Fluid flow and (reactive) transport in fractured and faulted rock

Abstract

Fracture and fault discontinuities in deformed rocks influence large-scale patterns of fluid flow and reaction in the shallow crust. Owing to their geometrical complexity and order-of-magnitude variations in material properties, this influence is difficult to quantify and the flow dynamics of such systems cannot be predicted from the known driving forces and basic flow regimes alone. This presentation introduces recent developments in the high-resolution numerical modelling of fluid flow and reactive transport in fractured and faulted rock. It highlights counter-intuitive aspects of the patterns and dynamics of single and multiphase fluid flow. Special attention is given to flow velocity spe..