Viscoelastic characteristics of low-frequency seismic wave attenuation in porous media

Mesoscopic fluid flow is the major cause of wave attenuation and velocity dispersion at seismic frequencies in porous rocks. The Johnson model provides solutions for the frequency-dependent quality factor and phase velocity in partially saturated porous media with pore patches of arbitrary shapes. We use the Johnson model to derive approximations for the quality factor Q at the high and low frequency limit, and obtain the approximate equation for Qmin based on geophysical and geometric parameters. A more accurate equation for Qmin is obtained after correcting for the linear errors between the exact and approximate Q values. The complexity of the pore patch shape affects the maximum attenuation of Qmin and the transition frequency ftr; furthermore, the effect on ftr is stronger than that on Qmin. Numerical solutions to Biot’s equation are computationally intensive; thus, we build an equivalent viscoelastic model on the basis of the Zener model, which well approximates the wave attenuation and dispersion in porous rocks in the seismic band.