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Compaction of coarse-grained sediments, I
Tectonophysics, 31 (1976) 301-305 0 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company.
301 Amsterdam
- Printed
in The Netherlands
Book Reviews Compaction of Coarse-grained Sediments, I. G.V. Chilingarian and K.H. Wolf (Editors). Developments in Sedimentology 18 A. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1975, 552 p., Dfl. 130.00. The new title of the collection ‘Developments in Sedimentology’ is welcome after the publication in 1974, in the same collection, of ‘Compaction of Argillaceous Rocks’ by H.H. Riecke and G.V. Chilingarian. It seems to be the first part of a two-volume treatise, but the editors give no information about the contents of the promised second part. Nevertheless the present volume already brings a valuable contribution on a rather poorly known and difficult subject. The documentation in that field is scattered in a lot of technical publications, whose access is difficult for the scientist. It is noticeable that the bibliography, presented at the end of each chapter, is almost exclusively North-American. It is a failing of the book which is, in other respects, excellent. The introduction chapter by G.V. Chilingarian, K.H. Wolf and D.R. Allen is a reminder of the classical knowledge on the classification and properties of coarse-grained sediments (porosity, void-ratio, permeability, surface area and compressibility). Diagenesis is restricted to the stages leading to lithification. Further on, i.e. from lithification to metamorphism, the Russian terms of epigenesis or catagenesis are proposed, in spite of a general agreement on a broader sense of diagenesis (from deposition to anchi-metamorphism), Sand compaction is presented by D.R. Allen and G.V. Chilingarian in Chapter 2, mainly from the experimental point of view. The observation and study of natural processes are exposed in Chapter 5 by L.F. Brown Jr.: fluvial and deltaic sandstones from the Pennsylvanian and Permian of north Texas afford remarkable examples of sandstones bodies distribution on a prograded slope. Processes of differential compaction appear clearly in abundant and excellent illustrations. Chapter 8, at last, by R. Raghavan and F.G. Miller (from Stanford University) deals with the mathematical approach to the problem of sand compaction. Mathematical models are calculated, taking into consideration the main physical parameters of the pore space. Compaction of carbonate sands is considered in Chapter 3 by A.M. Coogan and R.W. Manus (from Kent University, Ohio). The authors investigate all the factors affecting carbonate sand compaction both as inhibitors and as promotors. Special interest is devoted to oolitic limestones, to grain-to-grain contacts and to stylolitization. This chapter presents useful additions to the book of R.G.C. Bathurst published in 1971 in the same collection. P~ys~cu~ properties of coarse-grained sediments are the most variable during compaction. Such variations are exposed in two different and very interesting chapters. Chapter 6 by O.G. Ingles and K. Grant (from the Division of Applied
302
Geomechanics, Syndal, Vict., Australia) deal successively with porosity, strength, permeability, compressibility, liquefaction, wave transmission, collapse and erosion susceptibility. Chapter 7 by D.R. Allen is a review of the data obtained from well measurements, SP, resistivity, gamma, neutron and acoustic logs as well as dip measuring by dip-log tools. The compaction of sediments is induced by the deep burial of formations in subsiding basins. Chapter 4 by H.J. Bissell and G.V. Chilingarian is devoted to subsidence, probably with the object of giving the geological framework of compaction phenomena. It is a less convincing part of the book, in spite of the number of sedimentary basins presented. With this minor reservation, the book edited by G.V. Chilingarian and K.H. Wolf is an important contribution to the knowledge of diagenesis. It brings to scientists a wide up to date documentation on a subject of first importance in geotechnics. G. DUNOYER
The Earth’s Density.
K.E. Bullen.
Chapman
DE SEGONZAC
and Hall, London,
(Strasbourg)
1975,
420 pp.,
E 12.90. Life is simpler if one defines as ‘most important’ a paradigm which is directly and unambigously inferred from a systematic body of data, provided the latter are sufficiently complete and accurate. Keith Bullen’s paradigm is density as a function of radius in the earth. For if density is taken as the end goal, then seismology dominates: one can dismiss geochemistry with ‘Direct chemical evidence . . . is, however, not sufficient to contribute usefully to the main procedures...‘, and write a 420-page book in which every one of the 8 graphs and 20 tables pertaining to the earth is based solely on seismology (aside from the usual geodetic constraints), and in which there are just four passing references to olivine. The book is admittedly a very personal work: essentially a recapitulation of the author’s significant contributions to determination of the earth’s structure. The best parts are on seismic wave propagation theory, travel-time curves, and their application to inference of seismic velocity in the earth, which are clearly and systematically presented, as familiar to students of Bullen’s Introduction to the Theory of Seismology. There is a good discussion of finite-strain theory a la Francis Birch. The approach is historical, starting with accounts of early geodetic and gravimetric measurements. However, the book is far from a systematic history, and as the twentieth century is approached it rapidly becomes an account of the author’s personal evolution. The consequence is that (after some geodetic preliminaries) everything is introduced as supplementary to body-wave seismology. Hence it is difficult to acquire a balanced understanding of other important bodies of evidence which are introduced piecemeal, such as laboratory measurements of seismic velocities (for which all Birch’s work is summed
301 Amsterdam
- Printed
in The Netherlands
Book Reviews Compaction of Coarse-grained Sediments, I. G.V. Chilingarian and K.H. Wolf (Editors). Developments in Sedimentology 18 A. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1975, 552 p., Dfl. 130.00. The new title of the collection ‘Developments in Sedimentology’ is welcome after the publication in 1974, in the same collection, of ‘Compaction of Argillaceous Rocks’ by H.H. Riecke and G.V. Chilingarian. It seems to be the first part of a two-volume treatise, but the editors give no information about the contents of the promised second part. Nevertheless the present volume already brings a valuable contribution on a rather poorly known and difficult subject. The documentation in that field is scattered in a lot of technical publications, whose access is difficult for the scientist. It is noticeable that the bibliography, presented at the end of each chapter, is almost exclusively North-American. It is a failing of the book which is, in other respects, excellent. The introduction chapter by G.V. Chilingarian, K.H. Wolf and D.R. Allen is a reminder of the classical knowledge on the classification and properties of coarse-grained sediments (porosity, void-ratio, permeability, surface area and compressibility). Diagenesis is restricted to the stages leading to lithification. Further on, i.e. from lithification to metamorphism, the Russian terms of epigenesis or catagenesis are proposed, in spite of a general agreement on a broader sense of diagenesis (from deposition to anchi-metamorphism), Sand compaction is presented by D.R. Allen and G.V. Chilingarian in Chapter 2, mainly from the experimental point of view. The observation and study of natural processes are exposed in Chapter 5 by L.F. Brown Jr.: fluvial and deltaic sandstones from the Pennsylvanian and Permian of north Texas afford remarkable examples of sandstones bodies distribution on a prograded slope. Processes of differential compaction appear clearly in abundant and excellent illustrations. Chapter 8, at last, by R. Raghavan and F.G. Miller (from Stanford University) deals with the mathematical approach to the problem of sand compaction. Mathematical models are calculated, taking into consideration the main physical parameters of the pore space. Compaction of carbonate sands is considered in Chapter 3 by A.M. Coogan and R.W. Manus (from Kent University, Ohio). The authors investigate all the factors affecting carbonate sand compaction both as inhibitors and as promotors. Special interest is devoted to oolitic limestones, to grain-to-grain contacts and to stylolitization. This chapter presents useful additions to the book of R.G.C. Bathurst published in 1971 in the same collection. P~ys~cu~ properties of coarse-grained sediments are the most variable during compaction. Such variations are exposed in two different and very interesting chapters. Chapter 6 by O.G. Ingles and K. Grant (from the Division of Applied
302
Geomechanics, Syndal, Vict., Australia) deal successively with porosity, strength, permeability, compressibility, liquefaction, wave transmission, collapse and erosion susceptibility. Chapter 7 by D.R. Allen is a review of the data obtained from well measurements, SP, resistivity, gamma, neutron and acoustic logs as well as dip measuring by dip-log tools. The compaction of sediments is induced by the deep burial of formations in subsiding basins. Chapter 4 by H.J. Bissell and G.V. Chilingarian is devoted to subsidence, probably with the object of giving the geological framework of compaction phenomena. It is a less convincing part of the book, in spite of the number of sedimentary basins presented. With this minor reservation, the book edited by G.V. Chilingarian and K.H. Wolf is an important contribution to the knowledge of diagenesis. It brings to scientists a wide up to date documentation on a subject of first importance in geotechnics. G. DUNOYER
The Earth’s Density.
K.E. Bullen.
Chapman
DE SEGONZAC
and Hall, London,
(Strasbourg)
1975,
420 pp.,
E 12.90. Life is simpler if one defines as ‘most important’ a paradigm which is directly and unambigously inferred from a systematic body of data, provided the latter are sufficiently complete and accurate. Keith Bullen’s paradigm is density as a function of radius in the earth. For if density is taken as the end goal, then seismology dominates: one can dismiss geochemistry with ‘Direct chemical evidence . . . is, however, not sufficient to contribute usefully to the main procedures...‘, and write a 420-page book in which every one of the 8 graphs and 20 tables pertaining to the earth is based solely on seismology (aside from the usual geodetic constraints), and in which there are just four passing references to olivine. The book is admittedly a very personal work: essentially a recapitulation of the author’s significant contributions to determination of the earth’s structure. The best parts are on seismic wave propagation theory, travel-time curves, and their application to inference of seismic velocity in the earth, which are clearly and systematically presented, as familiar to students of Bullen’s Introduction to the Theory of Seismology. There is a good discussion of finite-strain theory a la Francis Birch. The approach is historical, starting with accounts of early geodetic and gravimetric measurements. However, the book is far from a systematic history, and as the twentieth century is approached it rapidly becomes an account of the author’s personal evolution. The consequence is that (after some geodetic preliminaries) everything is introduced as supplementary to body-wave seismology. Hence it is difficult to acquire a balanced understanding of other important bodies of evidence which are introduced piecemeal, such as laboratory measurements of seismic velocities (for which all Birch’s work is summed