Rock Fractures in Geological Processes
Cambridge University Press, 4/28/2011
EAN 9780521863926, ISBN10: 0521863929
Hardcover, 592 pages, 26 x 19.2 x 3.4 cm
Language: English
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.
Advance praise: 'This is an exceptionally comprehensive and timely book. Fractures and fracturing provide the key controls on virtually all of the important geological processes in the lithosphere and yet are commonly marginalized in traditional structural geology texts. This book redresses that imbalance and is therefore an extremely welcome and overdue addition to the literature. It covers rock fractures at all scales, and every aspect of rock fracturing from basic theory to field applications. It features detailed analysis of real field data and many helpful worked examples. It will prove invaluable to advanced undergraduates and graduate students as well as to geological researchers. It should be on everyone's bookshelf.' Professor Philip Meredith, University College London