ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The underground disposal of hazardous waste is a technically and scientifically challenging problem. As long-term impact on the environment cannot be ruled out from the outset, the characterisation of the hydrogeological conditions of waste disposal sites forms the basis of longterm safety assessment. Within the scope of an international co-operation between Russian and German scientists, groundwater flow and transport models were developed for investigations with regard to site selection of a repository for high radioactive and heat-generating waste in granitic crystalline rock in Siberia. The simulations show the preferential flow and transport processes within the fracture zones and emphasise the importance of a detailed knowledge of the fracture system. Due to the lack of site-specific data, the simulations rely primarily on generic data from other sites. For this reason the models are not detailed site-specific investigations, but successive development of these models can result in feasible long-term safety assessment of potential radioactive waste repositories.
