Three dimensional geophysical modeling : from physics to numerical simulation

The main object of this thesis is to provide a comprehensive numerical tool for the three-dimensional simulation of sedimentary basins. Sedimentary basins, in particular salt basins, are the best places to find oil, natural gas and to store dangerous nuclear waste material. The low permeability of salt guarantees low water leakage which is the main concern for the safety of a nuclear waste storage. For this reason one of the best places for a nuclear waste depository is a salt mine. These two applications call for a thorough knowledge of the basin evolution on geological time scales. Until now sedimentary basin studies have been based mainly on geological interpretation: experienced specialists estimate the history of a basin on the basis of common knowledge. More often, they provide a list of possible scenarios. An appropriate numerical simulator can provide the right tool to choose, among these scenarios, the correct one or, at least, the most realistic.