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Title: Characterization of Spatial Variability of Hydrogeologic Properties for Unsaturated Flow in the Fractured Rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Abstract

The spatial variability of layer-scale hydrogeologic properties of the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is investigated using inverse modeling. The thick UZ is grouped into five hydrostratigraphic units and further into 35 hydrogeologic layers. For each layer, lateral variability is represented by the variations in calibrated values of layer-scale properties at different individual deep boreholes. In the calibration model, matrix and fracture properties are calibrated for the one-dimensional vertical column at each individual borehole using the ITOUGH2 code. The objective function is the summation of the weighted misfits between the ambient unsaturated flow (represented by measured state variables: water saturation, water potential, and pneumatic pressure) and the simulated one in the one-dimensional flow system. The objective function also includes the weighted misfits between the calibrated properties and their prior information. Layer-scale state variables and prior rock properties are obtained from their core-scale measurements. Because of limited data, the lateral variability of three most sensitive properties (matrix permeability, matrix of the van Genuchten characterization, and fracture permeability) is calibrated, while all other properties are fixed at their calibrated layer-averaged values. Considerable lateral variability of hydrogeologic properties is obtained. For example, the lateral variability of is two to three ordersmore » of magnitude and that of and is one order of magnitude. The effect of lateral variability on site-scale flow and transport will be investigated in a future study.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (US)
OSTI Identifier:
822833
Report Number(s):
LBNL-50505
R&D Project: 465103; TRN: US0401432
DOE Contract Number:  
AC03-76SF00098
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: International Groundwater Symposium on Bridging the Gap Between Measurements and Modeling in Heterogeneous Media, Berkeley, CA (US), 03/25/2002--03/28/2002; Other Information: PBD: 21 May 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; 58 GEOSCIENCES; BOREHOLES; CALIBRATION; FRACTURE PROPERTIES; FRACTURES; PERMEABILITY; PNEUMATICS; SIMULATION; TRANSPORT; WATER; WATER SATURATION; YUCCA MOUNTAIN

Citation Formats

Zhou, Quanlin, Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S, Liu, Hui-Hai, and Oldenburg, Curtis M. Characterization of Spatial Variability of Hydrogeologic Properties for Unsaturated Flow in the Fractured Rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. United States: N. p., 2002. Web.
Zhou, Quanlin, Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S, Liu, Hui-Hai, & Oldenburg, Curtis M. Characterization of Spatial Variability of Hydrogeologic Properties for Unsaturated Flow in the Fractured Rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. United States.
Zhou, Quanlin, Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S, Liu, Hui-Hai, and Oldenburg, Curtis M. 2002. "Characterization of Spatial Variability of Hydrogeologic Properties for Unsaturated Flow in the Fractured Rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/822833.
@article{osti_822833,
title = {Characterization of Spatial Variability of Hydrogeologic Properties for Unsaturated Flow in the Fractured Rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada},
author = {Zhou, Quanlin and Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S and Liu, Hui-Hai and Oldenburg, Curtis M},
abstractNote = {The spatial variability of layer-scale hydrogeologic properties of the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is investigated using inverse modeling. The thick UZ is grouped into five hydrostratigraphic units and further into 35 hydrogeologic layers. For each layer, lateral variability is represented by the variations in calibrated values of layer-scale properties at different individual deep boreholes. In the calibration model, matrix and fracture properties are calibrated for the one-dimensional vertical column at each individual borehole using the ITOUGH2 code. The objective function is the summation of the weighted misfits between the ambient unsaturated flow (represented by measured state variables: water saturation, water potential, and pneumatic pressure) and the simulated one in the one-dimensional flow system. The objective function also includes the weighted misfits between the calibrated properties and their prior information. Layer-scale state variables and prior rock properties are obtained from their core-scale measurements. Because of limited data, the lateral variability of three most sensitive properties (matrix permeability, matrix of the van Genuchten characterization, and fracture permeability) is calibrated, while all other properties are fixed at their calibrated layer-averaged values. Considerable lateral variability of hydrogeologic properties is obtained. For example, the lateral variability of is two to three orders of magnitude and that of and is one order of magnitude. The effect of lateral variability on site-scale flow and transport will be investigated in a future study.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/822833}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue May 21 00:00:00 EDT 2002},
month = {Tue May 21 00:00:00 EDT 2002}
}

Conference:
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