Structures, transport and storage properties of geomaterial

Presentation :

The study of fluid transfer within porous geomaterials is a crucial step in order to solve the problems related to the alteration of historical building stones, to soil properties, to greenhouse gas storage or to decipher the past history of fluid flows in the Earth's crust. Such are the aims of the program ‘Structures, Transport and Storage Properties of Geomaterials’, which are treated in 3 projects. The project ‘Porous Geomaterial Structure and Transport Properties’ is devoted to understanding the relationships between the structure and morphology of microscopic porous networks and the macroscopic transport properties of stones or soils. Applications range from soil behaviour to stones used in buildings, mainly in heritage ones. The studies performed in the project ‘Physical Parameters of Fluid Paleo-Circulations’ concern the geochimical fluxes related to fluid circulation in natural media. The goal is to infer the direction and speed of the fluid flow from the characteristic symmetry break of hydrothermal crystals. Finally, the project ‘Fluid-Solid Interaction : CO2 Sequestration and Metastable Water Behaviour’ questions the geological context of CO2 migration from natural reservoirs and the CO2-adsorption capacities of coals with, as a perspective, to ascertain the faisability and long term safety of the geological storage of greenhouse gases. Also, the phase diagram of metastable water is investigated within this project from the point of view of the extent of the metastable domain, the metastability time life and the interaction of metastable fluids with solids. If you want to know a bit more, please click on the photography or on the project.