Reservoir quality is studied using a wide range of similar techniques in both sandstones and carbonates. Sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality both benefit from the study of modern analogues and experiments, but modelling approaches are currently quite different for these two types of reservoirs. There are many common controls on sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality, but also distinct differences due primarily to mineralogy. Numerous controversies remain including the question of oil inhibition, the key control on pressure solution and geochemical flux of material to or from reservoirs. This collection of papers contains case-study-based examples of sandstone and carbonate reservoir quality prediction as well as modern analogue, outcrop analogue, modelling and advanced analytical approaches.

Faults are primary focuses of both fluid migration and deformation in the upper crust. The recognition that faults are typically heterogeneous zones of deformed material, not simple discrete fractures, has fundamental implications for the way geoscientists predict fluid migration in fault zones, as well as leading to new concepts in understanding seismic/aseismic strain accommodation. This book captures current research into understanding the complexities of fault-zone internal structure, and their control on mechanical and fluid-flow properties of the upper crust. A wide variety of approaches are presented, from geological field studies and laboratory analyses of fault-zone and fault-rock properties to numerical fluid-flow modelling, and from seismological data analyses to coupled hydraulic and rheological modelling. The publication aims to illustrate the importance of understanding fault-zone complexity by integrating such diverse approaches, and its impact on the rheological and fluid-flow behaviour of fault zones in different contexts.

The many kinds of porous geomaterials (rocks, soils, concrete, etc.) exhibit a range of responses when undergoing inelastic deformation. In doing so they commonly develop well-ordered fabric elements, forming fractures, shear bands and compaction bands, so creating the planar fabrics that are regarded as localization. Because these induced localization fabrics alter the bulk material properties (such as permeability, acoustic characteristics and strength), it is important to understand how and why localization occurs, and how it relates to its setting. The concept of damage (in several uses) describes both the precursor to localization and the context within which it occurs. A key theme is that geomaterials display a strong material evolution during deformation, revealing a close linkage between the damage and localization processes. This volume assembles perspectives from a number of disciplines, including soil mechanics, rock mechanics, structural geology, seismic anisotropy and reservoir engineering. The papers range from theoretical to observational, and include contributions showing how the deformed geomaterial's emergent bulk characteristics, like permeability and seismic anisotropy, can be predicted.

‘Tensile Fracturing in Rocks’ presents field observations on fracturing of sedim- tary rocks and granite outcrops from various provinces in three continents. It also combines results of recent experiments conducted at different laboratories around the world with current theories on fracturing. In treating faults, this book limits itself to faults that are associated with joint sets produced by definable causes and occasi- ally to cases where interaction between the two types of fracture – faults and joints – is not clear. The book’s subject matter is divided over six chapters, which are briefly described below. Chapter 1 summarizes current key concepts in fracture physics. It starts with a pr- entation of the elastic theory of fracture, and concentrates on the results of linear el- tic fracture mechanics. The chapter touches also upon other fracture properties, e.g., crack nucleation, dynamic fracturing and slow fracturing processes. Nucleation is - dressed by statistical mechanics methods incorporating modern approaches of th- mal and fiber bundle processes. The analyses of dynamic fracturing and slow fract- ing focus on the differences, as compared to the linear elastic approach. The cont- versy in interpreting experimental dynamic results is highlighted, as are the surface morphology patterns that emerge in fracturing and the non-Griffith crack extension criterion in very slow fracturing processes.

"This volume covers many of the important advances in the geological sciences from 1963 to 2013. These advances include understanding plate tectonics, exploration of the Moon and Mars, development of new computing and analytical technologies, understanding of the role of microbiology in geologic processes, and many others"--Provided by publisher.

Most of our knowledge about the physical structure and the chemical composition of the Earth's deep interior is inferred from seismic data. The interpretation of seismic waves generally follows the assumption that the Earth's physical structure is grossly layered and that fluctuations of the physical parameters within individual layers are smooth in structure and small in magnitude. While this view greatly facilitates the analytic and interpretative procedure, it is clearly at odds with evidence from outcrops and boreholes, which indicates that compositional, structural and petrophysical heterogeneity in the Earth prevails over a wide range of scales. This book is the first to unify three different views of crustal and upper mantle heterogeneity. It brings together the geological view, which is derived from the analysis of crustal exposures and deep boreholes; the stochastic view, which attempts to find order and structure in these seemingly chaotic data; and the seismological view, which considers the end product of the complex interaction of seismic energy with the heterogeneous structure at depth. John Goff and Klaus Holliger have compiled chapters that explore and quantify the relationship between geological and petrophysical heterogeneity and its seismic response, and use seismic data to probe the fabric of the Earth's interior. Geologists, geostaticians, and geophysicists alike will benefit from the integrative perspective presented in Heterogeneity in the Crust and Upper Mantle: Nature, Scaling, and Seismic Properties, making this text an unparalleled reference for professionals and students in Earth science fields.

Introduction to geologic fracture mechanics covering geologic structural discontinuities from theoretical and field-based perspectives.

This volume is a state of the art look at our understanding of joint development in the crust. Answers are provided for such questions as the mechanisms by which joints are initiated, the factors controlling the path they follow during the propagation process, and the processes responsible for the arrest of joints. Many of the answers to these questions can be inferred from the geometry of joint surface morphology and joint patterns. Joints are a record of the orientation of stress at the time of propagation and as such they are also useful records of ancient stress fields, regional and local. Because outcrop and subsurface views of joints are limited, statistical techniques are required to characterize joints and joint sets. Finally, joints are subject to post-propagation stresses that further localize deformation and are the focus for the development of new structures.

Utah’s landscape is among the most spectacular in the world. It is a region of prominent peaks, sweeping valleys, dramatic canyons, and plateaus rimmed by sheer cliffs. Unique among western states, Utah’s landscape includes the Colorado Plateau, Basin and Range, and Rocky Mountains geologic provinces. Exposed rocks tell the geologic story of the region’s basement structures, overlying surface features, and rock sequences that have contributed to sculpting the appearance of today's landscape. Rocks and formations record the evolution of the western part of the North American continent, and give clues to the nature of ancient crustal basement and Earth’s deeper layers. Climate change has shaped the present landscape through the erosional power of ancient glaciers and the presence of today’s large lakes and basins. Geology of Utah introduces the state’s deep earth, plate tectonics, and the development of its ancient mountains. It describes the geology of the three main geological provinces, ancient elevations, cliffs, valleys, and the history of the region’s climate. This book will enrich the experience of enthusiastic amateur geologists who want to understand and explore the development of Utah's highlands and the history of this dynamic landscape.