The Earth is principally composed of natural minerals and fluids.  Forces are symmetrically generated and borne by its natural constituents.

           

Educational and Advisory Services

The Force-balanced companies provide earth mechanical  educational and advisory services. The balance of forces in the earth have scores of practical subsurface mechanical engineering applications. Not now.

Pore pressure Fracture pressure and overburden are the three primal forces in the earth.  Natural minerals and fluids  generate and bear the forces in the earth symmetrically.

Two books, Deterministic Earth Mechanical Science, and Pore Pressure through Earth Mechanical Systems were written for scientific and practical  purposes. In addition to the exposition of significant new science, the newer book honors the most significant scientific contributors to the present level of the  Deterministic Sciences. A small set of  physical laws work through the constituents of the earth.

 

The principles of deterministic science were  established by Isaac Newton.  He wrote "The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" also known as (Principia) in 1687.  Newton's laws are a set of inter-related postulates that have mathematically descriptive expressions. This set a very high standard for subsequent scientists to follow.

Deterministic Earth Mechanical Science (Phil Holbrook, 2005)is modern physics that applies to the earth's sediments, sedimentary rocks, and SiAlic crust! This science is to the earth’s inner space what Newtonian mechanics is to the earth's surface, and outer space. This book also fills the physical-logical  gap between Newtonian and Quantum mechanics. Natural  mineral and fluid molecules are the working units of earth mechanics.

Both books synthesize the mechanical laws of Newton, Coulomb, and Hooke. These intuitive men are justly honored by placement on the books' covers. Our earth’s slowly moving continental and oceanic plates are shown as one background  which is explained by this synthesis of physical laws. The forces that we measure around an open borehole are shown on the other book's cover. Both mechanical explanations are supported by the same minimalist constitutive mechanical theory.

 Explaining earth and borehole mechanics extends Newton’s gravitational synthesis inward by accounting for the earth's internal forces. Gravity and the Effective Stress Theorem apply simultaneously in the earth's [mass-energy] synthesis. These two books are a significant advancement in physics through their revelation of molecular mechanics.

Earth mechanics are completely scalable from molecular electron clouds which affect borehole walls in basins on drifting continental plates. These two books provide mathematically causal explanations for the earth's subsurface mechanical energy field.

The Venn diagram below illustrates the overlapping characteristics of physical, and inorganic chemical laws with deterministic earth mechanics. These Deterministic Sciences spring from the same <symmetrically balanced> foundation that is illustrated in a central ellipse. The common pattern of the deterministic sciences will be revealed and explained in a newer book.

The dashed lines extending outward symbolize direct algebraic connections to essential physical laws. The whole diagram represents  physical realities that have been discovered in nature. The  physical and conservation laws that compose the earth's minimum energy equation matrix in Normal Fault Regimes are shown at the bottom of this web page. The other two tectonic regime specific equation matrices are in "Deterministic Earth Mechanical Science". 


 

For those that are interested in a lithologically general and mechanically sensible way to estimate pore pressure click on, "Why learn about the earth's two-phase mechanics?" The most recent thoughts and scientific information can be found in four essays by clicking on the News tab of this website.

Book Order Information:   Either "Pore Pressure through Earth Mechanical Systems " or "Deterministic Earth Mechanical Science " can be ordered by phone, through book distributors or over the internet. A book synopsis and table of contents can be seen by clicking on either of the book titles that are highlighted blue.

Each book includes a glossary of technical terms. Years of work were involved in study and preparation. The books are modestly priced for maximum educational benefit.

The single copy list prices are    $42.50 for  " Deterministic Earth Mechanical Science and; 

                                                  $60.00 for " Pore Pressure through Earth Mechanical Systems

Educational discounts can be obtained from education friendly phil  by e-mail.

SPE members can get a member discount from rigzone, the  

These books are also available through    the leading independent author's book source.

You can get any number of copies at the retail price from Amazon.com. Search in books and enter Phil Holbrook  as a search criterion.

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A Brief Summary of Earth Mechanical Science.

The mechanics of the earth has both plastic and elastic limits. These limits are deterministically linked as shown below. Earth [stress/strain] reactions are usually near one of the two most recent limits. These hinge at the peak loading limb point. The slight differences from perfect linearity have additional physical explanations such as time lags.

Both plastic and elastic limits are constitutive mineral and strain properties. In both cases,  Strain is a force balanced distance relationship that is governed by a mineral's  molecular electron clouds.

Well planning requires earth load and fluid pressure information that depend directly on the earth's plastic compactional mechanical system. The elastic and Grain matrix compactional  [stress/strain] limits are physically coupled as indicated by the panel immediately above. For an overview of earth constitutive mechanical systems limits, see  earth mechanical systems limits.  

This is a quantum step in understanding the relationship between rock properties and their deterministic causes. Earth mechanics and pore pressure are co-dependant in accordance with [mass-energy] conservation and energy minimization  principles!  

Drilling , setting casing, reservoir evaluation and compaction during hydrocarbon production are all carried out within the earth's mechanical field. The  inter-dependencies within the earth's mechanical field can be used to engineering advantage  Geomechanics, rock mechanics, and soil mechanics are parts of the same sediment-to-rock physical continuum.  The energies in  the earth's mechanical systems are transmitted through their respective molecular mineral and fluid electron clouds.

A Constitutive Mechanical System Equation Matrix summary



Minerals and fluids generate, bear and transmit all the loads beneath the earth's surface. The three deterministic equation matrices use the existing mineral and fluid physical properties within governing physical laws to explain earth mechanics.

Engineering forced-fits commonly bring their own special semantic confusions.   Constitutive mechanical systems are an unambiguous natural basis for subsurface geology and engineering. The equation matrix shown above links previously accepted physical and conservation laws.

Minimum energy mechanics are just that. A person that can perform simple mathematical operations can produce deterministically predictive answers. The energy expended in learning the inter-related laws is well worth the effort. Training is recommended for geologists and engineers that are or might be directly involved in earth mechanics. Good judgment in application comes from knowledge and experience.