Natural analogues

Natural analogues, which are occurrences of materials or processes which are analogous to expected materials or processes in a waste repository, are used to clarify the ability of the geologic environment and engineered system to contain the waste. It is hoped that natural analogues can provide data and insight on processes which generally occur on temporal or geometric scales which are too large to be studied in laboratory or field experiments. Natural analogues have been described for the study of transport and migration of radionuclides through the backfill and host rock, and the stability of backfill, shaft seals, waste forms, and waste containers. Natural analogues have also been suggested as an aid in predicting overall repository performance.