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Determining water occurrence in pore-fracture systems under specific water saturation is of great significance to reveal the correlation between the water content and porosity/permeability of coal reservoirs. In this work, simulation experiments of water intrusion and drainage are used to study the micro-occurrence and migration of water using NMR T2and T1–T2techniques and discuss the influence of pore-fracture system structure parameters on water micro-occurrence. Meanwhile, water distribution heterogeneity in the pore-fracture system is clarified by single- and multifractal theories. The results show that (1) the vacuum saturation method without pressure is unsuitable for high-rank coal samples with micropore development, and water saturation variation leads to a change in significant permeability when water saturation is greater than the critical value, which is related to the coal rank and degree of fracture development; (2) the single-fractal theory can characterize the heterogeneity of water and pore size distribution under static conditions; however, multifractal analyses have a stronger applicability in characterizing water distribution heterogeneity under dynamic conditions; and (3) multifractal parameters have a good correlation with coal sample characteristics such as the water volume in pores and fractures. In the process of centrifugation, both D–10–D0and D–10–D10parameters from fractal analyses decrease linearly with a decrease in water content in coal samples, indicating that water distribution heterogeneity in pore-fracture systems decreases with an increase in centrifugal force; and (4) T2and two-dimensional spectra in the same coal sample should be comprehensively analyzed as they can quantitatively identify the amount of water migration at different saturation stages.

Modelling landscape evolution requires quantitative estimates of erosional processes. Dating erosional landscape features such as escarpments is usually difficult because of the lack of datable deposits. Some escarpments and valley margins are associated with the formation of mass-movement caves, sometimes known as 'gull' or 'crevice' caves, which are typically restricted to within 0.5 km of the valley margin or scarp edge. As in other caves, these mass-movement cavities may host speleothems. As gull-caves develop only after valley incision, uranium-series dating of speleothems within them can provide a minimum age for the timing of valley excavation and scarp formation. Here we present data from several gullcaves in the Cotswold Hills, which form the eastern flank of the Severn valley in southern England. U-series ages from these gull-caves yield estimates for both the minimum age of the Cotswold escarpment and the maximum scarp retreat rate. This is combined with data from geological modelling to propose a model for the evolution of the Severn valley and the Cotswold Hills. The data suggest that the location of the escarpment and regional topography is determined not by valley widening and scarp retreat, but by the in situ generation of relief by differential erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shale nanopore size (diameter <100 nm) distribution heterogeneity (SNDH) is one of the important factors affecting gas production. However, quantitative analysis of the SNDH and the applicability of single and multifractal models need to be further studied. Here, based on low-temperature liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide tests of organic-rich shale in Qinshui Basin, multifractal dimension variation of micropores (<2 nm) and mesopores (2–100 nm) are studied, and the multifractal factors that affect the distribution of nanopores are determined. Additionally, the differences between single fractal and multifractal results are compared. Based on this, dynamic variation of porosity and permeability under the constraints of the nanopore structure is discussed from the perspective of multifractal variation. The results of this study are as follows: (1) The pore size distribution of micropores and meso–macropores in shale samples exhibit typical multifractal behavior. The overall distribution heterogeneity of meso–macropores is mainly affected by the distribution of pores in the low-value area of pore volume (LAPV), while the overall distribution heterogeneity of micropores is affected by the distribution of the high-value area of the pore volume. The multifractal parameters and influencing factors of micropores and meso–macropores are clearly different. (2) The single fractal dimension D2calculated using the Frenkel–Halsey–Hill model has a negative correlation with the multifractal parameters, implying that the distribution heterogeneity of the LAPV gradually decreases with the increase of the D2value, indicating that the physical meaning of the two models is obviously different. (3) The pore distribution heterogeneity affects permeability variation and diffusion process of shale reservoir. With the increase of the multifractal dimension of meso–macropores, the damaging effect of stress on permeability is stronger. The more heterogeneous the micropore size distribution, the smaller is the ″modification effect″ of stress on the diffusion coefficient.