Page 20 - Fundamentals of Computational Geoscience Numerical Methods and Algorithms

6 1 Introduction

numerical procedures and algorithms to tackle the large-scale aspects of geoscience
problems. The geoscience problems to be considered are closely related to ore body
formation and mineralization in hydrothermal systems within the upper crust of the
Earth. The arrangements of the forthcoming parts of this monograph are as fol-
lows: In Chap. 2, a progressive asymptotic approach procedure is proposed to solve
steady-state convective pore-fluid flow problems within the upper crust of the Earth.
In combination with the finite element method, this procedure has been applied to
simulate convective pore-fluid flow that often plays an important role in ore body
formation and mineralization. In Chap. 3, a consistent point-searching interpola-
tion algorithm is proposed to develop a general interface between two commercial
computer codes, Fluid Dynamics Analysis Package (FIDAP, Fluid Dynamics Inter-
national, 1997) and Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua (FLAC, Itasca Consulting
Group, 1995). With this general interface, the two commercial codes have been used,
in an iterative and alternative manner, to solve coupled problems between medium
deformation, pore-fluid flow, heat transfer and reactive mass transport processes in
hydrothermal systems. In Chap. 4, a term splitting algorithm is developed for deal-
ing with fluid-rock interaction problems that are closely associated with mineral
dissolution and precipitation as well as metamorphic processes in fluid-saturated
hydrothermal/sedimentary basins of subcritical Zhao numbers. In this case, the
chemical dissolution fronts are stable during their propagation within the reactive
mass transport system. In contrast, a segregated algorithm is proposed, in Chap. 5,
for solving chemical-dissolution front instability problems in fluid-saturated porous
rocks of critical and supercritical Zhao numbers. In this situation, the morphologi-
cal evolution of chemical dissolution fronts in fluid-saturated porous media has been
appropriately simulated. In Chap. 6, a decoupling procedure is proposed for simu-
lating fluids mixing, heat transfer and non-equilibrium redox chemical reactions in
fluid-saturated porous rocks. The proposed procedure has been applied to investi-
gate the effects of non-equilibrium redox chemical reactions on the mineralization
patterns in hydrothermal systems. In Chap. 7, an equivalent source algorithm is pre-
sented for simulating thermal and chemical effects of intruded magma solidification
problems. This algorithm has been used to simulate effectively and efficiently the
thermal and chemical effects of intruded magma in hydrothermal systems. In Chap.
8, the particle simulation method is extended to solve spontaneous crack generation
problems in brittle rocks within the upper crust of the Earth. The extended particle
method has been applied to simulate spontaneous crack generation associated with
faulting and folding in large length-scale geological systems. Finally, some conclu-
sions are given at the end of the monograph.