This detailed book systematically investigates subsurface geological fractures using rock mechanics, geology, and geophysics. Based on geological fracture mechanisms and fracture boundary conditions, it presents new finite-difference equations for the simulation of seismic wave responses to geological fractures, and proposes innovative AVO inversion equations for the accurate estimation of the rock properties of the fractured medium. It employs schematics, snapshots, color images and charts to demonstrate the mechanical characteristics of the fractures, the seismic wave-field response to the fractures, the seismic data attributes of the fractures and the rock properties of the fractures obtained via inversion. It provides a new methodology for enhancing geological fracture detection technology and for the accurate delineation of fractured reservoirs that ultimately benefits reservoir and mining engineers, geologists and geophysicists in terms of optimizing reservoir recovery, well performance and mining safety.

Perfect for senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students in geophysics, physics, mathematics, geology and engineering, this book is devoted exclusively to seismic wave theory. The result is an invaluable teaching tool, with its detailed derivations of formulas, clear explanations of topics, exercises along with selected answers, and an additional set of exercises with derived answers on the book's website. Some highlights of the text include: a review of vector calculus and Fourier transforms and an introduction to tensors, which prepare readers for the chapters to come; and a detailed discussion on computing reflection and transmission coefficients, a topic of wide interest in the field; a discussion in later chapters of plane waves in anisotropic and anelastic media, which serves as a useful introduction to these two areas of current research in geophysics. Students will learn to understand seismic wave theory through the book's clear and concise pedagogy.

Seismic Exploration of Hydrocarbons in Heterogeneous Reservoirs: New Theories, Methods and Applications is based on the field research conducted over the past decade by an authoring team of five of the world's leading geoscientists. In recent years, the exploration targets of world's oil companies have become more complex. The direct detection of hydrocarbons based on seismic wave data in heterogeneous oil/gas reservoirs has become a hot spot in the research of applied and exploration geophysics. The relevant theories, approaches and applications, which the authors have worked on for years and have established mature technical processes for industrial application, are of significant meaning to the further study and practice of engineers, researchers and students in related area. - Authored by a team of geophysicists in industry and academia with a range of field, instruction, and research experience in hydrocarbon exploration - Nearly 200 figures, photographs, and illustrations aid in the understanding of the fundamental concepts and techniques - Presents the latest research in wave propagation theory, unconventional resources, experimental study, multi-component seismic processing and imaging, rock physics modeling and quantitative seismic interpretation - Sophisticated approach to research systematically forms an industrial work flow for geoscience and engineering practice

Following the breakthrough in the last decade in identifying the key parameters for time and depth imaging in anisotropic media and developing practical methodologies for estimating them from seismic data, Seismic Signatures and Analysis of Reflection Data in Anisotropic Media primarily focuses on the far reaching exploration benefits of anisotropic processing. This volume provides the first comprehensive description of reflection seismic signatures and processing methods in anisotropic media. It identifies the key parameters for time and depth imaging in transversely isotropic media and describes practical methodologies for estimating them from seismic data. Also, it contains a thorough discussion of the important issues of uniqueness and stability of seismic velocity analysis in the presence of anisotropy. The book contains a complete description of anisotropic imaging methods, from the theoretical background to algorithms to implementation issues. Numerous applications to synthetic and field data illustrate the improvements achieved by the anisotropic processing and the possibility of using the estimated anisotropic parameters in lithology discrimination. Focuses on the far reaching exploration benefits of anisotropic processing First comprehensive description of reflection seismic signatures and processing methods in anisotropic media

Understanding how fluids flow through though rocks is very important in a number of fields. Almost all of the world's oil and gas are produced from underground reservoirs. Knowledge of how they got where they are, what keeps them there and how they migrate through the rock is very important in the search for new resources, as well as for maximising the extraction of as much of the contained oil/gas as possible. Some contributors to this volume have been trying to understand real rocks in real situations and others have been working on computer models and laboratory simulations. Put together, these approaches have yielded very useful results, many of which are discussed in this volume.

This volume represents the latest advances in the field of theoretical and computational acoustics. The coverage includes results in the areas of underwater acoustics, seismics, scattering, inversion, genetic algorithms, reverberation, IFEM, Radon transforms, wavelet statistics, PE modeling, and Gaussian beams.

Preface -- Reconstruction of sound pressure field by IFEM / R. Anderssohn [und weitere] -- Seabed parameter estimation by inversion of long range sound propagation fields / W. Chen, L. Ma and N.R. Chapman -- High resolution radon transform and wavefield separation / J. Chen [und weitere] -- Three-dimensional acoustic simulation on acoustic scattering by nonlinear internal wave in coastal ocean / L.Y.S. Chiu, C.-F. Chen and J.F. Lynch -- Estimation of shear wave velocity in seafloor sediment by seismo-acoustic interface waves: a case study for geotechnical application / H. Dong, J.M. Hovem and S.A. Frivik. The optimum source depth distribution for reverberation inversion in a shallow-water waveguide / T.F. Gao and E.C. Shang -- Semi-automatic adjoint PE modeling for geoacoustic inversion / J.-P. Hermand [und weitere] -- Modeling 3D wave propagation in the ocean coupled with elastic bottom and irregular interface / L.-W. Hsieh, D. Lee and C.-F. Chen -- Reflections from steel plates with doubly periodic anechoic coatings / S. Ivansson -- Seismic characterization and monitoring of thin-layer reservoir / L. Jin, X. Chen and J. Li -- The energy-conserving property of the standard PE / D. Lee and E.-C. Shang -- Estimation of anisotropic properties from a surface seismic survey and log data / R. Li and M. Urosevic -- Using Gaussian beam model in oceans with penetrating slope bottoms / Y.-T. Lin [und weitere] -- Application Niche genetic algorithms to AVOA inversion in orthorhombic media / M.-H. Lu and H.-Z. Yang -- Reconstruction of seismic impedance from marine seismic data / B.R. Mabuza [und weitere] -- Characterization of an underwater acoustic signal using the statistics of the wavelet subband coefficients / M.I. Taroudakis, G. Tzagkarakis and P. Tsakalides -- Some theoretical aspects for elastic wave modeling in a recently developed spectral element method / X.M. Wang, G. Seriani and W.J. Lin -- Inversion of bottom back-scattering matrix / J.R. Wu, T.F. Gao and E.C. Shang -- New methods of scattering coefficients computation for the prediction of room acoustic parameters / X. Zeng, C.L. Christensen and J.H. Rindel

Scientific understanding of fluid flow in rock fracturesâ€"a process underlying contemporary earth science problems from the search for petroleum to the controversy over nuclear waste storageâ€"has grown significantly in the past 20 years. This volume presents a comprehensive report on the state of the field, with an interdisciplinary viewpoint, case studies of fracture sites, illustrations, conclusions, and research recommendations. The book addresses these questions: How can fractures that are significant hydraulic conductors be identified, located, and characterized? How do flow and transport occur in fracture systems? How can changes in fracture systems be predicted and controlled? Among other topics, the committee provides a geomechanical understanding of fracture formation, reviews methods for detecting subsurface fractures, and looks at the use of hydraulic and tracer tests to investigate fluid flow. The volume examines the state of conceptual and mathematical modeling, and it provides a useful framework for understanding the complexity of fracture changes that occur during fluid pumping and other engineering practices. With a practical and multidisciplinary outlook, this volume will be welcomed by geologists, petroleum geologists, geoengineers, geophysicists, hydrologists, researchers, educators and students in these fields, and public officials involved in geological projects.

This festschrift, compiled from the symposium held in honor of W.F. Brace, is a timely overview of fault mechanics and transport properties of rock. State-of-the-art research is presented by internationally recognized experts, who highlight developments in this contemporary area of study subsequent to Bill Brace's pioneering work.Key Features* The strength of brittle rocks* The effects of stress and stress-induced damage on physical properties of rock* Permeability and fluid flow in rocks* The strength of rocks and tectonic processes