Electrokinetic techniques for the determination of hydraulic conductivity

Laurence Jouniaux (1)

1 IPGS-GE - Géophysique expérimentale (IPGS)

In a porous medium the fluid flux and the electric current density are coupled, so that the streaming potentials are generated by fluids moving through porous media and fractures. These electrokinetic phenomena are induced by the relative motion between the fluid and the rock because of the presence of ions within water. Both steady-state and transient fluid flow can induce electrokinetics phenomena. It has been proposed to use this electrokinetic coupling to detect preferential flow paths, to detect faults and contrast in permeabilities within the crust, and to deduce hydraulic conductivity. This chapter proposes a comprehensive review of the electrokinetic coupling in rocks and sediments and a comprehensive review of the different approaches to deduce hydraulic properties in various contexts.

Mots clés: seismomagnetic

Mots clés: permeability; electrokinetic; streaming potential; self potential; zeta potential; seismoelectric; seismomagnetic.

Domaines: Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]; Géophysique [physics.geo-ph]

Laurence Jouniaux. Electrokinetic techniques for the determination of hydraulic conductivity. Lakshmanan Elango (Ed.). Hydraulic Conductivity - Issues, Determination and Applications, InTech Publisher, pp.307-328, 2011. ⟨hal-00674013⟩