Abstract. Structural restoration is commonly used to assess the deformation of geological structures and to reconstruct past basin geometries. For this, geomechanical restoration considers faults as frictionless contact surfaces. To bring more physical behavior and better handle large deformations, we build on a reverse-time Stokes-based method, previously applied to restore salt structures with negative time step advection. We test the applicability of the method to structures including sediments of variable viscosity, faults and non-flat topography. We present a simulation code that uses a combination of arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian methods and particle-in-cell methods, and is coupled with adaptive mesh refinement. It is used to apply the reverse-time Stokes-based method on simple two-dimensional geological cross-sections and shows that reasonable restored geometries can be obtained.

Abstract. Structural restoration is commonly used to assess the deformation of geological structures and to reconstruct past basin geometries. To replace geometric criteria, linear elastic behavior and frictionless fault contact assumptions used in existing restoration approaches, we study the possibility of using a creeping flow behavior in geomechanical restoration. Indeed, salt rock in particular has been shown to behave as a Stokes viscous fluid over geological time scales, and faults appear in rocks reaching a plastic limit inside a shear zone. We have therefore developed a new approach for restoration based on considering geologic materials as highly viscous quasi-static fluids. The Stokes equations are solved for the velocity inside a model at each time step using only the material properties of the objects inside the model, their geometry and the current state of boundary conditions. The restoration is then achieved by advecting the material in the opposite direction of the forward velocity. Several benchmarks are presented to validate the results of the simulation code used to test the approach. This method is applied on simple two-dimensional geological cross-sections in confined conditions and shows that reasonable restored geometries can be obtained.

No abstract

Towards the application of Stokes flow equations to structural restoration simulations" presents a novel approach to structural restoration based upon principles of Stokes flow and deformation of Newtonian viscous fluids. The manuscript is well written and organized. The authors clearly explain the new approach and its implementation, provide clear and sound justification for the scientific principles, and demonstrate its potential value with three simple synthetic examples. While the current implementation and demonstration is limited to 2D, the potential extension to 3D is made clear. The manuscript is clearly worthy of publication, but I would first provide several comments and recommendations.

No abstract