A significantly expanded new edition of this practical guide to rock physics and geophysical interpretation for reservoir geophysicists and engineers.

Knowledge of the relation between sonic velocity in sediments and rock lithology is one of the keys to interpreting data from seismic sections or from acoustic logs of sedimentary sequences. Reliable correlations of rock velocity with other petrophysical parameters, such as porosity or density, are essential for calculating impedance models for synthetic seismic sections (BIDDLE et al. , 1992; CAMPBELL and STAFLEU, 1992) or identifying the origin of reflectivity on seismic lines (SELLAMI et al. , 1990; CHRISTENSEN and SZYMANSKI, 1991). Velocity is thus an important parameter for correlating lithological with geophysical data. Recent studies have increased our understanding of elastic rock properties in siliciclastic or shaly sediments. The causes for variations in velocity have been investigated for siliciclastic rocks (VERNIK and NUR, 1992), mixed carbonate siliciclastic sediments (CHRISTENSEN and SZYMANSKI, 1991), synthetic sand-clay mixtures (MARION et aI. , 1992) or claystones (JAPSEN, 1993). The concepts derived from these studies are however only partly applicable in pure carbonates. Carbon ates do not have large compositional variations that are, as is the case in the other sedimentary rocks, responsible for velocity contrasts. Pure carbonates are character ized by the lack of any clay or siliciclastic content, but are mostly produced and deposited on the top or on the slope of isolated or detached carbonate platforms, that have no hinterland as a source of terrigeneous material (WILSON, 1975; EBERLI, 1991).

The study of reservoir and repository performance requires the integration of many different fields in Earth sciences, among them rock physics and geomechanics. The aim of this book is to emphasize how rock physics and geomechanics help to get a better insight into important issues linked to reservoir management for exploitation of natural resources, and to repository safety assessment for hazardous waste storage in geological environment. The studies presented here deal with the hydromechanical coupling in fractured rocks, the key experiments in safety assessment of repositories, the development of damaged zones during excavation in a shaley formation, the influence of temperature on the properties of shales, the poroelastic response of sandstones, the development and propagation of compaction bands in reservoir rocks, imaging techniques of geomaterials, the characterization and modelling of reservoirs using 4D seismic data, the mechanical behaviour of fractured rock masses, the petrophysical properties of fault zones, models for rock deformation by pressure solution and the elastic anisotropy in cracked rocks.

Rock physics encompasses practically all aspects of solid and fluid state physics. This book provides a unified presentation of the underlying physical principles of rock physics, covering elements of mineral physics, petrology and rock mechanics. After a short introduction on rocks and minerals, the subsequent chapters cover rock density, porosity, stress and strain relationships, permeability, poroelasticity, acoustics, conductivity, polarizability, magnetism, thermal properties and natural radioactivity. Each chapter includes problem sets and focus boxes with in-depth explanations of the physical and mathematical aspects of underlying processes. The book is also supplemented by online MATLAB exercises to help students apply their knowledge to numerically solve rock physics problems. Covering laboratory and field-based measurement methods, as well as theoretical models, this textbook is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in rock physics. It will also make a useful reference for researchers and professional scientists working in geoscience and petroleum engineering.

Finding viable solutions to many of the problems threatening our environment hinges on understanding the rocks below the earth's surface. For those evaluating the relative hazards of radioactive waste sites, investigating energy resources such as oil, gas, and hydrothermal energy, studying the behavior of natural hazards like earthquakes and volcanoes, or charting the flow of groundwater through the earth, this book will be indispensable. Until now, there has been no book that treats the subject of the nature and behavior of rocks in a comprehensive yet accessible manner. Yves Gu guen and Victor Palciauskas first discuss the physical properties of rocks, proceeding by chapter through mechanical, fluid flow, acoustical, electrical, dielectric, thermal, and magnetic properties. Then they provide the theoretical framework for achieving reliable data and making reasonable inferences about the aggregate system within the earth. Introduction to the Physics of Rocks covers the important and most current theoretical approaches to the physics of inhomogeneous media, including theoretical bounds on properties, various effective medium theories, percolation, and fractals. This book will be of use to students and researchers in civil, petroleum, and environmental engineering and to geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, and other earth scientists interested in the physics of the earth. Its clear presentation, with problems at the end of each chapter and selective references, will make it ideal for advanced undergraduate-or graduate-level courses.

Brings together widely scattered theoretical and laboratory rock physics relations critical for modelling and interpretation of geophysical data.