This blog focuses upon stylolites which are structures that either form during burial or by later tectonic movements and have a serrated appearance on rock surfaces.
Many natural rock fractures contain minerals or cements which reduce their permeability and the permeability of the fracture network. Here we look at some examples in fractured (N Sea analogue) Permian sandstones and dolomites.
Fracture swarms are concentrated zones of open fractures, over which there is little or no offset. Although there are excellent outcrop examples, these structures can be difficult to identify in the subsurface. An integrated static-dynamic approach is best to successfully identify fracture swarms.