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Experimental analysis of P-wave velocity in Carrara marble subjected to high temperature and high pressure
W. Zhang and D. Ren

High-temperature and high-pressure experiments are essential for investigating wave velocity trends in rocks under varying subsurface conditions, significantly enhancing the understanding of Earth’s deep structures. This study reports on the P-wave velocity of Carrara marble, measured using the transmission-reflection method under temperatures of 50-300°C, pressures of 0.2-1.0 GPa, and different fluid conditions. The key findings are as follows: (1) at all temperatures, P-wave velocity increased with rising pressure, exhibiting a linear relationship above 0.4 GPa; (2) at all pressures, P-wave velocity decreased with increasing temperature, with a nearly linear decline lower than 300°C; and (3) under constant temperature and pressure, the P-wave velocity of dry sample was higher than that of gasoline-containing samples and natural samples. These results contribute to developing subsurface velocity models for carbonate rock reservoirs, facilitating the precise localization of micro-earthquakes and the identification of ore-controlling faults.

Keywords: Carrara marble, P-wave velocity, high-temperature, high-pressure, seismic positioning; underground fluid