Capillary entry pressure and the leakage of gravity currents through a sloping layered permeable rock

Woods, A. W. and Farcas, A. (2009) Capillary entry pressure and the leakage of gravity currents through a sloping layered permeable rock. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 618. p. 361. ISSN 00221120 DOI 10.1017/S0022112008004527

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Abstract

We examine the motion of a buoyant fluid injected into a water-saturated porous rock as it spreads along a thin inclined low-permeability barrier. We account for leakage of the fluid across the barrier once the current is sufficiently deep so that the pressure exceeds the capillary threshold. We show that at some distance from the source, the pressure decreases below this threshold, and all the remaining flux spreads laterally along the barrier. We examine the controls on the partitioning of the flow between the draining flux and the laterally spreading flux and also the controls on the lateral extent of the draining region for the case of an instantaneous release and a maintained release of fluid. We consider the implications of our work for the dispersal of CO2 plumes which may be sequestered in deep saline aquifers.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	08AREP; IA58; BPI
Subjects:	99 - Other
Divisions:	99 - Other
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Volume:	618
Page Range:	p. 361
Identification Number:	10.1017/S0022112008004527
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	10 Jul 2009 16:38
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 09:55
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1088

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