Advective Transport in Discrete Fracture Networks With Connected and Disconnected Textures Representing Internal Aperture Variability
[1];
[2];
[3]
- Department of Physical GeographyStockholm University Stockholm Sweden, Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm University Stockholm Sweden
- Computational Earth Science (EES‐16), Earth and Environmental Sciences DivisionLos Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos NM USA
- Department of Physical GeographyStockholm University Stockholm Sweden, Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and EngineeringRoyal Institute of Technology (KTH) Stockholm Sweden
Flow and transport in three–dimensional discrete fracture networks with internal variability in aperture and permeability are investigated using a numerical model. The analysis is conducted for three different texture types representing internal variability considering various correlation lengths and for an increase in domain size corresponding to an increase in network complexity. Internal variability in discrete fracture networks generally increases median travel times and delays arrival of bulk mass transport when compared against reference cases without texture, corresponding to smooth fractures. In particular, internal variability textures with weak connectivity increase travel times nonlinearly with domain size increase, further delaying bulk mass arrival. Textures with strong connectivity can however decrease median travel times, accelerating bulk mass arrival, but only for limited ranges of correlation length and domain size. As domain size increases, travel times of textures with strong connectivity converge toward travel times obtained for classical multivariant Gaussian textures. Thus, accounting for internal fracture variability is potentially significant for improving conservative estimates of bulk mass arrival, flow channeling, and advective and reactive transport in large–scale discrete fracture networks. Further, early mass arrival can arrive significantly earlier for textures with strong connectivity and classical Gaussian textures corresponding to intermediate connectivity but are only slightly affected by textures with weak connectivity. Thus, accounting for internal variability in fractures is also important for accurate estimates of early solute mass arrival. Here, the overall impact on predictive transport modeling will depend on the extent of, or lack of, internal fracture connectivity structure in real–world fractured rocks.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52‐06NA25396; 89233218CNA000001
- OSTI ID:
- 1560167
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1560169; OSTI ID: 1565895
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-18-29968
- Journal Information:
- Water Resources Research, Journal Name: Water Resources Research Vol. 55 Journal Issue: 7; ISSN 0043-1397
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Web of Science
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