Investigation of fracture-matrix interaction: Preliminary experiments in a simple system

Conference · Fri Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:60861

Foltz, S D ^[1]; Tidwell, V C; Glass, R J; Sobolik, S R ^[2]

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1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
2. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Paramount to the modeling of unsaturated flow and transport through fractured porous media is a clear understanding of the processes controlling fracture-matrix interaction. As a first step toward such an understanding, two preliminary experiments have been performed to investigate the influence of matrix imbibition on water percolation through unsaturated fractures in the plane normal to the fracture. Test systems consisted of thin slabs of either tuff or an analog material cut by a single vertical fracture into which a constant fluid flux was introduced. Transient moisture content and solute concentration fields were imaged by means of x-ray absorption. Flow fields associated with the two different media were significantly different owing to differences in material properties relative to the imposed flux. Richards` equation was found to be a valid means of modeling the imbibition of water into the tuff matrix from a saturated fracture for the current experiment.

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States); American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 60861
• Report Number(s): CONF-930408--Vol.1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
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GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
GROUND WATER
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RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
Yucca Mountain Project