caa a22 4500 445814853 CHVBK 20180317145223.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20111101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10040-011-0760-z doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10040-011-0760-z The role of in situ stress in determining hydraulic connectivity in a fractured rock aquifer (Australia) [Elektronische Daten] [Luke Mortimer, Adnan Aydin, Craig Simmons, Graham Heinson, Andrew Love] Le rôle du stress in situ dans la détermination de la conductivité hydraulique d'un aquifère rocheux fracturé (Australie) Fracture network connectivity is a spatially variable property that is difficult to quantify from standard hydrogeological datasets. This critical property is related to the distributions of fracture density, orientation, dimensions, intersections, apertures and roughness. These features that determine the inherent connectivity of a fracture network can be modified by secondary processes including weathering, uplift and unloading and other mechanisms that lead to fracture deformation in response to in situ stress. This study focussed on a fractured rock aquifer in the Clare Valley, South Australia, and found that fracture network connectivity could be discriminated from several geological, geophysical and hydrogeological field datasets at various scales including single well and local- to regional-scale data. Representative hydromechanical models of the field site were not only consistent with field observations but also highlighted the strong influence of in situ stress in determining the distribution of fracture hydraulic apertures and the formation of hydraulic chokes that impede fluid flow. The results of this multi-disciplinary investigation support the notion that the hydraulic conductivity of a fracture network is limited to the least hydraulically conductive interconnected fractures, which imposes a physical limit on the bulk hydraulic conductivity of a fractured rock aquifer. Springer-Verlag, 2011 Fractured rocks nationallicence Groundwater hydraulics nationallicence Hydromechanical model nationallicence In situ stress nationallicence Australia nationallicence Mortimer Luke School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut Aydin Adnan Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, 38677, University, MS, USA aut Simmons Craig School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut Heinson Graham School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, 5005, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut Love Andrew School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut Hydrogeology Journal Springer-Verlag 19/7(2011-11-01), 1293-1312 1431-2174 19:7<1293 2011 19 10040 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-011-0760-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-011-0760-z text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Mortimer Luke School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Aydin Adnan Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, 38677, University, MS, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Simmons Craig School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Heinson Graham School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, 5005, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Love Andrew School of the Environment and National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, G.P.O. Box 2100, 5100, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Hydrogeology Journal Springer-Verlag 19/7(2011-11-01), 1293-1312 1431-2174 19:7<1293 2011 19 10040 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer