Convergent flow observed in a laboratory-scale unsaturated fracture system

An experiment was designed to observe water flow in a simple analogue fractured rock network. The fracture network was modeled by the gaps between an array of limestone blocks, whose permutations generated different realizations of the network. Three out of five of these realizations displayed flow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical research letters 2003-01, Vol.30 (2), p.55.1-n/a
Main Authors: LaViolette, Randall A., Glass, R. J., Wood, Thomas R., McJunkin, Timothy R., Noah, K. S., Podgorney, Robert K., Starr, Robert C., Stoner, Daphne L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Hydrogeology
Hydrology. Hydrogeology
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:An experiment was designed to observe water flow in a simple analogue fractured rock network. The fracture network was modeled by the gaps between an array of limestone blocks, whose permutations generated different realizations of the network. Three out of five of these realizations displayed flow convergence, in contrast to that predicted by porous continuum models. Such convergence occurs because fracture intersections act as capillary barriers that integrate or focus flow within the network.
ISSN:0094-8276
1944-8007
DOI:10.1029/2002GL015775