What we do

The Stanford Rock Physics and Borehole Geophysics Project studies the properties of and processes in rocks as related to geophysical exploration, crustal studies, tectonic and borehole processes.

The directors of the project are Amos Nur and Gary Mavko who co-direct the Rock Physics Group; and Mark Zoback who directs the Stress and Crustal Mechanics Group.

The Rock Physics Laboratory applies experimental measurements and theoretical and computational models of rock and soil properties to in-situ problems. The emphasis is on elastic wave velocities, hydraulic permeability and electrical properties.

The Stress and Crustal Mechanics Group focuses on crustal stress measurements, problems of borehole breakouts and instability and mapping of fractures from borehole images.

Rocks are inherently complex, heterogeneous porous systems and few problems in crustal geophysics are independent of pore spaces, pore fluids and rock-fluid interactions. Current research topics include:

Mechanical properties of porous rocks.
Laboratory measurements of ultrasonic wave velocities, attenuation and permeability in rocks, granular materials and reservoir fluids.
Dynamic problems of waves in saturated, porous media, seismic velocity, dispersion and attenuation.
Seismic monitoring of reservoir flooding, production and oil recovery.
Seismic detection of fractured reservoirs.
Stress and borehole stability.
Quasi-static problems of faulting, fluid transport, crustal deformation and loss of porosity.