A new two-step particle tracking and channels model method for preferential 3-D flow and transport in large DFNs of fractured aquifers

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2023.130566
• Publication Date: 2023-12-07T17:45:54Z
• Authors: Costantino Mascio...; Younes Fadakar Al...
• Keywords: Tracking (education); TRACER; Particle (ecology); Aquifer properties

A new two-step method has been developed for predicting three-dimensional (3-D) pollutant plumes and breakthrough curves (BTC) in fractured aquifers. Predicting fluid motion fields concentrations groundwater is a challenging task, due to the difficulties building 3-D discrete fracture network (DFN) with same geometry of fractures interconnections as studied aquifer computational complexity problem being modeled. To improve representation DFN, geological characterization apertures was performed using field well-pumping data prerequisite modeling approach. The two steps: first, particle tracking following streamline (PTFS) simulations DFN backbones, second, channels model (CM) analytical solution. PTFS captured mean properties velocity relevant spatial temporal transport along preferential flow pathways aquifer. CM solution yielded exact BTC accounting slowest typically excluded from backbones extraction methods. PTFS/CM were initially at lab scale on 20 m rock block Bari (South Italy) Results consistent chlorophyll-A obtained well-to-well tracer experiment. Subsequently, capability tested by increasing larger 200 2,200 fractures. resultant 32 min, showing proposed technique can rapidly determine complex solutions heterogeneous fracture-dominated applied Lagrangian Eulerian techniques provide quasi-deterministic BTCs maps concentrations, avoiding extensive computations required conforming mesh Moreover, does not require multiple randomly arranged realizations, tracking-based stochastic These results have significant implications scale, where DFNs are composed thousands