In situ reaction and alteration of mudstone-cement interfaces at the Horonobe URL; Comparison between ordinary Portland cement and low alkaline cement

Dei, Shuntaro; Shibata, Masahito*; Negishi, Kumi*; Sugiura, Yuki; Amano, Yuki; Bateman, K.*; Wilson, J.*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Kagami, Saya; Takeda, Masaki; et al.

Results in Earth Sciences (Internet), 3, p.100097_1 - 100097_16, 2025/12

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rines.2025.100097

Interactions between cement and host rock in geological repositories for radioactive waste will result in a chemically disturbed zone, which may potentially affect the long-term safety. This paper investigates the chemical evolution at the interface between cement (Ordinary Portland Cement: OPC and Low Alkaline Cement: LAC) and mudstone after 11 years of in situ reactions at the Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory. The study combines various analytical techniques to identify the key reactions at the cement-rock interface, including cement dissolution, precipitation of secondary minerals such as calcite and C-(A-)S-H phases, cation exchange in montmorillonite and reduced porosity in mudstone. The study also highlights the effects of cement-mudstone interactions on radionuclide migration, such as reduction of diffusivity due to reduced porosity and enhancement of sorption due to incorporation into secondary minerals in the altered mudstone.

Potential of the young age reference materials; CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb dates of Cenozoic zircons in Japan

Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Fukuda, Shoma; Sueoka, Shigeru; Nakajima, Toru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Wall, C. J.*; Danhara, Toru*; Iwano, Hideki*; Tagami, Takahiro*

Fuisshon, Torakku Nyusureta, (37), p.11 - 13, 2024/12

In recent years, advances in analytical technology have made it possible to measure the U-Th-Pb dating of young geological units (e.g. 1 Ma). However, there are very few young standard samples available for evaluation. In this study, we attempted U-Pb dating using isotope dilution Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ID-TIMS) on young zircon samples (TRG04 and OGPK). As a result, we obtained preliminary U-Pb ages of 2.6654 0.0016 Ma and 1.1266 0.0014 Ma, respectively.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2024)

Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Akiomi; Asamori, Koichi; Sueoka, Shigeru; Komatsu, Tetsuya; Nakajima, Toru; Ogata, Manabu; Uchida, Mao; Nishiyama, Nariaki; Tanaka, Kiriha; et al.

JAEA-Review 2024-035, 29 Pages, 2024/09

JAEA-Review-2024-035.pdf:1.24MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2024. The objectives and contents of this research are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

Petrography and geochronology of the Kuki granite, Kitakami mountains, northeastern Japan; Shallow crustal intrusion and emplacement processes of granitic magma

Suzuki, Satoshi*; Yuguchi, Takashi*; Ishiguro, Keito*; Endo, Kyoka*; Kato, Asuka*; Yokoyama, Kosuke*; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Sakata, Shuhei*; Ono, Takeshi*; et al.

Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences (Internet), 119(1), p.230807_1 - 230807_18, 2024/02

https://doi.org/10.2465/jmps.230807

Understanding the crustal evolutionary dynamics of island arc-trench systems requires a thorough evaluation of magma chamber processes, and especially of shallow crustal granitic magma intrusion and emplacement processes. To address this, we studied the petrography and geochronology of the Kuki granite, Kitakami Mountains, northeast Japan, as an example of a non-adakitic granite at the magmatic flare-up stage. Granitic borehole samples reflect vertical variation within a magma chamber. Whole-rock chemical composition and mode data reveal a vertical transition from felsic to mafic composition with increasing depth, potentially due to gravitational fractionation of crystals in the magma chamber. The pressure and temperature history of the Kuki granite indicates no change in the magma depth with cooling from 800 to 730C, and geobarometric calculations indicate the emplacement of magma at a depth of approximately10 km. Simultaneous determination of the zircon U Pb age, Ti concentration, and Th/U yields 1) the time temperature history of granitic magma before its solidification, and 2) the correlation between temperature and Th/U in the magma. The magma chamber cooled from ca. 900 to 700C at approximately 125 Ma. The change in Th/U with temperature indicates greater fractional crystallization in the magma chamber at temperatures above 800C than below 800C. Samples from different depth exhibit common tendencies in terms of the relationship between Th/U and temperature, indicating the same system of fractional crystallization throughout the cooling magma chamber.

Evaluation of suitability of zircon as standard materials based on thermal history; Example of the Wassogatake Formation in Ishikawa Prefecture

Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Nakajima, Toru; Fukuda, Shoma; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yagi, Koshi*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori

Fuisshon, Torakku Nyusureta, (36), p.9 - 13, 2023/12

Zircon U-Pb and fission track (FT) dating and moonstone (sanidine) K-Ar dating of the Wassogatake Formation in the southern part of Hakusan City, Ishikawa Prefecture were carried out as part of the search for zircon standard materials for dating. The weighted average U-Pb dates obtained from the three samples are ca. 21.9-21.7 Ma, overlapping within the uncertainty range. Zircon FT and moonstone K-Ar dates were obtained younger ages from some samples. In addition, the track lengths of the three samples are short. Based on the above results, the zircons of the Wassogatake Formation are effective for the high closure temperature dating method (e.g., U-Pb dating), but are not suitable for the low closure temperature dating method (e.g., FT dating).

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2023)

Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Koji; Sueoka, Shigeru; Fujita, Natsuko; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Fukuda, Shoma; Nakajima, Toru; Kagami, Saya; Ogata, Manabu; et al.

JAEA-Review 2023-017, 27 Pages, 2023/10

JAEA-Review-2023-017.pdf:0.94MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2023. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2023 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques.

LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of zircon in paleotsunami deposits from Miyazaki plain, southwest Japan

Watanabe, Takahiro; Kagami, Saya; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Niwa, Masakazu

Chigaku Zasshi, 132(4), p.353 - 361, 2023/08

https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.132.353

U-Pb dating of detrital zircons in paleotsunami deposits from the 1662 CE Kanbun-Hyuganada sea earthquake, Miyazaki plain on the Pacific coast of southwest Japan, was performed by a laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) system at Tono Geoscience Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency. Twenty-five zircon grains were separated from the paleotsunami deposits by chemical abrasion and analyzed by the LA-ICPMS. U-Pb ages of the detrital zircons showed from ca. 14 Ma to 2405 Ma, and the age spectrum revealed high relative probability values around ca. 100 Ma and 2000 Ma. Detrital zircons with the age of ca. 100 Ma in the 1662 CE paleotsunami deposits could be partly originated from the Shimanto supergroup in southwest Japan. Moreover, the age spectrum of detrital zircons with Precambrian grains from the paleotsunami deposits was similar with those of fore-arc sandstones from central Kyushu Island.

Zircon U-Pb-Hf Isotopes and Whole-rock Geochemistry of Rhyolite and Tuff from the Harachiyama Formation, North Kitakami Mountains, NE Japan

Harada, Takuya*; Nagata, Mitsuhiro; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Kagami, Saya; Yokoyama, Tatsunori

Chigaku Zasshi, 132(1), p.57 - 65, 2023/02

https://doi.org/10.5026/jgeography.132.57

The Harachiyama Formation is Lower Cretaceous volcanic rocks, distributed in the eastern margin of the Kitakami Mountains in northeastern Japan. We performed whole-rock chemical analysis, zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope analysis from the Harachiyama Formation to constrain the formation age and discuss the origin of magma. The lava and tuff samples of the Harachiyama Formation from the Omoto and Tsukue areas support island-arc rhyolitic rocks (SiO content 70%), and yielded the weighted mean U-Pb ages of 127.8 3.4 Ma and 129.2 2.6 Ma (2), respectively. Eighteen zircon grains from two samples, dated between 141.6 Ma and 123.9 Ma, yielded positive Hf(t) values between +5.0 and +8.7. These ages and values are consistent with those of the Kitakami Granititods reported in previous studies. Therefore, it is suggested that the Harachiyama Formation have the same magmatic origin as the Kitakami Granitoid.

Research plan on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of radioactive waste (Scientific program for fiscal year 2022)

Sasao, Eiji; Ishimaru, Tsuneari; Niwa, Masakazu; Shimada, Akiomi; Shimada, Koji; Watanabe, Takahiro; Sueoka, Shigeru; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Fujita, Natsuko; Ogita, Yasuhiro; et al.

JAEA-Review 2022-022, 29 Pages, 2022/09

JAEA-Review-2022-022.pdf:0.97MB

This report is a plan of research and development (R&D) on geosphere stability for long-term isolation of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), in fiscal year 2022. The objectives and contents in fiscal year 2022 are described in detail based on the JAEA 4th Medium- and Long-term Plan (fiscal years 2022-2028). In addition, the background of this research is described from the necessity and the significance for site investigation and safety assessment, and the past progress. The plan framework is structured into the following categories: (1) Development and systematization of investigation techniques, (2) Development of models for long-term estimation and effective assessment, (3) Development of dating techniques

Simultaneous determination of zircon crystallisation age and temperature; Common thermal evolution of mafic magmatic enclaves and host granites in the Kurobegawa granite, central Japan

Yuguchi, Takashi*; Yamazaki, Hayato*; Ishibashi, Kozue*; Sakata, Shuhei*; Yokoyama, Tatsunori; Suzuki, Satoshi*; Ogita, Yasuhiro; Sando, Kazusa*; Imura, Takumi*; Ono, Takeshi*

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 226, p.105075_1 - 105075_9, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2021.105075

Simultaneous determination of the U-Pb age of zircon and concentration of titanium in a single analysis spot, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with laser ablation sample introduction, produces paired age and temperature data of zircon crystallisation, potentially revealing time-temperature () histories for evolved magma. The Kurobegawa granite, central Japan, contains abundant mafic magmatic enclaves (MMEs). We applied this method to evaluate MMEs and their host (enclosing) granites. Cooling behaviour common to both MMEs and host rocks was found between 1.5 and 0.5 Ma. Rapid cooling from the zircon crystallisation temperature to the closure temperature of biotite K-Ar system was within 1 million year. Combining the obtained paths of MMEs and host rocks with petrological information can provide insights into magma chamber processes. This suggests that MME flotation, migration, and spread through the magma chamber ceased at 1.5-0.5 Ma, indicating the emplacement age of the Kurobegawa granitic pluton, as no large-scale reheating episodes have occurred since then.