The Opalinus Clay is notable in Switzerland as being the selected host rock for deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. Since the early 1990’s, this argillaceous mudstone formation of Jurassic age has been intensively studied within the framework of national and international projects to characterize its geological, hydrological, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biological properties. While there is no formal stratigraphic subdivision, the Opalinus Clay lithology is classically divided into several, dam- to m-scale sub-units (or facies), depending on location. Recent multi-proxy studies (combining petrographic, petrophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical analyses) have however demonstrated that high, intra-facies, lithological heterogeneity occurs at the dm- to cm-scale. To constrain this small-scale heterogeneity into distinct lithological units (subfacies), the present study aims at defining and presenting a convenient subfacies classification scheme covering the overall Opalinus Clay lithology across northern Switzerland. Petrographic (macro- and microfacies), mineralogical (X-ray diffraction) and textural (image analysis, machine learning and 3D X-ray computed tomography) analyses are performed on diverse drill cores from the Mont Terri rock laboratory (northwestern Switzerland), and results are extended further to the east (Riniken, Weiach, and Benken). Most of the investigated Opalinus Clay can be described by the use of five distinctive subfacies types (SF1 to SF5), which are visually and quantitatively distinguishable by texture (grain size, bedding, fabric, and color) and composition (nature and mineralogy of components). The five subfacies types can be further refined by additional attributes and sedimentary characteristics (biogenic, diagenetic, and structural). Eventually, the widespread and consistent use of standardized Opalinus Clay subfacies types provides the means to harmonize petrographic descriptions within multidisciplinary research projects, enhance reproducibility of in situ experiments, and further evidence the tight relations between lithology and various rock properties.
<p>The Opalinus Clay, an argillaceous to silty claystone formation, is known in Switzerland as being the selected host rock for deep geological disposal of high-, intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste. Since the 1990s, various properties of the Opalinus Clay have been studied within the framework of the Nagra (National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste) deep drilling campaigns and the Mont Terri Project (international research program dedicated to the investigation of claystone). The Opalinus Clay succession was deposited during the Late Toarcian to Early Aalenian in an epicontinental sea covering central Europe.</p><p>Although the Opalinus Clay is relatively homogeneous at formation-scale compared to other Mesozoic formations in northern Switzerland, significant lithological variations occur at lower scales. Besides m-scale lithofacies variations, high, intra-facies lithological variability occur at dm- to cm-scale. The facies diversity is primary attributed to regional differences in depositional, environmental and diagenetic conditions. In order to harmonize petrographic descriptions in an objective and quantitative way within all fields of research related to the Opalinus Clay, a subfacies classification scheme has been developed (SF1 to SF5, applied mostly on Mont Terri drill cores). The subfacies are distinguished by parameters such as texture (grain size, bedding, fabric and colour) and composition (nature and mineralogy of components). The five subfacies types can be further refined by additional attributes and sedimentary characteristics (biogenic, diagenetic, structural).</p><p>Subfacies descriptions are crucial to understand the lateral and vertical facies variability at regional scale. Moreover, accurate petrographic descriptions are a crucial prerequisite to many geotechnical studies and the prediction of petrophysical properties.</p><p>The main goal of the present study is to define a subfacies classification model covering the entire Opalinus Clay succession of the Mont Terri rock laboratory and successions deposited further to the east. Nagra is currently investigating three potential sites for radioactive waste storage within the Opalinus Clay in northern Switzerland. Nine new drill cores are used to apply the subfacies classification scheme. If necessary, the subfacies classification scheme will be adapted considering regional facies heterogeneities. Based on the new subfacies classification, depositional models for the Opalinus Clay will be refined.</p>
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