Abstract
Most wellhead protection studies in fractured-rock aquifers rely on the assumption that the aquifer approximates a porous medium at the scale of the wellhead protection area. Significant errors can result if the assumption is incorrectly applied. Some authors have developed theoretical and subjective criteria for determining when the porous-media approximation is appropriate. Most of these criteria, however, require detailed field work to test the validity of the porous-media approximation. Experiments have been carried out with Roucleau's two-dimensional discrete fracture flow model coupled with a particle-tracking code to determine when the porous-media approximation is appropriate for delineating the capture zone of a well drilled in fractured rock. Specifically, the effects of anisotropy and fracture density on the capture-zone determination have been examined. It has been found that, even in densely fractured aquifers, the zone of contribution determined by the fracture-flow model is significantly larger than the capture zone determined by porous-media-based models.
Published Version
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