One of the initiatives of the Clay Club has been to launch a compilation and a review of the relevant literature on the basic concepts and mechanisms which control the movement of water, solute and gas through the whole spectrum of argillaceous media being considered for the waste disposal. This desk study was commissioned to the Fluid Processes Group of the British Geological Survey by a consortium of Clay Club member organisations.
This state-of-art report provides a synthesis of available information, identifies key concepts, analyses mechanisms and their coupling, establishes links between basic microscopic phenomena and their macroscopic responses, and highlights wherever possible some unresolved issues. This report should contribute to a better understanding of the capacity of clay-rich media to serve as barriers to the movement of radionuclides.