Wormhole formation in dissolving fractures

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Publication Date

June 2009

Abstract

We investigate the dissolution of artificial fractures with three‐dimensional, pore‐scale numerical simulations. The fluid velocity in the fracture space was determined from a lattice Boltzmann method, and a stochastic solver was used for the transport of dissolved species. Numerical simulations were used to study conditions under which long conduits (wormholes) form in an initially rough but spatially homogeneous fracture. The effects of flow rate, mineral dissolution rate, and geometrical properties of the fracture were investigated, and the optimal conditions for wormhole formation were determined.

Keywords

Chemistry, Physics Of Minerals, Rocks, Volcanology

Document Type

Article

Notes

Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 114, no. B6 (2009-06-24).

Identifier

SFS0055674_00001

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