Fracture behavior at low effective stress
Harry Lisabeth
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Date & Time
- Location
- Online via Microsoft Teams and Moffett Yosemite Room
- Host
- Nick Beeler
- Summary
The behavior of the upper crust is controlled in large part by fractures. Fractures are the conduits of fluid flow, facilitate reactions and transport of mass, and mediate deformation large and small. Fractures are not static features, but rather are sensitive to the hydraulic, chemical and mechanical environment in which they are set. I'll present the results of a multimodal experimental study of the physical properties of fluid-saturated, fractured rock in response to changes in fluid chemistry and stress. Complementary measurements were made of changes in the fracture's physical structure to investigate the origins of the modified physical properties. The role of stress is shown to dominate the role of fluid composition, particularly at low effective stress, where nonlinear behavior becomes prevalent. I'll discuss the results in the context of geological engineering efforts, induced seismicity and the potential for remotely mapping stress in the subsurface.
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