Abstract
Subseabed disposal of radioactive waste applies a multiple-barrier concept with the sediment being the most important barrier for preventing a release of nuclides into the biosphere. While many investigations have been carried out to analyze the risk potential in this type of disposal, the effects of sediment consolidation and associated fluid flow have not fully been taken into consideration. Here, possible effects of consolidational fluid flow in the penetrator disposal option and possible consequences to the transport of nuclides in the sediment are analyzed. Results of numerical experiments demonstrate that consolidation contributes to the transport of radioactive nuclides released from containers buried in the sediment and to the release of nuclides at the sediment-water interface. Both depend on geological conditions and to a large extent on possible alterations of hydraulic conductivity i of the sediment in the vicinity of the entry path of a penetrator.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- c :
-
concentration ml m−3
- c′ a :
-
concentration of adsorbed solute mg kg−1 (relative to dry weight of sorbing substance)
- c in :
-
solute concentration of source q mg m−3
- c 0 :
-
initial concentration mg m−3
- ID :
-
dispersion tensorm 2s−1
- ID * :
-
diffusion tensor m2s−1
- D :
-
coefficient of dispersion m2s−1
- d 0 :
-
coefficient of molecular diffusion m2s−1
- d :
-
coefficient of effective diffusion m2s−1
- g :
-
gravity m2s−1
- h :
-
piezometric pressure m
- k :
-
hydraulic conductivity m2s−1
- m :
-
mass kg
- p :
-
pressure Pa
- q :
-
source/sink m3s−1
- S 0 :
-
specific surface m2m−3
- t :
-
time s
- v :
-
velocity m s−1
- x, z :
-
cartesian coordinates m
- α:
-
compressibiliy of sediment m2N−1
- α L :
-
longitudinal dispersivity m
- φ :
-
effective porosity (decimal fraction)
- ρ :
-
density kg m−3
- ρ s :
-
density of sediment kg m−3
- ρ w :
-
density of water kg m−3
- λ :
-
decay constant per s
- μ :
-
kinematic viscosity m2s−1
References
Athy LF (1930) Density, porosity and compaction of sedimentary rocks. Bull AAPG 14:1–24
Bear J (1972) Dynamics of fluid in porous media. New York: Elsevier. 764 pp
Bethke CM and Corbet TF (1988) Linear and nonlinear solutions for the one-dimensional compaction flow in sedimentary basins. Water Resour Res 24:461–467
Bitzer K (1994) Porenwasserbewegung und Stofftransport bei der Konsolidation klastischer Sedimente. Freiburger Geowiss Beitr 5:XIX + 205 pp
Bitzer K (1995) Fluid flow and consolidation in sedimentary basins (submitted)
Bonham LC (1980) Migration of hydrocarbons in compacting basins. Bull AAPG 64:549–567
Bredehoeft JD and Hanshaw BB (1968) On the maintenance of anomalous pressures: I. Thick sedimentary sequences. Bull Geol Soc Am 79:1097–1106
deMarsily G (1986) Quantitative hydrogeology. London: Academic Press. 440 pp
deMarsily G and others (1988) Feasability of disposal of high-level radioactive waste into the seabed, vol 2: radiological assessment. Paris: OECD. 326 pp
Einsele G (1977) Range, velocity, and material flux of compaction flow in growing sedimentary sequences. Sedimentology 24:639–655
Gelhar LW and Collins MA (1971) General analysis of longitudinal dispersion in nonuniform flow. Water Resour Res 7:1511–1521
Gibson RE (1958) The process of consolidation in a clay layer increasing in thickness with time. Geotechnique 8:171–182
Hickerson J and others (1988) Feasability of disposal of high-level radioactive waste into the seabed, vol 4: engineering, Paris: OECD. 236 pp
Kidd RB and Searle RC (1984) Sedimentation in the southern Cape Verde Basin: regional observations by long-range sidescan sonar. In: Stow DAV and Piper DJW (Eds), Fine-grained sediments: deep water processes and facies. Geol Soc Spec Publ 15:145–152
Korvin G (1984) Shale compaction and statistical physics. Geophys J R Astronom Soc 78:35–50
Krauskopf KB (1988) Radioactive waste disposal and geology. London: Chapman and Hall. 145 pp
Manheim FT (1970) The diffusion of ions in unconsolidated sediments. Earth Planet Sci Lett 9:307–309
Milnes AG (1985) Geology and radwaste. London: Academic Press. 328 pp
Neuzil CE (1980) Groundwater flow in low-permeability environments. Water Resour Res 22:1163–1195
OECD (1988) Feasability of disposal of high-level radioactive waste into the seabed, vol 1: overview of research and conclusions. Paris: OECD. 66 pp
Pederson T and Bjørlykke K (1994) Fluid flow in sedimentary basins: model of pore water flow in a vertical fracture. Basin Res 6:1–6
Roxburgh IS (1987) Geology of high-level nuclear waste disposal. London: Chapman and Hall. 229 pp
Shephard LE and others (1988) Feasability of disposal of high-level radioactive waste into the seabed, vol 3: geoscience characterization studies. Paris: OECD. 318 pp
Voss CI (1984) A finite-element simulation model for saturatedunsaturated ground-water flow with energy transport or chemically-reactive single species solute transport. Reston, VA: US Geological Survey. 409 pp
Weaver PPE, Searle RC, and Kuijpers A (1986) Turbidite deposition and the origin of the Madeira Abyssal Plain. In: Summerhayes CP and Shackleton NJ (Eds), North Atlantic palaeoceanography. Geol Soc Spec Publ 21:131–143
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bitzer, K. Subseabed disposal of radioactive waste: effects of consolidational fluid flow. Geo 27, 300–308 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00766699
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00766699