ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: A large research project is going on in Hungary to find the most suitable territory for a low and intermediate level radioactive waste repository. A granite massif located near Bátaapáti, between Mecsek Mountains and Szekszárdi Hills seems to be the best geological formation for this purpose. This paper deals with the isotope studies conducted to define the groundwaterflow system. The granite rock of Carboniferous age is covered by 30-70 metres thick Holocene and Pleistocene sediments. The sediment is mostly aquitard with several infiltration zones. The peripheral part of the granite body is more fractured than the inner part. The properties of the flow system were investigated by isotope measurements of groundwater samples from boreholes. Tritium content, δ-values and radiocarbon ages show that Holocene waters appear in the upper and peripheral part of the granite body, and glacial, pre-glacial waters are present in the deeper part of the bulk. The vertical water movement is only a few cm yr1. Based on isotope examination of groundwater, we conclude that this field is suitable for repository from hydrogeological point of view. We also find that the cooling due to climate change during the last ice age was 7.9 1.5°C.
