Density-Driven Compactional Flow in Porous Media

Abstract: In the mathematical modelling of compactional flow in porous media, the constitutive relation is typically modelled in terms of a nonlinear relationship between effective pressure and porosity, and compaction is essentially poroelastic. However, at depths deeper than 1 km where pressure is high, compaction becomes more akin to a viscous one. Two mathematical models of compaction in porous media are formulated and the noninear equations are then solved numerically. The essential features of numerical profiles of poroelastic and viscous compaction are thus compared with asymptotic solutions. Two distinguished styles of density-driven compaction in fast and slow compacting sediments are analysed and shown in this paper.