A feasibility study of modeling pedogenic carbonates in soils and sediments at the US Department of Energy's Hanford Site

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6553280· OSTI ID:6553280

Hunter, C R; Busacca, A J ^[1]

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1. Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (USA)

This study was conducted for Pacific Northwest Laboratory by Washington State University in support of the US Department of Energy's Protective Barrier and Warning Marker System Development Program. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of deriving information about past water movement patterns from Holocene-age soils in the Hanford region, and using mathematical simulation modeling of pedogenic carbonate accumulations in layered sediments as a performance assessment tool for protective barrier development. The pedogenic carbonate models would serve two purposes in barrier performance assessment: to reconstruct Holocene water movement from the distribution of carbonates in layered sediments as an analog of future water movement in protective barriers, and to simulate the feedback effect of carbonate accumulation on soil hydraulic properties and unsaturated recharge in proposed protective barrier designs. The study progressed in three phases. The first phase was a review and interpretation of current literature on pedogenic indicators of water movement. The review focused on pedogenic and lithogenic processes that drive carbonate accumulation in arid land soils and simulation models linking carbonate distribution to soil hydraulic properties, soil water balance, and climate. The second phase of the feasibility study identified issues and limitations associated with applying or modifying existing computer simulation codes or developing a new code. Finally, the utility of proceeding with the project was determined based on an evaluation of issues and limitations in relation to barrier performance criteria. 101 refs., 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6553280
• Report Number(s): PNL-7413; ON: DE91000063
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
CARBONATES
GROUND COVER
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SEDIMENTS
FLUID FLOW
SOILS
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CLIMATES
GEOCHEMISTRY
HANFORD RESERVATION
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHEMISTRY
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
540220 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)