Nucleation of cracks in sedimentary rocks: New insights from simultaneous X-ray and neutron imaging

Amer Shafiuddin Syed, Yukie Tanino, Jacob LaManna, David Jacobson

Research output: Contribution to conferencePoster

Abstract

Imperfections in the rocks are sources of localised stress concentrations. These imperfections in rock may be in the form of cracks, mineral heterogeneity or dislocation in the crystalline lattices of the minerals. Non-uniform loading can result in the deviation of equilibrium from the initial state, thereby redistributing the stress field. This creates a non-uniform distribution of the strain energy within the rock mass. It has been observed that if local strain energy exceeds the energy required to create new surfaces, cracks may nucleate or propagate. Direct observations especially crack length can inform the corelation between change in potential energy and crack length.
The aim of the presented work is to identify the source of initial imperfections, nucleation and propagation of cracks in a typical sandstone (Kirby) under non-uniform loading through direct observations. A combined neutron and X-imaging facility is utilised to image a cylindrical rock sample subjected to axial compressive loading along its longitudinal axis. This paper will discuss the identification of cracks and their distribution within the rock from the image reconstructions and compare the change in crack volume with the change in applied strain energy from direct observations and theoretical estimates.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2016
Event2016 AGU Fall Meeting - Moscone centre, San Francisco, United States
Duration: 12 Dec 201616 Dec 2016
http://fallmeeting.agu.org/2016/

Conference

Conference2016 AGU Fall Meeting
Abbreviated titleAGU Fall Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Francisco
Period12/12/1616/12/16
Internet address

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