Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

On The Appropriate “Equivalent Aperture” For The Description Of Solute Transport In Single Fractures: Laboratory-Scale Experiments, Qinghuai Zheng, Sarah E. Dickson, Yiping Guo

Sarah E Dickson

Three distinct definitions of ‘‘equivalent aperture’’ have been used in the literature to describe variable-aperture fractures; however, significant inconsistencies exist in the literature as to which ‘‘equivalent aperture’’ is appropriate for simulating solute transport. In this work, a systematic series of hydraulic and tracer tests was conducted on three laboratory-scale fracture replicas, and the cubic law, mass balance, and frictional loss apertures were calculated. The analytical solution of the one-dimensional advectiondispersion equation was fit to the experimental breakthrough curves. Additionally, one of the experimental aperture fields was measured directly using a light transmission technique. The results clearly demonstrate that the …