Next Meeting: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
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“Studies of Channelized flow in Fractured Bedrock”.
Flow channelization has a profound effect on engineered and natural flow systems in fractured bedrock. Channelization occurs when groundwater seeks the path of least resistance along subtle differences in fracture apertures, leaving the remaining water in the fracture essentially stagnant. Channelization can lead to difficulty in completing productive bedrock wells and monitoring groundwater contamination. It tends to short-circuit flow between wells leading to poor sweep efficiency in oil reservoirs, geothermal fields, and in pump-and-treat systems. Results of 7 years of field experiments at an experimental bedrock site will be presented. The site is unique in that flow and transport have been imaged using surface ground-penetrating radar producing a “map” of channeling. Hydraulic and tracer techniques have been developed to help characterize channeling in sites where geophysical imaging is not feasible. The talk will include recommendations for predicting the impact of flow channelization in engineered bedrock flow systems.
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