Stress-induced anisotropy

{
  "id": "MLC-T-OAG-003649",
  "term": "Stress-induced anisotropy",
  "field": "Oil and gas",
  "definition": "The directional dependence of a rock's elastic properties, such as wave velocity, caused by unequal stresses. Compression closes microcracks that lie across the maximum stress direction and leaves open those parallel to it, so shear waves polarized parallel to the maximum horizontal stress travel faster than those polarized perpendicular to it. Cross-dipole sonic logging detects this as shear-wave splitting, which gives the orientation of the horizontal stresses used in wellbore stability and fracture design.",
  "subject": "Formation Evaluation",
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/oil-and-gas/stress-induced-anisotropy/"
}