Evaluating the characteristics of geological structures in karst groundwater inflow, Nowsud Tunnel

Highly permeable geological structures such as dissolution channels, open fractures, and faults create environmental challenges regard to hydrological and hydrogeological aspects of underground construction, often causing significant groundwater inflow during drilling due to the limitations of empirical and analytical methods. This study aims to identify the geological factors influencing water flow into the tunnel. High-flow zones' geological features have been identified and examined for this purpose. According to the geological complexity of the Nowsud tunnel, presence of different formations with different permeability and karstification have led to a high volume of underground inflow water (up to 4700 L/s) to the tunnel. The Nowsud tunnel faces significant geological and hydrogeological challenges due to its passage through the Ilam formation's LI2 unit, characterized by dissolution channels, faults, and fractures. The highest inflow rate (4700 L/s) occurred in the Hz-9 zone within the Zimkan anticline. The relationship between geological features and groundwater inflow indicates that anticlines are more susceptible to inflow than synclines. Additionally, different types of faults exhibit varying hydraulic effects, with strike-slip faults having the most significant impact on groundwater inflow, thrust faults conducting less water into the tunnel, and inflow through normal faults being negligible compared to the other two types of faults. The novelty of this paper lies in its detailed analysis of geological features influencing groundwater inflow into the Nowsud tunnel, providing empirical data on high-flow zones and differentiating the hydraulic effects of various fault types, which enhances the understanding and prediction of groundwater inflow in underground constructions.

Spatial correlation between groundwater seepage faces and fault zone in high bedrock channel: method and application

The groundwater may recharge the surface water bodies through seepage faces and springs.The spatial correlation between the fault zones and the groundwater seepage faces results in deep understanding of the hydrogeologic regime,especially where there is no monitoring boreholes.Locating these recharging zones by conventional methods is a challenging task;particularly in areas where(1)there is no hydrogeologic monitoring boreholes or reliable data,(2)private pumps withdraw the stream,and(3)intense canopy limits the use of drones and satellite images.This paper aims to study the relationship between the fault zones and occurrence of the groundwater seepage faces by using the high resolution handheld thermal imaging cameras as a tool to locate the seepage faces along a small river in the Damavand County,north of Iran.The correlation between the structural geology features and occurrence of the groundwater seepage faces revealed that the stream in the study area is being recharged by the groundwater at extensive fault zones.Additionally,this study suggests that the handheld thermal imaging cameras are a useful robust tools to evaluate the surface-groundwater interaction.However,it is essential to use the field structural geologic and hydrogeologic observations to interpret the thermal images.