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Pore fluids and seismic attenuation in rocks
Author(s) -
Winkler Kenneth,
Nur Amos
Publication year - 1979
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/gl006i001p00001
Subject(s) - attenuation , saturation (graph theory) , geology , shear waves , degree of saturation , seismic wave , shear (geology) , mineralogy , crust , anelastic attenuation factor , longitudinal wave , seismology , geophysics , petrology , soil science , wave propagation , optics , physics , mathematics , combinatorics , soil water
Seismic attenuation and velocities were measured in resonating bars of Massilon sandstone at various degrees of saturation. Whereas shear energy loss simply increases with degree of saturation, bulk compressional energy loss increases to ∼95% saturation and then rapidly decreases as total saturation is achieved. This behavior is analogous to the behavior of shear and compressional velocities, but the effect on attenuation is larger by an order of magnitude. Our observations are in excellent agreement with the predictions of several models of energy loss involving partial or total saturation. Pore fluid attenuation mechanisms are expected to be dominant at least in the shallow crust.