Potential Groundwater Recharge and the Effects of Soil Heterogeneity on Flow at Two Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada Test Site
Two low-level Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs), consisting of shallow land burial disposal units at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), are managed by Bechtel Nevada for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration. The NTS has an arid climate with annual average precipitation of about 17 cm at the Area 3 RWMS and about 13 cm at the Area 5 RWMS. The vadose zone is about 490 m thick at the Area 3 RWMS, and about 235 m thick at the Area 5 RWMS. Numerous studies indicate that under current climatic conditions, there is generally no groundwater recharge at these sites. Groundwater recharge may occur at isolated locations surrounding the RWMSs, such as in large drainage washes. However, groundwater recharge scenarios (and radionuclide transport) at the RWMSs are modeled in support of Performance Assessment (PA) documents required for operation of each RWMS. Recharge scenarios include conditions of massive subsidence and flooding, and recharge resulting from deep infiltration through bare-soil waste covers. This paper summarizes the groundwater recharge scenarios and travel time estimates that have been conducted in support of the PAs, and examines the effects of soil hydraulic property heterogeneity on flow.
- Research Organization:
- Bechtel Nevada Corporation (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC08-96NV11718
- OSTI ID:
- 788883
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NV/11718-609; TRN: US0110929
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2002 International Groundwater Symposium, Berkeley, CA (US), 03/25/2001--03/28/2001; Other Information: PBD: 1 Nov 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GROUND DISPOSAL
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
NEVADA TEST SITE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
REMOTE AREAS
SOILS
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
FLOW MODELS