Absorption and Dispersion of Elastic Energy in Rocks

IN common with most solids, rocks usually suffer a constant Q type of absorption (Knopoff and MacDonald, 1958). That is to say, in each cycle of harmonic vibration a certain proportion of the maximum strain energy is converted into heat, and this proportion is independent of the period of vibration. In addition, and this is important in seismology, it appears that the elastic moduli of rocks also are practically independent of frequency.