Geologic site characterization for deep nuclear waste disposal in fractured rock based on 3K data visualization

摘要

Three-dimensional (3D) visualization of data is anessential step in the development of descriptive hydrologic androck-mechanical models of fractured rock systems. Data includesgeological properties, rock mechanical properties and hydraulicresponses. The 3K visualization approach is applied tocharacterizing a hypothetical site for a high-level nuclear wasterepository located at 500m depth in granitoids of the trans-Scandinavian igneous belt (1.6-1.8 Ga old). The study is based onsite-specific data at the Aspo Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL) onthe southeastern coast of Sweden. The data are extensive andspatially complex and are based on surface information, as wellas a large number of boreholes penetrating up to 1000m. At thissite, fracture and fracture zones control both groundwater flowand mechanical stability. Structures are found within a 2×2×1 kmdeep model block representing the site. 3Dlocations of fracturesand fracture zones are hypothesized based on surface andsubsurface geological geophysical information, includingborehole radar. This results in a 3D geological model structure of the site.