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Universal scaling of fluid permeability during volcanic welding and sediment diagenesis

Wadsworth, Fabian B.; Vasseur, Jérémie; Scheu, Bettina; Kendrick, Jackie E.; Lavallée, Yan; Dingwell, Donald B.

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Authors

Jérémie Vasseur

Bettina Scheu

Jackie E. Kendrick

Yan Lavallée

Donald B. Dingwell



Abstract

In sedimentary basins and volcanic edifices, granular materials undergo densification that results in a decrease of porosity and permeability. Understanding the link between porosity and permeability is central to predicting fluid migration in the sedimentary crust and during volcanic outgassing. Sedimentary diagenesis and volcanic welding both involve the transition of an initially granular material to a non-granular (porous to dense) rock. Scaling laws for the prediction of fluid permeability during such granular densification remain contested. Here, based on collated literature data for a range of sedimentary and volcanic rocks for which the initial material state was granular, we test theoretical scaling laws. We provide a statistical tool for predicting the evolution of the internal surface area of a system of particles during isotropic diagenesis and welding, which in turn facilitates the universal scaling of the fluid permeability of these rocks. We find agreement across a large range of measured natural permeabilities. We propose that this result will prove useful for geologists involved in modeling porosity-permeability evolution in similar settings.

Citation

Wadsworth, F. B., Vasseur, J., Scheu, B., Kendrick, J. E., Lavallée, Y., & Dingwell, D. B. (2016). Universal scaling of fluid permeability during volcanic welding and sediment diagenesis. Geology, 44(3), 219-222. https://doi.org/10.1130/g37559.1

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jan 22, 2016
Online Publication Date Feb 5, 2016
Publication Date Feb 5, 2016
Deposit Date Mar 20, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Geology
Print ISSN 0091-7613
Electronic ISSN 1943-2682
Publisher Geological Society of America
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 44
Issue 3
Pages 219-222
DOI https://doi.org/10.1130/g37559.1

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