Use of Natural Analog and Modeling Studies to Constrain the Effects of Magmatic Activity on Long-Term Geologic Repositories

Examples of the application of natural-analog studies to the estimation of the consequences of a volcanic eruption penetrating a radioactive waste repository are given, including the criteria for analog selection and new data from ongoing studies. Examples of early modeling results focusing on the spatial and temporal scale of subsurface processes are also provided. All of these examples are taken from studies of the potential Yucca Mountain repository, Nevada, but similar approaches could be applied in other areas. In addition, studies of subsurface processes initiated by magmatic events serve as useful analogs for repository thermal loading studies.