RUI: Developing a predictive 3D model of strain accommodation during progressive folding of sandstone

When stresses build within the Earth’s crust, faults and folds form as rock relieves those stresses. Faults and folds commonly distort and fracture the rock around them so that fluids can flow more easily. Project researchers will study the San Rafael monocline in Utah to better understand how fluids flow in this underground geologic system. This will helps scientists to better understand geothermal energy potential, petroleum resource production, and groundwater flow. The results will provide scientists and natural resource professionals with a predictive model that can be applied in other places. Project participants will develop new skills and knowledge that can be applied to future career opportunities in geothermal energy exploration and production. The San Rafael monocline in central Utah is an exposed contractional fault-propagation fold. Previous research shows cross sectional deformation band geometries and intensities associated with different stages of fold development in the Jurassic Navajo Sandstone. This project will build on those results to incorporate both map-view and fold-axis-parallel cross-sectional views of the system. The 3D evolution of the fold will be tested using numerical modeling. The results will be compared to models developed from field and 3D data acquired with drones. Within this context, this research aims to reveal the link between fault propagation fold development and the 3D evolution of strain in porous sandstone. Because fractures, deformation bands, and small faults are below the resolution of subsurface methods, these results will inform models of permeability for similar systems in the subsurface. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2545115 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Benjamin Surpless | Institution: Trinity University, SAN ANTONIO, TX | Award Amount: $210,670 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2545115 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2545115.html