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Development of an empirical model relating permeability and specific stiffness for rough fractures from numerical deformation experiments
Author(s) -
Wang Lichun,
Cardenas M. Bayani
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.983
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 2169-9356
pISSN - 2169-9313
DOI - 10.1002/2016jb013004
Subject(s) - permeability (electromagnetism) , stiffness , mechanics , tortuosity , geotechnical engineering , percolation (cognitive psychology) , geology , deformation (meteorology) , surface finish , porous medium , materials science , deformation bands , porosity , composite material , physics , microstructure , genetics , neuroscience , membrane , biology
The coupling between hydraulic and mechanical properties of porous and fractured geologic media are critical for many geophysical processes and practical applications. Thus, the prediction of this linkage between these properties is broadly important. Here we present a potentially predictive model that links fracture permeability and specific stiffness with empirical coefficients dependent on fracture roughness, correlation length of aperture field, and rock mechanical properties. The equation was developed empirically from results of modeling the deformation and flow through synthetic fractures with aperture fields that follow a normal distribution. The fractures were subjected to increasing normal stress and deformed following an elastic model. Specific stiffness was directly quantified from these numerical deformation experiments. Permeability was estimated through calculation of the local flow field while considering effects of local fracture roughness and tortuosity. The empirical model roughly captures the transition from effective medium to percolation flow regimes with increasing specific stiffness.