Advances in groundwater modeling at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:7067614

Bownds, J M; Ketelle, R H; Lee, R R ^[1]; Rizk, T A ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
2. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (USA)

A groundwater flow and contaminant transport model validation study was performed to determine the applicability of verified and commonly used groundwater flow models for performance assessment of proposed waste disposal facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Standard practice site interpretation and groundwater modeling resulted in inaccurate predictions of contaminant transport at a proposed waste disposal site. The study involved iterative phases of site field investigation and modeling prior to initial modeling, the site geology and hydrogeology were intensity characterized and a groundwater dye tracer test was performed to obtain data against which model results could be compared to test accuracy. The initial site groundwater model incorporated the assumptions of horizontally layered, homogeneous but anisotropic aquifer materials. Simulations using this approach failed to accurately simulate the dye tracer behavior because of poor resolution of the heterogeneous site conditions. Subsequent modeling activities focused on generation of a model grid incorporating the observed site geologic site heterogeneity, and on establishing and using model boundary conditions based on site data. This study demonstrates that in the Oak Ridge hydrogeologic setting, conventional porous medium modeling provides only low resolution results when compared to an aquifer tracer test. Site specific geologic factors which influence groundwater flow must be incorporated in the model to achieve high resolution model results. 7 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/ER
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 7067614
• Report Number(s): CONF-891098-7; ON: DE90009400
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540330* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AQUIFERS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FIELD TESTS
FLOW MODELS
FLUID FLOW
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORNL
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE STUDIES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
STEADY-STATE CONDITIONS
TESTING
TRACER TECHNIQUES
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VALIDATION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER