Wave Propagation in Porous Media
Summary
Wave propagation in porous media encompasses the study of elastic and acoustic waves travelling through materials composed of a solid frame with interconnected pore spaces filled by fluids or gases. The interaction between solid and fluid phases gives rise to phenomena such as velocity dispersion and frequency-dependent attenuation. Classical poroelastic theory predicts the existence of fast and slow compressional waves alongside shear waves, with fluid pressure diffusion dominating attenuation at low frequencies and local flow mechanisms such as squirt flow becoming significant at higher frequencies. Advances in laboratory experiments, numerical simulation and field-scale observations now allow detailed characterisation of subsurface properties including porosity, permeability, fracture networks and saturation patterns. These developments underpin applications in hydrocarbon exploration, geothermal energy assessment and carbon-storage monitoring, while guiding the design of inversion algorithms for improved seismic imaging and reservoir characterisation.
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Wave Propagation in Porous Media publication trend
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Technical terms
Porosity: The fraction of a material’s volume occupied by void spaces, determining fluid storage and wave propagation characteristics.
Permeability: A measure of the ease with which fluids flow through pore networks, influencing wave-induced fluid movement and attenuation.
Attenuation: The reduction in wave amplitude with distance due to energy loss mechanisms such as viscous damping and scattering.
Velocity dispersion: The variation of wave speed with frequency arising from coupled fluid–solid interactions and pore heterogeneity.
Poroelasticity: A theoretical framework describing the interaction between mechanical deformation and fluid flow in saturated porous materials.
Squirt flow: A high-frequency attenuation mechanism where pore fluid is locally forced between compliant and stiff pores under dynamic loading.
References
- Seismic attenuation and velocity dispersion in heterogeneous partially saturated porous rocks. Geophysical Journal International (2011).
- Sensitivity of seismic properties to temperature variations in a geothermal reservoir. Geothermics (2018).
- Estimation of Seismic Wave Attenuation from 3D Seismic Data: A Case Study of OBC Data Acquired in an Offshore Oilfield. Energies (2022).
- Experimental Investigation on Static and Dynamic Bulk Moduli of Dry and Fluid-Saturated Porous Sandstones. Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (2020).
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