SEISMIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN POROUS GRANULAR MEDIA

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Theoretical and experimental studies have been made of the manner in which sound waves are propagated in porous granular aggregates. A cylindrical piezo‐electric source is used and this simulates the explosion of a charge in a seismic shot‐hole. It is found that in general two waves of volume expansion are propagated and that these involve coupled displacements of both constituents of the media. The waves are termed frame‐waves, air‐waves or liquid‐waves depending upon the nature of the pore‐filler and the relative displacements of the constituents. The frame‐wave velocity is dependent upon the strength of the frame, the densities of solid and pore‐filling materials and the texture of the medium. Air‐ and liquid‐wave velocities are related to the texture of the medium and to the density and viscosity of the pore‐filler. Frame‐strength is important to a lesser degree. Waves are dispersive only in the case of media of very low permeability. Attenuation is related to viscosity, texture and frequency. Scattering is probably important only at the highest frequencies and largest particle diameters used in the experiments. It is shown that porosity and permeability of a beach sand can be inferred from velocity measurements. These properties provide information regarding grain‐size, sorting and the nature of the pore‐filler.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: