Item

Abstract

The 3D geomechanical-numerical modelling of the in-situ stress state requires observed stress information at reference locations within the model area to be compared to the modelled stress state. This comparison of stress states and the ensuing adaptation of the displacement boundary conditions provide a best fit stress state in the entire model region that is based on the available stress information. This process is also referred to as calibration. Depending on the amount of available information and the complexity of the model the calibration is a lengthy process of trial-and-error modelling and analysis. The Fast Automatic Stress Tensor Calibration (FAST Calibration) is a method and a Matlab script that facilitates and speeds up the calibration process. The method requires only three model scenarios with different boundary conditions. The modelled stress states at the locations of the observed stress state are extracted. Then they are used to compute the displacement boundary conditions that are required in order to achieve the best fit of the modelled to the observed stress state. Furthermore, the influence of the individual observed stress information on the resulting stress state can be weighted.