Physically-Based Simulation of the Evolution and Flow Characteristics of Natural Fracture Networks

小行星9316099 天然裂缝网络的几何形状的理解是必不可少的地质过去的准确解释和有意义的地震波传播模型和流体流动和运输通过裂缝地层。 此外，天然断裂系统的几何形状能够被精确模拟的程度直接影响到我们处理诸如废物隔离、矿石存款成因、自然资源恢复和含水层补救等重要问题的能力。 该建议旨在增加我们对控制天然裂缝网络的几何特征的参数的理解，将成熟的物理原理纳入天然裂缝网络生成的模型中。 以往的研究表明，基于物理的裂缝网络模拟器（PBNS）可以准确地预测实验产生的裂缝集的演变。 该建议旨在通过将模拟网络与露头上观察到的网络进行比较，确定控制天然裂缝网络增长的参数的适当值。 这些增长参数的适当值的知识是必不可少的天然裂缝网络几何形状的准确模拟。 该建议还试图将PBNS应用于模拟网络的导电性分析中，以识别控制裂缝地层内流体流动的关键几何参数。 这些几何参数的识别，当与适当的增长参数值相结合时，将导致更准确的解释，并通过裂缝性地层的流体迁移。 从这项工作中产生的天然裂缝网络模型将提高我们对裂缝系统如何由地质特征和过程产生并影响其他地质特征和过程的理解。 这种理解将提高我们的能力，准确地模拟许多重要的次表面过程，因此，在地球科学中的许多问题的应用。 这些问题包括但不限于地震反演、自然资源恢复和地壳结构力学。

9316099 Pollard An understanding of the geometry of natural fracture networks is essential for accurate interpretations of the geologic past and for meaningful models of seismic wave propagation and fluid flow and transport through fractured formations. Further, the degree to which the geometry of natural fracture systems can be accurately simulated directly affects our ability to deal with such important problems as waste isolation, ore deposit genesis, natural resource recovery and aquifer remediation. This proposal seeks to increase our understanding of the parameters which control the geometric characteristics of natural fracture networks by incorporating well established physical principles into models for the generation of natural fracture networks. Previous investigations have demonstrated that physically-based fracture network simulators (PBNSs) can accurately predict the evolution of experimentally generated fracture sets. This proposal seeks to identify appropriate values for the parameters which control the growth of natural fracture networks by comparing simulated networks to those observed on outcrops. Knowledge of the appropriate values for these growth parameters is essential for accurate simulation of natural fracture network geometries. This proposal also seeks to apply the PBNS in an analyses of the conductivity of simulated networks in order to discern the critical geometric parameters controlling fluid flow within fractured formations. The identification of these geometric parameters, when combined with the appropriate growth parameter values, will result in more accurate interpretation of, and for, fluid migration through fractured formations. Models for natural fracture networks which result from this work will improve our understanding of how fracture systems are created by, and influence other, geologic features and processes. This understanding will enhance our ability to accurately model many important sub-sur face processes and, as such, has application to many problems in earth science. Such problems include, but are not limited to, seismic inversion, natural resource recovery and structural mechanics of the earth's crust.