English Abstract The Gorleben salt dome is considered as a potential
disposal site for radioactive waste. In the safety assessment study, a
number of pumping tests are carried out in the geohydrological system
surrounding the salt dome. The Gorleben pumping test is simulated in a
number of subsequent steps. In the first modelling step the analytical
Theis solution is applied. Significant differences between the calculated
and observed drawdowns show that the Theis solution assumptions are
inappropriate to describe the Gorleben geohydrological system. In the
second modelling attempt, the pumping test is simulated numerically with the
METROPOL computer code. Geological borelog data and geohydrological
profiles and maps are interpreted to obtain information on the aquifer
geometry, anisotropy and possible heterogeneity. Under the assumptions of
an anisotropic and heterogeneous geohydrological system, simulations of the
Weisses Moor pumping test provide calculated drawdowns which match the
observed drawdowns reasonably.
