Sensitivity studies of unsaturated groundwater flow modeling for groundwater travel time calculations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Unsaturated flow has been modeled through four cross-sections at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the purpose of determining groundwater particle travel times from the potential repository to the water table. This work will be combined with the results of flow modeling in the saturated zone for the purpose of evaluating the suitability of the potential repository under the criteria of 10CFR960. One criterion states, in part, that the groundwater travel time (GWTT) from the repository to the accessible environment must exceed 1,000 years along the fastest path of likely and significant radionuclide travel. Sensitivity analyses have been conducted for one geostatistical realization of one cross-section for the purpose of (1) evaluating the importance of hydrological parameters having some uncertainty (infiltration, fracture-matrix connectivity, fracture frequency, and matrix air entry pressure or van Genuchten {alpha}); and (2) examining conceptual models of flow by altering the numerical implementation of the conceptual model (dual permeability (DK) and the equivalent continuum model (ECM)). Results of comparisons of the ECM and DK model are also presented in Ho et al.
- Research Organization:
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society (ANS), La Grange Park, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 405220
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960421-; TRN: 97:000546
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 7. annual international high-level radioactive waste management conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 29 Apr - 3 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of High level radioactive waste management: Proceedings of the seventh annual international conference; PB: 519 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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