Abstract
It goes without saying that direct observation of flow is indispensable to study detaily the groundwater movement in rock mass. The authors tried to observe the transient and unstable behavior of thermally induced groundwater flow above a heat source in idealized model of fractured rock mass by the use of thermosensitive liquid crystal films (TLCF). Experiments were performed in a soil box surrounded by insulating plates. Heat was electrically. supplied from bottom of the box by means of rubber heater plates. The fractured rock mass was simulated by filling three types of glass beads in the box. As the conclusion it was found that unstable flow such as plume was generally formed above the heat source in high permeable part in the experimental model representing fault zone.
