Shear wave velocities in metamorphic rocks at pressures to 10 kilobars

Shear wave velocities are reported at pressures to 10 kb for a variety of metamorphic rocks. The velocities were found to vary with propagation and displacement directions. Anisotropies at high pressures correlate with preferred mineral orientation. Calculated shear velocities from modal analyses are within a few per cent of the mean observed velocities. Elastic constants calculated from the shear wave velocities and previously reported compressional wave velocities are given for isotropic elastic theory. It is suggested that the elastic properties of micaceous rocks are similar to materials with hexagonal symmetry.