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An Analytic Element Model for Intersecting and Heterogeneous Fractures in Groundwater Flow
Author(s) -
Toller Erik A. L.
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2021wr031520
Subject(s) - groundwater flow , groundwater , geology , complex fracture , flow (mathematics) , intersection (aeronautics) , groundwater model , geotechnical engineering , aquifer , fracture (geology) , mechanics , geometry , mathematics , engineering , physics , aerospace engineering
Intersecting fractures often dominate the rock though which groundwater flows and they represent a crucial feature in groundwater models. In this paper, limitless analytic elements were used to model intersecting and heterogeneous fractures with either high or low transmissivity relative to that of the surrounding medium. To handle the singular behavior at the intersections, fractures were modeled as multiple elements, the tips of which meet at the point of intersection. The same approach was used to model heterogeneous fractures where the transmissivity is discontinuous along a fracture. Representing the fractures analytically in the continuum allows for an exact representation of the groundwater exchange between the fractures and the continuum. Thereby producing an accurate model of flow through a network of fractures in a continuum. This solution is capable of accurately computing the groundwater flow for both a network of fractures with a high transmissivity and an assembly of heterogeneous fractures near a tunnel.