A free boundary model for the evolution of a geothermal system

  • Luca Meacci

    Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
  • Angiolo Farina

    Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy
  • Mario Primicerio

    Università degli studi di Firenze, Italy and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Roma, Italy
A free boundary model for the evolution of a geothermal system cover
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Abstract

The evolution of a geothermal system is studied. A mathematical model is proposed and the corresponding free boundary problem is formulated in a one-dimensional geometry. A situation corresponding to the geothermal field in Larderello, Tuscany (Italy) is considered, showing that the problem has two characteristic time scales, related to the motion of interface and di¤usion of vapor. Since the former is much slower, a quasi-steady approximation can be introduced and solved, obtaining a qualitative description of the evolution of the Larderello basin from a liquid-dominated to a vapor-dominated situation. This is in agreement with the geological results.

Cite this article

Luca Meacci, Angiolo Farina, Mario Primicerio, A free boundary model for the evolution of a geothermal system. Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Natur. 30 (2019), no. 1, pp. 125–136

DOI 10.4171/RLM/838