| The mechanical and hydraulic properties of faults and fractures in the Earth's crust control a wide range of geological phenomena such as seismic and aseismic fault slip and fault seal development in reservoir rocks. This research will consist of a series of experiments to decipher the evolution of the internal porosity and permeability of faults and fractures during active shear displacement as a function of displacement rate, temperature, fluid flow rate, pressure and chemistry of the fluid. The results of the experimental program will be compared with micromechanical models developed to describe the evolution of the internal structure of the fracture and the effect of this on the evolution of the transport properties. Validation of the models against experimental results will provide a means to extrapolate the models to natural conditions. The results will contribute to understanding fluid flow in the Earth's crust, safe storage of radioactive waste and CO2, recovery of hydrocarbons, geothermal energy production and the seismic cycle. |
