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The relationship between regional stress field, fracture orientation and depth of weathering and implications for groundwater prospecting in crystalline rocks

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Author

Summary, in English

In a uniform granite gneiss study area in central Zimbabwe, lineaments oriented parallel to the maximum regional compressive stress orientation exhibit the thickest regolith development, while lineaments oriented perpendicular to the maximum compressive stress show the shallowest development of weathered regolith. The principal fracture set orientations were mapped using aerial imagery. The regional stress field, estimated from global stress maps, was used to determine the stresses acting on each principal lineament orientation. Multi-electrode resistivity profiling was carried out across fractures with different orientations to determine their subsurface regolith conditions. The results indicate that the 360 and 060 degrees lineaments, which are sub-parallel to the principal compressive stress orientation (sigma(1)) exhibit maximum development of the regolith, while 130 degrees lineaments perpendicular to sigma(1) do not exhibit significant regolith development. Since regolith thickness has been positively correlated with groundwater resources, it is suggested that fractures with orientations sub-parallel to the principal compressive stress direction constitute favourable groundwater targets. Knowledge of the regional stress field and fracture set orientations can be used as an effective low cost tool for locating potentially higher yielding boreholes in crystalline rock terrains.

Publishing year

2007

Language

English

Pages

1231-1238

Publication/Series

Hydrogeology Journal

Volume

15

Issue

7

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Geotechnical Engineering

Keywords

  • of weathering
  • depth
  • stress field
  • fractured rocks
  • Zimbabwe
  • groundwater exploration

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1431-2174