Role of Temperature-Dependent Interfacial Tension on Shear Wave Velocity for Energy Geosystems

Interfacial tension varies with temperature. This paper investigates the effects of temperature-dependent interfacial tension on shear wave velocity. We designed a nylon cell equipped with bender elements in a cross-hole configuration to measure the shear wave velocity of nine sand-silt mixtures with different degrees of saturation (S = 0%, 2.5%, 5%, 10%, and 100%). All specimens were subjected to a temperature change from 10 degrees C to 1 degrees C. The results demonstrate that shear wave velocity tends to be very sensitive to changes in temperature at a low degree of saturation. Particle-scale analyses overlapped with the experimental results and captured the critical role of temperature-dependent interfacial tension in small-strain skeletal stiffness. In fact, the temperature should be considered during laboratory and field shear modulus measurements of the long-term performance of energy geosystems subjected to thermally induced repetitive loads.

Automated summary

Interfacial tension varies with temperature, which has an impact on the shear wave velocity. Shear wave velocity is highly sensitive to temperature changes, particularly at low degrees of saturation.