Rock Fractures in Geological Processes

This book explores and explains fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust, with numerous worked examples, step-by-step calculations and practice exercises.

Agust Gudmundsson (Author)

9780521863926, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 28 April 2011

594 pages, 300 b/w illus. 6 tables
25.3 x 19.6 x 3.2 cm, 1.4 kg

'… geoscientists who enjoy the quantitative treatment of structural geology, and geomechanics will find this book useful. Students and academicians who possess an advanced knowledge of engineering mathematics will find the quantitative treatments and exercises to be readily understandable … Gudmundsson deserves great credit for this fine book. His methodical approach to covering so much detail, while at the same time separating out the more rigorous details, makes it an impressive addition to the library of any geoscientist working in geomechanics … keeps you engaged due to its liberal use of graphical and photographic visual aids and worked exercises at the end of each chapter.' David J. Scarpato, Environmental and Engineering Geoscience

Rock fractures control many of Earth's dynamic processes, including plate-boundary development, tectonic earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and fluid transport in the crust. An understanding of rock fractures is also essential for effective exploitation of natural resources such as ground water, geothermal water, and petroleum. This book combines results from fracture mechanics, materials science, rock mechanics, structural geology, hydrogeology, and fluid mechanics to explore and explain fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust. Basic concepts are developed from first principles and illustrated with worked examples linking models of geological processes to real field observations and measurements. Many additional examples and exercises are provided online, allowing readers to practise formulating and quantitative testing of models. Rock Fractures in Geological Processes is designed for courses at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level but also forms a vital resource for researchers and industry professionals concerned with fractures and fluid transport in the Earth's crust.

1. Introduction
2. Stress
3. Displacement and strain
4. Relation between stress and strain
5. Loading of brittle rock to failure
6. Stress concentration
7. Theories of brittle failure of rocks
8. Extension fractures and shear fractures
9. Displacements and driving stresses of fractures
10. Toughness and fracture mechanics
11. Field analysis of extension fractures
12. Field analysis of faults
13. Evolution of extension fractures
14. Evolution of faults
15. Fluid transport in rocks - the basics
16. Fluid transport in faults
17. Fluid transport in hydrofractures
Index.

Subject Areas: Mining technology & engineering [TTU], Petroleum technology [THFP], Geology & the lithosphere [RBG], Petroleum & oil industries [KNBP]