Jp. Bloomfield et al., REGIONAL TRENDS IN MATRIX POROSITY AND DRY DENSITY OF THE CHALK OF ENGLAND, Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology, 28, 1995, pp. 131-142
Laboratory measurements of porosity and dry density are presented for
2045 core samples from the Chalk of England. The data are subdivided o
n the basis of gross stratigraphy, i.e. Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk,
and into four geographical areas: Northern England, East Anglia, Tham
es & Chilterns and Southern England. Statistical analysis of the data
shows (i) that the porosity distributions for the Upper Chalk of the S
outhern and Thames & Chilterns regions are indistinguishable, (ii) tha
t the porosity distributions for the Middle and Lower Chalk of the Eas
t Anglian region are indistinguishable, and (iii) that the porosity di
stributions for each of the gross stratigraphical units from all other
regions are statistically discrete. Porosities range from 3.3% to 55.
5%, with a mean porosity of 34.0%. Dry densities range from 1210 kg/m(
3) to 2510 kg/m(3), with a mean dry density of 1790 kg/m(3). In a give
n region there is a trend of increasing porosity from Lower to Middle
to Upper Chalk. There are systematic variations in porosity between th
e regions. There is a trend of increasing porosity from the Northern E
ngland region to the Southern England region, to the Thames & Chiltern
s region, to East Anglia. No significant systematic variations in poro
sity-depth gradients were observed. Chalk porosity-depth gradients are
typically high, of the order of -0.07 to -0.1 porosity per cent per m
etre.