Flow and transport processes in fractured rock are strongly influenced by fracture aperture and diffusive interactions between the fractures and rock matrix. The transmissivity of fractures is highly sensitive to fracture aperture (a cubic dependence). Complex thermo-hydrologic-mechanical-chemical (T-H-M-C) coupled processes that alter fracture apertures thus drive feedbacks and pattern...
In many subsurface energy activities, such as hydraulic fracturing, geologic carbon storage, deep well disposal, and geothermal energy, the injection or extraction of fluids results in significant mechanical and chemical perturbations. These perturbations pose risks in promoting unwanted fluid leakage pathways, such as faults and fractures, through chemical reactions and mechanical failure....
Dissolution within porous media is a critical process in many environmental and geological settings. The formation and evolution of soils, rocks, and landscapes (Buhmann and Dreybrodt, 1985; Brantley, 2008; Jin et al., 2010), efficiency of carbon capture in geological reservoirs (Matter and Kelemen, 2009), and the weathering of man-made structures are all highly dependent on the rates at which...
