Short note on homogeneity in rocks
Dear student
Homogeneous refers to a substance that is consistent or uniform throughout its volume. A sample taken from any part of a homogeneous substance will have the same characteristics as a sample taken from another area.
The texture of a rock is the size, shape, and arrangement of the grains (for sedimentary rocks) or crystals. Also of importance are the rock’s extent of homogeneity (i.e., uniformity of composition throughout) and the degree of isotropy.
Bray (1967) demonstrated that if a rock contains ten or more sets of discontinuities (joints), then its behaviour can be approximated as heterogeneous. Also, if a rock is massive and contains very little discontinuity, it could ideally behave as a homogeneous medium. Hoek and Brown (1980) showed that homogeneity is a characteristic dependent on the sample size. If the sample size is considerably reduced, the most heterogeneous rock will become a homogeneous rock.
Regards
Homogeneous refers to a substance that is consistent or uniform throughout its volume. A sample taken from any part of a homogeneous substance will have the same characteristics as a sample taken from another area.
The texture of a rock is the size, shape, and arrangement of the grains (for sedimentary rocks) or crystals. Also of importance are the rock’s extent of homogeneity (i.e., uniformity of composition throughout) and the degree of isotropy.
Bray (1967) demonstrated that if a rock contains ten or more sets of discontinuities (joints), then its behaviour can be approximated as heterogeneous. Also, if a rock is massive and contains very little discontinuity, it could ideally behave as a homogeneous medium. Hoek and Brown (1980) showed that homogeneity is a characteristic dependent on the sample size. If the sample size is considerably reduced, the most heterogeneous rock will become a homogeneous rock.
Regards