Rock Fractures in Geological Processes [Hardcover]

This book explores and explains fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust, with numerous worked examples, step-by-step calculations and practice exercises.This book investigates fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust. Building from basic concepts, and illustrated with worked examples, it provides step-by-step calculations enabling readers to practise formulating and testing models. With many additional examples and exercises online, it is a vital resource for students, researchers and industry professionals.This book investigates fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust. Building from basic concepts, and illustrated with worked examples, it provides step-by-step calculations enabling readers to practise formulating and testing models. With many additional examples and exercises online, it is a vital resource for students, researchers and industry professionals.Rock fractures control many of Earth's dynamic processes, including plate-boundary development, tectonic earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and fluid transport in the crust. An understanding of rock fractures is also essential for effective exploitation of natural resources such as ground water, geothermal water, and petroleum. This book combines results from fracture mechanics, materials science, rock mechanics, structural geology, hydrogeology, and fluid mechanics to explore and explain fracture processes and fluid transport in the crust. Basic concepts are developed from first principles and illustrated with worked examples linking models of geological processes to real field observations and measurements. Many additional examples and exercises are provided online, allowing readers to practise formulating and quantitative testing of models. Rock Fractures in Geological Processes is designed for courses at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level but also forms a vital resource for researchers and industry professionals concerned with fractures and fluid transport in the l3“