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AGU: Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth

 

Keywords

  • dissolution
  • fracture
  • wormholing

Index Terms

  • Physical Properties of Rocks: Fracture and flow
  • Hydrology: Groundwater transport
  • Physical Properties of Rocks: Permeability and porosity
  • Computational Geophysics: Modeling
  • Nonlinear Geophysics: Self-organization
Abstract
Cited By (2)
 

Abstract

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 114, B06203, 22 PP., 2009
doi:10.1029/2008JB006122

Wormhole formation in dissolving fractures

P. Szymczak

Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland

A. J. C. Ladd

Chemical Engineering Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

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.

Received 28 September 2008; accepted 17 February 2009; published 24 June 2009.

Citation: Szymczak, P., and A. J. C. Ladd (2009), Wormhole formation in dissolving fractures, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B06203, doi:10.1029/2008JB006122.

Cited By

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