Numerical Modeling and Spatial Moment Analysis of Thermal Fronts in a Coupled Fracture-Skin-Matrix System

In this study, the behavior of thermal fronts along the fracture is studied in the presence of fracture-skin in a coupled fracture-matrix system. Cold water is injected into the fracture, which advances gradually towards production well, while extracting heat from the surrounding reservoir matrix. The heat conduction into the fracture-skin and the rock-matrix from the high permeability fracture is assumed to be one dimensional perpendicular to the axis of fluid flow along the fracture. Constant temperature cold water is injected through an injection well at the fracture inlet. The fluid flow takes place along the horizontal fracture which ensures connectivity between the injection and production wells. Since the rock-matrix is assumed to be tight, the permeability of fracture-skin as well as the rock-matrix is neglected. The present study focuses on the heat flux transfer at the fracture-skin interface as against the earlier studies on fracture-matrix interface, and the sensitivity of additional heterogeneity in the form of fracture skin in a conventional fracture-matrix coupled system is studied. The behavior of thermal fronts for various thermal conductivity values of the fracture-skin and rock-matrix is analyzed. Spatial moment analysis is performed on the thermal distribution profiles resulting from numerical studies in order to investigate the impact on mobility and dispersion behavior of the fluid in the presence of fracture-skin. The presence of fracture skin affects the heat transfer significantly in the coupled fracture-matrix system. The lower order spatial moments indicate that the effective thermal velocity increases with increase in skin thermal conductivity and a significant thermal dispersion is observed at the inlet of the fracture owing to the high thermal conductivity of the fracture-skin at the early stages. Furthermore the higher spatial moments indicate that the asymmetricity increases with decrease in skin thermal conductivity unlike the case with half fracture aperture and fluid velocity and the kurtosis is maximum with higher skin thermal conductivity which implies enhanced heat extraction from the fracture-skin into the fracture. Results suggest that the amount of heat extraction by the circulating fluid within the fracture from the reservoir not only depends on the rock-matrix module of the reservoir characteristics but also the fracture-skin characteristics of the system and subsequently influence the reservoir efficiency.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000369

A numerical model is developed for describing the transport of virus in a fracture-matrix coupled system with fracture-skin.An advective dispersive virus transport equation,including firstorder sorption and inactivation constant is used for simulating the movement of viruses.Implicit finite-difference numerical technique is used to solve the coupled non-linear governing equations for the triple continuum model consisting of fracture,fracture-skin and the rock-matrix.A varying grid is adopted at the fracture and fracture-skin interface to capture the mass transfer.Sensitivity analysis was performed to investigate the effect of various properties of the fracture-skin as well as viruses on the virus concentration in the fractured formation with fracture-skin.Simulation results suggest that the virus concentration in the fracture decreases with increment in the fracture-skin porosity,fracture-skin diffusion coefficient,mass transfer coefficient,inactivation constant and sorption distribution coefficient, and with reduction in the fracture aperture.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001277

A numerical model is developed for investigating the evolution of fracture permeability in a coupled fracture-matrix system in the presence of fracture-skin with simultaneous colloidal and bacterial tr...     

Propagators and ridge jumps in a back‐arc basin,the West Philippine Basin

We explore the tectono‐magmatic processes in the western West Philippine Basin, Philippine Sea Plate, using bathymetric data acquired in 2003 and 2004. The northwestern part of the basin formed through a series of northwestward propagating rifts. We identify at least five sequences of propagating rifts, probably triggered by mantle flow away from the mantle thermal anomaly that is responsible for the origin of the Benham and Urdenata plateaus. Gravitational forces caused by along‐axis topographic gradient and a ～30° ridge reorientation appear to also be driving the rift propagations. The along‐axis mantle flow appears to be reduced and deflected along the Luzon‐Okinawa fracture zone, because the spreading system remained stable west of this major fault zone. North‐east of the Benham plateau, a left‐lateral fracture zone has turned into a NE–SW‐trending spreading axis. As a result, a microplate developed at the triple junction.     

Influence of flow velocity on conservative solute transport in sets of parallel fractures with fracture skin

Analysis of contaminant transport through fractured crystalline rocks has received considerable attention, particularly with regard to subsurface nuclear waste repositories. Most of the studies have employed the dual continuum approach, with the fractures and the rock matrix as the two continuums, assuming that fractures control the overall conductivity of the rock and the porous matrix just provides storage. However, field observations of rock fractures have shown that the real situation can be very complex. Based on some recent investigations, it has been reported that the portion of the rock matrix adjacent to many open fractures is physically and chemically altered. These alterations, referred to as the fracture skin, can have different sorption and diffusion properties compared to those of the undisturbed rock matrix and this may influence the transport of solutes through such formations. In the present study, a numerical model is developed to simulate conservative solute transport in a fractured crystalline rock formation using the triple continuum approach ?? with the fracture, fracture skin and the rock matrix as the three continuums. The model is solved using a fully implicit finite difference scheme. Contaminant migration in the fractured formation with and without skin has been simulated. It is observed that contaminant penetration along the fracture is enhanced at large flow velocities. The effect of flow velocity on conservative solute transport is investigated for different fracture apertures and fracture skin thicknesses. The influence of flow velocity on contaminant transport is demonstrated to be more with change in fracture aperture than with change in skin thickness.     

不流动水与非平衡吸附作用对溶质运移影响的数值模型-MIENESOR

不流动水与非平衡吸附作用对溶质在孔隙介质中的运移有很大影响,“两点-两区”模型是目前研究不流动水与非平衡吸附作用的较为完善和实用的模型。在溶质运移的“两点-两区”模型的基础上,同时考虑了土壤对溶质的平衡和非平衡吸附作用,开发了MIENESOR数值模型,并给出了基于有限差和有限元法联合的数值解,编制了相应的计算机程序。对MIENESOR数值模型的案例验算表明：该模型能很好地揭示溶质在包气带和含水层中运移的规律,所开发的计算机程序稳定性较强,可用于实际。     

Clarification of nonlinear retardation factors for colloid-enhanced transport in porous media

There have been a couple of contaminant retardation factors reported for the three-phase (aqueous, solid, and colloid) groundwater system. However, the retardation factor has often been presented by itself and not incorporated into the relevant transport equation, particularly when derived from the mass fraction approach. This may cause a misunderstanding of the retardation factor especially for the systems where multi-phases exist due to the presence of colloids and/or nonlinear sorption processes are involved. It is, therefore, necessary to clarify the form of the nonlinear retardation factor along with the relevant transport equation in the multi-phase system. Alternative forms of the retardation factor and relevant transport equation for specific conditions are presented in various combinations of the nonlinearity of involved sorption mechanisms. The retardation factors for specific conditions are compared with the ones available in the literature. The results indicate that more caution should be given in applying the retardation factor in order to explore contaminant transport in the multi-phase system where any nonlinear sorption is involved. Finally, presentation of the retardation factor along with the relevant transport equation in this study would help prevent possible misuse of the retardation factor in investigating contaminant transport in the multi-phase system.     

Accretion of oceanic crust under conditions of oblique spreading

The accretion of oceanic crust under conditions of oblique spreading is considered. It is shown that deviation of the normal to the strike of mid-ocean ridge from the extension direction results in the formation of echeloned basins and ranges in the rift valley, which are separated by normal and strike-slip faults oriented at an angle to the axis of the mid-ocean ridge. The orientation of spreading ranges is determined by initial breakup and divergence of plates, whereas the within-rift structural elements are local and shallow-seated; they are formed only in the tectonically mobile rift zone. As a rule, the mid-ocean ridges with oblique spreading are not displaced along transform fracture zones, and stresses are relaxed in accommodation zones without rupture of continuity of within-rift structural elements. The structural elements related to oblique spreading can be formed in both rift and megafault zones. At the initial breakup and divergence of continental or oceanic plates with increased crust thickness, the appearance of an extension component along with shear in megafault zones gives rise to the formation of embryonic accretionary structural elements. As opening and extension increase, oblique spreading zones are formed. Various destructive and accretionary structural elements (nearly parallel extension troughs; basin and range systems oriented obliquely relative to the strike of the fault zone and the extension axis; rhomb-shaped extension basins, etc.) can coexist in different segments of the fault zone and replace one another over time. The Andrew Bain Megafault Zone in the South Atlantic started to develop as a strike-slip fault zone that separated the African and Antarctic plates. Under extension in the oceanic domain, this zone was transformed into a system of strike-slip faults divided by accretionary structures. It is suggested that the De Geer Megafault Zone in the North Atlantic, which separated Greenland and Eurasia at the initial stage of extension that followed strike-slip offset, evolved in the same way.     

Interaction of dissolution,sorption and biodegradation on transport of BTEX in a saturated groundwater system: Numerical modeling and spatial moment analysis

Interaction of various physical, chemical and biological transport processes plays an important role in deciding the fate and migration of contaminants in groundwater systems. In this study, a numerical investigation on the interaction of various transport processes of BTEX in a saturated groundwater system is carried out. In addition, the multi-component dissolution from a residual BTEX source under unsteady flow conditions is incorporated in the modeling framework. The model considers Benzene, Toluene, Ethyl Benzene and Xylene dissolving from the residual BTEX source zone to undergo sorption and aerobic biodegradation within the groundwater aquifer. Spatial concentration profiles of dissolved BTEX components under the interaction of various sorption and biodegradation conditions have been studied. Subsequently, a spatial moment analysis is carried out to analyze the effect of interaction of various transport processes on the total dissolved mass and the mobility of dissolved BTEX components. Results from the present numerical study suggest that the interaction of dissolution, sorption and biodegradation significantly influence the spatial distribution of dissolved BTEX components within the saturated groundwater system. Mobility of dissolved BTEX components is also found to be affected by the interaction of these transport processes.     

Transverse Dispersion of a Kinetically Sorbing Solute

A recursion formulation for the transverse spreading of a solute is developed, and under conditions of steady flow in a stratified aquifer, the transport of a linearly sorbing solute undergoing nonequilibrium sorption is studied. The effect of spatial variability in the velocity field and the sorption kinetics are modeled to see the combined effect of the two processes on the spreading of the solute injected at a point in the aquifer. The main result of this work is a transport model based on a discrete formulation that includes local dispersion and leads to nonasymptotic behavior in the spreading of the plume in a direction normal to the mean flow velocity.     

The oblique intersection of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with Charlie-Gibbs transform fault

The junction angle between the western Charlie-Gibbs transform fault and the spreading axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge diverges by 40° from the orthogonal intersection assumed in many studies of plate boundaries. This has been established by a surface-ship reconnaissance and by mapping fault trends in a transponder-navigated deep-tow survey of the fracture valley 25 km from the intersection. One set of normal faults trends 325–330°, parallel to the obliquely spreading ridge axis, and another set trends 275°, parellel to the direction of relative plate motion. Although the near-bottom survey was in the theoretically inactive part of the fracture zone, beyond the transform fault section, there is evidence for recent motion on faults that cut the thick sediment fill of the fracture valley.Oblique spreading of a ridge axis near a transform fault may result from distortion of the regional stress field by a strike-slip couple. Tension parallel to the long axis of the strike-slip strain ellipse, which is responsible for oblique normal faulting in transform valleys, causes oblique dike injection and oblique faulting in the axial rift valley. These effects extend further from transfrom fault intersections on slow-spreading ridges than on fast-spreading rises.     

Sorption and anaerobic biodegradation of soluble aromatic compounds during groundwater transport. 2. Computer modeling

. The natural attenuation of a binary mixture of toluene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, which was previously experimentally demonstrated in anaerobic column experiments, was simulated with the newly-developed PHREEQC model to reveal the biogeochemical processes involved. The processes considered in this model include advection, diffusion, sorption, redox reactions (e.g., oxidation of toluene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene coupled to the reduction of microbial ferric iron), precipitation of secondary minerals such as siderite and magnetite, and dissolution of hydrous ferric oxides, as well as other thermodynamic equilibrium reactions. The functions of advection and diffusion built into the PHREEQC were conventionally simulated. The sorption was kinetically simulated based on a bicontinuum model, whereas biodegradation was described using a multiple-term Monod model. The processes mentioned above were coupled with a geochemical equilibrium model. The consistency between the experimental and modeling results indicates that the processes defined and the controlling parameters chosen could describe the coupled interactions between transport and biogeochemical reactions for the studied system. The discrepancy between modeling and experimental observations, however, also revealed the limitation of the modeling approach. In general, the model approach, which incorporates simplified mathematical representations of the true physico-chemical dynamics of the sorption and biodegradation processes of toluene and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene under anaerobic conditions is a very efficient and good predictive tool in management and remediation of contaminant groundwater aquifers.     

Gas sorption and transport in coals: A poroelastic medium approach

In this paper, single-component gas sorption and transient diffusion processes are described within coal matrix exhibiting bimodal pore structure. The coal matrix is treated as a poroelastic medium manifesting swelling and shrinkage effects due to the sorption of gas under effective overburden stress. Gas transport is considered Fickian with molecular (bulk) and surface diffusion processes simultaneously taking place in the macro- and micropores of coal, respectively. The numerical formulation is intended to be explicit in nature to investigate the influences of sorption phenomena on the macropore volumes and on the overall gas transport for the cases of gas uptake by and release from coal.Results of the study show the presence of hysteresis during a sorption–desorption cycle of the gas. It is also found that the overall gas transport takes place at a rate significantly less than that in the macropores only. Thus the existence of a retardation effect in the overall gas transport is concluded. This retardation effect is primarily due to the micropore resistances, in particular gas adsorption, and is independent of the changes in the macropore volumes. It is shown that macroporosity of the coal matrix may change during gas transport due to combined effects of pressure and sorption-induced swelling or shrinkage of the coal. It is estimated that the macroporosity variation is non-uniform in space and time, as it is expected in reality, and typically taking values less than ± 10 percent of the initial porosity.     

Modelling Transport of Linearly Sorbing Solutes in a Single Fracture: Asymptotic Behavior of Solute Velocity and Dispersivity

The asymptotic behavior of the solute velocity and dispersivity for a system of parallel fractures with matrix diffusion is made using numerical modeling and theoretical analyses. The study is limited to linearly sorbing solutes with a constant continuous source boundary condition. Expressions are provided for solute velocity and effective dispersivity in terms of fracture porosity during asymptotic stage using spatial moment analyses. The importance of matrix porosity and fracture porosity on solute velocity as well as the relationship governing effective dispersivity and fracture porosity is discussed for both non-reactive and linearly sorbing solutes. By using a dimensionless effective dispersivity parameter it is shown that the relationship between the fracture porosity and dimensionless effective dispersivity is linear for non-reactive solutes. It is also shown that this holds true for the linearly sorbing solutes with the same proportionality constant.     

Rate and extent of cobalt sorption to representative aquifer minerals in the presence of a moderately strong organic ligand

There is an increasing awareness that rate-limited sorption reactions can play an important role in the transport of solutes in groundwater. The rate and extent of reactions between aqueous metals and mineral surfaces are affected by many factors, including the temperature, the presence of organic chelating agents, and adsorbent mineralogy. Cobalt sorption was investigated in terms of temperature, citrate concentration, and silica sand surface coating. The kinetic sorption data were described well by two simultaneous second-order reactions. The results suggested that decreasing temperature or the presence of citrate resulted in a slower approach to equilibrium for Co sorption to the uncoated silica sand that contained small amounts of secondary minerals. Using the same sand coated with an amorphous Fe(III) oxide, increasing temperature or the presence of citrate resulted in a faster approach to equilibrium for Co sorption. The equilibrium adsorption isotherms were described well by a generalized two-layer surface complexation model. Citrate decreased the extent of Co sorption to the uncoated silica; the effect was most pronounced at low temperature. Conversely, citrate increased the extent of Co sorption to the Fe-coated silica. These results suggest that citrate decreased the rate and extent of adsorption to the uncoated silica through the formation of a stable anionic aqueous complex that has a lower affinity for the surface than Co²⁺. Conversely, the higher anion sorption capacity of the Fe-coated silica increased the rate and extent of Co sorption with citrate present, presumably through the formation of an organo-metallic ternary surface complex.     

Space-time seismicity and earthquake swarms: Certain observations along the slow-spreading mid-Indian Ocean ridges

The slow spreading mid-Indian Ocean ridge system containing the Carlsberg, Central and Southwest Indian ridges is seismically very active. In the present study, a detailed analysis has been carried out of the data of earthquake sources along different ridge segments in order to investigate the spatial and temporal clustering patterns and to evaluate crustal processes related to the swarm occurrences along these ridges. The spatial and temporal clustering pattern of the recent earthquakes (1980–1990) pertaining to nine major spreading segments and eight fracture zones suggests that the events cluster in greater proportion along the spreading segments than along the fracture zones. We performed a systematic search of earthquake catalogue during the period 1964–1990 by examining the spatio-temporal hypocentral clusters in order to identify the swarm occurrences along these ridges. The search included eighteen prominent sequences, of which, thirteen were earthquake swarms. Except two, all other swarms were found to be occurring mainly on the spreading segments. The maximum magnitude observed in these swarms is m_b = 5.4 and have many events predominantly showing normal faulting mechanisms. The spatial disposition and temporal activity of the events in swarms is much similar to the foreshock-mainshock-aftershock sequences observed along the spreading rift valley zones. These characteristics help us to support that swarms along the slow spreading mid-Indian Ocean ridges are the result of extensional tectonic activity, leading to the development of the median valley topography, a mechanism similar to that proposed by Bergman and Solomon (1990) for the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

Mobilization and mechanisms of retardation in the Oklo natural reactor zone 2 (Gabon)—inferences from U, REE, Zr, Mo and Se isotopes

Mineralogical and isotopic studies were carried out on the natural nuclear reaction zone 2 from the Oklo deposit to evaluate the mobility of several nuclear reaction products in response to the alteration of the reaction zone and to identify the mechanisms which could retard the transport of released radionuclides. To address these issues, in situ isotopic analyses by SHRIMP and a selective extraction procedure were performed to constrain the structural location of nuclear reaction products (exchangeable and non exchangeable) and their association with mineral phases. The distribution patterns of U, REE, Zr and Mo isotopes reveal that substantial amounts were released from the core and migrated through the hydrothermal alteration halo over metric distances, owing to uraninite dissolution and advective transport by hydrothermal solutions during and soon after criticality. The results emphasize the mobility of Zr at Oklo, this element being often considered as “immobile” during water–rock interactions. The main output is the demonstration of the net effects of sorption and coprecipitation processes. Chlorite and to a lesser extent illite were found to have adsorbed significant amounts of U, REE, Zr (and probably Th) and less sorbing elements such as Mo. Coprecipitation of secondary UO₂ and P-rich coffinite within the alteration halo is also an important means of retardation. The concentration of radionuclides released from the reactor were probably high and they display solubility limited transport behaviour. No retention effect was found for Se in the immediate vicinity of the reactor and this element may have moved farther from its source of production. These results have interesting implications for the evaluation of long-term containment of radionuclides. They provide a simple illustration of the performance of a clay barrier in the uptake of radionuclides by sorption onto clays and reincorporation in secondary U-minerals. This study also demonstrates the robustness of these retention processes over extremely long periods of time.     

pH influence on sorption characteristics of heavy metal in the vadose zone

Sorption is an important process in the modelling and prediction of the movement of heavy metals in unsaturated clay barriers. This experimental study investigates the effect of pH changes in the acidic range on the sorption characteristics of heavy metals such as: lead, copper and zinc in an unsaturated soil. A series of one-dimensional coupled solute and moisture leaching column tests, using different heavy metal solutions, were conducted on an unsaturated illitic soil at varying pH values. Variations of volumetric water content (VWC) with distance were measured for different time durations, and concentrations of heavy metals in the liquid and solid phases were analysed. Partitioning coefficient profiles of contaminants along the soil column were determined for each individual layer in the soil.

Results from column leaching tests showed that the sorption characteristics of heavy metals are controlled by many factors which should be taken into consideration, i.e. the VWC, time of wetting, soil pH, and the influent heavy metal concentrations. Simplification of K_d as a constant and of the VWC as a linear function cannot be considered a good assumption and may lead to an improper evaluation of the sorption phenomena and also to serious errors in predicting contaminant transport through unsaturated soils.     

单裂隙介质中的溶质运移研究综述

总结了有关单裂隙介质中溶质运移的基本特点和实验研究的成果,得出影响单裂隙介质中溶质运移的几个重要因素,例如骨架扩散、弥散、表面吸附等,介绍了几个具有代表性的数学模型,同时对模型的有效性和局限性进行了初步讨论.