Upscaling and scale effects

Abstract

Chapters 3 and 4 address the mathematical and numerical modeling of CO2 geological storage. This chapter, in turn, focuses on a specific important aspect of modeling, namely that of scale effects and upscaling. The geological systems are heterogeneous, with heterogeneity occurring at various scales. This gives rise to what is commonly named the “scale effect”. Certain process are critical at the scale of pores, while some of the effects of CO2 injection may have an effect and need to be modeled at the scale of tens and even hundreds of kilometers. Furthermore, various processes may be important at different scales. This requires understanding and methods of linking processes over a span of the scales. This is the topic of the current chapter.