Influence of potential glaciation on the safety of an underground repository for radioactive waste at the Yeniseiyskiy site (Krasnoyarsk region)

The paper evaluates the impact of potential glaciation on the migration of radionuclides from an underground radioactive waste repository to be sited at the Yeniseiskiy site. The problem was solved by mathematical modeling methods. The study considers a 3D model of groundwater flow and radionuclide migration taking into account the heterogeneous rock permeability. Groundwater dynamics equation was solved by the successive overrelaxation method, equation governing radionuclide migration was integrated by the alternating directions method using the Douglas’ scheme. The paper describes the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on rock permeability at the site taking into account available experimental data on samples collected from different rocks. Simulation showed that in the most unfavorable case glaciation could lead to a twofold increase of time-averaged velocity of radioactive plume propagation from the repository.