Hydrogeophysical characterization of transport processes in fractured rock by combining push‐pull and single‐hole ground penetrating radar experiments. Issue 2 (12th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shakas, Alexis; Linde, Niklas; Baron, Ludovic; Bochet, Olivier; Bour, Olivier; Le Borgne, Tanguy
• Is Part Of: Water resources research. Volume 52:Issue 2(2016:Feb.)
• Page Start: 938
• Page End: 953
• Publication Date: 2016-02-12
• Subjects: fractured aquifers -- push‐pull tracer tests -- ground penetrating radar -- hydrogeophysics -- density‐driven flow -- ambient flow; Hydrology -- Periodicals; 333.91
• DOI: 10.1002/2015WR017837
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0043-1397

Abstract

Abstract: The in situ characterization of transport processes in fractured media is particularly challenging due to the considerable spatial uncertainty on tracer pathways and dominant controlling processes, such as dispersion, channeling, trapping, matrix diffusion, ambient and density driven flows. We attempted to reduce this uncertainty by coupling push‐pull tracer experiments with single‐hole ground penetrating radar (GPR) time‐lapse imaging. The experiments involved different injection fractures, chaser volumes and resting times, and were performed at the fractured rock research site of Ploemeur in France (H+ network, hplus.ore.fr/en). For the GPR acquisitions, we used both fixed and moving antenna setups in a borehole that was isolated with a flexible liner. During the fixed‐antenna experiment, time‐varying GPR reflections allowed us to track the spatial and temporal dynamics of the tracer during the push‐pull experiment. During the moving antenna experiments, we clearly imaged the dominant fractures in which tracer transport took place, fractures in which the tracer was trapped for longer time periods, and the spatial extent of the tracer distribution (up to 8 m) at different times. This demonstrated the existence of strongly channelized flow in the first few meters and radial flow at greater distances. By varying the resting time of a given experiment, we identified regions affected by density‐driven and ambient flow. These experiments open up new perspectives for coupled hydrogeophysical inversion aimed at understanding transport phenomena in fractured rock formations. Key points: Combined single‐hole GPR and push‐pull tracer tests help to infer transport phenomena Transport length scales are estimated through GPR difference imaging GPR inform on tracer velocity, fracture channeling, and density driven flow