A Double Scale Methodology to Investigate Flow in Karst Fractured Media via Numerical Analysis: The Cassino Plain Case Study (Central Apennine, Italy)

<div>Hydraulic conductivity histogram achieved from the hydrostructural approach. Colours indicate the different spacing sets. Dataset is very high and hydraulic conductivity varies from <svg height="8.98583pt" id="M37" style="vertical-align:-0.3499308pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 46.6618 8.98583" width="46.6618pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.24,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.48,0)"><path d="M593 650H142L136 622C219 616 224 611 209 531L130 120C114 39 108 34 23 28L17 0H501C518 32 557 130 568 158L540 169C519 132 495 93 469 70C439 43 409 35 332 35C272 35 241 37 225 50C211 61 211 89 222 149L253 320H350C441 320 443 312 441 239H471L510 434H481C455 366 448 358 360 358H260L303 572C311 613 312 615 348 615H431C509 615 522 603 532 581C544 555 546 531 545 491L574 493C583 555 592 631 593 650Z" id="g113-70"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,23.394,0)"><path d="M535 230V280H52V230H535Z" id="g117-33"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.93,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,40.17,0)"><path d="M412 140C382 77 369 73 315 73H129L270 222C362 320 402 379 402 466C402 571 322 635 234 635C177 635 130 609 99 576L42 495L64 475C90 514 133 568 201 568C274 568 318 519 318 435C318 349 255 267 193 193C144 135 87 78 32 23V0H405C417 45 427 89 440 131L412 140Z" id="g113-51"></path></g></svg> m/s (spacing set 1, opening set 1) to <svg height="8.98583pt" id="M38" style="vertical-align:-0.3499308pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 40.3984 8.98583" width="40.3984pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z" id="g113-50"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.24,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z" id="g113-49"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.48,0)"><path d="M593 650H142L136 622C219 616 224 611 209 531L130 120C114 39 108 34 23 28L17 0H501C518 32 557 130 568 158L540 169C519 132 495 93 469 70C439 43 409 35 332 35C272 35 241 37 225 50C211 61 211 89 222 149L253 320H350C441 320 443 312 441 239H471L510 434H481C455 366 448 358 360 358H260L303 572C311 613 312 615 348 615H431C509 615 522 603 532 581C544 555 546 531 545 491L574 493C583 555 592 631 593 650Z" id="g113-70"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,23.394,0)"><path d="M535 230V280H52V230H535Z" id="g117-33"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,33.93,0)"><path d="M285 378C315 398 338 416 353 432C373 451 384 474 384 503C384 579 325 635 236 635H235C182 635 136 610 108 579L65 516L85 496C110 533 150 575 205 575C258 575 300 543 300 481C300 407 232 369 141 339L147 310C163 315 188 321 211 321C268 321 338 284 338 192C338 94 288 40 217 40C160 40 119 68 93 91C85 98 77 97 69 91C60 84 47 71 46 58C44 46 48 35 62 22C75 10 116 -12 162 -12C234 -12 424 62 424 224C424 297 373 359 285 376V378Z" id="g113-52"></path></g></svg> m/s (spacing set 3, opening 3). Calculated value increase with the increase of the opening and the spacing. Hydrostructural approach points out a quasi-isotropic hydraulic conductivity tensor with <svg height="8.8423pt" id="M39" style="vertical-align:-0.2064009pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 24.2789 8.8423" width="24.2789pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M743 650H503L496 622L527 618C563 613 564 603 532 573C449 495 371 431 323 392C301 374 272 355 246 346L280 522C297 609 300 614 379 622L385 650H135L129 622C209 614 215 609 198 522L124 133C106 39 99 35 23 28L17 0H271L277 28C193 35 192 39 208 133L239 316C264 328 280 325 303 288C368 183 435 90 502 0H652L659 28C602 34 584 43 543 94C495 154 403 283 347 369L574 554C634 603 659 612 735 624L743 650Z" id="g113-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,9.556,0)"><path d="M536 404C536 423 520 448 491 448C445 448 398 404 308 283L286 338C255 416 242 448 217 448C182 448 138 402 92 341L111 321C149 368 169 378 178 378C188 378 198 363 214 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id="g113-121"></path></g></svg> and <svg height="12.0653pt" id="M40" style="vertical-align:-3.4294pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 22.9741 12.0653" width="22.9741pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M743 650H503L496 622L527 618C563 613 564 603 532 573C449 495 371 431 323 392C301 374 272 355 246 346L280 522C297 609 300 614 379 622L385 650H135L129 622C209 614 215 609 198 522L124 133C106 39 99 35 23 28L17 0H271L277 28C193 35 192 39 208 133L239 316C264 328 280 325 303 288C368 183 435 90 502 0H652L659 28C602 34 584 43 543 94C495 154 403 283 347 369L574 554C634 603 659 612 735 624L743 650Z" id="g113-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,8.512,0)"><path d="M556 393C556 426 537 448 514 448C496 448 478 435 471 420C468 414 462 401 466 394C473 382 480 368 480 346C480 268 392 143 338 67H336C329 163 319 253 309 330S286 448 254 448C215 448 160 383 127 337L143 311C167 344 200 373 208 373S222 365 229 320C246 214 264 66 268 -20C219 -83 131 -171 17 -239L25 -261L137 -235C248 -110 273 -79 335 8C384 77 481 215 520 287C544 332 556 363 556 393Z" id="g113-122"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,15.259,0)"><path d="M556 393C556 426 537 448 514 448C496 448 478 435 471 420C468 414 462 401 466 394C473 382 480 368 480 346C480 268 392 143 338 67H336C329 163 319 253 309 330S286 448 254 448C215 448 160 383 127 337L143 311C167 344 200 373 208 373S222 365 229 320C246 214 264 66 268 -20C219 -83 131 -171 17 -239L25 -261L137 -235C248 -110 273 -79 335 8C384 77 481 215 520 287C544 332 556 363 556 393Z" id="g113-122"></path></g></svg> slightly lower than <span class="nowrap"><svg height="8.93365pt" id="M41" style="vertical-align:-0.2977505pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 22.948 8.93365" width="22.948pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M743 650H503L496 622L527 618C563 613 564 603 532 573C449 495 371 431 323 392C301 374 272 355 246 346L280 522C297 609 300 614 379 622L385 650H135L129 622C209 614 215 609 198 522L124 133C106 39 99 35 23 28L17 0H271L277 28C193 35 192 39 208 133L239 316C264 328 280 325 303 288C368 183 435 90 502 0H652L659 28C602 34 584 43 543 94C495 154 403 283 347 369L574 554C634 603 659 612 735 624L743 650Z" id="g113-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,9.817,0)"><path d="M475 445L452 468C423 436 401 426 385 426S352 427 305 436C268 443 216 448 185 448C156 448 128 425 102 382C89 360 77 338 64 304L89 291C117 340 143 380 190 380C214 380 268 376 295 373C320 370 344 371 362 374L70 101C32 65 23 36 23 18C23 5 27 -3 31 -8C36 -8 39 -6 42 -1C52 15 67 31 80 40S110 49 143 33C195 8 257 -20 290 -20C339 -20 382 11 439 129L416 148C366 74 334 55 305 55C278 55 236 68 203 81C169 94 141 100 122 96C205 170 348 308 411 376L475 445Z" id="g113-123"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,16.292,0)"><path d="M475 445L452 468C423 436 401 426 385 426S352 427 305 436C268 443 216 448 185 448C156 448 128 425 102 382C89 360 77 338 64 304L89 291C117 340 143 380 190 380C214 380 268 376 295 373C320 370 344 371 362 374L70 101C32 65 23 36 23 18C23 5 27 -3 31 -8C36 -8 39 -6 42 -1C52 15 67 31 80 40S110 49 143 33C195 8 257 -20 290 -20C339 -20 382 11 439 129L416 148C366 74 334 55 305 55C278 55 236 68 203 81C169 94 141 100 122 96C205 170 348 308 411 376L475 445Z" id="g113-123"></path></g></svg>.</span> An average anisotropic rate <svg height="12.7178pt" id="M42" style="vertical-align:-3.42947pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 104.141 12.7178" width="104.141pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z" id="g113-41"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,4.498,0)"><path d="M743 650H503L496 622L527 618C563 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23 28L17 0H271L277 28C193 35 192 39 208 133L239 316C264 328 280 325 303 288C368 183 435 90 502 0H652L659 28C602 34 584 43 543 94C495 154 403 283 347 369L574 554C634 603 659 612 735 624L743 650Z" id="g113-76"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,50.543,0)"><path d="M556 393C556 426 537 448 514 448C496 448 478 435 471 420C468 414 462 401 466 394C473 382 480 368 480 346C480 268 392 143 338 67H336C329 163 319 253 309 330S286 448 254 448C215 448 160 383 127 337L143 311C167 344 200 373 208 373S222 365 229 320C246 214 264 66 268 -20C219 -83 131 -171 17 -239L25 -261L137 -235C248 -110 273 -79 335 8C384 77 481 215 520 287C544 332 556 363 556 393Z" id="g113-122"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,57.289,0)"><path d="M556 393C556 426 537 448 514 448C496 448 478 435 471 420C468 414 462 401 466 394C473 382 480 368 480 346C480 268 392 143 338 67H336C329 163 319 253 309 330S286 448 254 448C215 448 160 383 127 337L143 311C167 344 200 373 208 373S222 365 229 320C246 214 264 66 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Geofluids

fig6

Figure 6

Figure 6: A Double Scale Methodology to Investigate Flow in Karst Fractured Media via Numerical Analysis: The Cassino Plain Case Study (Central Apennine, Italy) 

Figure 6 | A Double Scale Methodology to Investigate Flow in Karst Fractured Media via Numerical Analysis: The Cassino Plain Case Study (Central Apennine, Italy) 