| A small-scale hydrogeological study was conducted in a fractured carbonate aquifer located in a quarry to relate groundwater flow to the fracture network. The field study, which integrates structural surveys, well logging and hydraulic testings, showed that the most important features that affect groundwater flow in the sedimentary aquifer are the high hydraulic conductivity horizontal bedding planes. The vertical fractures, very abundant in the quarry and throughout the region, have a minor effect on groundwater flow. A regional hydrogeology project in the surrounding region also studied aquifers that are affected by a similar fracture network. Because the fracture network observed in the quarry is representative of the sedimentary rock formations in the region, high hydraulic conductivity bedding planes are likely to occur elsewhere in the region and affect groundwater flow. When local studies are undertaken in underformed sedimentary rock environment, those horizontal bedding planes must be located since they represent important flowpaths for groundwater and solute transport. |
