• Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.219-230
• /
• 2017

This study was conducted to predict and evaluate the uncertainty of safety after closure of the second phase surface disposal facility of the Gyeongju intermediate and low level repository in Korea. In this study, four scenarios are developed considering both intact and degraded states of multi-layered covers and disposal containers; also, the fluid flow by a rainfall into the disposal facility is simulated. The rainfall conditions are implemented based on the monthly average data of the past 30 years (1985~2014); the simulation period is 300 years, the management period regulated by institutional provisions. As a result of the evaluation of the basic scenario, in which the integrity of both of the containers and the covers is maintained, it was confirmed that penetration of rainfall does not completely saturate the inside of the disposal facility. It is revealed that the multiple cover layers and concrete containers effectively play the role of barrier against the permeation of rainfall.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.79-89
• /
• 2005

Groundwater level changes in coastal aquifers occur due to oceanic tides, where the properties of oceanic tides can be applied to estimate hyadraulic parameters. Hydraulic parameters of coastal aquifers located in eastern part of Jeju island were estimated using the tidal response technique. Groundwater level data from a saltwater intrusion monitoring well system was used which showed tidal effects from 3 to 5 km. The hydraulic gradient was assessed by utilizing the filtering method from 71 consecutive hourly water-level observations. Calculated hydraulic diffusivity ranged from 2.94${\times}10^7m^2d^{-1}$ to 4.36${\times}10^7m^2d^{-1}$ . The hydraulic gradient of the coastal aquifer area was found to be ~$10^{-4}$, whereas the gradient of the area between wells Handong-1 and 2 was found to be ~$10^{-6}$, which is very low comparatively. Analysis of groundwater monitoring data showed that groundwater levels are periodically higher near coastal areas compared to that of inner land areas due to oceanic tide influences. When assessing groundwater flow direction in coastal aquifers it is important to consider tidal fluctuation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Groundwater Environment
• /
• v.7 no.3
• /
• pp.103-115
• /
• 2000

The formation of brown-colored precipitates is one of the serious problems frequently encountered in the development and supply of groundwater in Korea, because by it the water exceeds the drinking water standard in terms of color. taste. turbidity and dissolved iron concentration and of often results in scaling problem within the water supplying system. In groundwaters from the Pajoo area, brown precipitates are typically formed in a few hours after pumping-out. In this paper we examine the process of the brown precipitates' formation using the equilibrium thermodynamic and kinetic approaches, in order to understand the origin and geochemical pathway of the generation of turbidity in groundwater. The results of this study are used to suggest not only the proper pumping technique to minimize the formation of precipitates but also the optimal design of water treatment methods to improve the water quality. The bed-rock groundwater in the Pajoo area belongs to the Ca-$HCO_3$type that was evolved through water/rock (gneiss) interaction. Based on SEM-EDS and XRD analyses, the precipitates are identified as an amorphous, Fe-bearing oxides or hydroxides. By the use of multi-step filtration with pore sizes of 6, 4, 1, 0.45 and 0.2 $\mu\textrm{m}$, the precipitates mostly fall in the colloidal size (1 to 0.45 $\mu\textrm{m}$) but are concentrated (about 81%) in the range of 1 to 6 $\mu\textrm{m}$in teams of mass (weight) distribution. Large amounts of dissolved iron were possibly originated from dissolution of clinochlore in cataclasite which contains high amounts of Fe (up to 3 wt.%). The calculation of saturation index (using a computer code PHREEQC), as well as the examination of pH-Eh stability relations, also indicate that the final precipitates are Fe-oxy-hydroxide that is formed by the change of water chemistry (mainly, oxidation) due to the exposure to oxygen during the pumping-out of Fe(II)-bearing, reduced groundwater. After pumping-out, the groundwater shows the progressive decreases of pH, DO and alkalinity with elapsed time. However, turbidity increases and then decreases with time. The decrease of dissolved Fe concentration as a function of elapsed time after pumping-out is expressed as a regression equation Fe(II)=10.l exp(-0.0009t). The oxidation reaction due to the influx of free oxygen during the pumping and storage of groundwater results in the formation of brown precipitates, which is dependent on time, $Po_2$and pH. In order to obtain drinkable water quality, therefore, the precipitates should be removed by filtering after the stepwise storage and aeration in tanks with sufficient volume for sufficient time. Particle size distribution data also suggest that step-wise filtration would be cost-effective. To minimize the scaling within wells, the continued (if possible) pumping within the optimum pumping rate is recommended because this technique will be most effective for minimizing the mixing between deep Fe(II)-rich water and shallow $O_2$-rich water. The simultaneous pumping of shallow $O_2$-rich water in different wells is also recommended.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.35-51
• /
• 2002

This study aims to establish the methodology for design of an optimum water curtain system of the unlined underground oil storage cavern satisfying the requirements of hydrodynamic performance in a volcanic terrain of the south coastal area. For the optimum water curtain system in the storage facility, the general characteristics of groundwater flow system in the site are quantitatively described, i.e. distribution of hydraulic gradients, groundwater inflow rate into the storage caverns, and hydrogeologic influence area of the cavern. In this study, numerical models such as MODFLOW, FracMan/MAFIC and CONNECTFLOW are used for calculating the hydrogeological stability parameters. The design of a horizontal water curtain system requires considering the distance between water curtain and storage cavern, spacing of the water curtain boreholes, and injection pressure. From the numerical simulations at different scales, the optimum water curtain systems satisfying the containment criteria are obtained. The inflow rates into storage caverns estimated by a continuum model ranged from about 120 m$^3$/day during the operation stage to 130~140m$^3$/day during the construction stage, whereas the inflow rates by a fracture network model are 80~175m$^3$/day. The excavation works in the site will generate the excessive decline of groundwater level in a main fracture zone adjacent to the cavern. Therefore, the vertical water curtain system is necessary for sustaining the safe groundwater level in the fracture zone.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.19 no.4
• /
• pp.529-541
• /
• 2009

Hydrochemical, stable isotopic ($\delta^{18}O$ and dD) and noble gas isotopic analyses of seven hot spring water samples, eleven groundwater samples and six surface water samples collected from the Icheon and Pocheon area were carried out to find out hydrochemical characteristics, and to interpret the source of noble gases and the geochemical evolution of the hot spring waters. The hot spring waters show low temperature type ranging from 21.5 to $31.4^{\circ}C$ and the pH value between 6.69 and 9.21. Electrical conductivity of hot spring waters has the range from 310 to $735\;{\mu}S/cm$. Whereas the hot spring water in the Icheon area shows the geochemical characteristics of neutral pH, the $Ca-HCO_3$(or $Ca(Na)-HCO_3$) chemical type and a high uranium content, the hot spring water in the Pocheon area shows the characteristics of alkaline pH, the $Na-HCO_3$ chemical type and a high fluorine content. These characteristics indicate that the hot spring water in the Icheon area is under the early stage in the geochemical evolution, and that the hot spring water in the Pocheon area has been geochemically evolved. The $\delta^{18}O$ and ${\delta}D$ values of hot spring waters show the range of $-10.1{\sim}-8.69%o$ and from $-72.2{\sim}-60.8%o$, respectively, and these values supply the information of the recharge area of hot spring waters. The $^3He/^4He$ ratios of the hot spring waters range from $0.09\;{\times}\;10^{-6}$ to $0.65\;{\times}\;10^{-6}$ which are plotted above the mixing line between air and crustal components. Whereas the helium gas in the Icheon hot spring water was mainly provided from the atmospheric source mixing with the mantle(or magma) origin, the origin of helium gas in the Pocheon hot spring water shows a dominant crustal source. $^{40}Ar/^{36}Ar$ ratios of hot spring water are in the range of an atmosphere source.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.45-55
• /
• 2015

Purifying leachate discharged from animal carcass disposal sites requires decisions regarding the locations and numbers of boreholes. An electrical resistivity survey, known to be effective for investigating leachate distribution, was performed to evaluate the range extent of contamination due to local hydrological properties, such as groundwater flow direction, and geological structure. Results of the survey at four sites at a landfill near Icheon and Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, showed low-resistivity zones (20-200 ohm-m) at a depth of 8 m from the surface. Sites 1-4, which contain 5, 2, 4, and 2 boreholes, respectively, were estimated to have a contaminated groundwater acquisition capability of 12.9 m, 13.7 m, 10.1 m, and 18.0 m, and measured pumping capacity of 2,040 m³, 479.8 m³, 1,492.3 m³, and 691.9 m³, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.37-56
• /
• 2001

As a preliminary study to establish fracture network model in crystalline rocks, detail investigation on fracture characteristics were performed. Five fracture sets were determined on the basis of regional survey of geological structures and fractures on outcrops. Among the fracture sets, S1 set has the highest density and longest trace length of fractures which was identified on surface in the study area. S4 and S5 sets are composed of foliations and foliation parallel shear joints of gneisses, which are very important sets at the aspect of weighting of fracture length. For characterization of subsurface fractures, detail core logging was performed to identify fractures and fracture zones from five boreholes. Acoustic televiewer logging and borehole geophysical loggings produced images, orientations and geophysical properties of fractures which intersect with boreholes. According to the result of the investigations, subsurface fractures can be grouped as three preferred orientations(B1, B2 and B3), which correspond to S1, S2 and S4/S5 of surface fracture sets, respectively. Actually, B1 set is expected to be intensely developed at subsurface. However, it has low frequency of intersection with boreholes due to its parallel or sub-parallel direction to boreholes. According to the inference of conductive fractures, B1 and B3 sets have possibilities of water flow and their intersection lines are also thought to consist of important conduits of groundwater flow. In particular, faults which are parallel to foliations control major groundwater flow in the study area.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.55 no.3
• /
• pp.191-203
• /
• 2022

This study is a follow-up study of vulnerable areas according to the vulnerability assessment of groundwater resource management in Korea. In this study, an optimal operation plan for groundwater resource management was proposed for areas vulnerable to groundwater resource management in Korea derived from previous studies. Prior to presenting the optimal operation plan for groundwater resource management, this study grasped the current status of changes in groundwater level and seawater penetration area for vulnerable areas using MODFLOW, a groundwater flow analysis program. As a result of the analysis using basic data for 10 years from 2009 to 2018, the groundwater level fell and the sea infiltration area increased. The final purpose of this study, the optimal operation plan for groundwater resource management, was selected as a total of four alternatives that can be expected to have positive effects to increase groundwater level and reduce seawater penetration. As a result of analyzing the amount of change in groundwater level and seawater penetration by applying the selected optimal operation plan, positive effects were found in all methods. It is expected that the optimal operation plan for groundwater resource management proposed in this study will be applied not only to vulnerable areas of groundwater resources in Korea but also to areas requiring development to establish efficient groundwater resource management measures.

• 한국지구물리탐사학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2001.09a
• /
• pp.104-121
• /
• 2001

Recently, the pollution of soil and groundwater becomes a serious social problem, and geophysical exploration methods have been introduced as a remedial investigation method of subsurface. Digital technologies such as personal computer have revolutionized our ability to acquire large volume of data in a short term, and to produce more reliable results for subsurface image. Also, color graphics easily visualizes the survey results in a more understandable manner, and it is widely used for not only characterizing the contaminated subsurface but also monitoring contaminant and remedial process. In this paper, electrical resistivity and electromagnetic (EM) surveys were carried out in order to understand characteristics of waste landfills, and the applicability of geophysical prospecting to site assessment of waste landfill was also tested. According to the result, electrical resistivity and electromagnetic (EM) surveys were effective in estimating distribution of the leachate plume.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.34 no.4
• /
• pp.329-343
• /
• 2001

The deep environment and geochemical evolution of the Bugok geothennal waters, located in the Kyeongnam Province, was re-interpreted based on the hydrochemical and isotopic data published by Yun et al. (1998). The geothermal waters of the Bugok area is geochemically divided into three groups; Geothennal water I, II and III groups. Groups I and II are geochemically similar; high temperature (55.2-77.2$^{\circ}$C) and chemically belonging to Na-S04 types. However, pH and Eh values are a little different each other and Group II water is highly enriched in S04 compared to Group I water. Group III water, occurring from peripheral sites of the central part of the geothennal waters, shows temperature range of 29.3 to 47.0$^{\circ}$C and belongs to $Na-HCO_3-S0_4$ types. The deep environment and geochemical evolution of the Bugok geothennal waters, showing the diversity of geochemistry, can be interpreted as follows; I) Descending to great depth of meteoric waters that originated at high elevation and reacting with sediments and/or granites in depth. The $S0_4$ concentration of the waters has been increased by the dissolution of sulfate minerals in sediments. 2) During the continuous descending, the waters has met with the reduction environment, producing the $H_2S$ gas due to sulfate reduction. The waters has been heated up to 130$^{\circ}$C and the extent of water-rock reaction was increased. At this point, pH of waters are increased, S04 concentration decreased and calcite precipitated, therefore, the waters show the $Na-S0_4$ type. 3) Ascending of the geothennal waters along the flow path of fluids and mixing with less-deeply circulated waters. The $S0_4$ concentration is re-increased due to the oxidation of $H_2S$ gas and/or sulfide minerals in sediments. During continuous ascending, these geothennal waters are mixed with shallow groundwater.