A method of solving the stiffness problem in Biot's poroelastic equations using a staggered high-order finite-difference

Abstract

In modelling elastic wave propagation in a porous medium, when the ratio between the fluid viscosity and the medium permeability is comparatively large, the stiffness problem of Biot's poroelastic equations will be encountered. In the paper, a partition method is developed to solve the stiffness problem with a staggered high-order finite-difference. The method splits the Biot equations into two systems. One is stiff, and solved analytically, the other is nonstiff, and solved numerically by using a high-order staggered-grid finite-difference scheme. The time step is determined by the staggered finite-difference algorithm in solving the nonstiff equations, thus a coarse time step may be employed. Therefore, the computation efficiency and computational stability are improved greatly. Also a perfect by matched layer technology is used in the split method as absorbing boundary conditions. The numerical results are compared with the analytical results and those obtained from the conventional staggered-grid finite-difference method in a homogeneous model, respectively. They are in good agreement with each other. Finally, a slightly more complex model is investigated and compared with related equivalent model to illustrate the good performance of the staggered-grid finite-difference scheme in the partition method.