Temperature effects on microcracks and elastic wave velocities in carbonates

We investigate the effect of temperature on the elastic properties of rocks by combining the thermal-damage factor (TDF) with the Gassmann equation. The resulting model is tested in carbonate samples by analyzing the ultrasonic wave velocity. A comparison between the estimated and measured TDF shows that the model quantitatively describes the behavior of carbonates at relatively low temperatures, while the high-temperature one is underestimated. The dry- and wet-rock TDF difference increases significantly with increasing temperature, and the TDF is highly affected by the rock permeability and microcrack aspect ratio.