Hydrology of Fractured Rocks

Fractures often serve as major conduits for movement of water and dissolved chemicals through hard rocks in the underground. Understanding fluid flow and mass transport in fractured rocks is essential for assessing the ground-water resources of hard-rock aquifers, investigating the suitability of underground sites for hazardous waste disposal, and predicting the movement of hazardous chemicals if contamination occurs. Existing theory of fluid flow through porous media is of limited usefulness when applied to fractured rocks. The low permeability and highly heterogeneous nature of fractured rocks require extension of current theory and field methods. It is particularily important that theroetical developments be applicable on a scale commensurate with field measurements. Objectives are to: (1) develop theoretical model of fluid flow and solute transport in fractured rocks with particular emphasis on characterizing the effects of heterogeneities on different scales; (2) develop field methods (hydraulic and tracer tests) to characterize the flow and transport properties of fractured rocks; and (3) combine the use of geological, geophysical, and geochemical methods with hydraulic and tracer tests to develop an integrated approach to modeling flow and transport in fractured rocks.

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999-2008

Kipp, Jr., K.L., Hsieh, P.A., and Charlton, S.R., 2008, Guide to the revised ground-water flow and heat transport simulator: HYDROTHERM -- Version 3: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 6-A25, 160 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 3 MB)

Goode, D.J., Tiedeman, C.R., Lacombe, P.J., Imbrigiotta, T.E., Shapiro, A.M., and Chapelle, F.H., 2007, Contamination in fractured-rock aquifers--Research at the Naval Air Warfare Center, West Trenton, New Jersey: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2007-3074. (on-line abstract of on-line fact sheet in pdf format, 647 KB)

Hill, M.C., and Tiedeman, C.R., 2007, Effective Groundwater Model Calibration: With Analysis of Data, Sensitivities, Predictions, and Uncertainty: Wiley and Sons, 464 p. (on-line book information)

Hsieh, P.A., Barber, M.E., Contor, B.A., Hossain, M.A., Johnson, G.S., Jones, J.L., and Wylie, A.H., 2007, Ground-water flow model for the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Spokane County, Washington, and Bonner and Kootenai Counties, Idaho: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5044, 77 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report and model)

Hurwitz, S., Christiansen, L.B., and Hsieh, P.A., 2007, Hydrothermal fluid flow and deformation in large calderas: Inferences from numerical simulations: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 112, B02206, doi:10.1029/2006JB004689. (on-line abstract or on-line journal article in pdf format, 703 kb, published 2007 by American Geophysical Union, not subject to U.S. copyright)

Shapiro, A.M., Hsieh, P.A., Burton, W.C., and Walsh, G.J., 2007, Integrated multi-scale characterization of ground-water flow and chemical transport in fractured crystalline rock at the Mirror Lake Site, New Hampshire, in Hyndman, D.W., Day-Lewis, F.D., and Singha, K., eds., Subsurface Hydrology: Data Integration for Properties and Processes: American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monograph Series, v. 171, p. 201–225.

Tiedeman, C.R. and Hill. M.C., 2007, Model calibration and issues related to validation, sensitivity analysis, post-audit, uncertainty evaluation, and assessment of prediction data needs, in Thangarajan, M., ed., Groundwater: Berlin, Springer, p. 237-282. (originally published in 2006 in Thangarajan, M., Groundwater: Resource Evaluation, Augmentation, Contamination, Restoration, Modeling and Management: Capital Publishing, New Delhi, Chapt. 9.)

Tonkin, M.J., Tiedeman C.R., Ely D.M., and Hill M.C., 2007, OPR-PPR, a computer program for assessing data importance to model predictions using linear statistics: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods Report, book 6, chapt. E2, 115 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 1.2 MB)

Brocher, T.M., Carr, M.D., Halsing, D.L., John, D.A., Langenheim, V.E., Mangan, M.T., Marvin-DiPasquale, M.C., Takekawa, J.Y., and Tiedeman, C.R., 2006, USGS science in Menlo Park; a science strategy for the U. S. Geological Survey Menlo Park Science Center, 2005-2015: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1290, 42 p. (on-line abstract or on-line report in pdf format, 4.5 MB)

Heilweil, V.M., and Hsieh, P.A., 2006, Determining anisotropic transmissivity using a simplified Papadopulos method: Ground Water, v. 44, p. 749-753. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Tiedeman, C.R., and M.C. Hill, 2006, Model calibration and issues related to validation, sensitivity analysis, post-audit, uncertainty evaluation and assessment of prediction data needs, in Thangarajan, M., Groundwater: Resource Evaluation, Augmentation, Contamination, Restoration, Modeling and Management: Capital Publishing, New Delhi, Chapt. 9, p. 235-282.

Christiansen, L.B., Hurwitz, S., Saar, M.A., Ingebritsen, S.E., and Hsieh, P.A., 2005, Seasonal seismicity at western United States volcanic centers: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 240, no. 2, p. 307-321. (on-line abstract of journal article)

Kipp, K.L., Hsieh, P.A., Hayba, D.O., and Ingebritsen, S.E., 2005, HYDROTHERM: A simulator of two-phase ground-water flow and heat transport: International Ground Water Modeling Center Newsletter, v. 23, no. 3, p. 3.

Tiedeman, C.R., Ely, D.M., Hill, M.C., and O'Brien, G.M., 2004, A method for evaluating the importance of system state observations to model predictions, with application to the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system: Water Resources Research, v.40, no, 12, doi:10.1029/2004WR003313 (on-line abstract)

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hill, M.C., 2004, Using sensitivity analysis in model calibration efforts, Proceedings of the International Workshop in Uncertainty, Sensitivity, and Parameter Estimation for Multimedia Environmental Modeling, August 19-21 2003: U.S. NRC Publication NUREG/CP-0187, p. 53-56.

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 2004, Evaluation of longitudinal dispersivity estimates from simulated forced- and natural-gradient tracer tests in heterogeneous aquifers: Water Resources Research, v. 40, no. 1, 15 p. (on-line abstract)

Hill, M.C. and Tiedeman, C.R, 2003, Weighting observations in the context of calibrating ground-water models, in Karel Kovar, and Hrkal Zbynek, eds., Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling, A few steps closer to reality: IAHS Publication 277, p. 196-203. (on-line abstract)

Tiedeman, C.R., Hill, M.C., D'Agnese, F.A., and Faunt, C.C., 2003, Methods for using ground-water model predictions to guide hydrogeologic data collection with application to the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system: Water Resources Research, v. 39, no. 1, p. 5-1 to 5-17. (on-line abstract)

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 2003, Evaluation of longitudinal dispersivity estimates from forced-gradient tracer tests in heterogeneous aquifers in Kovar, K., and Zbynek, H., eds., Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modelling: A Few Steps Closer to Reality: IAHS Publication 277, p. 168-174. (on-line abstract)

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 2003, Evaluation of simulated forced-gradient tracer test in heterogeneous aquifers - Different test types yield different longitudinal dispersivity estimates, in Poeter, E.P, Zheng, C., Hill, M.C. and Doherty, J., eds. MODFLOW and more 2003, Understanding through Modeling [Proceedings]: Golden, CO, Colorado School of Mines, September 16-19, 2003, p. 264-268.

Ellefsen, K.J., Hsieh, P.A., Shapiro, A.M., 2002, Crosswell seismic investigation of hydraulically conductive, fractured bedrock near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire: Journal of Applied Geophysics, v. 50, p. 299-317. (on-line abstract)

Hill, M.C., and Tiedeman, C.R., 2002, Weighting observations in the context of calibrating ground-water models, in Korvar, K. and Hrkal, Z., eds. ModelCARE 2002, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modeling, Prague, Czech Republic, 17-20 June 2002: Acta Universitatis Carolinae - Geologica 2002, v. 46., p. 213-217.

Hsieh, P.A., 2002, Some thoughts on modeling flow in fractured rocks: International Groundwater Modeling Center Newsletter, v. XX, Spring 2002, p. 2.

Hsieh, P.A., and Winston, R.B., 2002, User's Guide To Model Viewer, A Program For Three-Dimensional Visualization of Ground-water Model Results: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-106, 18 p. (on-line abstract or on-line pdf file, 396KB)

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 2002, Evaluation of longitudinal dispersivity estimates from forced-gradient tracer tests in heterogeneous aquifers, in Korvar, K. and Hrkal, Z., eds. ModelCARE 2002, Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Calibration and Reliability in Groundwater Modeling, Prague, Czech Republic, 17-20 June 2002: Acta Universitatis Carolinae - Geologica 2002, v. 46., p. 131-134.

Hill, M.C., Ely, D.M., Tiedeman, C.R., O'Brien, G.M., D'Agnese, F.A., and Faunt, C.C., 2001, Preliminary evaluation of the importance of existing hydraulic-head observation locations to advective transport predictions, Death Valley regional flow system, California and Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4282. (on-line report)

Hsieh, P.A., 2001, TopoDrive and ParticleFlow -Two Computer Models for Simulation and Visualization of Ground-Water Flow and Transport of Fluid Particles in Two Dimensions: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-286, 30 p. (on-line report in pdf format, 245KB)

Hsieh, P.A., and others, 2001, Conceptual models of flow and transport in the fractured vadose zone: Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 374 p. (on-line report)

Hsieh, P.A., and Tiedeman C.R., 2001, Evaluation of forced-gradient tracer tests in fractured rock aquifers: Fractured Rock 2001 Conference Proceedings, March 26-28, 2001, Toronto Canada (compact disk)

Tiedeman, C.R., Hill, M.C., D'Agnese, F.A., Faunt, C.C., 2001, Identifying model parameters important to predictions for guiding hydrogeologic data collection: Proceedings, MODFLOW-2001, Golden, CO., September, 2001, p. 195-201.

Tiedeman C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 2001, Assessing an open-well aquifer test in fractured crystalline rock: Journal of Ground Water, v. 39, no. 1, p. 68-78. (on-line abstract)

Zheng, C., Hill, M.C., and Hsieh, P.A., 2001, MODFLOW-2000, The U.S. Geological Survey modular ground-water model--User guide to the LMT6 package, the linkage with MT3DMS for multi-species mass transport modeling: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-82, 43 p. (on-line report)

Day-Lewis, F.D., Hsieh, P.A., Gorelick, S.M., 2000, Identifying fracture-zone geometry using simulated annealing and hydraulic-connection data: Water Resources Research, v. 36, no. 7, p. 1707-1721. (on-line abstract)

Ely, D.M., Hill, M.C., Tiedeman, C.R., and O'Brien, G.M., 2000, Evaluating observations in the context of predictions for the Death Valley regional groundwater system: Proceedings of the 2000 Joint Conference on Water Resources Engineering and Water Resources Planning and Management, Minneapolis, Minnesota, American Society of Engineers (compact disk).

Hsieh, P.A., 2000, A brief survey of hydraulic tests in fractured rocks in Faybishenko, B., Witherspoon, P.A., and Benson, S.M., eds., Dynamics of fluids in fractured rocks: American Geophysical Union Geophysical Monograph 122, p. 59-66.

Hsieh, P.A., Wingle, W.L, and Healy, R.W, 2000, VS2DI-A graphical software package for simulating fluid flow and solute or energy transport in variably saturated porous media: U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 99-4130, 16 p. (on-line pdf file)

Day-Lewis, F.D., Hsieh, P.A., Shapiro, A.M., and Gorelick, S.M., 1999, Geostatistical simulation of high-transmissivity zones at the Mirror Lake Site in New Hampshire-- Conditioning to hydraulic information, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12,1999: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 685-693. (on-line abstract)

Ellefsen, K.J., Hsieh, P.A., and Shapiro, A.M., 1999, Relation between seismic velocity and hydraulic conductivity at the: USGS Fractured Rock Research Site, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8- 12, 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 735-745. (on-line abstract)

Hsieh, P.A., Shapiro, A.M., and Tiedeman, C.R., 1999, Computer simulation of fluid flow in fractured rocks at the Mirror Lake FSE well field, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program-- Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 777-781. (on-line abstract)

Shapiro, A.M., Hsieh, P.A., and Haeni, F.P., 1999, Integrating multidisciplinary investigations in the characterization of fractured rock, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program-- Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 669-680. (on-line abstract)

Tiedeman, C.R., and Hsieh, P.A., 1999, Analysis of an open-hole aquifer test in fractured crystalline rock, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 783-793. (on-line abstract)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFOMATION ABOUT THIS PROJECT, CONTACT
Paul A. Hsieh
U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd, MS496, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Email: pahsieh@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-4580

Claire Tiedeman
U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Rd, MS496, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Email: tiedeman@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-4583

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