EAS 326-06

Class Ave: 115/150

Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006 Std dev: 25

EAS 326-06 MIDTERM EXAM

This exam is closed book and closed notes. It is worth 150 points; the value of each
question is shown at the end of each question. At the end of the exam, you will find two
pages of potentially useful equations.

1. The Ithaca area has two well developed sets of Density, ρ = 2720 kg m–1
vertical fractures (joints) with strikes of 340°
Cohesion, So = 50 Mpa
and 015°. The rocks have the mechanical
properties shown in the table at the right.
Assume that σ1 is horizontal, and that the Coefficient of internal
0.51
confining pressure is equal the the lithostatic friction, μi =
load.
Coefficient of sliding
a. What is the maximum possible magnitude 0.85
friction, μs =
of σ1 that these rocks can support at 1500
m depth? Show your calculations and plot
your results as a Mohr’s Circle for stress on the graph paper, below. Be sure to
label the axes. [20 pts.]

It was perfectly okay to solve this problem graphically, but here is how
to solve it analytically. To get the maximum possible value of sigma 1:

1 + sin θ 1 + sin 27
σ 1 = Co + K σ 3 ; K= = = 2.665; and Co = 2So K = 2 ( 50MPa ) 2.665 = 163.3MPa
1 − sin θ 1 - sin 27
σ 3 = ρ gz = ( 2720kgm −3 ) ( 9.8ms −2 ) (1500m ) = 39984000Pa = 40Mpa
σ 1 = 163.3MPa + 2.665σ 3 = 163.3MPa + 2.665 ( 40MPa ) = 270MPa

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006

b. If σ1 is oriented horizontally with a compass azimuth of 130°, will the maximum

value be reached? If not, what will happen to prevent it from reaching it’s
maximum value. Explain your answer with reference to the Mohr’s Circle in part
(a). [15 pts.]

The geometry of the two joints with

respect to σ1 is shown below and the
positions of the planes of the two joints 015°
340°
is plotted on the Mohrs Circle on the
previous page. The 015° joint set will
not be reactivated, but the 340° set will
θ=60°
be reactivated. You can solve for σ1 when
θ=25°
slip begins on the 340° set graphically,
or you can derive it analytically. The
σ1 σ1
latter is slightly complicated because
the radius of the Mohr’s Circle is not
perpendicular to the failure envelop.

(σ1− σ3)/2
σs
2θ=120°

φs 180−2θ=60°
((σ1+ σ3)/2)−x x

⎛ µ (1 + cos (180 − 2θ )) + sin (180 − 2θ ) ⎞

σ1 = σ 3 ⎜ s ⎟ = 194MPa
⎝ sin (180 − 2θ ) + µ s ( cos (180 − 2θ ) − 1) ⎠

2. The graph paper below shows a Mohr’s Circle for finite strain.

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006
γ
γ′=
λ
2

2θ′=132°
21° λ ′3 1
λ′ =
0 λ1′ 1 2 3 4 λ

a. Label the axes and intercepts. [5 pts.]

b. What is the extension and the shear strain experienced by the line represented by
point A? What is the orientation of that line with respect to the principal axes of
the strain ellipse? [15 pts.]
From the Mohrs Circle for strain, above:
1
λ ′ = 3.4 ∴ λ= = 0.294; S = λ = 0.542; e = S − 1 = −0.458

3.4
γ = tan ψ = tan 21 = 0.384
The line makes and angle of 66° with respect to the maximum principal axis
of finite strain.

c. Assuming plane strain, is the deformation volume constant or not? Show how you
determined your answer. [15 pts.]
No, the deformation is not volume constant because the two principal
stretches (or quadratic elongations) are not the reciprocals of one
another. Assuming that λ′3 is correct, λ′1 should equal 0.24 (i.e., 1/4) if
the deformation were volume constant.
d. Of the deformation mechanisms that we have discussed in class, which one(s)
might be able to explain the deformation and why? Explain your answer and
describe the types of features in the rock that you might look for to confirm your
answer. [15 pts.]
Pressure solution could produce the above deformation by dissolving away
the rock in the principal shortening direction. You might look for
stylolites, truncated fossils, etc. To identify the presence of pressure
solution.

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006

3. Two lines have orientations: 347, 62 and 243, 21. Calculate the angle between them.
[15 pts.]

This problem is most easily solved using the dot product of two vectors.
First, calculate the direction cosines for each line:

Line A Line B

cos α cos(347)cos(62) = 0.457 cos(243)cos(21) = -0.424

cos β sin(347)cos(62) = -0.106 sin(243)cos(21) = -0.832

cos γ sin(62) = 0.883 sin(21) = 0.358

θ = cos −1 ( cos α1 cos α 2 + cos β1 cos β 2 + cos γ 1 cos γ 2 )

= cos −1 ⎡⎣( 0.457 ) ( −0.424 ) + ( −0.106 ) ( −0.832 ) + ( 0.883) ( 0.358 ) ⎤⎦ = 77.85°

4. Accurately and concisely define/explain the following terms: [50 pts]

a. Power law creep

Power law creep is a flow law that describes how a rock will deform via
dislocation glide and climb under different temperature, strain rate and
differential stress conditions. This type of deformation is very sensitive
to temperature, as shown by the presence of T in the equation, below:

⎛ −Q ⎞
ε = Co (σ 1 − σ 3 ) exp ⎜
n

⎝ RT ⎟⎠

b. Point defects
There are two basic types of point defects: (1) vacancies, and (2)
impurity atoms. The latter can be divided into (2a) substitution or (2b)
interstitial impurities depending on the atomic radius of the impurity
atom relative to the crystal lattice. While impurity atoms can hinder
deformation at relatively low temperatures by pinning dislocations (cold
working or strain hardening), the increase in temperature increases the
overall number of vacancies which can facilitate deformation by allowing
dislocations to climb over/around the impurity atoms.

c. Viscoelastic
Viscoelastic deformation is non-permanent but time dependent deformation.
When stress is applied, the material accrues strain not instantaneously
but over a finite amount of time. Likewise, when stress is removed the
deformation is recovered over a finite amount of time.

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006

d. Hydrofracturing
The pressure of confined fluid in the pores of a material acts is just the
opposite way as confining pressure. The pore fluid pressure only affects
the normal stresses, not the shear stresses (because of the spherical
stress state in a fluid. Thus, while an increase in confining pressure
makes a material stronger, an increase in pore fluid pressure makes a
material weaker. In terms of the Mohrs Circle for stress, an increase in
pore fluid pressure does not change the size of the circle (i.e., the
differential stress), but does shift the circle towards the origin. If the
pore fluid pressure is sufficiently high, it can shift the circle far
enough towards the origin that it intersects the failure envelope, and the
material experiences “hydrofracturing.” This trait is commonly used to
help extract fluids from the ground (hydrocarbons, or water).

e. Non-coaxial deformation
Non-coaxial deformation is that in which the principal axes of strain at
each instant in time are NOT parallel to the principal axes in the
previous step in the deformation. Such deformation is commonly referred to
as simple shear.

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006

Potentially Useful Equations

C1 C2
Note that not all of these equations are needed for U =− +
r r12
the exam and that some of them have not, or will
not, be covered in class.
∫
z
Plith = 0
ρgdz
αEΔT
σ ΔT =
1− υ Vf
φ=
V f + Vs
⎡σ11 σ12 σ13 ⎤
⎢ ⎥ φ = φ o exp(−az)
σ ij = ⎢σ 21 σ 22 σ 23 ⎥
⎢⎣σ 31 σ 32 σ 33 ⎥⎦
V final − Vinitial
Δv =
Vinitial
kij ⎛ dPP ⎞
Vi = ⎜ ⎟
η ⎜⎝ dx j ⎟⎠ l f − li
e=
li
⎛ σ1* + σ *3 ⎞ ⎛ σ1* − σ *3 ⎞
σ =⎜
*
n ⎟+⎜ ⎟ cos2θ sin(φ + θ )
⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎝ 2 ⎠ e= −1
sin φ
⎛ σ * − σ *3 ⎞
σs = ⎜ 1 ⎟ sin2θ lf
⎝ 2 ⎠ S= = λ
li

⎛ λ′ + λ′ ⎞ ⎛ λ′ − λ′ ⎞ λ = S2
λ ′ = ⎜ 3 1 ⎟ − ⎜ 3 1 ⎟ cos2θ ′
⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎝ 2 ⎠ 1
λ′ =
λ
⎛ λ′ − λ′ ⎞
γ ′ = ⎜ 3 1 ⎟ sin2θ ′ sin2θ = 2sin θ cosθ
⎝ 2 ⎠
⎛ 1+ cos2θ ⎞
cos2 θ = ⎜ ⎟
λ3 S ⎝ 2 ⎠
tan θ ′ = tan θ = tan θ 3
λ1 S1
⎛ 1− cos2θ ⎞
σ s = So + σ *n µ sin 2 θ = ⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2 ⎠

⎛ −Q ⎞ U i = U oi + E ij dx j
ε˙ = Co (σ1 − σ 3 ) exp⎜ ⎟
n

⎝ RT ⎠

D(σ1 − σ 3 ) ⎡U1 ⎤ ⎡U o1 ⎤ ⎡ E11 E12 E13 ⎤⎡ dx1 ⎤

ε˙ = Co (T ) ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥
dn ⎢U 2 ⎥ = ⎢U o2 ⎥ + ⎢E 21 E 22 E 23 ⎥⎢dx 2 ⎥
⎢⎣U 3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣U o3 ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣E 31 E 32 E 33 ⎥⎦⎢⎣dx 3 ⎥⎦

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EAS 326-06 Name: ____________________________
15 March 2006

σ *m =
(σ 1 + σ 2 + σ 3 − 3Pf )
Ld = 2πT 3
E
3 6E o
σ = Co + Kσ
*
1
*
3

η( S −1)
1+ sin φ Ld = 2πT 3
K= ; Co = 2So K 6ηo (2S 2 )
1− sin φ
σ τ = 0.85σ *n 1
C≡
σ τ = 50 MPa + 0.6σ *n r
CG = Cmax Cmin

(α + β ) =
(1− λ )µ f f +β β = θ − φ + (180° − 2γ )
(1− λ) k + 1
R = 8.3144 x 10–3 kJ/mol °K ⎧⎪ −sin(γ − θ )[sin(2γ − θ ) − sin θ ] ⎫⎪
−1
φ = tan ⎨ ⎬
= 1.9872 x 10–3 kcal/mol °K ⎪⎩ cos(γ − θ )[sin(2γ − θ ) − sin θ ] − sin γ ⎪⎭

°K = °C + 273.16°
⎧ sin(2γ ) ⎫
1 MPa = 106 kg/m s2 = 10 bars φ = θ = tan−1 ⎨ ⎬
⎩ 2cos (γ ) −1⎭
2

g = 9.8 m/s2 = 980 cm/s2

⎛δ ⎞
γ = tanψ = 2tan⎜ ⎟
⎝ 2⎠
cosα = cos(trend)cos( plunge)
γ = tanψ ≅ 0.0175(δ )
cos β = sin(trend)cos( plunge)
cos γ = sin( plunge)
⎛δ ⎞
s = 2h tan⎜ ⎟
⎝2⎠
cosα = sin(strike)sin(dip)
s ≅ 0.0175h (δ )
cos β = −cos(strike)sin(dip)
Σ ΔM = 0 = ΔMw + ΔMs + ΔMc +
cos γ = cos(dip)
ΔMm + ΔMa
2
tan2θ ′ = 0 = Δ(ρwhw) + Δ(ρshs) + Δ(ρchc) +
γ
Δ(ρmhm) + Δ(ρaha)
pi = σ ij l j
ΔE = Δhw + Δhs + Δhc + Δhm + Δha
p1 = σ11l1 + σ12 l2 + σ13 l3
θ = cos −1 ( cos α1 cos α 2 + cos β1 cos β 2 + cos γ 1 cos γ 2 )
p2 = σ 21l1 + σ 22 l2 + σ 23 l3
p3 = σ 31l1 + σ 32 l2 + σ 33 l3

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