By: Nicola Tisato, Assistant Professor, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin

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Abstract
Geophysical methods allow exploring the subsurface and rely on physical properties of rocks. In the case of seismic tomography, the knowledge of rheology is pivotal to infer the structure and composition of the Earth interior. Nonetheless, very often geophysicists treat geo-material as purely elastic overlooking at the role of viscoelasticity in absorbing seismic energy. During the seminar I will introduce viscoelasticity in saturated rocks and how fluids can produce frequency dependent attenuation and dispersion. Focusing on sandstones saturated with different portions of gas and liquids, I will present laboratory experiments performed to investigate wave-induced-fluid-flow and wave-induced-gas-exsolution-dissolution and how these attenuation mechanisms could be modelled revealing details about subsurface saturation. The present work aims at improving the imaging of subsurface to reveal, for instance, the formation of gas bubbles in volcanic or in oil and gas reservoirs.

Host: Nicholas Hayman, UTIG

When: Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:30am – 11:30am Central Time