Hydrogeologic effects of natural disruptive events on nuclear waste repositories

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5251423· OSTI ID:5251423

Davis, S N

Some possible hydrogeologic effects of disruptive events that may affect repositories for nuclear wastte are described. A very large number of combinations of natural events can be imagined, but only those events which are judged to be most probable are covered. Waste-induced effects are not considered. The disruptive events discussed above are placed into four geologic settings. Although the geology is not specific to given repository sites that have been considered by other agencies, the geology has been generalized from actual field data and is, therefore, considered to be physically reasonable. The geologic settings considered are: (1) interior salt domes of the Gulf Coast, (2) bedded salt of southeastern New Mexico, (3) argillaceous rocks of southern Nevanda, and (4) granitic stocks of the Basin and Range Province. Log-normal distributions of permeabilities of rock units are given for each region. Chapters are devoted to: poresity and permeability of natural materials, regional flow patterns, disruptive events (faulting, dissolution of rock forming minerals, fracturing from various causes, rapid changes of hydraulic regimen); possible hydrologic effects of disruptive events; and hydraulic fracturing.

• Research Organization: Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5251423
• Report Number(s): PNL-2858
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
053000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Environmental Aspects
054000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Health & Safety
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
CAVITIES
COMMINUTION
DISSOLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FAILURES
FRACTURING
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GRANITES
GROUND WATER
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PLUTONIC ROCKS
POROSITY
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
ROCKS
SALT CAVERNS
SALT DEPOSITS
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SHALES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER