Mechanics of Fracture Growth (>5 weeks)
9/7: Course
Introduction
Why do we care about fractures?
notes: Chapter 1 Introduction to fractures in the
earth, Pollard
What do fractures in rock look like? (slide show)
Mode of fracture
Geometry of joints, solution features and faults
notes: Physical
Characteristics of Fractures and Fracture Patterns, Committee on Fracture Characterization and Fluid
Flow, National Academy Press, 1996.
9/16: Field
trip to local outcrops 9 am - 5pm
(Field Trip report due Friday 9/22)
9/18 Lab: What do Fractures look like?
Notes will be handed out in Lab
Maps, slides, aerial photos and hand samples
9/19 Presentation
of fracture map interpretations
Paper: Pollard and Aydin (1988) pp. 1181 - 1195 (stop
at ÔMechanics of JointingÕ subsection).
9/21 Lecture:
Failure of intact rock
notes: Chapter 2 Theoretical Strength of Rock, Pollard
9/25: Lab:
Set up Uniaxial Compression Experiment
Sample preparation and description
Work on Failure exercise that is due October 2
9/26: Lecture:
Failure of Intact Rock
notes: Chapter 2 Theoretical Strength of Rock, Pollard
9/28: Lecture:
Initiation of fractures
notes: Chapter 3 Griffith Criteria for Fractures, Pollard
Paper: Crider and Peacock, Initiation of brittle
faults in the upper crust: a review of field observations <download from ftp
site ftp://eclogite.geo.umass.edu/pub/cooke/geo361/>
10/2 Lab:
Uniaxial Compression Testing of samples.
Remaining time to work on testing report and problems
sets
10/3: Lecture:
Growth of fractures from flaws
notes: Chapter 3 Griffith Criteria for Fractures, Pollard
Fracture Initiation exercise due 10/10
10/5: Lecture:
Propagation of fractures
notes: Chapter 7 and 8 Fracture Propagation, Pollard
Paper: Pollard and Aydin (1988) pg 1195 Ð 1195-1202
(start at Mechanics of Jointing subsection).
Fracture Propagation exercise due 10/17
10/10: Lecture:
Termination of fractures
Cooke and Underwood, JSG <download from ftp site
ftp://eclogite.geo.umass.edu/pub/cooke/geo361/>
10/11: (UMass
Monday) Lab: Propagating faults in a sandbox
10/12: Lecture:
Fracture network analysis
10/17: Lecture:
Fracture network analysis
Paper(s) on joint network analysis (to be chosen by
presenters)
10/16: Lab:
Analysis of Joint sets at Door County and other regions (Marlboro Quad?)