Page 8 - Fundamentals of Computational Geoscience Numerical Methods and Algorithms

Preamble ix
drothermal/sedimentary basins of subcritical Zhao numbers, in which the chemical
dissolution fronts are stable during their propagation. Note that the Zhao number
is a dimensionless number that can be used to represent the geometrical, hydro-
dynamic, thermodynamic and chemical kinetic characteristics of a reactive trans-
port system in a comprehensive manner. The condition, under which a chemical
dissolution front in the fluid-saturated porous medium becomes unstable, can be
expressed by the critical value of this dimensionless number. (4) For a geochemical
system of critical and supercritical Zhao numbers, a segregated algorithm is pro-
posed for solving chemical-dissolution front instability problems in fluid-saturated
porous rocks. Thus, the morphological evolution of chemical dissolution fronts in
fluid-saturated porous media can be appropriately simulated. (5) To investigate the
effects of non-equilibrium redox chemical reactions on the mineralization patterns
in hydrothermal systems, a decoupling procedure is proposed for simulating flu-
ids mixing, heat transfer and non-equilibrium redox chemical reactions in fluid-
saturated porous rocks. (6) When thermal and chemical effects of intruded magma
are taken into account, an equivalent source algorithm is presented for simulating
thermal and chemical effects of intruded magma solidification problems. This algo-
rithm enables the moving boundary problem associated with magma solidification
to be effectively and efficiently solved using the fixed finite element meshes. (7) To
simulate spontaneous crack generation in brittle rocks within the upper crust of the
Earth, the particle simulation method is extended to solve spontaneous crack gener-
ation problems associated with faulting and folding in large length-scale geological
systems. The resulting cracks may be connected to form flow channels, which can
control ore body formation and mineralization patterns within the upper crust of the
Earth.

August 12, 2008 Chongbin Zhao
Bruce E. Hobbs
Alison Ord