An Inverse Procedure for Estimating the Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivities of Volcanic Tuffs

by R. W. Zimmerman, Univ of California, Berkeley, United States,
G. S. Bodvarsson, Univ of California, Berkeley, United States,
A. L. Flint, Univ of California, Berkeley, United States,
L. E. Flint, Univ of California, Berkeley, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: High Level Radioactive Waste Management 1993

Abstract:

A procedure is developed for estimating the hydraulic conductivity function of unsaturated volcanic tuff, using measurements of the sorptivity and capillary pressure functions. The method assumes that the sorptivity is a linear function of the initial saturation, as is suggested by experimental data. The procedure is tested on a vitrified tuff from the Calico Hills unit at Yucca Mountain, and the predicted conductivities are in reasonable agreement with measured values. Further tests of this method are needed to establish whether or not it can be routinely used for conductivity predictions.

Subject Headings: Radioactive wastes | Hydraulic conductivity | Volcanic deposits | Sorption | Waste disposal | Volcanoes | Recycling

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