Print Email Facebook Twitter Groundwater flow through anisotropic fault zones in multiaquifer systems Title Groundwater flow through anisotropic fault zones in multiaquifer systems Author Anderson, E.I. Bakker, M. Faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences Department Water Management Date 2008-11-29 Abstract Vertical faults through the shallow crust are commonly believed to act as either barriers to horizontal groundwater flow normal to the fault, conduits to horizontal flow tangential to the fault, or a combination of both. In addition, enhanced vertical permeability has been identified as a common feature. We investigate the effects of vertical anisotropy of a fault zone on the distribution of hydraulic head within the fault, using an analytic solution. We conclude that anisotropy ratios greater than 100 result in nearly hydrostatic conditions within the fault zone, despite the existence of significant vertical flow rates. Under these conditions, the Dupuit approximation is adequate for predicting the flow from one side of the fault to the other. We then present explicit analytical solutions to problems of steady groundwater flow in a multiaquifer system cut by a single vertical fault. The fault is linear and of negligible width, is infinite in length, and acts as a conduit for vertical fluid flow. The fault may act as a leaky barrier to horizontal flow normal to the fault, as a conduit to horizontal flow tangential to the fault, or a combination of both. Examples are presented that highlight the effects of enhanced vertical permeability of a fault on aquifer interaction in a multiaquifer system. Particle tracking is used to investigate the effects of the fault on pathlines. Subject groundwaterfaultsanalytic To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d363df81-5e9a-4f4d-90c9-335096894fff DOI https://doi.org/10.1029/2008WR006925 Publisher American Geophysical Union ISSN 0043-1397 Source http://europa.agu.org/?view=article&uri=/journals/wr/wr0811/2008WR006925/2008WR006925.xml Source Water Resources Research, 44, 2008 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights (c) 2008 The Author(s); American Geophysical Union Files PDF Bakker2_2008.pdf 325.39 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:d363df81-5e9a-4f4d-90c9-335096894fff/datastream/OBJ/view