Processes and parameters involved in modeling radionuclide transport from bedded salt repositories. Final report. Technical memorandum

Deep geological isolation of nuclear waste: numerical modeling of repository scale hydrology

“…It is often very difficult to determine which of these processes will be important at a particular scale in a particular scenario. The thermomigration process may only be expected to transport radionuclides over very short distances(Evenson, et al, 1979) and we may conclude that this process will be important primarily at the room scale. It is generally difficult to predict the extent of convection and thermomechanical effects, although we suspect that individual thermal effects may be very important at all length scales.…”

“…The first two processes are most important in repository perfor mance and result in attenuation of radionuclide transport through porous media so that the radionuclides are transported more slowly than the bulk flow rate of the advecting water. Ion exchange and adsorption are processes which involve the temporary binding of radionuclides to the surface of the solid matrix of the porous medium(Evenson, et al, 1979). Sorption processes are generally very complicated and are described by a large variety of parameters.…”