Fracture spacing and orientation distributions for two-dimensional data sets

Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

Volumn 105, Issue B8, 2000, Pages 19305-19320

  Ryan, Jenny Lynn ^a,c   Lonergan, Lidia ^b   Jolly, Richard J H ^b,d  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE   (United Kingdom)

^b IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^c SHELL GLOBAL SOLUTIONS INTERNATIONAL B V   (United States)

^d Golder Associates (UK) Limited   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

FRACTURE GEOMETRY; FRACTURE NETWORK; FRACTURE ORIENTATION;

EID: 0034632585     PISSN: 21699313     EISSN: 21699356     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1029/2000jb900126     Document Type: Article

References (60)

1. Bai, T., D.D. Pollard, and H. Gao, A new explanation for fracture spacing in layered materials, Nature, 403, 753-756, 2000.
2. Barton, C.C., Fractal analysis of scaling and spatial clustering of fractures, in Fractals in the Earth Sciences, edited by C.C. Barton and P.R. La Pointe, pp. 141-178, Plenum, New York, 1995.
3. Barton, C.C., and E. Larsen, Fractal geometry of two-dimensional fracture networks at Yucca mountain, southwestern Nevada, in Proceedings of the International Symposium on Fundamentals of Rock Joints, edited O. Stephansson, pp.77-84, CENTER Publ., Lulea, Sweden, 1985.
4. Barton, C.A., and M.D. Zoback, Self-similar distribution and properties of macroscopic fractures at depth in crystalline rock in the Cajon Pass scientific drill hole, J. Geophys. Res., 97, 5181-5200, 1992.
5. Berkowitz, B. and A. Hadad, Fractal and multifractal measures of natural and synthetic fracture networks, J. Geophy. Res., 102, 12,205-12,218, 1997.
6. Bloomfield, J., Characterisation of hydrogeologically significant fracture distributions in the Chalk: An example from the Upper Chalk of southern England, J. Hydrol., 184 (3-4), 355-379, 1996.
7. Bour, O., and P. Davy, Connectivity of random fault networks following a power law fault length distribution, Water Resour. Res., 33, 1567-1583, 1997.
8. Bour, O., and P. Davy, Clustering and size distributions of fault patterns: Theory and measurements, Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 2001-2004, 1999.
9. Brooks, B.A., R.W. Allmendinger, and I.G. de la Barra, Fracture spacing in the El Teniente Mine, central Chile: Evidence for non fractal fracture geometry J. Geophys. Res., 101, 13,633-13,653, 1996.
10. Cartwright, J.A., Episodic basin-wide fluid expulsion from geopressured shale sequences in the North Sea basin, Geology, 22, 447-450, 1994.
11. Cartwright, J.A., and L. Lonergan, Volumetric contraction during the compaction of mud rocks: A mechanism for the development of regional-scale polygonal fault systems, Basin Res., 8, 183-193, 1996.
12. Cowie, P.A., and C.H. Scholz, Physical explanation for the displacement-length relationship of faults using a post-yield fracture mechanics model, J. Struct. Geol., 14, 1133-1148, 1992.
13. Cowie, P.A., C. Vanneste, and D. Sornette, Statistical physics models for the spatiotemporal evolution of faults. J. Geophys. Res., 98, 21,809-21,821, 1993.
14. Cowie, P.A., D. Sornette, and C. Vanneste, Multifractal scaling properties of a growing fault population, Geophys. J. Int., 122, 457-469, 1995.
15. Crampin, S.R., R. McGonie, and D. Bramford, Estimating crack parameters from observations of P-wave velocity anisotropy, Geophysics, 45, 345-360, 1980.
16. Dalley, R.M., E.C.A Gevers, G.M.S. Stampfli, D.J. Davies, C.N. Gastaldi, P.A. Ruijtenberg, and G.J.O. Vermeer, Dip and azimuth displays for 3D seismic interpretation, First Break, 7, 86-95, 1989.
17. Dawers, N.H., M.H. Anders, and C.H. Scholz, Growth of normal faults: Displacement-length scaling, Geology, 21, 1107-1110. 1993.
18. Dershowitz, W.S., and H.H. Einstein, Characterizing rock joint geometry with joint system models. Rock Mech. Rock Eng., 21, 21-51, 1988.
19. Dershowitz, W.S., and H.H. Herda, Interpretation of fracture spacing and intensity, Proc. U.S. Symp. Rock Mech., 33rd, 757-766, 1992.
20. Einstein, H.H. and G.B. Baecher, Probabilisitic and statistical methods in engineering geology, specific methods and examples, part 1, Exploration, Rock Mech. Rock Eng., 16, 39-72, 1983.
21. Gillespie, P.A., C.B. Howard, J.J. Walsh, and J. Watterson, Measurement and characterisation of spatial distribution of fractures, Tectonophysics, 226, 113-141, 1993.
22. Goodman, R.E., Methods of Geological Engineering in Discontinuous Rocks, West, St. Paul, Minn., 1976.
23. Gross, M.R., M.P. Fischer, T. Engelder, and R.J. Greenfield, Factors controlling joint spacing in interbedded sedimentary rocks: Integrating numerical models with field observations from the Monterey Formation, USA, in Fractography: Fracture Topography as a Tool in Fracture Mechanics and Stress Analysis, edited by M.S. Ameen, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 92, 215-233, 1995.
24. Heffer, K. J., and T.G. Bevan, Scaling relationships in natural fractures: Data theory and application, paper SPE 20981 presented at 2nd European Petroleum Conference, Soc. of Pet. Eng., The Hague, Netherlands, 1990.
25. Hesthammer, J., and H. Fossen, Seismic attribute analysis in structural evaluation of the Gullfaks Field, northern North Sea, Pet. Geosci., 3, 13-26, 1997.
26. Hirata, T., Fractal dimension of fault systems in Japan: Fractal structure in rock fracture geometry at various scales, Pure Appl. Geophys., 131, 157-170, 1989.
27. Huang, Q., and J. Angelier, Fracture spacing and its relation to bed thickness, Geol. Mag., 126, 355-362, 1989.
28. Hudson, J.A., and S. D. Priest, Discontinuity frequency in rock masses, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. Abstr, 20, 73-89, 1983.
29. Jolly, R.H.J., and D.J. Sanderson, Variations in the form and distribution of dykes in the Mull swarm, Scotland, J. Struct. Geol., 17, 1543-1557, 1995.
30. Jolly, R.H.J., J.W. Cosgrove, and D.N. Dewhurst, Thickness and spatial distributions of clastic dykes, northwest Sacramento Valley, California, J. Struct. Geol., 20, 1663-1672, 1998.
31. Jones, M.A., A.B. Pringle, I.M. Fulton, and S. O'Neill, Discrete fracture network modelling applied to groundwater resource exploitation in southwest Ireland, in Fractures, Fluid Flow and Mineralization, edited by K.J.W. McCaffrey, L. Lonergan, and J.J. Wilkinson, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 155, 83-103, 1999.
32. Ladeira, F.L., and N.J. Price, Relationship between fracture spacing and bed thickness, J. Struct. Geol., 3, 179-183, 1981.
33. La Pointe, P.R., and J.A. Hudson, Characterisation and interpretation of rock mass joint patterns, Spec. Pap. Geol. Soc. Am. 199, 37 pp., 1985.
34. Lonergan, L., R.H.J. Jolly and J.A. Cartwright, The geometry of polygonal fault systems in Tertiary mudrocks of the North Sea. J. Struct. Geol., 20, 529-548, 1998.
35. Marrett, R., and R.W. Allmendinger, Estimates of strain due to brittle faulting: Sampling of fault populations, J. Struct. Geol., 13, 735-738. 1991.
36. Munier, R., Four-dimensional analysis of fracture arrays at the Aspo hard rock laboratory, SE Sweden, Eng. Geol., 33, 159-175, 1993.
37. Nicol, A., J. Watterson, J.J. Walsh, and C. Childs, The shapes, major axis orientations and displacement patterns of faults surfaces, J. Struct. Geol., 18, 235-248. 1996.
38. Odling, N. E., Network properties of a two-dimensional natural fracture pattern, Pure Appl. Geophys., 138, 95-114, 1992.
39. Peacock, D.C.P., and D. J. Sanderson, Displacements, segment linkage and relay ramps in normal fault zones, J. Struct. Geol., 13, 721-733, 1991.
40. Pickering, G., J.M. Bull, and D.J. Sanderson, Sampling power-law distributions, Tectonophysics, 248, 1-20, 1995.
41. Priest, S. D., Discontinuity Analysis for Rock Engineering, Chapman and Hall, New York, 473 pp., 1993.
42. Priest, S.D., and J.A. Hudson, Discontinuity spacings in rock, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci., 13, 135-148, 1976.
43. Priest, S.D., and J.A. Hudson, Estimation of discontinuity spacing and trace length using scanline surveys. Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci., 18, 183-197, 1981.
44. Rabinovitch, A., and D. Bahat, Model of joint spacing distribution based on shadow compliance, J Geophys. Res., 104, 4877-4886, 1999.
45. Rives, T., M. Razack, J.P. Petit, and K.D. Rawnsley, Joint spacing: Analogue and numerical simulations, J. Struct. Geol., 14, 925-937, 1992.
46. Rouleau, A., and J.E. Gale, Statistical characterisation of the fracture system in the Stripa Granite, Sweden, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. Geomech. Abstr., 22, 353-367, 1985.
47. Ryan, J.-L., The origin of perturbations of seismic reflections from below deformed Tertiary strata, North Sea, Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge Univ. Cambridge, England, 1997.
48. Scholz, C.H., and P.A. Cowie, Determination of the total strain from faulting using slip measurements. Nature, 346, 837-839, 1990.
49. Schultz, R.A., and A.N. Fori, Fault-length statistics and implications of graben sets at Candor Mensa Mars, J. Struct. Geol., 18, 373-384, 1996.
50. Sheriff, R.E., and L.P. Geldart, Exploration Seismology, vol. 2, Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1995.
51. Shimo, M., and J.C.S. Long, A numerical study of transport parameters in fracture networks in Flow and Transport through Unsaturated Fractured Rock, Geophys. Monogr. Ser. vol 42, edited by D.D. Evans and T.J. Nicholson, pp.121-131, AGU, Washington D.C., 1987.
52. Terzaghi, R.D., Sources of error in joint surveys, Geotechnique, 15, 287-304, 1965.
53. Walsh, J.J., and J. Watterson, Analysis of the relationship between displacements and dimensions of faults, J. Struct. Geol., 10, 239-247, 1988.
54. Walsh, J.J., and J. Watterson, Populations of faults and fault displacements and their effects on estimates of fault-related regional extension, J. Struct. Geol., 14, 701-712, 1992.
55. Warren, J.E., and P.J. Root, The behaviour of naturally fractured reservoirs, Soc. Pet. Eng. J., 3, 245-255, 1963.
56. Watterson, J., J.J. Walsh, P.A. Gillespie, and S. Eaton, Scaling systematics of fault sizes on a large-scale range fault map, J. Struct. Geol., 18, 199-214, 1996.
57. Wessel, P., and W.H.F. Smith, New version of the Generic Mapping Tools released, Eos Trans. AGU, 76, 329, 1995.
58. Wu, H., and D.D. Pollard, An experimental study of the relationship between joint spacing and layer thickness, J. Struct. Geol., 17, 887-905, 1995.
59. Yielding, G., T. Needham, and H. Jones, Sampling of fault populations using sub-surface data: A review, J. Struct. Geol, 18, 135-146, 1996.
60. Zhang, X., and D.J. Sanderson, Anisotropic features of geometry and permeability in fractured rock masses, Eng. Geol., 40, 65-75, 1995.