Enhanced Characterisation of Radiologically Contaminated Sediments at Sellafield by MSCL Core Logging and X-ray Imaging

Visual observations and electrical geophysics alone showed limited ability to characterise a complex Quaternary sequence of glacial sediments at the Sellafield site with sufficient spatial detail, and conventional high-resolution logging was impracticable. By applying non-destructive high resolution MSCL and X-ray core logging we have parametrically characterised and imaged the stratigraphy in detail for the first time. This approach has allowed us to identify geological units with increased confidence, and link these units to a depositional process. The results open up the opportunity to link geological observations at Sellafield with regional type localities and the regional stratigraphy. The approach holds promise for applications where conventional high-resolution borehole logging is not possible, or not able to fully characterise the geology.