High-Performance Computing to Evaluate Hierarchical Heterogeneity Paradigms in Sedimentary Aquifer Systems

在近地下的地下水流动和物质运输过程的缩放与地质水库内发现的分层沉积结构有关。PI已经开发了一个代码，生成三维模型，代表水文地质属性的异质性所产生的层次沉积结构在编织带存款。沉积结构的尺度从厘米到千米不等。 这种结构并不代表所有的沉积物、含水层或储层，但它确实代表了重要的沉积物、含水层或储层，包括尤卡山的Fortymile Wash冲积层、美国北方的冰川沉积含水层、汉福德遗址的Ringold地层和阿拉斯加北坡的石油储层Ivishak地层。该模型并不意味着精确地代表任何一个站点，而是代表许多站点共同的异质性的重要方面。完整的模型代表了一个域2.5公里2.5公里10米厚的体素为1立方厘米的62.5万亿体素晶格。 虽然部分域已在桌面工作站上创建，但我们目前正在与太平洋西北国家实验室（PNNL）的科学家合作，使用位于PNNL环境分子科学实验室（EMSL）的高性能超级计算机生成完整的62.5万亿节点域。 完整的模型域将免费分发给研究界，作为测试与尺度放大问题、逆问题以及其他需要高分辨率网格的计算研究相关的想法的资源。 在我们的工作中，我们正在生成模拟测试的假设，即渗透性高的开放式框架砾石的渗流必须理解不仅从他们的比例和几何形状，而且从比例，几何形状和空间分布的地层在多个尺度（单位酒吧，复合酒吧，通道填充等）。此外，我们正在生成数值输运模拟，以测试假设，即解决方案的升级问题可能需要考虑渗流的存在，以及层次结构的单位类型定义在不同的scales.If成功，完整的模型域和数值示踪剂测试将免费分发给研究界。 因此，这项研究将促进地下水流动和运输计算研究中新出现的想法的测试。 我们将使用这些模型测试的假设是相关的异质性和环境净化和提高石油采收率的升级问题。该项目还通过在高性能计算、水文地质学和沉积学领域培训一名博士后学者，并通过大学和国家实验室科学家的指导，使科学和工程方面的人力资源和教育受益。

The scaling of processes governing ground-water flow and mass transport in the near subsurface is being linked to the hierarchical sedimentary architecture found within geo-reservoirs. The PIs have developed a code that generates three-dimensional models that represent the heterogeneity of hydrogeologic attributes arising from hierarchical sedimentary architecture in braid-belt deposits. The sedimentary architecture represented ranges in scale from centimeters to kilometers. This architecture does not represent all deposits, aquifers, or reservoirs, but it does represent important ones, including the Fortymile Wash alluvium at Yucca Mountain, glaciofuvial aquifers in the northern United States, the Ringold Formation at the Hanford site, and the Ivishak Formation, an Alaskan north-slope petroleum reservoir. The model is not meant to represent any one site exactly, but to represent important aspects of heterogeneity common to many sites. The full model represents a domain 2.5 km by 2.5 km by 10 m thick with voxels of 1 cubic centimeter on a 62.5 trillion-voxel lattice. While parts of the domain have been created on desktop workstations, we are currently collaborating with scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to generate the full 62.5 trillion node domain using the high performance supercomputer located at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at PNNL. The full model domain will be freely distributed to the research community as a resource for testing ideas related to the upscaling problem, the inverse problem, and for other computational research requiring high-resolution grids. In our work, we are generating simulations to test the hypothesis that the percolation of highly permeable open-framework gravels must be understood not only from their proportions and geometry, but also from the proportions, geometry, and spatial distribution of the strata at multiple scales (unit bars, compound bars, channel fills, etc.). Furthermore, we are generating numerical transport simulations to test the hypothesis that solutions to upscaling problems may require accounting for the presence of percolation, as well as the hierarchy of unit types defined at different scales.If successful, the full model domain and numerical tracer tests will be freely distributed to the research community. Thus, the research will promote the testing of emerging ideas in computational research on ground water flow and transport. The hypotheses we will test using these models are relevant to heterogeneity and upscaling issues in environmental cleanup and to enhanced petroleum recovery. The project also benefits human resources and education in science and engineering through the training of a post-doctoral scholar in the areas of high-performance computing, hydrogeology, and sedimentology, and through mentoring from university and national laboratory scientists.