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An analytical relationship between scattering attenuation and porosity in oceanic crust
Author(s) -
Sun Y. F.,
Goldberg D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2001gl013111
Subject(s) - attenuation , scattering , crust , geology , porosity , wavelength , microscale chemistry , geophysics , scale (ratio) , mineralogy , optics , geotechnical engineering , physics , mathematics education , mathematics , quantum mechanics
We present a theoretical derivation of the relationship between scattering attenuation and porosity based on a multiple back‐scattering model. Two parameters, a heterogeneity parameter γ and a formation parameter β 0 , are introduced to characterize this relationship: , where ϕ is porosity, Q s0 is a measured value at ϕ=0. The formation parameter β 0 describes the micro‐scale formation properties such as rock and pore fluid properties and cracks. The heterogeneity parameter γ represents the effects of local/regional‐scale heterogeneities on scattering attenuation, such as layers and fractures. The relative importance of these two parameters depends on the propagating wavelength. This analytical form fits empirical results in oceanic crust that have been previously reported. Numerical analysis shows that the local/regional‐scale heterogeneity, γ, plays a more dominant role than the microscale properties, β 0 , on scattering attenuation at seismic and sonic wavelengths in the oceanic crust.