The flow dimension of groundwater resources in northeastern Illinois

Characterizing groundwater flow and contaminant transport in fractured rock aquifers is complicated by their highly heterogeneous nature, translating into uncertainties in managing groundwater resources. An alternative approach to interpreting aquifer tests is the Generalized Radial Flow (GRF) approach, which infers the geometry of groundwater flow via an additional parameter, the flow dimension, which describes the effective flow area and how it changes with the radius of investigation. This research will elucidate the relationship between aquifer heterogeneity and the flow dimension, with the specific focus on the characteristics of fractured dolomite aquifers that are part of the groundwater resources in northeastern Illinois.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Surve