A method of performing a fracture operation at a wellsite, the wellsite positioned about a subterranean formation having a wellbore therethrough and a fracture network (1606.1) therein, the fracture network comprising natural fractures , the wellsite stimulated by injection of an injection fluid with proppant into the fracture network, the method comprising: obtaining wellsite data comprising natural fracture parameters of the natural fractures and obtaining a mechanical earth model of the subterranean formation; generating a hydraulic fracture growth pattern for the fracture network over time, the generating comprising: representing hydraulic fractures as a vertically stacked elements; extending the represented hydraulic fractures laterally from the wellbore and into the subterranean formation to form a hydraulic fracture network comprising the natural fractures and the hydraulic fractures by adding new elements to the vertically stacked elements over time; determining hydraulic fracture parameters of the represented hydraulic fractures; determining transport parameters for the proppant passing through the hydraulic fracture network; deriving an estimated fracture tip velocity from a pressure and a stress profile of the formation; extending a height of the vertically stacked elements and the new elements over time based on the derived estimated fracture tip velocity to form extended vertically stacked elements; and if a zone property change is encountered during the extending the height, then generating another stack of the vertically stacked elements in the zones of property change by splitting at least a portion of the extended vertically stacked elements. obtaining wellsite data comprising natural fracture parameters of the natural fractures and obtaining a mechanical earth model of the subterranean formation; generating a hydraulic fracture growth pattern for the fracture network over time, the generating comprising: representing hydraulic fractures as a vertically stacked elements; fractures and obtaining a mechanical earth model of the subterranean formation; generating a hydraulic fracture growth pattern for the fracture network over time, the generating comprising: representing hydraulic fractures as a vertically stacked elements; extending the represented hydraulic fractures laterally from the wellbore and into the subterranean formation to form a hydraulic fracture network comprising the natural fractures and the hydraulic fractures by adding new elements to the vertically stacked elements over time; determining hydraulic fracture parameters of the represented hydraulic fractures; determining transport parameters for the proppant passing through the hydraulic fracture network; deriving an estimated fracture tip velocity from a pressure and a stress profile of the formation; extending a height of the vertically stacked elements and the new elements over time based on the derived estimated fracture tip velocity to form extended vertically stacked elements; and if a zone property change is encountered during the extending the height, then generating another stack of the vertically stacked elements in the zones of property change by splitting at least a portion of the extended vertically stacked elements. determining transport parameters for the proppant passing through the hydraulic fracture network; deriving an estimated fracture tip velocity from a pressure and a stress profile of the formation; extending a height of the vertically stacked elements and the new elements over time based on the derived estimated fracture tip velocity to form extended vertically stacked elements; and if a zone property change is encountered during the extending the height, then generating another stack of the vertically stacked elements in the zones of property change by splitting at least a portion of the extended vertically stacked elements. <EOS>