| Abstract |
The natural state and the evolution of vapor-dominated hydrothermal systems have been the subject of considerable research and controversy (see References 1-4, and references there in ). White, Muffler, and Truesdell have formulated a comprehensive qualitative model of vapor-dominated reservoirs. Their work forms the basis for more recent attempts to understand reservoir processes in more quantitative detail. Most previous computational studies of natural fluid and heat flow in geothermal reservoirs have attempted to model specific reservoirs or have investigated more generalized steadystate convection in single-phase fluid (Ref. 6 and references therein) or in two-phase fluid. In contrast, we describe simulation of the transient evolution of a "cold" hydrothermal system into a steady-state partially vapor-dominated system. In our study we have neglected the effects of salts and gases and have assumed that rock properties are time independent and homogeneous within each part of the system. Despite these simplifications we believe that our model demonstrates the essential features of a natural hydrothermal convection system (NHCS). |