Long-term performance of a geological disposal facility in response to permafrost and climatic variation

英国的放射性废物越来越多，以安全的方式处理它至关重要。安全案例必须考虑长达一百万年的时间尺度。地质处置已被认为是安全处置高放射性废物的最佳可用长期办法。泥质介质被许多国家视为地质处置设施(GDF)的潜在寄主岩石；这种介质也可用于工程屏障系统。我们必须考虑我们气候的演变，以及这可能如何影响不断演变的GDF。尽管气候模型显示，作为对人为二氧化碳排放的直接反应，全球气温总体上升至少2摄氏度，但来自古气候研究的证据表明，未来冰川期将在105年以上的时间尺度上影响英国。在英国的情况下，永久冻土对GDF组分的潜在影响尚未得到充分研究。

The UK has a growing body of radioactive waste, and it is crucial that it is dealt with in a safe manner. A safety case must consider timescales up to a million years. Geological disposal has been accepted as the best available long-term approach to the safe disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. Argillaceous media are being considered by many countries as a potential host rock for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF); such media may also be used in the engineered barrier system. The evolution of our climate and how this could impact on an evolving GDF must be considered. Despite climate models showing an overall rise in global temperatures of at least 2 C as an immediate response to anthropogenic emissions of CO2, evidence from palaeoclimate studies leads to a prediction of future glacial periods affecting the UK on the 105+ year timescale. The potential effects of permafrost on components of a GDF in a UK context have not yet been fully researched.