An evaluation of an earthquake scenario for a pyroprocessed waste repository

Nuclide release and transport from a hypothetical pyroprocessed waste repository into the geosphere and biosphere through various disruptive events under an earthquake scenario after the closure of a repository were studied. Four possible cases are investigated as disruptive events and illustrated through this study: an increase in the contact portion of the ceramic waste canisters with fractures having flowing groundwater, the formation of a direct pathway connected to the existing and/or newly formed major water conducting features (MWCFs) from the near-field barriers, an increase in the hydraulic conductivity distribution in the fractures, and a sudden increase in the groundwater flow in the MWCFs. For an evaluation of the nuclide releases, a program developed utilizing GoldSim for the safety assessment and performance evaluation of a pyro-processed waste repository system has been used. •Nuclide release and transport from a hypothetical pyroprocessed waste repository are modeled with GoldSim.•Various disruptive events under an earthquake scenario after the closure of a repository are studied.•Four possible cases investigated as disruptive events and illustrated.