(Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1996-02)
Aharonov, Einat
This thesis studies how rocks evolve due to the coupled effects of flow and chemical
reaction. The study was motivated by various experimental observations, both in
igneous and sedimentary rocks. In the first part of this thesis, growth of microscopic,
pore-scale, features in sedimentary rocks is theoretically investigated. It is found,
in agreement with experiments, that statistical properties of pore-grain interfaces
mirror growth conditions. The shapes of pore-grain intrefaces both influence and are
influenced by large-scale transport properties of the rock. The second part of this
thesis employs analytical methods to study flow patterns in melt upwelling beneath
mid-ocean ridges. It is shown that high permeability channels spontaneously form,
allowing for efficient extraction of melt from the system. This result may aid in
understanding existing geochemical and geological observations. In the third part
of this thesis, I present a new 3D computer model that simulates flow and reaction
through a porous matrix. The model is used to study and compare the different
characteristics of dissolution and deposition, and to simulate different settings for
melt upwelling in the mantle.
