Measurement of 3-D hydraulic conductivity in aquifer cores at in situ effective stresses.
An innovative and nondestructive method to measure the hydraulic conductivity of drill core samples in horizontal and vertical directions within a triaxial cell has been developed. This has been applied to characterizing anisotropy and heterogeneity of a confined consolidated limestone aquifer. Most of the cores tested were isotropic, but hydraulic conductivity varied considerably and the core samples with lowest values were also the most anisotropic. Hydraulic conductivity decreased with increasing effective stress due to closure of microfractures caused by sampling for all core samples. This demonstrates the importance of replicating in situ effective stresses when measuring hydraulic conductivity of cores of deep aquifers in the laboratory.
Wright
Martin
M
CSIRO Land and Water, Glen Osmond, SA, Australia.
Dillon
Peter
P
Pavelic
Paul
P
Peter
Paul
P
Nefiodovas
Andrew
A
D016880:Anisotropy; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*
D002119:Calcium Carbonate