4D multi-scale imaging of reactive flow in carbonates: Assessing the impact of heterogeneity on dissolution regimes using streamlines at multiple length scales

We found that at the larger scales the interplay between flow and reaction significantly affects flow in the unreacted regions of the core. When flow is focussed in large reacted channels, this focusing is carried through to the unreacted parts of the rock where flow continues to be confined to preferential pathways after passing the reaction front. This focussing effect is greater with increasing pore space heterogeneity indicating that the representative elementary volume (REV) for dissolution is far greater than the dissolution front itself. This study of scale dependence using in situ 4D tomography provides insight into the mechanisms that control local reaction rates at the mm and cm scales. Furthermore, this work suggests that under these conditions at larger scales it is likely to be structural heterogeneity that dominates the pattern of dissolution and therefore the evolution of high permeability pathways.