Pore space topology controls ultrasonic waveforms in dry volcanic rocks

Abstract

Pore space controls the mechanical and transport properties of rocks. At the laboratory scale, seismic modeling is usually performed in relatively homogeneous settings, and the influence of the pore space on the recorded wavefields is determined by rock-fluid interactions. Understanding this influence in dry rocks is instrumental for assessing the impact of pore topology on waves propagating in heterogeneous environments, such as volcanoes. Here, we simulated the propagation of shear waves as a function of pore space parameters in computational models built as proxies for volcanic rocks. The spectral-element simulations provide results comparable with ultrasonic experiments, and the outcome shows that the size, shape, volume, and location of pores impact amplitudes and phases. These variations intensify in waveform coda after multiple scattering. Our results confirm that pore topology is one of the primary regulators of the propagation of elastic waves in dry rocks regardless of porosity.