Assessment of Fracture Properties from P-Wave Velocity Distribution

Abstract

Seismic measurements carried out on peridotite rock outcrop showed that seismic wave velocity depends on the direction of propagation. It was found out that the velocity is influenced on system of fractures. The fracture sets can cause velocity dispersion. The theory of displacement discontinuity was applied for an explanation of fractures influence on the seismic wave propagation. According to this theory, the fracture stiffness can be assessed on the basis of velocity directional dependence. The measurements made proved experimentally the validity of this approach, specifically for the frequency interval from 500 Hz to 700 kHz. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011.