ABSTRACT
In 2021, COVRA launched a new long-term research programme on the deep geological disposal of radioactive waste. For disposal in rock salt, the following salt topics will be addressed: long-term evolution of the permeability-porosity of the backfill and excavation damage zone, past diapirism and subrosion rates in the Netherlands, availability of brine in (bedded) salt, setting up a database with properties of rock salt, mapping of the Röt Formation. Though the long-term research programme has just started, the first results have been obtained for the diapirism and subrosion rates in the Netherlands. These results showed that the external uplift and subrosion rate of the Anloo, Hooghalen, Schoonloo, and Gasselte-Drouwen diapir varied since the Late Cretaceous between 0.0034-0.021 mm/year and 0-0.08 mm/year respectively.
