the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Dissolution and precipitation of fractures in soluble rock
Abstract. Soluble rocks such as limestone, anhydrite, and gypsum are characterised by their large secondary permeability, which results from the interaction of water circulating through the rock and dissolving the soluble fracture walls. This highly selective dissolution process enlarges the fractures to voids and eventually cavities, which then carry the majority of flow through an aquifer along preferential flow paths.
We employ a numerical model describing the evolution of secondary porosity in a soluble rock to study the evolution of isolated fractures in different rock types. Our main focus is three-fold: The identification of shallow versus deep flow paths and their evolution for different rock types; the effect of precipitation of the dissolved material in the fracture; and finally the complication of fracture enlargement in fractures composed of several different soluble materials.
Our results show that the evolution of fractures composed of limestone and gypsum is comparable, but the evolution time scale is drastically different. For anhydrite, owing to its difference in the kinetical rate law describing the removal of soluble rock, when compared to limestone and anhydrite, the evolution is even faster.
Precipitation of the dissolved rock due to changes in the hydrochemical conditions can clog fractures fairly fast, thus changing the pattern of preferential pathways in the soluble aquifer, especially with depth.
Finally, limestone fracture coated with gypsum, as frequently observed in caves, will result in a substantial increase in fracture enlargement with time, thus giving these fractures a hydraulic advantage over pure limestone fractures in their competition for capturing flow.
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RC1: 'Review of: Dissolution and precipitation of fractures in soluble rock', Anonymous Referee #1, 20 Sep 2016
- AC1: 'Reply to RC1: Anonymous referee #1', Georg Kaufmann, 30 Sep 2016
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RC2: 'comment on 'Dissolution and precipitation of fractures in soluble rock'', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Sep 2016
- AC2: 'Reply to interactive comment by Anonymous Referee #2', Georg Kaufmann, 30 Sep 2016
-
RC1: 'Review of: Dissolution and precipitation of fractures in soluble rock', Anonymous Referee #1, 20 Sep 2016
- AC1: 'Reply to RC1: Anonymous referee #1', Georg Kaufmann, 30 Sep 2016
-
RC2: 'comment on 'Dissolution and precipitation of fractures in soluble rock'', Anonymous Referee #2, 20 Sep 2016
- AC2: 'Reply to interactive comment by Anonymous Referee #2', Georg Kaufmann, 30 Sep 2016
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Cited
3 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Surface Water and Groundwater Suitability for Irrigation Based on Hydrochemical Analysis in the Lower Mayurakshi River Basin, India S. Ghosh et al. 10.3390/geosciences12110415
- Prediction of groundwater seepage caused by unclogging of fractures and grout curtain dimensions changes via numerical double-porosity model in the Karun IV River Basin (Iran) J. Ashjari et al. 10.1007/s12665-019-8054-1
- Effect of water flow characteristics on gypsum dissolution E. Behnamtalab et al. 10.1140/epjp/i2019-12940-3