Abstract of the paper ``Influence of microstructure on rock elastic properties''
with Patricia A. Berge and Brian P. Bonner
Depending on details of the composite microstructure, different theories may be
needed to obtain good agreement with measured elastic properties.
This observation is especially pertinent whenever the composite is porous, as
is normally true for rocks.
Predictions of three theories are compared to data for porous glass
samples. The differential effective medium (DEM) theory and
Hashin's composite spheres assemblage (H) do a good job of predicting
elastic behavior of a porous foam composed of glass.
The self consistent (SC) effective medium theory does equally well
at predicting behavior of a sintered glass-bead sample.
The realizable microstructure of each theoretical model is a good
analog of the microstructure for one or the other of these two very different
porous glasses.
Velocities of granular rocks such as sandstones may be estimated accurately
using the SC theory, whereas velocities of rocks such as basalts
having isolated cracks and pores may be better estimated using either the
DEM theory or Hashin's model.
Electronic copies of thsi paper are not available
at this time.