Paper contribution

Elastic Wave Velocity Response to Saturation in Rocks: Laboratory Characterization

Júlia Figueiredo; Danúbia Damaceno; Bárbara Souza; Inácio Carvalho; Cibele Cláuver

Proceedings
EUROCK 2026
Pages
435-440
Submitted
28 January 2026
Accepted
15 June 2026
Published
12 August 2026

Summary

Abstract

The propagation velocity of primary (Vp) and secondary (Vs) elastic waves in rocks enable the assessment of rock quality and integrity, as well as the estimation of elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio through empirical correlations. Properties such as porosity, density, and moisture content influence both wave velocities and the geomechanical behavior of rock masses. Such variability highlights the importance of understanding how Vp and Vs respond to different saturation conditions in rocks.This study aimed to evaluate the influence of saturation and physical properties on the Vp and Vs velocities in three distinct lithotypes: syenogranite (SGT), gneiss (GN), and granitoid (GLB). Physical index tests (porosity and density) and ultrasonic wave velocity measurements followed International Society for Rock Mechanics guidelines. Transducers of 250 kHz and 40 kHz were used for Vp and Vs, respectively, under both dry and saturated conditions. Saturation was achieved using a vacuum chamber with water immersion for four hours, while drying was carried out in an oven at 100 °C for 24 hours. The results showed that wave velocities increased under saturated conditions across all lithotypes, a behavior attributed to pore filling by water. This effect was most pronounced in SGT, which exhibited the highest average percentage increases (39% for Vp, 26% for Vs), consistent with its higher porosity. In GN, two samples with greater porosity showed more expressive increases compared to the others, along with lower velocities values. In GLB, the highest Vp values were recorded in samples with the lowest porosity, while the sample with the lowest density presented the lowest wave velocities, despite having porosity comparable to other samples. The findings confirm an inverse relationship between porosity and Vp/Vs, while bulk density exhibits a direct proportionality, aligning with prior research. Finally, the study indicates that Vp are more sensitive to saturation-related variations than Vs.

Contributors

Authors

  1. Júlia Figueiredo Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil ORCID 0000-0002-7805-9729
  2. Danúbia Damaceno Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil
  3. Bárbara Souza Vale S.A., Brazil
  4. Inácio Carvalho Vale S.A., Brazil
  5. Cibele Cláuver Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil

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