Monday, September 26th, 2005
2:30pm - 3:30pm, in Science 2-065

Hans-Heinrich Herda

UMass Boston

An Algorithmic 3D Rock Roughness Measure

Abstract: I outline a computational algorithm which uses local depth measurement clusters from a reference plane to a rock fracture surface in calculating a new 3D joint (fracture) roughness coefficient. The new coefficient is compared to Nicholas Barton's (1977) classic 2D joint roughness coefficient JRC. I discuss a measure indicating corrupt data and use the algorithm to show that, in general, rock roughness is only a local variable, not a directional one.