VELOCITY AND ATTENUATION OF SEISMIC WAVES IN TWO‐PHASE MEDIA: PART II. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

The velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves are measured in suspensions of solid spherical particles in fluid matrices as a function of the concentration of inclusions. Polystyrene and glass beads were used as inclusions and they were suspended in pure water, oil, or acetylene tetrabromide. Velocities were measured by a pulse propagation technique. Attenuation in mixtures was measured relative to attenuation in pure matrix fluid. The observed velocities were compared to theoretical values calculated using six different models. The closest agreement is obtained for the dynamic interaction model given in Part I by Kuster and Toksoz (1974) and for the Reuss model. The theoretical formulas for the attenuation in composite media are given. The observed attenuation agrees reasonably well with the theoretical values computed by including geometrical scattering, viscous absorption in the fluid matrix, and the anelasticity of the solid inclusions.