Simulations Computational simulations of metamorphic fluid flow systems on the scale of kilometers concentrated on the interrelationships among fluid flow, heat transfer, and chemical reaction progress. Results show that hydrodynamic dispersion can result in mixing among particles of fluid having different temperature-composition histories along closely spaced stream lines of flow. The scale of dispersive mixing is commensurate with the scale of significant temperature gradients in the fictive system, implying that the driving forces for reactions are likely to include both fluid-driven and gradient components. Hydrodynamic dispersion can now be added to the list of processes that influence metamorphic reaction paths.
R represents the fluid source-sink term.
In terms of the fluid continuity equation, Hanson concerned himself with situations in which the relation obtains. Here, R is attributed to progress of metamorphic reactions. With respect to the fluid continuity equation, their model describes environments for which the relation holds. With the Boussinesq approximation the left-hand term reflects changes in porosity only. Hanson's modeling shows that reactions giving rise to fluid production can strongly influence the pattern of fluid flow during contact and regional metamorphism where permeabilities are on the order of to m or less.