Toward Site Selection of Permanent Geological Disposal for High-Level Nuclear Waste in Jordan

Abstract

A preliminary investigation of geological conditions carried out to locate potential sites for repositories for high- and medium- level radioactive wastes. These sites should have potentially being able to provide satisfactory conditions for radioactive waste disposal. Therefore, large effort has been done to review and study the foreign experience in this field. To characterise the properties of the host rock, extensive laboratory investigations have been performed using various geological, petrographycal, mineralogical, physical and mechanical tests. Three recommended areas have been selected, the basalt in northeast Jordan, 30 Km north of Safawi city. The second area is the limestone from Ma’an area, and the third area is the granite from Aqaba area. Detailed geological, petrographyical, mineralogical, and physico-mechanical tests have been carried out for each rock from the selected areas. All results are discussed in this study.

Keywords: Nuclear waste, Geological disposal, Thermal properties.