Page 16 - Fundamentals of Computational Geoscience Numerical Methods and Algorithms

2 1 Introduction

optimization of a tooth brush to that of a giant aircraft; from the collapse simulation
of a concrete beam to that of a huge double curvature arch dam; from the optimal
layout design of a pipeline to that of a large-scale underground tunnel, to name just
a few. Since computational science is a comprehensive discipline bringing geology,
geophysics, geochemistry, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and numerical
techniques together, it can be used effectively and efficiently to simulate the pro-
cesses involved in complicated scientific and engineering problems in a scientific
and predictive manner. In this sense, computational science is a natural supplier to
meet the demands of geoscientists in solving contemporary geoscience problems.
It is this demand and supply relationship that has created a brand new discipline,
computational geoscience, in the past decade (Zhao et al. 2008a).

1.1 Characteristics of Computational Geoscience

Computational geoscience is a newly-developed discipline, which has been estab-
lished through applying the well-developed computational science discipline to
solve geoscience problems occurring in nature. This means that the computational
geoscience discipline is of multi-disciplinary nature crossing many fields of science.
The ultimate aim of computational geoscience is to deal with the origin, evolution
and behaviour of the Earth system in a predictive, scientific manner. Under the stim-
ulus of an ever-increasing demand for natural mineral resources, computational geo-
science has achieved, in the past decade, considerable development driven from the
need to understand the controlling mechanisms behind ore body formation and min-
eralization in hydrothermal and igneous systems within the upper crust of the Earth
(Garven and Freeze 1984, Raffensperger and Garven 1995, Doin et al. 1997, Jiang
et al. 1997, Zhao et al. 1997a, 1998a, Oliver et al. 1999, 2001, Zhao et al. 1999a,
2000a, Hobbs et al. 2000, Gow et al. 2002, Ord et al. 2002, Schaubs and Zhao
2002, Sorjonen-Ward et al. 2002, Zhao et al. 2002a, 2003a, McLellan et al. 2003,
Ord and Sorjonen-Ward 2003, Liu et al. 2005, Sheldon and Ord 2005, Zhao et al.
2005a, 2006a, b, 2007a, 2008a, Zhang et al. 2007, Murphy et al. 2008). As a result, a
fundamental and theoretical framework for the computational geoscience discipline
has been established. This enables many hitherto unsolvable geoscience problems
to be solved, both theoretically and practically, using the newly-developed research
methodology associated with computational geoscience. For instance, some typi-
cal examples of applying the newly-developed research methodology to deal with
geoscience problems are as follows: (1) the convective flow of pore-fluid within the
upper crust of the Earth (Phillips 1991, Nield and Bejan 1992, Zhao et al. 1997a,
1998b, 1999b, 2000b, 2001b, Lin et al. 2003), (2) ore body formation and mineral-
ization within hydrothermal systems (Zhao et al. 1998a, 1999c, 2000c, Gow et al.
2002, Ord et al. 2002, Zhao et al. 2002b, 2003b, 2006c), (3) pore-fluid flow focus-
ing within permeable faults (Obdam and Veling 1987, Zimmerman 1996, Zhao et
al. 1999d, 2006d, e, 2008b, c), (4) fluid-rock/chemical interaction associated with
ore body formation processes (Steefel and Lasaga 1994, Zhao et al. 2001c, 2008d,
e, f) and (5) convective flow of pore-fluid within three-dimensional permeable faults
(Zhao et al. 2003c, d, 2004, 2005b, Yang 2006).