A Modeling Study of flow diversion and focusing in unsaturated fractured rocks

Lehua Pan, Yu-Shu Wu, and Keni Zhang

Contact: Lehua Pan, 510/495-2360, lpan@lbl.gov

Research Objectives
In a complex subsurface system with multiple layers, faults, and spatially varied alteration of rock properties, flow diversion and focusing is a natural phenomenon. However, quantitatively describing the magnitude and the spatial patterns of flow diversion and focusing is a challenge for both measurements and modeling. The objective of this study is to develop a systematic modeling approach, taking the Yucca Mountain unsaturated zone (UZ) as an example, to analyze and describe flow diversion and focusing in unsaturated fractured rocks, under ambient steady-state flow conditions.

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