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Fractures exert a strong influence on fluid flow in subsurface reservoirs, and hence an adequate understanding of fracture properties could provide useful information on how they may be managed optimally to produce oil and gas or to be used as repositories for carbon dioxide (CO2) to mitigate climate change. Since fractures are commonly aligned by the stress field, seismic anisotropy is a key tool in investigating their properties. Velocity anisotropy is now a well-established technique for determining properties such as fracture orientation and density, but in recent years, attention has focused on quantifying azimuthal variations in Pwave attenuation to provide additional information, especially on the fracture size. However, the practical application of this attribute in geophysical exploration is still limited due to the uncertainty associated with its measurement and the difficulty in its interpretation in terms of rock properties. There is still a lack of proper understanding of the physical processes involved in the mechanisms of attenuation anisotropy. In this thesis, I use the seismic modelling approach to study the effects of attenuation anisotropy in fractured porous media using P-waves with the main aim of improving the understanding of these effects and exploring the physical basis of using attenuation anisotropy as a potential tool for the characterization of fractured reservoirs. Fractures with length on the order of the seismic wavelength in reservoir rocks cause scattering of seismic waves which exhibits characteristic azimuthal variations. I study these scattering effects using complementary seismic physical (scale-model laboratory experiments) and numerical (finite difference) modelling approaches. The results of both approaches are consistent in delineating fracture properties from seismic data. The scattered energy is quantified through estimates of the attenuation factor (the inverse of the seismic quality factor Q) and shown to be anisotropic, with elliptical (cos2θ) variations with respect to the survey azimuth angle θ. The minor axis of the Q ellipse corresponds to the fracture normal. In this direction, i.e. across the material grain, the attenuation is a maximum. The major axis corresponds to the fracture strike direction (parallel to the material grain) where minimum attenuation occurs. Empirically, the magnitude of P-wave attenuation anisotropy is greater in fluid-saturated rocks than in dry rocks. I study the influence of fluid saturation on P-wave attenuation through synthetic modelling and compare the attenuation signature to that of dry fractured rocks. The results of the analysis show that the relaxation time strongly controls the frequency range over which attenuation occurs. The magnitude of the induced attenuation increases with polar angle and also away from the fracture strike direction. The attenuation exhibits elliptical variations with azimuth which are also well fitted with a cos2θ function. The magnitude of the attenuation anisotropy is higher in the case of the fluid-saturated rocks. All of these properties of the numerical model are in agreement with the results of empirical experiments in the laboratory. The same crack density can result from many small cracks, from a few large cracks, or from an equal number of cracks of various sizes with varying thicknesses in the same volume of background material. This makes it difficult to distinguish between the anisotropy caused by micro-cracks and that caused by macro-cracks. I study the effects of fracture thickness or aperture on P-wave scattering attenuation through seismic physical modelling, and find that the induced attenuation has a direct relationship with the fracture thickness or aperture. This result indicates the potential of using P-wave attenuation to get information which might be useful in examining the effects of voids in the rocks, and also provides a basis for further future theoretical development to distinguish the effects caused by thin micro cracks and large open fractures. Finally, I study the effects of two types of fluid saturation (brine and CO2 in the supercritical state) on P-wave attenuation through synthetic modelling, with particular attention to varying CO2 saturation using the CO2 properties at the Sleipner gas Field in the North Sea. The presence of CO2 causes more attenuation in the numerical model output than when the rock is saturated with only brine. The induced attenuation increases with decreasing percentage of CO2 saturation and has a maximum magnitude at 10 % CO2 saturation. Further work is needed to quantify the additional effect of fractures on these results.

The use of magnesium and its alloys, as the lightest structural materials, to decrease the weight, improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions has significantly increased in the automotive and aerospace industries in recent years. However, magnesium alloys are commonly used as die casting products. The current application of wrought magnesium alloy products is limited because of their poor ductility at room temperature due to the formation of a strong texture and restricted active deformation modes in wrought magnesium products. Moreover, to support the application of magnesium alloys in automobile and airplane components, their dynamic mechanical response must be determined to evaluate their behavior during impact events such as car crash and bird strike in airplanes. Therefore, in this research study, the dynamic mechanical behavior of magnesium alloys at high strain rates was investigated. The effects of initial texture, composition, strain rate and grain size on the deformation mechanism were also determined. Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar was used to investigate the dynamic mechanical behavior of the magnesium alloys. Texture analysis on the alloy prior and after shock loading was done using X-ray diffraction. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the microstructural evolution in the alloys before and after shock loading. Chemical analysis and phase identification were done by energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis, respectively. Additionally, twinning type and distribution was determined by means of orientation imaging microscopy whereas dislocation types and distribution was determined using transmission electron microscopy. A visco-plastic self-consistent simulation was used to corroborate the experimental textures and possible deformation mechanisms. The dynamic mechanical behavior of cast AZ and AE magnesium alloys with different chemistries was investigated at strain rates ranging between 800 to 1400 s-1 to determine the effects of composition on the response of the alloys to shock loading. It was found that an increase in the aluminum content of the AZ alloys increased the volume fraction of β-Mg17Al12 and Al4Mn phases, strength and strain hardening but, on the other hand, decreased the ductility and twinning fraction, particularly extension twinning fraction, for all the investigated strain rates. In addition, increasing the strain rate resulted in considerable increase in strength of the alloys. Texture measurements showed that shock loading of the AE alloys resulted in development of a stronger (00.2) basal texture in samples with higher content of yttrium at the investigated strain rates. Increasing the yttrium content of the cast AE alloys decreased twinning fraction but increased dislocation density and volume fraction of the Al2Y second phase. As a result, the tensile strength and ductility of the alloys increased which is an interesting result for high-strain rate applications of AE alloys in comparison to AZ alloys. The dynamic mechanical behavior of rolled AZ31B and WE43 magnesium alloys were also studied at strain rates ranging between 600 to 1400 s-1. A strong (00.2) basal texture was observed in all shock loaded AZ31B samples. It was also observed that increasing the strain rate led to an increase in strength and ductility, but to a decrease in twinning fraction. A high degree of mechanical anisotropy was found for all investigated strain rates so that the lowest strength was registered for the samples cut along the direction parallel to the rolling direction. Furthermore, it was found that at high strain rates, fine-grained AZ31B alloy exhibits better ductility and strength compared to coarse-grained alloy. However, the hardening rate of coarse-grained alloy was higher. In the case of rolled WE43 alloy, it was found that the strength and ductility increased and twinning fraction decreased with increase in strain rate. Furthermore, another effect of increase in strain rate was the higher activation of pyramidal <c+a> slip systems. In addition, degree of stress and strain anisotropy is low particularly at higher strain rates, which is mainly related to the weak initial texture of the samples due to the presence of rare earth elements. Furthermore, strength and ductility were found to decrease with increasing grain size, while twinning fraction, activity of double and contraction twins and strain hardening rate increase with increasing grain size. In both AZ31B and WE43 alloy, the presence of <c+a> dislocations was confirmed at high strain rates using ‘g.b’ analysis confirming activation of pyramidal <c+a> slip systems during dynamic shock loading.

The thesis proposes a new procedure to describe bone anisotropy in the finite element model using computed tomography (CT) images. First, bone density was correlated to CT numbers using the empirical function established in previous studies; pointwise bone density gradient was then calculated from interpolation functions of bone densities. Second, principal anisotropic directions were defined using the bone density gradient. Third, the magnitude of bone density gradient was incorporated to an existing bone elasticity-density correlation established by experiments. A method was also introduced to assign the anisotropic material properties to finite element models in Abaqus. The effect on the predicted von Misses stresses and principal strains in the bone by adopting the anisotropic or isotropic material model was investigated by finite element simulations using Abaqus.

This thesis examines processes causing faulting in the North American crust in the northern Cascadia subduction zone. A combination of seismological methods, including source mechanism determination, stress inversion and earthquake relocations are used to determine where earthquakes occur and what forces influence faulting. We also determine if forces that control faulting can be monitored using seismic anisotropy. Investigating the processes that contribute to faulting in the crust is important because these earthquakes pose significant hazard to the large population centres in British Columbia and Washington State. To determine where crustal earthquakes occur we apply double-difference earthquake relocation techniques to events in the Fraser River Valley, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands, Washington. This technique is used to identify "hidden" active structures using both catalogue and waveform cross-correlation data. Results have significantly reduced uncertainty over routine catalogue locations and show lineations in areas of clustered seismicity. In the Fraser River Valley these lineations or streaks appear to be hidden structures that do not disrupt near-surface sediments; however, in the San Juan Islands the identified lineation can be related to recently mapped surface expressions of faults. To determine forces that influence faulting we investigate the orientation and sources of stress using Bayesian inversion results from focal mechanism data. More than 600 focal mechanisms from crustal earthquakes are calculated to identify the dominant style of faulting and inverted to estimate the principal stress orientations and the stress ratio. Results indicate the maximum horizontal compressive stress (SHmax) orientation changes with distance from the subduction interface, from margin-normal along the coast to margin-parallel further inland. We relate the margin-normal stress direction to subduction-related strain rates due to the locked interface between the North America and Juan de Fuca plates just west of Vancouver Island. Further from the margin the plates are coupled less strongly and the margin-parallel SHmax relates to the northward push of the Oregon Block. Active faults around the region are generally thrust faults that strike east-west and might accommodate the margin- parallel compression. Finally, we consider whether crustal anisotropy can be used as a stress monitoring tool in this region. We identify sources and variations of crustal anisotropy using shear-wave splitting analysis on local crustal earthquakes. Results show spatial variations in fast directions, with margin-parallel fast directions at most stations and margin-perpendicular fast directions at stations in the northeast of the region. To use seismic anisotropy as a stress indicator requires identifying which stations are primarily in uenced by stress. We determine the source of anisotropy at each station by comparing fast directions from shear-wave splitting results to the SHmax orientation. Most stations show agreement between these directions suggesting that anisotropy is stress-related. These stations are further analysed for temporal variations and show variation that could be associated with earthquakes (ML 3{5) and episodic tremor and slip events. The combination of earthquake relocations, source mechanisms, stress and anisotropy is unique and provides a better understanding of faulting and stress in the crust of northern Cascadia. / Graduate

A search for the effects of anisotropy on seismic body-waves predicted by theory is described. Preliminary studies were based on long-period data from the WWSSN, HGLP and SRO networks. These showed that data from the WWSSN network are unsuitable for anisotropy studies because of features in the geometry of the recording system which lead to misalignment of the digitizer relative to the galvanometer-swing (which it is not always possible to correct) and the fact that the horizontal components are not always well matched. Digital data from the HGLP (recorded after 1976) and SRO networks are more suitable for anisotropy studies but eventually it was found that the anisotropic differences are too small to be resolved by long-period instruments. Analysis of short-period teleseismic shear-waves observed at LRSM stations located in United States and southern Canada has revealed shear-wave splitting diagnostic of anisotropy somewhere along the path. The shear-wave splitting is often seen as two separate shear-wave arrivals on the rotated horizontal components. All cases of shear-wave splitting are indicated by an abrupt change in the direction of particle-motion in the horizontal plane. A selection of seismograms and associated particlemotion diagrams is presented in order to illustrate shear-wave splitting. The polarizations of the first arrival shear-waves and the delays between the shear-wave arrivals were measured and are presented in the form of stereograms. The maximum shear-wave delay observed is 2.75 seconds and on the basis of this, we calculate the thickness of the anisotropic layer to be 248 kms for a model with 4.5% differential shearwave velocity anisotropy. For a model with much higher differential shear-wave velocity anisotropy (8.4%), the thickness of the layer is only 136 kms. Our results do not allow us to constrain the depth to the top of the anisotropic layer, although on the basis of other studies we believe the anisotropic layer to be situated immediately below the Mohorovicic discontinuity. The polarizations are broadly similar to those obtained theoretically for the y- and z-cuts of olivine, transversely isotropic olivine and mixture of transversely isotropic olivine/isotropic material. On the basis of this, we tentatively identify N50°E as a direction of symmetry and note that it is approximately parallel to the absolute motion of the North-American plate. We therefore suspect a causal relationship between plate motion and the generation of anisotropy. The most likely hypothesis is that as the continental lithosphere moves across the asthenosphere, the drag on the lithosphere sets up a horizontal compression in the direction of motion of the lithosphere relative to the asthenosphere and olivine crystals align by {Okl} [100] pencil glide so that the a-axis points into the direction of plate motion while the b and c axes form girdles perpendicular to the a-axis. This would result in transverse isotropy with the axis of symmetry horizontal, an orientation which is consistent with our results. The existence of anisotropy in the upper mantle has implications for other seismological studies. In particular, focal mechanism studies which rely solely on S-wave polarizations will be erroneous and studies of travel-time residuals will need to take account of the anisotropy.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1993. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-12, Section: B, page: 6259. Adviser: Jules P. Carbotte.

Thesis (MSc.(Chemistry)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.