GEOTRAP

GEOTRAP was the NEA Project on Radionuclide Migration in Geologic, Heterogeneous Media. GEOTRAP was devoted to the exchange of information and in-depth discussions on present approaches to acquiring field data, and testing and modelling flow and transport of radionuclides in geologic formations for the purpose of site evaluation and safety assessment of deep repository systems. This information was important for both national waste management programmes and the wider scientific community.

The project was structured as a series of forum-like workshops at which implementers, regulators, and scientists interacted. The last workshop addressed geological evidence and theoretical bases for radionuclide retention processes in heterogeneous media. As the fifth in the series, the workshop was hosted by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) in May 2001; its proceedings were published thereafter. In addition to the proceedings, an overall synthesis report for the series of five workshops was published. The preceding workshops addressed different aspects of groundwater flow and transport of radionuclides in geologic formations.

The fourth GEOTRAP workshop, Confidence in Models of Radionuclide Transport for Site-specific Performance Assessments, was held in June 1999. The workshop examined the issue of technical confidence building and provided an overview of current developments in this field.

The third GEOTRAP workshop, Characterisation of Water-Conducting Features and their Representation in Models of Radionuclide Migration, investigated how water-conducting features can determine the rate of radionuclide release from the near-field to the far-field, the rate at which radionuclides can migrate with flowing groundwater, and the degree of retention in the geosphere. A key finding of the workshop was that the characterisation of the structure and properties of water-conducting features is therefore an important requirement for any performance assessment of deep repository systems.

Variability (heterogeneity) in the properties of the rocks over a wide range of spatial scales is a common feature of most geologic media, and broad agreement exists that its characterisation and the corresponding analysis of the consequences for groundwater flow and radionuclide transport form an important part of the assessment of the safety of deep geologic repositories. The second GEOTRAP workshop, Modelling the Effects of Spatial Variability on Radionuclide Migration, explored these issues and provided an overview of current developments in the field.

The first GEOTRAP workshop, Field Tracer Experiments: Role in the Prediction of Radionuclide Migration, was co-organised with the European Commission. It provided an overview of ongoing and planned work in the study of radionuclide transport phenomena and the characterisation of relevant properties of geologic media.

Related publications

GEOTRAP: Radionuclide Migration in Geologic, Heterogeneous Media
Summary of Accomplishments

Radionuclide Retention in Geologic Media
Workshop Proceedings, Oskarshamn, Sweden, 7-9 May 2001

Confidence in Models of Radionuclide Transport for Site-specific Assessments
Synthesis and Proceedings of the fourth GEOTRAP Workshop, Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States, 14-17 June 1999

Water-Conducting Features and their Representation in Models of Radionuclide Migration
Synthesis and Proceedings from the third GEOTRAP Workshop, Barcelona, Spain, 10-12 June 1998

Modelling the Effects of Spatial Variability on Radionuclide Migration
Synthesis and Proceedings from the second GEOTRAP Workshop, Paris, France, 9-11 June 1997

Field Tracer Experiments: Role in the Prediction of Radionuclide Migration
Synthesis and Proceedings of an NEA/EC GEOTRAP Workshop, Cologne, Germany, 28-30 August 1996 – co-edition with the European Communities Series Disposal of Radioactive Waste

Last reviewed: 28 October 2014