Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026

A Method for Studying the Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Fracture and Fragmentation
Published on: June 28, 2015
Understanding the Geometry of Connected Fracture Flow with Multiperiod Oscillatory Hydraulic Tests
Claire Sayler, Michael Cardiff1, Michael D Fort2
1Department of Geoscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
Abstract:
An understanding of the spatial and hydraulic properties of fast preferential flow pathways in the subsurface is necessary in applications ranging from contaminant fate and transport modeling to design of energy extraction systems. One method for the characterization of fracture properties over interwellbore scales is Multiperiod Oscillatory Hydraulic (MOH) testing, in which the aquifer response to oscillatory pressure stimulations is observed. MOH tests were conducted on isolated intervals of wells in siliciclastic and carbonate aquifers in southern Wisconsin. The goal was to characterize the spatial properties of discrete fractures over interwellbore scales. MOH tests were conducted on two discrete fractured intervals intersecting two boreholes at one field site, and a nest of three piezometers at another field site. Fracture diffusivity estimates were obtained using analytical solutions that relate diffusivity to observed phase lag and amplitude decay. In addition, MOH tests were used to investigate the spatial extent of flow using different conceptual models of fracture geometry. Results indicated that fracture geometry at both field sites can be approximated by permeable two-dimensional fracture planes, oriented near-horizontally at one site, and near-vertically at the other. The technique used on MOH field data to characterize fracture geometry shows promise in revealing fracture network characteristics important to groundwater flow and transport.
Related Concept Videos
Typical Model Studies
Flow Table Test
Concrete is placed within a truncated cone mold that is 8 inches high with an 8-inch base diameter and a 5-inch top diameter. The...
Design Example: Creating a Hydraulic Model of a Dam Spillway
Major Losses in Pipes
Fluid flow can be classified as laminar or turbulent, primarily based on the Reynolds number. This dimensionless number reflects the relative influence of inertial to viscous...
Steady, Laminar Flow Between Parallel Plates
Hydraulic Jump

