GEOTRAP is the OECD/NEA Project on Radionuclide Migration in Geologic, Heterogeneous Media carried out in the context of site evaluation and safety assessment of deep repository systems for long-lived radioactive waste.
Water-conducting features can, for example, determine the rate of radionuclide release from the near-field to the far-field, the rate at which radionuclides can migrate with flowing groundwater, and the degree of retention in the geosphere. Therefore, the characterisation of the structure and properties of water-conducting features is an important requirement for any performance assessment of deep repository systems. The third GEOTRAP workshop, “Characterisation of Water-Conducting Features and their Representation in Models of Radionuclide Migration” (Barcelona, Spain, 10-12 June 1998), addressed these issues and provided an overview of current developments in this technical field – both within national waste management programmes and the scientific community. These developments reinforce confidence in the concepts and models used for repository performance assessment.
In addition to the material presented, this publication includes a technical synthesis of the workshop, reflecting the discussions that took place as well as the conclusions and recommendations made, notably during the working group sessions.