IAH NSW Presents June Tech Talk
Fault Zone Hydrogeology of the Hawkesbury Sandstone
Presenter: Dr Tim McMillan
Where: Live at Level 27, 680 George Street, Sydney and online
When: Tuesday 13th June, 17:30 for a 18:00 start
Online: Teams link
Bio
Tim has been working in industry for just over two years, recently having started as a Hydrogeologist / Engineering Geologist with GHD in Wollongong. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of New South Wales’s School of Mining Engineering in 2020, with a thesis titled “Identification and Hydro-geomechanical characterisation of non-conventional fault zones”. As part of his thesis research and a five-month post-doctoral fellowship, he completed work on the Thirlmere Lakes Research Program (TLRP04), examined faults zones within the Southern Sydney Coalfields, and contributed to the field of Tidal Subsurface Analysis for hydraulic parameter estimation. Whilst in industry, Tim has worked predominately on tunnelling hydrogeological interpretive reports within metropolitan Sydney, and slope stability modelling for a variety of mine sites in Australia and abroad.
Abstract
Geological faulting is known to introduce anisotropy, permeability heterogeneity and geometric alterations into the subsurface. These alterations play a major role in controlling the hydrogeological flow paths within the Hawkesbury Sandstone, significantly influencing projects throughout the Sydney Basin.
By understanding how these fault zones (also sometimes referred to as joint swarms or structural corridors) have formed, it becomes possible to understand the distribution of hydraulic transmissive features and ultimately, when, where and at what scale do these feature matter. In this presentation key components will be presented on finding, conceptualising, and characterising fault zones within the Hawkesbury Sandstone, as well as touch on how these zones hydrogeologically interact with the over and underlying stratigraphy.
Structural Zone – Royal National Park, Sydney, NSW
