Simulating the Heterogeneity in Braided Channel Belt Deposits: Part 1. A Geometric-Based Methodology and Code

Journal Article · Thu Apr 29 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Water Resources Research, 46():Article Number: W04515

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/2009WR008111· OSTI ID:982301

Ramanathan, Ramya; Guin, Arijit; Ritzi, Robert W; Dominic, David F; Freedman, Vicky L; Scheibe, Timothy D; Lunt, Ian A

A geometric-based simulation methodology was developed and incorporated into a computer code to model the hierarchical stratal architecture, and the corresponding spatial distribution of permeability, in braided channel belt deposits. The code creates digital models of these deposits as a three-dimensional cubic lattice, which can be used directly in numerical aquifer or reservoir models for fluid flow. The digital models have stratal units defined from the km scale to the cm scale. These synthetic deposits are intended to be used as high-resolution base cases in various areas of computational research on multiscale flow and transport processes, including the testing of upscaling theories. The input parameters are primarily univariate statistics. These include the mean and variance for characteristic lengths of sedimentary unit types at each hierarchical level, and the mean and variance of log-permeability for unit types defined at only the lowest level (smallest scale) of the hierarchy. The code has been written for both serial and parallel execution. The methodology is described in Part 1 of this series. In Part 2, models generated by the code are presented and evaluated.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 982301
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-69314; WRERAQ; 30474; 25602; 24097; KP1702030; TRN: US201013%%981
• Journal Information: Water Resources Research, 46():Article Number: W04515, Vol. 46, Issue 4; ISSN 0043-1397
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
AQUIFERS
ARCHITECTURE
BASES
COMPUTER CODES
CUBIC LATTICES
DEPOSITS
FLUID FLOW
LEVELS
PERMEABILITY
SIMULATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
STATISTICS
TESTING
TRANSPORT
UNITS
groundwater
heterogeneity
multiscale
simulation
geometric
fluvial
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory