Thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in fractured rock formations during a glacial advance
The paper examines the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes that develop in a fractured rock region within a fluid-saturated rock mass due to loads imposed by an advancing glacier. This scenario needs to be examined in order to assess the suitability of potential sites for the location of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Geoscientific Model Development |
| Online Access: | http://www.geosci-model-dev.net/8/2167/2015/gmd-8-2167-2015.pdf |
| Summary: | The paper examines the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) processes that
develop in a fractured rock region within a fluid-saturated rock mass due to
loads imposed by an advancing glacier. This scenario needs to be examined in
order to assess the suitability of potential sites for the location of deep
geologic repositories for the storage of high-level nuclear waste. The THM
processes are examined using a computational multiphysics approach that
takes into account thermo-poroelasticity of the intact geological formation
and the presence of a system of sessile but hydraulically interacting
fractures (fracture zones). The modelling considers coupled
thermo-hydro-mechanical effects in both the intact rock and the fracture
zones due to contact normal stresses and fluid pressure at the base of the
advancing glacier. Computational modelling provides an assessment of the
role of fractures in modifying the pore pressure generation within the
entire rock mass. |
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| ISSN: | 1991-959X 1991-9603 |