Modeling fracture porosity evolution in dolostone

Opening-mode fractures in dolostones buried to depths of ∼1–5 km contain synkinematic dolomite cement, the amount and internal structure of which has a systematic relationship to fracture size. Narrow fractures (<0.01 mm) typically seal completely with either massive cement or cement with a crack-seal texture that indicates multiple incremental openings. Wider fractures can preserve considerable effective porosity, but anomalously thick dolomite cement bridges are commonly present in fractures that are otherwise lined with a thin veneer of cement. Dolomite bridges resemble quartz bridges that are common in fractured sandstones.We developed a geometric crystal growth model for synkinematic dolomite fracture fill in fractured dolostones, where periodic incremental fracture-opening events are introduced with concurrent cement growth. We assumed constant temperature and supersaturation with respect to dolomite. A key assumption in the model is that rapid dolomite accumulation within bridges is governed by high cement-growth rates on repeatedly broken grain surfaces during the process of crack seal. Slower cement-growth rates occur on euhedral crystals. This assumption is made on the basis of a comparison with quartz cement growth in fractured sandstones. Simulations with different fracture-opening rates mimic bridge and lining cement morphologies, including characteristic rhombic shapes of dolomite bridges.