The effect of grain-size distribution on shear wave velocity in methane hydrate-bearing sands

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ID: 320843
2026
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Abstract
Summary Accurately characterizing shear wave velocity (${V}_S$) in unconsolidated granular sediments is critical for a wide range of applications such as subsurface resource characterization (e.g. natural gas hydrate) and geohazard assessment. Grain-size distribution (GSD) of the sediment strongly affects grain-contact mechanics, such as frictional behavior, yet the underlying mechanism and its influence on ${V}_S$ remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed a series of laboratory experiments to investigate the influence of GSD and of hydrate saturation on ${V}_S$. Despite similar mineralogy, porosity, and effective pressure, the samples exhibited significant ${V}_S$ variation due to differences in GSD. Our analysis indicates that the large ${V}_S$ variations result from differences in interparticle friction, which are controlled by grain gradation. Sediments with a continuous GSD (i.e. well-graded) exhibit high friction and high ${V}_S$, as interlocking among multiple grain-size fractions suppresses grain rotation and sliding. Conversely, discontinuous GSD leads to weaker frictional resistance and lower ${V}_S$, resulting from either sparse grain contacts in poorly-graded sediments or the ball-bearing effect of fine grains in gap-graded sediments. By incorporating these findings, we propose a modified effective medium model that accounts for frictional effects. These results illustrate the significant influence that GSD can have on ${V}_S$, and provide insights into grain-scale controls on friction that offer improved ${V}_S$ constraints not only in methane hydrate-bearing sediments but also in other granular sediments.
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Authors Tao Liu, Junguang Nie, Jiqiang Ma, Jianhua Geng
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Journal geophysical journal international
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/gji/ggag278
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggag278
Keywords Keywords not found

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