2,1,3- 1King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals , College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences , Geosciences, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (g202215600@kfupm.edu.sa)
- 2Institut Terre et Environnement de Strasbourg, Universit´e de Strasbourg, CNRS, ENGEES, UMR 7063, Strasbourg, France
- 3Interdisciplinary Research Center for Membranes and Water Security, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Bioturbation is the reworking and alteration of sediments, which can significantly impact the petrophysical properties of an aquifer. Numerous studies have shown that bioturbation can alter the porosity and permeability by creating extensive connected networks of burrows, in otherwise low or impermeable porous media. The Upper Cretaceous Aruma Formation in the Arabian Shelf outcropping in central Saudi Arabia contains segments of bioturbated strata with open and large burrows. Although, the common characteristics of these types of bioturbated aquifers are extensively addressed and well documented; however, groundwater flow modelling in such aquifers is limited.
This study aims to address this gap and lack of understanding of flow characteristics in such geological setting by introducing a workflow for modelling groundwater flow in bioturbated strata. The workflow involves integrating high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans and physics-based numerical modelling, aiming to find a reliable characterization of bioturbated aquifers. First, the bioturbated limestone rock sample was scanned, and the images were used to construct different-scale 3D digital models of the sample. Following this, models for each 3D digital domain were built in COMSOL Multiphysics, using the Darcy’s law module, to simulate the flow.
The CT scan results demonstrated the extensive network of large, connected burrows, which created high permeability zones in the domain. The modelling results showed bioturbation can generate a connected burrow network responsible for high permeabilities, which probably indicates non-Darcian flow. Further, we modelled the groundwater flow at different scales to check the reliability of our workflow. The results for different scale models also verified the high permeability values, confirming the enhancement of permeability by bioturbation.
Results reveal various properties depending on the scale, which highlights the importance of multi-scale modelling in such geological settings.
How to cite: Rehman, A., Fahs, M., and Musa Baalousha, H.: Pore-Scale Groundwater Flow Modeling in a Bioturbated Strata: Insights from the Sedimentary Aquifer in Central Saudi Arabia, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-4373, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-4373, 2026.
