Understanding the Geometry of Connected Fracture Flow with Multiperiod Oscillatory Hydraulic Tests

An understanding of the spatial and hydraulic properties of fast preferential flow pathways in the subsurface is necessary in applications ranging from contaminant fate and transport modeling to design of energy extraction systems. One method for the characterization of fracture properties over interwellbore scales is Multiperiod Oscillatory Hydraulic (MOH) testing, in which the aquifer response to oscillatory pressure stimulations is observed. MOH tests were conducted on isolated intervals of wells in siliciclastic and carbonate aquifers in southern Wisconsin. The goal was to characterize the spatial properties of discrete fractures over interwellbore scales. MOH tests were conducted on two discrete fractured intervals intersecting two boreholes at one field site, and a nest of three piezometers at another field site. Fracture diffusivity estimates were obtained using analytical solutions that relate diffusivity to observed phase lag and amplitude decay. In addition, MOH tests were used to investigate the spatial extent of flow using different conceptual models of fracture geometry. Results indicated that fracture geometry at both field sites can be approximated by permeable two‐dimensional fracture planes, oriented near‐horizontally at one site, and near‐vertically at the other. The technique used on MOH field data to characterize fracture geometry shows promise in revealing fracture network characteristics important to groundwater flow and transport.     

基于非监督学习的水力压裂裂缝平面识别

在水力压裂施工中,如何有效获取压裂过程中产生的裂缝形态以及裂缝的动态扩展过程一直是困扰学术界和工业界的问题.目前,常规利用微地震事件定位结果进行分析的方法存在需要人工干预、散点信息表示能力不足等问题;采用数值模拟分析的方法往往因复杂的地下介质情况而引入计算偏差.本文基于非监督学习算法,通过提取微地震事件的空间和时间信息...     

Comparison of Hydraulic Conductivity Values Obtained from Aquifer Pumping Tests and Conservative Tracer Tests

Afield site was established in an area of glacial outwash near Des Moines, Iowa. Hydraulic conductivity (K) of the outwash was measured in various ways including six pumping tests and two natural-gradient Cl^- tracer tests. The velocity of the conservative tracer was converted to K using measured gradients and effective porosity determined from two radial-convergent Cl^- tracer tests.
K values measured from the conservative tracer tests are approximately one-tenth to one-twentieth the average pumping-test value. Thus the K relevant to solute transport does not reflect the K measured by pumping tests. This discrepancy may be caused by the different scale and dimensionality of the two test types. Dispersion may prevent solutes from flowing exclusively within smaller high-conductivity paths which strongly affect the K measured by pumping tests.     

Effects of Improper Characterization of Aquifer Thickness on Estimates of Hydraulic Conductivity from Pumping Tests

Pumping test data for surficial aquifers are commonly analyzed under the assumption that the base of the aquifer corresponds to the bottom of the test wells (i.e., the aquifer is truncated). This practice can lead to inaccurate hydraulic conductivity estimates, resulting from the use of low saturated thickness values with transmissivity estimates, and not accounting for the effects of partially penetrating wells. Theoretical time-drawdown data were generated at an observation well in a hypothetical unconfined aquifer for various values of saturated thickness and were analyzed by standard curve-matching techniques. The base of the aquifer was assumed to be the bottom of the pumping and observation wells. The overestimation of horizontal hydraulic conductivity was found to be directly proportional to the error in assumed saturated thickness, and to the (actual) ratio of vertical to horizontal hydraulic conductivity (K_v/K_h). Inaccurately high estimates of hydraulic conductivity obtained by aquifer truncation can lead to overestimates of ground water velocity and contaminant plume spreading, narrow capture zone configuration estimates, and overestimates of available ground water resources.     

Influence of Groundwater Hydraulic Gradient on Bank Storage Metrics

The hydraulic gradient between aquifers and rivers is one of the most variable properties in a river/aquifer system. Detailed process understanding of bank storage under hydraulic gradients is obtained from a two‐dimensional numerical model of a variably saturated aquifer slice perpendicular to a river. Exchange between the river and the aquifer occurs first at the interface with the unsaturated zone. The proportion of total water exchanged through the river bank compared to the river bed is a function of aquifer hydraulic conductivity, partial penetration, and hydraulic gradient. Total exchange may be estimated to within 50% using existing analytical solutions provided that unsaturated zone processes do not strongly influence exchange. Model‐calculated bank storage is at a maximum when no hydraulic gradient is present and increases as the hydraulic conductivity increases. However, in the presence of a hydraulic gradient, the largest exchange flux or distance of penetration does not necessarily correspond to the highest hydraulic conductivity, as high hydraulic conductivity increases the components of exchange both into and out of an aquifer. Flood wave characteristics do not influence ambient groundwater discharge, and so in large floods, hydraulic gradients must be high to reduce the volume of bank storage. Practical measurement of bank storage metrics is problematic due to the limitations of available measurement technologies and the nested processes of exchange that occur at the river‐aquifer interface. Proxies, such as time series concentration data in rivers and groundwater, require further development to be representative and quantitative.     

Fracture Toughness Evaluation Based on Tension-softening Model and its Application to Hydraulic Fracturing

This paper discusses the applicability of the tension-softening model in the determination of the fracture toughness of rocks, where the fracture toughness evaluated based on the tension-softening model is compared with the crack growth resistance deduced from laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing tests. It is generally accepted that the fracture process is dominated by the growth of a fracture process zone for most types of rocks. In this study, the J-integral based technique is employed to determine the fracture toughness of Iidate granite on the basis of the tension-softening model, where compact tension specimens of different dimensions were tested in order to examine the specimen size effect on the measured fracture toughness. It was shown that the tension-softening relation deduced from the J-integral based technique allowed us to determine the specimen size independent fracture toughness K_c of Iidate granite. Laboratory-scale hydraulic fracturing tests were performed on cubic specimens (up to a 10 m sized specimen), where cyclic pressurization was conducted using a rubber-made straddle packer to observe the extent of the hydraulically induced crack. The experimental results of pressure and crack length were then used to construct the crack growth resistance curve based on the stress intensity factor K. The crack growth resistance obtained from the hydraulic fracturing tests was observed to initially increase and then level off, giving a constant K value for a long crack extension stage. The plateau K value in the crack growth resistance curve was found to be in reasonable agreement with the fracture toughness K_c deduced from the tension-softening relation. It was demonstrated that the tension-softening model provides a useful tool to determine the appropriate fracture toughness of rocks, which may be applicable for the analysis of the process of large-scale crack extension in rock masses.     

轻微的机械作用对断裂源形态的影响

俄罗斯科学院约费技术物理研究所提出了固体断裂的两阶段模型,该模型不随断裂尺度变化。第一阶段为裂隙的积累,其大小受限于构造单元的特征尺度,当达到其阈值密度时,就形成局部的断裂源,此时过程进展加速,并完成宏观断裂。当过程进展缓慢时,研究轻微的作用下断裂源的状态就具有意义。     

The Effect of Hydraulic Gradient and Pattern of Conduit Systems on Tracing Tests: Bench-Scale Modeling

Tracer breakthrough curves provide valuable information about the traced media, especially in inherently heterogeneous karst aquifers. In order to study the effect of variations in hydraulic gradient and conduit systems on breakthrough curves, a bench scale karst model was constructed. The bench scale karst model contains both matrix and a conduit. Eight tracing tests were conducted under a wide range of hydraulic gradients from 1 to greater than 5 for branchwork and network-conduit systems. Sampling points at varying distances from the injection point were utilized. Results demonstrate that mean tracer velocities, tracer mass recovery and linear rising slope of the breakthrough curves were directly controlled by hydraulic gradient. As hydraulic gradient increased, both one half the time for peak concentration and one fifth the time for peak concentration decreased. The results demonstrate the variations in one half the time for peak concentration and one fifth the time for peak concentration of the descending limb for different sampling points under differing hydraulic gradients are mainly controlled by the interactions of advection with dispersion. The results are discussed from three perspectives: different conduit systems, different hydraulic-gradient conditions, and different sampling points. The research confirmed the undeniable role of hydrogeological setting (i.e., hydraulic gradient and conduit system) on the shape of the breakthrough curve. The extracted parameters (mobile-fluid velocity, tracer-mass recovery, linear rising limb, one half the time for peak concentration, and one fifth the time for peak concentration) allow for differentiating hydrogeological settings and enhance interpretations the tracing tests in karst aquifers.     

Influence of Elevation Data Source on 2D Hydraulic Modelling

The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of the source of various elevation data on hydraulic modelling in open channels. In the research, digital terrain models from different datasets were evaluated and used in two-dimensional hydraulic models. The following aerial and satellite elevation data were used to create the representation of terrain–digital terrain model: airborne laser scanning, image matching, elevation data collected in the LPIS, EuroDEM, and ASTER GDEM. From the results of five 2D hydrodynamic models with different input elevation data, the maximum depth and flow velocity of water were derived and compared with the results of the most accurate ALS data. For such an analysis a statistical evaluation and differences between hydraulic modelling results were prepared. The presented research proved the importance of the quality of elevation data in hydraulic modelling and showed that only ALS and photogrammetric data can be the most reliable elevation data source in accurate 2D hydraulic modelling.     

Simulation of Sampling and Hydraulic Tests to Assess a Hybrid Monitoring Well Design

Determination of the nature, extent, and rate of off-site chemical migration are common objectives of hazardous waste site investigations. Chemical analyses of water samples from monitoring wells and measurements of hydraulic head and hydraulic conductivity provide the basis for making these determinations. Accurate site assessment, therefore, depends upon the appropriate monitoring well design and sampling and testing procedures.
During the course of remedial investigations in Niagara Falls, New York, it has been necessary to evaluate the ground water quality and hydraulic characteristics of 5- to 30-feet thick overburden formations. Many of the monitoring wells completed to these formations consist of a partially penetrating screen (5 feet at the base of the formation) with a fully penetrating sandpack. Questions regarding how this well design influences the source of sampled ground water and hydraulic tests were examined using an extremely fine axisymmetric grid with SATURN, a two-dimensional, finite-element ground water model, and a particle tracking post-processor.
A discrete sensitivity analysis was made to determine how flow patterns induced by pumping at 1 gpm are affected by: different screen and sandpack configurations, the ratio of sandpack to formation hydraulic conductivities, heterogeneity, anisotropy, and sandpack thickness. The simulations show that the source (and chemistry given a non-uniform chemical distribution) of ground water sampled will vary considerably depending on a number of factors. Analysis of simulated drawdowns in the monitoring well during purging shows that calculated transmissivities for the range of well designs and conditions modeled will be accurate to within one-half order of magnitude.     

地球物理场观测中的大气效应问题研究

作用在地表的大气质量不仅产生引力位的扰动，而且会引起各种地球物理场的附加效应，本文综述了近年来国内外同行在研究地表位移、重力、倾斜和应变固体潮观测中实施的大气效应改正问题，包括利用台站气压资料建立的实测模型，建立大气重力格林函数，利用全球和区域气象数据计算大气效应，建立大气改正的误差模型等，最后文章讨论了今后研究展望。     

Assessing the Hydraulic Conductivity Anisotropy and Skin-Effect Based on Data of Slug Tests in Partially Penetrating Wells

Water Resources - A semianalytic and approximate analytical solution is given to the problem of slug test in a partially penetrating well in a confined or unconfined anisotropic aquifer. An...     

The Influence of Topology on Hydraulic Conductivity in a Sand-and-Gravel Aquifer

A field experiment consisting of geophysical logging and tracer testing was conducted in a single well that penetrated a sand-and-gravel aquifer at the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology research site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Geophysical logs and flowmeter/pumping measurements were obtained to estimate vertical profiles of porosity ϕ, hydraulic conductivity K, temperature, and bulk electrical conductivity under background, freshwater conditions. Saline-tracer fluid was then injected into the well for 2 h and its radial migration into the surrounding deposits was monitored by recording an electromagnetic-induction log every 10 min. The field data are analyzed and interpreted primarily through the use of Archie's (1942) law to investigate the role of topological factors such as pore geometry and connectivity, and grain size and packing configuration in regulating fluid flow through these coarse-grained materials. The logs reveal no significant correlation between K and ϕ, and imply that groundwater models that link these two properties may not be useful at this site. Rather, it is the distribution and connectivity of the fluid phase as defined by formation factor F, cementation index m, and tortuosity α that primarily control the hydraulic conductivity. Results show that F correlates well with K, thereby indicating that induction logs provide qualitative information on the distribution of hydraulic conductivity. A comparison of α, which incorporates porosity data, with K produces only a slightly better correlation and further emphasizes the weak influence of the bulk value of ϕ on K.     

大气环境变化对地壳形变观测的影响研究

采用2003~2013年湖北省数字化地壳形变潮汐分钟值资料,利用小波分析方法,对地壳形变观测数据对大气环境变化各影响因素(大气压强、温度、降雨、台风及日食活动)的响应规律进行了研究。结果表明:近地表大气环境因素对形变观测数据的影响频段各不相同。大气压强和温度对形变观测的影响频段主要集中在较低频段(64~128 min);降雨的影响主要集中在0~全日波(0~32 min)范围内,且存在高频、非潮汐成份。而台风在形变观测较高频段上有明显影响,频段分布在1~4 s和2~4 min之间。黄梅台应变观测对2009年日食事件在128~256 min低频段上有响应。     

Estimation of the Change in Hydraulic Conductivity Above Mined Longwall Panels

The change in hydraulic conductivity (K) above subsided longwall panels at underground coal mines is determined using a data base of pre‐mining and post‐mining K measurements made at multiple locations down the depth profile at each of a number of sites worldwide. Results show that, following caving of roof strata, there is a clear difference in the magnitude of changes in K above and below the top of the collapsed zone. Within the collapsed zone, relative increases in K are larger, even when taking account of measurements made in potentially unsaturated strata. A generalized conceptual model is presented for K change above subsided longwall panels. These results form a third independent database supporting the height of desaturation reported in an earlier study.