Effects of Mixing Characteristics at Fracture Intersections on Network-Scale Solute Transport

We systematically analyze the influence of fracture junction, solute transfer characteristics on transport patterns in discrete, two-dimensional fracture network models. Regular lattices and random fracture networks with power-law length distributions are considered in conjunction with particle tracking methods. Solute transfer probabilities at fracture junctions are determined from analytical considerations and from simple complete mixing and streamline routing models. For regular fracture networks, mixing conditions at fracture junctions are always dominated by either complete mixing or streamline routing end member cases. Moreover bulk transport properties such as the spreading and the dilution of solute are highly sensitive to the mixing rule. However in power-law length networks there is no significant difference in bulk transport properties, as calculated by assuming either of the two extreme mixing rules. This apparent discrepancy between the effects of mixing properties at fracture junctions in regular and random fracture networks is explained by the statistics of the coordination number and of the flow conditions at fracture intersections. We suggest that the influence of mixing rules on bulk solute transport could be important in systematic orthogonal fracture networks but insignificant in random networks.