Seismic wave propagation in cracked porous media

Abstract

The movement of interstitial fluids within a cracked solid can have a significant effect on the properties of seismic waves of long wavelength propagating through the solid. We consider three distinct mechanisms of wave-induced fluid flow: flow through connections between cracks in an otherwise non-porous material, fluid movement within partially saturated cracks, and diffusion from the cracks into a porous matrix material. In each case the cracks may be aligned or randomly oriented, leading, respectively, to anisotropic or isotropic wave speeds and attenuation factors. In general, seismic velocities exhibit behaviour that is intermediate between that of empty cracks and that of isolated liquid-filled cracks if fluid flow is significant. In the range of frequencies for which considerable fluid flow occurs there is high attenuation and dispersion of seismic waves. Fluid flow may be on either a wavelength scale or a local scale depending on the model and whether the cracks are aligned or randomly oriented, resulting in completely different effects on seismic wave propagation. A numerical analysis shows that all models can have an effect over the exploration seismic frequency range.