Exploring diffusion and sorption processes at the Mont Terri rock laboratory (Switzerland): lessons learned from 20 years of field research

Transport and retardation parameters of radionuclides, which are needed to perform a safety analysis for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in a compacted claystone such as Opalinus Clay, must be based on a detailed understanding of the mobility of nuclides at different spatial scale...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Leupin, Olivier X., Van Loon, Luc Robert, Gimmi, Thomas, Wersin, Paul, Soler, Josep M.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2017
Country:España
Institution:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repository:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/174639
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/174639
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Claystone
Nuclear waste disposal
Nuclide transport
Opalinus Clay
Porosity
Porous media
Sorption
Description
Summary:Transport and retardation parameters of radionuclides, which are needed to perform a safety analysis for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste in a compacted claystone such as Opalinus Clay, must be based on a detailed understanding of the mobility of nuclides at different spatial scales (laboratory, field, geological unit). Thanks to steadily improving experimental designs, similar tracer compositions in different experiments and complementary small laboratory-scale diffusion tests, a unique and large database could be compiled. This paper presents the main findings of 20 years of diffusion and retention experiments at the Mont Terri rock laboratory and their impact on safety analysis. © 2017, The Author(s).