Exercise 1 1. What is porosity? What is the relation between porosity and the size of pore?

Answer Porosity is the relationship in a rock or/and soil between the volume of voids (spaces) and the total volume (volume of the solids and volume of voids/spaces). The relationship between size of pore and porosity is a direct one i.e. increasing the size of the pore increases the porosity of a rock or soil and vice versa.
Kr = Vr VT

Where Kr is porosity as a decimal fraction, Vr is volume of voids in a rock/soil VT is total volume of the voids and the solid 2. Can cohesive soil like clay with higher porosity be considered as the aquifer? Why? Answer Clay can not be considered as an aquifer even if it has a higher porosity because it has a lower ability to yield/retain (low specific yield) the water especially after yielding what is contained in its pore spaces. When you drain water from clay soils the recharge is very low. In addition most of the water are locked up in the clay soils making the inter connectivity very low and as such a poor aquifer. 3. Compare the difference among Porous rocks, fractured rocks and Karst rocks as waterbearing medium from the following aspects: connectivity, degree of uniformity (spatial distribution, size), porosity and permeability. Answer The following is a discussion of parameters among Porous rocks, fractured rocks and Karst rocks in reference to their water-bearing capacity. Connectivity The size, arrangement, sorting, shape and cementation of solid particles has effects on connectivity of porous. For instance the larger grains/particles in a rock have lower chances of fitting closely together and thereby creating spaces within the rock. In addition, some grains in a porous rock will have cracks or joints which will act as connecting channels.

Fractured rocks are rocks with joints and faults like in fractured basalt. The degree of connectivity in such rocks of the faults and joints is relatively high. It is for this reason fractured rocks form the good aquifers because the ability of water to move from the recharge zone to distant areas is considerably high. Karst regions are generally limestone areas in which chemical weathering has occurred giving rise to cavities and sink hole. This result from the fact that limestone is susceptible to reactions with chemicals in the water. This implies that these cavities eventually connect, and may in the end form underground streams. The degree of connectivity is high. Degree of Uniformity This refers to the arrangement of rock components including the pore spaces. The rocks in which the degree of uniformity is high tend to have a lower porosity and pore space, as opposed to those in which the degree of uniformity is lower tend to have a higher porosity and pore spaces. This is as a result of the irregular arrangement of rock components in the rocks which results in large pore spaces as compared to a rock in which the arrangement is regular. This parameter applies to all three categories of rocks, with the highest effect in the porous rocks, and lowest in the Karst rocks. The implication is that the rocks with a lower degree of uniformity have a higher water bearing capacity. Porosity The porosity of a porous rock is high, because of the high number of pore spaces and as such they have a very high water bearing capacity. The same applies to fractured rocks which have a high porosity due to the presence of large fractures and joints. The result is a higher water bearing capacity. Karst rocks also have a high porosity due to the presence of cavities that are formed by the chemical reactions hence a high water bearing capacity. Permeability This is the ability of a rock to allow water to move within a rock. The permeability of a porous rocks will depend on the connectivity of the pores and as such if there is a high degree of connectivity, then there will be a high degree of permeability, and vice versa. Fractured rocks will have a high permeability due to the high degree of fractures, and thus they will have a high water bearing capacity. Karst rocks also have a high permeability due to the presence of cavities, and thus also will have a high water bearing capacity. However, in practice, the parameters are more connected and can not be discussed in isolation when it comes to the bearing capacity of the various rocks.

Table showing the relationship between the parameters in rocks in reference to their water bearing capacities connectivity degree of porosity permeability uniformity Porous rocks fractured rocks Karst rocks Medium Very High High High low medium high variable Highly variable medium high Highly variable