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Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK

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Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK. / Kuras, Oliver; Wilkinson, Paul B.; Meldrum, Philip I. et al.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 566-567, 01.10.2016, p. 350-359.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Kuras, O, Wilkinson, PB, Meldrum, PI, Oxby, LS, Uhlemann, S, Chambers, JE, Binley, AM, Graham, J, Smith, NT & Atherton, N 2016, 'Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 566-567, pp. 350-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212

APA

Kuras, O., Wilkinson, P. B., Meldrum, P. I., Oxby, L. S., Uhlemann, S., Chambers, J. E., Binley, A. M., Graham, J., Smith, N. T., & Atherton, N. (2016). Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK. Science of the Total Environment, 566-567, 350-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212

Vancouver

Kuras O, Wilkinson PB, Meldrum PI, Oxby LS, Uhlemann S, Chambers JE et al. Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK. Science of the Total Environment. 2016 Oct 1;566-567:350-359. Epub 2016 May 23. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212

Author

Kuras, Oliver ; Wilkinson, Paul B. ; Meldrum, Philip I. et al. / Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2016 ; Vol. 566-567. pp. 350-359.

Bibtex

@article{03a91763e00b41ffa1b979512c0ad34d,
title = "Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK",
abstract = "A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites.",
keywords = "Electrical resistivity tomography, Geophysics, Contaminant transport",
author = "Oliver Kuras and Wilkinson, {Paul B.} and Meldrum, {Philip I.} and Oxby, {Lucy S.} and Sebastian Uhlemann and Chambers, {Jonathan E.} and Binley, {Andrew Mark} and James Graham and Smith, {Nicholas T.} and Nick Atherton",
year = "2016",
month = oct,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212",
language = "English",
volume = "566-567",
pages = "350--359",
journal = "Science of the Total Environment",
issn = "0048-9697",
publisher = "Elsevier Science B.V.",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Geoelectrical monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage to support high-hazard nuclear decommissioning at the Sellafield Site, UK

AU - Kuras, Oliver

AU - Wilkinson, Paul B.

AU - Meldrum, Philip I.

AU - Oxby, Lucy S.

AU - Uhlemann, Sebastian

AU - Chambers, Jonathan E.

AU - Binley, Andrew Mark

AU - Graham, James

AU - Smith, Nicholas T.

AU - Atherton, Nick

PY - 2016/10/1

Y1 - 2016/10/1

N2 - A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites.

AB - A full-scale field experiment applying 4D (3D time-lapse) cross-borehole Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to the monitoring of simulated subsurface leakage was undertaken at a legacy nuclear waste silo at the Sellafield Site, UK. The experiment constituted the first application of geoelectrical monitoring in support of decommissioning work at a UK nuclear licensed site. Images of resistivity changes occurring since a baseline date prior to the simulated leaks revealed likely preferential pathways of silo liquor simulant flow in the vadose zone and upper groundwater system. Geophysical evidence was found to be compatible with historic contamination detected in permeable facies in sediment cores retrieved from the ERT boreholes. Results indicate that laterally discontinuous till units forming localized hydraulic barriers substantially affect flow patterns and contaminant transport in the shallow subsurface at Sellafield. We conclude that only geophysical imaging of the kind presented here has the potential to provide the detailed spatial and temporal information at the (sub-)meter scale needed to reduce the uncertainty in models of subsurface processes at nuclear sites.

KW - Electrical resistivity tomography

KW - Geophysics

KW - Contaminant transport

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.212

M3 - Journal article

VL - 566-567

SP - 350

EP - 359

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

ER -