Calculation of groundwater travel time

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5234952

Arnett, R C; Sagar, B; Baca, R G

Pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time is one indicator of the isolation capability of the geologic system surrounding a repository. Two distinct modeling approaches exist for prediction of groundwater flow paths and travel times from the repository location to the designated accessible environment boundary. These two approaches are: (1) the deterministic approach which calculates a single value prediction of groundwater travel time based on average values for input parameters and (2) the stochastic approach which yields a distribution of possible groundwater travel times as a function of the nature and magnitude of uncertainties in the model inputs. The purposes of this report are to (1) document the theoretical (i.e., mathematical) basis used to calculate groundwater pathlines and travel times in a basalt system, (2) outline limitations and ranges of applicability of the deterministic modeling approach, and (3) explain the motivation for the use of the stochastic modeling approach currently being used to predict groundwater pathlines and travel times for the Hanford Site. Example calculations of groundwater travel times are presented to highlight and compare the differences between the deterministic and stochastic modeling approaches. 28 refs.

• Research Organization: Rockwell International Corp., Richland, WA (USA). Rockwell Hanford Operations
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/RW
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-77RL01030
• OSTI ID: 5234952
• Report Number(s): RHO-BWI-TA-014; ON: TI90004806
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BASALT
FLOW RATE
GROUND WATER
HANFORD RESERVATION
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ROCKS
STANDARDS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER