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SE9900227 Technical Report TR-98-04 Volume I MAQARIN natural analogue study: Phase III Edited by J A T Smellie December 1998 Svensk Karnbranslehantering AB Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co Box 5864 SE-102 40 Stockholm Sweden Tel 08-459 84 00 +46 8 459 84 00 Fax 08-661 57 19 +46 8 661 57 19 30-26 MAQARIN natural analogue study: Phase III Edited by J.A.T. Smellie December 1998 VOLUME!: Chapters 1-13 VOLUME II: Appendices A-R This report concerns a study which was conducted for SKB. The conclusions and viewpoints presented in the report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily coincide with those of the client. Information on SKB technical reports from 1977-1978 (TR 121), 1979 (TR 79-28), 1980 (TR 80-26), 1981 (TR 81-17), 1982 (TR 82-28), 1983 (TR 83-77), 1984 (TR 85-01), 1985 (TR 85-20), 1986 (TR 86-31), 1987 (TR 87-33), 1988 (TR 88-32), 1989 (TR 89-40), 1990 (TR 90-46), 1991 (TR 91-64), 1992 (TR 92-46), 1993 (TR 93-34), 1994 (TR 94-33), 1995 (TR 95-37) and 1996 (TR 96-25) is available through SKB. m^ffm?^ AKE TIBERIAS Qarfah , . /olbta' ? / .-V- ) had Set L^ Shafeni ," • '., Haiyan' /""•' ,. ^_ .I-...-- oel. MuiSti £1 Husetntya /..'" oHaiyan '• o £1 Jazza umman ,.-;p"i>EI Majarra A^ Ucn Pd Oananir t-^jAb'u Nuseir ,•"' ' ftaiib ..;•-•—.. | Jcbel el Adorn ; ,.-",' -•\' °Hawwara"-. / \ Bartholomew 1995 \ Reproduced with kind permission \ . , .,„ , . ''..\A::;..._ \ ««* '''a, •' / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his study has been funded by Nagra (Switzerland), Nirex (U.K.), SKB (Sweden) Tand the Environment Agency (U.K.); their active support is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks go to Elias Salameh and Hani Khoury (University of Jordan, Amman) for organising the field visits (in particular the excellent excursion to the Jordan sites in conjunction with the Phase UJ Wrap-up Workshop in Cyprus in November, 1996), for their patience, humour, friendliness and hospitality and, not least, for their considerable scientific contribution to the project. All the investigators are thanked for their dedicated efforts to make the study a success and, for their valuable technical discussions. The responsible authors are acknowledged for graciously and rapidly responding to the reviewer's comments and queries from the editor. Many thanks also to the reviewers who not only improved the report considerably, but also succeeded in leafing through all the pages without contracting 'tennis elbow'. Maj-Britt Danielsson (Correcta) is thanked for the laborious task of typing, document formatting, organisation of figures and appendices, and being forever optimistic. Finally, to Rita at the Amra Hotel, without whom the project would have been impossible. NEXT PAGE(S) left BLANK ABSTRACT his report represents the conclusion to Phase III of the Maqarin (Jordan) Natural TAnalogue Study. The main thrust was to establish the origin and chemistry of the Western Springs hyperalkaline groundwaters (Na/K enriched Ca(OH)2 type) and to study their interaction with rocks of different compositions, as natural analogues to key processes that might occur at an early stage within the 'alkali disturbed zone' of cementitious repositories in different host rocks. Whilst earlier studies at Maqarin were very much site-specific and process-oriented, Phase III provided a regional perspective to the geological evolution of the Maqarin region. This was made possible by greater field access which allowed a more systematic structural and geomorphological study of the area. This has resulted in a greater understanding of the age and spatial relationships concerning formation of the cement zones through spontaneous combustion of the Bituminous Marls, and the subsequent formation of high pH groundwaters at the Eastern and Western Springs locations. At the Western Springs locality, hydrochemical and hydrogeological evaluation of new and published data (plus access to unpublished data), together with detailed mineralogical and geochemical studies, helped to clarify the very earliest stage of cement leachate/host rock interaction. The data were used also to test coupled flow/transport codes developed to assess the long-term evolution of a cementitious repository. Additional objectives addressed include: a) rock matrix diffusion, b) the occurrence and chemical controls on zeolite composition, c) the occurrence and chemical controls on clay stability, and d) the role of microbes, organics and colloids in trace element transport. The Maqarin site now provides a consistent picture explaining the origin of the hyperalkaline groundwaters, and is therefore a unique location for the examination of the mechanisms and processes associated with cementitious repositories. Application of these mechanisms and processes to repository performance assessment are listed and described. NEXT PAG tef f BLMiK LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS W.R. Alexander GGWW, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland J. Arlinger Department of General and Marine Microbiology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden W. Boehlmann Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany A.V. Chambers AEA Technology pic, Harwell, U.K. S.R.N. Chenery Analytical Geochemistry Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. I.D. Clark Department of Geology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada A-C. Erlandson Department of General and Marine Microbiology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden P. Fritz Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany S. Geyer Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany W. Geyer Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany L. Hallbeck Department of General and Marine Microbiology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden G. Hanschman Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany A. Haworth AEA Technology pic, Harwell, U.K. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manchester, E. Hodginson Manchester, U.K. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manchester, C.R. Hughes Manchester, U.K. British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West E.K. Hyslop Mains Road, Edinburgh, U.K. AEA Technology pic, Harwell, U.K. D. Ilett SKB, Stockholm, Sweden F. Karlsson S.J. Kemp Mineralogy and Petrology Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. H.N. Khoury University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan F-D. Kopinke Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, Germany B. Lagerblad Cement Institute, Stockholm, Sweden CM. Linklater AEA Technology pic, Harwell, U.K. G. Longworth Department of Geology, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K. M. Mazurek GGWW, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland A.E. Milodowski Mineralogy and Petrology Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. J.M. Pearce Mineralogy and Petrology Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. K. Pedersen Department of General and Marine Microbiology, Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden A.F. Pitty Private consultant, 17, Black Horse Opening, Norwich, U.K. Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle, Leipzig, J. Porschmann Germany Analytical Geochemistry Group, British Geological S. Reeder Survey, Keyworth, U.K. Fluid Processes Group, British Geological Survey, C.A. Rochelle Keyworth, U.K. E. Salameh University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan D. Savage QuantiSci, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, U.K. J.A.T. Smellie Conterra AB, Uppsala, Sweden B. Smith Analytical Geochemistry Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. C.J. Tweed AEA Technology pic, Harwell, U.K. H.N. Waber GGWW, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland P.D. Wetton Mineralogy and Petrology Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. J. Wragg Fluid Processes Group, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, U.K. CONTENTS VOLUME I: Chapters 1-13 (this volume) page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 19 1 INTRODUCTION 35 2 GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE MAQARIN AREA 39 (H.N. Khoury, E. Salameh, M. Mazurek and W.R. Alexander) 2.1 Geology 39 2.1.1 Introduction 39 2.1.2 Physiography 39 2.1.3 Lithological Features 40 2.1.4 Structural Features 43 2.2 Hydrogeology 46 2.2.1 Amman Formation (B2) 46 2.2.2 Bituminous Marl Formation (B3) 47 2.2.3 Chalky Limestone Formation (B4-5) 47 2.2.4 Ground water Flow 49 2.3 Synthesis of Data 50 2.4 References 51 Table S3 Figures 55 3 GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE MAQARIN AREA 71 (A.F. Pitty) 3.1 Introduction 71 3.2 Structure 72 3.2.1 Plate Tectonics 72 3.2.2 Regional Dip 72 3.2.3 Faulting 72 3.2.4 Uplift 72 3.3 Initial Drainage and Base Levels 73 3.4 Igneous Intrusions 73 3.4.1 Plateau Basalts 73 3.4.2 Yarmouk Basalt 74 3.4.3 Raqqad Basalt 74 3.5 Age of the Maqarin Valley 74 3.5.1 Erosion Rate 74 3.5.2 Longitudinal Profiles 75 3.6 Mass Movements 76 3.6.1 Lower Valley 76 3.6.2 Maqarin Interfluve 77 3.6.3 Wadi Sijin 77 page 3.7 Earthquakes 77 3.7.1 General 77 3.7.2 Localisation of Seismic Events 77 3.7.3 Seismic Risk in the Maqarin Area 78 3.7.4 Earthquake-triggered Landslides 78 3.8 Joints 79 3.9 Rebound and 'Valley Bulging' 80 3.10 Quaternary Palaeoenvironments 80 3.10.1 General 80 3.10.2 Present-day Environment 80 3.10.3 Fossil Pollen 81 3.10.4 Global Climate Change 81 3.10.5 Some Features of the Yarmouk Palaeoenvironment 81 3.11 Self-Combustion of the Bituminous Marls 83 3.12 Conclusions 85 3.13 References 86 Table 91 Figures 93 4 SITE DESCRIPTION, SAMPLING PROGRAMME AND GROUNDWATER ANALYSIS 105 (A.E. Milodowski, E.K. Hyslop, J.A.T. Smellie, E. Salameh and H.N. Khoury) 4.1 Introduction 105 4.2 Maqarin Area 106 4.2.1 Background to the Sampling 106 4.3 Western Springs Area 106 4.3.1 General 106 4.3.2 Site Location 107 4.3.3 Sedimentological Model 107 4.3.4 Sampling Sites 110 4.3.5 Comments on Sample Quality 111 4.4 Eastern Springs and Adit A-6 112 4.4.1 General 112 4.4.2 Adit A-6 113 4.4.3 Maqarin Road Cutting Site 113 4.4.4 Borehole RW1 114 4.4.5 New Seepage Sites Along the Yarmouk River Valley 115 4.5 Central Jordan 116 4.5.1 General 116 4.5.2 Daba-Siwaqa Area 116 4.5.3 Sweileh Area 117 4.6 Summary and Conclusions 118 4.7 References 119 Tables 121 Figures 125 Plates 129 10 page 5 MINERALOGY, PETROLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY 135 (A.E.