The Radionuclide Migration Programme was a 10 year project carried out in shear zone AU 96 in the GTS along with parallel experiments at JNC's former URL at Kamaishi, north east Japan. The overall aim of the project was to examine the retardation of radionuclides in this shear zone. The first phase of the project involved extensive characterisation of the chemical and physical properties of this shear zone (Geology / Hydrogeology / Hydrology / etc).

The data from the extensive characterisation was used to create models that would predict the behaviour of radionuclides in a repository host rock. These models were then tested by carefully adding safety-relevant radionuclides to the shear zone and observing their in situ retardation behaviour.