Evaluation of a predictive ground-water solute-transport model at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho. US Geological Survey water-resources investigation 82-25

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5247353

Lewis, B D; Goldstein, F J

In 1973, a digital chemical solute-transport modeling study at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) had been used to project chloride and tritium waste plumes for 1980. The model indicated that for the conditions assumed, the wastes would be at or near the INEL southern boundary by 1980. Eight wells were drilled during the summer of 1980 near the southern boundary to fill existing gaps in the INEL hydrogeological data base, to delineate the leading edge of the waste plumes, and to monitor for first arrivals of aqueous wastes at the existing boundary of the INEL. The data from the eight wells were used to evaluate the accuracy of the predictive model, and the assumptions used. The subsurface geology in the southwestern INEL vicinity is dominated by thin basalt flows interbedded with layers of sediment and silicic rocks are penetrated only in those wells near the INEL's southern boundary. The Arco volcanic rift zone was found to have a marked effect on the regional ground-water flow regimen, and perhaps, on water quality. This same subsurface geologic structure appears to have lower water-yielding and transmitting capabilities than the surrounding aquifer matrix and retards the movement of aqueous wastes. The leading edges of the chloride and tritium waste plumes are 2 to 3 miles upgradient from the southern boundary of the INEL, and higher-than-background specific conductance values are measurable at about the same upgradient distance. As expected, the waste plumes projected by the computer model for 1980 extended somewhat further downgradient than indicated by well data due to conservative worst-case assumptions in the model input and inaccurate approximations of subsequent waste discharge and aquifer recharge conditions.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Idaho Falls, ID (USA). Water Resources Div.
• OSTI ID: 5247353
• Report Number(s): IDO-22062; ON: DE82012698
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
GROUND WATER
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
HYDROLOGY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
AQUIFERS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
CHLORIDES
EVALUATION
LIQUID FLOW
LIQUID WASTES
PLUMES
TRITIUM
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
FLUID FLOW
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOISOTOPES
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
520301* - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Water- (1987)
580100 - Geology & Hydrology- (-1989)