Coupled Process Models of Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Hydrothermal Systems in Three Dimensions

Geothermal fields and hydrothermal mineral deposits are manifestations of the interaction between heat transfer and fluid flow in the Earth’s crust. Understanding the factors that drive fluid flow is essential for managing geothermal energy production and for understanding the genesis of hydrothermal mineral systems. We provide an overview of fluid flow drivers with a focus on flow driven by heat and hydraulic head. We show how numerical simulations can be used to compare the effect of different flow drivers on hydrothermal mineralisation. We explore the concepts of laminar flow in porous media (Darcy’s law) and the non-dimensional Rayleigh number (Ra) for free thermal convection in the context of fluid flow in hydrothermal systems in three dimensions. We compare models of free thermal convection to hydraulic head driven flow in relation to hydrothermal copper mineralisation at Mount Isa, Australia. Free thermal convection occurs if the permeability of the fault system results in Ra above the critical threshold, whereas a vertical head gradient results in an upward flow field.     

山西煤矿矿区井下地应力场分布特征研究

采用煤矿井下专用的小孔径水压致裂地应力测量装置,在山西省的晋城、潞安、汾西、华晋、阳泉、平朔、大同等矿区,完成了160个测点的地应力测量,测点地质条件涵盖了山西省煤矿大部分条件.基于实测数据,分析了地应力与测点埋深的关系,不同深度条件下煤矿矿区井下地应力状态;绘制出山西省煤矿矿区井下地应力分布图,并与震源机制解的分析结果进行了比较,得出山西省煤矿矿区井下地应力场分布特征与变化规律.煤矿井下水平应力总体上随着埋深增加而增大,但由于各矿区地质条件差异较大,导致地应力测试数据离散性也较大;埋深小于250 m的岩层应力状态主要为σ_H>σ_h>σ_V型,埋深处于250~500 m的岩层应力状态以σ_H>σ_V>σ_h型为主,埋深较大的矿区主要为σ_V>σ_H>σ_h型;最大水平主应力与垂直主应力的比值绝大部分集中在0.5~2.0之间,而且随着埋深增加,侧压比呈现减小的趋势,并向1附近集中;最大水平主应力与最小水平主应力的比值主要集中在1.5～2.0之间;平均水平主应力与垂直主应力的比值大多处于0.5～1.5,尤以0.5～1.0之间最多;山西省煤矿矿区从北到南,最大水平主应力方向发生了较大变化.北部最大水平主应力方向为NE,往南发生偏转到NNW;靠东部与西部偏向NW;靠东南部出现了多变的方向.井下实测数据与震源机制解相比在部分区域一致性较好,而在另一些区域存在明显的差异.特别是在受较大地质构造影响的区域,水平主应力方向往往发生明显的扭转和变化.     

Unsaturated water flow across soil aggregate contacts

Unsaturated water flow through soil aggregates is controlled by the contacts between aggregates. The contacts are highly conductive when wet and become bottle-necks for flow when drained. We postulate that the hydraulic conductivity of the contacts is in first place determined by the water-filled contact area. The objective of this study was to measure and model the water-filled contact area and to relate it to the conductivity of a series of aggregates. We performed microscopic tomography of an aggregate pair equilibrated at different water potentials. By means of image analysis and a morphological pore network model, the water-filled contact area was calculated. We found that the aggregate surface is rough and the contact region contains macropores which are rapidly drained. As a consequence the water-filled contact area dramatically decreases as the water potential is diminished. We modeled this process by describing the aggregates as spheres covered by much smaller spheres representing the roughness. The water-filled contact was analytically calculated from this model. Knowing the water-filled contact area we up-scale the hydraulic conductivity of a series of aggregates. This is calculated as the harmonic mean of the contact and aggregate conductivities. The contact conductivity is calculated from the water-filled contact area. Near saturation the conductivity of a series of aggregates is close to the conductivity of a single aggregate, and, when further drained, it rapidly decreases as the water-filled contact area. The model matches the experimental data well.     

Challenges for integrated water resources management

During the past century, while world population tripled, the use of water increased sixfold. Irrigation accounts for 70% of global water withdrawals, industry for 20%, and municipal use for 10%. To meet the water resources challenges, a series of transitions is under way, with major implications for water management. The present paper underlines the major issues and the new role of engineers in charge of development and project management.     

Analysis of tracer tomography using temporal moments of tracer breakthrough curves

Hydraulic/partitioning tracer tomography (HPTT) was recently developed by Yeh and Zhu [Yeh T-CJ, Zhu J. Hydraulic/partitioning tracer tomography for characterization of dense nonaqueous phase liquid source zones, Water Resour Res 2007;43:W06435. doi:10.1029/2006WR004877.] for estimating spatial distribution of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) in the subsurface. Since discrete tracer concentration data are directly utilized for the estimation of DNAPLs, this approach solves the hyperbolic convection–dispersion equation. Solution to the convection–dispersion equation however demands fine temporal and spatial discretization, resulting in high computational cost for an HPTT analysis. In this work, we use temporal moments of tracer breakthrough curves instead of discrete concentration data to estimate DNAPL distribution. This approach solves time independent partial differential equations of the temporal moments, and therefore avoids solving the convection–dispersion equation using a time marching scheme, resulting in a dramatic reduction of computational cost. To reduce numerical oscillations associated with convection dominated transport problems such as in inter-well tracer tests, the approach uses a finite element solver adopting the streamline upwind Petrov–Galerkin method to calculate moments and sensitivities. We test the temporal moment approach through numerical simulations. Comparing the computational costs between utilizing moments and discrete concentrations, we find that temporal moments significantly reduce the computation time. We also find that tracer moment data collected through a tomographic survey alone are able to yield reasonable estimates of hydraulic conductivity, as indicated by a correlation of 0.588 between estimated and true hydraulic conductivity fields in the synthetic case study.     

Efficient uncertainty quantification techniques in inverse problems for Richards’ equation using coarse-scale simulation models

This paper concerns efficient uncertainty quantification techniques in inverse problems for Richards’ equation which use coarse-scale simulation models. We consider the problem of determining saturated hydraulic conductivity fields conditioned to some integrated response. We use a stochastic parameterization of the saturated hydraulic conductivity and sample using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods (MCMC). The main advantage of the method presented in this paper is the use of multiscale methods within an MCMC method based on Langevin diffusion. Additionally, we discuss techniques to combine multiscale methods with stochastic solution techniques, specifically sparse grid collocation methods. We show that the proposed algorithms dramatically reduce the computational cost associated with traditional Langevin MCMC methods while providing similar sampling performance.     

Measurement of streambed hydraulic conductivity and its anisotropy

 A method is described for the measurement of streambed hydraulic conductivity. Unlike permeameter methods, this method applies straight and l-shaped standpipes directly to streambeds for measurements of in-situ hydraulic conductivity in the vertical (K _v ) and horizontal (K _h ) directions, as well as in other oblique directions (K _s ). This method has advantages in determination of K _v values over grain-size analysis, permeameter tests, or slug test methods. Also unique to this method is that it provides K _s values of a streambed. The measured results can be used to construct a hydraulic conductivity ellipse and to evaluate the anisotropy of streambed sediments. Field examples from the Republican River, Nebraska, demonstrated the usefulness of this method in the determination of streambed hydraulic conductivity and anisotropy along or across a river channel. Results indicate that the K _h is about three to four times larger than K _v , whereas K _s values are larger than K _v but smaller than K _h . Received: 6 March 2000 · Accepted: 18 April 2000     

Simultaneous transport of water and solutes under transient unsaturated flow conditions — A case study

The imbalance between incoming and outgoing salt causes salinization of soils and sub-soils that result in increasing the salinity of stream-flows and agriculture land. This salinization is a serious environmental hazard particularly in semi-arid and arid lands. In order to estimate the magnitude of the hazard posed by salinity, it is important to understand and identify the processes that control salt movement from the soil surface through the root zone to the ground water and stream flows. In the present study, Malaprabha sub-basin (up to dam site) has been selected which has two distinct climatic zones, sub-humid (upstream of Khanapur) and semi-arid region (downstream of Khanapur). In the upstream, both surface and ground waters are used for irrigation, whereas in the downstream mostly groundwater is used. Both soils and ground waters are more saline in downstream parts of the study area. In this study we characterized the soil salinity and groundwater quality in both areas. An attempt is also made to model the distribution of potassium concentration in the soil profile in response to varying irrigation conditions using the SWIM (Soil-Water Infiltration and Movement) model. Fair agreement was obtained between predicted and measured results indicating the applicability of the model.     

Key Groundwater Control Factors of Deep Buried Coalfield by Landform and Sedimentation in the Northern Ordos Basin

There were three landforms (i.e. desert, bedrock platform and loess gully) in deep-buried coalfield of northern Ordos Basin. Water inflow of working face in desert area was 1~2 orders of magnitude larger than that in other landform areas. In order to find out the key controlling factors of the directly water filled aquifers on the roof of the coal seam, we carried out research from the aspects of topography, landform and geological sedimentation. The results showed that desert landform provides abundant recharge water for underlying aquifers because of gentle topography, large precipitation infiltration coefficient, thick and water-rich quaternary system. While bedrock platform and loess gully landform were the water sources with weak recharge capacity of underlying aquifers. The sandstone-mudstone interbedding structure formed by continental deposits resulted in the absence of regional stable aquifers in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata on the roof of coal seams. Pumping tests of boreholes showed that all strata belong to weak to medium water-rich aquifers. The groundwater level of Cretaceous aquifer decreased by 20~130 m in three mines. There was a close hydraulic relationship between shallow and deep aquifers. The Mesozoic strata belonged to fluvial deposits. Qilizhen sandstone and Zhenwudong sandstone aquifers were mainly developed on the roof of the coal seam, which were characterized by thick medium-coarse sandstone sections. The geological and sedimentary conditions of direct water-filled aquifer were similar, but the amount of borehole water, cumulative pre-drainage water and water inflow from goaf in desert geomorphic area were much larger than those in bedrock platform and loess gully geomorphic area. The water-rich of the aquifer was mainly controlled by geomorphology, and the water sources of the deep aquifers were meteoric precipitation and Quaternary aquifer. In different mines with similar Quaternary conditions in Mu Us Desert, there were also great differences in the amount of borehole water, cumulative pre-drainage water and water inflow from goafs. The difference was related to the thickness and lithology of the aquifers. It reflected that the geological sedimentary conditions of the coal seam roof were also important factors to control the water-rich of the aquifers. Topography, landform and geological sedimentation were the key factors to control the water-rich of the aquifer directly and the water inflow from the working face.