Modelling of hydrological pathways in nuclear emergency management systems such as RODOS / Einzugsgebieten in Entscheidungshilfesystemen nach kerntechnischen Notfällen, unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des RODOS-Systems

Abstract

One of the important lessons learned from the reactor accident of Chernobyl was the need for the assessment of the fate of radionuclides not only in the terrestrial but also in the aquatic environment. None of the existing emergency systems were able to predict the consequences of the high contamination of the waterbodies around Chernobyl. As hydrological transport and exchange processes are as complex as those in atmospheric science, only physically based models have the potential ability to answer all relevant questions. This paper presents an introduction into key processes when dealing with the radiological consequences of accidental releases of radionuclides to hydrological systems. In a second step, the realization of a hydrological model chain inside the RODOS system for nuclear emergencies in Europe is discussed.