AbstractA model has been constructed to study water flow in a single clay crack, and a new concept of the critical rise rate of water level in the crack has been put forward. When the water level rises faster than this critical rate, the flow in a crack will increase, and vice versa. The flow in a crack is not in proportion to the water level. The maximium water flow in clay is 30–40 times smaller than that in a rock fissure under the same condition. In the process of water discharge, the flow in a crack will lessen gradually, and the crack will grow narrower by 3.0–4.0 cm, with its depth reducing by over
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