Abstract Hydro‐mechanical processes are crucial in shear‐controlled geoscientific applications such as enhanced geothermal systems and often result in stress‐dependent permeability changes. The present study aims to investigate shear‐induced permeability evolution of a natural sandstone fracture using a novel modeling approach. Combining a mechanical discrete element model and a hydraulic finite element model, three normal stress‐related hydro‐mechanical regimes can be identified. Under low normal stress conditions (4.0 MPa, permeability decreases during shearing due to intense fracture surface damage.
Fuchs et al. (2025) studied this question.