{"id":20736,"date":"2026-06-24T17:13:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:13:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/?post_type=event&p=20736"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:18:04","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:18:04","slug":"seminaire-geotech-anais-ibourichene","status":"publish","type":"event","link":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/agenda\/seminaire-geotech-anais-ibourichene\/","title":{"rendered":"Geotech Seminar Series: Dr. Anais Ibourichene (UFZ, Germany)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wave Propagation in Fluid-Filled Horizontal Fracture Networks: Bridging Effective Medium Theories and Full-Waveform Simulations<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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Abstract:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Geothermal systems extract energy from fluids circulating through fractured rocks. Their productivity is influenced by the subsurface\u2019s capacity to accommodate fluid, which also alters the elastic properties of the rock. Fracture geometry therefore controls both the flow paths for injected fluids and the propagation of elastic waves. Reservoir properties are often constrained using geophysical observations such as seismic tomography or well-scale measurements. Improving predictions of reservoir performance requires relating these techniques to microscale fracture characteristics, such as fracture length, density, aspect ratio, or orientation.<\/p>\n

Effective Medium Theories (EMTs) estimate the bulk elastic properties of fractured media by representing complex fracture networks as an equivalent homogeneous medium. These approaches enable linking seismic velocities to the properties of the rock matrix and fracture parameters such as density, orientation, and fluid filling of fractures.<\/p>\n

In this study, we compare EMT predictions with numerical wave propagation simulations in media containing horizontal, water-filled elliptical fractures. First, stochastic Discrete Fracture Networks (DFN) are built for different fracture lengths and densities and meshed with Gmsh. Wave propagation in these media is then simulated using SPECFEM. P-wave arrivals are retrieved from the synthetics for different configurations of fluid pockets to assess how the fracture distribution, and more specifically the length and density of fluid pockets, affects the effective properties of the host rock.<\/p>\n

Results show that horizontal fractures induce strong seismic anisotropy, with velocities parallel to fractures remaining close to the host rock value but significantly reduced in the perpendicular direction as the density and length of fluid pockets increase. EMTs reproduce velocity trends at low fracture porosity but show increasing discrepancies as fracture density or length increases.<\/p>\n

To link microscale properties of fluid pockets with macroscale observations, we propose expressing anisotropy as a function of fracture-induced porosity, as this parameter remains more accessible than the detailed characteristics of the fracture network.<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

Short bio:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dipl\u00f4m\u00e9e de l\u2019\u00c9cole Normale Sup\u00e9rieure de Paris et Docteur en g\u00e9ophysique de l\u2019Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) et de UC Berkeley, j\u2019ai travaill\u00e9 sur la structure de la graine \u00e0 partir de l\u2019analyse de phases sismiques durant ma th\u00e8se. J\u2019ai ensuite rejoint l\u2019Universit\u00e9 de Lorraine pour me focaliser sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation des propri\u00e9t\u00e9s effectives de milieux fractur\u00e9s \u00e0 partir de l\u2019homog\u00e9n\u00e9isation non p\u00e9riodique. J\u2019ai ensuite fond\u00e9 une entreprise pour travailler sur l\u2019\u00e9valuation des risques climatiques et sismiques gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la g\u00e9n\u00e9ration de mod\u00e8les de subsurface couplant hydrologie et propri\u00e9t\u00e9s g\u00e9ologiques.<\/p>\n

Je suis actuellement chercheuse postdoctorale au Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) en Allemagne. Mes travaux portent sur les \u00e9changes entre nappes et rivi\u00e8res et la mani\u00e8re dont ces dynamiques contr\u00f4lent la r\u00e9ponse des aquif\u00e8res aux s\u00e9cheresses. En parall\u00e8le, je m\u2019int\u00e9resse \u00e0 l\u2019effet des poches de fluide sur les signaux sismiques pour fournir une description plus fine de la subsurface \u00e0 partir de donn\u00e9es macro-\u00e9chelle et contribuer \u00e0 la compr\u00e9hension des syst\u00e8mes g\u00e9othermiques.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wave Propagation in Fluid-Filled Horizontal Fracture Networks: Bridging Effective Medium Theories and Full-Waveform Simulations<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-20736","event","type-event","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event\/20736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/event"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/navier-lab.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}