On the issue of groundwater movement in fractured rocks

Abstract

Issues related to the movement of groundwater in fractured rocks have been poorly covered in literature to date. Hydrogeology manuals only provide a diagram of water movement through fractures, proposed back in 1912 by A. A. Krasnopolskii, which provides for a turbulent flow regime expressed by Chezy's law. Meanwhile, there are currently calculated and experimental data that allow for a more complete coverage of the conditions of water movement in fractured rocks, which may be of significant practical importance. In this short article, the author presents his hydraulic calculations based on an examination of the simplest model of fractured rock, taking into account the available experimental materials. As a result, conclusions were drawn regarding the water movement regime in fractured rocks and the dependence of their permeability on the size and density of the fractures.