New applications of imaging, electrical and magnetic sensors in earth sciences and engineering

我提议在国家科学研究委员会发现基金下进行的研究项目侧重于几种传感器在地球科学和工程中的新应用。第一个重点是三维激光成像传感器的应用，它正在成为地球科学中有前途的工具。第二个推力涉及管道和水管电磁环境的监测。在这种情况下，创新在于几个传感器的组合使用。一张典型的激光图像是由被激光束照射的物体表面反射的数百万个点组成的。单个图像通过专门的软件组装成三维模型。作为这项研究的一部分，岩石样本和钻孔岩心将以非常高的精度成像，这弥合了显微镜和目视检查之间的差距。软件工具将把这些信息与地质过程联系起来，比如熔岩流的冷却和岩石孔隙度的形成。在野外更大的距离上，将获得岩面的全景图像。将开发软件来自动检测裂缝。这项研究将有助于增加对隧道和地下矿山稳定条件的了解。此外，在不同时间拍摄的图像将被分析，以发现变化的条件，以努力减轻山体滑坡。磁暴会沿着管道和水管产生电流，从而加速局部腐蚀。我目前的研究表明，渥太华河谷天然气管道沿线的这种影响的严重程度与附近地质特征的电气特性之间存在潜在的联系。拟议的研究将在另一个地质环境中进一步检验这一假设，并输出为管道到总水管开发的方法。

The research program I propose to undertake under an NSERC Discovery Grant focuses on novel applications of several sensors in earth sciences and engineering. The first thrust concerns applications of three-dimensional laser imaging sensors which are emerging as promising tools in earth sciences. The second thrust relates to the monitoring of the electromagnetic environment of pipelines and water mains. In this case, the innovation resides in the combined use of several sensors.A single laser image is typically composed of millions of points reflected on the surface of an object illuminated by a laser beam. Individual images are assembled into three-dimensional models by specialized software. As part of this research, rocks samples and drill cores will be imaged to a very high accuracy which bridges the gap between microscopy and visual inspection. Software tools will relate this information to geological processes like the cooling of lava flows and the development of porosity in rocks. At a larger distance in the field, panoramic images of rock faces will be acquired. Software will be developed to automatically detect fractures. This research will contribute an increased understanding of stability conditions in tunnels and underground mines. In addition, images taken at different times will be analyzed to detect changing conditions in an effort to mitigate against landslides.Magnetic storms induce currents along pipelines and water mains which can locally accelerate corrosion. My current research has indicated a potential link between the severity of this effect along a natural gas pipeline in the Ottawa River Valley and the electrical properties of geological features in the vicinity. The proposed research will test this hypothesis further in another geological setting and export the methodology developed for pipelines to water mains.