 million.

Alaska’s first oil field was discovered at Katalla in 1902. About 154,000 barrels of oil were produced from 1902 to 1933. From 1945 through 1952, 45 shallow core tests and 36 test wells were drilled in and adjacent to Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 in northern Alaska. Oil deposits with possible reserves of 72 to 112 million barrels and gas deposits with possible reserves of …

Acknowledgement Of Symposium Moderators, University Of Missouri--Rolla

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Preface, Paul Dean Proctor, Robert E. Carlile

UMR Journal -- V. H. McNutt Colloquium Series

Because this university, formerly under the well known title of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, has contributed so much to the nation’s and world’s mineral supplies through the work of its well trained graduates, it was considered appropriate that a major symposium be held during its Centennial Year on one of the last major mineral frontiers of the United States......Alaska.

Preliminary planning for the symposium on “Alaska, Its Mineral Potentials and Environmental Challenges” began in the fall of 1969. In January, 1970, Robert E. Carlile and Paul Dean Proctor visited Alaska to meet with some of the petroleum and …

The Vibrational Modes Of Spheroidal Cavities In Elastic Solids, David Stewart

Doctoral Dissertations

"A general analysis of all possible cavity shapes is given with a discussion of the mathematical difficulties involved for the various cases. Special emphasis is given to cavity shapes describable in terms of the coordinate surfaces of coordinate systems separating the scalar wave equation. 112 such shapes are identified and discussed. Free boundary condition equations for spheres and spheroids are derived in complete generality in terms of potentials. The difference in the vibrations of a solid and those of a cavity of the same shape is discussed and made clear. The impossibility of deriving a frequency equation for uniform radial …

Linear Regression Models Of Sound Velocity In The North Atlantic Ocean Below A Critical Depth, Richard Roland Kunkel

Doctoral Dissertations

"Sound velocity models currently in use by the U. S. Navy require difficult data sampling at great expense. This study is to investigate the feasibility of a sound velocity model dependent only upon position that would be valid for a selected, reasonably large, near homogeneous area of the ocean. The most important position parameters are latitude, longitude, and depth. To accomplish this objective a critical depth of 2500 meters was established for an 8° by 20° rectangle of the Sargasso Sea which lies within the North Atlantic Ocean. The critical depth is defined as the depth at which the characteristics …

Discrimination Of Signal And Noise Events On Seismic Recordings By Linear Threshold Estimation Theory, David Nuse Peacock

Doctoral Dissertations

"The object of this study is the investigation of a linear threshold element technique for identifying surface multiples on a single seismic trace. Traces of seismic events were generated which contained primaries, surface multiples, and various levels of Gaussian random noise. Since it was necessary to separate the events as much as possible, the traces were subjected to pulse-compression deconvolution processing prior to LTE analysis. Mean frequency, peak frequency, amplitude spectrum variance, periodicity, and polarity were employed as pattern parameters. A set of weights was found that would maximize the moment of inertia of the S line distribution of the …

A Theoretical Study On The Interpretation Of Resistivity Sounding Data Measured By The Wenner Electrode System, Siew Hung Chan

Doctoral Dissertations

"This thesis deals with a theoretical study on the interpretation of resistivity sounding data measured by the Wenner electrode system. The objectives of this investigation are twofold: (i) to derive from the apparent resistivity data some suitable functions from which the resistivity and thickness of each member of the sequence of layers composing the earth may be determined, and (ii) to devise suitable methods for analyzing the resulting functions. In this investigation it is shown that the solution of the boundary value problem associated with an n-layered earth model leads to an integral equation for the Wenner electrode system. This …

A Five Parameter Study Of Spherical Transient Waves In A Generalized Voigt Model, Liang-Juan Tsay

Doctoral Dissertations

"Transient spherical waves in a generalized Voigt model were investigated in this study. Both Laplace and fourier transform solutions of the spherical wave equation for a generalized Voigt model were obtained by means of the correspondence principle. Laplace transform solutions were inverted numerically into the domain for the study of the characteristics of the wave forms, and Fourier transform solutions were utilized for the analysis of frequency dependency attenuation in the models. Generalized Voigt models A and B in which a dashpot is connected in series with spring and dashpot components were unable to represent a solid which would simulate …

Hrva - A Velocity Analysis Technique For Seismic Data, John Charles Robinson

Doctoral Dissertations

"A High-Resolution Velocity Analysis (HRVA) has been developed for the determination of the root-mean-square subsurface-velocity energy spectrum from gated seismic data which has been normal-moveout corrected. All calculations are performed in the frequency-space or frequency-wavenumber domain; seismic gates are transformed from the time-space domain via the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. HRVA is not restricted to the investigation of apparent horizontal velocities which have associated stepout values that are integral multiples of the time sampling interval, as are the existing correlation techniques. The technique liberally exploits the inexistence of significant energy in the higher frequency harmonies of seismic data, resulting in …

Analysis Of A Focus Log Electrode In A Non Homogeneous Medium, John Julian Zenor

Doctoral Dissertations

"The mathematical model presented for the focused logging system is applicable to any resistance logging tool of the electrode type. Horizontal or cylindrical resistance interfaces may be included in any combinations. The tool and its environment are compartmentalized, and the integral form of the condition for continuity of current is applied to each compartment. Acceleration methods are applied to the iterative solution of the resulting large-scale system of linear equations. Two specific models are presented, one for the study of the effects of invasion and the other for the study of the effects of bed thickness on the apparent resistivity …

Estimation Of Regional Trends In Gravity Using Gram Orthogonal Polynomials, Stanley Dean Thompson

Masters Theses

"A computer program is presented which estimates the trend in a rectangular array of gravity measurements. It is assumed that the regional trend of gravity may be estimated by a low-order polynomial. The method of least-squares is applied to solve for the low-order polynomial which best approximates this trend. Gram orthogonal polynomials are used in the solution of this least-squares surface fit. The program is tested on a known polynomial and on some hypothetical Bouguer gravity data and found to approximate the ʺregional trend of gravity in these cases. The importance of eliminating any significant noise in the observations before …

Heat Flow In The Boss Deposit Of Missouri, Don Stainbrook

Masters Theses

"Values of heat flow through a Precambrian mineral deposit were determined in the Boss area of Missouri, where 350 meters of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks overlie a complex series of rhyolite flows which have been altered and contain a copper bearing magnetite deposit. Geothermal data were obtained from a closely spaced grid of 17 diamond drill holes penetrating to depths of 1000 meters below ground surface. Temperature measurements were made at 5 meter intervals in the Precambrian section of all holes. These and thermal conductivity measurements made on representative core samples from 300 to 400 meters below the top of the …

A Mathematical Study Of Voigt Viscoelastic Love Wave Propagation, David Nuse Peacock

Masters Theses

"This research is a mathematical investigation of the propagation of a Love wave in a Voigt viscoelastic medium. A solution to the partial differential equation of motion is assumed and is shown to satisfy the three necessary boundary conditions. Velocity restrictions on the wave and the media are developed and are shown to be of the same form as those governing the elastic Love wave"--Abstract, page ii.

Two-Dimensional Seismic Model Studies, Joong Hee Chun

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this research was to design and construct apparatus suitable for two-dimensional seismic model studies.

A new technique for two-dimensional seismic model testing was devised which allows wide application of the equipment. This enabled the author to place the source and receiver in any desired position on the model, thereby permitting the recording of seismic events as function of distance and depth at any position

Two simple geometric models were tested to demonstrate the experimental range of the apparatus designed. The recorded data were compared with theoretical predictions and were found to be in good agreement"--Abstract, page ii.