Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes

Abstract Mineral dissolution is a fundamental geologic process that alters pore structures, significantly impacting fluid flow and solute transport in porous media. Depending on the interplay between advection, diffusion, and reaction rates, mineral dissolution produces distinct dissolution patterns...

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Main Authors: Jingxuan Deng, Rishabh P. Sharma, Piotr Szymczak, Peter K. Kang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115940
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author Jingxuan Deng
Rishabh P. Sharma
Piotr Szymczak
Peter K. Kang
author_facet Jingxuan Deng
Rishabh P. Sharma
Piotr Szymczak
Peter K. Kang
author_sort Jingxuan Deng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Mineral dissolution is a fundamental geologic process that alters pore structures, significantly impacting fluid flow and solute transport in porous media. Depending on the interplay between advection, diffusion, and reaction rates, mineral dissolution produces distinct dissolution patterns, such as wormholing and uniform dissolution. These structural changes directly influence the flow field, which in turn controls solute transport behavior. In this study, we conducted pore network modeling to investigate the effects of initial pore network heterogeneity and dissolution regimes on solute transport dynamics. Wormholing enhances network heterogeneity by creating preferential flow paths and stagnation zones, resulting in a transition from Fickian to non‐Fickian transport. In contrast, uniform dissolution homogenizes the pore network and the flow field, driving a transition from non‐Fickian to Fickian transport, even in networks with high initial heterogeneity. These transitions are governed by initial network heterogeneity and the Damköhler number.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-8de26b81b4ac4a61bea4aaa5caeadb792025-08-20T03:41:54ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072025-08-015215n/an/a10.1029/2025GL115940Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian RegimesJingxuan Deng0Rishabh P. Sharma1Piotr Szymczak2Peter K. Kang3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USAInstitute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw Warsaw PolandInstitute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw Warsaw PolandDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Minnesota – Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USAAbstract Mineral dissolution is a fundamental geologic process that alters pore structures, significantly impacting fluid flow and solute transport in porous media. Depending on the interplay between advection, diffusion, and reaction rates, mineral dissolution produces distinct dissolution patterns, such as wormholing and uniform dissolution. These structural changes directly influence the flow field, which in turn controls solute transport behavior. In this study, we conducted pore network modeling to investigate the effects of initial pore network heterogeneity and dissolution regimes on solute transport dynamics. Wormholing enhances network heterogeneity by creating preferential flow paths and stagnation zones, resulting in a transition from Fickian to non‐Fickian transport. In contrast, uniform dissolution homogenizes the pore network and the flow field, driving a transition from non‐Fickian to Fickian transport, even in networks with high initial heterogeneity. These transitions are governed by initial network heterogeneity and the Damköhler number.https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115940
spellingShingle Jingxuan Deng
Rishabh P. Sharma
Piotr Szymczak
Peter K. Kang
Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
Geophysical Research Letters
title Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
title_full Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
title_fullStr Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
title_full_unstemmed Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
title_short Anomalous Transport in Dissolving Porous Media: Transitions Between Fickian and Non‐Fickian Regimes
title_sort anomalous transport in dissolving porous media transitions between fickian and non fickian regimes
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL115940
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AT piotrszymczak anomaloustransportindissolvingporousmediatransitionsbetweenfickianandnonfickianregimes
AT peterkkang anomaloustransportindissolvingporousmediatransitionsbetweenfickianandnonfickianregimes