General Colloquium
September 7 - 4:00pm Phys 223
(Coffee at 3:30p.m. in room 242)
September 7 - 4:00pm Phys 223
(Coffee at 3:30p.m. in room 242)
Laura Pyrak-Nolte
Professor of Physics
Purdue University
Title:"Seismic Imaging of Fracture Heterogeneity"
A strategy for reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere from power plants burning fossil fuel is to capture CO2 and sequester the CO2 in subsurface reservoirs. Candidates for geological sequestration include depleted oil and gas reservoirs, deep saline aquifers, and underground coal beds. Though these subsurface reservoirs often differ in lithology and structure, fractures are common to all. An important issue that affects CO2 sequestration in subsurface reservoirs is whether seismic techniques can identify rapid flow paths (fractures) that could compromise the hydraulic integrity of the reservoir. A numerical investigation on the interrelationships among the hydraulic, mechanical, and seismic properties of a fracture found that the relationship between fluid flow through a fracture and fracture specific stiffness hinges on the spatial correlation of the aperture distribution. Seismic wave attenuation and velocity can be used, remotely, to determine fracture specific stiffness. The ability to determine fracture specific stiffness using seismic methods hinges on the ability (1) to differentiate the individual stiffness of each fracture in a fracture network or fracture set, (2) to understand the effect of fluid saturation/ chemical alteration on fracture specific stiffness, and (3) to understand the spatial variation of fracture specific stiffness within a single fracture. Results from laboratory measurements of seismic wave propagation through fractured media will be presented.
Education
Ph.D. 1988 Univ. of California, Berkeley, Dept of Materials Science & Mineral Engineering, Thesis: Seismic Visibility of Fractures, Advisor: Prof. Neville G. W. Cook
M.S. 1983 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State Univ., Dept of
Geological Sciences, Thesis: Modeling Heat Flow of Triassic Basins, Advisor: Prof. John K. Costain
B.S. 1981 State University of New York at Buffalo, Department of Engineering Science
Employment
1997- Associate Professor, Dept of Physics, with a Courtesy Appointment in the Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue Univ
1997-97 Associate Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering & Geological Sci, Univ. of Notre Dame
1992-97 Assistant Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering & Geological Sci, Univ. of Notre Dame
1990-92 Visiting Assistant Professor, Dept of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Purdue Univ.
Professional Activities
Member, NAS-Nation Research Council US National Committee on Rock Mechanics, 1999-2002.
Member, American Geophysical Union, Mineral and Rock Physics Committee, 1998-2000.
Member, International Commission on Geophysics in Rock Engineering, International Society of Rock Mechanics, 1996?
Member, CO2 Sequestration Roadmap- Geological Formations Team, Department of Energy, Fall, 1998.
Honors
University Faculty Scholar, 2000-2004
Schlumberger Lecture Award, 1995
Young Investigator Award - National Science Foundation, 1994-1999
Young Investigator Award - Office of Naval Research, 1994-1997