A computer-implemented method for creating a virtual sample to provide a basis for determining properties of a physical sample of a sediment or a sedimentary rock or for predicting sediment or sedimentary rock response to engineering activities, comprising:
- generating structured data representing an initial topology of pores and objects made of solid matter in the sediment or the sedimentary rock, chemical and physical properties of the objects, and temperature and stress boundary conditions at specified times;
- transforming by a processor, the initial topology of the objects and the pores in the virtual sample by:
- analyzing crystal overgrowth development on the objects that are made up of a specified mineral, wherein geometry of new growth is based on orientation of crystallographic axes of the specified mineral with respect to the object shape, geometries and maximum growth thicknesses for each euhedral crystal face type, maximum growth thickness on non-euhedral surfaces along each of the crystallographic axes, and rules for the development of euhedral faces when contact is made with the objects;
- and at least one effect selected from the group of:
- analyzing deformation in response to the physical properties of the objects and the boundary conditions, wherein changes in volumes and shapes of the objects account for contact compressional and shear stresses;
- analyzing change in volumes and shapes of the objects that incorporate clay minerals in response to loss or incorporation of interlayer water molecules;
- analyzing change in volumes and shapes of the objects that incorporate organic material in response to chemical reactions;
- analyzing dissolution from contacts between the objects wherein mass is removed based on elapsed time and the physical and chemical properties of the objects in addition to at least one property selected from the group of:
- temperature, contact stress magnitude and orientation, and fluid composition;
- analyzing dissolution and/or replacement of the objects made at least in part of reactive materials, wherein a reaction front moves progressively inward from an outer surface of objects;
- analyzing partial or wholesale dissolution of the objects that are made up of specified materials;
- and
- analyzing geometry of newly formed objects that precipitate in pores based on:
- one or more idealized geometric forms for each of the newly formed object types, nominal sizes for each of the geometric forms, a distribution in final sizes for each of the idealized geometric forms, and rules for defining the geometry of the newly formed objects that account for contact with the adjacent objects during the transition from the nominal size to the final size;
- and
- spatial distributions of the newly formed objects based on pore-space proximity of the objects of specified types;
- generating by an output device interfacing with the processor, structured data representing the transformation of a geometrical representation of a three-dimensional topology of the objects and the pores in the virtual sample for at least one method selected from the group of:
- computer animation in two or three spatial dimensions, computer animation in two or three spatial dimensions and as a function of time and/or the transformation of the topology of objects, physical printing or machining, and further processing and/or transformation;
- and
- determining by the processor, geometry and volume of the overgrowths made up of any one of quartz, feldspar, calcite, dolomite, or ankerite.