Gas Network Development in Compact Bentonite: Key Controls on the Stability of Flow Pathways

Figure 10

Evolution of gas pressure and cumulative average magnitude of stress perturbation events with time. A general trend towards closure is apparent until stage [J] (beginning at day 1084) when large-scale opening correlates with rapidly increasing gas pressure at the time breakthrough occurred. Closure quickly begins to dominate as peak gas pressure is reached and continues after shut-in until stress field perturbation becomes negligible (after day 1300).