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Geofluids
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:41:10
Abstract
This course presents advanced topics of single and multiphase fluid flow, heat transfer, reactive transport, and geochemical reactions in the subsurface. Emphasis is on the understanding of the underlying governing equations of each physical and chemical process, and its relevance to applications, e.g., groundwater management, geothermal energy, CO2 storage, waste disposal, and oil/gas production.
Objective
This course will enable students to understand and model basic physical and chemical processes in the subsurface, such as fluid flow, reactive transport, heat transfer, and fluid-rock interactions in a porous and/or fractured medium. The students will learn the underlying governing equations, followed by a demonstration of their solution, analytically or numerically. By the end of the course, the student should be able to: 1. Understand, formulate, derive, and solve basic equations of fluid flow, heat transfer, and solute transport; 2. Understand the physical processes governing multiphase flow and be able to simplify a general formulation into a simpler and more practical modeling problem; 3. Solve simple flow problems affected by fluid density (induced by solute concentration or temperature); 4. Understand uncertainties pertaining to these processes in regional geofluid systems; 5. Assess simple coupled reactive transport problems.
Content
1) Introduction to the basic concepts of fluid flow in the subsurface 2) Immiscible fluid flow in porous/fractured media 3) Reactive transport, heat transfer and solute transport 4) Density-driven flow 5) Uncertainty estimation 6) Reactive transport 7) Fluid injection and production 8) Fluid-rock interactions (non-mechanical) (8a) mineral and gas solubility in brines (8b) mineral dissolution/precipitation affecting rock porosity and permeability
Resources
Literature
R. Allan Freeze and John A. Cherry. Groundwater. 1979. Steven E. Ingebritsen, Ward E. Sanford, and Christopher E. Neuzil. Groundwater in geologic processes. 2008. Vedat Batu. Applied flow and solute transport modelling in aquifers. 2006. Luigi Marini. Geological sequestration of carbon dioxide : thermodynamics, kinetics, and reaction path modeling. 2006. Jacob Bear. Dynamics of fluids in porous media. 1988.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Geofluids |
|
5 h weekly |
Offered In
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Electives (Courses can be chosen from the complete offerings of the ETH Zurich and University of Zurich (according to prior agreement with the MSc Committee).)
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