A pseudo genetic model of coarse braided-river deposits

A new method is proposed to produce three-dimensional facies models of braided-river aquifers based on analog data. The algorithm consists of two steps. The first step involves building the main geological units. The production of the principal inner structures of the aquifer is achieved by stacking Multiple-Point-Statistics simulations of successive topographies, thus mimicking the major successive flooding events responsible for the erosion and deposition of sediments. The second step of the algorithm consists of generating fine scale heterogeneity within the main geological units. These smaller-scale structures are generated by mimicking the trough-filling process occurring in braided rivers; the imitation of the physical processes relies on the local topography and on a local approximation of the flow. This produces realistic cross-stratified sediments, comparable to what can be observed in outcrops. The three main input parameters of the algorithm offer control over the proportions, the continuity and the dimensions of the deposits. Calibration of these parameters does not require invasive field measurements and can rely partly on analog data.