Technical Report TR-02-18 Swedish deep repository siting programme Guide to the documentation of 25 years of geoscientific research (1976–2000) Alan Geoffrey Milnes GEA Consulting, Uppsala March 2002 Svensk Kärnbränslehantering 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 Swedish deep repository siting programme Guide to the documentation of 25 years of geoscientific research (1976–2000) Alan Geoffrey Milnes GEA Consulting, Uppsala March 2002 Keywords: Sweden, radioactive waste disposal, spent nuclear fuel, deep repository, site selection, geoscientific documentation, bibliography 1976–2000, bedrock fracturing, glaciation, crustal dynamics, ground water, geosphere transport, study sites, Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, feasibility studies, Finland, Canada. 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. $EVWUDFW Since the mid-1970s, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has been carrying out geoscientific research and feasibility studies aimed at identifying suitable sites for deep repositories in the Precambrian basement of the Baltic Shield. The documentation of this research effort forms an extensive body of material which is exceptionally wide-ranging and which is generally little known out- side the Swedish nuclear waste community. This has now been compiled in the form of a “documentation guide” in order to make the research results more easily accessi- ble to the scientific community at large, and to show how they relate to their “nearest surroundings”, i.e. the relevant academic scientific literature and the documentation of similar research by other institutions, in Sweden and in other countries (Finland, Can- ada). The documentation covers the period 1976–2000 and contains ca. 850 citations, of which about half are technical reports published by SKB and its forerunners. In the main body of the guide (Chapters 2–9), the material is arranged thematically and the scope of the documentation in each theme is described and commented in short texts, showing the interrelationships between the individual reports and scientific papers, with appropriate cross-references. Early chapters (2–5, and 7) cover general themes: bedrock geology, fracturing, glaciation and crustal dynamics, deep groundwater, and geosphere transport, each subdivided into citation groups under headings which are of particular interest to the Swedish deep repository siting programme. Later chapters (6, and 8–9) include thumb-nail sketches of the Swedish study sites (Finnsjön, Fjällveden, Gideå, Kamlunge, Klipperås, Sternö), the underground laboratory sites of Stripa and Äspö, and comparable sites in Finland and Canada, as well as the complete documen- tation to the feasibility studies carried out in eight Swedish municipalities between 1993 and 2000 (Storuman, Malå, Nyköping, Östhammar, Oskarshamn, Tierp, Älvkar- leby, Hultsfred). As added background, Chapter 10 contains a compilation of SKB conceptual studies and planning documents, and related material from other Swedish institutions. A complete bibliography is appended as the final chapter. 3 6DPPDQIDWWQLQJ Sedan mitten av 1970-talet har Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB) och dess föregångare genomfört geovetenskaplig forskning och förstudier, med målet att finna lämpliga områden för djupförvar i den svenska delen av Baltiska Sköldens prekam- briska berggrund. Dokumentationen av denna forskning är omfattande och täcker ett mycket brett forskningsfält, men är i allmänhet föga känd utanför interessesfären kring svensk kärnavfallshantering. Materialet har nu sammanställts i denna ”dokumentations- guide” för att därmed göra forskningsresultaten mera lättillgängliga för vetenskaps- samhället i stort. Dessutom visas hur materialet anknyter till relevant vetenskaplig lit- teratur och dokumentation av likartad forskning utförd av andra institutioner i Sverige och andra länder (Finland och Kanada). Dokumentationen täcker perioden 1976–2000 och innehåller cirka 850 referenser, av vilka ungefär hälften är tekniska rapporter publicerade av SKB eller dess föregångare. I guidens huvuddel (kapitlen 2–9) är materialet tematiskt organiserat och dokumenta- tionens omfång inom varje tema beskrivs och kommenteras i korta texter. Dessutom förklaras inbördes samband mellan olika rapporter och vetenskapliga publikationer och relevanta korsreferenser ges. De inledande kapitlen (2–5 och 7) täcker generella teman: berggrundsgeologi, sprickbildning, nedisning och jordskorpans dynamik, djupt grund- vatten och transport av radionuklider i geosfären. Varje tema är indelat i citerings- grupper under rubriker som är av speciellt intresse för det Svenska djupförvarspro- grammet. De följande kapitlen (6 och 8–9) inkluderar korta beskrivningar av SKB:s typområden (Finnsjön, Fjällveden, Gideå, Kamlunge, Klipperås, Stenö), underjords- laboratorierna i Stripa och Äspö, och av jämförbara objekt i Finland och Kanada. Här ingår också den kompletta dokumentationen från de förstudier som utförts i åtta kom- muner mellan 1993 och 2000 (Storuman, Malå, Nyköping, Östhammar, Oskarshamn, Tierp, Älvkarleby, Hultsfred). Som bakgrundmaterial ger kapitel 10 en sammanställning av SKB:s metodstudier och planeringsdokument och relaterat material från andra svenska institutioner. En komplett bibliografi bifogas i kapitel 11. 4 &RQWHQWV ,QWURGXFWLRQ 7 %HGURFN 11 2.1 Data acquisition and storage 13 2.2 Massive felsic rock (granite, etc.) 14 2.3 Foliated felsic rock (migmatite, metamorphite) 15 2.4 Massive or foliated mafic rock (gabbro, amphibolite) 16 2.5 Selected scientific papers 17 )UDFWXULQJ 23 3.1 Tectonic evolution of Baltic Shield after consolidation 24 3.2 Large-scale fracture pattern analyses (lineaments) 25 3.3 Characterisation of fracture zones and fracture systems 26 3.4 Geomechanics and applied geophysics 28 3.5 Selected scientific papers 31 *ODFLDWLRQDQGFUXVWDOG\QDPLFV 35 4.1 Postglacial faulting and paleoseismicity 36 4.2 Quaternary geology, climatic change, future glaciations 39 4.3 Present crustal conditions 40 4.4 Bedrock stability, large-scale geomechanics, risk estimation 42 4.5 Selected scientific papers (Fennoscandia) 44 'HHSJURXQGZDWHU 49 5.1 Geohydrology 50 5.2 Hydrogeochemistry 53 5.3 Microbiology of groundwater 55 5.4 Hydrogeology and glaciation 57 8QGHUJURXQGFRQGLWLRQV 61 6.1 SKB study sites 62 6.1.1 Finnsjön (“Beberg”) 63 6.1.2 Fjällveden 66 6.1.3 Gideå (“Ceberg”) 67 6.1.4 Kamlunge 68 6.1.5 Klipperås 69 6.1.6 Sternö 71 6.1.7 Other SKB drill sites 72 6.2 Stripa mine 74 6.3 Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory (“Aberg”) 77 6.3.1 Site characterisation and validation 78 6.3.2 Thematic reports, and Äspö as Aberg in SR-97 80 6.3.3 SKI project Site-94 84 6.4 Other underground data 84 5 7UDQVSRUWRIUDGLRQXFOLGHVLQWKHJHRVSKHUH 87 7.1 Natural analogues 87 7.2 Field experiments 92 6&% VVLWLQJSURJUDPPH 95 8.1 Country-wide and regional studies 96 8.2 “Länsstudier” (feasibility studies at county scale) 100 8.3 “Förstudier” (feasibility studies at municipality scale) 103 8.3.1 Storuman 105 8.3.2 Malå 106 8.3.3 Nyköping 107 8.3.4 Östhammar 108 8.3.5 Oskarshamn 108 8.3.6 Tierp 109 8.3.7 Älvkarleby 110 8.3.8 Hultsfred 111 &RPSDUDEOHSURJUDPPHV 113 9.1 Finland 113 9.1.1 Methodological and regional aspects 114 9.1.2 Site investigations 117 9.1.3 TILA-99 safety assessment 122 9.2 Canada 124 9.2.1 Methodological and regional aspects 125 9.2.2 Characterisation of research areas 128 9.2.3 General, performance assessment 131 %URDGHUFRQWH[W 133 10.1 SKB conceptual studies and planning 133 10.1.1 KBS-3 concept, siting process, evaluation criteria 133 10.1.2 Performance, safety, risk 134 10.1.3 Alternatives to KBS-3 as disposal concept 135 10.2 SKI's performance assessment project Site-94 137 10.3 SKI's evaluations of SKB programmes and planning, and 138 other reviews %LEOLRJUDSK\ 141 6 ,QWURGXFWLRQ %DFNJURXQG A deep repository is planned to be built at a depth of ca. 500 m in the bedrock as an im- portant component in the Swedish system for the management of spent fuel from the nuclear power stations. As part of the siting programme for the deep repository, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has been carrying out feasibility studies (“Förstudier”) in eight different municipalities, with a view to identi- fying suitable areas for more detailed investigation (including deep drilling). Two of the feasibility studies (Storuman and Malå) were completed in 1995 and 1997 respectively, and the remaining six (Östhammar, Nyköping, Oskarshamn, Hultsfred, Tierp, Älvkarle- by) in year 2000. In December 2000, SKB published a report stating where they want to conduct more detailed investigations (site investigations) and how these investigations would be carried out. The report has later been subject to review by the safety authori- ties followed by a decision by the Swedish government, authorising SKB to proceed to site investigations. The process of obtaining permission by the municipalities concerned is currently under way. SKB expects to be able to commence the site investigations in 2002. An important component in the feasibility studies consisted of a compilation of all available geoscientific information for the municipality in question and its interpreta- tion in terms of favourable areas for carrying out further investigations. This interpre- tation, or expert judgement,