Wave simulation in partially frozen porous media with fractal freezing conditions

A recent article [J. M. Carcione and G. Seriani, J. Comput. Phys. 170, 676 (2001)] proposes a modeling algorithm for wave simulation in a three-phase porous medium composed of sand grains, ice, and water. The differential equations hold for uniform water (ice) content. Here, we obtain the variable-porosity differential equations by using the analogy with the two-phase case and the complementary energy theorem. The displacements of the rock and ice frames and the variation of fluid content are the generalized coordinates, and the stress components and fluid pressure are the generalized forces. We simulate wave propagation in a frozen porous medium with fractal variations of porosity and, therefore, realistic freezing conditions. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.