FLOW AND TRANSPORT IN UNSATURATED FRACTURED ROCK : EFFECTS OF MULTISCALE HETEROGENEITY OF HYDROGEOLOGIC PROPERTIES

The unsaturated flow equation is developed with preferential flow. Measurements of unsaturated flow and hydrogeologic properties, location of data points of deep and shallow boreholes and underground tunnels with cross geological section are given. Vertical profiles of measured core-scale matrix water saturation and their layer-scale values at some boreholes and in-situ water potential measurements are discussed. Fracture permeability is calculated based on air permeability from air-injection tests conducted in boreholes. Estimation of average horizontal correlation length using porosity measurements, lateral variability of rock properties and fracture permeability. Application of the code TOUGH2 simulating multi-dimensionnal coupled fluid and heat flow of multiphase, multicomponent fluid mixtures in porous and fractured media. The T2R3D code is used for simulating tracer transport in steady-state flow fields and breakthrough curves of cumulative tracer mass arriving at water table are analysed.