Book Sale
Handbook of Seismic Properties of Minerals, Rocks and Ores
by Shaocheng Ji, Qin Wang, Bin Xia
Polytechnic International Press, Montreal 2002, pp. 630, Hardcover, ISBN
2-553-01032-X, List Price: $110 US
Sale Price: $40 US
Please contact with
Miss Qian Wang
Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal,
P.O. Box, 6079
Station Centre-Ville
Montreal H3C 3A7
Canada
E-mail : [log in to unmask]
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Book Review by Prof. H. Kern (Kiel, Germany), published in Tectonophysics,
376 (2003), 135-136.
The most directly measurable parameters reflecting the nature of the Earth’
s interior are seismic wave velocities, and seismic velocity determinations
are necessary in providing a characterisation of the structure of the Earth
crust and upper mantle. They are, however, of limited use because inferences
about rock compositions drawn from wave velocities (at least P-wave
velocities) are not unique. The basic reason for this ambiguity lies in the
fact that seismic properties at depth are determined by numerous lithologic
factors such as mineralogical and chemical composition, rock fabric, and by
physical factors such as pressure and temperature that control the in-situ
rock properties in a complex manner.
Constraints on the composition of the deep crust and upper mantle are best
determined by combining seismic velocities derived from geophysical
measurements with those of relevant crustal and mantle rocks determined in
the laboratory at high pressure and temperature conditions. In recent years,
seismic anisotropy, which is an important property of many rocks
constituting the Earth crust and upper mantle, has become increasingly
important in Earth science investigations; due to the marked improvement in
methods of generation and detecting seismic shear waves. Particularly, the
determination of shear wave splitting in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle
has raised much interest. Seismic azimuthal anisotropy, manifested by shear
wave splitting (elastic birefringence), can provide important geophysical
evidence of deformation, because the orientation and the magnitude of
anisotropy is, in general, strongly related to the internal, strain-induced
rock fabric.
In the Handbook of Seismic Properties of Minerals, Rocks and Ores, Ji, Wang
and Xia perform an admirable job in compiling a large number of
compressional (P) and shear wave (S) data published over the last 4 decades,
and by focusing, in particular, on the directional dependence of wave
propagation (anisotropy). The book is divided into two parts. Each part is
introduced by a brief chapter. The first addresses particularly the
different average approaches (Voigt, Reuss, Hill and geometric averages) for
the determination of the elastic moduli of polymineralic rocks from the
properties of rock-forming minerals. The second relies on various techniques
used for the determination of the reported P- and S-wave velocities, the
accuracy of the reported data, and the coefficient of seismic anisotropy (A)
on the basis of the velocities measured in the three structural directions
X,Y, Z, that are related to the foliation and lineation of the rocks..
In Part I (94 references), the authors address the single-crystal elasticity
of 53 common rock-forming minerals by presenting 3D velocity calculations
for compressional (Vp) and shear wave velocities (Vs1, Vs2) and shear wave
splitting (δVs=Vs1-Vs2) along with the bulk (K) and shear (G) moduli of
monomineralic aggregates of 22 common rock-forming minerals with the
calculated Voigt (V), Reuss (R), Hill (H) and geometric (G) averages.
Part II presents tabulated P- and S-wave velocities and
corresponding anisotropy and shear wave splitting data of crustal and upper
mantle rocks as functions of pressure and temperature, together with their
sample locality, lithology, density, porosity, humidity (wet or dry) and the
source literature (247 references). The rock types are listed
alphabetically, and the room temperature Vp and Vs data and corresponding
anisotropies are given for three different pressure ranges (to 200 MPa, 600
MPa and 1.0 GPa), according to the maximum pressures reached in the
experiments reported in the literature. The data describing the temperature
dependence of Vp and Vs and corresponding anisotropies are listed for two
temperature regimes (up to 600°C and 1000°C (900°C)) with pressures
mostly up to 600 MPa (1000 MPa). Averages of P- and S-wave velocities at
room temperature and pressures up to 3 GPa are compiled separately, and a
great number of samples for which the seismic velocities and anisotropies
have been measured are characterized by their chemical and mineral modal
compositions. Finally, the tabulated data are complemented by figures
representing the relationship between intrinsic (600 MPa) seismic velocities
(Vp and Vs) and density, as well as the frequency distributions of intrinsic
Vp and Vs anisotropy, the variation of mean Poisson´s ratios of 23 main
lithologic categories and the effect of the alpha-beta quartz transition on
P- and S-wave velocities in quartzite.
The handbook is a concise and thorough reference book of seismic properties
of rocks ready to apply to the interpretations of seismic reflection and
refraction data. In particular, by focussing on the directional dependence
of wave propagation in crustal and mantle rocks, the book fills an important
niche. The coverage of the literature is exhaustive and the references,
along with a glossary of symbols and abbreviations, enable the interested
reader to further pursue any particular subject in greater depth.
Unfortunately, there are some regrettable omissions. I miss a link between
calculated 3D velocity surfaces of single crystals (Part I) to polycrystals
by presenting 3D velocity surfaces in Part II for at least a number of
relevant crustal and mantle rocks, together with their relation to inherent
structural elements (foliation XY, lineation X). Furthermore, as was done
for the Figures, a grouping of the tabulated velocity data into magmatic
rocks, metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks and ores, in addition to
alphabetically ordering, would make an access to the data of interest
easier. Nevertheless, this handbook, with its wealth of data, is a welcome
addition to the literature in Petrophysics. The layout of the book is
exceptionally clean. At about US 110 it is reasonably priced, although it is
undoubtedly beyond the budget of most students. It is a must-have for all
seismologists, along with others interested in quantitative petrophysical
data, and it should be carried by academic libraries to serve students with
an interest in seismic studies as a permanent reference.
Hartmut Kern
Institute of Earth Sciences
University of Kiel, Germany
Shaocheng Ji, Ph.D.
Full Professor
Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering (CGM)
Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal P.O. Box 6079 Station "Centre-Ville"
Montreal, Canada
Tel: 1 (514) 340-4711 Ext. 5134
Fax: 1 (514) 340-3970
Web site: <http://geo.polymtl.ca/~sji/> http://geo.polymtl.ca/~sji/
Database:
<http://texture.civil.polymtl.ca:8080/seismic-properties/index.jsp>
http://texture.civil.polymtl.ca:8080/seismic-properties/index.jsp
