Geostatistical Simulations of Lithofacies for an Industrial Landfill Site (November 2001)

The performed study represents the first application of the newly developed Plurigaussian simulation method in the context of a landfill for hazardous waste. The selection of this approach was motivated by the apparent difficulty to characterise the complex geological environment of the site with classical deterministic methods. This particular geostatistical simulation technique offers the capability of modelling lithological characteristics on the basis of a geological concept (e.g. stipulations on the geometry and spatial relationships between lithofacies) while respecting all the available information from reconnaissance boreholes.

The results illustrate the complexity of the sedimentary framework at this project site. This lithological complexity translates into a heterogeneous permeability distribution and, therefore, into complex groundwater flow systems which need to be accounted for appropriately in numerical hydrogeological models created for the purposes of groundwater protection and management. More precisely speaking, realistic predictions of future contaminant diffusion are possible only with an adequate representation of the spatial variability of the geological and hydraulic properties.

Olivier Jaquet - Groundwater Protection and Waste Disposal