Mathematical modeling of elastic disturbance propagation in a structure containing a porous layer saturated with gas and water

Abstract

A horizontally layered elastic structure containing a homogeneous porous layer saturated partly with gas and partly with water is considered. The paper is aimed at studying of interaction of elastic waves, caused by local pulse source, with the structure. The boundary-value problem describing the wave dynamics of the structure is formulated. A mathematical model describing distributions of the gas and water in a pore space of the porous layer depending of the amount of the gas accumulated in the layer is developed. The problem is solved with the use of Fourier transform. It was established that wavefield pattern on the free surface of the structure is dependent on amount of gas accumulated in the porous layer. Quantitative measures relating the wavefield parameters on the structure's free surface and the amount of gas accumulated in the porous layer are introduced. The obtained results can be used to develop distance methods for accounting of amount of natural gas accumulated in underground gas storage facilities built in aquifers.