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Stochastic analysis of the effect of heterogeneity and fractures on radionuclide transport in a low-permeability clay layer

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Deep low-permeability clay layers are considered as safe environments for disposal of high-level radioactive waste. In Belgium, the Boom Clay is a candidate host rock for deep geological disposal. In this study, we analyze the effects of fractures and spatially variable hydraulic conductivity on radionuclide migration through the clay. Fracture geometry and properties are simulated with Monte Carlo simulation. The heterogeneity of hydraulic conductivity is simulated by direct sequential co-simulation using measurements of hydraulic conductivity and four types of secondary variables. The hydraulic conductivity and fracture simulations are used as input for a transport model. Radionuclide fluxes computed with this heterogeneous model are compared with fluxes obtained with a homogeneous model. The output fluxes of the heterogeneous model differ at most 8% from the homogeneous model. The main safety function of the Boom Clay is thus not affected by the fractures and the spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the Fund for Scientific Research—Flanders for providing a Research Assistant scholarship to the first author. We also wish to thank ONDRAF/NIRAS (Belgium agency for radioactive waste and enriched fissile materials) and SCK-CEN (Belgian Nuclear Research Centre) for providing the necessary data for this study. We also thank René Therrien and Rob McLaren for providing FRAC3DVS and for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. KULeuven, Department of Geology-Geography, Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology Group, Redingenstraat 16, 3000, Leuven, Belgium

    Marijke Huysmans & Alain Dassargues

  2. Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Department of Georesources, Geotechnologies and Building Materials (GEOMAC), University of Liège, B52/3, Liège, Belgium

    Alain Dassargues

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  1. Marijke Huysmans
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  2. Alain Dassargues
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Correspondence to Marijke Huysmans.

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Huysmans, M., Dassargues, A. Stochastic analysis of the effect of heterogeneity and fractures on radionuclide transport in a low-permeability clay layer. Environ Geol 48, 920–930 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-0030-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-005-0030-2

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