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At least 19 records

Extended Barton–Bandis model for rock joints under cyclic loading: Formulation and implicit algorithm

In this paper, the Barton–Bandis model for rock joints is extended to cyclic loading conditions, without any new material parameter. Also developed herein is an implicit solution algorithm for the extended Barton–Bandis model, which can also be used for the original Barton–Bandis model for which an implicit algorithm has been unavailable. To this end, we first cast the Barton–Bandis model into an incremental elasto-plastic framework, deriving an expression for the elastic shear stiffness being consistent with the original model formulation. We then extend the model formulation to cyclic loading conditions, incorporating the dependence of shear stress and dilation on the joint position and the shearing direction. The extension is achieved by introducing a few state-dependent variables which can be calculated with the existing material parameters. For robust and accurate utilization of the model, we also develop an implicit algorithm based on return mapping, which is unconditionally stable and guarantees the satisfaction of the strength criterion. We verify that the proposed model formulation and algorithm produce virtually the same results as the original Barton–Bandis model under monotonic shearing conditions. Here, we then validate the extended Barton–Bandis model against experimental data on natural rock joints under cycling loading conditions. The present work thus enables the Barton–Bandis model, which has been exceptionally popular in research and practice, to be applicable to a wider range of problems in rock mechanics and rock engineering.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Hydrologic Impacts of a Strike-Slip Fault Zone: Insights from Joint 3D Body-Wave Tomography of Rock Valley

The Rock Valley fault zone (RVFZ), an intraplate strike-slip fault zone in the southern Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), hosted a series of very shallow (<3 km) earthquakes in 1993. The RVFZ may also have hydrological significance within the NNSS, potentially playing a role in regional groundwater flow, but there is a lack of local hydrological data. In the Spring of 2021, we collected active-source accelerated weight drop seismic data over part of the RVFZ to better characterize the shallow subsurface. Here, we manually picked ~17,000 P-wave travel times and over 14,000 S-wave travel times, which were inverted for P-wave velocity (V P ), S-wave velocity (V S ), and V P /V S ratio in a 3D joint tomographic inversion scheme. Seismic velocities are imaged as deep as ~700 m in areas and generally align with geologic and structural expectations. V P and V S are relatively reduced near mapped and inferred faults, with the most prominent lower V P and V S zone around the densest collection of faults. We image V P /V S ratios ranging from ~1.5 to ~2.4, the extremes of which occur at a depth of ~100 m and are juxtaposed across a fault. One possible interpretation of the imaged seismic velocities is enhanced fault damage near the densest collection of faults with relatively higher porosity and/or crack density at ~100 m depth, with patches of semiperched groundwater present in the sedimentary rock in higher V P /V S areas and drier rock in lower V P /V S areas. A relatively higher V P /V S area beneath the densest faults persists at depth, which suggests percolation of groundwater via the fault damage zone to the regionally connected lower carbonate aquifer. Potentially, the presence and movement of groundwater may have played a role in the 1993 earthquake aftershocks.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Long‐term growth and persistence of granitic inselbergs in a semi‐arid cratonic landscape

Granitic inselbergs are enduring landforms that punctuate planation surfaces in tectonically stable settings, yet the mechanisms and timescales of their persistence remain debated. Here, in this study, we present a multinuclide cosmogenic dataset ( 10 Be, 26 Al and 21 Ne) from bedrock, fluvial sediments and planation surfaces in the semi-arid Central Ceará Domain, north-eastern Brazil, to quantify denudation rates and reconstruct the long-term dynamics of residual relief formation. This triple-nuclide approach enables independent validation of denudation contrasts and long-term exposure histories, providing quantitative constraints on inselberg evolution that a single-nuclide approach could not resolve. Bedrock denudation rates (1–4 m Myr −1 ) are systematically lower than basin-wide rates (8–14 m Myr −1 ), revealing a regional pattern of vertical differential denudation. When combined with summit elevations and surface exposure ages of up to 5 Myr, these contrasts suggest that cumulative relief growth has been operating over timescales of tens of millions of years (1–57 Myr). Morphological and structural observations further indicate localized mass wasting and heterogeneous erosion styles, modulated by rock fabric and joint density. Cosmogenic nuclide inventories in detrital sediments reveal partial reworking from older sediment stocks, including surface pebbles with exposure ages up to 5 Myr, which record multistage of burial and re-exposure histories and reflect episodic remobilization in low-connectivity, semi-arid catchments. Rather than static relicts of ancient surfaces, inselbergs in this cratonic setting emerge as dynamic landforms actively sustained by slow but persistent differential denudation. These results provide new constraints on long-term cratonic landscape evolution and underscore the interplay between lithological resistance, structural inheritance and sediment transfer processes in sustaining topographic relief. They also call for a critical reassessment of classical inselberg models, suggesting that hybrid mechanisms, rather than single-process paradigms, more accurately capture the complexity of residual landform development in cratonic interiors.

Cosmogenic nuclides↗

Improving multiwell petrophysical interpretation from well logs via machine learning and statistical models

Well-log interpretation estimates in situ rock properties along well trajectory, such as porosity, water saturation, and permeability, to support reserve-volume estimation, production forecasts, and decision making in reservoir development. However, due to measurement errors, variability of well logs caused by multiple measurement vendors, different borehole tools, and nonuniform drilling/borehole conditions, estimations of rock properties with original well logs without proper preprocessing may not be accurate, especially in the context of multiwell estimation. Well-log normalization techniques such as two-point scaling and mean-variance normalization are commonly used to improve the robustness of multiwell rock-property estimation. However, these techniques do not consider the correlation between well logs and require subjective knowledge for their effective implementation. To reduce uncertainties and processing time associated with multiwell rock-property estimation from well logs, we develop discriminative adversarial (DA) and linear constraint models for well-log normalization and rock-property estimation. The DA neural network model developed for well-log normalization and interpretation can perform linear and nonlinear well-log normalization while considering the joint distribution of each well log and rock properties. However, the linear constraint model uses an ensemble of predictions from linear models to constrain well-log normalization and rock-property estimation. We also develop a divergence-based type well identification method to select type (training) wells for a test well based on the statistical similarity of associated well-log distributions instead of the interwell distance. We apply the DA model to perform well-log normalization and prediction of permeability for the Seminole San Andres Unit carbonate reservoir. Compared with the permeability predicted with the classical machine learning model without well-log normalization and models with two-point scaling normalization, the DA model yields the most accurate permeability prediction by decreasing the mean-squared error of permeability prediction by 20%–50%.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

A Technology Roadmap for Advanced Geothermal Well Construction

Recent analysis has shown that by 2050, geothermal energy can supply up to 90 GW of power to the U.S. electrical grid. Reducing the lifecycle cost of geothermal wells is critical to achieving this level of adoption. While time-related costs of drilling remain an important issue, there is also a need to focus on the costs associated with casing and cementing of geothermal wells. This report provides a roadmap of R&D activities needed to reduce the life cycle cost of casing and cementing while improving life-of-well performance. The purpose of the roadmap is to develop priorities for R&D in the areas of (1) high-performance and cost-effective materials for target geothermal well conditions, (2) well construction methods and techniques to reduce construction costs, and (3) methods and techniques to decrease to decrease long-term operating costs. The roadmap sets targets for the next 10-year period and purposely excludes R&D efforts into improved rock reduction. The roadmap was developed by a joint working group of experts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories as well as 35 experts from industry and academia. Input from a series of information gathering sessions was used to inform and guide the development of the roadmap.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

On various mechanisms of shear wave generation from underground chemical explosions in hard rocks

Significant shear waves observed during underground explosions can make them look similar to natural earthquakes. In the near field, they can be caused by the source geometry and emplacement conditions, heterogeneous and anisotropic properties of the rock mass, relaxation of a non-uniform in situ stress around the source after the departure of the shock wave as well as by activation of nearby faults. Here, the stress relaxation mechanism is important at depth when the difference in main principal stresses becomes significant. Another mechanism of shear motion generation is due to explosive gas flow from the source cavity into the cracks initiated by the shock wave and joints connected to the cavity. Also, the shock wave from the explosion can cause weakening of the rock either due to permanent damage or shock-induced liquefaction at saturated joints. Numerical modelling of underground chemical explosions in hard rock at various confinement stresses has been conducted to compare various mechanisms of shear wave generation and their seismic characteristics with that of a simple fault rupture process observed during an earthquake.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Simulation of Multiphase Flow and Poromechanical Effects Around Injection Wells in CO 2 Storage Sites

In geological CO 2 storage operations, wellbore deformations and leakage pathways formations can occur around injection and abandoned wells subjected to high rates and long-term CO 2 injection. To guide engineering design and prevent CO 2 leakage risks, a full understanding of the underlying physics and robust numerical models is necessary to evaluate the response of underground formations in the near wellbore region and in the reservoir. In this study, a multi-scale and multi-physics open-source simulator (GEOS) is used to simulate multiphase flow and poromechanical deformations over time in three dimensions. The governing equations for mechanical deformations of the rock body and multiphase compositional fluid flow within the rock matrix are solved with a fully coupled finite element and finite volume approach. The Drucker–Prager model with friction hardening is applied to simulate elastoplastic deformation and a multiphase fluid model with power-law correlations for relative permeability is used to model the migration of CO 2 plume, which are coupled with numerical implicit scheme. Simulation results are verified against multiple analytical solutions for multiphase flow and wellbore problems, thus demonstrating the accuracy of this advanced simulator. In two engineering applications, here we highlight the impact of elastoplastic deformation and coupled modeling for assessing induced displacements and stress perturbations, which are more pronounced in the near wellbore regions. This work focuses on short-term processes in the vicinity of injection wells where stress evolutions, rock deformations and multiphase compositional flow and transport are simulated jointly to ensure wellbore stability and prevent damage. This fully coupled geomechanical model can simulate multiphase flow and any associated poromechanical effects within the CO 2 storage site and in the surrounding formations. Such a large-scale, long-term, multi-physics simulation model is useful in many ways: it can guide operational decisions for CO 2 injection, assess the containment potential and risks of a site, and analyze the wellbore stability and integrity during and after CO 2 injection.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Integration of seismic-pressure-petrophysics inversion of continuous active-seismic monitoring data for monitoring and quantifying CO 2 plume (Final Report)

The overall objective of this project is to develop and validate an integrated package of joint seismic-pressure-petrophysics inversion (jSPPI) of continuous active-source seismic monitoring dataset capable of providing real-time monitoring of CO 2 plume during geologic carbon sequestration (GCS). The three specific developments include: (a) the methodologies for fast seismic full waveform inversion of continuous active source seismic monitoring, (CASSM) datasets for simultaneously estimating velocity and attenuation, and with data assimilation; (b) joint Bayesian petrophysical inversion of seismic models and pressure data for providing and updating CO 2 saturation models; (c) the methods using multiple datasets including (Crainfield and Frio-II borehole) synthetic, laboratory, and field CASSM datasets. The outcomes of jSPPI include (a) a workflow for processing CASSM data, (b) Bayesian inversion algorithms using CASSM data and pressure response data, and (c) integration with data assimilation algorithms for continuously updating site-specific models used for prediction and reservoir management. The validation of joint FWI will be conducted using synthetic models based on the Cranfield and Frio experiments as well as field CASSM datasets collected as part of the Frio-II pilot injection. To quantify and map the mass and distribution of CO 2 (saturation), we will jointly invert velocity and attenuation measurements from the FWI with a Bayesian approach using a rock physics model for attenuation (e.g., White’s attenuation model with two selected patch sizes (White, 1976; Dutta and Seriff, 1979)). The Bayesian inversion will be applied to each time step in the CASSM survey in an updating scheme, which integrates with an ensemble of reservoir simulations at each step. A more complete experimental validation dataset will be collected as part of a mesoscale (2-3 m) gas-CO 2 injection experiment utilizing a higher frequency version of the CASSM system developed for laboratory studies; the integrated inversion will be demonstrated using this dataset which will provide both a dense geometry as well as more precise secondary confirmation measurements (e.g. saturation) typically not available in the field. The resulting real-time map of CO 2 saturation is able to provide a deeper scientific understanding of the complex, time-varying dynamics of subsurface fluid flow migration path as well as the rapid detection of CO 2 leakage hazards.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

In-situ experiment reveals CO2 enriched fluid migration in faulted caprock

Abstract The sealing characteristics of the geological formation located above a CO 2 storage reservoir, the so-called caprock, are essential to ensure efficient geological carbon storage. If CO 2 were to leak through the caprock, temporal changes in fluid geochemistry can reveal fundamental information on migration mechanisms and induced fluid–rock interactions. Here, we present the results from a unique in-situ injection experiment, where CO 2 -enriched fluid was continuously injected in a faulted caprock analogue. Our results show that the CO 2 migration follows complex pathways within the fault structure. The joint analysis of noble gases, ion concentrations and carbon isotopes allow us to quantify mixing between injected CO 2 -enriched fluid and resident formation water and to describe the temporal evolution of water–rock interaction processes. The results presented here are a crucial complement to the geophysical monitoring at the fracture scale highlighting a unique migration of CO 2 in fault zones.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

The role of international collaboration in the United States geologic disposal research program

Abstract. More than a decade ago, the United States disposal program discontinued all research activities focused on the unsaturated fractured tuff formation at Yucca Mountain as the geologic disposal site for spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. A new research and development (R&D) program was initiated to provide a sound technical basis for alternative disposal options across clay, crystalline, and salt rocks. The goals of this broad program were (and still are) to (1) increase confidence in the robustness of generic disposal concepts, (2) develop the science and engineering tools needed to support disposal concept implementation, and (3) conduct R&D on the direct disposal of existing dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters. Recognizing the benefits of international collaboration toward the common goal of safely and efficiently managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, the program emphasized international cooperation as an effective strategy for sharing information and knowledge. In a multi-laboratory effort coordinated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) program established formal and informal cooperation partnerships with several international initiatives and institutions and developed a number of collaborative R&D activities in important research areas, such as engineered barrier integrity, near-field perturbations, radionuclide transport, performance assessment, and methods for characterization and monitoring of engineered and natural barriers. This presentation gives an overview of these R&D activities, with a specific focus on activities that improve our current understanding of the coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical–chemical (THMC) processes occurring in engineered and natural barriers. We start with a brief review of selected international collaboration initiatives and then describe a few specific collaboration projects. We focus specifically on such studies that use experimental data sets provided by international research cooperation for joint modeling work to increase confidence in performance-relevant predictions of coupled processes. Overall, the focus on international collaboration has allowed deep engagement of US researchers with the international waste management R&D community in terms of best practices, new scientific advances, state-of-the-art simulation tools, new monitoring and performance confirmation approaches, and lessons learned. The joint R&D with international researchers, worldwide sharing of knowledge and experience, and access to relevant data and experiments from a variety of host rocks have helped our researchers to significantly improve their understanding of the current technical basis for disposal in a range of potential host rock environments. International collaboration also provides ample opportunity for training and educating junior staff that are well suited to move the United States disposal research program forward into the next decades, a promising avenue for developing a next-generation workforce of disposal scientists.

Birkholzer, Jens T.↗

Subsurface fluvial sediments beneath InSight on Mars from geophysical constraints

Subsurface structure investigation on Mars is crucial for understanding its geological evolution and past hydrological conditions. Elysium Planitia (EP), located near the hypothesized ancient ocean shorelines, could contain clues for past water activity and paleoclimate. Here we present better-constrained subsurface models beneath InSight extending to ~800 m depth, obtained from joint inversion of seismic and seismoacoustic coupling data, and use the well-resolved subsurface structure to explore the lithological profile through rock physics models. The derived subsurface lithology agrees well with local geological context and exhibits a shallow 60-m-thick low-rigidity layer consistent with hydrated sedimentary materials. Despite possible contributions of aeolian and volcanic deposits, we favor the interpretation that the low-rigidity layer originated from fluvial activity in EP during the Hesperian or Hesperian-to-Amazonian epoch, as supported by adjacent paleo-shoreline morphology observations. These results hint at a period of warmer paleoclimate at low latitudes, possibly during high-obliquity phases of Mars’ rotational axis.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

An adjoint-based optimization method for jointly inverting heterogeneous material properties and fault slip from earthquake surface deformation data

SUMMARY Analysis of tectonic and earthquake-cycle associated deformation of the crust can provide valuable insights into the underlying deformation processes including fault slip. How those processes are expressed at the surface depends on the lateral and depth variations of rock properties. The effect of such variations is often tested by forward models based on a priori geological or geophysical information. Here, we first develop a novel technique based on an open-source finite-element computational framework to invert geodetic constraints directly for heterogeneous media properties. We focus on the elastic, coseismic problem and seek to constrain variations in shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio, proxies for the effects of lithology and/or temperature and porous flow, respectively. The corresponding nonlinear inversion is implemented using adjoint-based optimization that efficiently reduces the cost function that includes the misfit between the calculated and observed displacements and a penalty term. We then extend our theoretical and numerical framework to simultaneously infer both heterogeneous Earth’s structure and fault slip from surface deformation. Based on a range of 2-D synthetic cases, we find that both model parameters can be satisfactorily estimated for the megathrust setting-inspired test problems considered. Within limits, this is the case even in the presence of noise and if the fault geometry is not perfectly known. Our method lays the foundation for a future reassessment of the information contained in increasingly data-rich settings, for example, geodetic GNSS constraints for large earthquakes such as the 2011 Tohoku-oki M9 event, or distributed deformation along plate boundaries as constrained from InSAR.

Geochemistry & Geophysics↗

Exploring for Superhot Geothermal Targets in Magmatic Settings: 2022 Field Campaign at Newberry Volcano

This paper presents preliminary results from a subset of work carried out as part of a multinational research project entitled DErisking Exploration for multiple geothermal Plays in magmatic ENvironments (DEEPEN), supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Geothermica, a joint effort by EU member states and associated countries. The DEEPEN project will develop a customized approach to exploration for supercritical and superhot geothermal plays in magmatic systems, which will be applied to two demonstration sites. This paper summarizes field activities carried out at the U.S. demonstration site, Newberry Volcano in central Oregon. The objective of this work effort is to refine the subsurface model of Newberry Volcano, with special focus on deeper zones including the magmatic plumbing system and other key geologic elements. New data collection included gravity and wideband magnetotelluric (MT) surveys, as well as reinstallation of a seismic network. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Enthalpion Energy LLC (Enthalpion) worked with the Deschutes National Forest Fort Rock District to use a low ground disturbance method of MT deployment to collect MT data inside the caldera and other restricted areas inside the National Volcanic Monument. This opened these areas to geophysical exploration for the first time in decades. Sites along and adjacent to the south rim of the volcano constituted the primary survey objectives. A team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and AltaRock also began the process of reinstalling the seismic network from the AltaRock enhanced geothermal system (EGS) demonstration in anticipation of further development activities at the site. The data ingestion, reduction, and analysis phase of the project is ongoing. We are currently processing the MT and gravity data and are developing a new, highly GPU-accelerated, 3D joint MT and gravity inversion to better localize the south rim/south flank conductive target and better understand its relationship to deep heat, fluid sources, and surface extrusive features. Joint inversions, which have not yet been undertaken at Newberry, will allow us to obtain constraints on the geologic model that cannot be determined from each method in isolation, improving our ability to image key geologic features at depth.

geophysics↗

The DECOVALEX international collaboration on modeling of coupled subsurface processes and its contribution to confidence building in radioactive waste disposal

Abstract The long-lived radiotoxicity of the high-level radioactive waste generated by nuclear power plants requires safe isolation from the biosphere for many hundreds of thousands of years. An international consensus has emerged that such isolation can best be provided by disposal in mined geologic repositories, a strategy that today is pursued by most countries dealing with radioactive waste. However, the need to predict the performance of such repositories over very long time periods generates large uncertainties that have to be accounted for in safety assessments. The findings from such safety assessments need to be conveyed to all stakeholders in a clear way, such that public confidence in geologic disposal solutions can be achieved. It is suggested here that close international collaboration on the technical aspects of geologic waste disposal has helped, and will continue to help, building trust and increasing confidence. This paper discusses a particular international collaboration initiative referred to as DECOVALEX, which brings together multiple teams and disciplines to collectively tackle complex experimental and modeling challenges related to geologic disposal. By describing how DECOVALEX works and by providing joint research examples, a case is made that such international collaboration contributes to knowledge transfer and confidence building in radioactive waste disposal science.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Rock Valley Dense Gravity Acquisition

Characterizing the shallow structure of the Rock Valley region of the Nevada National Security Site is a critical component of the Rock Valley Direct Comparison project. Geophysical data of the region is needed for operational decisions, to constrain geologic models used for simulation, and to facilitate the analysis of future explosive source data. Local measurements of gravity are a key piece of geophysical information that helps to resolve the underlying geologic composition, fault structure, and density characteristics, yet, in the Rock Valley region these measurements are sparse on the scale of the testbed. In this report, we present the details of a recent gravity data acquisition survey designed to collect a dense dataset in the region of interest that complements the existing gravity work but greatly enhances our resolution. This dataset will be integrated with a complementary Los Alamos National Laboratory gravity collection and combined with the existing seismic data in a joint inversion. These measurements were conducted over two weeks with a portable gravimeter and high-resolution GPS and include repeat measurements at a USGS base station as well as reoccupation of gravity sites in the regional dataset. This collection of over 100 new dense gravity measurements will facilitate refinement of the existing Geologic Framework Model and directly complement newly acquired dense seismic data, ultimately improving the project’s ability to investigate the direct comparison of shallow earthquake and explosive sources.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Utah FORGE: Results of Direct Shear Tests on Saturated Joints in Sierra White Granite

This dataset includes an Excel file with the results of direct shear tests to investigate the mechanical and geophysical response of saturated joints. Tests were conducted on induced tension-fractured Sierra White granite joints in a custom water pressurized chamber. The preparation of granite joints is summarized in the PDF file. The PDF file also includes a description of the direct shear tests, experimental procedure, and results.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗

Modeling hydraulic fracture opening and closure with proppant transport and settlement

Hydraulic fracturing is a widely used reservoir stimulation technique for improving fluid circulation in rock formations with extremely low permeability, particularly in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). To better understand the complex processes involved and improve hydraulic stimulation performance, we have developed ELK (ELectrical fracKing), a MOOSE-based 3D finite element application designed to model the behavior of proppant-fluid mixtures in propagating fractures. ELK integrates both the fluid and proppant components, incorporating particle-driven processes such as gravity settling, particle-particle interactions, and strong density and viscosity contracts, in addition to conventional fluid-driven fracture propagation. In this contribution, we extend ELK to model propped fracture closure, which occurs after the injection phase due to a dramatic drop in the effective stress on the fracture plane. During the shut-in, flowback, and production periods, the fracture width decreases, with the closure behavior depending on proppant concentration.. At low concentrations, closure follows a nonlinear joint law linked to the stiffness of asperities in the fracture walls. While at high concentrations, it is controlled by the properties of packed proppant bed. The extended ELK application is validated against several benchmark examples, including the propagation of an inclined frictional crack, fracture opening and sliding in response to fluid injection, and flowback analysis. We believe that ELK’s enhanced capabilities can serve as a valuable tool for the design and optimization of EGS deployment.

15 - GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗