Open AccessShale compaction and statistical physics
Author(s) -
Korvin G.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1984.tb06470.x
Subject(s) - compaction , consolidation (business) , oil shale , geology , porosity , geotechnical engineering , exponential function , entropy (arrow of time) , mineralogy , statistical physics , mathematics , thermodynamics , physics , mathematical analysis , paleontology , accounting , business
Summary. After a short historical outline of the development of the ideas on the compaction of clays and shales it is shown that the exponential porosity‐depth dependence of compacted shales expressed by Athy's law can be derived using standard methods of statistical physics. The main result of the paper states that the exponential compaction law expresses the maximum‐entropy equilibrium state of the pores in the rock, that is compaction is an irreversible process where clay particles tend towards a statistically defined final equilibrium. Connections with the classical theory of consolidation are pointed out.