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Title Numerical investigation of induced cracking and seismic velocity changes in brittle rock

Authors J.F. Hazzard and R.P. Young

Publication Reference 2004, Geophysical Research Letters, 31(1), doi:10.1029/2003GL019190

Abstract A numerical technique is presented to investigate seismic velocity changes in brittle rock due to stress and damage. A rock sample is simulated by an assembly of bonded particles, which is then subjected to hydrostatic and deviatoric loading regimes. During hydrostatic loading, cracks close through formation of new contacts and velocities increase. During deviatoric loading, new cracks form by the breaking of bonds and velocities decrease in directions perpendicular to the opening cracks. The nature of the velocity changes mimics closely what is observed in the laboratory. The model offers the unique ability to examine directly the microprocesses leading to observed velocity changes. INDEX TERMS: 3210 Mathematical Geophysics: Modeling; 5102 Physical Properties of Rocks: Acoustic properties; 5104 Physical Properties of Rocks: Fracture and flow.

Key Figure Key Figure
Velocity of P-waves propagating in direction of least principal stress plotted with the square root of the corresponding component of the coordination number tensor. Both curves are from the model.

Link http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/gl0401/2003GL019190/2003GL019190.pdf



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