Determination of unsaturated flow paths in a randomly distributed fracture network

Conference · Mon Feb 17 04:00:00 EST 2003

OSTI ID:816358

Zhang, Keni ^[1]; Wu, Yu-Shu; Bodvarsson, G S; Liu, Hui-Hai

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1. LBNL Library

We present a numerical investigation of steady flow paths in a two-dimensional, unsaturated discrete-fracture network. The fracture network is constructed using field measurement data including fracture density, trace lengths, and orientations from a particular site. The fracture network with a size of 100m x 150m contains more than 20,000 fractures. The steady state unsaturated flow in the fracture network is investigated for different boundary conditions. Simulation results indicate that the flow paths are generally vertical, and horizontal fractures mainly provide pathways between neighboring vertical paths. The simulation results support that the average spacing between flow paths in a layered system tends to increase or flow becomes more focused with depth as long as flow is gravity driven (Liu et al. 2002).

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 816358
• Report Number(s): LBNL--52192
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
BOUNDARY CONDITIONS
FRACTURES
SIMULATION
STEADY FLOW
WATER