Physical processes and governing equations

Physical processes

Transport of substances in fractured porous media can be subdivided in advective and transport (due to the groundwater flow) and diffusive/dispersive transport. The storage of substances is strongly influenced by sorption of the substance to the porous medium. This is often quantified as retardation, using a retardation factor.

Governing equations

Flow

Groundwater flow in porous media is usually described by Darcy's law, giving a relation between hydraulic head gradient and groundwater flow. The fracture conductivity is usually determined via the fracture aperture using the cubic law.

Flow equation.

Contaminant transport

To describe the transport of a substance in a porous medium, the advection-dispersion equation is usually employed. It includes the storage, advective and dispersive transport of a substance. Retardation due to sorption and degradation can be included.

Properties of limestone

Borehole cores from the Akacievej field site.

Low conductive matrix - can be heavily fractured - chert layers and nodules - varying hardness - sorption behavior for chlorinated solvents

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