• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.725-736
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• 2023

The compliance of deep geological disposal facilities for high-level radioactive waste with safety objectives requires consideration of uncertainties owing to temporal changes in the disposal system. A comprehensive review and analysis of the characteristics of this evolution should be undertaken to identify the effects on multiple barriers and the biosphere. We analyzed the evolution of the buffer, backfill, plug, and closure regions during the early phase of the post-closure period as part of a long-term performance assessment for an operating license application for a deep geological repository in Finland. Degradation mechanisms generally expected in engineered barriers were considered, and long-term evolution features were examined for use in performance assessments. The importance of evolution features was classified into six categories based on the design of the Finnish case. Results are expected to be useful as a technical basis for performance and safety assessment in developing the Korean deep geological disposal system for high-level radioactive waste. However, for a more detailed review and evaluation of each feature, it is necessary to obtain data for the final disposal site and facility-specific design, and to assess its impact in advance.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.33-46
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• 2008

A series of three-dimensional numerical simulations using a generalized multidimensional hydrodynamic dispersion numerical model is performed to simulate effectively and to evaluate quantitatively impacts of fault existence on densitydependent groundwater flow and salt transport in coastal aquifer systems. A series of steady-state numerical simulations with calibration is performed first for an actual coastal aquifer system which contains a major fault. A series of steadystate numerical simulations is then performed for a corresponding coastal aquifer system which does not have such a major fault. Finally, the results of both numerical simulations are compared with each other and analyzed. The results of the numerical simulations show that the major fault produces hydrogeologically significant heterogeneity and true anisotropy in the actual coastal aquifer system, and density-dependent groundwater flow, salt transport, and seawater intrusion patterns in the coastal aquifer systems are intensively and extensively dependent upon the existence or absence of such a major fault. Especially, the major fault may act as a pathway for groundwater flow and salt transport along the direction parallel to its plane, while it may also behave as a barrier against groundwater flow and salt transport along the direction perpendicular to its plane.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.16 no.1 s.47
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• pp.69-83
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• 2006

This study aims to evaluate a complex groundwater flow system around the underground oil storage caverns using the concept of hydraulic compartment. For the hydrogeological analysis, the hydraulic testing data, the evolution of groundwater levels in 28 surface monitoring boreholes and pressure variation of 95 horizontal and 63 vertical water curtain holes in the caverns were utilized. At the cavern level, the Hydraulic Conductor Domains(fracture zones) are characterized one local major fracture zone(NE-1)and two local fracture zones between the FZ-1 and FZ-2 fracture zones. The Hydraulic Rock Domain(rock mass) is divided into four compartments by the above local fracture zones. Two Hydraulic Rock Domains(A, B) around the FZ-2 zone have a relatively high initial groundwater pressures up to $15kg/cm^2$ and the differences between the upper and lower groundwater levels, measured from the monitoring holes equipped with double completion, are in the range of 10 and 40 m throughout the construction stage, indicating relatively good hydraulic connection between the near surface and bedrock groundwater systems. On the other hand, two Hydraulic Rock Domains(C, D) adjacent to the FZ-1, the groundwater levels in the upper and lower zones are shown a great difference in the maximum of 120 m and the high water levels in the upper groundwater system were not varied during the construction stage. This might be resulted from the very low hydraulic conductivity$(7.2X10^{-10}m/sec)$ in the zone, six times lower than that of Domain C, D. Groundwater recharge rates obtained from the numerical modeling are 2% of the annual mean precipitation(1,356mm/year) for 20 years.