Imaging and image-based fluid transport modeling at the pore scale in geological materials: A practical introduction to the current state-of-the-art

Fluid flow and mass transport in geological materials are crucial in diverse Earth science applications. To fully understand the behavior of geological materials in this context, the pore scale properties of these materials have to be investigated and related to effective material properties. Imaging techniques are becoming ever more valuable tools to characterize the microstructure (especially in three dimensions), while numerical models to calculate transport properties based on experimental images of the microstructure are quickly maturing. The results of image-based modeling studies depend crucially on both the employed model and the quality of the pore space image on which the model runs. Given the technicality and the cross-disciplinary nature of this matter, this review aims to provide a practical and accessible introduction to both the experimental and numerical state-of-the-art, intended for students and researchers with backgrounds in experimental geo-sciences or computational sciences alike.