Enhancement of flow rates through porous media

A procedure for increasing the permeability of the ground-material around a borehole in the ground, wherein the procedure includes:

• first ensuring that the pores of the said ground-material are saturated with liquid, and the liquid is under a head of pressure, and is coherent with liquid inside the borehole;
• then applying perturbations to the ground-material, and continuing to apply same for a substantial period of time;
• wherein, in respect of each perturbation:
• the nature of the perturbation, as applied, is such as to create, in respect of each perturbation, a corresponding porosity-pulse in the ground-material;
• the porosity-pulse comprises a momentary physical deformation of the ground-material, and the said physical deformation is manifested as an increase in the porosity of the ground-material;
• the perturbation is strong enough that the said physical deformation, being the increase in porosity, is substantial;
• the perturbation is weak enough that the said physical deformation, being the increase in porosity, can be accommodated within the elastic limit of the ground-material, being not so strong as to produce any irreversible residual deformation of the ground-material.