Use of naturally occurring helium to estimate ground-water velocities for studies of geologic storage of radioactive waste
In a study of the potential for storing radioactive waste in metamorphic rock at the Savannah River Plant near Aiken, South Carolina, the rate of water movement was determined to be about 0.06 m/y by analyzing gas dissolved in the water. The gas contained up to 6 percent helium, which originated from the radioactive decay of natural uranium and thorium in the crystalline rock. The residence time of the water in the rock was calculated to be 840,000 years from the quantity of uranium and thorium in the rock, their rates of radioactive decay, and the quantity of helium dissolved in the water. The estimation of ground-water velocities by the helium method is more applicable to the assessment of a geologic site for storage of radioactive waste than are velocities estimated from packer tests, pumping tests, or artificial tracer tests, all of which require extensive time and space extrapolations.
- Research Organization:
- Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) and Co., Aiken, S.C. (USA). Savannah River Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-09-0001
- OSTI ID:
- 5342971
- Report Number(s):
- DP-MS-77-37; CONF-771124-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
520100 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GROUND WATER
HELIUM
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
MANAGEMENT
MOTION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RARE GASES
SAFETY
SAVANNAH RIVER PLANT
STORAGE
US AEC
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VELOCITY
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WATER