Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology

Geochemical study on the rocks and minerals of the Gyeongju low and intermediate level waste repository was carried out in order to provide geochemical data for the safety assessment and geochemical modeling. Polarized microscopy, X-ray diffraction method, chemical analysis for the major and trace elements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and stable isotope analysis were applied. Fracture zones are locally developed with various degrees of alteration in the study area. The study area is mainly composed of granodiorite and diorite and their relation is gradational in the field. However, they could be easily distinguished by their chemical property. The granodiorite showed higher SiO2 content and lower MgO and Fe2O3 contents than the diorite. Variation trends of the major elements of the granodiorite and diorite were plotted on the same line according to the increase of SiO2 content suggesting that they were differentiated from the same magma. Spatial distribution of the various elements showed that the diorite region had lower SiO2, Al2O3, Na2O and K2O contents, and higher CaO, Fe2O3 contents than the granodiorite region. Especially, because the differences in the CaO and Na2O distribution were most distinct and their trends were reciprocal, the chemical variation of the plagioclase of the granitic rocks was the main parameter of the chemical variation of the host rocks in the study area. Identified fracture-filling minerals from the drill core were montmorillonite, zeolite minerals, chlorite, illite, calcite and pyrite. Especially pyrite and laumontite, which are known as indicating minerals of hydrothermal alteration, were widely distributed in the study area indicating that the study area was affected by mineralization and/or hydrothermal alteration. Sulfur isotope analysis for the pyrite and oxygen-hydrogen stable isotope analysis for the clay minerals indicated that they were originated from the magma. Therefore, it is considered that the fracture-filling minerals from the study area were affected by the hydrothermal solution as well as the simply water-rock interaction.

Keywords

LILW repository,Gyeongju,Lithology,Fracture-filling mineral,Geochemistry