Research Collection Doctoral Thesis Multiscalar porosity structure of a miocene reefal carbonate complex Author(s): Jaeggi, David Publication Date: 2006 Permanent Link: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-005209372 Rights / License: In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted This page was generated automatically upon download from the ETH Zurich Research Collection. For more information please consult the Terms of use. ETH Library Diss. ETH Nr. 16519 Multiscalar porosity structure of a Miocene reefal carbonate complex A dissertation submitted to the SWISS FEDERAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (ETH) ZÜRICH For the degree of DOCTOR OF NATURAL SCIENCE presented by DAVID JAEGGI Dipl. Geologe Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich born September 2nd 1974 Mümliswil-Ramiswil (Solothurn) Accepted on the recommendation of Prof. Dr. Simon Löw, examiner Dr. Martin Herfort, co-examiner Prof. Dr. Flavio Anselmetti, co-examiner Dr. Philippe Pézard, co-examiner 2006 Acknowledgments 1 A) Acknowledgments This work has been conducted at the chair of Engineering Geology ETH Zurich in the framework of a European Union project called ALIANCE (Advanced logging investigations of aquifers in coastal environments) led by Dr. Philippe Pézard (University of Montpellier). I thank my supervisor Professor Simon Löw for his support and for giving me the opportunity to work with an excellent equipment and professional infrastructure within such an interesting geological environment. With Dr. Nathalie Van Meir I learnt to do borehole logging and to perform pumping tests under extreme climatic and geological conditions. The collaboration with Nathalie was extremely fruitful and on Mallorca she taught me lots of useful things about the Spanish mentality and language. Furthermore, I want to thank my co-examiner Dr. Martin Herfort who was not only of indispensable help in the field but as well extensively supported me during data analysis and the final stages of my thesis when I had to bring all this to paper. Besides the scientific support for my doctorate thesis he could motivate me additionally for a new hobby – speleology in active karstic systems. Furthermore, I would like to thank our collaborators within the Project namely Dr. Philippe Pézard, who supported me as co-examiner, Dr. Gerard Lods and all people I know from University of Montpellier for providing me with excellent logging data and for advising me during my doctorate thesis in the field and per email. Professor Modesto Montoto and his right hand Felix Mateos I thank for their introduction into digital image analysis and their enthusiasm for my work. This work would never have been possible, if there were not the Gobiern Balear, which supported our project on Mallorca with manpower and finally with a 28 ton state of the art drilling machine. Among numerous people from the Gobiern Balear to whom I had contact, I want to emphasize the two hydrogeologists Concha Gonzalez and Alfredo Baron, the man who knows every well on Mallorca, Ramon and the driller with the sunglasses Juan Antonio. All those people were always very helpful in the field and found time despite their full agenda. For a Swiss geologist Miocene reefal carbonates are exotic geology, which is not present in our country. However, with Professor Luis Pomar I had support from a man who has been working almost 30 years on the platform of Llucmajor and who knows almost everything about it. I could enjoy his excursions and courses, which built together an excellent introduction for the geology at our test site near Campos. At ETH Zurich I got further support in determining facies from thin sections and rock samples by Dr. Heinz Furrer, whose course about paleoecology of reefs was ideal for better understanding the geology of my study area. Professor Flavio Anselmetti helped me determining porosity and pore types of these carbonate rocks. With his experience in carbonate rocks he could give me many useful hints about how to solve specific technical and scientific problems. Furthermore, he agreed to be a co-examiner of my thesis. Thin sections built an important part of my work. I thank Frowin Pirovino for the preparation of dozens of thin sections and the photographer Urs Gerber for scanning them all. He furthermore introduced me into professional photography, which I directly applied on the semi-industrial core photography (imaging 500 m of cored material). Furthermore, I would like to thank Gabriele Peschke from the institute of building materials for the ESEM-images, which she made with both interest and high precision. Professor Renee Heilbronner from University of Basel provided me with software for digital image analysis and helped me 2 Acknowledgments solving specific problems. Furthermore, she regularly gives a course about digital image analysis in geoscience, which I can warmly recommend. Dr. Hansruedi Maurer and Dr. Sven Friedl acquired and processed the geophysical data of our project. Their geoelectrical and seismic tomograms were of eminent importance for the interpretation for the evolution of the pore space. Especially Hansruedi Maurer I thank for the critical review of the geophysical part of my work. Marcel Mettler from the workshop of the geological institute provided me with many useful devices, like for example the extensively used cell for standard falling head permeability tests. Furthermore, I like to thank all the people of the Engineering Geology group at ETH Hönggerberg, who supported or entertained me during the last four years! Important contributions I got from Dr. Frank Lemy, who gave me an introduction into Matlab and who helped me in establishing certain scripts. From Dr. Keith Evans I got support in the very beginning – he taught me how to use the logging equipment and how to outwit inadequate technique with simple tricks in the field. And finally this work would not have been possible without the warm support and encouraging words of my family and Mirjam, who with a big understanding accepted my physical and sometimes as well mental absence. Acknowledgments 3 Table of contents 5 B) Table of contents A) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 1 B) TABLE OF CONTENTS.............................................................................................................................. 5 C) LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... 9 D) LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... 17 E) ABSTRACT – ZUSAMMENFASSUNG................................................................................................... 19 1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 25 1.1. OBJECTIVE AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH .................................................................................................. 25 1.2. GEOLOGICAL AND HYDROGEOLOGICAL OUTLINE ................................................................................... 27 1.3. CONTENTS OF THE THESIS....................................................................................................................... 28 2. ROCK-MATRIX-SCALE POROSITY STRUCTURE OF A MIOCENE REEFAL CARBONATE, MALLORCA (SPAIN) ............................................................................................................................... 31 2.1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................... 32 2.2. GEOLOGICAL OUTLINE OF THE STUDY AREA........................................................................................... 34 2.2.1. Regional overview and previous work............................................................................................ 34 2.2.2. Pore types encountered at the test site............................................................................................ 35 2.2.3. Lithofacies types and diagenesis at the test site.............................................................................. 37 2.3. METHODS ............................................................................................................................................... 41 2.3.1. Sampling strategy ........................................................................................................................... 41 2.3.2. Measurements on 1 inch mini-cores ............................................................................................... 42 2.3.3. Digital image analysis on thin sections (Scan, ESEM)................................................................... 42 2.3.3.1. Segmentation of TSS and ESEM-images ........................................................................................ 44 2.3.3.2. The integrated approach of TOP.................................................................................................... 45 2.3.3.3. Anisotropy and heterogeneity......................................................................................................... 46 2.3.3.4. Pore shape factor............................................................................................................................ 48 2.3.3.5. Pore size distribution.....................................................................................................................