Dissipation of elastic waves in fluid saturated rocks

Abstract

Experimental results are presented on the dissipation of elastic waves in porous rock. These results show the combined effects of frequency, pressure, temperature, and fluid viscosity on attenuation and modulus in fluid‐saturated sandstones. An attenuation peak and an associated modulus defect have been mapped. The data are consistent with a linear relaxation mechanism involving the flow of a viscous intergranular fluid, with a characteristic relaxation time proporational to fluid viscosity.