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Convergent flow observed in a laboratory‐scale unsaturated fracture system 1
Author(s) -
LaViolette Randall A.,
Glass R. J.,
Wood Thomas R.,
McJunkin Timothy R.,
Noah K. S.,
Podgorney Robert K.,
Starr Robert C.,
Stoner Daphne L.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2002gl015775
Subject(s) - convergence (economics) , flow (mathematics) , fracture (geology) , geology , mechanics , scale (ratio) , porosity , porous medium , capillary action , focus (optics) , flow network , geotechnical engineering , geometry , mathematics , physics , mathematical optimization , thermodynamics , optics , quantum mechanics , economics , economic growth
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.