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Article
Borehole Sampling of Fracture Populations-Compensating for Borehole Sampling Bias in Crystalline Bedrock Aquifers, Mirror Lake, Grafton County, New Hampshire
International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences
  • Gregory D. McDonald
  • Frederick L. Paillet
  • Christopher C. Barton, Wright State University - Main Campus
  • Carole D. Johnson
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-1997
Abstract

The clustering of orientations of hydraulically conductive fractures in bedrock at the Mirror Lake, New Hampshire fractured rock study site was investigated by comparing the orientations of fracture populations in two subvertical borehole arrays with those mapped on four adjacent subvertical roadcuts. In the boreholes and the roadcuts, the orientation of fracture populations appears very similar after borehole data are compensated for undersampling of steeply dipping fractures. Compensated borehole and pavement fracture data indicate a northeast-striking population of fractures with varying dips concentrated near that of the local foliation in the adjacent rock. The data show no correlation between fracture density (fractures/linear meter) and distance from lithologic contacts in both the boreholes and the roadcuts. The population of water-producing borehole fractures is too small (28 out of 610 fractures) to roadcuts. The population comparisons. However, the orientation of large aperture fractures (which contains all the producing fractures) contains two or three subsidiary clusters in orientation frequency that are not evident in stereographic projections of the entire population containing all aperture sizes. Further, these subsidiary orientation clusters do not coincide with the dominant (subhorizontal and subvertical) regional fracture orientations.

DOI
10.1016/S1365-1609(97)00114-7
Citation Information
Gregory D. McDonald, Frederick L. Paillet, Christopher C. Barton and Carole D. Johnson. "Borehole Sampling of Fracture Populations-Compensating for Borehole Sampling Bias in Crystalline Bedrock Aquifers, Mirror Lake, Grafton County, New Hampshire" International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences Vol. 34 Iss. 3-4 (1997) p. 239.e1 - 239e.12 ISSN: 1365-1609
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/christopher_barton/52/