Natural analogues

Smellie JAT, Stuckless JS (1985) Element mobility studies of two drill-cores from the Gotemar granite (Krakemala test site), southeast Sweden. Chem Geol 51 55-78 Smellie JAT, Karlsson F, Alexander WR (1997) Natural analogue studies present status and performance assessment implications. J Contam Hydrol 26 3-17... 

Suksi J, Ruskeeniemi T, Rasilainen K (1992) Matrix diffusion- evidences from natural analogue studies at Palmottu in SW Finland. Radiochim Acta 58/59 385-393... 

Linsalata P, Morse RS, Ford H, et al. 1989. An assessment of soil-to-plant concentration ratios for some natural analogues of the transuranic elements. Health Phys 56 33-46. 

Miller, W., Hooker, P. Richardson, P. 2003. Natural analogue studies Their application to a repository safety case. Proceedings of the 10th International High-level Radioactive Waste Management Conference (IHLRWM), March 30 to April 3 2003, Las Vegas. 

Smellie, J. A. T. Karlsson, F. 1999. The use of natural analogues to assess radionuclide transport. Engineering Geology, 52, 193-220. 

The radiation resistance of titanite was estimated both by the study of natural samples and by ion irradiation (Hayward 1988 Weber et al. 1998). Synthetic titanite irradiated with Ar+ to a dose equivalent to 7 x 1018 a-decays/g was rendered completely amorphous, consistent with data for natural analogues (5 x 1018 alpha-decays/g). 

The Oklo natural reactors in Gabon are the best natural analogues for assessing the geological behaviour of fission products and actinides (see also Gauthier-Lafaye et al. 2004). Elements that were compatible with the U ore structure were retained, whereas elements that... 

Perez del Villar, L., Bruno, J. et al. 2002. The uranium ore from Mina Fe (Salamanca, Spain) as a natural analogue of processes in a spent fuel repository. Chemical Geology, 190, 395-415. 

Finally, hollandite is the only non-actinide host phase considered here, and is the only Cs host phase that has been extensively studied. Results summarized herein indicate that hollandite has excellent aqueous durability, crystal chemical flexibility, well-known processing parameters, and more than adequate waste loadings. Although natural analogues exist for hollandite, they have not been examined in the context of nuclear waste disposal, thus we have no details on the long-term behaviour of this important Cs host phase. 

This short chapter does not address all the issues related to predicting the long-term behaviour of materials. Our goal is simply to evoke a few key concepts relevant to the use of natural analogues. 

The following discussion limited to basaltic glasses illustrates the fact that natural analogues are irreplaceable for the development of predictive models. 

Chapman, N. A., McKinley, I. G. Smellie, J. A. T. 1984. The potential of natural analogues in assessing systems for deep disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Technical Report SKB 84-16, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm, 103 p. 

Ewing, R. C. Jercinovic, M. J. 1987. Natural analogues Their application to the prediction of the long-term behavior of nuclear waste forms. In Bates, J. K. Seefeldt, W. B. (eds) Scientific Basis for Nuclear Waste Management X. Material Research Society Symposium Proceedings, 84, 67-86. 

Jercinovic, M. J. Ewing, R. C. 1987. Basaltic Glasses from Iceland and the Deep Sea Natural Analogues to Borosilicate Nuclear Waste-Form Glass. Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, Stockholm, Technical Report JSS 88-01, 221 p. 

Petit, J. C. 1992. Reasoning by analogy. Rational foundation of natural analogue studies. Applied Geochemistry, S.I., 1, 9-14. 

Louvat, D., Lot, K., Michelot, J.-L., Smellie, J. Tuniz, C. 2000. Environmental isotope data of water and dissolved species used in model development, calibration and testing at Bagombe and Okelobondo. In Proceeding of the Second Joint EC-CEA Workshop on the Oklo-Natural Analogue Phase II Project, Helsinki, 16-18 June 1998. European Commission, Nuclear Science and Technology, EUR19116 EN, 391-398. 

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