Connectivity properties of two‐dimensional fracture networks with stochastic fractal correlation

[1] We present a theoretical and numerical study of the connectivity of fracture networks with fractal correlations. In addition to length distribution, this spatial property observed on most fracture networks conveys long-range correlation that may be crucial on network connectivity. We especially focus on the model that comes out relevant to natural fracture network: a fractal density distribution for the fracture centers (dimension D) and a power law distribution for the fracture lengths (exponent a, n(l) ∼ l−a). Three different regimes of connectivity are identified depending on D and on a. For a D + 1 the connectivity is ruled by fractures much smaller than the system size with a strong control of spatial correlation; the connectivity now decreases with system scale. Finally, for the self-similar case (a = D + 1), which corresponds to the transition between the two previous regimes, connectivity properties are scale invariant: percolation threshold corresponds to a critical fractal density and the average number of intersections per fracture at threshold is a scale invariant as well.

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