Current Seismicity in the Vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, K.; von Seggern, D.; dePolo, D.

2001-12-01

The 1992 to 2000 earthquakes in the Southern Great Basin have been relocated in order to better recognize the active tectonic processes in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. During this time period seismic monitoring in the Southern Great Basin transitioned from a primarily single-component analog network to a 3-component digital network. Through the transition analog and digital networks were run in tandem. The station density over this period is as great as any prior recording period. The analog and digital networks were administered separately during the transition, and we have merged the phase data from the two operations. We performed relocations starting in October 1992, thus creating a hypocentral list for FY1993-FY2000. Aftershocks of the June 1992 M 5.6 Little Skull Mountain earthquake, located approximately 20 km southeast of Yucca Mountain, dominate the seismicity in the Southern Great Basin from 1992-2000. After the Little Skull Mountain earthquake, there was a general increase in earthquake activity in southern NTS, principally associated with the Rock Valley fault zone. There was no corresponding increase in seismicity west of Little Skull Mountain near the potential repository site. The distribution of high-quality earthquake locations generally reflects trends in Miocene tectonism. In particular, a general north-south trending gravity low, interpreted by Carr (1984) as the Kawich-Greenwater Rift, is highlighted by the microseismicity in many areas. Locally small magnitude earthquakes tend to outline the 8-10 Ma Timber Mountain caldera in northern and central NTS. Although these structures do not generally correlate with Quaternary faults, the micro-earthquake activity may reflect zones of weakness within these older structures. A 100 km long, conspicuous, north-south trending seismic zone, which shows no correlation with know Quaternary features, aligns along the steep gravity gradient bordering the western side of the Kawich-Greenwater gravity

Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository prompts heated congressional hearing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2011-11-01

Although the final report of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future is not expected until January 2012, the tentative conclusions of the commission's draft report were dissected during a recent joint hearing by two subcommittees of the House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Among the more heated issues debated at the hearing was the fate of the stalled Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. The Blue Ribbon Commission's (BRC) draft report includes recommendations for managing nuclear waste and for developing one or more permanent deep geological repositories and interim storage facilities, but the report does not address the future of Yucca Mountain. The BRC charter indicates that the commission is to "conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle." However, the draft report states that the commission was not asked to consider, and therefore did not address, several key issues. "We have not rendered an opinion on the suitability of the Yucca Mountain site or on the request to withdraw the license application for Yucca Mountain," the draft report states.

DOE's Yucca Mountain Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

This booklet is about the disposal of high-level nuclear waste in the United States with a particular focus on Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a repository site. Intended for readers who do not have a technical background, the booklet discusses why scientists and engineers think high-level nuclear waste may be disposed of safely underground. An…

The paleohydrology of unsaturated and saturated zones at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, James B.; Whelan, Joseph F.; Stuckless, John S.

2012-01-01

Surface, unsaturated-zone, and saturated-zone hydrologic conditions at Yucca Mountain responded to past climate variations and are at least partly preserved by sediment, fossil, and mineral records. Characterizing past hydrologic conditions in surface and subsurface environments helps to constrain hydrologic responses expected under future climate conditions and improve predictions of repository performance. Furthermore, these records provide a better understanding of hydrologic processes that operate at time scales not readily measured by other means. Pleistocene climates in southern Nevada were predominantly wetter and colder than the current interglacial period. Cyclic episodes of aggradation and incision in Fortymile Wash, which drains the eastern slope of Yucca Mountain, are closely linked to Pleistocene climate cycles. Formation of pedogenic cement is favored under wetter Pleistocene climates, consistent with increased soil moisture and vegetation, higher chemical solubility, and greater evapotranspiration relative to Holocene soil conditions. The distribution and geochemistry of secondary minerals in subsurface fractures and cavities reflect unsaturated-zone hydrologic conditions and the response of the hydrogeologic system to changes in temperature and percolation flux over the last 12.8 m.y. Physical and fluid-inclusion evidence indicates that secondary calcite and opal formed in air-filled cavities from fluids percolating downward through connected fracture pathways in the unsaturated zone. Oxygen, strontium, and carbon isotope data from calcite are consistent with a descending meteoric water source but also indicate that water compositions and temperatures evolved through time. Geochronological data indicate that secondary mineral growth rates are less than 1–5 mm/m.y., and have remained approximately uniform over the last 10 m.y. or longer. These data are interpreted as evidence for hydrological stability despite large differences in surface moisture

Nye County Nevada Perspectives on the State of the Yucca Mountain Project - 12388

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lacy, Darrell; Voegele, Michael; Jaszczak, Casmier

2012-07-01

Responding to the Department of Energy decision to try to withdraw the Yucca Mountain license application and the Administration actions to close down the Yucca Mountain project, Nye County undertook a number of activities to articulate its support for continuing the Yucca Mountain project. The activities included responding to inquiries from federal agencies, including investigations undertaken by the Government Accountability Office addressing other potential uses for the Yucca Mountain site, responding to a Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the possible use of Yucca Mountain for disposal of Greater than Class C wastes, testifying in hearings, and interacting with the President'smore » Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. The paper summarizes Nye County's position on the Yucca Mountain repository, Nye County's perspectives on the various activities that were developed and considered by the Government Accountability Office, Nye County's concerns with the use of the Nevada National Security Site for Disposal of Greater than Class C Low-Level Radioactive Wastes, testimony of Nye County officials expressing local community support for the Yucca Mountain project, and Nye County's perspectives on recommendations provided by the Blue Ribbon Commission to move the nation's high-level radioactive waste disposal programs forward without consideration of the role Yucca Mountain could have served in those recommendations. Nye County believes that every effort should be made to, at a minimum, fund the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to complete the license application review. Then, if Congress does decide to change the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, there will be valuable information available to support new policy development. This administration contends that Congressional language associated with the FY2010 and FY2011 appropriations and authorization process is sufficient evidence of its intent to terminate the Yucca Mountain repository program. The

Yucca Mountain Area Saturated Zone Dissolved Organic Carbon Isotopic Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas, James; Decker, David; Patterson, Gary

2007-06-25

Groundwater samples in the Yucca Mountain area were collected for chemical and isotopic analyses and measurements of water temperature, pH, specific conductivity, and alkalinity were obtained at the well or spring at the time of sampling. For this project, groundwater samples were analyzed for major-ion chemistry, deuterium, oxygen-18, and carbon isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) performed all the fieldwork on this project including measurement of water chemistry field parameters and sample collection. The major ions dissolved in the groundwater, deuterium, oxygen-18, and carbon isotopes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)more » were analyzed by the USGS. All preparation and processing of samples for DOC carbon isotopic analyses and geochemical modeling were performed by the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Analysis of the DOC carbon dioxide gas produced at DRI to obtain carbon-13 and carbon-14 values was conducted at the University of Arizona Accelerator Facility (a NSHE Yucca Mountain project QA qualified contract facility). The major-ion chemistry, deuterium, oxygen-18, and carbon isotopes of DIC were used in geochemical modeling (NETPATH) to determine groundwater sources, flow paths, mixing, and ages. The carbon isotopes of DOC were used to calculate groundwater ages that are independent of DIC model corrected carbon-14 ages. The DIC model corrected carbon-14 calculated ages were used to evaluate groundwater travel times for mixtures of water including water beneath Yucca Mountain. When possible, groundwater travel times were calculated for groundwater flow from beneath Yucca Mountain to down gradient sample sites. DOC carbon-14 groundwater ages were also calculated for groundwaters in the Yucca Mountain area. When possible, groundwater travel times were estimated for groundwater flow from beneath Yucca Mountain to down gradient groundwater sample sites using the DOC calculated

Potential Future Igneous Activity at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, M.; Perry, F. V.; Valentine, G. A.; Smistad, E.

2005-12-01

Location, timing, and volumes of post-Miocene volcanic activity, along with expert judgement, provide the basis for assessing the probability of future volcanism intersecting a proposed repository for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Analog studies of eruptive centers in the region that may represent the style and extent of possible future igneous activity at Yucca Mountain have aided in defining the consequence scenarios for intrusion into and eruption through a proposed repository. Modeling of magmatic processes related to magma/proposed repository interactions has been used to assess the potential consequences of a future igneous event through a proposed repository at Yucca Mountain. Results of work to date indicate future igneous activity in the Yucca Mountain region has a very low probability of intersecting the proposed repository. Probability of a future event intersecting a proposed repository at Yucca Mountain is approximately 1.7 X 10-8 per year. Since completion of the Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment (PVHA) in 1996, anomalies representing potential buried volcanic centers have been identified from aeromagnetic surveys. A re-assessment of the hazard is currently underway to evaluate the probability of intersection in light of new information and to estimate the probability of one or more volcanic conduits located in the proposed repository along a dike that intersects the proposed repository. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations for siting and licensing a proposed repository require that the consequences of a disruptive event (igneous event) with annual probability greater than 1 X 10-8 be evaluated. Two consequence scenarios are considered; 1) igneous intrusion-groundwater transport case and 2) volcanic eruptive case. These scenarios equate to a dike or dike swarm intersecting repository drifts containing waste packages, formation of a conduit leading to a volcanic eruption through the repository that carries the contents of

Yucca Mountain Biological Resources Monitoring Program. Progress report, January 1994--December 1994

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-07-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987) to study and characterize the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential geological repository for high-level nuclear waste. During site characterization, the DOE will conduct a variety of geotechnical, geochemical, geological, and hydrological studies to determine the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential repository. To ensure that site characterization activities do not adversely affect the environment at Yucca Mountain, a program has been implemented to monitor and mitigate potential impacts and ensure activities comply with applicable environmental regulations. Thismore » report describes the activities and accomplishments of EG and G Energy Measurements, Inc. (EG and G/EM) from January 1994 through December 1994 for six program areas within the Terrestrial Ecosystem component of the environmental program for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP): Site Characterization Effects, Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), Habitat Reclamation, Monitoring and Mitigation, Radiological Monitoring, and Biological Support.« less

Yucca Mountain site characteriztion project bibliography. Progress Report, 1994--1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-08-01

Following a reorganization of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management in 1990, the Yucca Mountain Project was renamed Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The title of this bibliography was also changed to Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project Bibliography. Prior to August 5, 1988, this project was called the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations. This bibliography contains information on this ongoing project which was added to the Department of Energy`s Energy Science and Technology Database from January 1, 1994, through December 31, 1995. The bibliography is categorized by principal project participating organization. Participant-sponsored subcontractor reports, papers, and articles are includedmore » in the sponsoring organization`s list. Another section contains information about publications on the Energy Science and Technology database which were not sponsored by the project but have some relevance to it.« less

Tectonic and neotectonic framework of the Yucca Mountain Region

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schweickert, R.A.

1992-09-30

Highlights of major research accomplishments concerned with the tectonics and neotectonics of the Yucca Mountain Region include: structural studies in Grapevine Mountains, Bullfrog Hills, and Bare Mountain; recognition of significance of pre-Middle Miocene normal and strike-slip faulting at Bare Mountain; compilation of map of quaternary faulting in Southern Amargosa Valley; and preliminary paleomagnetic analysis of Paleozoic and Cenozoic units at Bare Mountain.

Geodesy and contemporary strain in the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keefer, W.R.; Coe, J.A.; Pezzopane, S.K.

Geodetic surveys provide important information for estimating recent ground movement in support of seismotectonic investigations of the potential nuclear-waste storage site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Resurveys of established level lines document up to 22 millimeters of local subsidence related to the 1992 Little Skull Mountain earthquake, which is consistent with seismic data that show normal-slip rupture and with data from a regional trilateration network. Comparison of more recent surveys with a level line first established in 1907 suggests 3 to 13 centimeters of subsidence in the Crater Flat-Yucca Mountain structural depression that coincides with the Bare Mountain fault; small upliftsmore » also were recorded near normal faults at Yucca Mountain. No significant deformation was recorded by a trilateration network over a 10-year period, except for coseismic deformation associated with the Little Skull Mountain earthquake, but meaningful results are limited by the short temporal period of that data set and the small rate of movement. Very long baseline interferometry that is capable of measuring direction and rates of deformation is likewise limited by a short history of observation, but rates of deformation between 8 and 13 millimeters per year across the basin and Range province are indicated by the available data.« less

Earthquake and volcano clustering via stress transfer at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, T.; Thompson, G.A.; Cogbill, A.H.

2006-01-01

The proposed national high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain is close to Quaternary cinder cones and faults with Quaternary slip. Volcano eruption and earthquake frequencies are low, with indications of spatial and temporal clustering, making probabilistic assessments difficult. In an effort to identify the most likely intrusion sites, we based a three-dimensional finite-element model on the expectation that faulting and basalt intrusions are sensitive to the magnitude and orientation of the least principal stress in extensional terranes. We found that in the absence of fault slip, variation in overburden pressure caused a stress state that preferentially favored intrusions at Crater Flat. However, when we allowed central Yucca Mountain faults to slip in the model, we found that magmatic clustering was not favored at Crater Flat or in the central Yucca Mountain block. Instead, we calculated that the stress field was most encouraging to intrusions near fault terminations, consistent with the location of the most recent volcanism at Yucca Mountain, the Lathrop Wells cone. We found this linked fault and magmatic system to be mutually reinforcing in the model in that Lathrop Wells feeder dike inflation favored renewed fault slip. ?? 2006 Geological Society of America.

Hydrology of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nevada-California : investigative results through mid-1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, R.K.; Robison, J.H.; Blankennagel, R.K.

1984-01-01

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is one of several sites under consideration for construction of the first repository for high-level nuclear waste. The climate is arid; few perennial streams are present in the region. Flash floods occasionally occur. The site is underlain by at least 1,800 meters of volcanic tuffs of Tertiary age; limestones and dolomites of Paleozoic age underlie much of the surrounding region, and, together with alluvial deposits, comprise the major aquifers. Yucca Mountain is in the Alkali Flat-Furnace Creek Ranch ground-water subbasin, which is part of the Death Valley ground-water basin. Discharge occurs at Alkali Flat almost entirely by evapotranspiration, and at Furnace Creek Ranch from small springs and seeps. Beneath Yucca Mountain, depth to water ranges from about 460 to 700 meters; the rock under consideration for construction of the repository is in the unsaturated zone. Rate of recharge at Yucca Mountain is small, perhaps much less than 5 millimeters per year. Within the saturated zone, water movement is principally along fractures. The hydraulic gradient is small east (downgradient) of Yucca Mountain, and increases to the north and west. Lack of effective-porosity data presently precludes accurate calculation of flow velocity and travel times. (USGS)

Yucca Mountain Biological Resources Monitoring Program; Annual report, FY91

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987) to study and characterize Yucca Mountain as a possible site for a geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste. During site characterization, the DOE will conduct a variety of geotechnical, geochemical, geological, and hydrological studies to determine the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a repository. To ensure that site characterization activities (SCA) do not adversely affect the Yucca Mountain area, an environmental program has been implemented to monitor and mitigate potential impacts and to ensure that activities comply with applicable environmentalmore » regulations. This report describes the activities and accomplishments during fiscal year 1991 (FY91) for six program areas within the Terrestrial Ecosystem component of the YMP environmental program. The six program areas are Site Characterization Activities Effects, Desert Tortoises, Habitat Reclamation, Monitoring and Mitigation, Radiological Monitoring, and Biological Support.« less

Yucca Mountain biological resources monitoring program; Annual report FY92

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1993-02-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (as amended in 1987) to study and characterize Yucca Mountain as a potential site for a geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste. During site characterization, the DOE will conduct a variety of geotechnical, geochemical, geological, and hydrological studies to determine the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential repository. To ensure that site characterization activities (SCA) do not adversely affect the environment at Yucca Mountain, an environmental program has been implemented to monitor and mitigate potential impacts and ensure activities comply with applicable environmentalmore » regulations. This report describes the activities and accomplishments of EG&G Energy Measurements, Inc. (EG&G/EM) during fiscal year 1992 (FY92) for six program areas within the Terrestrial Ecosystem component of the YMP environmental program. The six program areas are Site Characterization Effects, Desert Tortoises, Habitat Reclamation, Monitoring and Mitigation, Radiological Monitoring, and Biological Support.« less

Gravity and magnetic investigations of the Ghost Dance and Solitario Canyon faults, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponce, D.A.; Langenheim, V.E.

1995-12-31

Ground magnetic and gravity data collected along traverses across the Ghost Dance and Solitario Canyon faults on the eastern and western flanks, respectively, of Yucca Mountain in southwest Nevada are interpreted. These data were collected as part of an effort to evaluate faulting in the vicinity of a potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Gravity and magnetic data and models along traverses across the Ghost Dance and Solitario Canyon faults show prominent anomalies associated with known faults and reveal a number of possible concealed faults beneath the eastern flank of Yucca Mountain. The central part of the eastern flankmore » of Yucca Mountain is characterized by several small amplitude anomalies that probably reflect small scale faulting.« less

Hydrology of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, A.L.; Flint, L.E.; Kwicklis, E.M.; Bodvarsson, G.S.; Fabryka-Martin, J. M.

2001-01-01

Yucca Mountain, located in southern Nevada in the Mojave Desert, is being considered as a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. Although the site is arid, previous studies indicate net infiltration rates of 5-10 mm yr-1 under current climate conditions. Unsaturated flow of water through the mountain generally is vertical and rapid through the fractures of the welded tuffs and slow through the matrix of the nonwelded tuffs. The vitric-zeolitic boundary of the nonwelded tuffs below the potential repository, where it exists, causes perching and substantial lateral flow that eventually flows through faults near the eastern edge of the potential repository and recharges the underlying groundwater system. Fast pathways are located where water flows relatively quickly through the unsaturated zone to the water table. For the bulk of the water a large part of the travel time from land surface to the potential repository horizon (~300 m below land surface) is through the interlayered, low fracture density, nonwelded tuff where flow is predominately through the matrix. The unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain is being modeled using a three-dimensional, dual-continuum numerical model to predict the results of measurements and observations in new boreholes and excavations. The interaction between experimentalists and modelers is providing confidence in the conceptual model and the numerical model and is providing researchers with the ability to plan further testing and to evaluate the usefulness or necessity of further data collection.

Getting Beyond Yucca Mountain - 12305

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halstead, Robert J.; Williams, James M.

2012-07-01

The U.S. Department of Energy has terminated the Yucca Mountain repository project. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has indefinitely suspended the Yucca Mountain licensing proceeding. The presidentially-appointed Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America's Nuclear Future is preparing a report, due in January 2012, to the Secretary of Energy on recommendations for a new national nuclear waste management and disposal program. The BRC Draft Report published in July 2011 provides a compelling critique of the past three decades failed efforts in the United States to site storage and disposal facilities for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW). However,more » the BRC Draft Report fails to provide detailed guidance on how to implement an alternative, successful approach to facility site selection. The comments submitted to the BRC by the State of Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects provide useful details on how the US national nuclear waste program can get beyond the failed Yucca Mountain repository project. A detailed siting process, consisting of legislative elements, procedural elements, and 'rules' for volunteer sites, could meet the objectives of the BRC and the Western Governors Association (WGA), while promoting and protecting the interests of potential host states. The recent termination of the proposed Yucca Mountain repository provides both an opportunity and a need to re-examine the United States' nuclear waste management program. The BRC Draft Report published in July 2011 provides a compelling critique of the past three decades failed efforts in the United States to site storage and disposal facilities for SNF and HLW. It is anticipated that the BRC Final report in January 2012 will recommend a new general course of action, but there will likely continue to be a need for detailed guidance on how to implement an alternative, successful approach to facility site selection. Getting the nation's nuclear waste program back on track

A seismic study of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, southern Nevada; data report and preliminary results

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, L.R.; Mooney, W.D.

1983-01-01

From 1980 to 1982, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted seismic refraction studies at the Nevada Test Site to aid in an investigation of the regional crustal structure at a possible nuclear waste repository site near Yucca Mountain. Two regionally distributed deployments and one north-south deployment recorded nuclear events. First arrival times from these deployments were plotted on a location map and contoured to determine traveltime delays. The results indicate delays as large as 0.5 s in the Yucca Mountain and Crater Flat areas relative to the Jackass Flats area. A fourth east-west deployment recorded a chemical explosion and was interpreted using a two-dimensional computer raytracing technique. Delays as high as 0.7 s were observed over Crater Flat and Yucca Mountain. The crustal model derived from this profile indicates that Paleozoic rocks, which outcrop to the east at Skull Mountain and the Calico Hills, and to the west at Bare Mountain, lie at a minimum depth of 3 km beneath part of Yucca Mountain. These results confirm earlier estimates based on the modeling of detailed gravity data. A mid-crustal boundary at 15 ? 2 km beneath Yucca Mountain is evidenced by a prominent reflection recorded beyond 43 km range at 1.5 s reduced time. Other mid-crustal boundaries have been identified at 24 and 30 km and the total crustal thickness is 35 km.

Multidisciplinary hydrologic investigations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dudley, William W.

1990-01-01

Future climatic conditions and tectonic processes have the potential to cause significant changes of the hydrologic system in the southern Great Basin, where a nuclear-waste repository is proposed for construction above the water table at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Geothermal anomalies in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain probably result from the local and regional transport of heat by ground-water flow. Regionally and locally irregular patterns of hydraulic potential, local marsh and pond deposits, and calcite veins in faults and fractures probably are related principally to climatically imposed hydrologic conditions within the geologic and topographic framework. However, tectonic effects on the hydrologic system have also been proposed as the causes of these features, and existing data limitations preclude a full evaluation of these competing hypotheses. A broad program that integrates many disciplines of earth science is required in order to understand the relation of hydrology to past, present and future climates and tectonism.

Workshop on development of radionuclide getters for the Yucca Mountain waste repository: proceedings.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Robert Charles; Lukens, Wayne W.

The proposed Yucca Mountain repository, located in southern Nevada, is to be the first facility for permanent disposal of spent reactor fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the United States. Total Systems Performance Assessment (TSPA) analysis has indicated that among the major radionuclides contributing to dose are technetium, iodine, and neptunium, all of which are highly mobile in the environment. Containment of these radionuclides within the repository is a priority for the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). These proceedings review current research and technology efforts for sequestration of the radionuclides with a focus on technetium, iodine, and neptunium. This workshop alsomore » covered issues concerning the Yucca Mountain environment and getter characteristics required for potential placement into the repository.« less

SYSTHESIS OF VOLCANISM STUDIES FOR THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE CHARACTERIZATION PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Perry, F. V.; Crowe, G. A.; Valentine, G. A.

1997-09-23

This report synthesizes the results of volcanism studies conducted by scientists at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and collaborating institutions on behalf of the Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project. Chapter 1 introduces the volcanism issue for the Yucca Mountain site and provides the reader with an overview of the organization, content, and significant conclusions of this report. The hazard of future basaltic volcanism is the primary topic of concern including both events that intersect a potential repository and events that occur near or within the waste isolation system of a repository. Future volcanic events cannot be predicted with certaintymore » but instead are estimated using formal methods of probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment (PVHA). Chapter 2 describes the volcanic history of the Yucca Mountain region (YMR) and emphasizes the Pliocene and Quaternary volcanic record, the interval of primary concern for volcanic risk assessment. The distribution, eruptive history, and geochronology of Plio-Quaternary basalt centers are described by individual center emphasizing the younger postcaldera basalt (<5 Ma). The Lathrop Wells volcanic center is described in detail because it is the youngest basalt center in the YMR. The age of the Lathrop Wells center is now confidently determined to be about 75 thousand years old. Chapter 3 describes the tectonic setting of the YMR and presents and assesses the significance of multiple alternative tectonic models. The distribution of Pliocene and Quaternary basaltic volcanic centers is evaluated with respect to tectonic models for detachment, caldera, regional and local rifting, and the Walker Lane structural zone. Geophysical data are described for the YMR and are used as an aid to understand the distribution of past basaltic volcanic centers and possible future magmatic processes. Chapter 4 discusses the petrologic and geochemical features of basaltic volcanism in the YMR, the southern Great Basin and the

Geologic and geophysical characterization studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high-level radioactive-waste repository

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, J.W.; Keefer, W.R.

2000-01-01

In recognition of a critical national need for permanent radioactive-waste storage, Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada has been investigated by Federal agencies since the 1970's, as a potential geologic disposal site. In 1987, Congress selected Yucca Mountain for an expanded and more detailed site characterization effort. As an integral part of this program, the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of detailed geologic, geophysical, and related investigations designed to characterize the tectonic setting, fault behavior, and seismicity of the Yucca Mountain area. This document presents the results of 13 studies of the tectonic environment of Yucca Mountain, in support of a broad goal to assess the effects of future seismic and fault activity in the area on design, long-term performance, and safe operation of the potential surface and subsurface repository facilities.

Fracture and matrix hydrologic characteristics of tuffaceous materials from Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Peters, R.R.; Klavetter, E.A.; Hall, I.J.

1984-12-01

The geological formations in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, on and adjacent to the Nevada Test Site (NTS), are currently being studied for consideration as the host for a radioactive-waste repository; the US Department of Energy is carrying out these studies through the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations project. The formations are composed of tuffaceous (tuff) materials that must be evaluated to estimate the rate at which radionuclides would migrate to the accessible environment. According to the available evidence, the flux of water in the unsaturated zone beneath the Yucca Mountain site is low; quantifying such low flow ratesmore » through direct measurements is difficult. To help provide data that can be used to assess unsaturated flow, Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), under contract to Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), performed hydrologic tests on tuffaceous samples from 48 different locations in Yucca Mountain. This report contains the entire set of psychrometer measurements of desaturation curves for tuffs from Yucca Mountain as well as a substantial number of saturated conductivity measurements. 19 references, 132 figures, 23 tables.« less

Ecology, ethics, and professional environmental practice: The Yucca Mountain, Nevada, project as a case study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Malone, C.R.

1995-09-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to develop a geologic repository for disposing of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In this commentary, the ecology program for the DOE`s Yucca Mountain Project is discussed from the perspective of state-of-the-art ecosystem analysis, environmental ethics, and standards of professional practice. Specifically at issue is the need by the Yucca Mountain ecology program to adopt an ecosystem approach that encompasses the current strategy based on population biology and community ecology alone. The premise here is that an ecosystem approach is essential for assessing the long-term potential environmental impacts at Yuccamore » Mountain in light of the thermal effects expected to be associated with heat from radioactive decay.« less

Environmental assessment: Yucca Mountain site, Nevada research and development area, Nevada; Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1986-05-01

In February 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) identified the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada as one of nine potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high- level radioactive waste. The site is in the Great Basin, which is one of five distinct geohydrologic settings considered for the first repository. To determine their suitability, the Yucca Mountain site and the eight other potentially acceptable sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE`s General Guideline for the Recommendation of Sites for the Nuclear Waste Repositories. These evaluations were reported in draft environmental assessmentsmore » (EA), which were issued for public review and comment. After considering the comments received on the draft EAs, the DOE prepared the final EAs. On the basis of the evaluations reported in this EA, the DOE found that the Yucca Mountain site is not disqualified under the guidelines. The DOE has also found that it is suitable for site characterization because the evidence does not support a conclusion that the site will not be able to meet each of the qualifying conditions specified in the guidelines. On the basis of these findings, the DOE is nominating the Yucca Mountain site as of five sites suitable for characterization.« less

Chemistry of diagenetically altered tuffs at a potential nuclear waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broxton, D.E.; Warren, R.G.; Hagan, R.C.

1986-10-01

The chemistry of diagenetically altered tuffs at a potential nuclear waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada is described. These tuffs contain substantial amounts of zeolites that are highly sorptive of certain radionuclides. Because of their widespread distribution, the zeolitic tuffs could provide important barriers to radionuclide migration. Physical properties of these tuffs and of their constituent zeolites are influenced by their chemical compositions. This study defines the amount of chemical variability within diagenetically altered tuffs and within diagenetic minerals at Yucca Mountain. Zeolitic tuffs at Yucca Mountain formed by diagenetic alteration of rhyolitic vitric tuffs. Despite their similar starting compositions, thesemore » tuffs developed compositions that vary both vertically and laterally. Widespread chemical variations were the result of open-system chemical diagenesis in which chemical components of the tuffs were mobilized and redistributed by groundwaters. Alkalies, alkaline earths, and silica were the most mobile elements during diagenesis. The zeolitic tuffs can be divided into three compositional groups: (1) calcium- and magnesium-rich tuffs associated with relatively thin zones of alteration in the unsaturated zone; (2) tuffs in thick zones of alteration at and below the water table that grade laterally from sodic compositions on the western side of Yucca Mountain to calcic compositions on the eastern side; and (3) potassic tuffs at the north end of Yucca Mountain. Physical properties of tuffs and their consistuent zeolites at Yucca Mountain may be affected by variations in compositions. Properties important for assessment of repository performance include behavior and ion exchange.« less

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada--hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a

Characterizing the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: hydrology and geochemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2012-01-01

This hydrology and geochemistry volume is a companion volume to the 2007 Geological Society of America Memoir 199, The Geology and Climatology of Yucca Mountain and Vicinity, Southern Nevada and California, edited by Stuckless and Levich. The work in both volumes was originally reported in the U.S. Department of Energy regulatory document Yucca Mountain Site Description, for the site characterization study of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed U.S. geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The selection of Yucca Mountain resulted from a nationwide search and numerous committee studies during a period of more than 40 yr. The waste, largely from commercial nuclear power reactors and the government's nuclear weapons programs, is characterized by intense penetrating radiation and high heat production, and, therefore, it must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. The extensive, unique, and often innovative geoscience investigations conducted at Yucca Mountain for more than 20 yr make it one of the most thoroughly studied geologic features on Earth. The results of these investigations contribute extensive knowledge to the hydrologic and geochemical aspects of radioactive waste disposal in the unsaturated zone. The science, analyses, and interpretations are important not only to Yucca Mountain, but also to the assessment of other sites or alternative processes that may be considered for waste disposal in the future. Groundwater conditions, processes, and geochemistry, especially in combination with the heat from radionuclide decay, are integral to the ability of a repository to isolate waste. Hydrology and geochemistry are discussed here in chapters on unsaturated zone hydrology, saturated zone hydrology, paleohydrology, hydrochemistry, radionuclide transport, and thermally driven coupled processes affecting long-term waste isolation. This introductory chapter reviews some of the reasons for choosing to study Yucca Mountain as a

Major results of gravity and magnetic studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oliver, H.W.; Ponce, D.A.; Sikora, R.F.; ,

1991-01-01

About 4,000 gravity stations have been obtained at Yucca Mountain and vicinity since the beginning of radioactive-waste studies there in 1978. These data have been integrated with data from about 29,000 stations previously obtained in the surrounding region to produce a series of Bouguer and isostatic-residual-gravity maps of the Nevada Test Site and southeastern Nevada. Yucca Mountain is characterized by a WNW-dipping gravity gradient whereby residual values of -10 mGal along the east edge of Yucca Mountain decrease to about -38 mGal over Crater Flat. Using these gravity data, two-dimensional modeling predicted the depth to pre-Cenozoic rocks near the proposed repository to be about 1,220??150 m, an estimate that was subsequently confirmed by drilling to be 1,244 m. Three-dimensional modeling of the gravity low over Crater Flat indicates the thickness of Cenozoic volcanic rocks and alluvial cover to be about 3,000 m. Gravity interpretations also identified the Silent Canyon caldera before geologic mapping of Pahute Mesa and provided an estimate of the thickness of the volcanic section there of nearly 5 km.

Influence of seasonal climatic variability on shallow infiltration at Yucca Mountain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hevesi, Joseph A.; Flint, Alan L.

1993-01-01

To analyze infiltration and the redistribution of moisture in alluvial deposits at Yucca Mountain, water content profiles at a 13.5 m deep borehole were measured at monthly intervals using a neutron moisture probe. Increases in water content to a maximum depth of 1.8 m in response to winter season precipitation were noted. Below a depth of 1.8 m, a gradual drying trend was indicated. A simulation study showed that, although small amounts of water may be percolating through the deep nonwetted ones of the profile, the influence of climatic variability on infiltration through thick alluvial deposits at Yucca Mountain is greatly mitigated by evapotranspiration.

Two-phase unsaturated flow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: A report on current understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pruess, Karsten

Thick unsaturated zones in semi-arid regions have some unique attributes that are favorable for long-term isolation of hazardous wastes. The disposal concept at Yucca Mountain takes advantage of low ambient water fluxes. Evaluation of site suitability must be based on an understanding of two-phase (liquid-gas) fluid flow and heat transfer processes in a heterogeneous, fractured rock mass. A large body of relevant knowledge has been accumulated in various fields, including petroleum and geothermal reservoir engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and soil science. Complications at Yucca Mountain arise from the partly episodic and localized nature of water seepage in fracture networks. This limits the applicability of spatial and temporal averaging, and poses great challenges for numerical modeling. Significant flow and heat transfer effects may occur in the gas phase. Observations of natural and man-made chemical tracers as well as controlled field experiments have provided much useful information on mass transport at Yucca Mountain, including the occurrence of fast preferential flow. It is now clear that fracture-matrix interactions are considerably weaker than would be expected from a concept of water flowing in fractures as areally extensive sheets. The Yucca Mountain system is expected to be quite robust in coping with larger seepage rates, as may occur under future more pluvial climatic conditions.

Environmental assessment: Yucca Mountain site, Nevada research and development area, Nevada; Volume 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1986-05-01

In February 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) identified the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada as one of nine potentially acceptable sites for a mined geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The site is in the Great Basin, which is one of five distinct geohydrologic settings considered for the first repository. To determine their suitability, the Yucca Mountain site and the eight other potentially acceptable sites have been evaluated in accordance with the DOE`s General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for the Nuclear Waste Repositories. These evaluations were reported in draft environmental assessments (EAs),more » which were issued for public review and comment. After considering the comments received on the draft EAs, the DOE prepared the final EAs. On the basis of the evaluations reported in this EA, the DOE has found that the Yucca Mountain site is not disqualified under the guidelines. The DOE has also found that it is suitable for site characterization because the evidence does not support a conclusion that the site will not be able to meet each of the qualifying conditions specified in the guidelines. On the basis of these findings, the DOE is nominating the Yucca Mountain site as one of five sites suitable for characterization.« less

Gravity and magnetic data across the Ghost Dance Fault in WT-2 Wash, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oliver, H.W.; Sikora, R.F.

1994-12-31

Detailed gravity and ground magnetic data were obtained in September 1993 along a 4,650 ft-long profile across the Ghost Dance Fault system in WT-2 Wash. Gravity stations were established every 150 feet along the profile. Total-field magnetic measurements made initially every 50 ft along the profile, then remade every 20 ft through the fault zone. These new data are part of a geologic and geophysical study of the Ghost Dance Fault (GDF) which includes detailed geologic mapping, seismic reflection, and some drilling including geologic and geophysical logging. The Ghost Dance Fault is the only through-going fault that has been identifiedmore » within the potential repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Preliminary gravity results show a distinct decrease of 0.1 to 0.2 mGal over a 600-ft-wide zone to the east of and including the mapped fault. The gravity decrease probably marks a zone of brecciation. Another fault-offset located about 2,000 ft to the east of the GDF was detected by seismic reflection data and is also marked by a distinct gravity low. The ground magnetic data show a 200-ft-wide magnetic low of about 400 nT centered about 100 ft east of the Ghost Dance Fault. The magnetic low probably marks a zone of brecciation within the normally polarized Topopah Spring Tuff, the top of which is about 170 ft below the surface, and which is known from drilling to extend to a depth of about 1,700 ft. Three-component magnetometer logging in drill hole WT-2 located about 2,700 ft east of the Ghost Dance Fault shows that the Topopah Spring Tuff is strongly polarized magnetically in this area, so that fault brecciation of a vertical zone within the Tuff could provide an average negative magnetic contrast of the 4 Am{sup {minus}1} needed to produce the 400 nT low observed at the surface.« less

Hydrology of the unsaturated zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lecain, Gary D.; Stuckless, John S.

2012-01-01

The unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain was investigated as a possible site for the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository. Scientific investigations included infiltration studies, matrix properties testing, borehole testing and monitoring, underground excavation and testing, and the development of conceptual and numerical models of the hydrologic processes at Yucca Mountain. Infiltration estimates by empirical and geochemical methods range from 0.2 to 1.4 mm/yr and 0.2–6.0 mm/yr, respectively. Infiltration estimates from numerical models range from 4.5 mm/yr to 17.6 mm/yr. Rock matrix properties vary vertically and laterally as the result of depositional processes and subsequent postdepositional alteration. Laboratory tests indicate that the average matrix porosity and hydraulic conductivity values for the main level of the proposed repository (Topopah Spring Tuff middle nonlithophysal zone) are 0.08 and 4.7 × 10−12 m/s, respectively. In situ fracture hydraulic conductivity values are 3–6 orders of magnitude greater. The permeability of fault zones is approximately an order of magnitude greater than that of the surrounding rock unit. Water samples from the fault zones have tritium concentrations that indicate some component of postnuclear testing. Gas and water vapor movement through the unsaturated zone is driven by changes in barometric pressure, temperature-induced density differences, and wind effects. The subsurface pressure response to surface barometric changes is controlled by the distribution and interconnectedness of fractures, the presence of faults and their ability to conduct gas and vapor, and the moisture content and matrix permeability of the rock units. In situ water potential values are generally less than −0.2 MPa (−2 bar), and the water potential gradients in the Topopah Spring Tuff units are very small. Perched-water zones at Yucca Mountain are associated with the basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Tuff or the Calico

Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project bibliography, 1992--1994. Supplement 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Following a reorganization of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management in 1990, the Yucca Mountain Project was renamed Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The title of this bibliography was also changed to Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project Bibliography. Prior to August 5, 1988, this project was called the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations. This bibliography contains information on this ongoing project that was added to the Department of Energy`s Energy Science and Technology Database from January 1, 1992, through December 31, 1993. The bibliography is categorized by principal project participating organization. Participant-sponsored subcontractor reports, papers, and articles are includedmore » in the sponsoring organization`s list. Another section contains information about publications on the Energy Science and Technology Database that were not sponsored by the project but have some relevance to it. Earlier information on this project can be found in the first bibliography DOE/TIC-3406, which covers 1977--1985, and its three supplements DOE/OSTI-3406(Suppl.1), DOE/OSTI-3406(Suppl.2), and DOE/OSTI-3406(Suppl.3), which cover information obtained during 1986--1987, 1988--1989, and 1990--1991, respectively. All entries in the bibliographies are searchable online on the NNW database file. This file can be accessed through the Integrated Technical Information System (ITIS) of the US Department of Energy (DOE).« less

Numerical modeling of perched water under Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hinds, J.J.; Ge, S.; Fridrich, C.J.

1999-01-01

The presence of perched water near the potential high-level nuclear waste repository area at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, has important implications for waste isolation. Perched water occurs because of sharp contrasts in rock properties, in particular between the strongly fractured repository host rock (the Topopah Spring welded tuff) and the immediately underlying vitrophyric (glassy) subunit, in which fractures are sealed by clays that were formed by alteration of the volcanic glass. The vitrophyre acts as a vertical barrier to unsaturated flow throughout much of the potential repository area. Geochemical analyses (Yang et al. 1996) indicate that perched water is relatively young, perhaps younger than 10,000 years. Given the low permeability of the rock matrix, fractures and perhaps fault zones must play a crucial role in unsaturated flow. The geologic setting of the major perched water bodies under Yucca Mountain suggests that faults commonly form barriers to lateral flow at the level of the repository horizon, but may also form important pathways for vertical infiltration from the repository horizon down to the water table. Using the numerical code UNSAT2, two factors believed to influence the perched water system at Yucca Mountain, climate and fault-zone permeability, are explored. The two-dimensional model predicts that the volume of water held within the perched water system may greatly increase under wetter climatic conditions, and that perched water bodies may drain to the water table along fault zones. Modeling results also show fault flow to be significantly attenuated in the Paintbrush Tuff non-welded hydrogeologic unit.

Development of the performance confirmation program at YUCCA mountain, nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

LeCain, G.D.; Barr, D.; Weaver, D.; Snell, R.; Goodin, S.W.; Hansen, F.D.

2006-01-01

The Yucca Mountain Performance Confirmation program consists of tests, monitoring activities, experiments, and analyses to evaluate the adequacy of assumptions, data, and analyses that form the basis of the conceptual and numerical models of flow and transport associated with a proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The Performance Confirmation program uses an eight-stage risk-informed, performance-based approach. Selection of the Performance Confirmation activities for inclusion in the Performance Confirmation program was done using a risk-informed performance-based decision analysis. The result of this analysis was a Performance Confirmation base portfolio that consists of 20 activities. The 20 Performance Confirmation activities include geologic, hydrologie, and construction/engineering testing. Some of the activities began during site characterization, and others will begin during construction, or post emplacement, and continue until repository closure.

234U/238U evidence for local recharge and patterns of groundwater flow in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, J.B.; Ludwig, K. R.; Peterman, Z.E.; Neymark, L.A.

2002-01-01

Uranium concentrations and 234U/238U ratios in saturated-zone and perched ground water were used to investigate hydrologic flow and downgradient dilution and dispersion in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, a potential high-level radioactive waste disposal site. The U data were obtained by thermal ionization mass spectrometry on more than 280 samples from the Death Valley regional flow system. Large variations in both U concentrations (commonly 0.6-10 ??g 1-1) and 234U/238U activity ratios (commonly 1.5-6) are present on both local and regional scales; however, ground water with 234U/238U activity ratios from 7 up to 8.06 is restricted largely to samples from Yucca Mountain. Data from ground water in the Tertiary volcanic and Quaternary alluvial aquifers at and adjacent to Yucca Mountain plot in 3 distinct fields of reciprocal U concentration versus 234U/238U activity ratio correlated to different geographic areas. Ground water to the west of Yucca Mountain has large U concentrations and moderate 234U/238U whereas ground water to the east in the Fortymile flow system has similar 234U/238U, but distinctly smaller U concentrations. Ground water beneath the central part of Yucca Mountain has intermediate U concentrations but distinctive 234U/238U activity ratios of about 7-8. Perched water from the lower part of the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain has similarly large values of 234U/238U. These U data imply that the Tertiary volcanic aquifer beneath the central part of Yucca Mountain is isolated from north-south regional flow. The similarity of 234U/238U in both saturated- and unsaturated-zone ground water at Yucca Mountain further indicates that saturated-zone ground water beneath Yucca Mountain is dominated by local recharge rather than regional flow. The distinctive 234U/238U signatures also provide a natural tracer of downgradient flow. Elevated 234U/238U in ground water from two water-supply wells east of Yucca Mountain are interpreted as the result of induced

Hydrologic and geologic characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site relevant to the performance of a potential repository

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Linden, R.M.; Patterson, R.L.; Stuckless, J.S.

2000-01-01

Yucca Mountain, located ~100 mi northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been designated by Congress as a site to be characterized for a potential mined geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. This field trip will examine the regional geologic and hydrologic setting for Yucca Mountain, as well as specific results of the site characterization program. The first day focuses on the regional setting with emphasis on current and paleo hydrology, which are both of critical concern for predicting future performance of a potential repository. Morning stops will be southern Nevada and afternoon stops will be in Death Valley. The second day will be spent at Yucca Mountain. The field trip will visit the underground testing sites in the "Exploratory Studies Facility" and the "Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Field Test" plus several surface-based testing sites. Much of the work at the site has concentrated on studies of the unsaturated zone, an element of the hydrologic system that historically has received little attention. Discussions during the second day will compromise selected topics of Yucca Mountain geology, hydrology and geochemistry and will include the probabilistic volcanic hazard analysis and the seismicity and seismic hazard in the Yucca Mountain area. Evening discussions will address modeling of regional groundwater flow, the results of recent hydrologic studies by the Nye County Nuclear Waste Program Office, and the relationship of the geology and hydrology of Yucca Mountain to the performance of a potential repository. Day 3 will examine the geologic framework and hydrology of the Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin and then will continue to Reno via Hawthorne, Nevada and the Walker Lake area.

Shallow infiltration processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada : neutron logging data 1984-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Lorraine E.; Flint, Alan L.

1995-01-01

To determine site suitability of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as a potential high-level radioactive waste repository, a study was devised to characterize net infiltration. This study involves a detailed data set produced from 99 neutron boreholes that consisted of volumetric water-content readings with depth from 1984 through 1993 at Yucca Mountain. Boreholes were drilled with minimal disturbance to the surrounding soil or rock in order to best represent field conditions. Boreholes were located in topographic positions representing infiltration zones identified as ridgetops, sideslopes, terraces, and active channels. Through careful field calibration, neutron moisture logs, collected on a monthly basis and representing most of the areal locations at Yucca Mountain, illustrated that the depth of penetration of seasonal moisture, important for escaping loss to evapotranspiration, was influenced by several factors. It was increased (1) by thin soil cover, especially in locations where thin soil is underlain by fractured bedrock; (2) on ridgetops; and (3) during the winter when evapotranspiration is low and runoff is less frequent. This data set helps to provide a seasonal and areal distribution of changes in volumetric water content with which to assess hydrologic processes contributing to net infiltration.

Yucca Mountain, Nevada - A proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levich, R.A.; Stuckless, J.S.

2006-01-01

Yucca Mountain in Nevada represents the proposed solution to what has been a lengthy national effort to dispose of high-level radioactive waste, waste which must be isolated from the biosphere for tens of thousands of years. This chapter reviews the background of that national effort and includes some discussion of international work in order to provide a more complete framework for the problem of waste disposal. Other chapters provide the regional geologic setting, the geology of the Yucca Mountain site, the tectonics, and climate (past, present, and future). These last two chapters are integral to prediction of long-term waste isolation. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America. All rights reserved.

Review of Microbial Responses to Abiotic Environmental Factors in the Context of the Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meike, A.; Stroes-Gascoyne, S.

2000-08-01

A workshop on Microbial Activities at Yucca Mountain (May 1995, Lafayette, CA) was held with the intention to compile information on all pertinent aspects of microbial activity for application to a potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The findings of this workshop set off a number of efforts intended to eventually incorporate the impacts of microbial behavior into performance assessment models. One effort was to expand an existing modeling approach to include the distinctive characteristics of a repository at Yucca Mountain (e.g., unsaturated conditions and a significant thermal load). At the same time, a number of experimental studies were initiated asmore » well as a compilation of relevant literature to more thoroughly study the physical, chemical and biological parameters that would affect microbial activity under Yucca Mountain-like conditions. This literature search (completed in 1996) is the subject of the present document. The collected literature can be divided into four categories: (1) abiotic factors, (2) community dynamics and in-situ considerations, (3) nutrient considerations and (4) transport of radionuclides. The complete bibliography represents a considerable resource, but is too large to be discussed in one document. Therefore, the present report focuses on the first category, abiotic factors, and a discussion of these factors in order to facilitate the development of a model for Yucca Mountain.« less

Using science soundly: The Yucca Mountain standard

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fri, R.W.

1995-09-01

Using sound science to shape government regulation is one of the most hotly argued topics in the ongoing debate about regulatory reform. Even though no one advaocates using unsound science, the belief that even the best science will sweep away regulatory controversy is equally foolish. As chair of a National Research Council (NRC) committee that studied the scientific basis for regulating high-level nuclear waste disposal, the author learned that science alone could resolve few of the key regulatory questions. Developing a standard that specifies a socially acceptable limit on the human health effects of nuclear waste releases involves many decisions.more » As the NRC committee learned in evaluating the scientific basis for the Yucca Mountain standard, a scientifically best decision rarely exists. More often, science can only offer a useful framework and starting point for policy debates. And sometimes, science`s most helpful contribution is to admit that it has nothing to say. The Yucca mountain study clearly illustrates that excessive faith in the power of science is more likely to produce messy frustration than crisp decisions. A better goal for regulatory reform is the sound use of science to clarify and contain the inevitable policy controversy.« less

Word images as policy instruments: Lessons from the Yucca Mountain Controversey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Conary, J.S.; Soden, D.L.; Carns, D.E.

A study is described which explores word images which have developed about nuclear issues by Nevadans. The study is based on results of a survey conducted regarding issues related to the Yucca Mountain repository.

Field trip report: Observations made at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. Special report No. 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hill, C.A.

1993-03-01

A field trip was made to the Yucca Mountain area on December 5-9, 1992 by Jerry Frazier, Don Livingston, Christine Schluter, Russell Harmon, and Carol Hill. Forty-three separate stops were made and 275 lbs. of rocks were collected during the five days of the field trip. Key localities visited were the Bare Mountains, Yucca Mountain, Calico Hills, Busted Butte, Harper Valley, Red Cliff Gulch, Wahmonie Hills, Crater Flat, and Lathrop Wells Cone. This report only describes field observations made by Carol Hill. Drawings are used rather than photographs because cameras were not permitted on the Nevada Test Site during thismore » trip.« less

Implications of seismic reflection and potential field geophysical data on the structural framework of the Yucca Mountain-Crater Flat region, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brocher, T.M.; Hunter, W.C.; Langenheim, V.E.

1998-01-01

Seismic reflection and gravity profiles collected across Yucca Mountain, Nevada, together with geologic data, provide evidence against proposed active detachment faults at shallow depth along the pre-Tertiary-Tertiary contact beneath this potential repository for high-level nuclear waste. The new geophysical data show that the inferred pre-Tertiary-Tertiary contact is offset by moderate- to high-angle faults beneath Crater Flat and Yucca Mountain, and thus this shallow surface cannot represent an active detachment surface. Deeper, low-angle detachment surface(s) within Proterozoic-Paleozoic bedrock cannot be ruled out by our geophysical data, but are inconsistent with other geologic and geophysical observations in this vicinity. Beneath Crater Flat, the base of the seismogenic crust at 12 km depth is close to the top of the reflective (ductile) lower crust at 14 to 15 km depth, where brittle fault motions in the upper crust may be converted to pure shear in the ductile lower crust. Thus, our preferred interpretation of these geophysical data is that moderate- to high-angle faults extend to 12-15-km depth beneath Yucca Mountain and Crater Flat, with only modest changes in dip. The reflection lines reveal that the Amargosa Desert rift zone is an asymmetric half-graben having a maximum depth of about 4 km and a width of about 25 km. The east-dipping Bare Mountain fault that bounds this graben to the west can be traced by seismic reflection data to a depth of at least 3.5 km and possibly as deep as 6 km, with a constant dip of 64????5??. Within Crater Flat, east-dipping high-angle normal faults offset the pre-Tertiary-Tertiary contact as well as a reflector within the Miocene tuff sequence, tilting both to the west. The diffuse eastern boundary of the Amargosa Desert rift zone is formed by a broad series of high-angle down-to-the-west normal faults extending eastward across Yucca Mountain. Along our profile the transition from east- to west-dipping faults occurs at or

Yucca L.: yucca

Treesearch

Robert R. Alexander; Floyd W. Pond; Jane E. Rodgers

2008-01-01

There are about 30 species of yucca native to North America and the West Indies. Although most of these long-lived, evergreen plants grow in the arid southwestern United States and on Mexican tablelands, yuccas are found up to 2,400 m in elevation in the mountains of Colorado (Arnott 1962; Webber 1953). Four western species are considered here (table 1). Great Plains...

Modeling Potential Tephra Dispersal at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hooper, D.; Franklin, N.; Adams, N.; Basu, D.

2006-12-01

Quaternary basaltic volcanoes exist within 20 km [12 mi] of the potential radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and future basaltic volcanism at the repository is considered a low-probability, potentially high-consequence event. If radioactive waste was entrained in the conduit of a future volcanic event, tephra and waste could be transported in the resulting eruption plume. During an eruption, basaltic tephra would be dispersed primarily according to the height of the eruption column, particle-size distribution, and structure of the winds aloft. Following an eruption, contaminated tephra-fall deposits would be affected by surface redistribution processes. The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses developed the computer code TEPHRA to calculate atmospheric dispersion and subsequent deposition of tephra and spent nuclear fuel from a potential eruption at Yucca Mountain and to help prepare the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review a potential U.S. Department of Energy license application. The TEPHRA transport code uses the Suzuki model to simulate the thermo-fluid dynamics of atmospheric tephra dispersion. TEPHRA models the transport of airborne pyroclasts based on particle diffusion from an eruption column, horizontal diffusion of particles by atmospheric and plume turbulence, horizontal advection by atmospheric circulation, and particle settling by gravity. More recently, TEPHRA was modified to calculate potential tephra deposit distributions using stratified wind fields based on upper atmosphere data from the Nevada Test Site. Wind data are binned into 1-km [0.62-mi]-high intervals with coupled distributions of wind speed and direction produced for each interval. Using this stratified wind field and discretization with respect to height, TEPHRA calculates particle fall and lateral displacement for each interval. This implementation permits modeling of split wind fields. We use a parallel version of the code to calculate expected

Geologic evaluation of six nonwelded tuff sites in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada for a surface-based test facility for the Yucca Mountain Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broxton, D.E.; Chipera, S.J.; Byers, F.M. Jr.

1993-10-01

Outcrops of nonwelded tuff at six locations in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were examined to determine their suitability for hosting a surface-based test facility for the Yucca Mountain Project. Investigators will use this facility to test equipment and procedures for the Exploratory Studies Facility and to conduct site characterization field experiments. The outcrops investigated contain rocks that include or are similar to the tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills, an important geologic and hydrologic barrier between the potential repository and the water table. The tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills at the site of the potential repository consist of bothmore » vitric and zeolitic tuffs, thus three of the outcrops examined are vitric tuffs and three are zeolitic tuffs. New data were collected to determine the lithology, chemistry, mineralogy, and modal petrography of the outcrops. Some preliminary data on hydrologic properties are also presented. Evaluation of suitability of the six sites is based on a comparison of their geologic characteristics to those found in the tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills within the exploration block.« less

The Site-Scale Saturated Zone Flow Model for Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Aziz, E.; James, S. C.; Arnold, B. W.; Zyvoloski, G. A.

2006-12-01

This presentation provides a reinterpreted conceptual model of the Yucca Mountain site-scale flow system subject to all quality assurance procedures. The results are based on a numerical model of site-scale saturated zone beneath Yucca Mountain, which is used for performance assessment predictions of radionuclide transport and to guide future data collection and modeling activities. This effort started from the ground up with a revised and updated hydrogeologic framework model, which incorporates the latest lithology data, and increased grid resolution that better resolves the hydrogeologic framework, which was updated throughout the model domain. In addition, faults are much better represented using the 250× 250- m2 spacing (compared to the previous model's 500× 500-m2 spacing). Data collected since the previous model calibration effort have been included and they comprise all Nye County water-level data through Phase IV of their Early Warning Drilling Program. Target boundary fluxes are derived from the newest (2004) Death Valley Regional Flow System model from the US Geologic Survey. A consistent weighting scheme assigns importance to each measured water-level datum and boundary flux extracted from the regional model. The numerical model is calibrated by matching these weighted water level measurements and boundary fluxes using parameter estimation techniques, along with more informal comparisons of the model to hydrologic and geochemical information. The model software (hydrologic simulation code FEHM~v2.24 and parameter estimation software PEST~v5.5) and model setup facilitates efficient calibration of multiple conceptual models. Analyses evaluate the impact of these updates and additional data on the modeled potentiometric surface and the flowpaths emanating from below the repository. After examining the heads and permeabilities obtained from the calibrated models, we present particle pathways from the proposed repository and compare them to those from the

Selected ground-water data for Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada and eastern California, through December 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Westenburg, C.L.; La Camera, R. J.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region. The data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during studies to determine the potential suitability of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 36 sites, ground-water discharge at 6 sites, and ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are presented for calendar year 1994. Data collected prior to 1994 are graphically presented and data collected by other agencies (or as part of other programs) are included to further indicate variations of ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven wells in Jackass Flats is presented. The statistical summary includes the number of measurements, the maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and the average deviation of measured water-level altitudes for selected baseline periods and for calendar years 1992-94.

Volumetric analysis and hydrologic characterization of a modern debris flow near Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coe, J.A.; Glancy, P.A.; Whitney, J.W.

1997-01-01

On July 21 or 22, 1984, debris flows triggered by rainfall occurred on the southern hillslope of Jake Ridge, about 6 km east of the crest of Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Rain gages near Jake Ridge recorded 65 mm and 69 mm on July 21, and 20 mm and 17 mm on July 22. Rates of rainfall intensity ranged up to 73 mm/h on the twenty-first, and 15 mm/h on the twenty-second. Digital elevation models with 2.0 m grid-node spacing, measured from pre-storm and post-storm aerial stereo-photographs, were used to map hillslope erosion and the downslope distribution of debris. Volumetric calculations indicate that about 7040 m3 of debris was redistributed on the 49,132 m2 hillslope study area during the two-day storm period. About 4580 m3 (65%) of the eroded sediment was deposited within the study area and the remaining 35% was deposited outside the study area in a short tributary to Fortymile Wash and in the wash itself. The maximum and mean depths of erosion in the study area were about 1.8 m and 5 cm, respectively. The mean depths of erosion on the upper and middle hillslope were 27 cm and 4 cm, respectively. The mean depth of deposition on the lower hillslope was 16 cm. Analysis of the values of cumulative precipitation in the context of the precipitation-frequency atlas of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration indicates that precipitation from the main storm on July 21 was more than double that expected, on average, once during a 100-year period. The relations of precipitation intensity/duration, developed from data recorded at a nearby precipitation gage, indicate a storm interval of 500 years or greater. The amount of erosion caused by such a storm is primarily dependent on three variables: storm intensity, development of the drainage network on the hillslope, and the amount of available colluvium. Additionally, the erosive ability of successive storms of equal intensity will decrease because such storms would tend to progressively isolate and reduce the amount of

Radionuclide solubility and speciation studies for the Yucca Mountain site characterization project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nitsche, H.; Roberts, K.; Prussin, T.

1992-12-01

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, is being investigated for its suitability as a potential site for a geologic nuclear waste repository. As part of the site characterization studies, actinide solubilities and speciations were studied at pH 6, 7, and 8.5 at 25{degrees}C in two different groundwaters from the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. The groundwaters differ substantially in total dissolved carbonate concentration, and to a lesser extent in ionic strength. In the waters with higher carbonate content, the solubilities of neptunium(V) decreased, whereas those americium(III) increased at 25{degrees}KC and decreased at 60{degrees}C. The solids formed were sodium neptunium carbonates and americium hydroxycarbonates.more » Plutonium solubilities did not significantly change with changing water composition because the solubility-controlling solids were mostly amorphous Pu(IV) polymers that contained only small amounts of carbonate.« less

Radionuclide solubility and speciation studies for the Yucca Mountain site characterization project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nitsche, H.; Roberts, K.; Prussin, T.

1993-12-31

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, U.S.A., is being investigated for its suitability as a potential site for a geologic nuclear waste repository. As part of the site characterization studies, actinide solubilities and speciations were studied at pH 6, 7, and 8.5 at 25{degrees} and 60{degrees}C in two different groundwaters from the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. The groundwaters differ substantially in total dissolved carbonate concentration, and to a lesser extent in ionic strength. In the waters with higher carbonate content, the solubilities of neptunium(V) decreased, whereas those of americium (III) increased at 25{degrees}C and decreased at 60{degrees}C. The solids formed were sodium neptuniummore » carbonates and americium hydroxycarbonates. Plutonium solubilities did not significantly change with changing water composition because the solubility-controlling solids were mostly amorphous Pu(IV) polymers that contained only small amounts of carbonate.« less

Estimating recharge at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA: Comparison of methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, A.L.; Flint, L.E.; Kwicklis, E.M.; Fabryka-Martin, J. T.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

2002-01-01

Obtaining values of net infiltration, groundwater travel time, and recharge is necessary at the Yucca Mountain site, Nevada, USA, in order to evaluate the expected performance of a potential repository as a containment system for high-level radioactive waste. However, the geologic complexities of this site, its low precipitation and net infiltration, with numerous mechanisms operating simultaneously to move water through the system, provide many challenges for the estimation of the spatial distribution of recharge. A variety of methods appropriate for arid environments has been applied, including water-balance techniques, calculations using Darcy's law in the unsaturated zone, a soil-physics method applied to neutron-hole water-content data, inverse modeling of thermal profiles in boreholes extending through the thick unsaturated zone, chloride mass balance, atmospheric radionuclides, and empirical approaches. These methods indicate that near-surface infiltration rates at Yucca Mountain are highly variable in time and space, with local (point) values ranging from zero to several hundred millimeters per year. Spatially distributed net-infiltration values average 5 mm/year, with the highest values approaching 20 mm/year near Yucca Crest. Site-scale recharge estimates range from less than 1 to about 12 mm/year. These results have been incorporated into a site-scale model that has been calibrated using these data sets that reflect infiltration processes acting on highly variable temporal and spatial scales. The modeling study predicts highly non-uniform recharge at the water table, distributed significantly differently from the non-uniform infiltration pattern at the surface.

Age and character of basaltic rocks of the Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleck, R.J.; Turrin, B.D.; Sawyer, D.A.; Warren, R.G.; Champion, D.E.; Hudson, M.R.; Minor, S.A.

1996-01-01

Volcanism in the Yucca Mountain region of southern Nevada in the last 5 m.y. is restricted to moderate-to-small volumes of subalkaline basaltic magmas, produced during at least 6 intervals, and spanning an age range from 4.6 Ma to about 125 ka. Where paleomagnetic evidence is available, the period of volcanism at individual eruptive centers apparently was geologically short-lived, even where multiple eruptions involved different magma types. K-Ar studies are consistent with most other geochronologic information, such as the minimum ages of exposure-dating techniques, and show no evidence of renewed volcanism after a significant quiescence at any of the centers in the Yucca Mountain region. A volcanic recurrence interval of 860 ?? 350 kyr is computed from a large K-Ar data set and an evaluation of their uncertainties. Monte Carlo error propagations demonstrate the validity of uncertainties obtained for weighted-mean ages when modified using the goodness of fit parameter, MSWD. Elevated 87Sr/86Sr initial ratios (Sri) in the basalts, nearly constant at 0.707, combined with low SiO2 and Rb/Sr ratios indicate a subcontinental, lithospheric mantle source, previously enriched in radiogenic Sr and depleted in Rb. Beginning with eruptions of the most voluminous eruptive center, the newly dated Pliocene Thirsty Mountain volcano, basaltic magmas have decreased in eruptive volume, plagioclase-phenocryst content, various trace element ratios, and TiO2, while increasing in light rare earth elements, U, Th, P2O5, and light REE/heavy REE ratios. These time-correlated changes are consistent with either increasing depths of melting or a decreasing thermal gradient in the Yucca Mountain region during the last 5 m.y.

Status of volcanism studies for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crowe, B.; Perry, F.; Murrell, M.

1995-02-01

Chapter 1 introduces the volcanism issue for the Yucca Mountain site and provides the reader with an overview of the organization, content, and significant conclusions of this report. The risk of future basaltic volcanism is the primary topic of concern including both events that intersect a potential repository and events that occur near or within the waste isolation system of a repository. Chapter 2 describes the volcanic history of the Yucca Mountain region (YMR) and emphasizes the Pliocene and Quaternary volcanic record, the interval of primary concern for volcanic risk assessment. The Lathrop Wells volcanic center is described in detailmore » because it is the youngest basalt center in the YMR. Chapter 3 describes the tectonic setting of the YMR and presents and assesses the significance of multiple alternative tectonic models. Geophysical data are described for the YMR and are used as an aid to understand the distribution of basaltic volcanic centers. Chapter 4 discusses the petrologic and geochemical features of basaltic volcanism in the YMR, the southern Great Basin and the Basin and Range province. The long time of activity and characteristic small volume of the Postcaldera basalt of the YMR result in one of the lowest eruptive rates in a volcanic field in the southwest United States. Chapter 5 summarizes current concepts of the segregation, ascent, and eruption of basalt magma. Chapter 6 summarizes the history of volcanism studies (1979 through early 1994), including work for the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project and overview studies by the state of Nevada and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Chapter 7 summarizes probabilistic volcanic hazard assessment using a three-part conditional probability model. Chapter 8 describes remaining volcanism work judged to be needed to complete characterization studies for the YMR. Chapter 9 summarizes the conclusions of this volcanism status report.« less

A Fruit of Yucca Mountain: The Remote Waste Package Closure System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kevin Skinner; Greg Housley; Colleen Shelton-Davis

2011-11-01

Was the death of the Yucca Mountain repository the fate of a technical lemon or a political lemon? Without caution, this debate could lure us away from capitalizing on the fruits of the project. In March 2009, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) successfully demonstrated the Waste Package Closure System, a full-scale prototype system for closing waste packages that were to be entombed in the now abandoned Yucca Mountain repository. This article describes the system, which INL designed and built, to weld the closure lids on the waste packages, nondestructively examine the welds using four different techniques, repair the welds if necessary,more » mitigate crack initiating stresses in the surfaces of the welds, evacuate and backfill the packages with an inert gas, and perform all of these tasks remotely. As a nation, we now have a proven method for securely sealing nuclear waste packages for long term storage—regardless of whether or not the future destination for these packages will be an underground repository. Additionally, many of the system’s features and concepts may benefit other remote nuclear applications.« less

Use of an analog site near Raymond, California, to develop equipment and methods for characterizing a potential high-level, nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Umari, A.M.J.; Geldon, A.; Patterson, G.

1994-12-31

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, currently is being investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey as a potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Planned hydraulic-stress and tracer tests in fractured, tuffaceous rocks below the water table at Yucca Mountain will require work at depths in excess of 1,300 feet. To facilitate prototype testing of equipment and methods to be used in aquifer tests at Yucca Mountain, an analog site was selected in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada near Raymond, California. Two of nine 250- to 300-feet deep wells drilled into fractured, granitic rocks at the Raymond site have been instrumentedmore » with packers, pressure transducers, and other equipment that will be used at Yucca Mountain. Aquifer tests conducted at the Raymond site to date have demonstrated a need to modify some of the equipment and methods conceived for use at Yucca Mountain.« less

Experimental and numerical simulation of dissolution and precipitation: implications for fracture sealing at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobson, Patrick F.; Kneafsey, Timothy J.; Sonnenthal, Eric L.; Spycher, Nicolas; Apps, John A.

2003-05-01

Plugging of flow paths caused by mineral precipitation in fractures above the potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada could reduce the probability of water seeping into the repository. As part of an ongoing effort to evaluate thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) effects on flow in fractured media, we performed a laboratory experiment and numerical simulations to investigate mineral dissolution and precipitation under anticipated temperature and pressure conditions in the repository. To replicate mineral dissolution by vapor condensate in fractured tuff, water was flowed through crushed Yucca Mountain tuff at 94 °C. The resulting steady-state fluid composition had a total dissolved solids content of about 140 mg/l; silica was the dominant dissolved constituent. A portion of the steady-state mineralized water was flowed into a vertically oriented planar fracture in a block of welded Topopah Spring Tuff that was maintained at 80 °C at the top and 130 °C at the bottom. The fracture began to seal with amorphous silica within 5 days. A 1-D plug-flow numerical model was used to simulate mineral dissolution, and a similar model was developed to simulate the flow of mineralized water through a planar fracture, where boiling conditions led to mineral precipitation. Predicted concentrations of the major dissolved constituents for the tuff dissolution were within a factor of 2 of the measured average steady-state compositions. The mineral precipitation simulations predicted the precipitation of amorphous silica at the base of the boiling front, leading to a greater than 50-fold decrease in fracture permeability in 5 days, consistent with the laboratory experiment. These results help validate the use of a numerical model to simulate THC processes at Yucca Mountain. The experiment and simulations indicated that boiling and concomitant precipitation of amorphous silica could cause significant reductions in fracture porosity and permeability on a local scale. However

Selected ground-water data for Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada and eastern California, through December 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Locke, Glenn L.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region. The data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during studies to determine the potential suitability of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 34 wells and a fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs and a flowing well, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are presented for calendar year 1998. Data collected prior to 1998 are graphically presented and data collected by other agencies (or as part of other Geolgical Survey programs) are included to further indicate variations of ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven wells in Jackass Flats is presented to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the number of measurements, the maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and the average deviation of measured water-level altitudes for selected baseline periods and for calendar years 1992-98. At two water-supply wells and a nearby observation well, median water levels for calendar year 1998 were slightly lower (0.2 to 0.3 foot) than for their respective baseline periods. At the remaining four wells in Jackass Flats, median water levels for 1998 were unchanged at two wells and slightly higher (0.4 and 1.4 foot) at two wells than those for their respective baseline periods.

Selected ground-water data for Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada and eastern California, through December 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Locke, G.L.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region. The data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during studies to determine the potential suitability of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 34 wells and a fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs and a flowing well, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are presented for calendar year 1999. Data collected prior to 1999 are graphically presented and data collected by other agencies (or as part of other Geological Survey programs) are included to further indicate variations of ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven wells in Jackass Flats is presented to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the number of measurements, the maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and the average deviation of measured water-level altitudes for selected baseline periods and for calendar years 1992-99. At two water-supply wells median water levels for calendar year 1999 were unchanged from their respective baseline periods. At a nearby observation well, the 1999 median water level was slightly lower (0.1 foot) than its baseline period. At the remaining four wells in Jackass Flats, median water levels for 1999 were slightly higher (0.2 foot to 1.6 feet) than for their respective baseline periods.

Sub-millimeter Signal Detection by GPS: Cross Validation using GIPSY and GAMIT Solutions for the Yucca Mountain Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, E.; Bennett, R. A.; Blewitt, G.; Davis, J. L.; Wernicke, B. P.

2002-12-01

A continuous and densely spaced GPS network has been installed at Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada, as part of the BARGEN array. It was funded by the Department of Energy to characterize strain at the proposed nuclear waste repository. Each GPS antenna is deep-mounted into solid bedrock and atmospheric effects in the desert climate of the region are relatively low, making this an ideal network to explore the potential precision of GPS. Due to the importance of obtaining an accurate and reliable set of velocity measurements at Yucca Mountain, two separate groups using entirely different methods have independently processed the GPS data from this network. The UNR group has utilized JPL's GIPSY-OASIS II, employing a precise point positioning technique, whereas the CfA group has used MIT's GAMIT software and a double-differencing approach. Comparison of the two sets of results for 28 stations and 2.8 years of data has revealed only small differences in horizontal velocity estimates, with formal errors for both groups less than 0.17 mm/yr and an RMS of residual velocity differences of 0.23 mm/yr. The two solutions are consistent with one another at the two sigma level. Relative horizontal velocities at stations within 40 km of Yucca Mountain itself are on the order of <0.5 mm/yr, with a smooth pattern of NNW shear. In order to obtain negligible differences in results both groups had to account for coseismic offsets caused by the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake. It was also necessary to perform ambiguity resolution in GIPSY. Without ambiguity resolution, the GIPSY results were significantly different to those produced by GAMIT. The data was processed in GIPSY on a line-by-line basis, relative to a station in the center of the Yucca Mountain network, to produce a regionally-referenced solution free of common mode signals. It was evident in both solutions that radome changes produce a measurable effect in the vertical component, giving an apparent vertical swell of

Structural geology of the proposed site area for a high-level radioactive waste repository, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, C.J.; Day, W.C.; Sweetkind, D.S.; Dickerson, R.P.

2004-01-01

Geologic mapping and fracture studies have documented the fundamental patterns of joints and faults in the thick sequence of rhyolite tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed site of an underground repository for high-level radioactive waste. The largest structures are north-striking, block-bounding normal faults (with a subordinate left-lateral component) that divide the mountain into numerous 1-4-km-wide panels of gently east-dipping strata. Block-bounding faults, which underwent Quaternary movement as well as earlier Neogene movement, are linked by dominantly northwest-striking relay faults, especially in the more extended southern part of Yucca Mountain. Intrablock faults are commonly short and discontinuous, except those on the more intensely deformed margins of the blocks. Lithologic properties of the local tuff stratigraphy strongly control the mesoscale fracture network, and locally the fracture network has a strong influence on the nature of intrablock faulting. The least faulted part of Yucca Mountain is the north-central part, the site of the proposed repository. Although bounded by complex normal-fault systems, the 4-km-wide central block contains only sparse intrablock faults. Locally intense jointing appears to be strata-bound. The complexity of deformation and the magnitude of extension increase in all directions away from the proposed repository volume, especially in the southern part of the mountain where the intensity of deformation and the amount of vertical-axis rotation increase markedly. Block-bounding faults were active at Yucca Mountain during and after eruption of the 12.8-12.7 Ma Paintbrush Group, and significant motion on these faults postdated the 11.6 Ma Rainier Mesa Tuff. Diminished fault activity continued into Quaternary time. Roughly half of the stratal tilting in the site area occurred after 11.6 Ma, probably synchronous with the main pulse of vertical-axis rotation, which occurred between 11.6 and 11.45 Ma. Studies of

Selected Ground-Water Data of Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, January 2000-December 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Locke, Glenn L.; La Camera, Richard J.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain Project, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region. The data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during activities to determine the potential suitability or development of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 35 wells and a fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs and a flowing well, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are tabulated from January 2000 through December 2002. Historical data on water levels, discharges, and withdrawals are graphically presented to indicate variations through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven wells in Jackass Flats is presented for 1992-2002 to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the annual number of measurements, maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and average deviation of measured water-level altitudes compared to selected baseline periods. Baseline periods varied for 1985-93. At six of the seven wells in Jackass Flats, the median water levels for 2002 were slightly higher (0.3-2.4 feet) than for their respective baseline periods. At the remaining well, data for 2002 was not summarized statistically but median water-level altitude in 2001 was 0.7 foot higher than that in its baseline period.

Is Yucca Mountain a long-term solution for disposing of US spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste?

PubMed

Thorne, M C

2012-06-01

On 26 January 2012, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future released a report addressing, amongst other matters, options for the managing and disposal of high-level waste and spent fuel. The Blue Ribbon Commission was not chartered as a siting commission. Accordingly, it did not evaluate Yucca Mountain or any other location as a potential site for the storage or disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. Nevertheless, if the Commission's recommendations are followed, it is clear that any future proposals to develop a repository at Yucca Mountain would require an extended period of consultation with local communities, tribes and the State of Nevada. Furthermore, there would be a need to develop generally applicable regulations for disposal of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste, so that the Yucca Mountain site could be properly compared with alternative sites that would be expected to be identified in the initial phase of the site-selection process. Based on what is now known of the conditions existing at Yucca Mountain and the large number of safety, environmental and legal issues that have been raised in relation to the DOE Licence Application, it is suggested that it would be imprudent to include Yucca Mountain in a list of candidate sites for future evaluation in a consent-based process for site selection. Even if there were a desire at the local, tribal and state levels to act as hosts for such a repository, there would be enormous difficulties in attempting to develop an adequate post-closure safety case for such a facility, and in showing why this unsaturated environment should be preferred over other geological contexts that exist in the USA and that are more akin to those being studied and developed in other countries.

Death Valley Lower Carbonate Aquifer Monitoring Program Wells Down Gradient of the Proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, U. S. Department of Energy Grant DE-RW0000233 2010 Project Report, prepared by The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC for Inyo County Yucca Mountain Repository Assessment Office

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, Michael J; Bredehoeft, John D., Dr.

2010-09-03

Inyo County completed the first year of the U.S. Department of Energy Grant Agreement No. DE-RW0000233. This report presents the results of research conducted within this Grant agreement in the context of Inyo County's Yucca Mountain oversight program goals and objectives. The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC prepared this report for Inyo County Yucca Mountain Repository Assessment Office. The overall goal of Inyo County's Yucca Mountain research program is the evaluation of far-field issues related to potential transport, by ground water, of radionuclide into Inyo County, including Death Valley, and the evaluation of a connection between the Lower Carbonate Aquifer (LCA) andmore » the biosphere. Data collected within the Grant is included in interpretive illustrations and discussions of the results of our analysis. The centeral elements of this Grant prgoram was the drilling of exploratory wells, geophysical surveys, geological mapping of the Southern Funeral Mountain Range. The cullimination of this research was 1) a numerical ground water model of the Southern Funeral Mountain Range demonstrating the potential of a hydraulic connection between the LCA and the major springs in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley, and 2) a numerical ground water model of the Amargosa Valley to evaluate the potential for radionuclide transport from Yucca Mountain to Inyo County, California. The report provides a description of research and activities performed by The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC on behalf of Inyo County, and copies of key work products in attachments to this report.« less

Tritium and 36Cl as constraints on fast fracture flow and percolation flux in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain.

PubMed

Guerin, M

2001-10-01

An analysis of tritium and 36Cl data collected at Yucca Mountain, Nevada suggests that fracture flow may occur at high velocities through the thick unsaturated zone. The mechanisms and extent of this "fast flow" in fractures at Yucca Mountain are investigated with data analysis, mixing models and several one-dimensional modeling scenarios. The model results and data analysis provide evidence substantiating the weeps model [Gauthier, J.H., Wilson, M.L., Lauffer, F.C., 1992. Proceedings of the Third Annual International High-level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, vol. 1, Las Vegas, NV. American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL, pp. 891-989] and suggest that fast flow in fractures with minimal fracture-matrix interaction may comprise a substantial proportion of the total infiltration through Yucca Mountain. Mixing calculations suggest that bomb-pulse tritium measurements, in general, represent the tail end of travel times for thermonuclear-test-era (bomb-pulse) infiltration. The data analysis shows that bomb-pulse tritium and 36Cl measurements are correlated with discrete features such as horizontal fractures and areas where lateral flow may occur. The results presented here imply that fast flow in fractures may be ubiquitous at Yucca Mountain, occurring when transient infiltration (storms) generates flow in the connected fracture network.

Tritium and 36Cl as constraints on fast fracture flow and percolation flux in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerin, Marianne

2001-10-01

An analysis of tritium and 36Cl data collected at Yucca Mountain, Nevada suggests that fracture flow may occur at high velocities through the thick unsaturated zone. The mechanisms and extent of this "fast flow" in fractures at Yucca Mountain are investigated with data analysis, mixing models and several one-dimensional modeling scenarios. The model results and data analysis provide evidence substantiating the weeps model [Gauthier, J.H., Wilson, M.L., Lauffer, F.C., 1992. Proceedings of the Third Annual International High-level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, vol. 1, Las Vegas, NV. American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL, pp. 891-989] and suggest that fast flow in fractures with minimal fracture-matrix interaction may comprise a substantial proportion of the total infiltration through Yucca Mountain. Mixing calculations suggest that bomb-pulse tritium measurements, in general, represent the tail end of travel times for thermonuclear-test-era (bomb-pulse) infiltration. The data analysis shows that bomb-pulse tritium and 36Cl measurements are correlated with discrete features such as horizontal fractures and areas where lateral flow may occur. The results presented here imply that fast flow in fractures may be ubiquitous at Yucca Mountain, occurring when transient infiltration (storms) generates flow in the connected fracture network.

Characterize Eruptive Processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

G. Valentine

2001-12-20

This Analysis/Model Report (AMR), ''Characterize Eruptive Processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada'', presents information about natural volcanic systems and the parameters that can be used to model their behavior. This information is used to develop parameter-value distributions appropriate for analysis of the consequences of volcanic eruptions through a potential repository at Yucca Mountain. Many aspects of this work are aimed at resolution of the Igneous Activity Key Technical Issue (KTI) as identified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC 1998, p. 3), Subissues 1 and 2, which address the probability and consequence of igneous activity at the proposed repository site, respectively. Withinmore » the framework of the Disruptive Events Process Model Report (PMR), this AMR provides information for the calculations in two other AMRs ; parameters described herein are directly used in calculations in these reports and will be used in Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA). Compilation of this AMR was conducted as defined in the Development Plan, except as noted. The report begins with considerations of the geometry of volcanic feeder systems, which are of primary importance in predicting how much of a potential repository would be affected by an eruption. This discussion is followed by one of the physical and chemical properties of the magmas, which influences both eruptive styles and mechanisms for interaction with radioactive waste packages. Eruptive processes including the ascent velocity of magma at depth, the onset of bubble nucleation and growth in the rising magmas, magma fragmentation, and velocity of the resulting gas-particle mixture are then discussed. The duration of eruptions, their power output, and mass discharge rates are also described. The next section summarizes geologic constraints regarding the interaction between magma and waste packages. Finally, they discuss bulk grain size produced by relevant explosive eruptions and grain shapes.« less

Reconnaissance Seismic Refraction Studies at Calico Hills, Wahmonie, and Yucca Mountain, Southwest Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pankratz, L.W.

1982-01-01

Reconnaissance refraction surveys consisting off a total of 5 spreads were conducted in the Calico Hills, Wahmonie and Yucca Mountain areas, southwestern Nevada Test Site (NTS). Data from Calico Hills and Wahmonie are generally high in quality; data from Yucca Mountain are for the most part low in quality. At Calico Hills and Wahmonie, special attention was focused on the possible occurrence of a major intrusive body at depth. At Calico Hills this occurrence is supported by an inferred dome-shaped velocity interface. possibly associated with the roof of an altered phase of argillite. However, if an intrusive body is present, its top must be buried deeper than 3 km or it must be so pervasively altered that its velocity is similar to that of the calcareous argillite encountered at the bottom of drill hole DE 25a-3. At Wahmonie, the seismic data suggest the occurrence of a massive lenticular unit within 60 m of the ground surface, probably consisting of argillite but possibly consisting of intensively altered intrusive rock. At Yucca Mountain, preliminary interpretations of the most reliable data suggest the occurrence of a major, steeply inclined velocity interface 500 m from the southwest end of the Yucca C spread. This interface may represent a major fault or erosional feature separating the Topopah Spring and Tiva Canyon Members with Paintbrush Tuff at depth. This interface is 800 m east of a previously mapped fault. On the basis of poor-quality data obtained at Yucca Mountain, the subsurface velocity distribution appears to be complex. For example, one spread near drill hole UE25 a-I suggests not only a much thicker section of Tiva but also that this material is down thrown in the valley. This may suggest faulting with throws exceeding 100 meters or an equivalent erosional feature.

77 FR 8895 - Jimbilnan, Pinto Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit Mountain, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

..., Pinto Valley, Black Canyon, Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit Mountain, and Bridge Canyon..., Eldorado, Ireteba Peaks, Nellis Wash, Spirit Mountain, and Bridge Canyon Wilderness Areas, Lake Mead... wilderness character; providing for reasonable use of Spirit Mountain and adjacent areas in a manner meeting...

Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from a nonwelded to welded tuff transition, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rautman, C.A.; Flint, L.E.; Flint, A.L.; Istok, J.D.

1995-01-01

Quantitative material-property data are needed to describe lateral and vertical spatial variability of physical and hydrologic properties and to model ground-water flow and radionuclide transport at the potential Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste repository site in Nevada. As part of ongoing site characterization studies of Yucca Mountain directed toward this understanding of spatial variability, laboratory measurements of porosity, bull* and particle density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and sorptivity have been obtained for a set of outcrop samples that form a systematic,two dimensional grid that covers a large exposure of the basal Tiva Canyon Tuff of the Paintbrush Group of Miocene age at Yucca Mountain. The samples form a detailed vertical grid roughly parallel to the transport direction of the parent ash flows, and they exhibit material-property varia- tions in an interval of major lithologic change overlying a potential nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain. The observed changes in hydrologic properties were systematic and consistent with the changes expected for the nonwelded to welded transition at the base of a major ash-flow sequence. Porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and sorptivity decreased upward from the base of the Tiva Canyon Tuff, indicating the progressive compaction of ash- rich volcanic debris and the onset of welding with increased overburden pressure from the accumulating ash-flow sheet. The rate of decrease in the values of these material properties varied with vertical position within the transition interval. In contrast, bulk-density values increased upward, a change that also is consistent with progressive compaction and the onset of welding. Particle-density values remained almost constant throughout the transition interval, probably indicating compositional (chemical) homogeneity.

Bedrock geologic map of the Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, Warren C.; Dickerson, Robert P.; Potter, Christopher J.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; San Juan, Carma A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Fridrich, Christopher J.

1998-01-01

Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, has been identified as a potential site for underground storage of high-level radioactive nuclear waste. Detailed bedrock geologic maps form an integral part of the site characterization program by providing the fundamental framework for research into the geologic hazards and hydrologic behavior of the mountain. This bedrock geologic map provides the geologic framework and structural setting for the area in and adjacent to the site of the potential repository. The study area comprises the northern and central parts of Yucca Mountain, located on the southern flank of the Timber Mountain-Oasis Valley caldera complex, which was the source for many of the volcanic units in the area. The Timber Mountain-Oasis Valley caldera complex is part of the Miocene southwestern Nevada volcanic field, which is within the Walker Lane belt. This tectonic belt is a northwest-striking megastructure lying between the more active Inyo-Mono and Basin-and-Range subsections of the southwestern Great Basin.Excluding Quaternary surficial deposits, the map area is underlain by Miocene volcanic rocks, principally ash-flow tuffs with lesser amounts of lava flows. These volcanic units include the Crater Flat Group, the Calico Hills Formation, the Paintbrush Group, and the Timber Mountain Group, as well as minor basaltic dikes. The tuffs and lava flows are predominantly rhyolite with lesser amounts of latite and range in age from 13.4 to 11.6 Ma. The 10-Ma basaltic dikes intruded along a few fault traces in the north-central part of the study area. Fault types in the area can be classified as block bounding, relay structures, strike slip, and intrablock. The block-bounding faults separate the 1- to 4-km-wide, east-dipping structural blocks and exhibit hundreds of meters of displacement. The relay structures are northwest-striking normal fault zones that kinematically link the block-bounding faults. The strike-slip faults are steep, northwest-striking dextral

Geology of drill hole UE25p No. 1: A test hole into pre-Tertiary rocks near Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carr, M.D.; Waddell, S.J.; Vick, G.S.

1986-12-31

Yucca Mountain in southern Nye County, Nevada, has been proposed as a potential site for the underground disposal of high-level nuclear waste. An exploratory drill hole designated UE25p No. 1 was drilled 3 km east of the proposed repository site to investigate the geology and hydrology of the rocks that underlie the Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rock sequence forming Yucca Mountain. Silurian dolomite assigned to the Roberts Mountain and Lone Mountain Formations was intersected below the Tertiary section between a depth of approximately 1244 m (4080 ft) and the bottom of the drill hole at 1807 m (5923 ft). Thesemore » formations are part of an important regional carbonate aquifer in the deep ground-water system. Tertiary units deeper than 1139 m (3733 ft) in drill hole UE25p No. 1 are stratigraphically older than any units previously penetrated by drill holes at Yucca Mountain. These units are, in ascending order, the tuff of Yucca Flat, an unnamed calcified ash-flow tuff, and a sequence of clastic deposits. The upper part of the Tertiary sequence in drill hole UE25p No. 1 is similar to that found in other drill holes at Yucca Mountain. The Tertiary sequence is in fault contact with the Silurian rocks. This fault between Tertiary and Paleozoic rocks may correlate with the Fran Ridge fault, a steeply westward-dipping fault exposed approximately 0.5 km east of the drill hole. Another fault intersects UE25p No. 1 at 873 m (2863 ft), but its surface trace is concealed beneath the valley west of the Fran Ridge fault. The Paintbrush Canyon fault, the trace of which passes less than 100 m (330 ft) east of the drilling site, intersects drill hole UE25p No. 1 at a depth of approximately 78 m (255 ft). The drill hole apparently intersected the west flank of a structural high of pre-Tertiary rocks, near the eastern edge of the Crater Flat structural depression.« less

Influence of transitional volcanic strata on lateral diversion at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Lorraine E.; Flint, Alan L.; Selker, John S.

2003-01-01

Natural hydraulic barriers exist at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high‐level nuclear waste repository, that have been identified as possible lateral diversions for reducing deep percolation through the waste storage area. Historical development of the conceptual model of lateral diversion has been limited by available field data, but numerical investigations presented the possibility of significant lateral diversion due to the presence of a thin, porous rock layer, the Paintbrush nonwelded tuffs. Analytical analyses of the influence of transitional changes in properties suggest that minimal lateral diversion is likely at Yucca Mountain. Numerical models, to this point, have not accounted for the gradual transition of properties or the existence of multiple layers that could inadvertently influence the simulation of lateral diversion as an artifact of numerical model discretization. Analyses were made of subsurface matric potential measurements, and comparisons were made of surface infiltration estimates with deeper percolation flux calculations using chloride‐mass‐balance calculations and simulations of measured temperature profiles. These analyses suggest that insignificant lateral diversion has occurred above the repository horizon and that water generally moves vertically through the Paintbrush nonwelded tuffs.

Passive Seismic Monitoring for Rockfall at Yucca Mountain: Concept Tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cheng, J; Twilley, K; Murvosh, H

2003-03-03

For the purpose of proof-testing a system intended to remotely monitor rockfall inside a potential radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, a system of seismic sub-arrays will be deployed and tested on the surface of the mountain. The goal is to identify and locate rockfall events remotely using automated data collecting and processing techniques. We install seismometers on the ground surface, generate seismic energy to simulate rockfall in underground space beneath the array, and interpret the surface response to discriminate and locate the event. Data will be analyzed using matched-field processing, a generalized beam forming method for localizing discrete signals.more » Software is being developed to facilitate the processing. To date, a three-component sub-array has been installed and successfully tested.« less

Selection of Batteries and Fuel Cells for Yucca Mountain Robots

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Upadhye, R S

2003-12-08

The Performance Confirmation program of the Yucca Mountain Repository Development Project needs to employ remotely operated robots to work inside the emplacement drifts which will have an environment unsuitable for humans (radiation environment of up to 200 rad/hour (mostly gamma rays, some neutrons)) and maximum temperatures of 180 C. The robots will be required to operate inside the drifts for up to 8 hours per mission. Based on available functional requirements, we have developed the following specifications for the power needed by the robots:

TOPOGRAPHY, STRESSES, AND STABILITY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfs, Henri; Savage, William Z.

1985-01-01

Plane-strain solutions are used to analyze the influence of topography on the state of stress at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. The results are in good agreement with the measured stress components obtained in drill holes by the hydraulic-fracturing technique, particularly those measured directly beneath the crest of the ridge, and indicate that these stresses are gravitationally induced. A separate analysis takes advantage of the fact that a well-developed set of vertical faults and fractures, subparallel to the ridge trend, imparts a vertical transverse isotropy to the rock and that, as a consequence of gravitational loading, unequal horizontal stresses are induced in directions perpendicular and parallel to the anisotropy.

Multiphysics processes in partially saturated fractured rock: Experiments and models from Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutqvist, Jonny; Tsang, Chin-Fu

2012-09-01

The site investigations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, have provided us with an outstanding data set, one that has significantly advanced our knowledge of multiphysics processes in partially saturated fractured geological media. Such advancement was made possible, foremost, by substantial investments in multiyear field experiments that enabled the study of thermally driven multiphysics and testing of numerical models at a large spatial scale. The development of coupled-process models within the project have resulted in a number of new, advanced multiphysics numerical models that are today applied over a wide range of geoscientific research and geoengineering applications. Using such models, the potential impact of thermal-hydrological-mechanical (THM) multiphysics processes over the long-term (e.g., 10,000 years) could be predicted and bounded with some degree of confidence. The fact that the rock mass at Yucca Mountain is intensively fractured enabled continuum models to be used, although discontinuum models were also applied and are better suited for analyzing some issues, especially those related to predictions of rockfall within open excavations. The work showed that in situ tests (rather than small-scale laboratory experiments alone) are essential for determining appropriate input parameters for multiphysics models of fractured rocks, especially related to parameters defining how permeability might evolve under changing stress and temperature. A significant laboratory test program at Yucca Mountain also made important contributions to the field of rock mechanics, showing a unique relation between porosity and mechanical properties, a time dependency of strength that is significant for long-term excavation stability, a decreasing rock strength with sample size using very large core experiments, and a strong temperature dependency of the thermal expansion coefficient for temperatures up to 200°C. The analysis of in situ heater experiments showed that fracture

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, Through December 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

La Camera, Richard J.; Westenburg, Craig L.

1994-01-01

Tne U.S. Geological Survey. in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Yucca Mountain Site- Characterization Project, collects, compiles, and summarizes water-resource data in the Yucca Mountain region. The data are collected to document the historical and current condition of ground-water resources, to detect and document changes in those resources through time, and to allow assessments of ground-water resources during investigations to determine the potential suitability of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 36 sites, ground- water discharge at 6 sites, ground-water quality at 19 sites, and ground-water withdrawals within Crater Fiat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are presented. Data on ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals collected by other agencies or as part of other programs are included to further indicate variations through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels and median annual ground-water withdrawals in Jackass Flats is presented. The statistical summary includes the number of measurements, the maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and the average deviation of a11 water-level altitudes for selected baseline periods and for calendar year 1992. Data on ground-water quality are compared to established, proposed, or tentative primary and secondary drinking-water standards, and measures which exceeded those standards are listed for 18 sites. Detected organic compounds for which established, proposed, or tentative drinking-water standards exist also are listed.

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, January-December 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Locke, Glenn L.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, collected, compiled, and summarized hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region of southern Nevada and eastern California. These data were collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during activities to determine the potential suitability or development of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data collected from January through December 2005 are provided for ground-water levels at 35 boreholes and 1 fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs, ground-water levels and discharge at 1 flowing borehole, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert. Ground-water level, discharge, and withdrawal data collected by other agencies, or as part of other programs, are provided. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven boreholes in Jackass Flats is presented for 1992-2005 to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the annual number of measurements; maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes; and average deviation of measured water-level altitudes compared to the 1992-93 baseline period. At seven boreholes in Jackass Flats, median water levels for 2005 were slightly higher (0.4-2.7 feet) than the median water levels for 1992-93.

Reactive transport simulations of alternative flow pathways in the ambient unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browning, L.; Murphy, W.; Manepally, C.; Fedors, R.

2003-04-01

Uncertainties in simulated ambient system unsaturated zone flow could have a significant impact on performance evaluations of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In addition to determining variations in the quantity of water available to corrode engineered materials and transport radionuclides, model assumptions regarding flow pathways may significantly affect estimates of groundwater chemistry. The manner and extent to which groundwater compositions evolve along a flow pathway are determined mainly by thermohydrologic conditions, the types of reactive materials encountered, and the interaction times with those materials. Simulated groundwater compositions can thus vary significantly depending on whether or not the flow model includes lateral diversion of infiltrating waters, or preferential flow pathways in variably-saturated materials. To assist a regulatory review of a potential license application for a geologic repository for high-level waste, we developed a reactive transport model for the ambient hydrogeochemical system at Yucca Mountain. The model simulates two phase, nonisothermal, advective and diffusive flow and transport through a one dimensional, matrix and fracture continua (dual permeability) containing ten kinetically reactive hydrostatigraphic layers in the vicinity of the SD-9 borehole at Yucca Mountain. In this presentation, we describe how the model was used to evaluate alternative ambient unsaturated zone flow pathways proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy. This abstract is an independent product of the CNWRA and does not necessarily reflect the views or regulatory position of the NRC.

Improving Communications with Tribes along U.S. Department of Energy Shipping Routes: Preparing for Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jones, J.; Portner, W. E.; Patric, J.

2006-07-01

This paper describes efforts by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) to initiate, coordinate, and improve communications with Native American Tribes along potential shipping routes to the geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The Office of National Transportation (ONT) within OCRWM is taking a collaborative approach that builds upon past working relationships between DOE and Tribal Nations. This paper focuses on those relationships, vehicles such as the Tribal Topic Group of the DOE Transportation External Coordination Working Group (TEC), and other recent interactions that ONT has been pursuing to strengthen existing partnerships andmore » build new ones. It also offers lessons learned and goals for the future as ONT looks ahead to ensure appropriate coordination with Tribes on future shipments to Yucca Mountain. (authors)« less

Geoengineering properties of potential repository units at Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tillerson, J.R.; Nimick, F.B.

1984-12-01

The Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project is currently evaluating volcanic tuffs at the Yucca Mountain site, located on and adjacent to the Nevada Test Site, for possible use as a host rock for a radioactive waste repository. The behavior of tuff as an engineering material must be understood to design, license, construct, and operate a repository. Geoengineering evaluations and measurements are being made to develop confidence in both the analysis techniques for thermal, mechanical, and hydrothermal effects and the supporting data base of rock properties. The analysis techniques and the data base are currently used for repository design,more » waste package design, and performance assessment analyses. This report documents the data base of geoengineering properties used in the analyses that aided the selection of the waste emplacement horizon and in analyses synopsized in the Environmental Assessment Report prepared for the Yucca Mountain site. The strategy used for the development of the data base relies primarily on data obtained in laboratory tests that are then confirmed in field tests. Average thermal and mechanical properties (and their anticipated variations) are presented. Based upon these data, analyses completed to date, and previous excavation experience in tuff, it is anticipated that existing mining technology can be used to develop stable underground openings and that repository operations can be carried out safely.« less

A Preliminary Investigation of The Structure of Southern Yucca Flat, Massachusetts Mountain, and CP Basin, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, Based on Geophysical Modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, Geoffrey A.; Justet, Leigh; Moring, Barry C.; Roberts, Carter W.

2006-01-01

New gravity and magnetic data collected in the vicinity of Massachusetts Mountain and CP basin (Nevada Test Site, NV) provides a more complex view of the structural relationships present in the vicinity of CP basin than previous geologic models, helps define the position and extent of structures in southern Yucca Flat and CP basin, and better constrains the configuration of the basement structure separating CP basin and Frenchman Flat. The density and gravity modeling indicates that CP basin is a shallow, oval-shaped basin which trends north-northeast and contains ~800 m of basin-filling rocks and sediment at its deepest point in the northeast. CP basin is separated from the deeper Frenchman Flat basin by a subsurface ridge that may represent a Tertiary erosion surface at the top of the Paleozoic strata. The magnetic modeling indicates that the Cane Spring fault appears to merge with faults in northwest Massachusetts Mountain, rather than cut through to Yucca Flat basin and that the basin is downed-dropped relative to Massachusetts Mountain. The magnetic modeling indicates volcanic units within Yucca Flat basin are down-dropped on the west and supports the interpretations of Phelps and KcKee (1999). The magnetic data indicate that the only faults that appear to be through-going from Yucca Flat into either Frenchman Flat or CP basin are the faults that bound the CP hogback. In general, the north-trending faults present along the length of Yucca Flat bend, merge, and disappear before reaching CP hogback and Massachusetts Mountain or French Peak.

Modeling studies of gas movement and moisture migration at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, Y.W.; Pruess, K.

1991-06-01

Modeling studies on moisture redistribution processes that are mediated by gas phase flow and diffusion have been carried out. The problem addressed is the effect of a lowered humidity of the soil gas at the land surface on moisture removal from Yucca Mountain, the potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. At the land surface, humid formation gas contacts much drier atmospheric air. Near this contact, the humidity of the soil gas may be considerably lower than at greater depth, where the authors expect equilibrium with the liquid phase and close to 100% humidity. The lower relative humidity ofmore » the soil gas may be modeled by imposing, at the land surface, an additional negative capillary suction corresponding to vapor pressure lowering according to Kelvin`s Equation, thus providing a driving force for the upward movement of moisture in both the vapor and liquid phases. Sensitivity studies show that moisture removal from Yucca Mountain arising from the lowered-relative-humidity boundary condition is controlled by vapor diffusion. There is much experimental evidence in the soil literature that diffusion of vapor is enhanced due to pore-level phase change effects by a few orders of magnitude. Modeling results presented here will account for this enhancement in vapor diffusion.« less

Evaluation of the US DOE's conceptual model of hydrothermal activity at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dublyansky, Y. V.

2014-08-01

A unique conceptual model describing the conductive heating of rocks in the thick unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, Nevada by a silicic pluton emplaced several kilometers away is accepted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as an explanation of the elevated depositional temperatures measured in fluid inclusions in secondary fluorite and calcite. Acceptance of this model allowed the DOE to keep from considering hydrothermal activity in the performance assessment of the proposed high-level nuclear waste disposal facility. The evaluation presented in this paper shows that no computational modeling results have yet produced a satisfactory match with the empirical benchmark data, specifically with age and fluid inclusion data that indicate high temperatures (up to ca. 80 °C) in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain. Auxiliary sub-models complementing the DOE model, as well as observations at a natural analog site, have also been evaluated. Summarily, the model cannot be considered as validated. Due to the lack of validation, the reliance on this model must be discontinued and the appropriateness of decisions which rely on this model must be re-evaluated.

TSPA 1991: An initial total-system performance assessment for Yucca Mountain; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barnard, R.W.; Wilson, M.L.; Dockery, H.A.

1992-07-01

This report describes an assessment of the long-term performance of a repository system that contains deeply buried highly radioactive waste; the system is assumed to be located at the potential site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The study includes an identification of features, events, and processes that might affect the potential repository, a construction of scenarios based on this identification, a selection of models describing these scenarios (including abstraction of appropriate models from detailed models), a selection of probability distributions for the parameters in the models, a stochastic calculation of radionuclide releases for the scenarios, and a derivation of complementary cumulativemore » distribution functions (CCDFs) for the releases. Releases and CCDFs are calculated for four categories of scenarios: aqueous flow (modeling primarily the existing conditions at the site, with allowances for climate change), gaseous flow, basaltic igneous activity, and human intrusion. The study shows that models of complex processes can be abstracted into more simplified representations that preserve the understanding of the processes and produce results consistent with those of more complex models.« less

Streamflow and Selected Precipitation Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, Water Years 1986-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kane, Thomas G.; Bauer, David J.; Martinez, Clair M.

1994-01-01

Streamflow and precipitation data collected at and near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, during water years 1986-90 are presented in this report. The data were collected and compiled as part of the studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, to characterize surface-water hydrology in the Yucca Mountain area. Streamflow data include daily-mean discharges and peak discharges at 5 continuous-record gaging stations, and peak discharges at 10 crest-stage, partial-record stations and 2 miscellaneous sites. Precipitation data include cumulative totals at 20 stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and daily totals at 15 stations maintained by the Weather Service Nuclear Support Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Triaxial- and uniaxial-compression testing methods developed for extraction of pore water from unsaturated tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mower, T.E.; Higgins, J.D.; Yang, I.C.

1989-12-31

To support the study of hydrologic system in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, two extraction methods were examined to obtain representative, uncontaminated pore-water samples from unsaturated tuff. Results indicate that triaxial compression, which uses a standard cell, can remove pore water from nonwelded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 11% by weight; uniaxial compression, which uses a specifically fabricated cell, can extract pore water from nonwelded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 8% and from welded tuff that has an initial moisture content greater than 6.5%. For the ambient moisture conditions ofmore » Yucca Mountain tuffs, uniaxial compression is the most efficient method of pore-water extraction. 12 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Basaltic Dike Propagation at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaffney, E. S.; Damjanac, B.; Warpinski, N. R.

2004-12-01

We describe simulations of the propagation of basaltic dikes using a 2-dimensional, incompressible hydrofracture code including the effects of the free surface with specific application to potential interactions of rising magma with a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. As the leading edge of the dike approaches the free surface, confinement at the crack tip is reduced and the tip accelerates relative to the magma front. In the absence of either excess confining stress or excess gas pressure in the tip cavity, this leads to an increase of crack-tip velocity by more than an order of magnitude. By casting the results in nondimensional form, they can be applied to a wide variety of intrusive situations. When applied to an alkali basalt intrusion at the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, the results provide for a description of the subsurface phenomena. For magma rising at 1 m/s and dikes wider than about 0.5 m, the tip of the fissure would already have breached the surface by the time magma arrived at the nominal 300-m repository depth. An approximation of the effect of magma expansion on dike propagation is used to show that removing the restriction of an incompressible magma would result in even greater crack-tip acceleration as the dike approached the surface. A second analysis with a distinct element code indicates that a dike could penetrate the repository even during the first 2000 years after closure during which time heating from radioactive decay of waste would raise the minimum horizontal compressive stress above the vertical stress for about 80 m above and below the repository horizon. Rather than sill formation, the analysis indicates that increased pressure and dike width below the repository cause the crack tip to penetrate the horizon, but much more slowly than under in situ stress conditions. The analysis did not address the effects of either anisotropic joints or heat loss on this result.

Modeling coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical processes in theunsaturated fractured rock of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Heterogeneity andseepage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhopadhyay, Sumit; Sonnenthal, Eric L.; Spycher, Nicolas

An understanding of processes affecting seepage intoemplacement tunnels is needed for correctly predicting the performance ofunderground radioactive waste repositories. It has been previouslyestimated that the capillary and vaporization barriers in the unsaturatedfractured rock of Yucca Mountain are enough to prevent seepage underpresent day infiltration conditions. It has also been thought that asubstantially elevated infiltration flux will be required to causeseepage after the thermal period is over. While coupledthermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) changes in Yucca Mountain host rockdue to repository heating has been previously investigated, those THCmodels did not incorporate elements of the seepage model. In this paper,we combine the THC processes inmore » unsaturated fractured rock with theprocesses affecting seepage. We observe that the THC processes alter thehydrological properties of the fractured rock through mineralprecipitation and dissolution. We show that such alteration in thehydrological properties of the rock often leads to local flow channeling.We conclude that such local flow channeling may result in seepage undercertain conditions, even with nonelevated infiltrationfluxes.« less

The Yucca Mountain Project prototype air-coring test, U12g tunnel, Nevada test site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ray, J.M.; Newsom, J.C.

1994-12-01

The Prototype Air-Coring Test was conducted at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) G-Tunnel facility to evaluate standard coring techniques, modified slightly for air circulation, for use in testing at a prospective nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Air-coring technology allows sampling of subsurface lithology with minimal perturbation to ambient characteristic such as that required for exploratory holes near aquifers, environmental applications, and site characterization work. Two horizontal holes were cored, one 50 ft long and the other 150 ft long, in densely welded fractured tuff to simulate the difficult drilling conditions anticipated at Yucca Mountain. Drilling data from sevenmore » holes on three other prototype tests in nonwelded tuff were also collected for comparison. The test was used to establish preliminary standards of performance for drilling and dust collection equipment and to assess procedural efficiencies. The Longyear-38 drill achieved 97% recovery for HQ-size core (-2.5 in.), and the Atlas Copco dust collector (DCT-90) captured 1500 lb of fugitive dust in a mine environment with only minor modifications. Average hole production rates were 6-8 ft per 6-h shift in welded tuff and almost 20 ft per shift on deeper holes in nonwelded tuff. Lexan liners were successfully used to encapsulate core samples during the coring process and protect core properties effectively. The Prototype Air-Coring Test demonstrated that horizontal air coring in fractured welded tuff (to at least 150 ft) can be safely accomplished by proper selection, integration, and minor modification of standard drilling equipment, using appropriate procedures and engineering controls. The test also indicated that rig logistics, equipment, and methods need improvement before attempting a large-scale dry drilling program at Yucca Mountain.« less

Evolution of the conceptual model of unsaturated zone hydrology at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flint, Alan L.; Flint, Lorraine E.; Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S.; Kwicklis, Edward M.; Fabryka-Martin, June

2001-06-01

Yucca Mountain is an arid site proposed for consideration as the United States' first underground high-level radioactive waste repository. Low rainfall (approximately 170 mm/yr) and a thick unsaturated zone (500-1000 m) are important physical attributes of the site because the quantity of water likely to reach the waste and the paths and rates of movement of the water to the saturated zone under future climates would be major factors in controlling the concentrations and times of arrival of radionuclides at the surrounding accessible environment. The framework for understanding the hydrologic processes that occur at this site and that control how quickly water will penetrate through the unsaturated zone to the water table has evolved during the past 15 yr. Early conceptual models assumed that very small volumes of water infiltrated into the bedrock (0.5-4.5 mm/yr, or 2-3 percent of rainfall), that much of the infiltrated water flowed laterally within the upper nonwelded units because of capillary barrier effects, and that the remaining water flowed down faults with a small amount flowing through the matrix of the lower welded, fractured rocks. It was believed that the matrix had to be saturated for fractures to flow. However, accumulating evidence indicated that infiltration rates were higher than initially estimated, such as infiltration modeling based on neutron borehole data, bomb-pulse isotopes deep in the mountain, perched water analyses and thermal analyses. Mechanisms supporting lateral diversion did not apply at these higher fluxes, and the flux calculated in the lower welded unit exceeded the conductivity of the matrix, implying vertical flow of water in the high permeability fractures of the potential repository host rock, and disequilibrium between matrix and fracture water potentials. The development of numerical modeling methods and parameter values evolved concurrently with the conceptual model in order to account for the observed field data

Evolution of the conceptual model of unsaturated zone hydrology at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Alan L.; Flint, Lorraine E.; Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S.; Kwicklis, Edward M.; Fabryka-Martin, June

2001-01-01

Yucca Mountain is an arid site proposed for consideration as the United States’ first underground high-level radioactive waste repository. Low rainfall (approximately 170 mm/yr) and a thick unsaturated zone (500–1000 m) are important physical attributes of the site because the quantity of water likely to reach the waste and the paths and rates of movement of the water to the saturated zone under future climates would be major factors in controlling the concentrations and times of arrival of radionuclides at the surrounding accessible environment. The framework for understanding the hydrologic processes that occur at this site and that control how quickly water will penetrate through the unsaturated zone to the water table has evolved during the past 15 yr. Early conceptual models assumed that very small volumes of water infiltrated into the bedrock (0.5–4.5 mm/yr, or 2–3 percent of rainfall), that much of the infiltrated water flowed laterally within the upper nonwelded units because of capillary barrier effects, and that the remaining water flowed down faults with a small amount flowing through the matrix of the lower welded, fractured rocks. It was believed that the matrix had to be saturated for fractures to flow. However, accumulating evidence indicated that infiltration rates were higher than initially estimated, such as infiltration modeling based on neutron borehole data, bomb-pulse isotopes deep in the mountain, perched water analyses and thermal analyses. Mechanisms supporting lateral diversion did not apply at these higher fluxes, and the flux calculated in the lower welded unit exceeded the conductivity of the matrix, implying vertical flow of water in the high permeability fractures of the potential repository host rock, and disequilibrium between matrix and fracture water potentials. The development of numerical modeling methods and parameter values evolved concurrently with the conceptual model in order to account for the observed field data

YUCCA MOUNTAIN: Earth-Science Issues at a Geologic Repository for High-Level Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Jane C. S.

2004-05-01

The nation has over 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) of nuclear waste destined for disposal in a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. In this review, we highlight some of the important geoscience issues associated with the project and place them in the context of the process by which a final decision on Yucca Mountain will be made. The issues include understanding how water could infiltrate the repository, corrode the canisters, dissolve the waste, and transport it to the biosphere during a 10,000-year compliance period in a region, the Basin and Range province, that is known for seismic and volcanic activity. Although the site is considered to be "dry," a considerable amount of water is present as pore waters and as structural water in zeolites. The geochemical environment is oxidizing, and the present repository design will maintain temperatures at greater than 100°C for thousands of years. Geoscientists in this project are challenged to make unprecedented predictions about coupled thermal, hydrologic, mechanical, and geochemical processes governing the future behavior of the repository and to conduct research in a regulatory and legal environment that requires a quantitative analysis of repository performance.

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, January-December 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

La Camera, Richard J.; Locke, Glenn L.; Habte, Aron M.; Darnell, Jon G.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Repository Development, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region of southern Nevada and eastern California. These data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during activities to determine the potential suitability or development of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 35 boreholes and 1 fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs, both ground-water levels and discharge at 1 flowing borehole, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are tabulated from January through December 2004. Also tabulated are ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals collected by other agencies (or collected as part of other programs) and data revised from those previously published at monitoring sites. Historical data on water levels, discharges, and withdrawals are presented graphically to indicate variations through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven boreholes in Jackass Flats is presented for the period 1992-2004 to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the annual number of measurements, maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and average deviation of measured water-level altitudes compared to the 1992-93 baseline period. At six boreholes in Jackass Flats, median water levels for 2004 were slightly higher (0.3-2.7 feet) than their median water levels for 1992-93. At one borehole in Jackass Flats, median water level for 2004 equaled the median water level for 1992-93.

Fractures in outcrops in the vicinity of drill hole USW G-4. Yucca Mountain, Nevada; data analysis and compilation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barton, Christopher C.; Page, William R.; Morgan, Terrance L.

1989-01-01

Fractures on outcrops in the vicinity of drill hole USW G-4, Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were studied in order to contribute to characterization of fractures for hydrologjc, geomechanical, and tectonic modeling of the Yucca Mountain block and to characterize fractures prior to the excavation of a proposed exploratory shaft located near USW G-4. Yucca Mountain is a prospective site for the construction of an underground repository for high-level nuclear waste.Measurements were taken and recorded on 5,000 fractures at 50 outcrop stations primarily in the upper lithophysal unit of the Tiva Canyon Member of the Miocene Paintbrush Tuff. Fracture orientation and surface roughness were recorded for each fracture. Additionally, notes were taken on fracture abutting, crossing, and offsetting relations, swarming, curvature, brecciation, slickensides, and fracture fillings. Frequency distributions of orientation and roughness were plotted and analyzed. Fractures with low roughness coefficients (0-4) group tightly into two sets based on orientation. We conclude that such fractures are cooling joints and that all other fractures are tectonic. The development of small-scale fractures adjacent, subparallel, and possibly related to the Ghost Dance fault has been addressed in a preliminary way based on data collected in this study. Such sympathetic fractures are abundant in the upper cliff unit but not in the upper lithophysal unit.

Milestones for Selection, Characterization, and Analysis of the Performance of a Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rechard, Robert P.

This report presents a concise history in tabular form of events leading up to site identification in 1978, site selection in 1987, subsequent characterization, and ongoing analysis through 2009 of the performance of a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high - level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada. The tabulated events generally occurred in five periods: (1) commitment to mined geologic disposal and identification of sites; (2) site selection and analysis, based on regional geologic characterization through literature and analogous data; (3) feasibility analysis demonstrating calculation procedures and importance of system components, based on rough measures ofmore » performance using surface exploration, waste process knowledge, and general laboratory experiments; (4) suitability analysis demonstrating viability of disposal system, based on environment - specific laboratory experiments, in - situ experiments, and underground disposal system characterization; and (5) compliance analysis, based on completed site - specific characterization . The current sixth period beyond 2010 represents a new effort to set waste management policy in the United States. Because the relationship is important to understanding the evolution of the Yucca Mountain Project , the tabulation also shows the interaction between the policy realm and technical realm using four broad categories of events : (a) Regulatory requirements and related federal policy in laws and court decisions, (c) Presidential and agency directives, (c) technical milestones of implementing institutions, and (d) critiques of the Yucca Mountain Project and pertinent national and world events related to nuclear energy and radioactive waste. Preface The historical progression of technical milestones for the Yucca Mountain Project was originally developed for 10 journal articles in a special issue of Reliability Engineering System Safety on the performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain

Dialogs on the Yucca Mountain controversy. Special report No. 5

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Archambeau, C.B.; Szymanski, J.S.

1993-03-01

The recent, 1992, report prepared by the Panel on Coupled Hydrologic/Tectonic/Hydrothermal Systems at Yucca Mountain for the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, entitled Ground Water at Yucca Mountain: How High Can It Rise? has generated critical reviews by Somerville et al. (1992) and by Archambeau (1992). These reviews were submitted as reports to the Nuclear Waste Project Office, State of Nevada by Technology and Resource Assessment Corporation under Contract No. 92/94.0004. A copy of the review report by C. B. Archambeau was also sent to Dr. Frank Press, President of the National Academy of Sciences, alongmore » with a cover letter from Dr. Archambeau expressing his concerns with the NRC report and his suggestion that the Academy President consider a re-evaluation of the issues covered by the NRC report. Dr. Press responded in a letter to Dr. Archambeau in February of this year which stated that, based on his staff recommendations and a review report by Dr. J. F. Evernden of the United States Geological Survey, he declined to initiate any further investigations and that, in his view, the NRC report was a valid scientific evaluation which was corroborated by Evernden`s report. He also enclosed, with his letter, a copy of the report he received from his staff. In March of this year Dr. Archambeau replied to the letter and NRC staff report sent by Dr. Press with a detailed point-by-point rebuttal of the NRC staff report to Press. Also, in March, a critical review of Dr. Evernden`s report by M. Somerville was submitted to the Nuclear Waste Project Office of the State of Nevada and this report, along with the earlier review of the NRC report by Somerville et al., was included as attachments to the letter sent to Dr. Press.« less

Report of the Peer Review Panel on the early site suitability evaluation of the Potential Repository Site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-01-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Yucca mountain Site Characterization Project Office (YMPO) assigned Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), the Technical and Management Support Services (T&MSS) contractor to the YmPo, the task of conducting an Early Site Suitability Evaluation (ESSE) of the Yucca mountain site as a potential site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. First, the assignment called for the development of a method to evaluate a single site against the DOE General Guidelines for Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories, 10 CFR Part 960. Then, using this method, an evaluation team, the ESSE Core Team, of seniormore » YMP scientists, engineers, and technical experts, evaluated new information obtained about the site since publication of the final Environmental Assessment (DOE, 1986) to determine if new suitability/unsuitability findings could be recommended. Finally, the Core Team identified further information and analyses needed to make final determinations for each of the guidelines. As part of the task, an independent peer review of the ESSE report has been conducted. Expertise was solicited that covered the entire spectrum of siting guidelines in 10 CFR Part 960 in order to provide a complete, in-depth critical review of the data evaluated and cited in the ESSE report, the methods used to evaluate the data, and the conclusions and recommendations offered by the report. Fourteen nationally recognized technical experts (Table 2) served on the Peer Review Panel. The comments from the Panel and the responses prepared by the ESSE Core Team, documented on formal Comment Response Forms, constitute the body of this document.« less

Yucca Mountain Site Charecteization Project Summary of Socioeconomic Data Analysis Conducted in Support of the Radiological Monitoring Program, During FY 2001

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

L.K. Roe

2001-12-11

This report is a summary of socioeconomic data analyses conducted in support of the Radiological Monitoring Program during fiscal year 2001. Socioeconomic data contained in this report include estimates for the years 2000 and 2001 of the resident population in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. The estimates presented in this report are based on selected Census 2000 statistics, and housing and population data that were acquired and developed in accordance with LP-RS-00 1 Q-M&0, Scientific Investigation of Economic, Demographic, and Agricultural Characteristics in the Vicinity of Yucca Mountain. The study area from which data were collected is delineated by amore » radial grid, consisting of 160 grid cells, that is suitable for evaluating the pathways and potential impacts of a release of radioactive materials to the environment within a distance of 84 kilometers from Yucca Mountain. Data are presented in a tabular format by the county, state, area, and grid cell in which housing units, households, and resident population are located. Also included is a visual representation of the distribution of the 2000 residential populations within the study area, showing Census 2000 geography, county boundaries, and taxing district boundaries for selected communities.« less

Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Tonopah Airport, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Tonopah Airport, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and the Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al.,more » 2007a-d). The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Hydrological and Geological Features Contributing to a Seepage Event at Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedors, R. W.; Smart, K. J.; Parrott, J. D.

2006-05-01

The occurrence of an unusual seepage event in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) tunnel at Yucca Mountain (YM) in 2005 provides an opportunity to further understand the hydrological system associated with flow in fractured rocks and seepage into tunnels. Understanding the contributing factors for this seepage occurrence in the ventilated tunnel will assist U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in its assessment of Department of Energy flow models. The seepage event begin in the later portion of an El Nino winter (February 2005) predominantly along a 40-m [130-ft] section of the south ramp of the ESF tunnel. The stratigraphic section at this location is comprised of a portion of the Tiva Canyon Tuff, which is a rhyolitic ignimbrite. The effect of El Nino conditions in the semi-arid climate of southern Nevada near YM is greatly increased winter precipitation. Based on the ~50 years of record at a nearby meteorological station, the winter of 2004-2005 was the wettest winter on record. The previous largest winter precipitation amounts were recorded in the El Nino years of 1992-1993 and 1997-1998. During the 1997 El Nino year, a monitored set of boreholes in nearby Pagany Wash indicated that a saturated front traversed the entire Tiva Canyon Tuff section during a single event (Le Cain and Kurmack, 2002, USGS Water Resources Investigations Report 02-4035). It is unclear if the fracture system in the south ramp location was saturated in the February 2005 event; no data were available to estimate the saturated state of the fracture system. With heavy precipitation occurring throughout the winter, however, the matrix and fracture systems were likely primed (i.e., saturation levels were likely significantly higher than normal) for a significant percolation event. Ponding caused by focusing of runoff at the ground surface above seepage location in the south ramp of the ESF tunnel likely did not occur based on topographical and catchment considerations (no significant

Timber Mountain Precipitation Monitoring Station

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyles, Brad; McCurdy, Greg; Chapman, Jenny

2012-01-01

A precipitation monitoring station was placed on the west flank of Timber Mountain during the year 2010. It is located in an isolated highland area near the western border of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), south of Pahute Mesa. The cost of the equipment, permitting, and installation was provided by the Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI) project. Data collection, analysis, and maintenance of the station during fiscal year 2011 was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office Environmental Restoration, Soils Activity. The station is located near the western headwaters of Forty Milemore » Wash on the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). Overland flows from precipitation events that occur in the Timber Mountain high elevation area cross several of the contaminated Soils project CAU (Corrective Action Unit) sites located in the Forty Mile Wash watershed. Rain-on-snow events in the early winter and spring around Timber Mountain have contributed to several significant flow events in Forty Mile Wash. The data from the new precipitation gauge at Timber Mountain will provide important information for determining runoff response to precipitation events in this area of the NNSS. Timber Mountain is also a groundwater recharge area, and estimation of recharge from precipitation was important for the EMSI project in determining groundwater flowpaths and designing effective groundwater monitoring for Yucca Mountain. Recharge estimation additionally provides benefit to the Underground Test Area Sub-project analysis of groundwater flow direction and velocity from nuclear test areas on Pahute Mesa. Additionally, this site provides data that has been used during wild fire events and provided a singular monitoring location of the extreme precipitation events during December 2010 (see data section for more details). This letter report provides a summary of the site location, equipment, and data

ATMOSPHERIC DISPERSAL AND DEPOSITION OF TEPHRA FROM A POTENTIAL VOLCANIC ERUPTION AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Harrington

2004-10-25

The purpose of this model report is to provide documentation of the conceptual and mathematical model (Ashplume) for atmospheric dispersal and subsequent deposition of ash on the land surface from a potential volcanic eruption at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report also documents the ash (tephra) redistribution conceptual model. These aspects of volcanism-related dose calculation are described in the context of the entire igneous disruptive events conceptual model in ''Characterize Framework for Igneous Activity'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169989], Section 6.1.1). The Ashplume conceptual model accounts for incorporation and entrainment of waste fuel particles associated with a hypothetical volcanic eruption through themore » Yucca Mountain repository and downwind transport of contaminated tephra. The Ashplume mathematical model describes the conceptual model in mathematical terms to allow for prediction of radioactive waste/ash deposition on the ground surface given that the hypothetical eruptive event occurs. This model report also describes the conceptual model for tephra redistribution from a basaltic cinder cone. Sensitivity analyses and model validation activities for the ash dispersal and redistribution models are also presented. Analyses documented in this model report update the previous documentation of the Ashplume mathematical model and its application to the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) for the License Application (TSPA-LA) igneous scenarios. This model report also documents the redistribution model product outputs based on analyses to support the conceptual model. In this report, ''Ashplume'' is used when referring to the atmospheric dispersal model and ''ASHPLUME'' is used when referencing the code of that model. Two analysis and model reports provide direct inputs to this model report, namely ''Characterize Eruptive Processes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada and Number of Waste Packages Hit by Igneous Intrusion''. This model report provides direct

Initial Process and Expected Outcomes for Preliminary Identification of Routes to Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thrower, A.; Best, R.; Finewood, L.

2008-07-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible for developing and implementing a safe, secure and efficient transportation system to ship spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) from commercial and DOE sites to the proposed Yucca Mountain repository. The Office of Logistics Management (OLM) within OCRWM has begun to work with stakeholders to identify preliminary national suites of highway and rail routes that could be used for future shipments OLM is striving to develop a planning-basis set of routes that will support long-lead time logistical analyses (i.e., five or more yearsmore » before shipment). The results will represent a starting point for discussions between DOE and corridor jurisdictions, and for shipping arrangements between DOE and carriers. This fulfills a recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences report on SNF and HLW transportation that 'DOE should identify and make public its suite of preferred highway and rail routes for transporting spent fuel and high level waste to a federal repository as soon as practicable to support State, Tribal and local planning, especially for emergency responder preparedness'. OLM encourages and supports participation of program stakeholders in a process to identify suites of national routes. The principal objective is to identify preliminary suites of national routes that reflect responsible consideration of the interests of a broad cross-section of stakeholders. This will facilitate transportation planning activities to help meet program goals, including providing an advanced planning framework for State and Tribal authorities; supporting a pilot program for providing funding under Section 180(c) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act; allowing sufficient time for security and operational reviews in advance of shipments to Yucca Mountain; and supporting utility planning and readiness for transportation operations. Concepts for

Petrographic and geochemical characteristics of a section through the Tiva Canyon Tuff at Antler Ridge, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singer, F.R.; Widmann, B.L.; Dickerson, R.P.

1994-12-31

The Tiva Canyon Tuff of the Paintbrush Group of Miocene age caps much of Yucca Mountain, Nevada and is a compositionally zoned, compound cooling, pyroclastic flow that ranges from a dominantly high-silica rhyolitic base to a quartz-latitic caprock. Petrographic and geochemical studies have focused on rigorously defining the internal stratigraphy of this unit to support the detailed mapping of the Ghost Dance fault and other structures in the central fault block of Yucca Mountain. This study shows that devitrification textures and vapor phase mineralogy, in addition to other physical attributes such as pumice variability (flattening) and crystal content, can bemore » used as distinguishing criteria to better define lithologic zones within the Tiva Canyon Tuff. In addition, the study also shows that the petrographic textures and chemistry of the groundmass vary systematically within recognizable lithologic zones and may be used to characterize and vertically divide litho-stratigraphic zones within the Tiva Canyon Tuff.« less

Evidence for Active Westward Tilting of Fortymile Wash, Nye County, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKague, H. L.; Sims, D. W.; Waiting, D. J.

2006-12-01

Fortymile Wash is located east and south of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Several lines of evidence suggest that this may be an area of active westward tilting associated with the continued development of Crater Flat basin and slip on the Bare Mountain normal fault. Near the southern end of Busted Butte, the incised channel of Fortymile Wash changes trend downgradient from south to south-southwest. Further southward, the incised main channel grades to a divergent distributary channel system that shows evidence of increasingly westward tilt. Viewed in profiles oriented normal to the incised channel and across the Fortymile Wash distributary system, topographic elevation of the western margin of the fan decreases southward, resulting in the elevation of the western margin of Fortymile Basin being as much as 18 m [59 ft] lower than the channel system on the eastern fan margin. Mapping of the surficial deposits within the distributary channel system (Pelletier, et al., 2005; Geophy. Res. Ltr., Vol. 32) may be interpreted to show a westward shift (downslope) of the locus of erosional activity toward the topographically lower western fan margin. Most of the older alluvium (Qa3 {86±40-16 ka}) has been eroded from the eastern portion, while incipient incision into the older alluvium is occurring on the western side of the distributary channel system. The results from level-line benchmark surveys (Gilmore, 1992; USGS OFR 92- 450) from 1915 and 1984 show gradual and systematic elevation changes east of the Bare Mountain fault to just east of Amargosa City, Nevada, where a step-like increase occurs. The level-line surveys are near and along the path of U.S. Highway 95, which traverses the distributary channel system of the Fortymile Wash alluvial fan in the southern portion of the Fortymile Wash basin. These lines of evidence indicate disequilibrium in the channel system that would result from active westward tilting of the

Letter Report: Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Englebrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2008-08-01

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Pahranagat NWR, Beatty, Rachel, Caliente, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d). The trailermore » is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Stratigraphy, structure, and some petrographic features of Tertiary volcanic rocks in the USW G-2 drill hole, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maldonado, Florian; Koether, S.L.

1983-01-01

A continuously cored drill hole designated as USW G-2, located at Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada, penetrated 1830.6 m of Tertiary volcanic strata composed of abundant silicic ash-flow tuffs, minor lava and flow breccias, and subordinate volcaniclastic rocks. The volcanic strata penetrated are comprised of the following in descending order: Paintbrush Tuff (Tiva Canyon Member, Yucca Mountain Member, bedded tuff, Pah Canyon Member, and Topopah Spring Member), tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills, Crater Flat Tuff (Prow Pass Member, Bullfrog Member, and Tram unit), lava and flow breccia (rhyodacitic), tuff of Lithic Ridge, bedded and ash-flow tuff, lava and flow breccia (rhyolitic, quartz latitic, and dacitic), bedded tuff, conglomerate and ash-flow tuff, and older tuffs of USW G-2. Comparison of unit thicknesses at USW G-2 to unit thicknesses at previously drilled holes at Yucca Mountain indicate the following: (1) thickening of the Paintbrush Tuff members and tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills toward the northern part of Yucca Mountain; (2) thickening of the Prow Pass Member but thinning of the Bullfrog Member and Tram unit; (3) thinning of the tuff of Lithic Ridge; (4) presence of approximately 280 m of lava and flow breccia not previously penetrated by any drill hole; and (5) presence of an ash-flow tuff unit at the bottom of the drill hole not previously intersected, apparently the oldest unit penetrated at Yucca Mountain to date. Petrographic features of some of the units include: (1) decrease in quartz and K-feldspar and increases in biotite and plagioclase with depth in the tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills; (2) an increase in quartz phenocrysts from the top to the bottom members of the Crater Flat Tuff; (3) a low quartz content in the tuff of Lithic Ridge, suggesting tapping of the magma chamber at quartz-poor levels; (4) a change in zeolitic alteration from heulandite to clinoptilolite to mordenite with increasing depth; (5) lavas characterized by a rhyolitic

Site characterization progress report: Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Number 15, April 1--September 30, 1996

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1997-04-01

During the second half of fiscal year 1996, activities at the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (Project) supported the objectives of the revised Program Plan released this period by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management of the US Department of Energy (Department). Outlined in the revised plan is a focused, integrated program of site characterization, design, engineering, environmental, and performance assessment activities that will achieve key Program and statutory objectives. The plan will result in the development of a license application for repository construction at Yucca Mountain, if the site is found suitable. Activities this period focused on twomore » of the three near-term objectives of the revised plan: updating in 1997 the regulatory framework for determining the suitability of the site for the proposed repository concept and providing information for a 1998 viability assessment of continuing toward the licensing of a repository. The Project has also developed a new design approach that uses the advanced conceptual design published during the last reporting period as a base for developing a design that will support the viability assessment. The initial construction phase of the Thermal Testing Facility was completed and the first phase of the in situ heater tests began on schedule. In addition, phase-one construction was completed for the first of two alcoves that will provide access to the Ghost Dance fault.« less

Petrology of Aztec Wash pluton, Eldorado Mountains, southern Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falkner, C.M.; Miller, C.F.; Wooden, J.L.

1993-04-01

Aztec Wash pluton, a 50 km[sup 2] intrusive complex in the northern Eldorado Mountains, was emplaced ca. 16 Ma (Faulds et al., 1990) during extension within the Colorado River Corridor. The pluton displays extreme compositional variability, ranging from olivine gabbro (ca. 50 wt% SiO[sub 2]) to highly evolved aplite (76% SiO[sub 2]). Most of the intrusion is medium grained, homogeneous granite (ca. 72% SiO[sub 2]), but 1/3 is highly heterogeneous and dominated by mafic to intermediate rocks; a 6 [times] 3km, N-S mafic zone almost bisects the pluton. Well-displayed magma mingling and late mafic and felsic dikes verify the coexistencemore » of mafic and felsic melts. Hornblende barometry indicates that the entire exposed portion of Aztec Wash pluton was emplaced at very shallow depth (« less

Atmospheric Dispersal and Dispostion of Tephra From a Potential Volcanic Eruption at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

G. Keating; W.Statham

2004-02-12

The purpose of this model report is to provide documentation of the conceptual and mathematical model (ASHPLUME) for atmospheric dispersal and subsequent deposition of ash on the land surface from a potential volcanic eruption at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report also documents the ash (tephra) redistribution conceptual model. The ASHPLUME conceptual model accounts for incorporation and entrainment of waste fuel particles associated with a hypothetical volcanic eruption through the Yucca Mountain repository and downwind transport of contaminated tephra. The ASHPLUME mathematical model describes the conceptual model in mathematical terms to allow for prediction of radioactive waste/ash deposition on the groundmore » surface given that the hypothetical eruptive event occurs. This model report also describes the conceptual model for tephra redistribution from a basaltic cinder cone. Sensitivity analyses and model validation activities for the ash dispersal and redistribution models are also presented. Analyses documented in this model report will improve and clarify the previous documentation of the ASHPLUME mathematical model and its application to the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA) for the License Application (TSPA-LA) igneous scenarios. This model report also documents the redistribution model product outputs based on analyses to support the conceptual model.« less

Batch sorption results for neptunium transport through Yucca Mountain tuffs. Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Program milestone 3349

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Triay, I.R.; Cotter, C.R.; Huddleston, M.H.

1996-09-01

We studied the sorption of neptunium onto tuffs characteristic of the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The neptunium was in the Np(V) oxidation state under oxidizing conditions in groundwaters from two wells located close to the repository site (J-13 and UE-25 p No.1). We used devitrified, vitric, zeolitic (with emphasis on clinoptilolite-rich samples), and calcite-rich tuffs characteristic of the geology of the site. Neptunium sorbed well onto calcite and calcite-rich tuffs, indicating that a significant amount of neptunium retardation can be expected under fractured-flow scenarios because of calcite coating of the fractures. Neptunium sorption onto clinoptilolite-rich zeoliticmore » tuffs in J-13 well water (pH from 7 to 8.5) was moderate, increased with decreasing pH, and correlated to surface area and amount of clinoptilolite. Neptunium sorbed poorly onto zeolitic tuffs from UE-25 p No.1 groundwater (pH from 7 to 9) and onto devitrified and vitric tuffs from J-13 and UE-25 p No.1 waters (pH from 7 to 9). Iron oxides appeared to be passivated in tuffs, not seeming to contribute to the observed neptunium sorption, even though neptunium sorption onto synthetic iron oxide is significant.« less

Feldspar dissolution rates in the Topopah Spring Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bryan, C.R.; Helean, K.B.; Marshall, B.D.; Brady, P.V.

2009-01-01

Two different field-based methods are used here to calculate feldspar dissolution rates in the Topopah Spring Tuff, the host rock for the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The center of the tuff is a high silica rhyolite, consisting largely of alkali feldspar (???60 wt%) and quartz polymorphs (???35 wt%) that formed by devitrification of rhyolitic glass as the tuff cooled. First, the abundance of secondary aluminosilicates is used to estimate the cumulative amount of feldspar dissolution over the history of the tuff, and an ambient dissolution rate is calculated by using the estimated thermal history. Second, the feldspar dissolution rate is calculated by using measured Sr isotope compositions for the pore water and rock. Pore waters display systematic changes in Sr isotopic composition with depth that are caused by feldspar dissolution. The range in dissolution rates determined from secondary mineral abundances varies from 10-16 to 10-17 mol s-1 kg tuff-1 with the largest uncertainty being the effect of the early thermal history of the tuff. Dissolution rates based on pore water Sr isotopic data were calculated by treating percolation flux parametrically, and vary from 10-15 to 10-16 mol s-1 kg tuff-1 for percolation fluxes of 15 mm a-1 and 1 mm a-1, respectively. Reconciling the rates from the two methods requires that percolation fluxes at the sampled locations be a few mm a-1 or less. The calculated feldspar dissolution rates are low relative to other measured field-based feldspar dissolution rates, possibly due to the age (12.8 Ma) of the unsaturated system at Yucca Mountain; because oxidizing and organic-poor conditions limit biological activity; and/or because elevated silica concentrations in the pore waters (???50 mg L-1) may inhibit feldspar dissolution. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of seepage in the exploratory studies facility, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oliver, T.A.; Whelan, J.F.

2006-01-01

Following a 5-month period of above-average precipitation during the winter of 2004-2005, water was observed seeping into the South Ramp section of the Exploratory Studies Facility of the proposed repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Samples of the seepage were collected and analyzed for major ions, trace metals, and delta deuterium and delta oxygen-18 values in an effort to characterize the water and assess the interaction of seepage with anthropogenic materials used in the construction of the proposed repository. As demonstrated by the changes in the chemistry of water dripping from a rock bolt, interaction of seepage with construction materials can alter solution chemistry and oxidation state.

Volcanic episodes near Yucca Mountain as determined by paleomagnetic studies at Lathrop Wells, Crater Flat, and Sleeping Butte, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Champion, Duane E.; ,

1991-01-01

It has been suggested that mafic volcanism in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nev., is both recent (20 ka) and a product of complex 'polycyclic' eruptions. This pattern of volcanism, as interpreted by some workers at the Lathrop Wells volcanic complex, comprises a sequence of numerous small-volume eruptions that become more tephra-producing over time. Such sequences are thought to occur over timespans as long as 100,000 years. However, paleomagnetic studies of the tephra and lava flows from mafic volcanoes near Yucca Mountain fail to find evidence of repeated eruptive activity over timespans of 103 to 105 years, even though samples have been taken that represent approximately 95% of the products of these volcanoes. Instead, the eruptions seem to have occurred as discrete episodes at each center and thus can be considered to be 'monogenetic'. Dates of these episodes have been obtained by the proven radiometric-geochronometer methods of K-Ar or 40Ar/39Ar dating.

Characterization of hydrogeologic units using matrix properties, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, L.E.

1998-01-01

Determination of the suitability of Yucca Mountain, in southern Nevada, as a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste requires the use of numerical flow and transport models. Input for these models includes parameters that describe hydrologic properties and the initial and boundary conditions for all rock materials within the unsaturated zone, as well as some of the upper rocks in the saturated zone. There are 30 hydrogeologic units in the unsaturated zone, and each unit is defined by limited ranges where a discrete volume of rock contains similar hydrogeologic properties. These hydrogeologic units can be easily located in space by using three-dimensional lithostratigraphic models based on relation- ships of the properties with the lithostratigraphy. Physical properties of bulk density, porosity, and particle density; flow properties of saturated hydraulic conductivity and moisture-retention characteristics; and the state variables (variables describing the current state of field conditions) of saturation and water potential were determined for each unit. Units were defined using (1) a data base developed from 4,892 rock samples collected from the coring of 23 shallow and 8 deep boreholes, (2) described lithostratigraphic boundaries and corresponding relations to porosity, (3) recognition of transition zones with pronounced changes in properties over short vertical distances, (4) characterization of the influence of mineral alteration on hydrologic properties such as permeability and moisture-retention characteristics, and (5) a statistical analysis to evaluate where boundaries should be adjusted to minimize the variance within layers. This study describes the correlation of hydrologic properties to porosity, a property that is well related to the lithostratigraphy and depositional and cooling history of the volcanic deposits and can, therefore, be modeled to be distributed laterally. Parameters of the hydrogeologic units developed in this study and the

Characterize Framework for Igneous Activity at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

F. Perry; B. Youngs

2000-11-06

The purpose of this Analysis/Model (AMR) report is twofold. (1) The first is to present a conceptual framework of igneous activity in the Yucca Mountain region (YMR) consistent with the volcanic and tectonic history of this region and the assessment of this history by experts who participated in the Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Analysis (PVHA) (CRWMS M&O 1996). Conceptual models presented in the PVHA are summarized and extended in areas in which new information has been presented. Alternative conceptual models are discussed as well as their impact on probability models. The relationship between volcanic source zones defined in the PVHA andmore » structural features of the YMR are described based on discussions in the PVHA and studies presented since the PVHA. (2) The second purpose of the AMR is to present probability calculations based on PVHA outputs. Probability distributions are presented for the length and orientation of volcanic dikes within the repository footprint and for the number of eruptive centers located within the repository footprint (conditional on the dike intersecting the repository). The probability of intersection of a basaltic dike within the repository footprint was calculated in the AMR ''Characterize Framework for Igneous Activity at Yucca Mountain, Nevada'' (CRWMS M&O 2000g) based on the repository footprint known as the Enhanced Design Alternative [EDA II, Design B (CRWMS M&O 1999a; Wilkins and Heath 1999)]. Then, the ''Site Recommendation Design Baseline'' (CRWMS M&O 2000a) initiated a change in the repository design, which is described in the ''Site Recommendation Subsurface Layout'' (CRWMS M&O 2000b). Consequently, the probability of intersection of a basaltic dike within the repository footprint has also been calculated for the current repository footprint, which is called the 70,000 Metric Tons of Uranium (MTU) No-Backfill Layout (CRWMS M&O 2000b). The calculations for both footprints are presented in this AMR. In addition, the

Reactive transport in the complex heterogeneous alluvial aquifer of Fortymile Wash, Nevada

DOE PAGES

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Sun, Alexander; Dai, Zhenxue

2017-04-02

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, had been extensively investigated as a potential deep geologic repository for storing high-level nuclear wastes. Previous field investigations of stratified alluvial aquifer downstream of the site revealed that there is a hierarchy of sedimentary facies types. There is a corresponding log conductivity and reactive surface area subpopulations within each facies at each scale of sedimentary architecture. Here in this paper, we use a Lagrangian-based transport model in order to analyze radionuclide dispersion in the saturated alluvium of Fortymile Wash, Nevada. First, we validate the Lagrangian model using high-resolution flow and reactive transport simulations. Then, we used themore » validated model to investigate how each scale of sedimentary architecture may affect long-term radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain. Results show that the reactive solute dispersion developed by the Lagrangian model matches the ensemble average of numerical simulations well. The link between the alluvium spatial variability and reactive solute dispersion at different spatiotemporal scales is demonstrated using the Lagrangian model. Finally, the longitudinal dispersivity of the reactive plume can be on the order of hundreds to thousands of meters, and it may not reach its asymptotic value even after 10,000 years of travel time and 2–3 km of travel distance.« less

Trend analysis of ground-water levels and spring discharge in the Yucca Mountain Region, Nevada and California, 1960-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenelon, Joseph M.; Moreo, Michael T.

2002-01-01

Ground-water level and discharge data from 1960 to 2000 were analyzed for the Yucca Mountain region of southern Nevada and eastern California. Included were water-level data from 37 wells and a fissure (Devils Hole) and discharge data from five springs and from a flowing well. Data were evaluated for variability and for upward, downward, or cyclic trends with an emphasis on the period 1992-2000. Potential factors causing trends in water levels and discharge include ground-water withdrawal, infiltration of precipitation, earthquakes, evapotranspiration, barometric pressure, and earth tides. Statistically significant trends in ground-water levels or spring discharge from 1992 to 2000 were upward at 12 water-level sites and downward at 14 water-level sites and 1 spring-discharge site. In general, the magnitude of the change in water level from 1992 to 2000 was small (less than 2 feet), except where influenced by pumping or local effects such as possible equilibration from well construction or diversion of nearby surface water. Seasonal trends are superimposed on some of the long-term (1992-2000) trends in water levels and discharge. Factors causing seasonal trends include barometric pressure, evapotranspiration, and pumping. The magnitude of seasonal change in water level can vary from as little as 0.05 foot in regional aquifers to greater than 5 feet in monitoring wells near large supply wells in the Amargosa Farms area. Three major episodes of earthquake activity affected water levels in wells in the Yucca Mountain region between 1992 and 2000: the Landers/Little Skull Mountain, Northridge, and Hector Mine earthquakes. The Landers/Little Skull Mountain earthquakes, in June 1992, had the largest observed effect on water levels and on discharge during the study period. Monthly measurements of wells in the study network show that earthquakes affected water levels from a few tenths of a foot to 3.5 feet. In the Ash Meadows area, water levels remained relatively stable

Aeromagnetic Expression of Buried Basaltic Volcanoes Near Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Leary, Dennis W.; Mankinen, E.A.; Blakely, R.J.; Langenheim, V.E.; Ponce, D.A.

2002-01-01

A high-resolution aeromagnetic survey has defined a number of small dipolar anomalies indicating the presence of magnetic bodies buried beneath the surface of Crater Flat and the Amargosa Desert. Results of potential-field modeling indicate that isolated, small-volume, highly magnetic bodies embedded within the alluvial deposits of both areas produce the anomalies. Their physical characteristics and the fact that they tend to be aligned along major structural trends provide strong support for the hypothesis that the anomalies reflect buried basaltic volcanic centers. Other, similar anomalies are identified as possible targets for further investigation. High-resolution gravity and ground-magnetic surveys, perhaps along with drilling sources of selected anomalies and radiometric age determinations, can provide valuable constraints in estimating potential volcanic hazard to the potential nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

Evaluation of Nevada Test Site Ground Motion and Rock Property Data to Bound Ground Motions at the Yucca Mountain Repository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutchings, L J; Foxall, W; Rambo, J

2005-02-14

Yucca Mountain licensing will require estimation of ground motions from probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHA) with annual probabilities of exceedance on the order of 10{sup -6} to 10{sup -7} per year or smaller, which correspond to much longer earthquake return periods than most previous PSHA studies. These long return periods for the Yucca Mountain PSHA result in estimates of ground motion that are extremely high ({approx} 10 g) and that are believed to be physically unrealizable. However, there is at present no generally accepted method to bound ground motions either by showing that the physical properties of materials cannot maintainmore » such extreme motions, or the energy release by the source for such large motions is physically impossible. The purpose of this feasibility study is to examine recorded ground motion and rock property data from nuclear explosions to determine its usefulness for studying the ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The premise is that nuclear explosions are an extreme energy density source, and that the recorded ground motion will provide useful information about the limits of ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The data were categorized by the source and rock properties, and evaluated as to what extent non-linearity in the material has affected the recordings. They also compiled existing results of non-linear dynamic modeling of the explosions carried out by LLNL and other institutions. They conducted an extensive literature review to outline current understanding of extreme ground motion. They also analyzed the data in terms of estimating maximum ground motions at Yucca Mountain.« less

Evaluation of Nevada Test Site Ground Motion and Rock Property Data to Bound Ground Motions at the Yucca Mountain Repository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hutchings, L H; Foxall, W; Rambo, J

2005-03-09

Yucca Mountain licensing will require estimation of ground motions from probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHA) with annual probabilities of exceedance on the order of 10{sup -6} to 10{sup -7} per year or smaller, which correspond to much longer earthquake return periods than most previous PSHA studies. These long return periods for the Yucca Mountain PSHA result in estimates of ground motion that are extremely high ({approx} 10 g) and that are believed to be physically unrealizable. However, there is at present no generally accepted method to bound ground motions either by showing that the physical properties of materials cannot maintainmore » such extreme motions, or the energy release by the source for such large motions is physically impossible. The purpose of this feasibility study is to examine recorded ground motion and rock property data from nuclear explosions to determine its usefulness for studying the ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The premise is that nuclear explosions are an extreme energy density source, and that the recorded ground motion will provide useful information about the limits of ground motion from extreme earthquakes. The data were categorized by the source and rock properties, and evaluated as to what extent non-linearity in the material has affected the recordings. They also compiled existing results of non-linear dynamic modeling of the explosions carried out by LLNL and other institutions. They conducted an extensive literature review to outline current understanding of extreme ground motion. They also analyzed the data in terms of estimating maximum ground motions at Yucca Mountain.« less

Modeling Coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Chemical Processes in the Unsaturated Fractured Rock of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Heterogeneity and Seepage

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S. Mukhopadhyay; E.L. Donnenthal; N. Spycher

An understanding of processes affecting seepage into emplacement tunnels is needed for correctly predicting the performance of underground radioactive waste repositories. It has been previously estimated that the capillary and vaporization barriers in the unsaturated fractured rock of Yucca Mountain are enough to prevent seepage under present day infiltration conditions. It has also been thought that a substantially elevated infiltration flux will be required to cause seepage after the thermal period is over. While coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) changes in Yucca Mountain host rock due to repository heating has been previously investigated, those THC models did not incorporate elements of themore » seepage model. In this paper, we combine the THC processes in unsaturated fractured rock with the processes affecting seepage. We observe that the THC processes alter the hydrological properties of the fractured rock through mineral precipitation and dissolution. We show that such alteration in the hydrological properties of the rock often leads to local flow channeling. We conclude that such local flow channeling may result in seepage under certain conditions, even with nonelevated infiltration fluxes.« less

A biosphere modeling methodology for dose assessments of the potential Yucca Mountain deep geological high level radioactive waste repository.

PubMed

Watkins, B M; Smith, G M; Little, R H; Kessler, J

1999-04-01

Recent developments in performance standards for proposed high level radioactive waste disposal at Yucca Mountain suggest that health risk or dose rate limits will likely be part of future standards. Approaches to the development of biosphere modeling and dose assessments for Yucca Mountain have been relatively lacking in previous performance assessments due to the absence of such a requirement. This paper describes a practical methodology used to develop a biosphere model appropriate for calculating doses from use of well water by hypothetical individuals due to discharges of contaminated groundwater into a deep well. The biosphere model methodology, developed in parallel with the BIOMOVS II international study, allows a transparent recording of the decisions at each step, from the specification of the biosphere assessment context through to model development and analysis of results. A list of features, events, and processes relevant to Yucca Mountain was recorded and an interaction matrix developed to help identify relationships between them. Special consideration was given to critical/potential exposure group issues and approaches. The conceptual model of the biosphere system was then developed, based on the interaction matrix, to show how radionuclides migrate and accumulate in the biosphere media and result in potential exposure pathways. A mathematical dose assessment model was specified using the flexible AMBER software application, which allows users to construct their own compartment models. The starting point for the biosphere calculations was a unit flux of each radionuclide from the groundwater in the geosphere into the drinking water in the well. For each of the 26 radionuclides considered, the most significant exposure pathways for hypothetical individuals were identified. For 14 of the radionuclides, the primary exposure pathways were identified as consumption of various crops and animal products following assumed agricultural use of the contaminated

Distribution of Minor Elements in Calcite From the Unsaturated Zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, B. D.; Whelan, J. F.

2001-12-01

Calcite is sporadically distributed in fractures and cavities in the volcanic rocks that form the 500- to 700-m-thick unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. Previous work has shown that the calcite precipitated from water moving downward through the unsaturated zone since the volcanic rocks were emplaced approximately 13 Ma. Calcite thus serves as a proxy for the chemistry and amounts of past percolation, two parameters that are important in predictions of the future behavior of the potential radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Latest calcite, which began forming between approximately 5 and 2 Ma, typically displays fine-scale growth zoning defined by distributions of Mn (inferred from cathodoluminescence), Mg, and Sr. Electron microprobe (EPMA) mapping of outermost calcite reveals Mg growth zoning1 and higher overall concentrations of Mg in late calcite than in older calcite. Micro X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) maps were obtained by slow rastering of the samples over a 100-watt X-ray source collimated through a final aperture of 100 μ m. Although the spatial resolution of the micro-XRF mapping is much less than that of EPMA, this technique reveals distributions of some elements to which EPMA is less sensitive. Micro-XRF maps show that Sr is spatially correlated with Mg; Sr concentrations range to 500 μ g/g at the resolution of the 100-μ m collimator. Because both Mg and Sr have similar calcite-water distribution coefficients much less than one, the Mg/Sr in calcite reflects the Mg/Sr of the water that precipitated the calcite. The distribution coefficient for Mn is greater than one and variations in Mn are not correlated with Mg and Sr. Covariation of Mg and Sr in the percolating water may be explained by reactions that affect the rate of uptake of chemical constituents from the overlying rock and soil, and/or evaporation. Late calcite has lower δ 13C values, probably due to a regional change from wetter to drier climate conditions. The higher Mg and

Hydrologic and geologic characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site relevant to the performance of a potential repository: Day 1, Las Vegas, Nevada to Pahrump, Nevada: Stop 6A. Keane Wonder Spring and regional groundwater flow in the Death Valley region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steinkampf, W.C.

2000-01-01

Yucca Mountain, located ~100 mi northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, has been designated by Congress as a site to be characterized for a potential mined geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. This field trip will examine the regional geologic and hydrologic setting for Yucca Mountain, as well as specific results of the site characterization program, The first day focuses on the regional seeing with emphasis on current and paleo hydrology, which are both of critical concern for predicting future performance of a potential repository. Morning stops will be in southern Nevada and afternoon stops will be in Death Valley. The second day will be spent at Yucca Mountain. The filed trip will visit the underground testing sites in the "Exploratory Studies Facility" and the "Busted Butte Unsaturated Zone Transport Field Test" plus several surface-based testing sites. Much of the work at the site has concentrated on studies of the unsaturated zone, and element of the hydrologic system that historically has received little attention. Discussions during the second day will comprise selected topics of Yucca Mountain geology, mic hazard in the Yucca Mountain area. Evening discussions will address modeling of regional groundwater flow, the geology and hydrology of Yucca Mountain to the performance of a potential repository. Day 3 will examine the geologic framework and hydrology of the Pahute Mesa-Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin and then will continue to Reno via Hawthorne, Nevada and the Walker Lake area.

Preliminary assessment of in-situ geomechanical characteristics in drill hole USW G-1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, William L.; Swolfs, Henri S.

1983-01-01

Observations made during drilling and subsequent testing of the USW G-1 drill hole, Yucca Mountain, Nevada, provide qualitative insights into the in- situ geomechanical characteristics of the layered tuff units penetrated by the hole. Substantial drilling-fluid losses, and the occurrence of drilling-induced fracturing, are understandable in terms of the low, minimum horizontal stress magnitudes interpreted from six hydraulic-fracturing stress measurements conducted between hole depths of 640 and 1,300 meters. Although not confirmed directly by the hydraulic-fracturing data, other observations suggest that the minimum stress magnitudes in the more densely welded and brittle tuff layers may be even smaller than in the less welded and more ductile rocks. Stress-induced borehole ellipticity observed along most of the length of USW G-1 indicates that the horizontal stress components are not equal, and that the concentration of these stresses around the hole is sufficient to locally exceed the yield strength of the rock. The low, minimum horizontal stress magnitudes, perhaps variable with lithology, and the indications from borehole ellipticity of a high in-situ stress/strength ratio, indicate the need for further studies to characterize the structural and geomechanical properties of the rocks at depth in Yucca Mountain.

Chemistry of water collected from an unventilated drift, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marshall, B.D.; Oliver, T.A.; Peterman, Z.E.

2007-01-01

Water samples (referred to as puddle water samples) were collected from the surfaces of a conveyor belt and plastic sheeting in the unventilated portion of the Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block (ECRB) Cross Drift in 2003 and 2005 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The chemistry of these puddle water samples is very different than that of pore water samples from borehole cores in the same region of the Cross Drift or than seepage water samples collected from the Exploratory Studies Facility tunnel in 2005. The origin of the puddle water is condensation on surfaces of introduced materials and its chemistry is dominated by components of the introduced materials. Large CO2 concentrations may be indicative of localized chemical conditions induced by biologic activity. ?? 2007 Materials Research Society.

Simulated effects of increased recharge on the ground-water flow system of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nevada-California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Czarnecki, J.B.

1984-01-01

A study was performed to assess the potential effects of changes in future climatic conditions on the groundwater system in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, the site of a potential mined geologic repository for high-level nuclear wastes. These changes probably would result in greater rates of precipitation and, consequently, greater rates of recharge. The study was performed by simulating the groundwater system, using a two-dimensional, finite-element, groundwater flow model. The simulated position of the water table rose as much as 130 meters near the U.S. Department of Energy 's preferred repository area at Yucca Mountain for a simulation involving a 100-percent increase in precipitation compared to modern-day conditions. Despite the water table rise, no flooding of the potential repository would occur at its current proposed location. According to the simulation, springs would discharge south and west of Timber Mountain, along Fortymile Canyon, in the Amargosa Desert near Lathrop Wells and Franklin Lake playa, and near Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley, where they presently discharge. Simulated directions of groundwater flow paths near the potential repository area generally would be the same for the baseline (modern-day climate) and the increased-recharge simulations, but the magnitude of flow would increase by 2 to 4 times that of the baseline-simulation flow. (USGS)

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, Through December 1998

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

data; X, un ll-completion report, or Fenix & Scisson, Inc., or Raytheon Services Nevada hole-history data; J, Johnston (19 rs (1988); T, Thordarson ...associated with weapons-testing hydrology programs ( Thordarson and others, 1967; Johnston, 1968) or Yucca Mountain site-characterization studies...MV-1, AD-4a, AD-5, AD-6, AD-8, and AM-4. Thordarson and others (1967) describe the contributing unit at site RV-1. Dudley and Larson (1976

Multiscale Model Simulations of Temperature and Relative Humidity for the License Application of the Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buscheck, T.; Glascoe, L.; Sun, Y.; Gansemer, J.; Lee, K.

2003-12-01

For the proposed Yucca Mountain geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste, the planned method of disposal involves the emplacement of cylindrical packages containing the waste inside horizontal tunnels, called emplacement drifts, bored several hundred meters below the ground surface. The emplacement drifts reside in highly fractured, partially saturated volcanic tuff. An important phenomenological consideration for the licensing of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain is the generation of decay heat by the emplaced waste and the consequences of this decay heat. Changes in temperature will affect the hydrologic and chemical environment at Yucca Mountain. A thermohydrologic-modeling tool is necessary to support the performance assessment of the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) of the proposed repository. This modeling tool must simultaneously account for processes occurring at a scale of a few tens of centimeters around individual waste packages, for processes occurring around the emplacement drifts themselves, and for processes occurring at the multi-kilometer scale of the mountain. Additionally, many other features must be considered including non-isothermal, multiphase-flow in fractured porous rock of variable liquid-phase saturation and thermal radiation and convection in open cavities. The Multiscale Thermohydrologic Model (MSTHM) calculates the following thermohydrologic (TH) variables: temperature, relative humidity, liquid-phase saturation, evaporation rate, air-mass fraction, gas-phase pressure, capillary pressure, and liquid- and gas-phase fluxes. The TH variables are determined as a function of position along each of the emplacement drifts in the repository and as a function of waste-package (WP) type. These variables are determined at various generic locations within the emplacement drifts, including the waste package and drip-shield surfaces and in the invert; they are also determined at various generic locations in the adjoining host rock

Precision and accuracy of manual water-level measurements taken in the Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada, 1988-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boucher, M.S.

1994-01-01

Water-level measurements have been made in deep boreholes in the Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada, since 1983 in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project, which is an evaluation of the area to determine its suitability as a potential storage area for high-level nuclear waste. Water-level measurements were taken either manually, using various water-level measuring equipment such as steel tapes, or they were taken continuously, using automated data recorders and pressure transducers. This report presents precision range and accuracy data established for manual water-level measurements taken in the Yucca Mountain area, 1988-90. Precision and accuracy ranges were determined for all phases of the water-level measuring process, and overall accuracy ranges are presented. Precision ranges were determined for three steel tapes using a total of 462 data points. Mean precision ranges of these three tapes ranged from 0.014 foot to 0.026 foot. A mean precision range of 0.093 foot was calculated for the multiconductor cable, using 72 data points. Mean accuracy values were calculated on the basis of calibrations of the steel tapes and the multiconductor cable against a reference steel tape. The mean accuracy values of the steel tapes ranged from 0.053 foot, based on three data points to 0.078, foot based on six data points. The mean accuracy of the multiconductor cable was O. 15 foot, based on six data points. Overall accuracy of the water-level measurements was calculated by taking the square root of the sum of the squares of the individual accuracy values. Overall accuracy was calculated to be 0.36 foot for water-level measurements taken with steel tapes, without accounting for the inaccuracy of borehole deviations from vertical. An overall accuracy of 0.36 foot for measurements made with steel tapes is considered satisfactory for this project.

Volcanic episodes near Yucca Mountain as determined by paleomagnetic studies as Lathrop Wells, Crater Flat, and Sleeping Butte, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Champion, D.E.

1991-12-31

It has been suggested that mafic volcanism in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is both recent (20 ka) and a product of complex {open_quotes}polycyclic{close_quotes} eruptions. This pattern of volcanism, as interpreted by some workers at the Lathrop Wells volcanic complex, comprises a sequence of numerous small-volume eruptions that become more tephra-producing over time. Such sequences are thought to occur over timespans as long as 100,000 years. However, paleomagnetic studies of the tephra and lava flows from mafic volcanoes near Yucca Mountain fail to find evidence of repeated eruptive activity over timespans of 10{sup 3} to 10{sup 5} years, evenmore » though samples have been taken that represent approximately 95% of the products of these volcanoes. Instead, the eruptions seem to have occurred as discrete episodes at each center and thus can be considered to be {open_quotes}monogenetic.{close_quotes} Dates of these episodes have been obtained by the proven radiometric-geochronometer methods of K-Ar or {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar dating.« less

Milestones for Selection, Characterization, and Analysis of the Performance of a Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rechard, Robert P.

This report presents a concise history in tabular form of events leading up to site identification in 1978, site selection in 1987, subsequent characterization, and ongoing analysis through 2008 of the performance of a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada. The tabulated events generally occurred in five periods: (1) commitment to mined geologic disposal and identification of sites; (2) site selection and analysis, based on regional geologic characterization through literature and analogous data; (3) feasibility analysis demonstrating calculation procedures and importance of system components, based on rough measures of performance usingmore » surface exploration, waste process knowledge, and general laboratory experiments; (4) suitability analysis demonstrating viability of disposal system, based on environment-specific laboratory experiments, in-situ experiments, and underground disposal system characterization; and (5) compliance analysis, based on completed site-specific characterization. Because the relationship is important to understanding the evolution of the Yucca Mountain Project, the tabulation also shows the interaction between four broad categories of political bodies and government agencies/institutions: (a) technical milestones of the implementing institutions, (b) development of the regulatory requirements and related federal policy in laws and court decisions, (c) Presidential and agency directives and decisions, and (d) critiques of the Yucca Mountain Project and pertinent national and world events related to nuclear energy and radioactive waste.« less

Geologic map of south-central Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dickerson, Robert P.; Drake II, Ronald M.

2004-01-01

New 1:6,000-scale geologic mapping in a 20-square-kilometer area near the south end of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which is the proposed site of an underground repository for the storage of high-level radioactive wastes, substantially supplements the stratigraphic and structural data obtained from earlier, 1:24,000-scale mapping. Principal observations and interpretations resulting from the larger scale, more detailed nature of the recent investigation include: (1) the thickness of the Miocene Tiva Canyon Tuff decreases from north to south within the map area, and the lithophysal zones within the formation have a greater lateral variability than in areas farther north; and (2) fault relations are far more complex than shown on previous maps, with both major (block-bounding) and minor (intrablock) faults showing much lateral variation in (a) the number of splays and (b) the amount, distribution, and width of anastomosing breccia and fracture zones.

Geohydrology of volcanic tuff penetrated by test well UE-25b#1, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lahoud, R.G.; Lobmeyer, D.H.; Whitfield, M.S.

1984-01-01

Test well UE-25bNo1, located on the east side of Yucca Mountain in the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site, was drilled to a total depth of 1,220 meters and hydraulically tested as part of a program to evaluate the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a nuclear-waste repository. The well penetrated almost 46 meters of alluvium and 1,174 meters of Tertiary volcanic tuffs. The composite hydraulic head for aquifers penetrated by the well was 728.9 meters above sea level (471.4 meters below land surface) with a slight decrease in loss of hydraulic head with depth. Average hydraulic conductivities for stratigraphic units determined from pumping tests, borehole-flow surveys, and packer-injection tests ranged from less than 0.001 meter per day for the Tram Member of the Crater Flat Tuff to 1.1 meters per day for the Bullfrog Member of the Crater Flat Tuff. The small values represented matrix permeability of unfractured rock; the large values probably resulted from fracture permeability. Chemical analyses indicated that the water is a soft sodium bicarbonate type, slightly alkaline, with large concentrations of dissolved silica and sulfate. Uncorrected carbon-14 age dates of the water were 14,100 and 13,400 years. (USGS)

DOE/NV/26383-LTR2008-01 Letter Report Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative - Air Quality Scoping Study for Caliente, Lincoln County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Engelbrecht; I. Kavouras; D. Campbell

2009-04-02

The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is performing a scoping study as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative (EMSI). The main objective is to obtain baseline air quality information for Yucca Mountain and an area surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Air quality and meteorological monitoring and sampling equipment housed in a mobile trailer (shelter) is collecting data at eight sites outside the NTS, including Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Beatty, Sarcobatus Flats, Rachel, Caliente, Pahranagat NWR, Crater Flat, and Tonopah Airport, and at four sites on the NTS (Engelbrecht et al., 2007a-d).more » The trailer is stationed at any one site for approximately eight weeks at a time. This letter report provides a summary of air quality and meteorological data, on completion of the site's sampling program.« less

Influence of long term climate change on net infiltration at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Alan I.; Flint, Lorraine E.; Hevesi, Joseph A.

1993-01-01

Net infiltration and recharge at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential site for a high level nuclear waste repository, are determined both by the rock properties and past and future changes in climate. A 1-dimensional model was constructed to represent a borehole being drilled through the unsaturated zone. The rock properties were matched to the lithologies expected to be encountered in the borehole. As current paleoclimate theory assumes that 18O increases with wetter and cooler global climates, a past climate scenario, built on depletion of 18O from ocean sediments was used as a basis for climate change over the past 700,000 years. The climate change was simulated by assigning net infiltration values as a linear function of 8O. Assuming the rock properties, lithologies and climate scenarios are correct, simulations indicated that Yucca Mountain is not in steady state equilibrium at the surface (250 meters. Based on the cyclic climate inputs, the near surface is currently in a long term drying trend (for the last 3,000 years) yet recharge into the water table is continuing to occur at an average rate equivalent to the average input rate of the climate model, indicating that conditions at depth are damped out over very long time periods. The Paintbrush Tuff nonwelded units, positioned between the Tiva Canyon and Topopah Spring welded Tuff Members, do not appear to act as capillary barrier and therefore would not perch water. The low porosity vitric caprock and basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Member, however, act as restrictive layers. The higher porosity rock directly above the caprock reduces the potential for the caprock to perch water leaving the basal vitrophyre as the most likely location for perched water to develop.

Dual-porosity analysis of conservative tracer testing in saturated volcanic rocks at Yucca Mountain in Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fahy, M.F.

1997-01-01

A radially convergent conservative tracer injection test was conducted between boreholes UE-25 #2 and UE-25 c #3 of the C-hole complex at Yucca Mountain to determine effective porosity and longitudinal dispersivity. Approximately 47% of the tracer mass was recovered and a dual-porosity analytical model replicates the breakthrough curve. Fractured-rock analyses focus on the fracture-porosity and geometry as the controlling factors in transport.

Physical and hydraulic properties of volcanic rocks from Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Flint, Lorraine E.

2003-01-01

A database of physical and hydraulic properties was developed for rocks in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a site under consideration as a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. The 5320 core samples were collected from 23 shallow (<100 m) and 10 deep (500-1000 m) vertical boreholes. Hydrogeologic units have been characterized in the unsaturated zone [Flint, 1998] that represent rocks with ranges of welding, lithophysae, and high and low temperature alteration (as a result of the depositional, cooling, and alterational history of the lithostratigraphic layers). Lithostratigraphy, the hydrogeologic unit, and the corresponding properties are described. In addition, the physical properties of bulk density, porosity, and particle density; the hydraulic properties of saturated hydraulic conductivity and moisture retention characteristics; and the field water content were measured and compiled for each core sample.

The site-scale saturated zone flow model for Yucca Mountain: Calibration of different conceptual models and their impact on flow paths

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zyvoloski, G.; Kwicklis, E.; Eddebbarh, A.-A.; Arnold, B.; Faunt, C.; Robinson, B.A.

2003-01-01

This paper presents several different conceptual models of the Large Hydraulic Gradient (LHG) region north of Yucca Mountain and describes the impact of those models on groundwater flow near the potential high-level repository site. The results are based on a numerical model of site-scale saturated zone beneath Yucca Mountain. This model is used for performance assessment predictions of radionuclide transport and to guide future data collection and modeling activities. The numerical model is calibrated by matching available water level measurements using parameter estimation techniques, along with more informal comparisons of the model to hydrologic and geochemical information. The model software (hydrologic simulation code FEHM and parameter estimation software PEST) and model setup allows for efficient calibration of multiple conceptual models. Until now, the Large Hydraulic Gradient has been simulated using a low-permeability, east-west oriented feature, even though direct evidence for this feature is lacking. In addition to this model, we investigate and calibrate three additional conceptual models of the Large Hydraulic Gradient, all of which are based on a presumed zone of hydrothermal chemical alteration north of Yucca Mountain. After examining the heads and permeabilities obtained from the calibrated models, we present particle pathways from the potential repository that record differences in the predicted groundwater flow regime. The results show that Large Hydraulic Gradient can be represented with the alternate conceptual models that include the hydrothermally altered zone. The predicted pathways are mildly sensitive to the choice of the conceptual model and more sensitive to the quality of calibration in the vicinity on the repository. These differences are most likely due to different degrees of fit of model to data, and do not represent important differences in hydrologic conditions for the different conceptual models. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B

PACE-90 water and solute transport calculations for 0.01, 0.1, and 0. 5 mm/yr infiltration into Yucca Mountain; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dykhuizen, R.C.; Eaton, R.R.; Hopkins, P.L.

1991-12-01

Numerical results are presented for the Performance Assessment Calculational Exercise (PACE-90). One- and two-dimensional water and solute transport are presented for steady infiltration into Yucca Mountain. Evenly distributed infiltration rates of 0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mm/yr were considered. The calculations of solute transport show that significant amounts of radionuclides can reach the water table over 100,000 yr at the 0.5 mm/yr rate. For time periods less than 10,000 yr or infiltrations less than 0.1 mm/yr very little solute reaches the water table. The numerical simulations clearly demonstrate that multi-dimensional effects can result in significant decreases in the travel time ofmore » solute through the modeled domain. Dual continuum effects are shown to be negligible for the low steady state fluxes considered. However, material heterogeneities may cause local amplification of the flux level in multi-dimensional flows. These higher flux levels may then require modeling of a dual continuum porous medium.« less

Yucca Mountain: How Do Global and Federal Initiatives Impact Clark County's Nuclear Waste Program?

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Navis, I.; McGehee, B.

2008-07-01

Since 1987, Clark County has been designated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as an 'Affected Unit of Local Government' (AULG). The AULG designation is an acknowledgement by the federal government that activities associated with the Yucca Mountain proposal could result in considerable impacts on Clark County residents and the community as a whole. As an AULG, Clark County is authorized to identify 'any potential economic, social, public health and safety, and environmental impacts of a repository', 42 U.S.C. Section 10135(c)(1)(B)(i) under provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments (NWPAA). Clark County's oversight program contains key elements ofmore » (1) technical and scientific analysis (2) transportation analysis (3) impact assessment and monitoring (4) policy and legislative analysis and monitoring, and (5) public outreach. Clark County has conducted numerous studies of potential impacts, many of which are summarized in Clark County's Impact Assessment Report that was submitted DOE and the President of the United States in February 2002. Given the unprecedented magnitude and duration of DOE's proposal, as well as the many unanswered questions about the transportation routes, number of shipments, and the modal mix that will ultimately be used, impacts to public health and safety and security, as well as socioeconomic impacts, can only be estimated. In order to refine these estimates, Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department's Nuclear Waste Division updates, assesses, and monitors impacts on a regular basis. Clark County's Impact Assessment program covers not only unincorporated Clark County but all five jurisdictions of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Mesquite, and Boulder City as well as tribal jurisdictions that fall within Clark County's geographic boundary. National and global focus on nuclear power and nuclear waste could have significant impact on the Yucca Mountain Program, and therefore, Clark County's oversight of that

Carbon isotopic data from test hole USW UZ-1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yang, In C.; Peters, C.A.; Thorstenson, D.C.

1993-01-01

Rock-CO2-gas analyses in test hole USW UZ-1 at Yucca Mountain indicate that gas movement in the unsaturated zone is likely through a dry-fracture system with little porewater or caliche-calcite interaction. This is because near-surface ??13C values are of biogenic origin and have changed little throughout the total depth. Post-bomb 14C activity is observed to the depth of about 12 m. An abrupt change in plotted 14C/depth slope is seen at 61 m. The less steep upper segment corresponds to the zone with greater porosity and moisture content, and consequently more tortuosity, with an estimated traveltime of 1.27 cm/yr; the steeper sloped zone corresponding to the lower segment has smaller porosity and moisture content but larger fracture density for gas transport, with an estimated traveltime of 3.26 cm/yr.

Pressurized Slot Testing to Determine Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Lithophysal Tuff at Yucca Mountain Nevada.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

George, James T.; Sobolik, Steven R.; Lee, Moo Y.

The study described in this report involves heated and unheated pressurized slot testing to determine thermo-mechanical properties of the Tptpll (Tertiary, Paintbrush, Topopah Spring Tuff Formation, crystal poor, lower lithophysal) and Tptpul (upper lithophysal) lithostratigraphic units at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A large volume fraction of the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain may reside in the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit. This unit is characterized by voids, or lithophysae, which range in size from centimeters to meters, making a field program an effective method of measuring bulk thermal-mechanical rock properties (thermal expansion, rock mass modulus, compressive strength, time-dependent deformation) over a range ofmore » temperature and rock conditions. The field tests outlined in this report provide data for the determination of thermo-mechanical properties of this unit. Rock-mass response data collected during this field test will reduce the uncertainty in key thermal-mechanical modeling parameters (rock-mass modulus, strength and thermal expansion) for the Tptpll lithostratigraphic unit, and provide a basis for understanding thermal-mechanical behavior of this unit. The measurements will be used to evaluate numerical models of the thermal-mechanical response of the repository. These numerical models are then used to predict pre- and post-closure repository response. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank David Bronowski, Ronnie Taylor, Ray E. Finley, Cliff Howard, Michael Schuhen (all SNL) and Fred Homuth (LANL) for their work in the planning and implementation of the tests described in this report. This is a reprint of SAND2004-2703, which was originally printed in July 2004. At that time, it was printed for a restricted audience. It has now been approved for unlimited release.« less

A floristic survey of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Niles, W.E.; Leary, P.J.; Holland, J.S.

1995-12-01

A survey of the vascular flora of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada, was conducted from March to June 1994, and from March to October 1995. An annotated checklist of recorded taxa was compiled. Voucher plant specimens were collected and accessioned into the Herbarium at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection data accompanying these specimens were entered into that herbarium`s electronic data base. Combined results from this survey and the works of other investigators reveal the presence of a total of 375 specific and intraspecific taxa within the area these allocated to 179 genera and 54 families. Nomore » taxon currently listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act was encountered during this study. Several candidate species for listing under this Act were present, and distributional data for these were recorded. No change in the status of these candidate species is recommended as the result of this study.« less

Simulation of gas phase transport of carbon-14 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lu, N.; Ross, B.

1994-01-01

We have simulated gas phase transport of Carbon-14 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Three models were established to calculate travel time of Carbon-14 from the potential repository to the mountain surface: a geochemical model for retardation factors, a coupled gas-flow and heat transfer model for temperature and gas flow fields, and a particle tracker for travel time calculation. The simulations used three parallel, east-west cross-sections that were taken from the Sandia National Laboratories Interactive Graphics Information System (IGIS). Assuming that the repository is filled with 30- year-old waste at an initial areal power density of 57 kw/acre, we found that repository temperatures remain above 60??C for more than 10,000 years. For a tuff permeability of 10-7 cm2, Carbon-14 travel times to the surface are mostly less than 1,000 years, for particles starting at any time within the first 10,000 years. If the tuff permeability is 10-8 cm2, however, Carbon- 14 travel times to the surface range from 3,000 to 12,000 years, for particle starting within the 10,000 years.

Yucca Mountain Project Subsurface Facilities Design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A. Linden; R.S. Saunders; R.J. Boutin

2002-11-19

Four units of the Topopah Springs formation (volcanic tuff) are considered for the proposed repository: the upper lithophysal, the middle non-lithophysal, the lower lithophysal, and the lower non-lithophysal. Yucca Mountain was recently designated the site for a proposed repository to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Work is proceeding to advance the design of subsurface facilities to accommodate emplacing waste packages in the proposed repository. This paper summarized recent progress in the design of subsurface layout of the proposed repository. The original Site Recommendation (SR) concept for the subsurface design located the repository largely within the lowermore » lithophysal zone (approximately 73%) of the Topopah The Site Recommendation characterized area suitable for emplacement consisted of the primary upper block, the lower block and the southern upper block extension. The primary upper block accommodated the mandated 70,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) at a 1.45 kW/m hear heat load. Based on further study of the Site Recommendation concept, the proposed repository siting area footprint was modified to make maximum use of available site characterization data, and thus, reduce uncertainties associated with performance assessment. As a result of this study, a modified repository footprint has been proposed and is presently being review for acceptance by the DOE. A panel design concept was developed to reduce overall costs and reduce the overall emplacement schedule. This concept provides flexibility to adjust the proposed repository subsurface layout with time, as it makes it unnecessary to ''commit'' to development of a large single panel at the earliest stages of construction. A description of the underground layout configuration and influencing factors that affect the layout configuration are discussed in the report.« less

Site characterization plan: Yucca Mountain Site, Nevada Research and Development Area, Nevada: Volume 8, Part B: Chapter 8, Sections 8.3.5 through 8.3.5.20

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1988-12-01

This site characterization plan (SCP) has been developed for the candidate repository site at Yucca Mountain in the State of Nevada. The SCP includes a description of the Yucca Mountain site (Chapters 1-5), a conceptual design for the repository (Chapter 6), a description of the packaging to be used for the waste to be emplaced in the repository (Chapter 7), and a description of the planned site characterization activities (Chapter 8). The schedules and milestones presented in Sections 8.3 and 8.5 of the SCP were developed to be consistent with the June 1988 draft Amendment to the DOE`s Mission Planmore » for the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program. The five month delay in the scheduled start of exploratory shaft construction that was announced recently is not reflected in these schedules. 68 figs., 102 tabs.« less

Tectonic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, John W.; O'Leary, Dennis W.

1993-01-01

Tectonic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is needed to assess seismic and possible volcanic hazards that could affect the site during the preclosure (next 100 years) and the behavior of the hydrologic system during the postclosure (the following 10,000 years) periods. Tectonic characterization is based on assembling mapped geological structures in their chronological order of development and activity, and interpreting their dynamic interrelationships. Addition of mechanistic models and kinematic explanations for the identified tectonic processes provides one or more tectonic models having predictive power. Proper evaluation and application of tectonic models can aid in seismic design and help anticipate probable occurrence of future geologic events of significance to the repository and its design.

SIMS analyses of minor and trace element distributions in fracture calcite from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denniston, Rhawn F.; Shearer, Charles K.; Layne, Graham D.; Vaniman, David T.

1997-05-01

Fracture-lining calcite samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, obtained as part of the extensive vertical sampling in studies of this site as a potential high-level waste repository, have been characterized according to microbeam-scale (25-30 μm) trace and minor element chemistry, and cathodoluminescent zonation patterns. As bulk chemical analyses are limited in spatial resolution and are subject to contamination by intergrown phases, a technique for analysis by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) of minor (Mn, Fe, Sr) and trace (REE) elements in calcite was developed and applied to eighteen calcite samples from four boreholes and one trench. SIMS analyses of REE in calcite and dolomite have been shown to be quantitative to abundances < 1 × chondrite. Although the low secondary ion yields associated with carbonates forced higher counting times than is necessary in most silicates, Mn, Fe, Sr, and REE analyses were obtained with sub-ppm detection limits and 2-15% analytical precision. Bulk chemical signatures noted by Vaniman (1994) allowed correlation of minor and trace element signatures in Yucca Mountain calcite with location of calcite precipitation (saturated vs. unsaturated zone). For example, upper unsaturated zone calcite exhibits pronounced negative Ce and Eu anomalies not observed in calcite collected below in the deep unsaturated zone. These chemical distinctions served as fingerprints which were applied to growth zones in order to examine temporal changes in calcite crystallization histories; analyses of such fine-scale zonal variations are unattainable using bulk analytical techniques. In addition, LREE (particularly Ce) scavenging of calcite-precipitating solutions by manganese oxide phases is discussed as the mechanism for Ce-depletion in unsaturated zone calcite.

Finite-element simulation of ground-water flow in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nevada-California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Czarnecki, J.B.; Waddell, R.K.

1984-01-01

A finite-element model of the groundwater flow system in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain at the Nevada Test Site was developed using parameter estimation techniques. The model simulated steady-state ground-water flow occurring in tuffaceous, volcanic , and carbonate rocks, and alluvial aquifers. Hydraulic gradients in the modeled area range from 0.00001 for carbonate aquifers to 0.19 for barriers in tuffaceous rocks. Three model parameters were used in estimating transmissivity in six zones. Simulated hydraulic-head values range from about 1,200 m near Timber Mountain to about 300 m near Furnace Creek Ranch. Model residuals for simulated versus measured hydraulic heads range from -28.6 to 21.4 m; most are less than +/-7 m, indicating an acceptable representation of the hydrologic system by the model. Sensitivity analyses of the model 's flux boundary condition variables were performed to assess the effect of varying boundary fluxes on the calculation of estimated model transmissivities. Varying the flux variables representing discharge at Franklin Lake and Furnace Creek Ranch has greater effect than varying other flux variables. (Author 's abstract)

Report of the Workshop on Extreme Ground Motions at Yucca Mountain, August 23-25, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanks, T.C.; Abrahamson, N.A.; Board, M.; Boore, D.M.; Brune, J.N.; Cornell, C.A.

2006-01-01

This Workshop has its origins in the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) for Yucca Mountain, the designated site of the underground repository for the nation's high-level radioactive waste. In 1998 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Senior Seismic Hazard Analysis Committee (SSHAC) developed guidelines for PSHA which were published as NUREG/CR-6372, 'Recommendations for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis: guidance on uncertainty and the use of experts,' (SSHAC, 1997). This Level-4 study was the most complicated and complex PSHA ever undertaken at the time. The procedures, methods, and results of this PSHA are described in Stepp et al. (2001), mostly in the context of a probability of exceedance (hazard) of 10-4/yr for ground motion at Site A, a hypothetical, reference rock outcrop site at the elevation of the proposed emplacement drifts within the mountain. Analysis and inclusion of both aleatory and epistemic uncertainty were significant and time-consuming aspects of the study, which took place over three years and involved several dozen scientists, engineers, and analysts.

Tourism Impacts of Three Mile Island and Other Adverse Events: Implications for Lincoln County and Other Rural Counties Bisected by Radioactive Wastes Intended for Yucca Mountain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Himmelberger, Jeffery J.; And Others

1995-01-01

Summarizes key research implications of Three Mile Island and other major hazard events as related to tourism. Examines how the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository system will impact tourism in southern Nevada and other visitor-oriented rural counties bisected by planned waste transportation corridors. (AIM)

Review breathes life into Yucca site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gwynne, Peter

2014-12-01

A review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the long-term safety of the Yucca Mountain repository for nuclear waste in Nevada has improved the chances that it may go ahead, despite being mothballed by the administration of US president Barack Obama back in 2010.

PILOT-SCALE EVALUATION OF ENGINEERED BARIER SYSTEMS FOR THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

S.W. Webb; J.T. George; R.E. Finley

This paper describes two quarter-scale experiments (1.4 m diameter) and associated numerical analyses on granular backfill engineered barrier systems in support of the Yucca Mountain Project for the potential repository. The two configurations include a sloped capillary barrier and a plain backfill. The tests involve application of dyed water as a constant line infiltration source along the top of the test set-up, monitoring water movement through the test, and measuring water exiting the experiments. A complete water balance estimate is made for each test, and observed water movement is compared with (1) detailed numerical analyses conducted using the TOUGH2 codemore » for unsaturated flow in porous media and (2) posttest observations. The results of the testing and analyses show that for the injection rates and configuration applied, the capillary barrier design diverts a significant amount of all injected water and the TOUGH2 pretest predictions show qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental data.« less

Analogues as a check of predicted drift stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, J.S.

2006-01-01

Calculations made by the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project as part of the licensing of a proposed geologic repository in southwestern Nevada for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, predict that emplacement tunnels will remain open with little collapse long after ground support has disintegrated. This conclusion includes the effects of anticipated seismic events. Natural analogues cannot provide a quantitative test of this conclusion, but they can provide a reasonableness test by examining the naturally occuring and anthropogenic examples of stability of subterranean openings. Available data from a variety of sources, combined with limited observations by the author, show that natural underground openings tend to resist collapse for millions of years and that anthropogenic subterranean openings have remained open from before recorded history through today. This stability is true even in seismically active areas. In fact, the archaeological record is heavily skewed toward preservation of underground structures relative to those found at the surface.

A floristic survey of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Niles, W.E.; Leary, P.J.; Holland, J.S.

1994-12-01

A survey of the vascular flora of Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada, was conducted from March to June 1994. An annotated checklist of recorded taxa was compiled. Voucher plant specimens were collected and accessioned into the Herbarium at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Collection data accompanying these specimens were entered into that herbarium`s electronic data base. Combined results from this survey and the works of other investigators reveal the presence of a total of 325 specific and intraspecific taxa within the area, these allocated to 162 genera and 53 families. Owing to drought conditions prevalent throughout themore » area, the annual floristic component was largely absent during the period of study, and it is likely much under-represented in the tabulation of results. No taxon currently listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act was encountered during this study. Several candidate species for listing under this Act were present, and distributional data for these were recorded. No change in the status of these candidate species is recommended as the result of this survey.« less

Site characterization progress report: Yucca Mountain, Nevada, October 1, 1994--March 31, 1995, Number 12. Nuclear Waste Policy Act (Section 113)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-08-01

During the first half of fiscal year 1995, most activities at the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project were directed at implementing the Program Plan developed by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The Plan is designed to enable the Office to make measurable and significant progress toward key objectives over the next five years within the financial resources that can be realistically expected. Activities this period focused on the immediate goal of determining by 1998 whether Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is technically suitable as a possible site for a geologic repository for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel andmore » high-level radioactive waste. Work on the Project advanced in several critical areas, including programmatic activities such as issuing the Program Plan, completing the first technical basis report to support the assessment of three 10 CFR 960 guidelines, developing the Notice of Intent for the Environmental Impact Statement, submitting the License Application Annotated Outline, and beginning a rebaselining effort to conform with the goals of the Program Plan. Scientific investigation and analysis of the site and design and construction activities to support the evaluation of the technical suitability of the site also advanced. Specific details relating to all Project activities and reports generated are presented in this report.« less

An Evaluation of Seismic Reflection Studies in the Yucca Mountain Area, Nevada Test Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGovern, Thomas F.; Introduction by Pankratz, L. W.; Ackermann, H.D.

1983-01-01

As part of a total geophysical evaluation of Yucca Mountain for use as a Nuclear Waste Repository the seismic reflection technique has been applied. This study has been conducted to analyze the historical and technical efforts which have been used by three geophysical contractors employing a wide variety of techniques ranging from the most simple to very elaborate 3-D surveys. In each case elaborate noise studies were conducted, and based upon their evaluation parameters were chosen for multifold CDP recording. In every case, the signal-to-noise ratio was such that no reflections were discernable. Since the reflections cannot be separated from the noise even using very elaborate noise suppression techniques and up to 384 fold multiplicity it is apparent that in this volcanic terrain reflection surveys, can not work.

Use of Irrigation to Extend the Seeding Window for Final Reclamation at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

TRW Environmental Safety

2000-08-01

The U.S. Department of Energy has implemented a program to investigate the feasibility of various techniques for reclaiming lands disturbed during site characterization at Yucca Mountain. As part of this program, two studies were conducted in 1997 to assess the effects of combinations of seeding date (date that seeds are planted) and supplemental irrigation on densities of native plant species at Yucca Mountain. Study objectives were to (1) determine whether the traditional seeding window (October-December) could be extended through combinations of seeding date and irrigation date, (2) determine which combination of seeding date and irrigation was most successful, and (3)more » assess the effects of irrigation versus natural precipitation on seedling establishment. In the first study, a multi-species seed mix of 16 native species was sown into plots on four dates (12/96, 2/97, 3/97, and 4/97). Irrigation treatments were control (no irrigation) or addition of 80 mm of supplemental water applied over a one month period. Plant densities were sampled in August and again in October, 1997. In the second study, Larrea tridentata and Lycium andersonii, two species that are common at Yucca Mountain, but difficult to establish from seed, were sown together into plots in January and August, 1997. Half the plots were irrigated with approximately 250 mm of water between August 18 and September 11, while the remaining plots received no irrigation (control). Plant densities were sampled in October, 1997. The August census for the multi-species mix study showed irrigated plots that were sown in February, March and April had higher plant densities and more species than plots that were not irrigated. Irrigation had no effect on plant densities on plots that were seeded in December. Plots were used again in October following 18 mm of precipitation in September. Densities of three species, Ambrosia dumosa, Hymenoclea salsola, and L. tridentata, (warm-season species) were lower on

Analogues to features and processes of a high-level radioactive waste repository proposed for Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simmons, Ardyth M.; Stuckless, John S.; with a Foreword by Abraham Van Luik, U.S. Department of Energy

2010-01-01

Natural analogues are defined for this report as naturally occurring or anthropogenic systems in which processes similar to those expected to occur in a nuclear waste repository are thought to have taken place over time periods of decades to millennia and on spatial scales as much as tens of kilometers. Analogues provide an important temporal and spatial dimension that cannot be tested by laboratory or field-scale experiments. Analogues provide one of the multiple lines of evidence intended to increase confidence in the safe geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Although the work in this report was completed specifically for Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste under the U.S. Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the applicability of the science, analyses, and interpretations is not limited to a specific site. Natural and anthropogenic analogues have provided and can continue to provide value in understanding features and processes of importance across a wide variety of topics in addressing the challenges of geologic isolation of radioactive waste and also as a contribution to scientific investigations unrelated to waste disposal. Isolation of radioactive waste at a mined geologic repository would be through a combination of natural features and engineered barriers. In this report we examine analogues to many of the various components of the Yucca Mountain system, including the preservation of materials in unsaturated environments, flow of water through unsaturated volcanic tuff, seepage into repository drifts, repository drift stability, stability and alteration of waste forms and components of the engineered barrier system, and transport of radionuclides through unsaturated and saturated rock zones.

Impact of quaternary climate on seepage at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whelan, J.F.; Paces, J.B.; Neymark, L.A.; Schmitt, A.K.; Grove, M.

2006-01-01

Uranium-series ages, oxygen-isotopic compositions, and uranium contents were determined in outer growth layers of opal and calcitefrom 0.5- to 3-centimeter-thick mineral coatings hosted by lithophysal cavities in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed site of a permanent repository for high-level radioactive waste. Micrometer-scale growth layering in the minerals was imaged using a cathodoluminescence detector on a scanning electron microscope. Determinations of the chemistry, ages, and delta oxygen-18 (??18O) values of the growth layers were conducted by electron microprobe analysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques at spatial resolutions of 2 to about 20 micrometers (??m) and 25 to 40 ??m, respectively. Growth rates for the last 300 thousand years (k.y.) calculated from about 300 new high-resolution uranium-series ages range from approximately 0.5 to 1.5 ??m/k.y. for 1- to 3-centimeter-thick coatings, whereas coatings less than about 1-centimeter-thick have growth rates less than 0.5 ??m/k.y. At the depth of the proposed repository, correlations of uranium concentration and ??18O values with regional climate records indicate that unsaturated zone percolation and seepage water chemistries have responded to changes in climate during the last several hundred thousand years.

Late Cenozoic sedimentation and volcanism during transtensional deformation in Wingate Wash and the Owlshead Mountains, Death Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luckow, H.G.; Pavlis, T.L.; Serpa, L.F.; Guest, B.; Wagner, D.L.; Snee, L.; Hensley, T.M.; Korjenkov, A.

2005-01-01

New 1:24,000 scale mapping, geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks, and Ar/Ar and tephrochronology analyses of the Wingate Wash, northern Owlshead Mountain and Southern Panamint Mountain region document a complex structural history constrained by syntectonic volcanism and sedimentation. In this study, the region is divided into five structural domains with distinct, but related, histories: (1) The southern Panamint domain is a structurally intact, gently south-tilted block dominated by a middle Miocene volcanic center recognized as localized hypabyssal intrusives surrounded by proximal facies pyroclastic rocks. This Miocene volcanic sequence is an unusual alkaline volcanic assemblage ranging from trachybasalt to rhyolite, but dominated by trachyandesite. The volcanic rocks are overlain in the southwestern Panamint Mountains by a younger (Late Miocene?) fanglomerate sequence. (2) An upper Wingate Wash domain is characterized by large areas of Quaternary cover and complex overprinting of older structure by Quaternary deformation. Quaternary structures record ???N-S shortening concurrent with ???E-W extension accommodated by systems of strike-slip and thrust faults. (3) A central Wingate Wash domain contains a complex structural history that is closely tied to the stratigraphic evolution. In this domain, a middle Miocene volcanic package contains two distinct assemblages; a lower sequence dominated by alkaline pyroclastic rocks similar to the southern Panamint sequence and an upper basaltic sequence of alkaline basalt and basanites. This volcanic sequence is in turn overlain by a coarse clastic sedimentary sequence that records the unroofing of adjacent ranges and development of ???N-S trending, west-tilted fault blocks. We refer to this sedimentary sequence as the Lost Lake assemblage. (4) The lower Wingate Wash/northern Owlshead domain is characterized by a gently north-dipping stratigraphic sequence with an irregular unconformity at the base developed on granitic

Evaluation of mineral resource potential, caldera geology, and volcano-tectonic framework at and near Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weiss, S.I.; Noble, D.C.; Larson, L.T.

1992-09-30

This report summarizes the result of Task 3 work initially discussed in our monthly reports for the period October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992, and contained in our various papers and abstracts, both published and currently in press or review. Our work during this period has involved (a) the continuation of studies begun prior to October, 1991, focussed mainly on aspects of the caldera geology, volcanic stratigraphy, magmatic activity, hydrothermal mineralization and extensional tectonics of the western and northwestern parts of the southwestern Nevada volcanic field (SWNVF), and (b) new studies of the alteration and trace-metal geochemistry of subsurfacemore » rocks at Yucca Mountain utilizing drill hole samples obtained in late 1991 and early 1992.« less

Probablistic Analyses of Waste Package Quantities Impacted by Potential Igneous Disruption at Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, M. G.; Iuzzolina, H.

2005-12-01

A probabilistic analysis was conducted to estimate ranges for the numbers of waste packages that could be damaged in a potential future igneous event through a repository at Yucca Mountain. The analysis includes disruption from an intrusive igneous event and from an extrusive volcanic event. This analysis supports the evaluation of the potential consequences of future igneous activity as part of the total system performance assessment for the license application for the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). The first scenario, igneous intrusion, investigated the case where one or more igneous dikes intersect the repository. A swarm of dikes was characterized by distributions of length, width, azimuth, and number of dikes and the spacings between them. Through the use in part of a latin hypercube simulator and a modified video game engine, mathematical relationships were built between those parameters and the number of waste packages hit. Corresponding cumulative distribution function curves (CDFs) for the number of waste packages hit under several different scenarios were calculated. Variations in dike thickness ranges, as well as in repository magma bulkhead positions were examined through sensitivity studies. It was assumed that all waste packages in an emplacement drift would be impacted if that drift was intersected by a dike. Over 10,000 individual simulations were performed. Based on these calculations, out of a total of over 11,000 planned waste packages distributed over an area of approximately 5.5 km2 , the median number of waste packages impacted was roughly 1/10 of the total. Individual cases ranged from 0 waste packages to the entire inventory being impacted. The igneous intrusion analysis involved an explicit characterization of dike-drift intersections, built upon various distributions that reflect the uncertainties associated with the inputs. The second igneous scenario, volcanic eruption (eruptive conduits), considered the effects of conduits formed in

Clark County, Nevada's Assessment of Land Use Conflicts Resulting from Shipments to Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christiansen, N.W.; Navis, I.; Matranga, E.

2007-07-01

This paper should help the reader understand the impact that the proposed Yucca Mountain spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste shipping campaign by rail and truck may have on the 'present and future uses of the land' that are impacted by these shipments in the Las Vegas Metropolitan area. In the FEIS, DOE states that, 'information useful for an evaluation of land-use and ownership impacts should identify the current ownership of the land that its activities could disturb, and the present and anticipated future uses of the land' (emphasis added). As stated, any information that helps evaluate the land usemore » and ownership impacts needs to look at the present and anticipated uses of the land. This paper looks at the change occurring in Clark County, specifically in the Las Vegas Metropolitan area, in regards to the anticipated use of the land. (authors)« less

Isotopic and trace element variability in altered and unaltered tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterman, Z.E.; Spengler, R.W.; Singer, F.R.; Dickerson, R.P.

1993-01-01

Reference stratigraphic sections near Yucca Mountain, Nevada were established and sampled in outcrop areas where the volcanic rocks have been minimally altered. Isotopic and trace element analyses obtained for these reference sections are baseline data for assessing the degree and extent of element mobility attendant with past zonal alteration of the rock mass. In agreement with earlier studies, zeolitization is shown to have occurred under wholesale open-system conditions. Calcium was increased by two three times the baseline values and strontium up to twenty times. In contrast, barium displays less variability, and the high-field strength elements zirconium and titanium were the least mobile during zeolitization. The data reported here establish the usefulness of reference sections of assessing past elements mobility. The information gained will be helpful in predicting possible future element mobility induced by thermally activated fluids in the near field of a potential repository.

Thermal history of the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whelan, J.F.; Neymark, L.A.; Moscati, R.J.; Marshall, B.D.; Roedder, E.

2008-01-01

Secondary calcite, silica and minor amounts of fluorite deposited in fractures and cavities record the chemistry, temperatures, and timing of past fluid movement in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed site of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The distribution and geochemistry of these deposits are consistent with low-temperature precipitation from meteoric waters that infiltrated at the surface and percolated down through the unsaturated zone. However, the discovery of fluid inclusions in calcite with homogenization temperatures (Th) up to ???80 ??C was construed by some scientists as strong evidence for hydrothermal deposition. This paper reports the results of investigations to test the hypothesis of hydrothermal deposition and to determine the temperature and timing of secondary mineral deposition. Mineral precipitation temperatures in the unsaturated zone are estimated from calcite- and fluorite-hosted fluid inclusions and calcite ??18O values, and depositional timing is constrained by the 207Pb/235U ages of chalcedony or opal in the deposits. Fluid inclusion Th from 50 samples of calcite and four samples of fluorite range from ???35 to ???90 ??C. Calcite ??18O values range from ???0 to ???22??? (SMOW) but most fall between 12 and 20???. The highest Th and the lowest ??18O values are found in the older calcite. Calcite Th and ??18O values indicate that most calcite precipitated from water with ??18O values between -13 and -7???, similar to modern meteoric waters. Twenty-two 207Pb/235U ages of chalcedony or opal that generally postdate elevated depositional temperatures range from ???9.5 to 1.9 Ma. New and published 207Pb/235U and 230Th/Uages coupled with the Th values and estimates of temperature from calcite ??18O values indicate that maximum unsaturated zone temperatures probably predate ???10 Ma and that the unsaturated zone had cooled to near-present-day temperatures (24-26 ??C at a depth of 250 m) by 2-4 Ma. The evidence

Communicating credibly in an incredible environment-yucca mountain public outreach tools and techniques

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sheldon, S.R.; Muller, E.

Open disclosure and public understanding of major issues surrounding the Yucca Mountain Project is a consistent goal for Clark County, Nevada, which represents nearly 80 percent of Nevada's total population. Recent enhancements to the County's communication methods employ emerging technology as well as traditional public relations tactics. The County's communication methods engage the public through highly visual displays, exhibits, informative and entertaining video programs, school presentations, creative print inserts, public interaction and news media. The program provides information based on the county's research studies and findings on property values, the environment, tourism, public health and safety, increased costs for emergencymore » services and the potential disproportionate effects to Native American tribes and other minority populations in the area. Multi-cultural Dialogue: Nevada, particularly southern Nevada and the Las Vegas area, has experienced explosive growth in the last decade. The fastest growing demographic group in Nevada is Hispanics (nearly 23% in Las Vegas) and Asians (approx. 8%). Clark County's Nuclear Waste's Multi-cultural Program is designed to reach residents from these emerging segments of our population. Educational video programs: While officially opposed to the project, Clark County is committed to providing Nevada residents with accurate, timely and objective information about Yucca Mountain and its potential impacts to our state. Since the actual operation of the repository, if approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is about a decade away, the program includes presentations for middle and high school students on age-appropriate topics. Work with indigenous tribes: American Indian tribes in Southern Nevada participated in an unprecedented video program presenting the unique views and perspectives of the American Indian tribes directly impacted by the proposed repository. Monitoring program: To track economic

WORKSHOP ON DEVELOPMENT OF RADIONUCLIDE GETTERS FOR THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN WASTE REPOSITORY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

K.C. Holt

One of the important that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently undertaking is the development of a high-level nuclear waste repository to be located at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Concern is generated by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) is due to potential releases as groundwater contamination, as described in the Total System Performance Assessment (TSPA). The dose to an off-site individual using this groundwater for drinking and irrigation is dominated by four radionuclides: Tc-99, I-127, Np-237, and U-238. Ideally, this dose would be limited to a single radionuclide, U-238; in other words, YMP would resemble a uranium ore body,more » a common geologic feature in the Western U.S. For this reason and because of uncertainties in the behavior of Tc-99, I-127, and Np-237, it would be helpful to limit the amount of Tc, I, and Np leaving the repository, which would greatly increase the confidence in the long-term performance of YMP. An approach to limiting the migration of Tc, I, and Np that is complementary to the existing YMP repository design plans is to employ sequestering agents or ''getters'' for these radionuclides such that their migration is greatly hindered, thus decreasing the amount of radionuclide leaving the repository. Development of such getters presents a number of significant challenges. The getter must have a high affinity and high selectivity for the radionuclide in question since there is approximately a 20- to 50-fold excess of other fission products and a 1000-fold excess of uranium in addition to the ions present in the groundwater. An even greater challenge is that the getters must function over a period greater than the half-life of the radionuclide (greater than 5 half-lives would be ideal). Typically, materials with a high affinity for Tc, I, or Np are not sufficiently durable. For example, strong-base ion exchange resins have a very high affinity for TcO{sub 4}{sup -} but are not expected to be durable. On the other hand, durable

U-Pb ages of secondary silica at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Implications for the paleohydrology of the unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neymark, L.A.; Amelin, Y.; Paces, J.B.; Peterman, Z.E.

2002-01-01

Uranium, Th and Pb isotopes were analyzed in layers of opal and chalcedony from individual mm- to cm-thick calcite and silica coatings at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, a site that is being evaluated for a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. These calcite and silica coatings on fractures and in lithophysal cavities in Miocene-age tuffs in the unsaturated zone (UZ) precipitated from descending water and record a long history of percolation through the UZ. Opal and chalcedony have high concentrations of U (10 to 780 ppm) and low concentrations of common Pb as indicated by large values of 206Pb/204Pb (up to 53,806), thus making them suitable for U-Pb age determinations. Interpretations of U-Pb isotope systems in opal samples at Yucca Mountain are complicated by the incorporation of excess 234U at the time of mineral formation, resulting in reverse discordance of U-Pb ages. However, the 207PB/235U ages are much less affected by deviation from initial secular equilibrium and provide reliable ages of most silica deposits between 0.6 and 9.8 Ma. For chalcedony subsamples showing normal age discordance, these ages may represent minimum times of deposition. Typically, 207Pb/235U ages are consistent with the microstratigraphy in the mineral coating samples, such that the youngest ages are for subsamples from outer layers, intermediate ages are from inner layers, and oldest ages are from innermost layers. 234U and 230Th in most silica layers deeper in the coatings are in secular equilibrium with 238U, which is consistent with their old age and closed system behavior during the past -0.5 Ma. The ages for subsamples of silica layers from different microstratigraphic positions in individual calcite and silica coating samples collected from lithophysal cavities in the welded part of the Topopah Spring Tuff yield slow long-term average growth rates of 1 to 5 mm/Ma. These data imply that the deeper parts of the UZ at Yucca Mountain maintained long-term hydrologic stability

Relict colluvial boulder deposits as paleoclimatic indicators in the Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, J.W.; Harrington, C.D.

1993-01-01

Early to middle Pleistocene boulder deposits are common features on southern Nevada hillslopes. These darkly varnished, ancient colluvial deposits stand out in stark contrast to the underlying light-colored bedrock of volcanic tuffs, and they serve as minor divides between drainage channels on modern hillslopes. To demonstrate the antiquity of these stable hillslope features, six colluvial boulder deposits from Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, were dated by cation-ratio dating of rock varnish accreted on boulder surfaces. Estimated minimum ages of these boulder deposits range from 760 to 170 ka. Five additional older deposits on nearby Skull and Little Skull Mountains and Buckboard Mesa yielded cation-ratio minimum-age estimates of 1.38 Ma to 800 ka. An independent cosmogenic chlorine-36 surface exposure date was obtained on one deposit, which confirms an estimated early to middle Quaternary age. These deposits have provided the oldest age estimates for unconsolidated hillslope deposits in the southwestern United States. We suggest that the colluvial boulder deposits were produced during early and middle Pleistocene glacial/pluvial episodes and were stabilized during the transition to drier interglacial climates. The preservation of old, thin hillslope deposits and the less-than-2-m incision by hillslope runoff adjacent to these deposits, indicate that extremely low denudation rates have occurred on resistant volcanic hillslopes in the southern Great Basin during Quaternary time. -from Authors

Testing the concept of drift shadow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, J.B.; Neymark, L.A.; Ghezzehei, T.; Dobson, P.F.

2006-01-01

If proven, the concept of drift shadow, a zone of reduced water content and slower ground-water travel time beneath openings in fractured rock of the unsaturated zone, may increase performance of a proposed geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, To test this concept under natural-flow conditions present in the proposed repository horizon, isotopes within the uranium-series decay chain (uranium-238, uranium-234, and thorium-230, or 238U-234U-230Th) have been analyzed in samples of rock from beneath four naturally occurring lithophysal cavities. All rock samples show 234U depletion relative to parent 238U indicating varying degrees of water-rock interaction over the past million years. Variations in 234U/238U activity ratios indicate that depletion of 234U relative to 238U can be either smaller or greater in rock beneath cavity floors relative to rock near cavity margins. These results are consistent with the concept of drift shadow and with numerical simulations of meter-scale spherical cavities in fractured tuff. Differences in distribution patterns of 234U/ 238U activity ratios in rock beneath the cavity floors are interpreted to reflect differences in the amount of past seepage into lithophysal cavities, as indicated by the abundance of secondary mineral deposits present on the cavity floors.

Consequences of slow growth for 230Th/U dating of Quaternary opals, Yucca Mountain, NV, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neymark, L.A.; Paces, J.B.

2000-01-01

Thermal ionization mass-spectrometry 234U/238U and 230Th/238U data are reported for uranium-rich opals coating fractures and cavities within the silicic tuffs forming Yucca Mountain, NV, the potential site of a high-level radioactive waste repository. High uranium concentrations (up to 207 ppm) and extremely high 230Th/232Th activity ratios (up to about 106) make microsamples of these opals suitable for precise 230Th/U dating. Conventional 230Th/U ages range from 40 to greater than 600 ka, and initial 234U/238U activity ratios between 1.03 and 8.2. Isotopic evidence indicates that the opals have not experienced uranium mobility; however, wide variations in apparent ages and initial 234U/238U ratios for separate subsamples of the same outermost mineral surfaces, positive correlation between ages and sample weights, and negative correlation between 230Th/U ages and calculated initial 234U/238U are inconsistent with the assumption that all minerals in a given subsample was deposited instantaneously. The data are more consistent with a conceptual model of continuous deposition where secondary mineral growth has occurred at a constant, slow rate up to the present. This model assumes that individual subsamples represent mixtures of older and younger material, and that calculations using the resulting isotope ratios reflect an average age. Ages calculated using the continuous-deposition model for opals imply average mineral growth rates of less than 5 mm/m.y. The model of continuous deposition also predicts discordance between ages obtained using different radiometric methods for the same subsample. Differences in half-lives will result in younger apparent ages for the shorter-lived isotope due to the greater influence of younger materials continuously added to mineral surfaces. Discordant 14C, 230Th/U and U-Pb ages obtained from outermost mineral surfaces at Yucca Mountain support this model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Thermohydrologic modeling of the large-block test in partially saturated fractured tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K.; Buscheck, T. A.; Glascoe, L. G.; Gansemer, J.; Sun, Y.

2002-12-01

In support of the characterization of Yucca Mountain as a potential site for as a geologic repository for high-level nuclear waste, the US Department of Energy conducted the Large Block Test (LBT) at nearby Fran Ridge. The LBT was conducted in an excavated 3x 3x 4.5m block of partially saturated, fractured nonlithophysal Topopah Spring tuff, which is one of the host-rock units for the potential repository at Yucca Mountain. The LBT was one of a series of field-scale thermohydrologic tests conducted in the repository host-rock units. The LBT was heated by line heaters installed in five boreholes lying in a horizontal plane 2.75 m below the upper surface of the block. The field-scale thermal tests were designed to help investigators better understand the coupled thermohydrologic-mechanical-chemical processes that would occur in the host rock in response to the radioactive heat of decay from emplaced waste packages. The tests also provide data for the calibration and validation of numerical models used to analyze the thermohydrologic response of the near-field host rock and Engineered Barrier System (EBS). Using the NUFT code and the dual-permeability approach to representing fracture-matrix interaction, we simulated the thermohydrologic response of the block to a heating and cooling cycle. The primary goals of the analysis were to study the heat-flow mechanisms and water redistribution patterns in the boiling and sub-boiling zones, and to compare model results with measured temperature and liquid saturation data, and thereby evaluate two rock property data sets available for modeling thermohydrologic behavior in the rock. Model results were also used for model calibration and validation. We obtained a good to excellent match between model and observed temperatures, and found that the distinct dryout and condensation zones modeled above and below the heater level agreed fairly well with the liquid-saturation measurements. We identified the best-fit data set by using a

Chemical composition of ground water and the locations of permeable zones in the Yucca Mountain area, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, L.V.; Robison, J.H.; Blankennagel, R.K.; Ogard, A.L.

1983-01-01

Ten wells in the Yucca Mountain area of southern Nevada have been sampled for chemical analysis. Samples were obtained during pumping of water from the entire well bore (composite sample) and in one instance by pumping water from a single isolated interval in well UE-25b number 1. Sodium is the most abundant cation and bicarbonate the most abundant anion in all water samples. Although the general chemical compositions of individual samples are similar, there are significant differences in uncorrected carbon-14 age and in inorganic and stable-isotope composition. Flow surveys of seven wells performed using iodine-131 as a tracer indicate that groundwater production is usually from one or more discrete zones of permeability. (Author 's abstract)

206Pb-230Th-234U-238U and 207Pb-235U geochronology of Quaternary opal, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neymark, Leonid A.; Amelin, Yuri V.; Paces, James B.

2000-01-01

U–Th–Pb isotopic systems have been studied in submillimeter-thick outermost layers of Quaternary opal occurring in calcite–silica fracture and cavity coatings within Tertiary tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. These coatings preserve a record of paleohydrologic conditions at this site, which is being evaluated as a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. The opal precipitated from groundwater is variably enriched in 234U (measured 234U/238U activity ratio 1.124–6.179) and has high U (30–313 ppm), low Th (0.008–3.7 ppm), and low common Pb concentrations (measured 206Pb/204Pb up to 11,370). It has been demonstrated that the laboratory acid treatment used in this study to clean sample surfaces and to remove adherent calcite, did not disturb U–Th–Pb isotopic systems in opal. The opal ages calculated from 206Pb∗/238U and 207Pb∗/235U ratios display strong reverse discordance because of excess radiogenic 206Pb∗ derived from the elevated initial 234U. The data are best interpreted using projections of a new four-dimensional concordia diagram defined by 206Pb∗/238U, 207Pb∗/235U, 234U/238Uactivity, and 230Th/238Uactivity. Ages and initial 234U/238U activity ratios have been calculated using different projections of this diagram and tested for concordance. The data are discordant, that is observed 207Pb∗/235U ages of 170 ± 32 (2σ) to 1772 ± 40 ka are systematically older than 230Th/U ages of 34.1 ± 0.6 to 452 ± 32 ka. The age discordance is not a result of migration of uranium and its decay products under the open system conditions, but a consequence of noninstantaneous growth of opal. Combined U–Pb and 230Th/U ages support the model of slow mineral deposition at the rates of millimeters per million years resulting in layering on a scale too fine for mechanical sampling. In this case, U–Pb ages provide more accurate estimates of the average age for mixed multiage samples than 230Th/U ages, because ages based on shorter

Physical limits on ground motion at Yucca Mountain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, D.J.; Hanks, T.C.; Whitney, J.W.

2007-01-01

Physical limits on possible maximum ground motion at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the designated site of a high-level radioactive waste repository, are set by the shear stress available in the seismogenic depth of the crust and by limits on stress change that can propagate through the medium. We find in dynamic deterministic 2D calculations that maximum possible horizontal peak ground velocity (PGV) at the underground repository site is 3.6 m/sec, which is smaller than the mean PGV predicted by the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) at annual exceedance probabilities less than 10-6 per year. The physical limit on vertical PGV, 5.7 m/sec, arises from supershear rupture and is larger than that from the PSHA down to 10-8 per year. In addition to these physical limits, we also calculate the maximum ground motion subject to the constraint of known fault slip at the surface, as inferred from paleoseismic studies. Using a published probabilistic fault displacement hazard curve, these calculations provide a probabilistic hazard curve for horizontal PGV that is lower than that from the PSHA. In all cases the maximum ground motion at the repository site is found by maximizing constructive interference of signals from the rupture front, for physically realizable rupture velocity, from all parts of the fault. Vertical PGV is maximized for ruptures propagating near the P-wave speed, and horizontal PGV is maximized for ruptures propagating near the Rayleigh-wave speed. Yielding in shear with a Mohr-Coulomb yield condition reduces ground motion only a modest amount in events with supershear rupture velocity, because ground motion consists primarily of P waves in that case. The possibility of compaction of the porous unsaturated tuffs at the higher ground-motion levels is another attenuating mechanism that needs to be investigated.

Chemistry of unsaturated zone gases sampled in open boreholes at the crest of Yucca Mountain, Nevada: Data and basic concepts of chemical and physical processes in the mountain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorstenson, Donald C.; Weeks, Edwin P.; Haas, Herbert; Busenberg, Eurybiades; Plummer, Niel; Peters, Charles A.

1998-01-01

Boreholes open to the unsaturated zone at the crest of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were variously sampled for CO2 (including 13C and 14C), CH4, N2, O2, Ar, CFC-11, CFC-12, and CFC-113 from 1986 to 1993. Air enters the mountain in outcrops, principally on the eastern slope, is enriched in CO2by mixing with soil gas, and is advected to the mountain crest, where it returns to the atmosphere. The CFC data indicate that travel times of the advecting gas in the shallow Tiva Canyon hydrogeologic unit are ≤5 years. The 14C activities are postbomb to depths of 100 m, indicating little retardation of 14CO2 in the shallow flow systems. The 14C activities from 168 to 404 m in the Topopah Spring hydrogeologic unit are 85–90 pMC at borehole USW-UZ6. The CFC data show that the drilling of USW-UZ6 in 1984 has altered the natural system by providing a conduit through the Paintbrush Nonwelded unit, allowing flow from Topopah Spring outcrops in Solitario Canyon on the west to USW-UZ6, upward in the borehole through the Paintbrush, to the shallow Tiva Canyon flow systems, and out of the mountain.

Petrophysical properties, mineralogy, fractures, and flow tests in 25 deep boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.; Kibler, Joyce E.

2014-01-01

As part of a site investigation for the disposal of radioactive waste, numerous boreholes were drilled into a sequence of Miocene pyroclastic flows and related deposits at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report contains displays of data from 25 boreholes drilled during 1979–1984, relatively early in the site investigation program. Geophysical logs and hydrological tests were conducted in the boreholes; core and cuttings analyses yielded data on mineralogy, fractures, and physical properties; and geologic descriptions provided lithology boundaries and the degree of welding of the rock units. Porosity and water content were computed from the geophysical logs, and porosity results were combined with mineralogy from x-ray diffraction to provide whole-rock volume fractions. These data were composited on plates and used by project personnel during the 1990s. Improvements in scanning and computer technology now make it possible to publish these displays.

Nature and origin of mineral coatings on volcanic rocks of the Black Mountain, Stonewall Mountain and Kane Springs Wash volcanic centers, southern Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taranik, J. V.; Noble, D. C.; Hsu, L. C.; Hutsinpiller, A.; Spatz, D.

1986-01-01

Surface coatings on volcanic rock assemblages that occur at select tertiary volcanic centers in southern Nevada were investigated using LANDSAT 5 Thematic Mapper imagery. Three project sites comprise the subject of this study: the Kane Springs Wash, Black Mountain, and Stonewall Mountain volcanic centers. LANDSAT 5 TM work scenes selected for each area are outlined along with local area geology. The nature and composition of surface coatings on the rock types within the subproject areas are determined, along with the origin of the coatings and their genetic link to host rocks, geologic interpretations are related to remote sensing units discriminated on TM imagery. Image processing was done using an ESL VAX/IDIMS image processing system, field sampling, and observation. Aerial photographs were acquired to facilitate location on the ground and to aid stratigraphic differentiation.

Geohydrologic reconnaissance of Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Las Vegas Wash to Opal Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laney, R.L.

1981-01-01

The study is a geohydrologic reconnaissance of about 170 square miles in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area from Las Vegas Wash to Opal Mountain, Nevada. The study is one of a series that describes the geohydrology of the recreation area and that indentifies areas where water supplies can be developed. Precipitation in this arid area is about 5 inches per year. Streamflow is seasonal and extremely variable except for that in the Colorado River, which adjoins the area. Pan evaporation is more than 20 times greater than precipitation; therefore, regional ground-water supplies are meager except near the Colorado River, Lake Mead, and Lake Mohave. Large ground-water supplies can be developed near the river and lakes, and much smaller supplies may be obtained in a few favorable locations farther from the river and lakes. Ground water in most of the areas probably contains more than 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids, but water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids can be obtained within about 1 mile of the lakes. Crystalline rocks of metamorphic, intrusive and volcanic origin crop out in the area. These rocks are overlain by conglomerate and mudstone of the Muddy Creek Formation, gravel and conglomerate of the older alluvium, and sand and gravel of the Chemehuevi Formation and younger alluvium. The crystalline rocks, where sufficiently fractured, yield water to springs and would yield small amounts of water to favorably located wells. The poorly cemented and more permeable beds of the older alluvium, Chemehuevi Formation, and younger alluvium are the better potential aquifers, particularly along the Colorado River and Lakes Mead and Mohave. Thermal springs in the gorge of the Colorado River south of Hoover Dam discharge at least 2,580 acre-feet per year of water from the volcanic rocks and metamorphic and plutonic rocks. The discharge is much greater than could be infiltrated in the drainage basin above the springs

Hydrogeology of the unsaturated zone, North Ramp area of the Exploratory Studies Facility, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rousseau, Joseph P.; Kwicklis, Edward M.; Gillies, Daniel C.; Rousseau, Joseph P.; Kwicklis, Edward M.; Gillies, Daniel C.

1999-01-01

Yucca Mountain, in southern Nevada, is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Energy as a potential site for a repository for high-level radioactive waste. This report documents the results of surface-based geologic, pneumatic, hydrologic, and geochemical studies conducted during 1992 to 1996 by the U.S. Geological Survey in the vicinity of the North Ramp of the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) that are pertinent to understanding multiphase fluid flow within the deep unsaturated zone. Detailed stratigraphic and structural characteristics of the study area provided the hydrogeologic framework for these investigations. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that gas flow and liquid flow within the welded tuffs of the unsaturated zone occur primarily through fractures. Fracture densities are highest in the Tiva Canyon welded (TCw) and Topopah Spring welded (TSw) hydrogeologic units. Although fracture density is much lower in the intervening nonwelded and bedded tuffs of the Paintbrush nonwelded hydrogeologic unit (PTn), pneumatic and aqueous-phase isotopic evidence indicates that substantial secondary permeability is present locally in the PTn, especially in the vicinity of faults. Borehole air-injection tests indicate that bulk air-permeability ranges from 3.5x10-14 to 5.4x10-11 square meters for the welded tuffs and from 1.2x10-13 to 3.0x10-12 square meters for the non welded and bedded tuffs of the PTn. Analyses of in-situ pneumatic-pressure data from monitored boreholes produced estimates of bulk permeability that were comparable to those determined from the air-injection tests. In many cases, both sets of estimates are two to three orders of magnitude larger than estimates based on laboratory analyses of unfractured core samples. The in-situ pneumatic-pressure records also indicate that the unsaturated-zone pneumatic system consists of four subsystems that coincide with the four major hydrogeologic units of the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. In

Electrical imaging at the large block test—Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramirez, A.; Daily, W.

2001-02-01

A monolithic block of densely welded tuff was excavated from a site on Fran Ridge near Yucca Mountain, Nevada so that coupled thermohydrological processes could be studied in a controlled, in situ experiment. A series of heaters were placed in a horizontal plane about 3 m from the top of the 3 m×3 m×4.5-m high block. Temperatures were measured at many points within and on the block surface and a suite of other measurements were taken to define the thermal and hydrologic response. Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) was used to map two-dimensional images of moisture content changes along four planes in the block. The ERT images clearly delineate the drying and wetting of the rockmass during the 13 months of heating and subsequent 6 months of cool down. The main feature is a prominent dry zone that forms around the heaters then gradually disappears as the rock cools down. Other features include linear anomalies of decreasing moisture content, which are fractures dehydrating as the block heats up. There are also examples of compact anomalies of wetting. Some of these appear to be water accumulation in fractures, which are draining condensate from the block. Others may be rainwater entering a fracture at the top of the block. During cool-down, a general rewetting is observed although this is less certain because of poor data quality during this stage of the experiment.

Radionuclide sorption in Yucca Mountain tuffs with J-13 well water: Neptunium, uranium, and plutonium. Yucca Mountain site characterization program milestone 3338

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Triay, I.R.; Cotter, C.R.; Kraus, S.M.

1996-08-01

We studied the retardation of actinides (neptunium, uranium, and plutonium) by sorption as a function of radionuclide concentration in water from Well J-13 and of tuffs from Yucca Mountain. Three major tuff types were examined: devitrified, vitric, and zeolitic. To identify the sorbing minerals in the tuffs, we conducted batch sorption experiments with pure mineral separates. These experiments were performed with water from Well J-13 (a sodium bicarbonate groundwater) under oxidizing conditions in the pH range from 7 to 8.5. The results indicate that all actinides studied sorb strongly to synthetic hematite and also that Np(V) and U(VI) do notmore » sorb appreciably to devitrified or vitric tuffs, albite, or quartz. The sorption of neptunium onto clinoptilolite-rich tuffs and pure clinoptilolite can be fitted with a sorption distribution coefficient in the concentration range from 1 X 10{sup -7} to 3 X 10{sup -5} M. The sorption of uranium onto clinoptilolite-rich tuffs and pure clinoptilolite is not linear in the concentration range from 8 X 10{sup -8} to 1 X 10{sup -4} M, and it can be fitted with nonlinear isotherm models (such as the Langmuir or the Freundlich Isotherms). The sorption of neptunium and uranium onto clinoptilolite in J-13 well water increases with decreasing pH in the range from 7 to 8.5. The sorption of plutonium (initially in the Pu(V) oxidation state) onto tuffs and pure mineral separates in J-13 well water at pH 7 is significant. Plutonium sorption decreases as a function of tuff type in the order: zeolitic > vitric > devitrified; and as a function of mineralogy in the order: hematite > clinoptilolite > albite > quartz.« less

Methods for pore water extraction from unsaturated zone tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scofield, K.M.

2006-01-01

Assessing the performance of the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, requires an understanding of the chemistry of the water that moves through the host rock. The uniaxial compression method used to extract pore water from samples of tuffaceous borehole core was successful only for nonwelded tuff. An ultracentrifugation method was adopted to extract pore water from samples of the densely welded tuff of the proposed repository horizon. Tests were performed using both methods to determine the efficiency of pore water extraction and the potential effects on pore water chemistry. Test results indicate that uniaxial compression is most efficient for extracting pore water from nonwelded tuff, while ultracentrifugation is more successful in extracting pore water from densely welded tuff. Pore water splits collected from a single nonwelded tuff core during uniaxial compression tests have shown changes in pore water chemistry with increasing pressure for calcium, chloride, sulfate, and nitrate. Pore water samples collected from the intermediate pressure ranges should prevent the influence of re-dissolved, evaporative salts and the addition of ion-deficient water from clays and zeolites. Chemistry of pore water splits from welded and nonwelded tuffs using ultracentrifugation indicates that there is no substantial fractionation of solutes.

Improved spatial resolution for U-series dating of opal at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA, using ion-microprobe and microdigestion methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, J.B.; Neymark, L.A.; Wooden, J.L.; Persing, H.M.

2004-01-01

Two novel methods of in situ isotope analysis, ion microprobe and microdigestion, were used for 230Th/U and 234U/238U dating of finely laminated opal hemispheres formed in unsaturated felsic tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, proposed site for a high-level radioactive waste repository. Both methods allow analysis of layers as many as several orders of magnitude thinner than standard methods using total hemisphere digestion that were reported previously. Average growth rates calculated from data at this improved spatial resolution verified that opal grew at extremely slow rates over the last million years. Growth rates of 0.58 and 0.69 mm/m.y. were obtained for the outer 305 and 740 ??m of two opal hemispheres analyzed by ion microprobe, and 0.68 mm/m.y. for the outer 22 ??m of one of these same hemispheres analyzed by sequential microdigestion. These Pleistocene growth rates are 2 to 10 times slower than those calculated for older secondary calcite and silica mineral coatings deposited over the last 5 to 10 m.y. dated by the U-Pb method and may reflect differences between Miocene and Pleistocene seepage flux. The microdigestion data also imply that opal growth rates may have varied over the last 40 k.y. These data are the first indication that growth rates and associated seepage in the proposed repository horizon may correlate with changes in late Pleistocene climate, involving faster growth during wetter, cooler climates (glacial maximum), slower growth during transition climates, and no growth during the most arid climate (modern). Data collected at this refined spatial scale may lead to a better understanding of the hydrologic variability expected within the thick unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain over the time scale of interest for radioactive waste isolation. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Thermal calculations pertaining to experiments in the Yucca Mountain Exploratory Shaft

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montan, D.N.

1986-03-01

A series of thermal calculations have been presented that appear to satisfy the needs for design of the Yucca Mountain Exploratory Shaft Tests. The accuracy of the modeling and calculational techniques employed probably exceeds the accuracy of the thermal properties used. The rather close agreement between simple analytical methods (the PLUS Family) and much more complex methods (TRUMP) suggest that the PLUS Family might be appropriate during final design to model, in a single calculation, the entire test array and sequence. Before doing further calculations it is recommended that all available thermal property information be critically evaluated to determine "best"more » values to be used for conductivity and saturation. Another possibility is to design one or more of the test sequences to approximately duplicate the early phase of Heater Test 1. In that experiment an unplanned power outage for about two days that occurred a week into the experiment gave extremely useful data from which to determine the conductivity and diffusivity. In any case we urge that adequate, properly calibrated instrumentation with data output available on a quasi-real time basis be installed. This would allow us to take advantage of significant power changes (planned or not) and also help "steer" the tests to desired temperatures. Finally, it should be kept in mind that the calculations presented here are strictly thermal. No hydrothermal effects due to liquid and vapor pressures have been considered.« less

Drilling, logging, and testing information from borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thamir, F.; Thordarson, W.; Kume, J.

Borehole UE-25 UZ{number_sign}16 is the first of two boreholes that may be used to determine the subsurface structure at Yucca Mountain by using vertical seismic profiling. This report contains information collected while this borehole was being drilled, logged, and tested from May 27, 1992, to April 22, 1994. It does not contain the vertical seismic profiling data. This report is intended to be used as: (1) a reference for drilling similar boreholes in the same area, (2) a data source on this borehole, and (3) a reference for other information that is available from this borehole. The reference information includesmore » drilling chronology, equipment, parameters, coring methods, penetration rates, completion information, drilling problems, and corrective actions. The data sources include lithology, fracture logs, a list of available borehole logs, and depths at which water was recorded. Other information is listed in an appendix that includes studies done after April 22, 1994.« less

Mountain-Scale Coupled Processes (TH/THC/THM)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

P. Dixon

The purpose of this Model Report is to document the development of the Mountain-Scale Thermal-Hydrological (TH), Thermal-Hydrological-Chemical (THC), and Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) Models and evaluate the effects of coupled TH/THC/THM processes on mountain-scale UZ flow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This Model Report was planned in ''Technical Work Plan (TWP) for: Performance Assessment Unsaturated Zone'' (BSC 2002 [160819], Section 1.12.7), and was developed in accordance with AP-SIII.10Q, Models. In this Model Report, any reference to ''repository'' means the nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, and any reference to ''drifts'' means the emplacement drifts at the repository horizon. This Model Report provides themore » necessary framework to test conceptual hypotheses for analyzing mountain-scale hydrological/chemical/mechanical changes and predict flow behavior in response to heat release by radioactive decay from the nuclear waste repository at the Yucca Mountain site. The mountain-scale coupled TH/THC/THM processes models numerically simulate the impact of nuclear waste heat release on the natural hydrogeological system, including a representation of heat-driven processes occurring in the far field. The TH simulations provide predictions for thermally affected liquid saturation, gas- and liquid-phase fluxes, and water and rock temperature (together called the flow fields). The main focus of the TH Model is to predict the changes in water flux driven by evaporation/condensation processes, and drainage between drifts. The TH Model captures mountain-scale three dimensional (3-D) flow effects, including lateral diversion at the PTn/TSw interface and mountain-scale flow patterns. The Mountain-Scale THC Model evaluates TH effects on water and gas chemistry, mineral dissolution/precipitation, and the resulting impact to UZ hydrological properties, flow and transport. The THM Model addresses changes in permeability due to mechanical and thermal

Geotechnical characterization of the North Ramp of the Exploratory Studies Facility: Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Volume 2, NRG corehole data appendices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brechtel, C.E.; Lin, Ming; Martin, E.

1995-05-01

This report presents the results of the geological and geotechnical characterization of the Miocene volcanic tuff rocks of the Timber Mountain and Paintbrush groups that the tunnel boring machine will encounter during excavations of the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) North Ramp. The information in this report was developed to support the design of the ESF North Ramp. The ESF is being constructed by the DOE as part of the Yucca Mountain Project site characterization activities. The purpose of these activities is to evaluate the potential to locate the national high-level nuclear waste repository on land within and adjacent to themore » Nevada Test Site (NTS), Nye County, Nevada. This report was prepared as part of the Soil and Rock Properties Studies in accordance with the 8.3.1.14.2 Study Plan to Provide Soil and Rock Properties. This is volume 2 which contains NRG Corehole Data for each of the NRG Holes.« less

Secondary plant succession on disturbed sites at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Angerer, J.P.; Ostler, W.K.; Gabbert, W.D.

1994-12-01

This report presents the results of a study of secondary plant succession on disturbed sites created during initial site investigations in the late 1970s and early 1980s at Yucca Mountain, NV. Specific study objectives were to determine the rate and success of secondary plant succession, identify plant species found in disturbances that may be suitable for site-specific reclamation, and to identify environmental variables that influence succession on disturbed sites. During 1991 and 1992, fifty seven disturbed sites were located. Vegetation parameters, disturbance characteristics and environmental variables were measured at each site. Disturbed site vegetation parameters were compared to that ofmore » undisturbed sites to determine the status of disturbed site plant succession. Vegetation on disturbed sites, after an average of ten years, was different from undisturbed areas. Ambrosia dumosa, Chrysothamnus teretifolius, Hymenoclea salsola, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex canescens, and Stephanomeria pauciflora were the most dominant species across all disturbed sites. With the exception of A. dumosa, these species were generally minor components of the undisturbed vegetation. Elevation, soil compaction, soil potassium, and amounts of sand and gravel in the soil were found to be significant environmental variables influencing the species composition and abundance of perennial plants on disturbed sites. The recovery rate for disturbed site secondary succession was estimated. Using a linear function (which would represent optimal conditions), the recovery rate for perennial plant cover, regardless of which species comprised the cover, was estimated to be 20 years. However, when a logarithmic function (which would represent probable conditions) was used, the recovery rate was estimated to be 845 years. Recommendations for future studies and site-specific reclamation of disturbances are presented.« less

Lead isotopes and trace metals in dust at Yucca Mountain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kwak, Loretta; Neymark, Leonid A.; Peterman, Zell E.

2008-01-01

Lead (Pb)-isotope compositions and trace-metal concentrations were determined for samples of dust collected from underground and surface locations at and near the proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Rare earth element concentrations in the dust samples from the underground tunnels are similar to those in wholerock samples of the repository host rocks (Miocene Tiva Canyon Tuff and Topopah Spring Tuff), supporting interpretation that the subsurface dust is mainly composed of rock comminuted during tunnel construction. Other trace metals (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, lead, antimony, thallium, and zinc) are variably enriched in the subsurface dust samples relative to the average concentrations in the host rocks. Average concentrations of arsenic and lead in dust samples, high concentrations of which can cause corrosion of waste canisters, have enrichment factors from 1.2 to 1.6 and are insignificant relative to the range of concentrations for these metals observed in the host rock samples. Most dust samples from surface sites also are enriched in many of these trace metals relative to average repository host rocks. At least some of these enrichments may be artifacts of sampling. Plotted on a 208Pb/206Pb-207Pb/206Pb graph, Pb-isotope compositions of dust samples from underground sites form a mixing line extending from host-rock Pb-isotope compositions towards compositions of many of the dust samples from surface sites; however, combined Pb concentration and isotope data indicate the presence of a Pbenriched component in the subsurface dust that is not derived from host rock or surface dust and may derive from anthropogenic materials introduced into the underground environment.

Probabilistic seismic hazard analyses for ground motions and fault displacement at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stepp, J.C.; Wong, I.; Whitney, J.; Quittmeyer, R.; Abrahamson, N.; Toro, G.; Young, S.R.; Coppersmith, K.; Savy, J.; Sullivan, T.

2001-01-01

Probabilistic seismic hazard analyses were conducted to estimate both ground motion and fault displacement hazards at the potential geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The study is believed to be the largest and most comprehensive analyses ever conducted for ground-shaking hazard and is a first-of-a-kind assessment of probabilistic fault displacement hazard. The major emphasis of the study was on the quantification of epistemic uncertainty. Six teams of three experts performed seismic source and fault displacement evaluations, and seven individual experts provided ground motion evaluations. State-of-the-practice expert elicitation processes involving structured workshops, consensus identification of parameters and issues to be evaluated, common sharing of data and information, and open exchanges about the basis for preliminary interpretations were implemented. Ground-shaking hazard was computed for a hypothetical rock outcrop at -300 m, the depth of the potential waste emplacement drifts, at the designated design annual exceedance probabilities of 10-3 and 10-4. The fault displacement hazard was calculated at the design annual exceedance probabilities of 10-4 and 10-5.

Stratigraphic and volcano-tectonic relations of Crater Flat Tuff and some older volcanic units, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carr, W.J.; Byers, F.M.; Orkild, Paul P.

1984-01-01

The Crater Flat Tuff is herein revised to include a newly recognized lowest unit, the Tram Member, exposed at scattered localities in the southwest Nevada Test Site region, and in several drill holes in the Yucca Mountain area. The overlying Bullfrog and Prow Pass Members are well exposed at the type locality of the formation near the southeast edge of Crater Flat, just north of U.S. Highway 95. In previous work, the Tram Member was thought to be the Bullfrog Member, and therefore was shown as Bullfrog or as undifferentiated Crater Flat Tuff on published maps. The revised Crater Flat Tuff is stratigraphically below the Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff and above the Grouse Canyon Member of the Belted Range Tuff, and is approximately 13.6 m.y. old. Drill holes on Yucca Mountain and near Fortymile Wash penetrate all three members of the Crater Flat as well as an underlying quartz-poor unit, which is herein defined as the Lithic Ridge Tuff from exposures on Lithic Ridge near the head of Topopah Wash. In outcrops between Calico Hills and Yucca Flat, the Lithic Ridge Tuff overlies a Bullfrog-like unit of reverse magnetic polarity that probably correlates with a widespread unit around and under Yucca Flat, referred to previously as Crater Flat Tuff. This unit is here informally designated as the tuff of Yucca Flat. Although older, it may be genetically related to the Crater Flat Tuff. Although the rocks are poorly exposed, geophysical and geologic evidence to date suggests that (1) the source of the Crater Flat Tuff is a caldera complex in the Crater Flat area between Yucca Mountain and Bare Mountain, and (2) there are at least two cauldrons within this complex--one probably associated with eruption of the Tram, the other with the Bullfrog and Prow Pass Members. The complex is named the Crater Flat-Prospector Pass caldera complex. The northern part of the Yucca Mountain area is suggested as the general location of the source of pre-Crater Flat tuffs, but a

The Yucca Mountain Project drift scale test

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finley, R.E.; Blair, S.C.; Boyle, W.J.

The Yucca Mountain Project is currently evaluating the coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological-chemical (TMHC) response of the potential repository host rock through an in situ thermal testing program. A drift scale test (DST) was constructed during 1997 and heaters were turned on in December 1997. The DST includes nine canister-sized containers with thirty operating heaters each located within the heated drift (HD) and fifty wing heaters located in boreholes in both ribs with a total power output of nominally 210kW. A total of 147 boreholes (combined length of 3.3 km) houses most of the over 3700 TMHC sensors connected with 201 km ofmore » cabling to a central data acquisition system. The DST is located in the Exploratory Studies Facility in a 5-m diameter drift approximately 50 m in length. Heating will last up to four years and cooling will last another four years. The rock mass surrounding the DST will experience a harsh thermal environment with rock surface temperatures expected to reach a maximum of about 200 C. This paper describes the process of designing the DST. The first 38 m of the 50-m long Heated Drift (HD) is dedicated to collection of data that will lead to a better understanding of the complex coupled TMHC processes in the host rock of the proposed repository. The final 12 m is dedicated to evaluating the interactions between the heated rock mass and cast-in-place (CIP) concrete ground support systems at elevated temperatures. In addition to a description of the DST design, data from site characterization, and a general description of the analyses and analysis approach used to design the test and make pretest predictions are presented. Test-scoping and pretest numerical predictions of one way thermal-hydrologic, thermal-mechanical, and thermal-chemical behaviors have been completed (TRW, 1997a). These analyses suggest that a dry-out zone will be created around the DST and a 10,000 m{sup 3} volume of rock will experience temperatures above 100 C

Ages and Origins of Calcite and Opal in the Exploratory Studies Facility Tunnel, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, James B.; Neymark, Leonid A.; Marshall, Brian D.; Whelan, Joseph F.; Peterman, Zell E.

2001-01-01

Deposits of calcite and opal are present as coatings on open fractures and lithophysal cavities in unsaturated-zone tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, site of a potential high-level radioactive waste repository. Outermost layers of calcite and opal have radiocarbon ages of 16,000 to 44,000 years before present and thorium-230/uranium ages of 28,000 to more than 500,000 years before present. These ages are young relative to the 13-million-year age of the host rocks. Multiple subsamples from the same outer layer typically show a range of ages with youngest ages from the thinnest subsamples. Initial uranium-234/uranium-238 activity ratios between 1 and 9.5 show a distinct negative correlation with thorium-230/uranium age and are greater than 4 for all but one sample younger than 100,000 years before present. These data, along with micrometer-scale layering and distinctive crystal morphologies, are interpreted to indicate that deposits formed very slowly from water films migrating through open cavities. Exchanges of carbon dioxide and water vapor probably took place between downward-migrating liquids and upward-migrating gases at low rates, resulting in oversaturation of mineral constituents at crystal extremities and more or less continuous deposition of very thin layers. Therefore, subsamples represent mixtures of older and younger layers on a scale finer than sampling techniques can resolve. Slow, long-term rates of deposition (less than about 5 millimeters of mineral per million years) are inferred from subsamples of outermost calcite and opal. These growth rates are similar to those calculated assuming that total coating thicknesses of 10 to 40 millimeters accumulated over 12 million years. Calcite has a wide range of delta carbon-13 values from about -8.2 to 8.5 per mil and delta oxygen-18 values from about 10 to 21 per mil. Systematic microsampling across individual mineral coatings indicates basal (older) calcite tends to have the largest delta carbon-13 values

The saturated zone at Yucca Mountain: An overview of the characterization and assessment of the saturated zone as a barrier to potential radionuclide migration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eddebbarh, A.-A.; Zyvoloski, G.A.; Robinson, B.A.; Kwicklis, E.M.; Reimus, P.W.; Arnold, B.W.; Corbet, T.; Kuzio, S.P.; Faunt, C.

2003-01-01

The US Department of Energy is pursuing Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the development of a geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, if the repository is able to meet applicable radiation protection standards established by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Effective performance of such a repository would rely on a number of natural and engineered barriers to isolate radioactive waste from the accessible environment. Groundwater beneath Yucca Mountain is the primary medium through which most radionuclides might move away from the potential repository. The saturated zone (SZ) system is expected to act as a natural barrier to this possible movement of radionuclides both by delaying their transport and by reducing their concentration before they reach the accessible environment. Information obtained from Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project activities is used to estimate groundwater flow rates through the site-scale SZ flow and transport model area and to constrain general conceptual models of groundwater flow in the site-scale area. The site-scale conceptual model is a synthesis of what is known about flow and transport processes at the scale required for total system performance assessment of the site. This knowledge builds on and is consistent with knowledge that has accumulated at the regional scale but is more detailed because more data are available at the site-scale level. The mathematical basis of the site-scale model and the associated numerical approaches are designed to assist in quantifying the uncertainty in the permeability of rocks in the geologic framework model and to represent accurately the flow and transport processes included in the site-scale conceptual model. Confidence in the results of the mathematical model was obtained by comparing calculated to observed hydraulic heads, estimated to measured permeabilities, and lateral flow rates

Geochemistry of rock units at the potential repository level, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterman, Z.E.; Cloke, P.L.

2002-01-01

The compositional variability of the phenocryst-poor member of the 12.8 Ma Topopah Spring Tuff at the potential repository level was assessed by duplicate analysis of 20 core samples from the cross drift at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Previous analyses of outcrop and core samples of the Topopah Spring Tuff showed that the phenocryst-poor rhyolite, which includes both lithophysal and nonlithophysal zones, is relatively uniform in composition. Analyses of rock samples from the cross drift, the first from the actual potential repository block, also indicate the chemical homogeneity of this unit excluding localized deposits of vapor-phase minerals and low-temperature calcite and opal in fractures, cavities, and faults. The possible influence of vapor-phase minerals and calcite and opal coatings on rock composition at a scale sufficiently large to incorporate these heterogeneously distributed deposits was evaluated and is considered to be relatively minor. Therefore, the composition of the phenocryst-poor member of the Topopah Spring Tuff is considered to be adequately represented by the analyses of samples from the cross drift. The mean composition as represented by the 10 most abundant oxides in wt. % or g/100 g is: SiO2, 76.29; Al2O3, 12.55; FeO, 0.14; Fe2O3, 0.97; MgO, 0.13; CaO, 0.50; Na2O, 3.52; K2O, 4.83; TiO2, 0.11; and MnO, 0.07. ?? 2002 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Climatic Forecasting of Net Infiltration at Yucca Mountain, Using Analogue Meteorological Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faybishenko, B.

2005-12-01

Net infiltration is a key hydrologic parameter that, throughout the unsaturated zone, controls the rate of deep percolation, the groundwater recharge, radionuclide transport, and seepage into underground tunnels. Because net infiltration is largely affected by climatic conditions, future changes in climatic conditions will potentially alter net infiltration. The objectives of this presentation are to: (1) Present a conceptual model and a semi-empirical approach for regional climatic forecasting of net infiltration, based on precipitation and temperature data from analogue meteorological stations; and (2) Demonstrate the results of forecasting net infiltration for future climates - interglacial, monsoon and glacial - over the Yucca Mountain region for a period of 500,000 years. Calculations of net infiltration were performed using a modified Budyko's water-balance model, and potential evapotranspiration was evaluated from the temperature-based Thornthwaite formula. (Both Budyko's and Thornthwaite's formulae have been used broadly in hydrological studies.) The results of these calculations were used for ranking net infiltration, along with aridity and precipitation-effectiveness (P-E) indices, for future climatic scenarios. Using this approach, we determined a general trend of increasing net infiltration from the present-day (interglacial) climate to the monsoon, intermediate (glacial transition) climate, a trend that continued into the glacial climate time frame. The ranking of aridity and P-E indices is practically the same as that for net infiltration. Validation of the computed net infiltration rates yielded a good match with other field and modeling study results related to groundwater recharge and net infiltration evaluation.

Yucca blowup theory bombs, says study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taubes, G.

The theory was explosive, but in its biggest test yet, it has fizzled. Last year, an unpublished paper circulated at the Los Alamos National Laboratory raised the possibility that the planned nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, might erupt in massive nuclear explosions. The scenario, which held that leaking waste could concentrate in the surrounding rock to form a {open_quotes}supercritical mass,{close_quotes} received heavy publicity. But a review released last week by the nuclear engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley, says it is not credible.

Estimation of past seepage volumes from calcite distribution in the Topopah Spring Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marshall, B.D.; Neymark, L.A.; Peterman, Z.E.

2003-01-01

Low-temperature calcite and opal record the past seepage of water into open fractures and lithophysal cavities in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, site of a proposed high-level radioactive waste repository. Systematic measurements of calcite and opal coatings in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) tunnel at the proposed repository horizon are used to estimate the volume of calcite at each site of calcite and/or opal deposition. By estimating the volume of water required to precipitate the measured volumes of calcite in the unsaturated zone, seepage rates of 0.005 to 5 liters/year (l/year) are calculated at the median and 95th percentile of the measured volumes, respectively. These seepage rates are at the low end of the range of seepage rates from recent performance assessment (PA) calculations, confirming the conservative nature of the performance assessment. However, the distribution of the calcite and opal coatings indicate that a much larger fraction of the potential waste packages would be contacted by this seepage than is calculated in the performance assessment.

Physical and stable-isotope evidence for formation of secondary calcite and silica in the unsaturated zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whelan, J.F.; Paces, J.B.; Peterman, Z.E.

2002-01-01

Calcite and silica form coatings on fracture footwalls and cavity floors in the welded tuffs at Yucca Mountain, the potential site of a high-level radioactive waste repository. These secondary mineral deposits are heterogeneously distributed in the unsaturated zone (UZ) with fewer than 10% of possible depositional sites mineralized. The paragenetic sequence, compiled from deposits throughout the UZ, consists of an early-stage assemblage of calcite??fluorite??zeolites that is frequently capped by chalcedony??quartz. Intermediate- and late-stage deposits consist largely of calcite, commonly with opal on buried growth layers or outermost crystal faces of the calcite. Coatings on steep-dipping fractures usually are thin (??? 3 mm) with low-relief outer surfaces whereas shallow-dipping fractures and lithophysal cavities typically contain thicker, more coarsely crystalline deposits characterized by unusual thin, tabular calcite blades up to several cms in length. These blades may be capped with knobby or corniced overgrowths of late-stage calcite intergrown with opal. The observed textures in the fracture and cavity deposits are consistent with deposition from films of water fingering down fracture footwalls or drawn up faces of growing crystals by surface tension and evaporated at the crystal tips. Fluid inclusion studies have shown that most early-stage and some intermediate-stage calcite formed at temperatures of 35 to 85??C. Calcite deposition during the past several million years appears to have been at temperatures < 30??C. The elevated temperatures indicated by the fluid inclusions are consistent with temperatures estimated from calcite ??18O values. Although others have interpreted the elevated temperatures as evidence of hydrothermal activity and flooding of the tuffs of the potential repository, the authors conclude that the temperatures and fluid-inclusion assemblages are consistent with deposition in a UZ environment that experienced prolonged heat input from

Secondary Mineral Deposits and Evidence of Past Seismicity and Heating of the Proposed Repository Horizon at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whelan, Josheph F.

2004-01-01

The Drift Degradation Analysis (DDA) (BSC, 2003) for the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, describes model simulations of the effects of pre- and post-closure seismicity and waste-induced heating on emplacement drifts. Based on probabilistic seismic hazard analyses of the intensity and frequency of future seismic events in the region (CRWMS M&O, 1998), the DDA concludes that future seismicity will lead to substantial damage to emplacement drifts, particularly those in the lithophysal tuffs, where some simulations predict complete collapse of the drift walls. Secondary mineral studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1995 indicate that secondary calcite and silica have been deposited in some fractures and lithophysal cavities in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at Yucca Mountain during at least the past 10 million years (m.y.), and probably since the tuffs cooled to less than 100?C. Tuff fragments, likely generated by past seismic activity, have commonly been incorporated into the secondary mineral depositional sequences. Preliminary observations indicate that seismic activity has generated few, if any, tuff fragments during the last 2 to 4 m.y., which may be inconsistent with the predictions of drift-wall collapse described in the DDA. Whether or not seismicity-induced tuff fragmentation occurring at centimeter to decimeter scales in the fracture and cavity openings relates directly to failure of tuff walls in the 5.5-m-diameter waste emplacement drifts, the deposits do provide a potential record of the spatial and temporal distribution of tuff fragments in the UZ. In addition, the preservation of weakly attached coatings and (or) delicate, upright blades of calcite in the secondary mineral deposits provides an upper limit for ground motion during the late stage of deposition that might be used as input to future DDA simulations. Finally, bleaching and alteration at a few of the secondary mineral sites indicate that

Tourism impacts of Three Mile Island and other adverse events: Implications for Lincoln County and other rural counties bisected by radioactive wastes intended for Yucca Mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Himmelberger, Jeffery J.; Baughman, Mike; Ogneva-Himmelberger, Yelena A.

1995-11-01

Whether the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository system will adversely impact tourism in southern Nevada is an open question of particular importance to visitor-oriented rural counties bisected by planned waste transportatin corridors (highway or rail). As part of one such county's repository impact assessment program, tourism implications of Three Mile Island (TMI) and other major hazard events have beem revisited to inform ongoing county-wide socioeconomic assessments and contingency planning efforts. This paper summarizes key research implications of such research as applied to Lincoln County, Nevada. Implications for other rural counties are discussed in light of the research findings.

Comparison of survey and photogrammetry methods to position gravity data, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ponce, D.A.; Wu, S.S.C.; Spielman, J.B.

1985-12-31

Locations of gravity stations at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were determined by a survey using an electronic distance-measuring device and by a photogram-metric method. The data from both methods were compared to determine if horizontal and vertical coordinates developed from photogrammetry are sufficently accurate to position gravity data at the site. The results show that elevations from the photogrammetric data have a mean difference of 0.57 +- 0.70 m when compared with those of the surveyed data. Comparison of the horizontal control shows that the two methods agreed to within 0.01 minute. At a latitude of 45{sup 0}, an error ofmore » 0.01 minute (18 m) corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.015 mGal. Bouguer gravity anomalies are most sensitive to errors in elevation, thus elevation is the determining factor for use of photogrammetric or survey methods to position gravity data. Because gravity station positions are difficult to locate on aerial photographs, photogrammetric positions are not always exactly at the gravity station; therefore, large disagreements may appear when comparing electronic and photogrammetric measurements. A mean photogrammetric elevation error of 0.57 m corresponds to a gravity anomaly error of 0.11 mGal. Errors of 0.11 mGal are too large for high-precision or detailed gravity measurements but acceptable for regional work. 1 ref. 2 figs., 4 tabs.« less

Limited hydrologic response to Pleistocene climate change in deep vadose zones - Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paces, J.B.; Neymark, L.A.; Whelan, J.F.; Wooden, J.L.; Lund, S.P.; Marshall, B.D.

2010-01-01

Understanding the movement of water through thick vadose zones, especially on time scales encompassing long-term climate change, is increasingly important as societies utilize semi-arid environments for both water resources and sites viewed as favorable for long-term disposal or storage of hazardous waste. Hydrologic responses to Pleistocene climate change within a deep vadose zone in the eastern Mojave Desert at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were evaluated by uranium-series dating of finely layered hyalitic opal using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Opal is present within cm-thick secondary hydrogenic mineral crusts coating floors of lithophysal cavities in fractured volcanic rocks at depths of 200 to 300 m below land surface. Uranium concentrations in opal fluctuate systematically between 5 and 550 μg/g. Age-calibrated profiles of uranium concentration correlate with regional climate records over the last 300,000 years and produce time-series spectral peaks that have distinct periodicities of 100- and 41-ka, consistent with planetary orbital parameters. These results indicate that the chemical compositions of percolating solutions varied in response to near-surface, climate-driven processes. However, slow (micrometers per thousand years), relatively uniform growth rates of secondary opal and calcite deposition spanning several glacial–interglacial climate cycles imply that water fluxes in the deep vadose zone remained low and generally buffered from the large fluctuations in available surface moisture during different climates.

Major element and oxygen isotope geochemistry of vapour-phase garnet from the Topopah Spring Tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moscati, Richard J.; Johnson, Craig A.

2014-01-01

Twenty vapour-phase garnets were studied in two samples of the Topopah Spring Tuff of the Paintbrush Group from Yucca Mountain, in southern Nevada. The Miocene-age Topopah Spring Tuff is a 350 m thick, devitrified, moderately to densely welded ash-flow tuff that is zoned compositionally from high-silica rhyolite to latite. During cooling of the tuff, escaping vapour produced lithophysae (former gas cavities) lined with an assemblage of tridymite (commonly inverted to cristobalite or quartz), sanidine and locally, hematite and/or garnet. Vapour-phase topaz and economic deposits associated commonly with topaz-bearing rhyolites (characteristically enriched in F) were not found in the Topopah Spring Tuff at Yucca Mountain. Based on their occurrence only in lithophysae, the garnets are not primary igneous phenocrysts, but rather crystals that grew from a F-poor magma-derived vapour trapped during and after emplacement of the tuff. The garnets are euhedral, vitreous, reddish brown, trapezohedral, as large as 2 mm in diameter and fractured. The garnets also contain inclusions of tridymite. Electron microprobe analyses of the garnets reveal that they are almandine-spessartine (48.0 and 47.9 mol.%, respectively), have an average composition of (Fe1.46Mn1.45Mg0.03Ca0.10)(Al1.93Ti0.02)Si3.01O12 and are comparatively homogeneous in Fe and Mn concentrations from core to rim. Composited garnets from each sample site have δ18O values of 7.2 and 7.4‰. The associated quartz (after tridymite) has δ18O values of 17.4 and 17.6‰, values indicative of reaction with later, low-temperature water. Unaltered tridymite from higher in the stratigraphic section has a δ18O of 11.1‰ which, when coupled with the garnet δ18O values in a quartz-garnet fractionation equation, indicates isotopic equilibration (vapour-phase crystallization) at temperatures of ~600°C. This high-temperature mineralization, formed during cooling of the tuffs, is distinct from the later and commonly recognized

Robotics Scoping Study to Evaluate Advances in Robotics Technologies that Support Enhanced Efficiencies for Yucca Mountain Repository Operations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

T. Burgess; M. Noakes; P. Spampinato

This paper presents an evaluation of robotics and remote handling technologies that have the potential to increase the efficiency of handling waste packages at the proposed Yucca Mountain High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository. It is expected that increased efficiency will reduce the cost of operations. The goal of this work was to identify technologies for consideration as potential projects that the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Office of Science and Technology International Programs, could support in the near future, and to assess their ''payback'' value. The evaluation took into account the robotics and remote handling capabilitiesmore » planned for incorporation into the current baseline design for the repository, for both surface and subsurface operations. The evaluation, completed at the end of fiscal year 2004, identified where significant advantages in operating efficiencies could accrue by implementing any given robotics technology or approach, and included a road map for a multiyear R&D program for improvements to remote handling technology that support operating enhancements.« less

Multiple component end-member mixing model of dilution: hydrochemical effects of construction water at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Guoping; Sonnenthal, Eric L.; Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S.

2008-12-01

The standard dual-component and two-member linear mixing model is often used to quantify water mixing of different sources. However, it is no longer applicable whenever actual mixture concentrations are not exactly known because of dilution. For example, low-water-content (low-porosity) rock samples are leached for pore-water chemical compositions, which therefore are diluted in the leachates. A multicomponent, two-member mixing model of dilution has been developed to quantify mixing of water sources and multiple chemical components experiencing dilution in leaching. This extended mixing model was used to quantify fracture-matrix interaction in construction-water migration tests along the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) tunnel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA. The model effectively recovers the spatial distribution of water and chemical compositions released from the construction water, and provides invaluable data on the matrix fracture interaction. The methodology and formulations described here are applicable to many sorts of mixing-dilution problems, including dilution in petroleum reservoirs, hydrospheres, chemical constituents in rocks and minerals, monitoring of drilling fluids, and leaching, as well as to environmental science studies.

Chlorine-36 investigations of groundwater infiltration in the Exploratory Studies Facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levy, S.S.; Fabryka-Martin, J.T.; Dixon, P.R.

1997-12-01

Chlorine-36, including the natural cosmogenic component and the component produced during atmospheric nuclear testing in the 1950`s and 1960`s (bomb pulse), is being used as an isotopic tracer for groundwater infiltration studies at Yucca Mountain, a potential nuclear waste repository. Rock samples have been collected systematically in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), and samples were also collected from fractures, faults, and breccia zones. Isotopic ratios indicative of bomb-pulse components in the water ({sup 36}Cl/Cl values > 1,250 x 10{sup {minus}15}), signifying less than 40-yr travel times from the surface, have been detected at a few locations within the Topopah Springmore » Tuff, the candidate host rock for the repository. The specific features associated with the high {sup 36}Cl/Cl values are predominantly cooling joints and syngenetic breccias, but most of the sites are in the general vicinity of faults. The non-bomb pulse samples have {sup 36}Cl/Cl values interpreted to indicate groundwater travel times of at least a few thousand to possibly several hundred thousand years. Preliminary numerical solute-travel experiments using the FEHM (Finite Element Heat and Mass transfer) code demonstrate consistency between these interpreted ages and the observed {sup 36}Cl/Cl values but do not validate the interpretations.« less

Tourism impacts of Three Mile Island and other adverse events: Implications for Lincoln County and other rural counties bisected by radioactive wastes intended for Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Himmelberger, J.J.; Ogneva-Himmelberger, Y.A.; Baughman, M.

Whether the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository system will adversely impact tourism in southern Nevada is an open question of particular importance to visitor-oriented rural counties bisected by planned waste transportation corridors (highway or rail). As part of one such county`s repository impact assessment program, tourism implications of Three Mile Island (TMI) and other major hazard events have been revisited to inform ongoing county-wide socioeconomic assessments and contingency planning efforts. This paper summarizes key research implications of such research as applied to Lincoln County, Nevada. Implications for other rural counties are discussed in light of the research findings. 29more » refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.« less

7. SEGMENT OF LATERAL WITH YUCCA ALONG BANKS, SOUTH OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

7. SEGMENT OF LATERAL WITH YUCCA ALONG BANKS, SOUTH OF 6TH AVENUE (SECTION 10). - Highline Canal, Sand Creek Lateral, Beginning at intersection of Peoria Street & Highline Canal in Arapahoe County (City of Aurora), Sand Creek lateral Extends 15 miles Northerly through Araphoe County, City & County of Denver, & Adams County to its end point, approximately 1/4 mile Southest of intersectioin of D Street & Ninth Avenue in Adams County (Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Commerce City Vicinity), Commerce City, Adams County, CO

Results from Geothermal Logging, Air and Core-Water Chemistry Sampling, Air Injection Testing and Tracer Testing in the Northern Ghost Dance Fault, YUCCA Mountain, Nevada, November 1996 to August 1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lecain, G.D.; Anna, L.O.; Fahy, M.F.

1998-08-01

Geothermal logging, air and core-water chemistry sampling, air-injection testing, and tracer testing were done in the northern Ghost Dance Fault at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, from November 1996 to August 1998. The study was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy. The fault-testing drill room and test boreholes were located in the crystal-poor, middle nonlithophysal zone of the Topopah Spring Tuff, a tuff deposit of Miocene age. The drill room is located off the Yucca Mountain underground Exploratory Studies Facility at about 230 meters below ground surface. Borehole geothermal logging identified a temperature decreasemore » of 0.1 degree Celsius near the Ghost Dance Fault. The temperature decrease could indicate movement of cooler air or water, or both, down the fault, or it may be due to drilling-induced evaporative or adiabatic cooling. In-situ pneumatic pressure monitoring indicated that barometric pressure changes were transmitted from the ground surface to depth through the Ghost Dance Fault. Values of carbon dioxide and delta carbon-13 from gas samples indicated that air from the underground drill room had penetrated the tuff, supporting the concept of a well-developed fracture system. Uncorrected carbon-14-age estimates from gas samples ranged from 2,400 to 4,500 years. Tritium levels in borehole core water indicated that the fault may have been a conduit for the transport of water from the ground surface to depth during the last 100 years.« less

The Projected Impacts to Clark County and Local Governmental Public Safety Agencies Resulting from the Transportation of High-Level Nuclear Waste to Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mushkatel, A.H.; Conway, S.; Navis, I.

2006-07-01

This paper focuses on the difficulties of projecting fiscal impacts to public safety agencies from the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The efforts made by Clark County Nevada, to develop a fiscal model of impacts for public safety agencies are described in this paper. Some of the difficulties in constructing a fiscal model of impacts for the entire 24 year high-level nuclear waste transportation shipping campaign are identified, and a refined methodology is provided to accomplish this task. Finally, a comparison of the fiscal impact projections for public safety agencies that Clark County developed in 2001,more » with those done in 2005 is discussed, and the fiscal impact cost projections for the entire 24 year transportation campaign are provided. (authors)« less

Measurements of matric and water potentials in unsaturated tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thamir, F.; McBride, C.M.

1985-12-31

Two types of instruments were installed in a borehole in order to monitor matric and water potentials of various hydrogeologic units consisting of tuff. The borehole was drilled as part of a study to provide information to the US Department of Energy for their use in evaluating Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for a repository for high-level radioactive waste. Heat-dissipation probes were used to monitor matric potentials and thermocouple psychrometers were used to monitor water potentials. Two major concerns regarding the use of these instruments in deep boreholes are: (1) the effect of length of the lead wires, and (2) the inabilitymore » to recalibrate the instruments after installation. The length of the lead wire contributes to the source resistance and lead capacitance, which affects the signal settling time. Both instruments tested proved to be insensitive to lead-wire length, except when connected to smaller input-impedance data loggers. Thermocouple wires were more sensitive than heat-dissipation probe wires because of their greater resistance and quality of voltmeters used. Two thermocouple psychrometers were installed at every instrument station for backup and verification of data, because the instruments could not be recalibrated in situ. Multiple scanning rather than single-point scanning of the evaporation curve of a thermocouple psychrometer could give more reliable data, especially in differentiating between very wet and very dry environments. An isolated power supply needs to be used for each heat dissipation probe rather than a single power supply for a group of probes to avoid losing data from all probes when one probe malfunctions. This type of system is particularly desirable if the site is unattended by an operator for as long as a month. 20 refs., 13 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Lithostratigraphy and shear-wave velocity in the crystallized Topopah Spring Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buesch, D.C.; Stokoe, K.H.; Won, K.C.; Seong, Y.J.; Jung, J.L.; Schuhen, M.D.

2006-01-01

Evaluation of the potential future response to seismic events of the proposed spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is in part based on the seismic properties of the host rock, the 12.8-million-year-old Topopah Spring Tuff. Because of the processes that formed the tuff, the densely welded and crystallized part has three lithophysal and three nonlithophysal zones, and each zone has characteristic variations in lithostratigraphic features and structures of the rocks. Lithostratigraphic features include lithophysal cavities; rims on lithophysae and some fractures; spots (which are similar to rims but without an associated cavity or aperture); amounts of porosity resulting from welding, crystallization, and vapor-phase corrosion and mineralization; and fractures. Seismic properties, including shear-wave velocity (Vs), have been measured on 38 pieces of core, and there is a good "first order" correlation with the lithostratigraphic zones; for example, samples from nonlithophysal zones have larger Vs values compared to samples from lithophysal zones. Some samples have Vs values that are outside the typical range for the lithostratigraphic zone; however, these samples typically have one or more fractures, "large" lithophysal cavities, or "missing pieces" relative to the sample size. Shear-wave velocity data measured in the tunnels have similar relations to lithophysal and nonlithophysal rocks; however, tunnel-based values are typically smaller than those measured in core resulting from increased lithophysae and fracturing effects. Variations in seismic properties such as Vs data from small-scale samples (typical and "flawed" core) to larger scale transects in the tunnels provide a basis for merging our understanding of the distributions of lithostratigraphic features (and zones) with a method to scale seismic properties.

Absolute Paleointensity Study of Miocene Tiva Canyon Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patiman, A.; Bowles, J.

2014-12-01

Unoriented samples from the ~12.7 Ma Tiva Canyon (TC) tuff from Yucca Mountain, Nevada are studied in terms of magnetic properties and geomagnetic paleointensity. The magnetic mineralogy and magnetic properties of the TC tuff have previously been well documented, and the remanence-carrier in ~15-m thick zones at the top and bottom of the unit is dominantly is single domain (SD) to superparamagnetic (SP) magnetite, which may be considered ideal for absolute paleointensity studies. Among one of the several episodic volcanic eruptions of the Southwestern Nevada Volcanic Field (SWNVF), the welded TC tuff belongs to the Paintbrush Group. Here we present magnetic properties from two previously unreported sections of the TC tuff, as well as Thellier-type absolute paleointensity estimates. Samples were collected from the lower ~7 m at the base of the flow. Magnetic properties studied include hysteresis, bulk magnetic susceptibility, frequency-dependent susceptibility, and anhysteretic remanent magnetization acquisition. Magnetic property results are consistent with earlier work, showing that the main magnetic mineral is magnetite. SP samples are dominant from the lower ~1 m to ~3.6 m basal unit while the middle unit of ~3.7 m to 7.0 m mainly consists of SD samples. The paleointensity results are closely tied to the stratigraphic height and magnetic properties linked to domain state. The SD samples have consistent absolute paleointensity values 32.40±0.22 uT, VADM 5.74*1022 A.m2 and behaved ideally during paleointensity experiments. The SP samples have consistently higher paleointensity and less ideal behavior, but would likely pass many traditional quality-control tests. Since the magnetite has been interpreted to form by precipitation out of the glass post-emplacement, but at temperatures higher than the Curie temperature, we tentatively interpret the SD remanence to be a primary thermal remanent magnetization and the paleointensity result to be a valid estimate of

A mountain of trouble; Nuclear waste has to go somewhere: But a Government geologist working at Yucca Mountain argues that burying it there is an invitation to disaster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Broad, W.J.

1990-11-18

Yucca Mountain is the last candidate for high-level radioactive waste disposal, selected after a stormy, decades-long, multibillion-dollar search that criss-crossed much of the nation and eliminated dozens of other potential sites, often for reasons of politics rather than science. Today, the site`s 1800 federal and contract workers feel great pressure to stay on schedule in assessing the site`s suitability and planning the repository, which would be a labyrinth of tunnels up to 115 miles long. Its cost is expected to be up to $15 billion, some $1 billion of which has already been spent. If everything goes according to plan,more » it will open for business in 2010. The evaluation was proceeding favorably until a young Polish geologist raised questions based on the presence of geologic faults and certain calcium carbonate mineral deposits which may have resulted from hot springs or hot water coming up through the faults. The article describes: (1) the geologic basis of their questions and their reception by previous geologists (namely US GS); and (2) the formation of review committees to resolve their new problems.« less

Bomb-Pulse Chlorine-36 At The Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository Horizon: An Investigation Of Previous Conflicting Results And Collection Of New Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J. Cizdziel

2006-07-28

Previous studies by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) found elevated ratios of chlorine-36 to total chloride ({sup 36}Cl/Cl) in samples of rock collected from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) and the Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block (ECRB) at Yucca Mountain as the tunnels were excavated. The data were interpreted as an indication that fluids containing 'bomb-pulse' {sup 36}Cl reached the repository horizon in the {approx}50 years since the peak period of above-ground nuclear testing. Moreover, the data support the concept that so-called fast pathways for infiltration not only exist but are active, possibly through a combination ofmore » porous media, faults and/or other geologic features. Due to the significance of {sup 36}Cl data to conceptual models of unsaturated zone flow and transport, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) was requested by the Department of Energy (DOE) to design and implement a study to validate the LANL findings. The USGS chose to drill new boreholes at select locations across zones where bomb-pulse ratios had previously been identified. The drill cores were analyzed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) for {sup 36}Cl/Cl using both active and passive leaches, with the USGS/LLNL concluding that the active leach extracted too much rock-Cl and the passive leach did not show bomb-pulse ratios. Because consensus was not reached between the USGS/LLNL and LANL on several fundamental points, including the conceptual strategy for sampling, interpretation and use of tritium ({sup 3}H) data, and the importance and interpretation of blanks, in addition to the presence or absence of bomb-pulse {sup 36}Cl, an evaluation by an independent entity, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), using new samples was initiated. This report is the result of that study. The overall objectives of the UNLV study were to investigate the source or sources of the conflicting results from the previous

40Ar/39Ar laser fusion and K-Ar ages from Lathrop Wells, Nevada, and Cima, California. The age of the latest volcanic activity in the Yucca Mountain area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turrin, Brent D.; Champion, Duane E.; ,

1991-01-01

K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar ages from the Lathrop Wells volcanic center, Nevada, and from the Cima volcanic field, California, indicate that the recently reported 20-ka age estimate for the Lathrop Wells volcanic center is incorrect. Instead an age of 119??11 to 141??10 ka is indicated for the Lathrop Wells volcanic center. This age corrected is concordant with the ages determined by two independent isotopic geochronometric techniques and with the stratigraphy of surficial deposits in the Yucca Mountain region. In addition, paleomagnetic data and radiometric age data indicate only two volcanic events at the Lathrop Wells volcanic center that are probably closely linked in time, not as many as five as recently reported.

Ages and stable-isotope compositions of secondary calcite and opal in drill cores from Tertiary volcanic rocks of the Yucca Mountain area, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Szabo, B. J.; Kyser, T.K.

1990-01-01

Stable-isotope compositions of fracture- and cavity-filling calcite from the unsaturated zone of three drill cores at Yucca Mountain Tertiary volcanic complex indicate that the water from which the minerals precipitated was probably meteoric in origin. A decrease in 18O in the calcite with depth is interpreted as being due to the increase in temperature in drill holes corresponding to an estimated average geothermal gradient of 34?? per kilometer. A few of the calcite samples and all of the opal samples yielded uranium-series ages older than 400 000 yr, although most of the calcite samples yielded ages between 26 000 and 310 000 yr. The stable-isotope and uranium-series dates from precipitated calcite and opal of this reconnaissance study suggest a complex history of fluid movement through the volcanic pile, and episodes of fracture filling predominantly from meteoric water during at least the past 400 000 yr. -Authors

A strategy to seal exploratory boreholes in unsaturated tuff; Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fernandez, J.A.; Case, J.B.; Givens, C.A.

1994-04-01

This report presents a strategy for sealing exploratory boreholes associated with the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. Over 500 existing and proposed boreholes have been considered in the development of this strategy, ranging from shallow (penetrating into alluvium only) to deep (penetrating into the groundwater table). Among the comprehensive list of recommendations are the following: Those boreholes within the potential repository boundary and penetrating through the potential repository horizon are the most significant boreholes from a performance standpoint and should be sealed. Shallow boreholes are comparatively insignificant and require only nominal sealing. The primary areas in which to place sealsmore » are away from high-temperature zones at a distance from the potential repository horizon in the Paintbrush nonwelded tuff and the upper portion of the Topopah Spring Member and in the tuffaceous beds of the Calico Hills Unit. Seals should be placed prior to waste emplacement. Performance goals for borehole seals both above and below the potential repository are proposed. Detailed construction information on the boreholes that could be used for future design specifications is provided along with a description of the environmental setting, i.e., the geology, hydrology, and the in situ and thermal stress states. A borehole classification scheme based on the condition of the borehole wall in different tuffaceous units is also proposed. In addition, calculations are presented to assess the significance of the boreholes acting as preferential pathways for the release of radionuclides. Design calculations are presented to answer the concerns of when, where, and how to seal. As part of the strategy development, available technologies to seal exploratory boreholes (including casing removal, borehole wall reconditioning, and seal emplacement) are reviewed.« less

Preliminary report on the geology and geophysics of drill hole UE25a-1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spengler, Richard W.; Muller, D.C.; Livermore, R.B.

1979-01-01

A subsurface geologic study in connection with the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations has furnished detailed stratigraphic and structural information about tuffs underlying northeastern Yucca Mountain on the Nevada Test Site. Drill hole UE25a-1 penetrated thick sequences of nonwelded to densely welded ash-flow and bedded tuffs of Tertiary age. Stratigraphic units that were identified from the drill-hole data include the Tiva Canyon and Topopah Spring Members of the Paintbrush Tuff, tuffaceous beds of Calico Hills, and the Prow Pass and Bullfrog Members of the Crater Flat Tuff. Structural analysis of the core indicated densely welded zones to be highly fractured. Many fractures show near-vertical inclinations and are commonly coated with secondary silica, manganese and iron oxides, and calcite. Five fault zones were recognized, most of which occurred in the Topopah Spring Member. Shear fractures commonly show oblique-slip movement and some suggest a sizable component of lateral compression. Graphic logs are included that show the correlation of lithology, structural properties, and geophysical logs. Many rock units have characteristic log responses but highly fractured zones, occurring principally in the Tiva Canyon and Topopah Spring Members, restricted log coverage to the lower half of the drill hole.

Preliminary development of the LBL/USGS three-dimensional site-scale model of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

1995-01-01

A three-dimensional model of moisture flow within the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain is being developed at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This site-scale model covers and area of about 34 km2 and is bounded by major faults to the north, east and west. The model geometry is defined (1) to represent the variations of hydrogeological units between the ground surface and the water table; (2) to be able to reproduce the effect of abrupt changes in hydrogeological parameters at the boundaries between hyrdogeological units; and (3) to include the influence of major faults. A detailed numerical grid has been developed based on the locations of boreholes, different infiltration zones, hydrogeological units and their outcrops, major faults, and water level data. Contour maps and isopatch maps are presented defining different types of infiltration zones, and the spatial distribution of Tiva Canyon, Paintbrush, and Topopah Spring hydrogeological units. The grid geometry consists of seventeen non-uniform layers which represent the lithological variations within the four main welded and non-welded hydrogeological units. Matrix flow is approximated using the van Genuchten model, and the equivalent continuum approximation is used to account for fracture flow in the welded units. The fault zones are explicitly modeled as porous medium using various assumptions regarding their permeabilities and characteristic curves. One-, two-, and three-dimensional simulations are conducted using the TOUGH2 computer program. Steady-state simulations are performed with various uniform and non-uniform infiltration rates. The results are interpreted in terms of the effect of fault characteristics on the moisture flow distribution, and on location and formation of preferential pathways.

Petrogenesis and tectonic significance of the calc-alkaline, bimodal Aztec Wash pluton, Eldorado Mountains, Colorado River extensional corridor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falkner, Claudia M.; Miller, Calvin F.; Wooden, Joseph L.; Heizler, Matthew T.

1995-06-01

The 15.7 Ma Aztec Wash pluton is located in the central Eldorado Mountains of the Colorado River extensional corridor in southern Nevada, immediately south of the well-known imbricated volcanic sequence that has been widely cited in studies of extensional tectonism (e.g., Anderson, 1971). It is a shallow level (≤5 km), essentially bimodal complex, primarily made up of granite (˜72 wt % SiO2) and diabase and diorite (˜54 wt % SiO2), with minor amounts of more mafic, intermediate, and highly evolved rocks. The mafic and felsic magmas mingled extensively but mixed only to a limited extent. Late synplutonic mafic and felsic dikes represent continuing injection of the same bimodal magmas. The mafic rocks have high incompatible element concentrations (e.g., K2O ˜ 3 wt %, Ba ˜ 1600 ppm, light rare earth elements 350 × chondrite) and enriched isotopic compositions (ɛNd -7.5, 87Sr/86Sr 0.708); generation in ancient, enriched mantle lithosphere with limited subsequent crustal contamination is inferred. The granite is more potassic (˜5 wt %) than the mafic rocks, but it has comparable or lower concentrations of most incompatible elements; its isotopic composition (ɛNd -10, 87Sr/86Sr 0.710) is intermediate between those of the mafic rocks and local ancient crust. The granites thus indicate hybridization of the crust by mafic magma, but it is unclear whether this hybridization occurred at deeper levels in this magmatic system, or during an earlier mid-Tertiary or Mesozoic magmatic event. Emplacement of the Aztec Wash pluton preceded peak east west extension in the northern Eldorado Mountains (˜15.2 Ma (Gans et al., 1994)), but it coincided with at least modest extension as indicated by the uniform NS orientation of the late dikes and the mafic injections into the magma chamber. Total extension and tilting of the pluton after crystallization was minor, in contrast to the east tilted area to the north and west tilted area to the south. Timing and style of extension are

Distribution of rubidium, strontium, and zirconium in tuff from two deep coreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spengler, Richard W.; Peterman, Zell E.; ,

1991-01-01

Variations in concentrations of trace elements Rb, Sr, and Zr within the sequence of high-silica tuff and dacitic lava beneath Yucca Mountain reflect both primary composition and secondary alteration. Rb and K concentrations have parallel trends. Rb concentrations are significantly lower within intervals containing zeolitic nonwelded to partially welded and bedded tuffs and are higher in thick moderately to densely welded zones. Sr concentrations increase with depth from about 30 ppm in the Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff to almost 300 ppm in the older tuffs. Zr concentrations are about 100 ppm in the Topopah Spring Member and also increase with depth to about 150 ppm in the Lithic Ridge Tuff and upper part of the older tuffs. Conspicuous local high concentrations of Sr in the lower part of the Tram Member, in the dacite lava, and in unit c of the older tuffs in USW G-1, and in the densely welded zone of the Bullfrog Member in USW GU-3/G-3 closely correlate with high concentrations of less-mobile Zr and may reflect either primary composition or elemental redistribution resulting largely from smectitic alteration. Initial 87Sr/86Sr values from composite samples increase upward in units above the Bullfrog Member of the Crater Flat Tuff. The progressive tenfold increase in Sr with depth coupled with the similarity of initial 87Sr/86Sr values within the Bullfrog Member and older units to those of Paleozoic marine carbonates are consistent with a massive influx of Sr from water derived from a Paleozoic carbonate aquifer.

Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) seeds are dispersed by seed-caching rodents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vander Wall, S.B.; Esque, T.; Haines, D.; Garnett, M.; Waitman, B.A.

2006-01-01

Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a distinctive and charismatic plant of the Mojave Desert. Although floral biology and seed production of Joshua tree and other yuccas are well understood, the fate of Joshua tree seeds has never been studied. We tested the hypothesis that Joshua tree seeds are dispersed by seed-caching rodents. We radioactively labelled Joshua tree seeds and followed their fates at five source plants in Potosi Wash, Clark County, Nevada, USA. Rodents made a mean of 30.6 caches, usually within 30 m of the base of source plants. Caches contained a mean of 5.2 seeds buried 3-30 nun deep. A variety of rodent species appears to have prepared the caches. Three of the 836 Joshua tree seeds (0.4%) cached germinated the following spring. Seed germination using rodent exclosures was nearly 15%. More than 82% of seeds in open plots were removed by granivores, and neither microsite nor supplemental water significantly affected germination. Joshua tree produces seeds in indehiscent pods or capsules, which rodents dismantle to harvest seeds. Because there is no other known means of seed dispersal, it is possible that the Joshua tree-rodent seed dispersal interaction is an obligate mutualism for the plant.

The 2007 Projected Impacts to Clark County and Local Government Public Safety Agencies Resulting from the Transportation of High- Level Nuclear Waste to Yucca Mountain

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mushkatel, A.H.; Conway, P.H.D.S.; Navis, I.

2008-07-01

This paper focuses on projecting fiscal impacts to public safety agencies from the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The efforts made by Clark County Nevada, to develop a fiscal model of impacts for public safety agencies are described in this paper. In addition, the scenarios used in the study are discussed, as well as a discussion of the plume models provided for each community's scenario that result from the efforts of the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC). Some of the difficulties in constructing a fiscal model of impacts for the entire 24 year high-level nuclearmore » waste transportation shipping campaign are identified, and a refined methodology is provided to accomplish this task. Finally, a comparison of the fiscal impact projections for public safety agencies that Clark County developed in 2001, 2005 are discussed, and the fiscal impact cost projections for the entire 24 year transportation campaign are provided. (authors)« less

Uranium-series disequilibrium in tuffs from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as evidence of pore-fluid flow over the last million years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gascoyne, M.; Miller, N.H.; Neymark, L.A.

2002-01-01

Samples of tuff from boreholes drilled into fault zones in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) and relatively unfractured rock of the Cross Drift tunnels, at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, have been analysed by U-series methods. This work is part of a project to verify the finding of fast flow-paths through the tuff to ESF level, indicated by the presence of 'bomb' 36Cl in pore fluids. Secular radioactive equilibrium in the U decay series, (i.e. when the radioactivity ratios 234U/238U, 230Th/234U and 226Ra/230Th all equal 1.00) might be expected if the tuff samples have not experienced radionuclide loss due to rock-water interaction occurring within the last million years. However, most fractured and unfractured samples were found to have a small deficiency of 234U (weighted mean 234U/238U=0.95??0.01) and a small excess of 230Th (weighted mean 230Th/234U 1.10??0.02). The 226Ra/230Th ratios are close to secular equilibrium (weighted mean = 0.94??0.07). These data indicate that 234U has been removed from the rock samples in the last ???350 ka, probably by pore fluids. Within the precision of the measurement, it would appear that 226Ra has not been mobilized and removed from the tuff, although there may be some localised 226Ra redistribution as suggested by a few ratio values that are significantly different from 1.0. Because both fractured and unfractured tuffs show approximately the same deficiency of 234U, this indicates that pore fluids are moving equally through fractured and unfractured rock, More importantly, fractured rock appears not to be a dominant pathway for groundwater flow (otherwise the ratio would be more strongly affected and the Th and Ra isotopic ratios would likely also show disequilibrium). Application of a simple mass-balance model suggests that surface infiltration rate is over an order of magnitude greater than the rate indicated by other infiltration models and that residence time of pore fluids at ESF level is about 400 a. Processes of U

Chlorine-36 data at Yucca Mountain: Statistical tests of conceptual models for unsaturated-zone flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Campbell, K.; Wolfsberg, A.; Fabryka-Martin, J.; Sweetkind, D.

2003-01-01

An extensive set of chlorine-36 (36Cl) data has been collected in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), an 8-km-long tunnel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the purpose of developing and testing conceptual models of flow and transport in the unsaturated zone (UZ) at this site. At several locations, the measured values of 36Cl/Cl ratios for salts leached from rock samples are high enough to provide strong evidence that at least a small component of bomb-pulse 36Cl, fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear devices in the 1950s and 1960s, was measured, implying that some fraction of the water traveled from the ground surface through 200-300 m of unsaturated rock to the level of the ESF during the last 50 years. These data are analyzed here using a formal statistical approach based on log-linear models to evaluate alternative conceptual models for the distribution of such fast flow paths. The most significant determinant of the presence of bomb-pulse 36Cl in a sample from the welded Topopah Spring unit (TSw) is the structural setting from which the sample was collected. Our analysis generally supports the conceptual model that a fault that cuts through the nonwelded Paintbrush tuff unit (PTn) that overlies the TSw is required in order for bomb-pulse 36Cl to be transmitted to the sample depth in less than 50 years. Away from PTn-cutting faults, the ages of water samples at the ESF appear to be a strong function of the thickness of the nonwelded tuff between the ground surface and the ESF, due to slow matrix flow in that unit. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of 3-D lithostratigraphic and confidence models at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buesch, D.C.; Nelson, J.E.; Dickerson, R.P.; Spengler, R.W.

1993-01-01

Computerized three-dimensional geologic models of potential high-level nuclear waste repositories such as Yucca Moutain, Nevada, are important for visualizing the complex interplay of (1) thickness and facies variations in lithostratigraphic units and (2) the disruption of these units by faults. The concept of a 'model of confidence' in the lithostratigraphic model is introduced to show where data are located versus regions where interpolations are included. Models of confidence can be based on (1) expert judgment, (2) geostatistical analysis, or (3) a simplified combination of these two methods. Linking of lithostratigraphic models and models of confidence provide guidelines for future characterization and modeling activities, as well as for design and construction of the Exploratory Studies Facility.

Canyon Day Sand and Gravel Wash Process Plant: Draft NPDES Permit AZ0024511

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is issuing a notice of proposed action under the Clean Water Act to issue NPDES Permit No.permit renewal (No. AZ0024511) to White Mountain Apache Tribe Canyon Day Sand and Gravel Wash Process Plant, Greer, Arizona.

The wash-out of emissions from the atmosphere by precipitation

Treesearch

Ladislav Hanu& #154; ka; Eva Nov& #225; kov& #225; ; Nov& #225; kov& #225; Eva NO-VALUE

1976-01-01

We investigated the mechanism and dynamics of solid particles, emissions, and the concentrations of sulphur dioxide as integral components of the contamination of atmosphere. The only way of decontamination is the wash-out by precipitation (solid - snow, liquid - rain). We started from the items of information acquired during the studies of snow acidity in mountain...

FY17 Status Report on the Computing Systems for the Yucca Mountain Project TSPA-LA Models.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Appel, Gordon John; Hadgu, Teklu; Appel, Gordon John

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) continued evaluation of total system performance assessment (TSPA) computing systems for the previously considered Yucca Mountain Project (YMP). This was done to maintain the operational readiness of the computing infrastructure (computer hardware and software) and knowledge capability for total system performance assessment (TSPA) type analysis, as directed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), DOE 2010. This work is a continuation of the ongoing readiness evaluation reported in Lee and Hadgu (2014), Hadgu et al. (2015) and Hadgu and Appel (2016). The TSPA computing hardware (CL2014) and storage system described in Hadgu et al. (2015) weremore » used for the current analysis. One floating license of GoldSim with Versions 9.60.300, 10.5, 11.1 and 12.0 was installed on the cluster head node, and its distributed processing capability was mapped on the cluster processors. Other supporting software were tested and installed to support the TSPA- type analysis on the server cluster. The current tasks included preliminary upgrade of the TSPA-LA from Version 9.60.300 to the latest version 12.0 and address DLL-related issues observed in the FY16 work. The model upgrade task successfully converted the Nominal Modeling case to GoldSim Versions 11.1/12. Conversions of the rest of the TSPA models were also attempted but program and operational difficulties precluded this. Upgrade of the remaining of the modeling cases and distributed processing tasks is expected to continue. The 2014 server cluster and supporting software systems are fully operational to support TSPA-LA type analysis.« less

Method development and strategy for the characterization of complexly faulted and fractured rhyolitic tuffs, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karasaki, K.; Galloway, D.

1991-06-01

The planned high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, would exist in unsaturated, fractured welded tuff. One possible contaminant pathway to the accessible environment is transport by groundwater infiltrating to the water table and flowing through the saturated zone. Therefore, an effort to characterize the hydrology of the saturated zone is being undertaken in parallel with that of the unsaturated zone. As a part of the saturated zone investigation, there wells-UE-25c{number_sign}1, UE-25c{number_sign}2, and UE-25c{number_sign}3 (hereafter called the c-holes)-were drilled to study hydraulic and transport properties of rock formations underlying the planned waste repository. The location of the c-holes ismore » such that the formations penetrated in the unsaturated zone occur at similar depths and with similar thicknesses as at the planned repository site. In characterizing a highly heterogeneous flow system, several issues emerge. (1) The characterization strategy should allow for the virtual impossibility to enumerate and characterize all heterogeneities. (2) The methodology to characterize the heterogeneous flow system at the scale of the well tests needs to be established. (3) Tools need to be developed for scaling up the information obtained at the well-test scale to the larger scale of the site. In the present paper, the characterization strategy and the methods under development are discussed with the focus on the design and analysis of the field experiments at the c-holes.« less

Geologic uncertainty in a regulatory environment: An example from the potential Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rautman, C. A.; Treadway, A. H.

1991-11-01

Regulatory geologists are concerned with predicting the performance of sites proposed for waste disposal or for remediation of existing pollution problems. Geologic modeling of these sites requires large-scale expansion of knowledge obtained from very limited sampling. This expansion induces considerable uncertainty into the geologic models of rock properties that are required for modeling the predicted performance of the site. One method for assessing this uncertainty is through nonparametric geostatistical simulation. Simulation can produce a series of equiprobable models of a rock property of interest. Each model honors measured values at sampled locations, and each can be constructed to emulate both the univariate histogram and the spatial covariance structure of the measured data. Computing a performance model for a number of geologic simulations allows evaluation of the effects of geologic uncertainty. A site may be judged acceptable if the number of failures to meet a particular performance criterion produced by these computations is sufficiently low. A site that produces too many failures may be either unacceptable or simply inadequately described. The simulation approach to addressing geologic uncertainty is being applied to the potential high-level nuclear waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, U.S.A. Preliminary geologic models of unsaturated permeability have been created that reproduce observed statistical properties reasonably well. A spread of unsaturated groundwater travel times has been computed that reflects the variability of those geologic models. Regions within the simulated models exhibiting the greatest variability among multiple runs are candidates for obtaining the greatest reduction in uncertainty through additional site characterization.

Data Qualification Report: Pore Water Data for Use on the Yucca Mountain Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

H. Miller; R. Monks; C. Warren

Pore water data associated with Data Tracking Number (DTN) No.LL990702804244.100 are referenced in the Analysis and Model Reports (AMRs) prepared to support the Site Recommendation in determining the suitability of the Yucca Mountain, Nevada as a repository for high-level nuclear waste. It has been determined, in accordance with procedure AP-3.15Q Rev. 1, ICN 1, ''Managing Technical Product Inputs'', Attachment 6 , that the DTN-referenced data are used in AMRs that provide a direct calculation of ''Principal Factors'' for the Post-closure Safety Case or Potentially Disruptive Processes or Events. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of procedure AP-SIII.2Q, Rev 0, ICNmore » 2, ''Qualification of Unqualified Data and the Documentation of Rationale for Accepted Data'', Section 5.3.1 .a, a Data Qualification Report has been prepared for submittal to the Assistant Manager, Office of Project Execution for concurrence. This report summarizes the findings of the Data Qualification Team assembled to evaluate unqualified ''pore water data'' represented by DTN No. LL990702804244.100. This DTN is currently used in the following AMRs: Drift-Scale Coupled Processes (DST and THC Seepage) Models (CRWMS M&O 2000a), Environment of the Surfaces of the Drip Shield and Waste Package Outer Barrier (CRWMS M&O 2000b), and Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment Model (CRWMS M&O 2000c). Mineral composition of pore water submitted to the Technical Data Management System (TDMS) using the subject DTN were acquired data from the analysis pore water samples sent to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) by UFA Ventures, Inc. and analyzed by LLNL's Analytical Sciences/Analytical and Nuclear Chemistry Division (ASD). The purpose and scope of the AMRs that reference the subject DTN and the potential application of pore water data is described below. These AMRs use only that data associated with the specific samples: ESF-HD-PERM-1, ESF-HD-PERM-2, and ESF

Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment of boreholes UE-25c #1, UE-25c #2, and UE-25c #3, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geldon, A.L.

1993-01-01

Boreholes UE-25c #1, UE-25c #2, and UE-25c #3 (collectively called the C-holes) each were drilled to a depth of 914.4 meters at Yucca Mountain, on the Nevada Test Site, in 1983 and 1984 for the purpose of conducting aquifer and tracer tests. Each of the boreholes penetrated the Paintbrush Tuff and the tuffs and lavas of Calico Hills and bottomed in the Crater Flat Tuff. The geologic units penetrated consist of devitrified to vitrophyric, nonwelded to densely welded, ash-flow tuff, tuff breccia, ash-fall tuff, and bedded tuff. Below the water table, which is at an average depth of 401.6 meters below land surface, the rocks are argillic and zeolitic. The geologic units at the C-hole complex strike N. 2p W. and dip 15p to 21p NE. They are cut by several faults, including the Paintbrush Canyon Fault, a prominent normal fault oriented S. 9p W., 52.2p NW. The rocks at the C-hole complex are fractured extensively, with most fractures oriented approximately perpendicular to the direction of regional least horizontal principal stress. In the Crater Flat Tuff and the tuffs and lavas of Calico Hills, fractures strike predominantly between S. 20p E. and S. 20p W. and secondarily between S. 20p E. and S. 60p E. In the Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff, however, southeasterly striking fractures predominate. Most fractures are steeply dipping, although shallowly dipping fractures occur in nonwelded and reworked tuff intervals of the Crater Flat Tuff. Mineral-filled fractures are common in the tuff breccia zone of the Tram Member of the Crater Flat Tuff, and, also, in the welded tuff zone of the Bullfrog Member of the Crater Flat Tuff. The fracture density of geologic units in the C-holes was estimated to range from 1.3 to 7.6 fractures per cubic meter. Most of these estimates appear to be the correct order of magnitude when compared to transect measurements and core data from other boreholes 1.3 orders of magnitude too low. Geophysical data and laboratory analyses were

Magnetotelluric Data, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackie M. Williams; Jay A. Sampson; Brian D. Rodriguez

2006-11-03

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project. From 1951 to 1992, 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas. Most of these tests were conducted hundreds of feet above the ground-water table; however, more than 200 of the tests were near or within the water table. This underground testing was limited to specific areas ofmore » the Nevada Test Site, including Pahute Mesa, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Frenchman Flat, and Yucca Flat. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology, and its effects on ground-water flow. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain Corrective Action Unit (Bechtel Nevada, 2006). During 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from twenty-six magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) sites at the Nevada Test Site. The 2005 data stations were located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in those areas. These new stations extend the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. This work will help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU – late Devonian to Mississippian-age siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale) from the Yucca Flat area and west

Climatic Forecasting of Net Infiltration at Yucca Montain Using Analogue Meteororological Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B. Faybishenko

At Yucca Mountain, Nevada, future changes in climatic conditions will most likely alter net infiltration, or the drainage below the bottom of the evapotranspiration zone within the soil profile or flow across the interface between soil and the densely welded part of the Tiva Canyon Tuff. The objectives of this paper are to: (a) develop a semi-empirical model and forecast average net infiltration rates, using the limited meteorological data from analogue meteorological stations, for interglacial (present day), and future monsoon, glacial transition, and glacial climates over the Yucca Mountain region, and (b) corroborate the computed net-infiltration rates by comparing themmore » with the empirically and numerically determined groundwater recharge and percolation rates through the unsaturated zone from published data. In this paper, the author presents an approach for calculations of net infiltration, aridity, and precipitation-effectiveness indices, using a modified Budyko's water-balance model, with reference-surface potential evapotranspiration determined from the radiation-based Penman (1948) formula. Results of calculations show that net infiltration rates are expected to generally increase from the present-day climate to monsoon climate, to glacial transition climate, and then to the glacial climate. The forecasting results indicate the overlap between the ranges of net infiltration for different climates. For example, the mean glacial net-infiltration rate corresponds to the upper-bound glacial transition net infiltration, and the lower-bound glacial net infiltration corresponds to the glacial transition mean net infiltration. Forecasting of net infiltration for different climate states is subject to numerous uncertainties-associated with selecting climate analogue sites, using relatively short analogue meteorological records, neglecting the effects of vegetation and surface runoff and runon on a local scale, as well as possible anthropogenic climate

A multidisciplinary study of the Lower Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation, Mussentuchit Wash, Utah: a determination of the paleoenvironment and paleoecology of the Eolambia caroljonesa dinosaur quarry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Garrison, J.R.; Brinkman, D.; Nichols, D.J.; Layer, P.; Burge, D.; Thayn, D.

2007-01-01

A quarry within the Cedar Mountain Formation in Mussentuchit Wash, Emery County, Utah, produced a fossil assemblage containing the remains of at least eight juvenile iguanodontid dinosaurs (Eolambia caroljonesa). The Cedar Mountain Formation lies stratigraphically between the Tithonian-Berriasian (Upper Jurassic) Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation and the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) Dakota Formation. Detailed stratigraphic, sedimentological, geochronological, palynological, and paleontological data have been collected along a measured section at the site of the Cifelli #2 Eolambia caroljonesa Quarry. These data provide a chronostratigraphic and a biostratigraphic framework for the Cedar Mountain Formation and allow a detailed reconstruction of the paleoenvironment and the paleoecology of the local paleogeographic area from which E. caroljonesa have been recovered. Three 40Ar/39Ar ages ranging from 96.7 to 98.5 Ma have been obtained three stratigraphically distinct altered volcanic ash layers within the Mussentuchit Member, one of which passes through the E. caroljonesa quarry, that indicate that the quarry is latest Albian in age and that the stratigraphic boundary between the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation and the overlying Dakota Formation is at or near the Albian/Cenomanian boundary. Sedimentological and biostratigraphic data suggest that significant long-term and short-term climatic changes are recorded in the Cedar Mountain Formation. During deposition of the lower part of the formation, climatic conditions were warm and arid to semi-arid. During deposition of the upper part of the formation, conditions became more humid. The progressive change in climatic conditions was probably related to the transgression of the Mowry Sea from the north. Cyclic sedimentation in the Mussentuchit Member suggests high-frequency changes from wet to dry periods. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Groundwater Pathways and Travel Times From the Nevada Test Site to the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlmann, K. F.; Zhu, J.; Ye, M.; Carroll, R. W.; Chapman, J. B.; Russell, C. E.; Shafer, D. S.

2006-12-01

Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada has been recommended as a deep geological repository for the disposal of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. If YM is licensed as a repository by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, it will be important to identify the potential for radionuclides to migrate from underground nuclear testing areas located on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) to the hydraulically downgradient repository area to ensure that monitoring does not incorrectly attribute repository failure to radionuclides originating from other sources. In this study, we use the Death Valley Regional Flow System (DVRFS) model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate potential groundwater migration pathways and associated travel times from the NTS to the proposed YM repository area. Using results from the calibrated DVRFS model and the particle tracking post-processing package MODPATH we modeled three-dimensional groundwater advective pathways in the NTS and YM region. Our study focuses on evaluating the potential for groundwater pathways between the NTS and YM withdrawal area and whether travel times for advective flow along these pathways coincide with the prospective monitoring time frame at the proposed repository. We include uncertainty in effective porosity as this is a critical variable in the determination of time for radionuclides to travel from the NTS region to the YM withdrawal area. Uncertainty in porosity is quantified through evaluation of existing site data and expert judgment and is incorporated in the model through Monte Carlo simulation. Since porosity information is limited for this region, the uncertainty is quite large and this is reflected in the results as a large range in simulated groundwater travel times.

10 CFR 963.16 - Postclosure suitability evaluation method.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 963.16 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE SUITABILITY GUIDELINES Site Suitability... assessment to evaluate the ability of the Yucca Mountain disposal system to limit radiological doses and... the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system using the method described in paragraph (b) of...

Precipitation estimation in mountainous terrain using multivariate geostatistics. Part II: isohyetal maps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hevesi, Joseph A.; Flint, Alan L.; Istok, Jonathan D.

1992-01-01

Values of average annual precipitation (AAP) may be important for hydrologic characterization of a potential high-level nuclear-waste repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Reliable measurements of AAP are sparse in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, and estimates of AAP were needed for an isohyetal mapping over a 2600-square-mile watershed containing Yucca Mountain. Estimates were obtained with a multivariate geostatistical model developed using AAP and elevation data from a network of 42 precipitation stations in southern Nevada and southeastern California. An additional 1531 elevations were obtained to improve estimation accuracy. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using univariate geostatistics (kriging) defined a smooth and continuous surface. Isohyets representing estimates obtained using multivariate geostatistics (cokriging) defined an irregular surface that more accurately represented expected local orographic influences on AAP. Cokriging results included a maximum estimate within the study area of 335 mm at an elevation of 7400 ft, an average estimate of 157 mm for the study area, and an average estimate of 172 mm at eight locations in the vicinity of the potential repository site. Kriging estimates tended to be lower in comparison because the increased AAP expected for remote mountainous topography was not adequately represented by the available sample. Regression results between cokriging estimates and elevation were similar to regression results between measured AAP and elevation. The position of the cokriging 250-mm isohyet relative to the boundaries of pinyon pine and juniper woodlands provided indirect evidence of improved estimation accuracy because the cokriging result agreed well with investigations by others concerning the relationship between elevation, vegetation, and climate in the Great Basin. Calculated estimation variances were also mapped and compared to evaluate improvements in estimation accuracy. Cokriging estimation variances

Yucca aloifolia (Asparagaceae) opts out of an obligate pollination mutualism.

PubMed

Rentsch, Jeremy D; Leebens-Mack, Jim

2014-12-01

• According to Cope's 'law of the unspecialized' highly dependent species interactions are 'evolutionary dead ends,' prone to extinction because reversion to more generalist interactions is thought to be unlikely. Cases of extreme specialization, such as those seen between obligate mutualists, are cast as evolutionarily inescapable, inevitably leading to extinction rather than diversification of participating species. The pollination mutualism between Yucca plants and yucca moths (Tegeticula and Parategeticula) would seem to be locked into such an obligate mutualism. Yucca aloifolia populations, however, can produce large numbers of fruit lacking moth oviposition scars. Here, we investigate the pollination ecology of Y. aloifolia, in search of the non-moth pollination of a Yucca species.• We perform pollinator exclusion studies on Yucca aloifolia and a sympatric yucca species, Y. filamentosa. We then perform postvisit exclusion treatments, an analysis of dissected fruits, and a fluorescent dye transfer experiment.• As expected, Yucca filamentosa plants set fruit only when inflorescences were exposed to crepuscular and nocturnal pollinating yucca moths. In contrast, good fruit set was observed when pollinators were excluded from Y. aloifolia inflorescences from dusk to dawn, and no fruit set was observed when pollinators were excluded during the day. Follow up experiments indicated that European honeybees (Apis mellifera) were passively yet effectively pollinating Y. aloifolia flowers.• These results indicate that even highly specialized mutualisms may not be entirely obligate interactions or evolutionary dead ends. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

Hand Washing

MedlinePlus

... study, only 58% of female and 48% of male middle- and high-school students washed their hands after using the bathroom. Yuck! How to Wash Your Hands Correctly There's a right way to wash your hands. Follow these simple ...

Independent Review of Simulation of Net Infiltration for Present-Day and Potential Future Climates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Review Panel: Soroosh Sorooshian, Ph.D., Panel Chairperson, University of California, Irvine; Jan M. H. Hendrickx, Ph.D., New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; Binayak P. Mohanty, Ph.D., Texas A&M University

The DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) tasked Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) with providing an independent expert review of the documented model and prediction results for net infiltration of water into the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain. The specific purpose of the model, as documented in the report MDL-NBS-HS-000023, Rev. 01, is “to provide a spatial representation, including epistemic and aleatory uncertainty, of the predicted mean annual net infiltration at the Yucca Mountain site ...” (p. 1-1) The expert review panel assembled by ORISE concluded that the model report does not provide a technicallymore » credible spatial representation of net infiltration at Yucca Mountain. Specifically, the ORISE Review Panel found that: • A critical lack of site-specific meteorological, surface, and subsurface information prevents verification of (i) the net infiltration estimates, (ii) the uncertainty estimates of parameters caused by their spatial variability, and (iii) the assumptions used by the modelers (ranges and distributions) for the characterization of parameters. The paucity of site-specific data used by the modeling team for model implementation and validation is a major deficiency in this effort. • The model does not incorporate at least one potentially important hydrologic process. Subsurface lateral flow is not accounted for by the model, and the assumption that the effect of subsurface lateral flow is negligible is not adequately justified. This issue is especially critical for the wetter climate periods. This omission may be one reason the model results appear to underestimate net infiltration beneath wash environments and therefore imprecisely represent the spatial variability of net infiltration. • While the model uses assumptions consistently, such as uniform soil depths and a constant vegetation rooting depth, such assumptions may not be appropriate for this net infiltration simulation

The road to Yucca Mountain—Evolution of nuclear waste disposal in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuckless, John S.; Levich, Robert A.

2016-01-01

The generation of electricity by nuclear power and the manufacturing of atomic weapons have created a large amount of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. There is a world-wide consensus that the best way to protect mankind and the environment is to dispose of this waste in a deep geologic repository. Initial efforts focused on salt as the best medium for disposal, but the heat generated by the radioactive waste led many earth scientists to examine other rock types. In 1976, the director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) wrote to the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA), predecessor agency of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), suggesting that there were several favorable environments at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and that the USGS already had extensive background information on the NTS. Later, in a series of communications and one publication, the USGS espoused the favorability of the thick unsaturated zone. After the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (1982), the DOE compiled a list of nine favorable sites and settled on three to be characterized. In 1987, as the costs of characterizing three sites ballooned, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act directing the DOE to focus only on Yucca Mountain in Nevada, with the proviso that if anything unfavorable was discovered, work would stop immediately. The U.S. DOE, the U.S. DOE national laboratories, and the USGS developed more than 100 detailed plans to study various earth-science aspects of Yucca Mountain and the surrounding area, as well as materials studies and engineering projects needed for a mined geologic repository. The work, which cost more than 10 billion dollars and required hundreds of man-years of work, culminated in a license application submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2008.

Results of Hydraulic Tests in Miocene Tuffaceous Rocks at the C-Hole Complex, 1995 to 1997, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geldon, Arthur L.; Umari, Amjad M.A.; Fahy, Michael F.; Earle, John D.; Gemmell, James M.; Darnell, Jon

2002-01-01

Four hydraulic tests were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey at the C-hole complex at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, between May 1995 and November 1997. These tests were conducted as part of ongoing investigations to determine the hydrologic and geologic suitability of Yucca Mountain as a potential site for permanent underground storage of high-level nuclear waste. The C-hole complex consists of three 900-meter-deep boreholes that are 30.4 to 76.6 meters apart. The C-holes are completed in fractured, variably welded tuffaceous rocks of Miocene age. Six hydrogeologic intervals occur within the saturated zone in these boreholes - the Calico Hills, Prow Pass, Upper Bullfrog, Lower Bullfrog, Upper Tram, and Lower Tram intervals. The Lower Bullfrog and Upper Tram intervals contributed about 90 percent of the flow during hydraulic tests. The four hydraulic tests conducted from 1995 to 1997 lasted 4 to 553 days. Discharge from the pumping well, UE-25 c #3, ranged from 8.49 to 22.5 liters per second in different tests. Two to seven observation wells, 30 to 3,526 meters from the pumping well, were used in different tests. Observation wells included UE-25 c #1, UE-25 c #2, UE-25 ONC-1, USW H-4, UE-25 WT #14, and UE-25 WT #3 in the tuffaceous rocks and UE-25 p #1 in Paleozoic carbonate rocks. In all hydraulic tests, drawdown in the pumping well was rapid and large (2.9-11 meters). Attributable mostly to frictional head loss and borehole-skin effects, this drawdown could not be used to analyze hydraulic properties. Drawdown and recovery in intervals of UE-25 c #1 and UE-25 c #2 and in other observation wells typically was less than 51 centimeters. These data were analyzed. Hydrogeologic intervals in the C-holes have layered heterogeneity related to faults and fracture zones. Transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, and storativity generally increase downhole. Transmissivity ranges from 4 to 1,600 meters squared per day; hydraulic conductivity ranges from 0.1 to 50 meters per day

Simulation of ventilation efficiency, and pre-closure temperatures in emplacement drifts at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, using Monte Carlo and composite thermal-pulse methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Case, J.B.; Buesch, D.C.

2004-01-01

Predictions of waste canister and repository driftwall temperatures as functions of space and time are important to evaluate pre-closure performance of the proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Variations in the lithostratigraphic features in densely welded and crystallized rocks of the 12.8-million-year-old Topopah Spring Tuff, especially the porosity resulting from lithophysal cavities, affect thermal properties. A simulated emplacement drift is based on projecting lithophysal cavity porosity values 50 to 800 m from the Enhanced Characterization of the Repository Block cross drift. Lithophysal cavity porosity varies from 0.00 to 0.05 cm3/cm3 in the middle nonlithophysal zone and from 0.03 to 0.28 cm3/cm3 in the lower lithophysal zone. A ventilation model and computer program titled "Monte Carlo Simulation of Ventilation" (MCSIMVENT), which is based on a composite thermal-pulse calculation, simulates statistical variability and uncertainty of rock-mass thermal properties and ventilation performance along a simulated emplacement drift for a pre-closure period of 50 years. Although ventilation efficiency is relatively insensitive to thermal properties, variations in lithophysal porosity along the drift can result in a range of peak driftwall temperatures can range from 40 to 85??C for the preclosure period. Copyright ?? 2004 by ASME.

Nature and origin of secondary mineral coatings on volcanic rocks of the Black Mountain, Stonewall Mountain, and Kane Springs Wash volcanic centers, southern, Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taranik, James V.; Hsu, Liang C.; Spatz, David M.; Chenevey, Michael J.

1989-01-01

The following subject areas are covered: (1) genetic, spectral, and LANDSAT Thematic Mapper imagery relationship between desert varnish and tertiary volcanic host rocks, southern Nevada; (2) reconnaissance geologic mapping of the Kane Springs Wash Volcanic Center, Lincoln County, Nevada, using multispectral thermal infrared imagery; (3) interregional comparisons of desert varnish; and (4) airborne scanner (GERIS) imagery of the Kane Springs Wash Volcanic Center, Lincoln County, Nevada.

Age and tectonic setting of the Mesozoic McCoy Mountains Formation in western Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spencer, J.E.; Richard, S.M.; Gehrels, G.E.; Gleason, J.D.; Dickinson, W.R.

2011-01-01

The McCoy Mountains Formation consists of Upper Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous siltstone, sandstone, and conglomerate exposed in an east-west-trending belt in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. At least three different tectonic settings have been proposed for McCoy deposition, and multiple tectonic settings are likely over the ~80 m.y. age range of deposition. U-Pb isotopic analysis of 396 zircon sand grains from at or near the top of McCoy sections in the southern Little Harquahala, Granite Wash, New Water, and southern Plomosa Mountains, all in western Arizona, identifi ed only Jurassic or older zircons. A basaltic lava fl ow near the top of the section in the New Water Mountains yielded a U-Pb zircon date of 154.4 ?? 2.1 Ma. Geochemically similar lava fl ows and sills in the Granite Wash and southern Plomosa Mountains are inferred to be approximately the same age. We interpret these new analyses to indicate that Mesozoic clastic strata in these areas are Upper Jurassic and are broadly correlative with the lowermost McCoy Mountains Formation in the Dome Rock, McCoy, and Palen Mountains farther west. Six samples of numerous Upper Jurassic basaltic sills and lava fl ows in the McCoy Mountains Formation in the Granite Wash, New Water, and southern Plomosa Mountains yielded initial ??Nd values (at t = 150 Ma) of between +4 and +6. The geochemistry and geochronology of this igneous suite, and detrital-zircon geochronology of the sandstones, support the interpretation that the lower McCoy Mountains Formation was deposited during rifting within the western extension of the Sabinas-Chihuahua-Bisbee rift belt. Abundant 190-240 Ma zircon sand grains were derived from nearby, unidentifi ed Triassic magmatic-arc rocks in areas that were unaffected by younger Jurassic magmatism. A sandstone from the upper McCoy Mountains Formation in the Dome Rock Mountains (Arizona) yielded numerous 80-108 Ma zircon grains and almost no 190-240 Ma grains, revealing a major

Identification and characterization of conservative organic tracers for use as hydrologic tracers for the Yucca Mountain site characterization study. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stetzenbach, K.; Farnham, I.

1996-06-01

Extensive tracer testing is expected to take place at the C-well complex in the Nevada Test Site as part of the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project. The C-well complex consists of one pumping well, C3, and two injection wells, C1 and C2 into which tracer will be introduced. The goal of this research was to provide USGS with numerous tracers to completed these tests. Several classes of fluorinated organic acids have been evaluated. These include numerous isomers of fluorinated benzoic acids, cinnamic acids, and salicylic acids. Also several derivatives of 2-hydroxy nicotinic acid (pyridone) have been tested. The stability ofmore » these compounds was determined using batch and column tests. Ames testing (mutagenicity/carcinogenicity) was conducted on the fluorinated benzoic acids and a literature review of toxicity of the fluorobenzoates and three perfluoro aliphatic acids was prepared. Solubilities were measured and method development work was performed to optimize the detection of these compounds. A Quality Assurance (QA) Program was developed under existing DOE and USGS guidelines. The program includes QA procedures and technical standard operating procedures. A tracer test, using sodium iodide, was performed at the C-well complex. HRC chemists performed analyses on site, to provide real time data for the USGS hydrologists and in the laboratories at UNLV. Over 2,500 analyses were performed. This report provides the results of the laboratory experiments and literature reviews used to evaluate the potential tracers and reports on the results of the iodide C-well tracer test.« less

3. VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT CHINA WASH FLUME SHOWING WASH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. VIEW LOOKING NORTH AT CHINA WASH FLUME SHOWING WASH - San Carlos Irrigation Project, China Wash Flume, Main (Florence-Case Grande) Canal at Station 137+00, T4S, R10E, S14, Coolidge, Pinal County, AZ

Comparison of Two Methods for Determination of Strontium Isotopes in Pore Water at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, B. D.; Futa, K.; Scofield, K. M.

2002-12-01

The proposed radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada would be constructed in the high-silica rhyolite member of the Topopah Spring Tuff, an ash-flow tuff within the ~500-m-thick unsaturated zone. Dry-drilled rock cores from this unit have been packaged to preserve their water content. Two methods have been used to extract the strontium contained in the pore water for isotopic measurements. In the first method, samples of dried core were crushed, and the 0.25 to 2.4 mm size fractions were leached with ultra-pure water for about 1 hour to dissolve the salts left behind by the evaporated pore water. Concentrations of strontium in the pore water were calculated from determinations of porosity and saturation on adjacent core and the measured strontium concentration in the leachate. In the second method, pore water was extracted from sealed core using an ultracentrifuge, minimizing evaporation of water from the core at all steps in the process. The centrifugation of 150 to 200 g of welded tuff at 15,000 rpm for 6 hours typically results in the recovery of as much as 3 ml of pore water for analysis. Strontium isotope compositions were determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry; 87Sr /86Sr ratios have a reproducibility of 0.00005. The ranges of 87Sr/86Sr ratios determined by the two methods are identical: 0.71215 to 0.71267 in the leachates (n = 35) and 0.71214 to 0.71266 in the extracted pore waters (n = 21). However, the calculated strontium concentrations in the leachates average 300 μg/L, whereas those in the extracted pore water average 1440 μg/L, indicating that a substantial portion of the pore-water salts remain in the crushed rock after leaching. The strontium data determined on extracted pore water shows that the leaching of pore-water salts results in accurate 87Sr/86Sr, but that a substantial correction to the strontium concentration is required due to the inefficiency of the leaching procedure and the small pore sizes in the welded

Evidence of Rapid Localized Groundwater Transport in Volcanic Tuffs Beneath Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, B.; Walker, J.; Doughty, C.; Kryder, L.; Gilmore, K.; Finsterle, S.; Sampson, J.

2006-12-01

At Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the proposed location for a national high-level nuclear waste repository radionuclides, if released from breached waste storage canisters, could make their way down through the unsaturated zone (where the repository would be located) into the underlying groundwater and eventually back to the biosphere (i.e., where they could adversely affect human health). The compliance boundary, 18 km south of the proposed repository, is defined as the location where a human being using groundwater would be maximally exposed to radionuclides outside of an exclusion zone set around the repository. It is thus important to predict how these radionuclides would be transported by the groundwater flow, and to predict both the concentration of and the rate at which any leaked radionuclides would arrive at the compliance boundary. We recently conducted a study of groundwater flux in the saturated zone through the Crater Flat Group, in a wellbore 15 km south of the proposed repository. The Crater Flat Group, a sequence of ash-flow tuff formations, is laterally extensive beneath the footprint of the proposed repository. Because of its intense fracturing and high permeabilities, the Bullfrog tuff is the primary unit within the Crater Flat Group through which radionuclides would be transported, as indicated by groundwater models. In a new wellbore, NC-EWDP- 24PB, we conducted flowing electrical conductivity logging (FEC), an open-wellbore logging technique, to identify flowing fractures prior to wellbore completion. While the FEC logs have identified transmissive zones, quantitative interpretation of the FEC results was difficult because differences in hydraulic heads in different flowing intervals created significant intraborehole fluid flow. The well was subsequently backfilled and completed with a distributed thermal perturbation sensor (DTPS), which introduces a thermal pulse to the wellbore and uses the thermal transient to estimate groundwater flux

Directional floral orientation in Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia)

Treesearch

Steve Warren; L. Scott Baggett; Heather Warren

2016-01-01

Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia Engelm.) is a large, arborescent member of the yucca genus. It is an endemic and visually dominant plant in portions of the Mojave Desert, USA. We document the unique and heretofore unreported directional orientation of its flower panicles. The flower panicles grow primarily at the tips of branches that are oriented to the south....

Potential benefits of waste transmutation to the U.S. high-level waste respository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michaels, G.E.

1995-10-01

This paper reexamines the potential benefits of waste transmutation to the proposed U.S. geologic repository at the Yucca Mountain site based on recent progress in the performance assessment for the Yucca Mountain base case of spent fuel emplacement. It is observed that actinides are assumed to have higher solubility than in previous studies and that Np and other actinides now dominate the projected aqueous releases from a Yucca Mountain repository. Actinides are also indentified as the dominant source of decay heat in the repository, and the effect of decay heat in perturbing the hydrology, geochemistry, and thermal characteristics of Yuccamore » Mountain are reviewed. It is concluded that the potential for thermally-driven, buoyant, gas-phase flow at Yucca Mountain introduces data and modeling requirements that will increase the costs of licensing the site and may cause the site to be unattractive for geologic disposal of wastes. A transmutation-enabled cold repository is proposed that might allow licensing of a repository to be based upon currently observable characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site.« less

Geoengineering characterization of welded tuffs from laboratory and field investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zimmerman, R.M.; Nimick, F.B.; Board, M.P.

1984-12-31

Welded tuff beneath Yucca Mountain adjacent to the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is being considered for development as a high-level radioactive waste repository by the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project. Because access into Yucca Mountain has been limited to borehole explorations, early geoengineering materials characterizations have been derived from laboratory tests on cores from Yucca Mountain and from laboratory and field tests on welded tuffs located in G-Tunnel on the NTS. G-Tunnel contains welded tuffs that have similar properties and stress states to those at Yucca Mountain and has been the location for in situ rock mechanics testing.more » The purpose of this paper is to summarize the geoengineering material property data obtained to date and to compare appropriate laboratory and field data from G-Tunnel to findings from Yucca Mountain. Geomechanical and thermal data are provided and are augmented by limited geological and hydrological data. A comparison of results of laboratory measurements on tuffs from Yucca Mountain and G-Tunnel indicates good agreement between the bulk densities, saturations, moduli of elasticity, Poisson`s ratios, and P-wave velocities. The G-Tunnel tuff has slightly lower thermal conductivity, tensile strength, compressive strength and slightly higher matrix permeability than does the welded tuff near the proposed repository horizon at Yucca Mountain. From a laboratory-to-field scaling perspective, the modulus of deformation shows the most sensitivity to field conditions because of the presence of the joints found in the field. 14 references, 1 table.« less

Geoengineering characterization of welded tuffs from laboratory and field investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zimmerman, R.M.; Nimick, F.B.; Board, M.P.

1984-12-31

Welded tuff beneath Yucca Mountain adjacent to the Nevada Test Site (NTS) is being considered for development as a high-level radioactive waste repository by the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project. Because access into Yucca Mountain has been limited to borehole explorations, early geoengineering materials characterizations have been derived from laboratory tests on cores from Yucca Mountain and from laboratory and field tests on welded tuffs located in G-Tunnel on the NTS. G-Tunnel contains welded tuffs that have similar properties and stress states to those at Yucca Mountain and has been the location for in situ rock mechanics testing.more » The purpose of this paper is to summarize the geoengineering material property data obtained to date and to compare appropriate laboratory and field data from G-Tunnel to findings from Yucca Mountain. Geomechanical and thermal data are provided and are augmented by limited geological and hydrological data. A comparison of results of laboratory measurements on tuffs from Yucca Mountain and G-Tunnel indicates good agreement between the bulk densities, saturations, moduli of elasticity, Poisson`s ratios, and P-wave velocities. The G-Tunnel tuff has slightly lower thermal conductivity, tensile strength, compressive strength and slightly higher matrix permeability than does the welded tuff near the proposed repository horizon at Yucca Mountain. From a laboratory-to-field scaling perspective, the modulus of deformation shows the most sensitivity to field conditions because of the presence of joints found in the field. 14 refs., 1 tab.« less

75 FR 16360 - Dan Kane; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-01

... certainties in light of the current administration's proposed defunding of the Yucca Mountain Repository for... construction of a mined geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel (Yucca Mountain) from the U.S. Department of... Mountain repository be discontinued for what the petitioner believes are political reasons. The petitioner...

Modeling of coupled heat transfer and reactive transport processesin porous media: Application to seepage studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhopadhyay, Sumit; Sonnenthal, Eric L.; Spycher, Nicolas

When hot radioactive waste is placed in subsurface tunnels, a series of complex changes occurs in the surrounding medium. The water in the pore space of the medium undergoes vaporization and boiling. Subsequently, vapor migrates out of the matrix pore space, moving away from the tunnel through the permeable fracture network. This migration is propelled by buoyancy, by the increased vapor pressure caused by heating and boiling, and through local convection. In cooler regions, the vapor condenses on fracture walls, where it drains through the fracture network. Slow imbibition of water thereafter leads to gradual rewetting of the rock matrix.more » These thermal and hydrological processes also bring about chemical changes in the medium. Amorphous silica precipitates from boiling and evaporation, and calcite from heating and CO2 volatilization. The precipitation of amorphous silica, and to a much lesser extent calcite, results in long-term permeability reduction. Evaporative concentration also results in the precipitation of gypsum (or anhydrite), halite, fluorite and other salts. These evaporative minerals eventually redissolve after the boiling period is over, however, their precipitation results in a significant temporary decrease in permeability. Reduction of permeability is also associated with changes in fracture capillary characteristics. In short, the coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) processes dynamically alter the hydrological properties of the rock. A model based on the TOUGHREACT reactive transport software is presented here to investigate the impact of THC processes on flow near an emplacement tunnel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. We show how transient changes in hydrological properties caused by THC processes often lead to local flow channeling and saturation increases above the tunnel. For models that include only permeability changes to fractures, such local flow channeling may lead to seepage relative to models where THC effects are ignored

Modeling of coupled heat transfer and reactive transport processesin porous media: Application to seepage studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mukhopadhyay, S.; Sonnenthal, E.L.; Spycher, N.

When hot radioactive waste is placed in subsurface tunnels, a series of complex changes occurs in the surrounding medium. The water in the pore space of the medium undergoes vaporization and boiling. Subsequently, vapor migrates out of the matrix pore space, moving away from the tunnel through the permeable fracture network. This migration is propelled by buoyancy, by the increased vapor pressure caused by heating and boiling, and through local convection. In cooler regions, the vapor condenses on fracture walls, where it drains through the fracture network. Slow imbibition of water thereafter leads to gradual rewetting of the rock matrix.more » These thermal and hydrological processes also bring about chemical changes in the medium. Amorphous silica precipitates from boiling and evaporation, and calcite from heating and CO{sub 2} volatilization. The precipitation of amorphous silica, and to a much lesser extent calcite, results in long-term permeability reduction. Evaporative concentration also results in the precipitation of gypsum (or anhydrite), halite, fluorite and other salts. These evaporative minerals eventually redissolve after the boiling period is over, however, their precipitation results in a significant temporary decrease in permeability. Reduction of permeability is also associated with changes in fracture capillary characteristics. In short, the coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) processes dynamically alter the hydrological properties of the rock. A model based on the TOUGHREACT reactive transport software is presented here to investigate the impact of THC processes on flow near an emplacement tunnel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. We show how transient changes in hydrological properties caused by THC processes often lead to local flow channeling and saturation increases above the tunnel. For models that include only permeability changes to fractures, such local flow channeling may lead to seepage relative to models where THC effects are

Magnetotelluric Data, Central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Central Yucca Flat, Profile 1, as shown in figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Southern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Southern Yucca Flat, Profile 4, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Magnetotelluric Data, Northern Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for Profile 2, (fig. 1), located in the northern Yucca Flat area. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

MOUNTAIN-SCALE COUPLED PROCESSES (TH/THC/THM)MODELS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Y.S. Wu

This report documents the development and validation of the mountain-scale thermal-hydrologic (TH), thermal-hydrologic-chemical (THC), and thermal-hydrologic-mechanical (THM) models. These models provide technical support for screening of features, events, and processes (FEPs) related to the effects of coupled TH/THC/THM processes on mountain-scale unsaturated zone (UZ) and saturated zone (SZ) flow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada (BSC 2005 [DIRS 174842], Section 2.1.1.1). The purpose and validation criteria for these models are specified in ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport: Coupled Processes (Mountain-Scale TH/THC/THM, Drift-Scale THC Seepage, and Drift-Scale Abstraction) Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2005 [DIRS 174842]). Model results are used tomore » support exclusion of certain FEPs from the total system performance assessment for the license application (TSPA-LA) model on the basis of low consequence, consistent with the requirements of 10 CFR 63.342 [DIRS 173273]. Outputs from this report are not direct feeds to the TSPA-LA. All the FEPs related to the effects of coupled TH/THC/THM processes on mountain-scale UZ and SZ flow are discussed in Sections 6 and 7 of this report. The mountain-scale coupled TH/THC/THM processes models numerically simulate the impact of nuclear waste heat release on the natural hydrogeological system, including a representation of heat-driven processes occurring in the far field. The mountain-scale TH simulations provide predictions for thermally affected liquid saturation, gas- and liquid-phase fluxes, and water and rock temperature (together called the flow fields). The main focus of the TH model is to predict the changes in water flux driven by evaporation/condensation processes, and drainage between drifts. The TH model captures mountain-scale three-dimensional flow effects, including lateral diversion and mountain-scale flow patterns. The mountain-scale THC model evaluates TH effects on water and gas

Lauriston S. Taylor Lecture: Yucca mountain radiation standards, dose/risk assessments, thinking outside the box, evaluations, and recommendations.

PubMed

Moeller, Dade W

2009-11-01

The Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste repository is designed to contain spent nuclear fuel and vitrified fission products. Due to the fact that it will be the first such facility constructed anywhere in the world, it has proved to be one in which multiple organizations, most prominently the U.S. Congress, are exercising a role. In addition to selecting a site for the facility, Congress specified that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) promulgate the associated Standards, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission establish applicable Regulations to implement the Standards, and the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) design, construct, and operate the repository. Congress also specified that U.S. EPA request that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) provide them guidance on the form and nature of the Standards. In so doing, Congress also stipulated that the Standards be expressed in terms of an "equivalent dose rate." As will be noted, this subsequently introduced serious complications. Due to the inputs of so many groups, and the fact that the NAS recommendations conflicted with the Congressional stipulation that the limits be expressed in terms of a dose rate, the outcome is a set of Standards that not only does not comply with the NAS recommendations, but also is neither integrated, nor consistent. The initial goals of this paper are to provide an independent risk/dose analysis for each of the eight radionuclides that are to be regulated, and to evaluate them in terms of the Standards. These efforts reveal that the Standards are neither workable nor capable of being implemented. The concluding portions of the paper provide guidance that, if successfully implemented, would enable U.S. DOE to complete the construction of the repository and operate it in accordance with the recommendations of NAS while, at the same time, provide a better, more accurate, understanding of its potential risks to the public. This facility is too important to

Measured solubilities and speciations of neptunium, plutonium, and americium in a typical groundwater (J-13) from the Yucca Mountain region; Milestone report 3010-WBS 1.2.3.4.1.3.1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nitsche, H.; Gatti, R.C.; Standifer, E.M.

1993-07-01

Solubility and speciation data are important in understanding aqueous radionuclide transport through the geosphere. They define the source term for transport retardation processes such as sorption and colloid formation. Solubility and speciation data are useful in verifying the validity of geochemical codes that are part of predictive transport models. Results are presented from solubility and speciation experiments of {sup 237}NpO{sub 2}{sup +}, {sup 239}Pu{sup 4+}, {sup 241}Am{sup 3+}/Nd{sup 3+}, and {sup 243}Am{sup 3+} in J-13 groundwater (from the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada, which is being investigated as a potential high-level nuclear waste disposal site) at three different temperatures (25{degree}, 60{degree},more » and 90{degree}C) and pH values (5.9, 7.0, and 8.5). The solubility-controlling steady-state solids were identified and the speciation and/or oxidation states present in the supernatant solutions were determined. The neptunium solubility decreased with increasing temperature and pH. Plutonium concentrations decreased with increasing temperature and showed no trend with pH. The americium solutions showed no clear solubility trend with increasing temperature and increasing pH.« less

Comparison of the Laboratory Standard Washing Using CIPAC Washing Agent and the Domestic Washing on Three Recommended Types of Long-Lasting Insecticidal Mosquito Nets

PubMed Central

Ouattara, Jean Pierre Nabléni; Louwagie, Johanna; Pigeon, Olivier; Spanoghe, Pieter

2013-01-01

Background One of the best ways to prevent malaria is the use of insecticide-treated bed nets. Manufacturers pursue easier, safer and more efficient nets. Hence, many studies on the efficacy and wash resistance using World Health Organization standards have been reported. The commonly used detergent is “Savon de Marseille”, because it closely resembles actually used soaps. At the 54th Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council (CIPAC) Technical Meeting in 2010, it was suggested to replace it by a standardized “CIPAC washing agent”. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between a laboratory hand washing simulation using the CIPAC washing agent (method-1) and a domestic washing (method-2) on different bed nets, as well as the effect of the drying process on the release of active ingredient. Methods Interceptor®, Permanet®2.0 and Netprotect® nets were used in three treatments, each repeated 20 times. The first treatment included method-1 washing and indoor drying. The second treatment included method-2 washing and indoor drying. The third treatment used method-2 washing and UV-drying. The residual insecticide contents were determined using gas chromatography. Results The washing procedure and the number of washes have a significant effect on the release of active ingredient. Statistically, the two washing methods have the same effect on removing the active ingredient from the Interceptor® and Permanet®2.0 net, but a significantly different influence on the Netprotect® nets. The drying process has no significant effect on the insecticide. Conclusion Both washing procedures affected the amount of insecticide remaining on nets independently of the impregnation technology. The active ingredient decreases with the number of washing cycles following an exponential or logarithmic model for coated nets. The laboratory hand washing simulation had more impact on the decrease of active ingredient content of the Netprotect® nets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Sun, Alexander; Dai, Zhenxue

Yucca Mountain, Nevada, had been extensively investigated as a potential deep geologic repository for storing high-level nuclear wastes. Previous field investigations of stratified alluvial aquifer downstream of the site revealed that there is a hierarchy of sedimentary facies types. There is a corresponding log conductivity and reactive surface area subpopulations within each facies at each scale of sedimentary architecture. Here in this paper, we use a Lagrangian-based transport model in order to analyze radionuclide dispersion in the saturated alluvium of Fortymile Wash, Nevada. First, we validate the Lagrangian model using high-resolution flow and reactive transport simulations. Then, we used themore » validated model to investigate how each scale of sedimentary architecture may affect long-term radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain. Results show that the reactive solute dispersion developed by the Lagrangian model matches the ensemble average of numerical simulations well. The link between the alluvium spatial variability and reactive solute dispersion at different spatiotemporal scales is demonstrated using the Lagrangian model. Finally, the longitudinal dispersivity of the reactive plume can be on the order of hundreds to thousands of meters, and it may not reach its asymptotic value even after 10,000 years of travel time and 2–3 km of travel distance.« less

The effects of Yucca shidigera extract on the reduction of ammonia concentration in Lake Koumoundourou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dimitriou, Elias; Markogianni, Vassiliki; Yu, Xiaoxi

2013-04-01

Increasing concentrations of nutrients in Lakes is a common problem worldwide, nowadays and has significant impacts on their trophic status and thus on the ecosystem's health. Koumoundourou Lake is a shallow, semi-saline Lake, located in the industrial zone of Attica, Greece. The particular water body receives significant pressures from the nearby industries, from uncontrolled disposal of urban waste and from large number of birds that find a shelter there during the winter time (due to the extinction of most of the rest of Attica wetlands). This study investigates the efficiency of a particular restoration measure for the reduction of ammonia by using a plant extract. Particularly, Yucca shidigera has been proved effective in reducing ammonia in aquaculture and therefore, this study aims to investigate if the effects of Yucca extract could be similar in Lake Koumoundourou and determine the appropriate amount of Yucca extract, necessary to restore the water quality at the desirable levels. Six treatments (two replications per treatment) for 180 hours were conducted, in which three different levels of Ammonium chloride (varying between 0 and 6mg/l) and five different concentrations of Yucca (varying between 0 and 2 mg/l) were added in the lake water (in experimental tanks). As far as the effects of Yucca extract on water quality are concerned, it is initially considered that it stimulates the reduction of dissolved oxygen (DO) since its concentration dropped faster in the treatments with added Yucca than the treatments with no Yucca at all, despite the amount of the added Ammonia. Concentration of ammonia-nitrogen kept dropping until hour 48 from the beginning of the experiment, indicating that the efficacy of Yucca extract removing ammonia last for about 48 hours, irrespectively of the amount of yucca extract added. Additionally, the relationship between the added Yucca extract and the removed ammonia concentration is proportional. Thus, it is concluded that the

Community Dynamics and Soil Seed Bank Ecology of Lane Mountain Milkvetch (Astragalus jaegerianus Munz)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

concentrated in four geographic areas (Coolgardie Mesa, Paradise Valley, Brinkman Wash-Montana Mine , and the Gemini Conservation Area; Fig. 1) that total...data for 2003, and from 2007 through 2009 were generated by the remote automated weather station (RAWS) at Opal Mountain CA (35°09´N; 117°10´W; 980...m.). This weather station is approximately 30 km SW of UCLA’s milkvetch study sites. Opal Mountain and Goldstone monthly precipitation from 1992

Nasal Wash Treatment

MedlinePlus

... Guidelines Wash your hands. Make the nasal wash solution. Do not use tap water for the nasal ... Whichever water you use to make the saline solution, replace container or water at least weekly. To ...

Final base case community analysis: Indian Springs, Nevada for the Clark County socioeconomic impact assessment of the proposed high- level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-06-18

This document provides a base case description of the rural Clark County community of Indian Springs in anticipation of change associated with the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. As the community closest to the proposed site, Indian Springs may be seen by site characterization workers, as well as workers associated with later repository phases, as a logical place to live. This report develops and updates information relating to a broad spectrum of socioeconomic variables, thereby providing a `snapshot` or `base case` look at Indian Springs in early 1992. With this as a background, future repository-related developments maymore » be analytically separated from changes brought about by other factors, thus allowing for the assessment of the magnitude of local changes associated with the proposed repository. Given the size of the community, changes that may be considered small in an absolute sense may have relatively large impacts at the local level. Indian Springs is, in many respects, a unique community and a community of contrasts. An unincorporated town, it is a small yet important enclave of workers on large federal projects and home to employees of small- scale businesses and services. It is a rural community, but it is also close to the urbanized Las Vega Valley. It is a desert community, but has good water resources. It is on flat terrain, but it is located within 20 miles of the tallest mountains in Nevada. It is a town in which various interest groups diverge on issues of local importance, but in a sense of community remains an important feature of life. Finally, it has a sociodemographic history of both surface transience and underlying stability. If local land becomes available, Indian Springs has some room for growth but must first consider the historical effects of growth on the town and its desired direction for the future.« less

Environmental Assessment for the Expansion of Permitted Land and Operations at the 9940 Complex and Thunder Range at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

vivipara Hidden flower Cryptantha crassisepala Hidden flower Cryptantha fulvocanescens James’s hidden flower Cryptantha jamesii Buffalo gourd...pumila Bigbract verbena ta Verbena bractea Banana yucca ta Yucca bacca Soapweed yucca Yucca glauca Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora A-9

10 CFR 63.114 - Requirements for performance assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Assessment § 63..., hydrology, and geochemistry (including disruptive processes and events) of the Yucca Mountain site, and the... disposal, and provide for the technical basis for parameter ranges, probability distributions, or bounding...

40 CFR 197.14 - What is a reasonable expectation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PROTECTION PROGRAMS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA... projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (c) Does not exclude important... degree of confidence; and (d) Focuses performance assessments and analyses upon the full range of...

10 CFR 63.114 - Requirements for performance assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Assessment § 63..., hydrology, and geochemistry (including disruptive processes and events) of the Yucca Mountain site, and the... disposal, and provide for the technical basis for parameter ranges, probability distributions, or bounding...

10 CFR 63.114 - Requirements for performance assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Assessment § 63..., hydrology, and geochemistry (including disruptive processes and events) of the Yucca Mountain site, and the... disposal, and provide for the technical basis for parameter ranges, probability distributions, or bounding...

10 CFR 63.114 - Requirements for performance assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Assessment § 63..., hydrology, and geochemistry (including disruptive processes and events) of the Yucca Mountain site, and the... disposal, and provide for the technical basis for parameter ranges, probability distributions, or bounding...

10 CFR 63.114 - Requirements for performance assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... GEOLOGIC REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Technical Criteria Postclosure Performance Assessment § 63..., hydrology, and geochemistry (including disruptive processes and events) of the Yucca Mountain site, and the... disposal, and provide for the technical basis for parameter ranges, probability distributions, or bounding...

Illustration of sampling-based approaches to the calculation of expected dose in performance assessments for the proposed high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helton, Jon Craig; Sallaberry, Cedric J. PhD.; .)

2007-04-01

A deep geologic repository for high level radioactive waste is under development by the U.S. Department of Energy at Yucca Mountain (YM), Nevada. As mandated in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has promulgated public health and safety standards (i.e., 40 CFR Part 197) for the YM repository, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has promulgated licensing standards (i.e., 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc.) consistent with 40 CFR Part 197 that the DOE must establish are met in order for the YM repository to be licensed for operation. Important requirements in 40more » CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. relate to the determination of expected (i.e., mean) dose to a reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI) and the incorporation of uncertainty into this determination. This presentation describes and illustrates how general and typically nonquantitive statements in 40 CFR Part 197 and 10 CFR Parts 2, 19, 20, etc. can be given a formal mathematical structure that facilitates both the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI and the appropriate separation in this calculation of aleatory uncertainty (i.e., randomness in the properties of future occurrences such as igneous and seismic events) and epistemic uncertainty (i.e., lack of knowledge about quantities that are poorly known but assumed to have constant values in the calculation of expected dose to the RMEI).« less

Magnetotelluric Data, North Central Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Williams; B.D. Rodriguez, and T.H. Asch

2005-11-23

Nuclear weapons are integral to the defense of the United States. The U.S. Department of Energy, as the steward of these devices, must continue to gauge the efficacy of the individual weapons. This could be accomplished by occasional testing at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada, northwest of Las Vegas. Yucca Flat Basin is one of the testing areas at the NTS. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about themore » hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and processed Magnetotelluric (MT) and Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) data at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to help characterize this pre-Tertiary geology. That work will help to define the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre-Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (UCCU) in the Yucca Flat area. Interpretation will include a three-dimensional (3-D) character analysis and two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data for north central Yucca Flat, Profile 7, as shown in Figure 1. No interpretation of the data is included here.« less

Prototype wash water renovation system integration with government-furnished wash fixture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The requirements of a significant quantity of proposed life sciences experiments in Shuttle payloads for available wash water to support cleansing operations has provided the incentive to develop a technique for wash water renovation. A prototype wash water waste renovation system which has the capability to process the waste water and return it to a state adequate for reuse in a typical cleansing fixture designed to support life science experiments was investigated. The resulting technology is to support other developments efforts pertaining to water reclamation by serving as a pretreatment step for subsequent reclamation procedures.

10 CFR 63.304 - Reasonable expectation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Postclosure Public Health and Environmental Standards § 63.304... uncertainties in making long-term projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (3) Does... the full range of defensible and reasonable parameter distributions rather than only upon extreme...

10 CFR 63.304 - Reasonable expectation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Postclosure Public Health and Environmental Standards § 63.304... uncertainties in making long-term projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (3) Does... the full range of defensible and reasonable parameter distributions rather than only upon extreme...

10 CFR 63.304 - Reasonable expectation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Postclosure Public Health and Environmental Standards § 63.304... uncertainties in making long-term projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (3) Does... the full range of defensible and reasonable parameter distributions rather than only upon extreme...

10 CFR 63.304 - Reasonable expectation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Postclosure Public Health and Environmental Standards § 63.304... uncertainties in making long-term projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (3) Does... the full range of defensible and reasonable parameter distributions rather than only upon extreme...

10 CFR 63.304 - Reasonable expectation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Postclosure Public Health and Environmental Standards § 63.304... uncertainties in making long-term projections of the performance of the Yucca Mountain disposal system; (3) Does... the full range of defensible and reasonable parameter distributions rather than only upon extreme...

Wash water recovery system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Deckman, G.; Rousseau, J. (Editor)

1973-01-01

The Wash Water Recovery System (WWRS) is intended for use in processing shower bath water onboard a spacecraft. The WWRS utilizes flash evaporation, vapor compression, and pyrolytic reaction to process the wash water to allow recovery of potable water. Wash water flashing and foaming characteristics, are evaluated physical properties, of concentrated wash water are determined, and a long term feasibility study on the system is performed. In addition, a computer analysis of the system and a detail design of a 10 lb/hr vortex-type water vapor compressor were completed. The computer analysis also sized remaining system components on the basis of the new vortex compressor design.

Future Volcanism at Yucca Mountain - Statistical Insights from the Non-Detection of Basalt Intrusions in the Potential Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coleman, N.; Abramson, L.

2004-05-01

Yucca Mt. (YM) is a potential repository site for high-level radioactive waste and spent fuel. One issue is the potential for future igneous activity to intersect the repository. If the event probability is <1E-8/yr, it need not be considered in licensing. Plio-Quaternary volcanos and older basalts occur near YM. Connor et al (JGR, 2000) estimate a probability of 1E-8/yr to 1E-7/yr for a basaltic dike to intersect the potential repository. Based on aeromagnetic data, Hill and Stamatakos (CNWRA, 2002) propose that additional volcanos may lie buried in nearby basins. They suggest if these volcanos are part of temporal-clustered volcanic activity, the probability of an intrusion may be as high as 1E-6/yr. We examine whether recurrence probabilities >2E-7/yr are realistic given that no dikes have been found in or above the 1.3E7 yr-old potential repository block. For 2E-7/yr (or 1E-6/yr), the expected number of penetrating dikes is 2.6 (respectively, 13), and the probability of at least one penetration is 0.93 (0.999). These results are not consistent with the exploration evidence. YM is one of the most intensively studied places on Earth. Over 20 yrs of studies have included surface and subsurface mapping, geophysical surveys, construction of 10+ km of tunnels in the mountain, drilling of many boreholes, and construction of many pits (DOE, Site Recommendation, 2002). It seems unlikely that multiple dikes could exist within the proposed repository footprint and escape detection. A dike complex dated 11.7 Ma (Smith et al, UNLV, 1997) or 10 Ma (Carr and Parrish, 1985) does exist NW of YM and west of the main Solitario Canyon Fault. These basalts intruded the Tiva Canyon Tuff (12.7 Ma) in an epoch of caldera-forming pyroclastic eruptions that ended millions of yrs ago. We would conclude that basaltic volcanism related to Miocene silicic volcanism may also have ended. Given the nondetection of dikes in the potential repository, we can use a Poisson model to estimate an

Native Americans and state and local governments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rusco, E.R.

1991-10-01

Native Americans` concerns arising from the possibility of establishment of a nuclear repository for high level wastes at Yucca Mountain fall principally into two main categories. First, the strongest objection to the repository comes from traditional Western Shoshones. Their objections are based on a claim that the Western Shoshones still own Yucca Mountain and also on the assertion that putting high level nuclear wastes into the ground is a violation of their religious views regarding nature. Second, there are several reservations around the Yucca Mountain site that might be affected in various ways by building of the repository. There ismore » a question about how many such reservations there are, which can only be decided when more information is available. This report discusses two questions: the bearing of the continued vigorous assertion by traditionalist Western Shoshones of their land claim; and the extent to which Nevada state and local governments are able to understand and represent Indian viewpoints about Yucca Mountain.« less

Evaluating process domains in small arid granitic watersheds: Case study of Pima Wash, South Mountains, Sonoran Desert, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seong, Yeong Bae; Larson, Phillip H.; Dorn, Ronald I.; Yu, Byung Yong

2016-02-01

This paper provides support for the concept of geomorphic process domains developed by Montgomery (1999) by linking geomorphic processes to ecological variations seen in the Pima arid granitic watershed of the Sonoran Desert, Phoenix, Arizona. Closer joint spacing shows a statistically significant correlation with lower percentages of mineral grain attachment as measured by digital image processing of backscattered electron microscope imagery. Lower mineral grain attachment leads to more frequent spalling of rock surfaces, as measured by varnish microlamination (VML) ages of the last spalling event. In contrast, more distant joint spacing leads to in situ 10Be erosion rates of 3.4-8.5 mm/ka and the emergence of low domes and kopje granitic landforms; these low domes also serve as knickpoints along ephemeral washes. Distant jointing thus plays a key role in generating the bare bedrock surfaces that funnel limited precipitation to bedrock margins - enhancing the canopy cover of perennial plants next to the bare bedrock. Joint-influenced geomorphic processes at Pima Wash generate four distinct process domains: (PD1) armored drainage divides; (PD2) slopes with different granite landforms; (PD3) mid- and upper basin channels that mix knickzones, strath floodplains, and sandy alluvial sections; and (PD4) the main ephemeral channel transitioning to the piedmont. Distant jointing promotes bedrock exposure and rock armoring along drainage divides in PD1 that then concentrates runoff and promotes perennial plant growth. More distant joint spacing on slopes in PD2 promotes exposure of granitic bedrock forms that shed overland flow to their margin and promotes flora and fauna growths along the margins of low granitic domes and kopjes. Similarly, wider joint spacing along ephemeral washes in PD3 leads to knickpoints, which in turn act to concentrate moisture immediately downstream. The stream terraces in PD4 influence the ecology through xeric desert pavements on terrace treads

Quality of red blood cells washed using a second wash sequence on an automated cell processor.

PubMed

Hansen, Adele L; Turner, Tracey R; Kurach, Jayme D R; Acker, Jason P

2015-10-01

Washed red blood cells (RBCs) are indicated for immunoglobulin (Ig)A-deficient recipients when RBCs from IgA-deficient donors are not available. Canadian Blood Services recently began using the automated ACP 215 cell processor (Haemonetics Corporation) for RBC washing, and its suitability to produce IgA-deficient RBCs was investigated. RBCs produced from whole blood donations by the buffy coat (BC) and whole blood filtration (WBF) methods were washed using the ACP 215 or the COBE 2991 cell processors and IgA and total protein levels were assessed. A double-wash procedure using the ACP 215 was developed, tested, and validated by assessing hemolysis, hematocrit, recovery, and other in vitro quality variables in RBCs stored after washing, with and without irradiation. A single wash using the ACP 215 did not meet Canadian Standards Association recommendations for washing with more than 2 L of solution and could not consistently reduce IgA to levels suitable for IgA-deficient recipients (24/26 BC RBCs and 0/9 WBF RBCs had IgA levels < 0.05 mg/dL). Using a second wash sequence, all BC and WBF units were washed with more than 2 L and had levels of IgA of less than 0.05 mg/dL. During 7 days' postwash storage, with and without irradiation, double-washed RBCs met quality control criteria, except for the failure of one RBC unit for inadequate (69%) postwash recovery. Using the ACP 215, a double-wash procedure for the production of components for IgA-deficient recipients from either BC or WBF RBCs was developed and validated. © 2015 AABB.

27 CFR 19.328 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Wash water. 19.328 Section... THE TREASURY LIQUORS DISTILLED SPIRITS PLANTS Production Chemical By-Products § 19.328 Wash water. Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits therefrom may be run into a wash tank or a distilling...

Thickness and geometry of Cenozoic deposits in California Wash area, Nevada, based on gravity and seismic-reflection data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langenheim, V.E.; Miller, J.J.; Page, W.R.; Grow, J.A.

2001-01-01

Gravity and seismic-reflection data provide insights into the subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the California Wash area of southern Nevada. This area is part of the Lower Colorado flow system and stratigraphic and structural data are important inputs into developing the hydrogeologic framework. These data indicate that the basin beneath California Wash reaches depths of 2-3 km. The eastern margin of the basin coincides with a system of young (Quaternary and late Tertiary) faults, although both seismic and gravity data indicate that the major basin-bounding fault is 2-3 km west of the mapped young faults. Dry Lake Valley, the adjacent valley to the west, is characterized by thinner basin fill. The basin configuration beneath both California Wash and Dry Lake Valleys based on the inversion of gravity data is unconstrained because of the lack of gravity stations north of 36030?. Broad aeromagnetic anomalies beneath pre-Cenozoic basement in the Muddy Mountains and Arrow Canyon Range reflect Precambrian basement at depths of ~ 5 km. These rocks are probably barriers to ground-water flow,except where fractured.

Solvent wash solution

DOEpatents

Neace, J.C.

1984-03-13

A process is claimed for removing diluent degradation products from a solvent extraction solution, which has been used to recover uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. A wash solution and the solvent extraction solution are combined. The wash solution contains (a) water and (b) up to about, and including, 50 vol % of at least one-polar water-miscible organic solvent based on the total volume of the water and the highly-polar organic solvent. The wash solution also preferably contains at least one inorganic salt. The diluent degradation products dissolve in the highly-polar organic solvent and the organic solvent extraction solvent do not dissolve in the highly-polar organic solvent. The highly-polar organic solvent and the extraction solvent are separated.

Solvent wash solution

DOEpatents

Neace, James C.

1986-01-01

Process for removing diluent degradation products from a solvent extraction solution, which has been used to recover uranium and plutonium from spent nuclear fuel. A wash solution and the solvent extraction solution are combined. The wash solution contains (a) water and (b) up to about, and including, 50 volume percent of at least one-polar water-miscible organic solvent based on the total volume of the water and the highly-polar organic solvent. The wash solution also preferably contains at least one inorganic salt. The diluent degradation products dissolve in the highly-polar organic solvent and the organic solvent extraction solvent do not dissolve in the highly-polar organic solvent. The highly-polar organic solvent and the extraction solvent are separated.

27 CFR 19.310 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Wash water. 19.310 Section 19.310 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF... Byproducts § 19.310 Wash water. Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits may be run into a wash tank...

27 CFR 19.310 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Wash water. 19.310 Section 19.310 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF... Byproducts § 19.310 Wash water. Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits may be run into a wash tank...

27 CFR 19.310 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Wash water. 19.310 Section 19.310 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF... Byproducts § 19.310 Wash water. Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits may be run into a wash tank...

27 CFR 19.310 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Wash water. 19.310 Section 19.310 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU, DEPARTMENT OF... Byproducts § 19.310 Wash water. Water used in washing chemicals to remove spirits may be run into a wash tank...

Remote geologic structural analysis of Yucca Flat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foley, M. G.; Heasler, P. G.; Hoover, K. A.; Rynes, N. J.; Thiessen, R. L.; Alfaro, J. L.

1991-12-01

The Remote Geologic Analysis (RGA) system was developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to identify crustal structures that may affect seismic wave propagation from nuclear tests. Using automated methods, the RGA system identifies all valleys in a digital elevation model (DEM), fits three-dimensional vectors to valley bottoms, and catalogs all potential fracture or fault planes defined by coplanar pairs of valley vectors. The system generates a cluster hierarchy of planar features having greater-than-random density that may represent areas of anomalous topography manifesting structural control of erosional drainage development. Because RGA uses computer methods to identify zones of hypothesized control of topography, ground truth using a well-characterized test site was critical in our evaluation of RGA's characterization of inaccessible test sites for seismic verification studies. Therefore, we applied RGA to a study area centered on Yucca Flat at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and compared our results with both mapped geology and geologic structures and with seismic yield-magnitude models. This is the final report of PNL's RGA development project for peer review within the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Arms Control (OAC) seismic-verification community. In this report, we discuss the Yucca Flat study area, the analytical basis of the RGA system and its application to Yucca Flat, the results of the analysis, and the relation of the analytical results to known topography, geology, and geologic structures.

Volcanic hazards: Perspectives from eruption prediction to risk assessment for disposal of radioactive waste

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crowe, B.

1980-12-31

This document summarizes an oral presentation that described the potential for volcanic activity at the proposed Yucca Mountain, Texas repository site. Yucca Mountain is located in a broad zone of volcanic activity known as the Death Valley-Pancake Ridge volcanic zone. The probability estimate for the likelihood that some future volcanic event will intersect a buried repository at Yucca Mountain is low. Additionally, the radiological consequences of penetration of a repository by basaltic magma followed by eruption of the magma at the surface are limited. The combination of low probability and limited consequence suggests that the risk posed by waste storagemore » at this site is low. (TEM)« less

Science is the first step to siting nuclear waste repositories

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, Christopher E.

2014-01-01

As Shaw [2014] notes, U.S. research on shale as a repository host was halted before expending anything close to the effort devoted to studying crystalline rock, salt, and - most notably - tuff at Yucca Mountain. The new political reality regarding Yucca Mountain may allow reconsideration of the decision to abandon research on shale as a repository host.

Gas exchange and leaf anatomy of a C3-CAM hybrid, Yucca gloriosa (Asparagaceae).

PubMed

Heyduk, Karolina; Burrell, Nia; Lalani, Falak; Leebens-Mack, Jim

2016-03-01

While the majority of plants use the typical C3 carbon metabolic pathway, ~6% of angiosperms have adapted to carbon limitation as a result of water stress by employing a modified form of photosynthesis known as Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). CAM plants concentrate carbon in the cells by temporally separating atmospheric carbon acquisition from fixation into carbohydrates. CAM has been studied for decades, but the evolutionary progression from C3 to CAM remains obscure. In order to better understand the morphological and physiological characteristics associated with CAM photosynthesis, phenotypic variation was assessed in Yucca aloifolia, a CAM species, Yucca filamentosa, a C3 species, and Yucca gloriosa, a hybrid species derived from these two yuccas exhibiting intermediate C3-CAM characteristics. Gas exchange, titratable leaf acidity, and leaf anatomical traits of all three species were assayed in a common garden under well-watered and drought-stressed conditions. Yucca gloriosa showed intermediate phenotypes for nearly all traits measured, including the ability to acquire carbon at night. Using the variation found among individuals of all three species, correlations between traits were assessed to better understand how leaf anatomy and CAM physiology are related. Yucca gloriosa may be constrained by a number of traits which prevent it from using CAM to as high a degree as Y. aloifolia. The intermediate nature of Y. gloriosa makes it a promising system in which to study the evolution of CAM. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Self-Contained Automated Vehicle Washing System

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-26

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: The Self Contained Automated Vehicle Washing System is a prototype that offers a reduction in the quantity of water ...supplied to the front lines by recycling wash water used in the cleaning of vehicles as well as capturing debris and other contaminates. The system also...of the warfighter to contaminates in the washing process. The System offers plug and play option for reclamation of the wash water and integration of

NaturAnalogs for the Unsaturated Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A. Simmons; A. Unger; M. Murrell

2000-03-08

The purpose of this Analysis/Model Report (AMR) is to document natural and anthropogenic (human-induced) analog sites and processes that are applicable to flow and transport processes expected to occur at the potential Yucca Mountain repository in order to build increased confidence in modeling processes of Unsaturated Zone (UZ) flow and transport. This AMR was prepared in accordance with ''AMR Development Plan for U0135, Natural Analogs for the UZ'' (CRWMS 1999a). Knowledge from analog sites and processes is used as corroborating information to test and build confidence in flow and transport models of Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This AMR supports the Unsaturatedmore » Zone (UZ) Flow and Transport Process Model Report (PMR) and the Yucca Mountain Site Description. The objectives of this AMR are to test and build confidence in the representation of UZ processes in numerical models utilized in the UZ Flow and Transport Model. This is accomplished by: (1) applying data from Boxy Canyon, Idaho in simulations of UZ flow using the same methodologies incorporated in the Yucca Mountain UZ Flow and Transport Model to assess the fracture-matrix interaction conceptual model; (2) Providing a preliminary basis for analysis of radionuclide transport at Pena Blanca, Mexico as an analog of radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain; and (3) Synthesizing existing information from natural analog studies to provide corroborating evidence for representation of ambient and thermally coupled UZ flow and transport processes in the UZ Model.« less

7 CFR 58.429 - Washing machine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Washing machine. 58.429 Section 58.429 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards....429 Washing machine. When used, the washing machine for cheese cloths and bandages shall be of...

7 CFR 58.429 - Washing machine.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Washing machine. 58.429 Section 58.429 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards....429 Washing machine. When used, the washing machine for cheese cloths and bandages shall be of...

Washing machine usage in remote aboriginal communities.

PubMed

Lloyd, C R

1998-10-01

The use of washing machines was investigated in two remote Aboriginal communities in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara homelands. The aim was to look both at machine reliability and to investigate the health aspect of washing clothes. A total of 39 machines were inspected for wear and component reliability every three months over a one-year period. Of these, 10 machines were monitored in detail for water consumption, hours of use and cycles of operation. The machines monitored were Speed Queen model EA2011 (7 kg washing load) commercial units. The field survey results suggested a high rate of operation of the machines with an average of around 1,100 washing cycles per year (range 150 and 2,300 cycles per year). The results were compared with available figures for the average Australian household. A literature survey, to ascertain the health outcomes relating to washing clothes and bedding, confirmed that washing machines are efficient at removal of bacteria from clothes and bedding but suggested that recontamination of clothing after washing often negated the prior removal. High temperature washing (> 60 degrees C) appeared to be advantageous from a health perspective. With regards to larger organisms, while dust mites and body lice transmission between people would probably be decreased by washing clothes, scabies appeared to be mainly transmitted by body contact and thus transmission would be only marginally decreased by the use of washing machines.

Alternative antimicrobial commercial egg washing procedures

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Commercial table eggs are washed prior to packaging. Standard wash procedures use an alkaline pH and warm water. If a cool water method could be developed that would still provide a microbiologically safe egg, the industry may save energy costs associated with water heating. Four wash procedures ...

Alternative Antimicrobial Commercial Egg Washing Procedures.

PubMed

Hudson, Lauren K; Harrison, Mark A; Berrang, Mark E; Jones, Deana R

2016-07-01

Commercial table eggs are washed prior to packaging. Standard wash procedures use an alkaline pH and warm water. If a cool water method could be developed that would still provide a microbiologically safe egg, the industry may save energy costs associated with water heating. Four wash procedures were evaluated for Salmonella reduction: pH 11 at 48.9°C (industry standard), pH 11 at ambient temperature (∼20°C), pH 6 at 48.9°C, and pH 6 at ambient temperature. Alkaline washes contained potassium hydroxide-based detergent, while pH 6 washes contained approximately 200 ppm of chlorine and a proprietary chlorine stabilizer (T-128). When eggs were inoculated by immersion in a cell suspension of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, all treatments resulted in a slight and similar reduction of Salmonella numbers (approximately 0.77 log CFU/ml of shell emulsion reduction). When eggs were inoculated by droplet on the shell surface, Salmonella counts were reduced by approximately 5 log CFU when washed with chlorine plus the chlorine stabilizer at both temperatures and with the alkaline wash at the high temperature. The reductions in Salmonella by these treatments were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from each other but were significantly (P < 0.05) more than the reduction observed for the 20°C alkaline treatment and 20°C control water treatments. Ambient temperature acidic washes reduced Salmonella contamination to the same degree as the standard pH 11 warm water wash and may be a viable option to reduce cost, increase shelf life, and slow pathogen growth in and on shell eggs.

Remediation of cadmium-contaminated paddy soils by washing with chemicals: effect of soil washing on cadmium uptake by soybean.

PubMed

Maejima, Yuji; Makino, Tomoyuki; Takano, Hiroyuki; Kamiya, Takashi; Sekiya, Naoki; Itou, Tadashi

2007-03-01

We conducted a pot experiment to evaluate the effect of soil washing with CaCl(2) on Cd absorption by two soybean cultivars. The results were as follows: (1) Soybean growth was not significantly different in washed and unwashed soils, but the seed Cd concentration for both cultivars decreased significantly, up to 25%, in the washed soils compared with the unwashed soils. (2) In the washed soils, the Cd concentration in the soil solution indicated an obviously lower value from sowing to the flowering stage; however, the change in Cd speciation was not evident in the CaCl(2)-washed soil solution. Consequently, the effect of soil washing using CaCl(2) on Cd-contaminated paddy soils can be expected to continue after a CaCl(2)-washed paddy field is converted to an upland field.

Hand washing for preventing diarrhoea.

PubMed

Ejemot, R I; Ehiri, J E; Meremikwu, M M; Critchley, J A

2008-01-23

Diarrhoea is a common cause of morbidity and a leading cause of death among children aged less than five years, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is transmitted by ingesting contaminated food or drink, by direct person-to-person contact, or from contaminated hands. Hand washing is one of a range of hygiene promotion interventions that can interrupt the transmission of diarrhoea-causing pathogens. To evaluate the effects of interventions to promote hand washing on diarrhoeal episodes in children and adults. In May 2007, we searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register, CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2007, Issue 2), MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, PsycINFO, Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index, ERIC (1966 to May 2007), SPECTR, Bibliomap, RoRe, The Grey Literature, and reference lists of articles. We also contacted researchers and organizations in the field. Randomized controlled trials, where the unit of randomization is an institution (eg day-care centre), household, or community, that compared interventions to promote hand washing or a hygiene promotion that included hand washing with no intervention to promote hand washing. Two authors independently assessed trial eligibility and methodological quality. Where appropriate, incidence rate ratios (IRR) were pooled using the generic inverse variance method and random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Fourteen randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Eight trials were institution-based, five were community-based, and one was in a high-risk group (AIDS patients). Interventions promoting hand washing resulted in a 29% reduction in diarrhoea episodes in institutions in high-income countries (IRR 0.71, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.84; 7 trials) and a 31% reduction in such episodes in communities in low- or middle-income countries (IRR 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.87; 5 trials). Hand washing can reduce diarrhoea episodes by about 30%. This significant

Relationship of Species and Site Index to Habitat in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

Treesearch

W. B. Leak

1978-01-01

Eleven forest habitats, representing distinct differences in soil materials or substrate, were defined for areas of granitic drift in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Beech/sugar maple/yellow birch characterize successional stands on the fine tills and the enriched or cove sites (where white ash also is common). Washed fine till and coarse till are dominated...

Congress Examines Nuclear Waste Disposal Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-02-01

During an 8 February U.S. congressional hearing to examine how to move forward on dealing with spent nuclear fuel and to review other recommendations of the recently released final report of the White House-appointed Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC), Yucca Mountain was the 65,000-ton gorilla in the room. BRC's charge was to conduct a comprehensive review of policies to manage the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and recommend a new strategy for dealing with the 65,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel currently stored at 75 sites around the country and the 2000 tons of new spent fuel being produced each year. However, BRC specifically did not evaluate Yucca Mountain. A 26 January letter from BRC to U.S. secretary of energy Steven Chu states, "You directed that the Commission was not to serve as a siting body. Accordingly, we have not evaluated Yucca Mountain or any other location as a potential site for the storage of spent nuclear fuel or disposal of high-level waste nor have we taken a position on the administration's request to withdraw the Yucca Mountain license application."

21 CFR 1250.87 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Wash water. 1250.87 Section 1250.87 Food and Drugs... Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.87 Wash water. Where systems installed on vessels for wash water, as defined in § 1250.3(n), do not comply with the requirements of a potable water system...

21 CFR 1250.87 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Wash water. 1250.87 Section 1250.87 Food and Drugs... Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.87 Wash water. Where systems installed on vessels for wash water, as defined in § 1250.3(n), do not comply with the requirements of a potable water system...

21 CFR 1250.87 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Wash water. 1250.87 Section 1250.87 Food and Drugs... Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.87 Wash water. Where systems installed on vessels for wash water, as defined in § 1250.3(n), do not comply with the requirements of a potable water system...

21 CFR 1250.87 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Wash water. 1250.87 Section 1250.87 Food and Drugs... Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.87 Wash water. Where systems installed on vessels for wash water, as defined in § 1250.3(n), do not comply with the requirements of a potable water system...

21 CFR 1250.87 - Wash water.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Wash water. 1250.87 Section 1250.87 Food and Drugs... Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels § 1250.87 Wash water. Where systems installed on vessels for wash water, as defined in § 1250.3(n), do not comply with the requirements of a potable water system...

Deep resistivity structure of Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Theodore H.; Rodriguez, Brian D.; Sampson, Jay A.; Wallin, Erin L.; Williams, Jackie M.

2006-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office are addressing groundwater contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area project. One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area adjacent to a nuclear test. Ground water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Yucca Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU). During 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, supported by the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from 51 magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) stations at the Nevada Test Site in and near Yucca Flat to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in that area. The primary purpose was to refine the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre Tertiary confining units. In particular, a major goal has been to define the upper clastic confining unit (late Devonian - Mississippian-age siliciclastic rocks assigned to the Eleana Formation and Chainman Shale) in the Yucca Flat area. The MT and AMT data have been released in separate USGS Open File Reports. The Nevada Test Site magnetotelluric data interpretation presented in this report includes the results of detailed two-dimensional (2 D) resistivity modeling for each profile (including alternative interpretations) and gross inferences on the three dimensional (3 D) character of the geology beneath each station. The character, thickness, and lateral extent of the Chainman Shale and Eleana Formation that comprise the Upper Clastic Confining Unit are generally well determined in the upper 5 km. Inferences can be made regarding the presence of the Lower Clastic Confining Unit at depths below 5 km. Large fault

The age of the Keystone thrust: laser-fusion 40Ar/39Ar dating of foreland basin deposits, southern Spring Mountains, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleck, R.J.; Carr, M.D.

1990-01-01

Nonmarine sedimentary and volcaniclastic foreland-basin deposits in the Spring Mountains are cut by the Contact and Keystone thrusts. These synorogenic deposits, informally designated the Lavinia Wash sequence by Carr (1980), previously were assigned a Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous(?) age. New 40Ar.39Ar laser-fusion and incremental-heating studies of a tuff bed in the Lavinia Wash sequence support a best estimate age of 99.0 ?? 0.4 Ma, indicating that the Lavinia Wash sequence is actually late Early Cretaceous in age and establishing a maximum age for final emplacement of the Contact and Keystone thrust plates consistent with the remainder of the Mesozoic foreland thrust belt. -from Authors

Inhibition Of Washed Sludge With Sodium Nitrite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Congdon, J. W.; Lozier, J. S.

2012-09-25

This report describes the results of electrochemical tests used to determine the relationship between the concentration of the aggressive anions in washed sludge and the minimum effective inhibitor concentration. Sodium nitrate was added as the inhibitor because of its compatibility with the DWPF process. A minimum of 0.05M nitrite is required to inhibit the washed sludge simulant solution used in this study. When the worst case compositions and safety margins are considered, it is expected that a minimum operating limit of nearly 0.1M nitrite will be specified. The validity of this limit is dependent on the accuracy of the concentrationsmore » and solubility splits previously reported. Sodium nitrite additions to obtain 0.1M nitrite concentrations in washed sludge will necessitate the additional washing of washed precipitate in order to decrease its sodium nitrite inhibitor requirements sufficiently to remain below the sodium limits in the feed to the DWPF. Nitrite will be the controlling anion in "fresh" washed sludge unless the soluble chloride concentration is about ten times higher than predicted by the solubility splits. Inhibition of "aged" washed sludge will not be a problem unless significant chloride dissolution occurs during storage. It will be very important tomonitor the composition of washed sludge during processing and storage.« less

Hand washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea

PubMed Central

Ejemot-Nwadiaro, Regina I; Ehiri, John E; Arikpo, Dachi; Meremikwu, Martin M; Critchley, Julia A

2015-01-01

Background Diarrhoea accounts for 1.8 million deaths in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). One of the identified strategies to prevent diarrhoea is hand washing. Objectives To assess the effects of hand washing promotion interventions on diarrhoeal episodes in children and adults. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (27 May 2015); CENTRAL (published in the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 5); MEDLINE (1966 to 27 May 2015); EMBASE (1974 to 27 May 2015); LILACS (1982 to 27 May 2015); PsycINFO (1967 to 27 May 2015); Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index (1981 to 27 May 2015); ERIC (1966 to 27 May 2015); SPECTR (2000 to 27 May 2015); Bibliomap (1990 to 27 May 2015); RoRe, The Grey Literature (2002 to 27 May 2015); World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP), metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT), and reference lists of articles up to 27 May 2015. We also contacted researchers and organizations in the field. Selection criteria Individually randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs that compared the effects of hand washing interventions on diarrhoea episodes in children and adults with no intervention. Data collection and analysis Three review authors independently assessed trial eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We stratified the analyses for child day-care centres or schools, community, and hospital-based settings. Where appropriate, incidence rate ratios (IRR) were pooled using the generic inverse variance method and random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of evidence. Main results We included 22 RCTs: 12 trials from child day-care centres or schools in mainly high-income countries (54,006 participants), nine community-based trials in LMICs (15,303 participants), and one hospital-based trial among people with acquired immune deficiency

Room environment influence on eggshell bacterial levels of non-washed and washed eggs from caged and cage-free laying hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The bacteria levels of non-washed and washed eggs obtained from caged and cage-free hens housed in either wire slats or shaving-covered pens were determined. On eight days (from 22 to 52 wk), 20 eggs were collected from each pen. Ten eggs/pen were washed with a commercial egg washing solution, whi...

SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: BIOGENESIS SOIL WASHING TECHNOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

Soil washing technologies are designed to transfer contaminants from soil to a liquid phase. The BloGenesis™ soil washing technology uses a proprietary surfactant solution to transfer organic contaminants from soil to wastewater. The surfactant used in the soil washing process wa...

30 CFR 1206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.260 Section... INTERIOR Natural Resources Revenue PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was...

30 CFR 1206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.459 Section... INTERIOR Natural Resources Revenue PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was...

Physicochemical Quality and Chemical Safety of Chlorine as a Reconditioning Agent and Wash Water Disinfectant for Fresh-Cut Lettuce Washing

PubMed Central

Van Haute, Sam; Holvoet, Kevin; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2013-01-01

Chlorine was assessed as a reconditioning agent and wash water disinfectant in the fresh-cut produce industry. Artificial fresh-cut lettuce wash water, made from butterhead lettuce, was used for the experiments. In the reconditioning experiments, chlorine was added to artificial wash water inoculated with Escherichia coli O157 (6 log CFU/ml). Regression models were constructed based on the inactivation data and validated in actual wash water from leafy vegetable processing companies. The model that incorporated chlorine dose and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wash water accurately predicted inactivation. Listeria monocytogenes was more resistant to chlorine reconditioning in artificial wash water than Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157. During the washing process with inoculated lettuce (4 log CFU/g), in the absence of chlorine, there was a rapid microbial buildup in the water that accumulated to 5.4 ± 0.4 log CFU/100 ml after 1 h. When maintaining a residual concentration of 1 mg/liter free chlorine, wash water contamination was maintained below 2.7, 2.5, and 2.5 log CFU/100 ml for tap water and artificial process water with COD values of 500 and 1,000 mg O2/liter, respectively. A model was developed to predict water contamination during the dynamic washing process. Only minor amounts of total trihalomethanes were formed in the water during reconditioning. Total trihalomethanes accumulated to larger amounts in the water during the wash water disinfection experiments and reached 124.5 ± 13.4 μg/liter after 1 h of execution of the washing process in water with a COD of 1,000 mg O2/liter. However, no total trihalomethanes were found on the fresh-cut lettuce after rinsing. PMID:23396332

Physicochemical quality and chemical safety of chlorine as a reconditioning agent and wash water disinfectant for fresh-cut lettuce washing.

PubMed

Van Haute, Sam; Sampers, Imca; Holvoet, Kevin; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2013-05-01

Chlorine was assessed as a reconditioning agent and wash water disinfectant in the fresh-cut produce industry. Artificial fresh-cut lettuce wash water, made from butterhead lettuce, was used for the experiments. In the reconditioning experiments, chlorine was added to artificial wash water inoculated with Escherichia coli O157 (6 log CFU/ml). Regression models were constructed based on the inactivation data and validated in actual wash water from leafy vegetable processing companies. The model that incorporated chlorine dose and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wash water accurately predicted inactivation. Listeria monocytogenes was more resistant to chlorine reconditioning in artificial wash water than Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157. During the washing process with inoculated lettuce (4 log CFU/g), in the absence of chlorine, there was a rapid microbial buildup in the water that accumulated to 5.4 ± 0.4 log CFU/100 ml after 1 h. When maintaining a residual concentration of 1 mg/liter free chlorine, wash water contamination was maintained below 2.7, 2.5, and 2.5 log CFU/100 ml for tap water and artificial process water with COD values of 500 and 1,000 mg O2/liter, respectively. A model was developed to predict water contamination during the dynamic washing process. Only minor amounts of total trihalomethanes were formed in the water during reconditioning. Total trihalomethanes accumulated to larger amounts in the water during the wash water disinfection experiments and reached 124.5 ± 13.4 μg/liter after 1 h of execution of the washing process in water with a COD of 1,000 mg O2/liter. However, no total trihalomethanes were found on the fresh-cut lettuce after rinsing.

30 CFR 1206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.459 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

30 CFR 1206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.459 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

30 CFR 1206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.260 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

30 CFR 1206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.260 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

30 CFR 1206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.459 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 1206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

30 CFR 1206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 1206.260 Section... RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When...

Wash water waste pretreatment system study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The use of real wash water had no adverse effect on soap removal when an Olive Leaf soap based system was used; 96 percent of the soap was removed using ferric chloride. Numerous chemical agents were evaluated as antifoams for synthetic wash water. Wash water surfactants used included Olive Leaf Soap, Ivory Soap, Neutrogena and Neutrogena Rain Bath Gel, Alipal CO-436, Aerosol 18, Miranol JEM, Palmeto, and Aerosol MA-80. For each type of soapy wash water evaluated, at least one antifoam capable of causing nonpersistent foam was identified. In general, the silicones and the heavy metal ions (i.e., ferric, aluminum, etc.) were the most effective antifoams. Required dosage was in the range of 50 to 200 ppm.

30 CFR 206.459 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 206.459 Section 206... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 206.459 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When the net...

30 CFR 206.260 - Allocation of washed coal.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Allocation of washed coal. 206.260 Section 206... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 206.260 Allocation of washed coal. (a) When coal is subjected to washing, the washed coal must be allocated to the leases from which it was extracted. (b) When the net...

Hand washing compliance among retail food establishment workers in Minnesota.

PubMed

Allwood, Paul B; Jenkins, Timothy; Paulus, Colleen; Johnson, Lars; Hedberg, Craig W

2004-12-01

Inadequate hand washing by food workers is an important contributing factor to foodborne disease outbreaks in retail food establishments (RFEs). We conducted a survey of RFEs to investigate the effect of hand washing training, availability of hand washing facilities, and the ability of the person in charge (PIC) to describe hand washing according to the Minnesota Food Code (food code) on workers' ability to demonstrate food code-compliant hand washing. Only 52% of the PICs could describe the hand washing procedure outlined in the food code, and only 48% of workers could demonstrate code-compliant hand washing. The most common problems observed were failure to wash for 20 s and failure to use a fingernail brush. There was a strong positive association between the PIC being a certified food manager and being able to describe the food code hand washing procedure (odds ratio [OR], 5.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2 to 13.7), and there was an even stronger association between the PIC being able to describe hand washing and workers being able to demonstrate code-compliant hand washing (OR, 15; 95% CI, 6 to 37). Significant associations were detected among correct hand washing demonstration, physical infrastructure for hand washing, and the hand washing training methods used by the establishment. However, the principal determinant of successful hand washing demonstration was the PIC's ability to describe proper hand washing procedure. These results suggest that improving hand washing practices among food workers will require interventions that address PIC knowledge of hand washing requirement and procedure and the development and implementation of effective hand washing training methods.

Eye wash water flow direction study: an evaluation of the effectiveness of eye wash devices with opposite directional water flow.

PubMed

Fogt, Jennifer S; Jones-Jordan, Lisa A; Barr, Joseph T

2018-01-01

New designs of eye wash stations have been developed in which the direction of water flow from the fountain has been reversed, with two water streams originating nasally in both eyes and flowing toward the temporal side of each eye. No study has been done to determine the ideal direction of water flow coming from the eye wash in relation to the eye. Ophthalmic eye examinations were conducted before and after the use of two eye wash stations with opposite water flow directionality. Fluorescein was instilled in both eyes before using an eye wash to measure the effectiveness of the water flow. Subjects were surveyed upon their experiences using the eye washes. Ophthalmic examination found no significant difference in the efficacy of the eye washes with nasal-to-temporal water flow when compared to temporal-to-nasal water flow direction.

Effects of drought and hurricane disturbances on headwater distributions of palaemonid river shrimp (Macrobrachium spp.) in the Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico.

Treesearch

Alan P. Covich; Todd A. Crowl; Tamara Heartsill Scalley

2006-01-01

Extreme events (hurricanes, floods, and droughts) can influence upstream migration of macroinvertebrates and wash out benthic communities, thereby locally altering food webs and species interactions. We sampled palaemonid river shrimp (Macrobrachium spp.), dominant consumers in headwaters of the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico, to determine their...

Cross contamination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 between lettuce and wash water during home-scale washing.

PubMed

Jensen, Dane A; Friedrich, Loretta M; Harris, Linda J; Danyluk, Michelle D; Schaffner, Donald W

2015-04-01

Lettuce and leafy greens have been implicated in multiple foodborne disease outbreaks. This study quantifies cross contamination between lettuce pieces in a small-scale home environment. A five-strain cocktail of relevant Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains was used. Bacterial transfer between single inoculated lettuce leaf pieces to 10 non-inoculated lettuce leaf pieces that were washed in a stainless steel bowl of water for 30 s, 1 min, 2 min, and 5 min was quantified. Regardless of washing time, the wash water became contaminated with 90-99% of bacteria originally present on the inoculated lettuce leaf piece. The E. coli O157:H7 concentration on initially inoculated leaf pieces was reduced ∼ 2 log CFU. Each initially uncontaminated lettuce leaf piece had ∼ 1% of the E. coli O157:H7 from the inoculated lettuce piece transferred to it after washing, with more transfer occurring during the shortest (30 s) and longest (5 min) wash times. In all cases the log percent transfer rates were essentially normally distributed. In all scenarios, most of the E. coli O157:H7 (90-99%) transferred from the inoculated lettuce pieces to the wash water. Washing with plain tap water reduces levels of E. coli O157:H7 on the inoculated lettuce leaf pieces, but also spreads contamination to previously uncontaminated leaf pieces. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Paleomagnetic quantification of upper-plate deformation during Miocene detachment faulting in the Mohave Mountains, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pease, V.; Hillhouse, J.W.; Wells, R.E.

2005-01-01

Paleomagnetic data from Miocene (???20 Ma) volcanic rocks and dikes of west central Arizona reveal the tilt history of Proterozoic crystalline rocks in the hanging wall of the Chemehuevi-Whipple Mountains detachment fault. We obtained magnetization data from dikes and flows in two structural blocks encompassing Crossman Peak and Standard Wash in the Mohave Mountains. In the Crossman block the dike swarm records two components of primary magnetization: (1) CNH, a normal polarity, high-unblocking-temperature or high-coercivity component (inclination, I = 48.5??, declination, D = 6.4??), and (2) CRHm, a reversed polarity, high-temperature or high-coercivity component (I = -33.6??, D = 197.5??). Argon age spectra imply that the dikes have not been reheated above 300??C since their emplacement, and a baked-contact test suggests that the magnetization is likely to be Miocene in age. CRHm deviates from the expected direction of the Miocene axial dipole field and is best explained as a result of progressive tilting about the strike of the overlying andesite flows. These data suggest that the Crossman block was tilted 60?? to the southwest prior to intrusion of the vertical dike swarm, and the block continued to tilt during a magnetic field reversal to normal polarity (CNH). Miocene dikes in the Crossman block are roughly coplanar, so the younger dikes with normal polarity magnetization intruded along planes of weakness parallel to the earlier reversed polarity swarm. An alternative explanation involves CNH magnetization being acquired later during hydrothermal alteration associated with the final stages of dike emplacement. In the Standard Wash block, the primary component of magnetization is a dual-polarity, high-temperature or high-coercivity component (SWHl, I = 7.2??,D= 0.7??). To produce agreement between the expected Miocene magnetic direction and the SWH component requires (1) correcting for a 56?? tilt about the strike of flow bedding and (2) removing a

Wash flow disturbance and summer wash flow in the Mojave Desert: Influence on dispersion, production, and physiological functioning of dominant shrubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newlander, April

In many Mojave Desert ecosystems, water infiltrates to root-zones in greatest proportion via washes. As such, washes have a pronounced effect on plant dispersion and size across these landscapes. Desert roads alter the natural spatial patterns of washes on alluvial fans (locally called bajadas) and potentially affect plant production and distribution. As a winter-rainfall dominated ecosystem, climate changes in the Mojave Desert that increase summer precipitation may also play an important role in altering vegetation processes influenced by washes. Road effects on the spatial distribution of desert plants on a Mojave Desert bajada were examined using remotely sensed LiDAR data and ground based measurements of plant size. Plant physiological responses to summer wash flow were also quantified by measuring gas exchange and water status of two dominant perennial species, Larrea tridentata and Ambrosia dumosa. Larrea and Ambrosia plants were nearly 7x and 4x larger where wash flow has been enhanced by road culverts, relative to undisturbed areas and areas where flow has been cut-off by the presence of a road/railroad. Clustering of large plants occurred along wash margins, with clustering most pronounced in areas of enhanced wash flow. No clustering was found where wash flow has been eliminated. For ecophysiological traits, both species showed pronounced responses to the pulse of water; however, these responses varied as a function of distance from wash. Larrea plants within 3 m and Ambrosia plants within ca. 2 m from the wash responded to the pulse of water. Leaf phenology dictated the timing of carbon gain as Larrea experienced a rapid but short-lived increase in stomatal conductance compared to a significant response for over a month following the pulse for Ambrosia. These results indicate that disturbance of desert washes has a pronounced impact on vegetation structure, and changing climatic conditions that impact plant function could potentially lead to even

Acid-rain induced changes in streamwater quality during storms on Catoctin Mountain, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, Karen C.; Bricker, O.P.

1992-01-01

Catoctin Mountain receives some of the most acidic (lowest pH) rain in the United States. In 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), began a study of the effects of acid rain on the quality of streamwater on the part of Catoctin Mountain within Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland (fig. 1). Samples of precipitation collected on the mountain by the USGS since 1982 have been analyzed for acidity and concentration of chemical constituents. During 1982-91, the volume-weighted average pH of precipitation was 4.2. (Volume weighting corrects for the effect of acids being washed out of the atmosphere at the beginning of rainfall). The pH value is measured on a logarithmic scale, which means that for each whole number change, the acidity changes by a factor of 10. Thus rain with a pH of 4.2 is more than 10 times as acidic as uncontaminated rain, which has a pH of about 5.6. The acidity of rain during several rainstorms on Catoctin Mountain was more than 100 times more acidic than uncontaminated rain.

Eggshell bacterial levels of non-washed and washed eggs from caged and cage-free hens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The bacteria levels of non-washed and washed eggs obtained from caged and cage-free laying hens housed on either all shavings or all wire slat floors were determined. On eight sample days (from 22 to 52 weeks at 4 week intervals), 20 eggs were collected from each pen (n=120/sample day). Ten eggs p...

Relative Abundances of Calcite and Silica in Fracture Coatings as a Possible Indicator of Evaporation in a Thick Unsaturated Zone, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, B. D.; Moscati, R. J.

2005-12-01

Yucca Mountain, a ridge of shallowly dipping, Miocene-age volcanic rocks in southwest Nevada, is the proposed site for a nuclear waste repository to be constructed in the 500- to 700-m-thick unsaturated zone (UZ). At the proposed repository, the 300-m-thick Topopah Spring Tuff welded unit (TSw) is overlain by approximately 30 m of nonwelded tuffs (PTn); the Tiva Canyon Tuff welded unit (TCw) overlies the PTn with a range in thickness from 0 to approximately 130 m at the site. The amount of water percolation through the UZ is low and difficult to measure directly, but local seepage into mined tunnels has been observed in the TCw. Past water seepage in the welded tuffs is recorded by widespread, thin (0.3 cm) coatings of calcite and silica on fracture surfaces and within cavities. Abundances of calcite and silica in the coatings were determined by X-ray microfluorescence mapping and subsequent multispectral image analysis of over 200 samples. The images were classified into constituent phases including opal-chalcedony-quartz (secondary silica) and calcite. In the TCw samples, the median calcite/silica ratio is 8; in the TSw samples within 35 m below the PTn, median calcite/silica falls to 2, perhaps reflecting an increase in soluble silica from the presence of glass in the nonwelded tuffs. In the deeper parts of the TSw, median calcite/silica reaches 100 and many samples contain no detectable secondary silica phase. Evaporation and changing pCO2 control precipitation of calcite from water percolating downward in the UZ, but precipitation of opal requires only evaporation. Calcite/silica ratios, therefore, can constrain the relative importance of evaporation in the UZ. Although calcite/silica values scatter widely within the TSw, reflecting the spatial variability of gas and water flow, average calcite/silica ratios increase with stratigraphic depth, indicating less evaporation at the deeper levels of the UZ. Coupled with the much smaller calcite/silica ratios

Wash water solids removal system study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

During wash water purification, surfactants tend to precipitate and foul the RO membranes, causing water flux decline and loss of salt rejection. The use of 165 to 190 ppm ferric chloride and optionally 0.25 to 1.0 ppm polymeric flocculate precipitates 92 to 96 percent of the surfactant from an Olive Leaf Soap based wash water. Crossflow filtration and pressure filtration yield good soap rejection at high water flux rates. Post-treatment of the chemically pretreated and filtered wash water with activated charcoal removes the residual soap down to an undetectable level.

[Massive transfusion of washed red blood cells: acid-base and electrolyth changes for different wash solutions].

PubMed

Sümpelmann, R; Schürholz, T; Marx, G; Ahrenshop, O; Zander, R

2003-09-01

The composition of normal saline (NaCl), the standard wash solution for cell saver autotransfusion, is considerably different from physiologic plasma values in small infants. Therefore, we investigated acid-base and electrolyte changes during massive cell saver autotransfusion with different wash solutions in young pigs. After approval by the animal protection authorities 15 young pigs (weight 10.6 +/- 1.1 kg, blood volume 848 +/- 88 ml, mean+/-SD) underwent 15 cycles of cell saver autotransfusion (Haemolite 2plus, Haemonetics). For each cycle, 100 ml arterial blood was withdrawn, washed with NaCl, physiologic multielectrolyte solution (PME, V Infusionslösung 296 mval Elektrolyte, Baxter) or physiologic erythrocyte protection solution (PEP, 3.2 % gelatine, pH 7.40, cHCO3 24 mmol/l), and then retransfused. Analyses of acid-base, electrolyte, and hematologic parameters were performed for systemic and washed blood samples. For NaCl there was a progressive decrease in systemic pH, HCO3 and base excess (BE) and an increase in chloride values (Cl) (p < 0.05). Use of PME slightly decreased pH (n. s.), whereas HCO3, BE and Cl remained stable. PEP slightly increased pH, HCO3 and BE, and decreased Cl (n. s.). Free hemoglobin increased in NaCl and PME (p < 0.05) and was below baseline in PEP (n. s.). Lactic acid course was comparable in all groups. The use of NaCl as wash solution for massive autotransfusion resulted in metabolic acidosis caused by dilution of HCO3 and increased Cl values. Fewer systemic acid-base and electrolyte changes were observed, when blood was washed with PME or PEP. The decreased hemoglobin release with PEP is possibly due to a gelatine specific electrostatic surface coating of erythrocyte membranes. For massive transfusion of washed red blood cells, physiologic multielectrolyte solution and physiologic erythrocyte protection solution should be preferred to NaCl, especially for small infants.

Geohydrology and evapotranspiration at Franklin Lake playa, Inyo County, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Czarnecki, J.B.

1997-12-31

Franklin Lake playa is one of the principal discharge areas of the Furnace Creek Ranch-Alkali Flat ground-water-flow system in southern Nevada and adjacent California. Yucca Mountain, Nevada, located within this flow system, is being evaluated by the US Department of Energy to determine its suitability as a potential site for a high-level nuclear-waste repository. To assist the U.S. Department of Energy with its evaluation of the Yucca Mountain site, the US Geological Survey developed a parameter-estimation model of the Furnace Creek Ranch-Alkali Flat ground-water-flow system. Results from sensitivity analyses made using the parameter-estimation model indicated that simulated rates of evapotranspirationmore » at Franklin Lake playa had the largest effect on the calculation of transmissivity values at Yucca Mountain of all the model-boundary conditions and, therefore, that evapotranspiration required careful definition.« less

Bomb-Pulse Chlorine-36 at the Proposed Yucca Mountain Repository Horizon: An Investigation of Previous Conflicting Results and Collection of New Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cizdziel, James

2006-07-31

Previous studies Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) found elevated ratios of chlorine-36 to total chloride (36Cl/Cl) in samples of rock collected from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) at Yucca Mountain (YM). The data were interpreted as an indication that fluids containing “bomb-pulse” 36Cl reached the repository horizon in the ~50 years since the peak period of above-ground nuclear testing. Due to the significance of 36Cl data to conceptual models of unsaturated zone flow, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) implemented a study to validate the LANL findings. The USGS drilled new boreholes at select locations across zones where bomb-pulse ratiosmore » had previously been identified. The drill cores were analyzed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Because consensus was not reached between the USGS/LLNL and LANL on several fundamental points including the presence or absence of bomb-pulse 36Cl, an evaluation by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), was initiated. The overall objectives of the UNLV study were to investigate the source of the validation study’s conflicting results, and to obtain additional data on bomb-pulse isotopes at the repository horizon. UNLV engaged in discussions with previous investigators, reviewed reports, and analyzed archived samples. UNLV also collected new samples of rock from the ESF, soil profiles from the surface of YM, and samples of seep water from inside the ESF. Samples were analyzed for 36Cl/Cl ratios, and 99Tc and 129I in select samples. A column experiment was conducted mimicking the passage of bomb-pulse 36Cl through YM tuff. The work faced several obstacles including an extended shutdown of the tunnel. Only one sample yielded a background corrected 36Cl/Cl ratio that was higher than the accepted bomb-pulse threshold (1250 x 10-15). Specimen 01034214 obtained from the Drill Hole Wash fault (19+33) had a ratio of 1590 ± 80 (1σ) x10-15, whereas the other separate sample from this

Wash or wipe? A comparative study of skin physiological changes between water washing and wiping after skin cleaning.

PubMed

Ogai, K; Matsumoto, M; Aoki, M; Ota, R; Hashimoto, K; Wada, R; Kobayashi, M; Sugama, J

2017-11-01

Presently, skin-cleaning agents that claim to be removed by water or wiping alone are commercially available and have been used for the purpose of bed baths. However, there is a lack of knowledge on how water washing and wiping differently affect skin physiological functions or ceramide content. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of water washing and wiping on skin physiological functions and ceramide content. Three kinds of the cleaning agents with different removal techniques (ie, water washing and wiping) were used in this study. Skin physiological functions (ie, transepidermal water loss, skin hydration, and skin pH) and skin ceramide content were measured before and after seven consecutive days of the application of each cleaning agent. No significant differences in skin physiological functions or ceramide content were observed between water washing and wiping. Cleaning agents that claim to be removed by water washing or wiping do not affect skin physiological functions or ceramide content by either removal method. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Surface-Wave Tomography of Yucca Flat, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toney, L. D.; Abbott, R. E.; Knox, H. A.; Preston, L. A.; Hoots, C. R.

2016-12-01

In 2015, Sandia National Laboratories conducted an active-source seismic survey of Yucca Flat, Nevada, on the Nevada National Security Site. The Yucca Flat basin hosted over 900 nuclear tests between 1951 and 1992. Data from this survey will help characterize seismic propagation effects of the area, informing models for the next phase of the Source Physics Experiments. The survey source was a 13,000-kg weight-drop at 91 locations along a 19-km N-S transect and 56 locations along an 11-km E-W transect. Over 350 three-component 2-Hz geophones were variably spaced at 10, 20, and 100 m along each line. We employed roll-along survey geometry to ensure 10-m receiver spacing within 2 km of the source. Phase velocity surface-wave analysis via the refraction-microtremor (ReMi) method was previously performed on this data in order to obtain an S-wave velocity model of the subsurface. However, the results of this approach were significantly impacted in areas where ray paths were proximate to underground nuclear tests, resulting in a spatially incomplete model. We have processed the same data utilizing group velocities and the multiple filter technique (MFT), with the hope that the propagation of wave groups is less impacted by the disrupted media surrounding former tests. We created a set of 30 Gaussian band-pass filters with scaled relative passbands and central frequencies ranging from 1 to 50 Hz. We picked fundamental Rayleigh wave arrivals from the filtered data; these picks were then inverted for 2D S-wave velocity along the transects. The new S-wave velocity model will be integrated with previous P-wave tomographic results to yield a more complete model of the subsurface structure of Yucca Flat. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Development assessment of wash water reclamation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putnam, D. F.

1976-01-01

An analytical study assessment of state-of-the-art wash water reclamation technology is presented. It covers all non-phase-change unit operations, unit processes and subsystems currently under development by NASA. Each approach to wash water reclamation is described in detail. Performance data are given together with the projected weights and sizes of key components and subsystems. It is concluded that a simple multifiltration subsystem composed of surface-type cartridge filters, carbon adsorption and ion exchange resins is the most attractive approach for spacecraft wash water reclamation in earth orbital missions of up to 10 years in duration.

Washing of waste prior to landfilling.

PubMed

Cossu, Raffaello; Lai, Tiziana

2012-05-01

The main impact produced by landfills is represented by the release of leachate emissions. Waste washing treatment has been investigated to evaluate its efficiency in reducing the waste leaching fraction prior to landfilling. The results of laboratory-scale washing tests applied to several significant residues from integrated management of solid waste are presented in this study, specifically: non-recyclable plastics from source separation, mechanical-biological treated municipal solid waste and a special waste, automotive shredded residues. Results obtained demonstrate that washing treatment contributes towards combating the environmental impacts of raw wastes. Accordingly, a leachate production model was applied, leading to the consideration that the concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), parameters of fundamental importance in the characterization of landfill leachate, from a landfill containing washed wastes, are comparable to those that would only be reached between 90 and 220years later in the presence of raw wastes. The findings obtained demonstrated that washing of waste may represent an effective means of reducing the leachable fraction resulting in a consequent decrease in landfill emissions. Further studies on pilot scale are needed to assess the potential for full-scale application of this treatment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detailed Geophysical Fault Characterization in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asch, Theodore H.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Burton, Bethany L.; Wallin, Erin L.

2009-01-01

Yucca Flat is a topographic and structural basin in the northeastern part of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nye County, Nevada. Between the years 1951 and 1992, 659 underground nuclear tests took place in Yucca Flat; most were conducted in large, vertical excavations that penetrated alluvium and the underlying Cenozoic volcanic rocks. Radioactive and other potential chemical contaminants at the NTS are the subject of a long-term program of investigation and remediation by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office, under its Environmental Restoration Program. As part of the program, the DOE seeks to assess the extent of contamination and to evaluate the potential risks to humans and the environment from byproducts of weapons testing. To accomplish this objective, the DOE Environmental Restoration Program is constructing and calibrating a ground-water flow model to predict hydrologic flow in Yucca Flat as part of an effort to quantify the subsurface hydrology of the Nevada Test Site. A necessary part of calibrating and evaluating a model of the flow system is an understanding of the location and characteristics of faults that may influence ground-water flow. In addition, knowledge of fault-zone architecture and physical properties is a fundamental component of the containment of the contamination from underground nuclear tests, should such testing ever resume at the Nevada Test Site. The goal of the present investigation is to develop a detailed understanding of the geometry and physical properties of fault zones in Yucca Flat. This study was designed to investigate faults in greater detail and to characterize fault geometry, the presence of fault splays, and the fault-zone width. Integrated geological and geophysical studies have been designed and implemented to work toward this goal. This report describes the geophysical surveys conducted near two drill holes in Yucca Flat, the data analyses performed, and the

Geologic map of the Mohave Mountains area, Mohave County, western Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howard, K.A.; Nielson, J.E.; Wilshire, W.G.; Nakata, J.K.; Goodge, J.W.; Reneau, Steven L.; John, Barbara E.; Hansen, V.L.

1999-01-01

Introduction The Mohave Mountains area surrounds Lake Havasu City, Arizona, in the Basin and Range physiographic province. The Mohave Mountains and the Aubrey Hills form two northwest-trending ranges adjacent to Lake Havasu (elevation 132 m; 448 ft) on the Colorado River. The low Buck Mountains lie northeast of the Mohave Mountains in the alluviated valley of Dutch Flat. Lowlands at Standard Wash separate the Mohave Mountains from the Bill Williams Mountains to the southeast. The highest point in the area is Crossman Peak in the Mohave Mountains, at an elevation of 1519 m (5148 ft). Arizona Highway 95 is now rerouted in the northwestern part of the map area from its position portrayed on the base map; it now also passes through the southern edge of the map area. Geologic mapping was begun in 1980 as part of a program to assess the mineral resource potential of Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (Light and others, 1983). Mapping responsibilities were as follows: Proterozoic and Mesozoic rocks, K.A. Howard; dikes, J.K. Nakata; Miocene section, J.E. Nielson; and surficial deposits, H.G. Wilshire. Earlier geologic mapping includes reconnaissance mapping by Wilson and Moore (1959). The present series of investigations has resulted in reports on the crystalline rocks and structure (Howard and others, 1982a), dikes (Nakata, 1982), Tertiary stratigraphy (Pike and Hansen, 1982; Nielson, 1986; Nielson and Beratan, 1990), surficial deposits (Wilshire and Reneau, 1992), tectonics (Howard and John, 1987; Beratan and others, 1990), geophysics (Simpson and others, 1986), mineralization (Light and McDonnell, 1983; Light and others, 1983), field guides (Nielson, 1986; Howard and others, 1987), and geochronology (Nakata and others, 1990; Foster and others, 1990).

30 CFR 206.458 - Determination of washing allowances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Coal § 206.458 Determination of washing allowances. (a) Arm's-length... allowance shall be the reasonable actual costs incurred by the lessee for washing the coal under that... deduction may be taken, the lessee must submit a completed page one of Form MMS-4292, Coal Washing Allowance...

Geologic map and digital database of the Porcupine Wash 7.5 minute Quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Robert E.

2001-01-01

This data set maps and describes the geology of the Porcupine Wash 7.5 minute quadrangle, Riverside County, southern California. The quadrangle, situated in Joshua Tree National Park in the eastern Transverse Ranges physiographic and structural province, encompasses parts of the Hexie Mountains, Cottonwood Mountains, northern Eagle Mountains, and south flank of Pinto Basin. It is underlain by a basement terrane comprising Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, Mesozoic plutonic rocks, and Mesozoic and Mesozoic or Cenozoic hypabyssal dikes. The basement terrane is capped by a widespread Tertiary erosion surface preserved in remnants in the Eagle and Cottonwood Mountains and buried beneath Cenozoic deposits in Pinto Basin. Locally, Miocene basalt overlies the erosion surface. A sequence of at least three Quaternary pediments is planed into the north piedmont of the Eagle and Hexie Mountains, each in turn overlain by successively younger residual and alluvial deposits. The Tertiary erosion surface is deformed and broken by north-northwest-trending, high-angle, dip-slip faults and an east-west trending system of high-angle dip- and left-slip faults. East-west trending faults are younger than and perhaps in part coeval with faults of the northwest-trending set. The Porcupine Wash database was created using ARCVIEW and ARC/INFO, which are geographical information system (GIS) software products of Envronmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). The database consists of the following items: (1) a map coverage showing faults and geologic contacts and units, (2) a separate coverage showing dikes, (3) a coverage showing structural data, (4) a scanned topographic base at a scale of 1:24,000, and (5) attribute tables for geologic units (polygons and regions), contacts (arcs), and site-specific data (points). The database, accompanied by a pamphlet file and this metadata file, also includes the following graphic and text products: (1) A portable document file (.pdf) containing a

33 CFR 157.124 - COW tank washing machines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false COW tank washing machines. 157... OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Design, Equipment, and Installation § 157.124 COW tank washing machines. (a) COW machines must be permanently mounted in each cargo tank. (b...

Effects of soap-water wash on human epidermal penetration.

PubMed

Zhu, Hanjiang; Jung, Eui-Chang; Phuong, Christina; Hui, Xiaoying; Maibach, Howard

2016-08-01

Skin decontamination is a primary interventional method used to decrease dermal absorption of hazardous contaminants, including chemical warfare agents, pesticides and industrial pollutants. Soap and water wash, the most common and readily available decontamination system, may enhance percutaneous absorption through the "wash-in effect." To understand better the effect of soap-water wash on percutaneous penetration, and provide insight to improving skin decontamination methods, in vitro human epidermal penetration rates of four C(14) -labeled model chemicals (hydroquinone, clonidine, benzoic acid and paraoxon) were assayed using flow-through diffusion cells. Stratum corneum (SC) absorption rates of these chemicals at various hydration levels (0-295% of the dry SC weights) were determined and compared with the results of the epidermal penetration study to clarify the effect of SC hydration on skin permeability. Results showed accelerated penetration curves of benzoic acid and paraoxon after surface wash at 30 min postdosing. Thirty minutes after washing (60 min postdosing), penetration rates of hydroquinone and benzoic acid decreased due to reduced amounts of chemical on the skin surface and in the SC. At the end of the experiment (90 min postdosing), a soap-water wash resulted in lower hydroquinone penetration, greater paraoxon penetration and similar levels of benzoic acid and clonidine penetration compared to penetration levels in the non-wash groups. The observed wash-in effect agrees with the enhancement effect of SC hydration on the SC chemical absorption rate. These results suggest SC hydration derived from surface wash to be one cause of the wash-in effect. Further, the occurrence of a wash-in effect is dependent on chemical identity and elapsed time between exposure and onset of decontamination. By reducing chemical residue quantity on skin surface and in the SC reservoir, the soap-water wash may decrease the total quantity of chemical absorbed in the

Hand washing promotion for preventing diarrhoea.

PubMed

Ejemot-Nwadiaro, Regina I; Ehiri, John E; Arikpo, Dachi; Meremikwu, Martin M; Critchley, Julia A

2015-09-03

Diarrhoea accounts for 1.8 million deaths in children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). One of the identified strategies to prevent diarrhoea is hand washing. To assess the effects of hand washing promotion interventions on diarrhoeal episodes in children and adults. We searched the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialized Register (27 May 2015); CENTRAL (published in the Cochrane Library 2015, Issue 5); MEDLINE (1966 to 27 May 2015); EMBASE (1974 to 27 May 2015); LILACS (1982 to 27 May 2015); PsycINFO (1967 to 27 May 2015); Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index (1981 to 27 May 2015); ERIC (1966 to 27 May 2015); SPECTR (2000 to 27 May 2015); Bibliomap (1990 to 27 May 2015); RoRe, The Grey Literature (2002 to 27 May 2015); World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (ICTRP), metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT), and reference lists of articles up to 27 May 2015. We also contacted researchers and organizations in the field. Individually randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-RCTs that compared the effects of hand washing interventions on diarrhoea episodes in children and adults with no intervention. Three review authors independently assessed trial eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We stratified the analyses for child day-care centres or schools, community, and hospital-based settings. Where appropriate, incidence rate ratios (IRR) were pooled using the generic inverse variance method and random-effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of evidence. We included 22 RCTs: 12 trials from child day-care centres or schools in mainly high-income countries (54,006 participants), nine community-based trials in LMICs (15,303 participants), and one hospital-based trial among people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (148 participants).Hand washing promotion (education activities, sometimes with

Saline nasal washes

MedlinePlus

... nasal wash helps flush pollen, dust, and other debris from your nasal passages. It also helps remove excess mucus (snot) and adds moisture. Your nasal passages are open spaces behind your nose. Air passes through your nasal ...

Characteristics of Fault Zones in Volcanic Rocks Near Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sweetkind, Donald S.; Drake II, Ronald M.

2007-01-01

During 2005 and 2006, the USGS conducted geological studies of fault zones at surface outcrops at the Nevada Test Site. The objectives of these studies were to characterize fault geometry, identify the presence of fault splays, and understand the width and internal architecture of fault zones. Geologic investigations were conducted at surface exposures in upland areas adjacent to Yucca Flat, a basin in the northeastern part of the Nevada Test Site; these data serve as control points for the interpretation of the subsurface data collected at Yucca Flat by other USGS scientists. Fault zones in volcanic rocks near Yucca Flat differ in character and width as a result of differences in the degree of welding and alteration of the protolith, and amount of fault offset. Fault-related damage zones tend to scale with fault offset; damage zones associated with large-offset faults (>100 m) are many tens of meters wide, whereas damage zones associated with smaller-offset faults are generally a only a meter or two wide. Zeolitically-altered tuff develops moderate-sized damage zones whereas vitric nonwelded, bedded and airfall tuff have very minor damage zones, often consisting of the fault zone itself as a deformation band, with minor fault effect to the surrounding rock mass. These differences in fault geometry and fault zone architecture in surface analog sites can serve as a guide toward interpretation of high-resolution subsurface geophysical results from Yucca Flat.

Application and evaluation of the washing effect in the collector well using pilot plant with washing device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, K. H.; Kim, B. J.; Choi, N. C.; Lee, S. J.; Lee, B. H.

2012-04-01

Riverbed/bank filtration (RBF) is a natural process used as a first step in drinking water treatment. RBF systems consist of well fields that draw water from an aquifer that is hydraulically connected to surface waters. The benefits of RBF are multiple and include a reduction of turbidity, total coliform, microbial contaminants natural organic matter, and organic contaminants. Some of the disadvantages of RBF include the difficulty of preventing river water from infiltrating the aquifer in in-stances of severe river contamination, the geochemical reaction of the infiltrate with aquifer materials that may raise the aqueous concentrations of Fe2+, Mn2+, As, NH4+, CH4, Ca2+ and HCO3- , and clogging of the riverbed. For example, has demonstrated that riverbed clogging may decrease the specific capacity of RBF wells (flow reduction in the collector well etc.). The objective of this study is to optimization and evaluation the washing effect on various nozzle type and intervals, soil retention rate in the collector well using pilot plant with washing device for prevention flow reduction in the collector well. The Pilot plant experiments were conducted under various conditions; two kinds nozzle type (spray nozzle of circle type (single - Full Cone, multi - Hollow Cone) and spray nozzle of fan shape type (Veejet)), two different nozzle intervals (200 mm, 400mm) and a various soil retention rate in the collector well (10 ~ 40%). The results of experiment showed that in the nozzle type case, the washing effect of the veeject nozzle was more effective than other (Full Cone, Hollow Cone) nozzle through spray results (range, strength and height). In the nozzle interval conditions, washing effect is 200 mm better than 400 mm through spray distance and soil height. The washing efficiency in the collector well increased on soil retention rate decreased and the nozzle injection pressure increased using washing device

Release of synthetic microplastic plastic fibres from domestic washing machines: Effects of fabric type and washing conditions.

PubMed

Napper, Imogen E; Thompson, Richard C

2016-11-15

Washing clothes made from synthetic materials has been identified as a potentially important source of microscopic fibres to the environment. This study examined the release of fibres from polyester, polyester-cotton blend and acrylic fabrics. These fabrics were laundered under various conditions of temperature, detergent and conditioner. Fibres from waste effluent were examined and the mass, abundance and fibre size compared between treatments. Average fibre size ranged between 11.9 and 17.7μm in diameter, and 5.0 and 7.8mm in length. Polyester-cotton fabric consistently shed significantly fewer fibres than either polyester or acrylic. However, fibre release varied according to wash treatment with various complex interactions. We estimate over 700,000 fibres could be released from an average 6kg wash load of acrylic fabric. As fibres have been reported in effluent from sewage treatment plants, our data indicates fibres released by washing of clothing could be an important source of microplastics to aquatic habitats. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 63.31 - Construction authorization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Construction authorization. 63.31 Section 63.31 Energy... REPOSITORY AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA Licenses Construction Authorization § 63.31 Construction authorization... part, the Commission may authorize construction of a geologic repository operations area at the Yucca...

Long-Term Mechanical Behavior of Yucca Mountain Tuff and its Variability, Final Technical Report for Task ORD-FY04-021

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daemen, Jaak J.K.; Ma, Lumin; Zhao, Guohua

The study of the long term mechanical behavior of Yucca Mountain tuffs is important for several reasons. Long term stability of excavations will affect accessibility (e.g. for inspection purposes), and retrievability. Long term instabilities may induce loading of drip shields and/or emplaced waste, thus affecting drip shield and/or waste package corrosion. Failure of excavations will affect airflow, may affect water flow, and may affect temperature distributions. The long term mechanical behavior of rocks remains an elusive topic, loaded with uncertainties. A variety of approaches have been used to improve the understanding of this complex subject, but it is doubtful thatmore » it has reached a stage where firm predictions can be considered feasible. The long term mechanical behavior of "soft" rocks, especially evaporites, and in particular rock salt, has been the subject of numerous investigations (e.g. Cristescu and Hunsche, 1998, Cristescu et al, 2002), and basic approaches towards engineering taking into account the long term behavior of such materials have long been well established (e.g. Dreyer, 1972, 1982). The same is certainly not true of "hard" rocks. While it long has been recognized that the long term strength of ?hard? rocks almost certainly is significantly less than that measured during "short", i.e. standard (ASTM D 2938), ISRM suggested (Bieniawski et al, 1978) and conventionally used test procedures (e.g. Bieniawski, 1970, Wawersik, 1972, Hoek and Brown, 1980, p. 150), what limited approaches have been taken to develop strategies toward determining the long term mechanical behavior of "hard" rock remain in the early research and investigation stage, at best. One early model developed specifically for time dependent analysis of underground "hard" rock structures is the phenomenological model by Kaiser and Morgenstern (1981). Brady and Brown (1985, p. 93) state that over a wide range of strain rates, from 10^-8 to 10^2/s the difference in strength

Hammering Yucca Flat, Part One: P-Wave Velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, D. G.; Abbott, R. E.; Preston, L. A.; Hampshire, J. B., II

2015-12-01

Explosion-source phenomenology is best studied when competing signals (such as instrument, site, and propagation effects), are well understood. The second phase of the Source Physics Experiments (SPE), is moving from granite geology to alluvium geology at Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site. To improve subsurface characterization of Yucca Flat (and therefore better understand propagation and site effects), an active-source seismic survey was conducted using a novel 13,000-kg impulsive hammer source. The source points, spaced 200 m apart, covered a N-S transect spanning 18 km. Three component, 2-Hz geophones were used to record useable signals out to 10 km. We inverted for P-wave velocity by computing travel times using a finite-difference 3D eikonal solver, and then compared that to the picked travel times using a linearized iterative inversion scheme. Preliminary results from traditional reflection processing methods are also presented. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

Research notes : bridge washing to reduce salt.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-10-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation investigated periodic bridge washing as a way to possibly remove chloride from the concrete and stop further uptake of chloride ions. Washing trials were conducted over a 4-year period on concrete blocks to det...

Propeller wash effects on spray drift

Treesearch

Steven J. Thompson; Alvin R. Womac; Joseph Mulrooney; Sidney Deck

2005-01-01

for aerial spray application, there is some question if off-target drift (both near and far) is influenced by which boom is spraying and the direction of propeller wash rotation. This information may be useful when switching off one boom close to a field boundary. The effect of alternate boom switching and propeller wash direction on aerial spray drift from a turbine-...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krier, D. J.; Perry, F. V.

Location, timing, volume, and eruptive style of post-Miocene volcanoes have defined the volcanic hazard significant to a proposed high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as a low-probability, high-consequence event. Examination of eruptive centers in the region that may be analogueues to possible future volcanic activity at Yucca Mountain have aided in defining and evaluating the consequence scenarios for intrusion into and eruption above a repository. The probability of a future event intersecting a repository at Yucca Mountain has a mean value of 1.7 x 10{sup -8} per year. This probability comes frommore » the Probabilistic Volcanic Hazard Assessment (PVHA) completed in 1996 and updated to reflect change in repository layout. Since that time, magnetic anomalies representing potential buried volcanic centers have been identified fiom magnetic surveys; however these potential buried centers only slightly increase the probability of an event intersecting the repository. The proposed repository will be located in its central portion of Yucca Mountain at approximately 300m depth. The process for assessing performance of a repository at Yucca Mountain has identified two scenarios for igneous activity that, although having a very low probability of occurrence, could have a significant consequence should an igneous event occur. Either a dike swarm intersecting repository drifts containing waste packages, or a volcanic eruption through the repository could result in release of radioactive material to the accessible environment. Ongoing investigations are assessing the mechanisms and significance of the consequence scenarios. Lathrop Wells Cone ({approx}80,000 yrs), a key analogue for estimating potential future volcanic activity, is the youngest surface expression of apparent waning basaltic volcanism in the region. Cone internal structure, lavas, and ash-fall tephra have been examined to estimate eruptive

Impact of Distillery Spent Wash Irrigation on Agricultural Soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jadhav, Ramanand N.; Sarode, Dhananjay B.; Narkhede, Sachin D.; Khatik, Vasimshaikh A.; Attarde, Sanjay B.

2011-07-01

The disposal of wastes from industrial sources is becoming a serious problem throughout the world. In India, a total of approximately 40 million m3 of distillery spent wash is generated annually from 295 distilleries. The distillery spent wash is acidic and high levels of biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand and contains nutrient elements such as potassium (K), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P). It is used as a source of plant nutrients and organic matter for various agricultural crops. It is usually applied to arable land near the distilleries as irrigation water or as a soil amendment. However, indiscriminate disposal of it has resulted in adverse impact on soil environments. This paper aims to identify the impact of distillery spent wash application for irrigation and on soil environment. The distillery spent wash can be a good source of nutrients necessary for plant growth. Application of various concentrations of spent wash on plant species was studied. A plot having 20-30% concentration of spent wash observed good growth. At higher doses, spent wash application is found harmful to crop growth and soil fertility and its use at lower doses remarkably improves germination and growth of crops.

Washing Out the Competition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

AJT Associates, Inc. (AJT) worked with NASA to develop a revolutionary ozone-based laundry system. AJT's TecH2Ozone(R) wash system presents its customers with an energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally safe way to perform commercial laundering. TecH2Ozone significantly reduces the amount of water and chemical used as compared to traditional commercial laundry systems. This reduction has resulted in lower cost and shorter wash cycles. And due to the reduced use of chemicals, a significant portion of the rinse water is recycled back into the system for reuse. TecH2Ozone customers, such as hotels and other large commercial laundry facilities, have felt the benefits of this equipment. Because of the reduced cycle times, fewer washers are needed and there is a notable increase in the cleanliness of the laundry. The reduction in chemical residues is a boon to customers with allergies and those prone to skin irritation from chemicals retained in regular laundry. AJT Associates, Inc. (AJT) worked with NASA to develop a revolutionary ozone-based laundry system. AJT's TecH2Ozone(R) wash system presents its customers with an energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally safe way to perform commercial laundering.

21 CFR 133.137 - Washed curd cheese for manufacturing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. 133.137... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cheese and Related Products § 133.137 Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. Washed curd cheese for...

21 CFR 133.137 - Washed curd cheese for manufacturing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. 133.137... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION CHEESES AND RELATED CHEESE PRODUCTS Requirements for Specific Standardized Cheese and Related Products § 133.137 Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. Washed curd cheese for...

Hypocholesterolemic property of Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria extracts in human body.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Woo; Park, Sang-Kyu; Kang, Sung-Il; Kang, Han-Chul; Oh, Han-Jin; Bae, Chul-Young; Bae, Dong-Ho

2003-12-01

This study was undertaken to observe the effects of the blend of partially purified Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria extracts on cholesterol levels in the human's blood and gastrointestinal functions, and to determine if a new cholesterol-lowering drug can be developed by the further purification of the extracts. Ultrafiltration and sequential diafiltration increased the amounts of steroidal saponin in aqueous yucca extract and terpenoid saponin in aqueous quillaja extract from 9.3% and 21.4% to 17.2% and 61.8%, respectively. Taking 0.9 mg of the blend (6:4, v:v) of the resulting filtrates a day for 4 weeks resulted in the decreases in total and LDL cholesterol levels in blood plasma of hyper-cholesterolemic patients with enhancement in gastrointestinal symptoms of patients.

Maps Showing Ground-Water Conditions in the San Simon Wash Area, Papago Indian Reservation, Arizona - 1979

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hollet, Kenneth J.

1981-01-01

INTRODUCTION The San Simon Wash area includes about 2,300 mi2 in the Papago Indian Reservation in south-central Arizona and is characterized by low mountains separated by broad alluvial basins. Most of the basins and mountains trend north and slightly northwest. The basins are underlain by a thick sequence of basin-fill deposits. The mountains are composed of crystalline and consolidated sedimentary rocks, and thin alluvial deposits are present in the narrow mountain valleys and on pediments. The climate is semiarid, and the precipitation pattern is characterized by two distinct types of storms--local summer thunderstorms and regional winter storms. In most of the area the average annual precipitation ranges from 5 to 10 in.; in the Baboquivari Mountains, however, the average annual precipitation is 20 in. (Sellers and Hill, 1974, p. 7). Owing to the small amount of precipitation and the abundant sunshine, the evaporation rate is about 8 to 10 times the average rainfall (Heindl and others, 1962). Storm runoff occurs mainly as sheetflow and floods of short duration. Although some runoff is diverted to catchment tanks for use by livestock, runoff is not known to be diverted for irrigation or public-supply uses. Ground-water development has been slight compared with that in many areas in Arizona. In 1979 about 2,700 acre-ft of ground water was withdrawn, of which 2,200 acre-ft was used for irrigation at Papago Farms, and 500 acre-ft was used for public and livestock supplies. The hydrologic data on which these maps are based are available, for the most part, in computer-printout form and may be consulted at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 99 East Virginia, Phoenix, and at U.S. Geological Survey offices in: Federal Building, 301 West Congress Street, Tucson, and Valley Center, Suite 1880, Phoenix. Material from which copies can be made at private expense is available at the Tucson and Phoenix offices of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Cockrell washs hair and face

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-12-16

STS080-312-004 (19 Nov.-7 Dec. 1996) --- Astronaut Kenneth D. Cockrell, STS-80 mission commander, washes his hair on the middeck of the Earth-orbiting space shuttle Columbia. Displaying a sense of humor, the commander asked astronaut Story Musgrave, who is bald, to address this visual during a briefing with Johnson Space Center (JSC) employees on Jan. 14, 1997. Equal to the task, Musgrave cracked a number of bald jokes and remarked that it was much easier to polish a head in zero gravity than to wash one.

Preliminary interpretation of thermal data from the Nevada Test Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sass, John Harvey; Lachenbruch, Arthur H.

1982-01-01

Analysis of data from 60 wells in and around the Nevada Test Site, including 16 in the Yucca Mountain area, indicates a thermal regime characterized by large vertical and lateral gradients in heat flow. Estimates of heat flow indicate considerable variation on both regional and local scales. The variations are attributable primarily to hydrologic processes involving interbasin flow with a vertical component of (seepage) velocity (volume flux) of a few mm/yr. Apart from indicating a general downward movement of water at a few mm/yr, the results from Yucca Mountain are as yet inconclusive.

Changes in soil toxicity by phosphate-aided soil washing: effect of soil characteristics, chemical forms of arsenic, and cations in washing solutions.

PubMed

Jho, Eun Hea; Im, Jinwoo; Yang, Kyung; Kim, Young-Jin; Nam, Kyoungphile

2015-01-01

This study was set to investigate the changes in the toxicity of arsenic (As)-contaminated soils after washing with phosphate solutions. The soil samples collected from two locations (A: rice paddy and B: forest land) of a former smelter site were contaminated with a similar level of As. Soil washing (0.5 M phosphate solution for 2 h) removed 24.5% As, on average, in soil from both locations. Regardless of soil washing, Location A soil toxicities, determined using Microtox, were greater than that of Location B and this could be largely attributed to different soil particle size distribution. With soils from both locations, the changes in As chemical forms resulted in either similar or greater toxicities after washing. This emphasizes the importance of considering ecotoxicological aspects, which are likely to differ depending on soil particle size distribution and changes in As chemical forms, in addition to the total concentration based remedial goals, in producing ecotoxicologically-sound soils for reuse. In addition, calcium phosphate used as the washing solution seemed to contribute more on the toxic effects of the washed soils than potassium phosphate and ammonium phosphate. Therefore, it would be more appropriate to use potassium or ammonium phosphate than calcium phosphate for phosphate-aided soil washing of the As-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'If an Eye Is Washed Properly, It Means It Would See Clearly': A Mixed Methods Study of Face Washing Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors in Rural Ethiopia.

PubMed

Aiemjoy, Kristen; Stoller, Nicole E; Gebresillasie, Sintayehu; Shiferaw, Ayalew; Tadesse, Zerihun; Sewnet, Tegene; Ayele, Bezuayehu; Chanyalew, Melsew; Callahan, Kelly; Stewart, Aisha; Emerson, Paul M; Lietman, Thomas M; Keenan, Jeremy D; Oldenburg, Catherine E

2016-10-01

Face cleanliness is a core component of the SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvements) strategy for trachoma control. Understanding knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to face washing may be helpful for designing effective interventions for improving facial cleanliness. In April 2014, a mixed methods study including focus groups and a quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted in the East Gojjam zone of the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Participants were asked about face washing practices, motivations for face washing, use of soap (which may reduce bacterial load), and fly control strategies. Overall, both knowledge and reported practice of face washing was high. Participants reported they knew that washing their own face and their children's faces daily was important for hygiene and infection control. Although participants reported high knowledge of the importance of soap for face washing, quantitative data revealed strong variations by community in the use of soap for face washing, ranging from 4.4% to 82.2% of households reporting using soap for face washing. Cost and forgetfulness were cited as barriers to the use of soap for face washing. Keeping flies from landing on children was a commonly cited motivator for regular face washing, as was trachoma prevention. Interventions aiming to improve facial cleanliness for trachoma prevention should focus on habit formation (to address forgetfulness) and address barriers to the use of soap, such as reducing cost. Interventions that focus solely on improving knowledge may not be effective for changing face-washing behaviors.

21 CFR 133.137 - Washed curd cheese for manufacturing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. 133.137 Section 133.137 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Standardized Cheese and Related Products § 133.137 Washed curd cheese for manufacturing. Washed curd cheese for...

Measured solubilities and speciations from oversaturation experiments of neptunium, plutonium, and americium in UE-25p No. 1 well water from the Yucca Mountain region: Milestone report 3329-WBS1.2.3.4.1.3.1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nitsche, H.; Roberts, K.; Prussin, T.

1994-04-01

Solubility and speciation are important in understanding aqueous radionuclide transport through the geosphere. They define the source term for transport retardation processes such as sorption and colloid formation. Solubility and speciation data are useful in verifying the validity of geochemical codes that are a part of predictive transport models. Results are presented from solubility and speciation experiments of {sup 237}NpO{sub 2}{sup +}, {sup 239}Pu{sup 4+}, and {sup 241}Am{sup 3+}/Nd{sup 3+} in a modified UE-25p No. 1 groundwater (from the Yucca Mountain region, Nevada, which is being investigated as a potential high-level nuclear waste disposal site) at two different temperatures (25{degree}more » and 60{degree}C) and three pH values (6.0, 7.0, 8.5). The solubility-controlling steady-state solids were identified and the speciation and/or oxidation states present in the supernatant solutions were determined. The neptunium solubility decreased with increasing temperature and pH. Plutonium concentrations significantly decreased with increasing temperature at pH 6 and 7. The concentration at pH 8.5 hardly decreased at all with increasing temperature. At both temperatures the concentrations were highest at pH 8.5, lowest at pH 7, and in between at pH 6. For the americium/neodymium solutions, the solubility decreased significantly with increasing temperature and increased somewhat with increasing pH.« less

Digestive parameters in young turkeys fed yucca saponin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dziuk, H.E.; Duke, G.E.; Buck, R.J.

1985-06-01

Yucca saponin fed in a concentration of 63 ppm to turkey poults at 6 to 14 weeks of age did not significantly improve weight gains, feed conversion, or digestive coefficients. Compared with nonstressed control groups, saponin-fed poults did not have significantly greater average weight gains or feed intakes when stressed by crowding (3 poults per cage) or by adding ammonia to the atmosphere (30 to 35 ppm).

Treatment of car wash wastewater by UF membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Istirokhatun, Titik; Destianti, Puti; Hargianintya, Adenira; Oktiawan, Wiharyanto; Susanto, Heru

2015-12-01

The existence of car wash service facilitates car owners to remove dirt and grime from their vehicles. However, the dirt washed off vehicles as well as the cleaning materials themselves may be harmful to the environment if they are not properly managed and discharged. Many technologies have been proposed to treat car wash wastewater such as coagulation flocculation, tricking filter and flocculation-flotation. Nevertheless, these technologies have low efficiency to eliminate oil and small organic compounds. Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were used in this study to treat car wash wastewater. This study investigated the performance of UF membranes under various pressures to remove COD, oil and grease, and also turbidity from car wash waste water. The membrane performance was examined by investigation of permeate flux and membrane rejection. The results meet the standard of environmental regulation and it is possible to be reused. The highest rejection was shown by PES10 (polyethersulfone 10 kDa) in 1 bar operation with complete rejection for both turbidity and oil and grace and 95% rejection for COD.

Natural radionuclide mobility and its influence on U-Th-Pb dating of secondary minerals from the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neymark, L.A.; Amelin, Y.V.

2008-01-01

Extreme U and Pb isotope variations produced by disequilibrium in decay chains of 238U and 232Th are found in calcite, opal/chalcedony, and Mn-oxides occurring as secondary mineral coatings in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. These very slowly growing minerals (mm my-1) contain excess 206Pb and 208Pb formed from excesses of intermediate daughter isotopes and cannot be used as reliable 206Pb/238U geochronometers. The presence of excess intermediate daughter isotopes does not appreciably affect 207Pb/235U ages of U-enriched opal/chalcedony, which are interpreted as mineral formation ages. Opal and calcite from outer (younger) portions of coatings have 230Th/U ages from 94.6 ?? 3.7 to 361.3 ?? 9.8 ka and initial 234U/238U activity ratios (AR) from 4.351 ?? 0.070 to 7.02 ?? 0.12, which indicate 234U enrichment from percolating water. Present-day 234U/238U AR is ???1 in opal/chalcedony from older portions of the coatings. The 207Pb/235U ages of opal/chalcedony samples range from 0.1329 ?? 0.0080 to 9.10 ?? 0.21 Ma, increase with microstratigraphic depth, and define slow long-term average growth rates of about 1.2-2.0 mm my-1, in good agreement with previous results. Measured 234U/238U AR in Mn-oxides, which pre-date the oldest calcite and opal/chalcedony, range from 0.939 ?? 0.006 to 2.091 ?? 0.006 and are >1 in most samples. The range of 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.71156-0.71280) in Mn-oxides overlaps that in the late calcite. These data indicate that Mn-oxides exchange U and Sr with percolating water and cannot be used as a reliable dating tool. In the U-poor calcite samples, measured 206Pb/207Pb ratios have a wide range, do not correlate with Ba concentration as would be expected if excess Ra was present, and reach a value of about 1400, the highest ever reported for natural Pb. Calcite intergrown with opal contains excesses of both 206Pb and 207Pb derived from Rn diffusion and from direct ??-recoil from U-rich opal. Calcite from coatings devoid of opal

Effects of shampoo and water washing on hair cortisol concentrations.

PubMed

Hamel, Amanda F; Meyer, Jerrold S; Henchey, Elizabeth; Dettmer, Amanda M; Suomi, Stephen J; Novak, Melinda A

2011-01-30

Measurement of cortisol in hair is an emerging biomarker for chronic stress in human and nonhuman primates. Currently unknown, however, is the extent of potential cortisol loss from hair that has been repeatedly exposed to shampoo and/or water. Pooled hair samples from 20 rhesus monkeys were subjected to five treatment conditions: 10, 20, or 30 shampoo washes, 20 water-only washes, or a no-wash control. For each wash, hair was exposed to a dilute shampoo solution or tap water for 45 s, rinsed 4 times with tap water, and rapidly dried. Samples were then processed for cortisol extraction and analysis using previously published methods. Hair cortisol levels were significantly reduced by washing, with an inverse relationship between number of shampoo washes and the cortisol concentration. This effect was mainly due to water exposure, as cortisol levels following 20 water-only washes were similar to those following 20 shampoo treatments. Repeated exposure to water with or without shampoo appears to leach cortisol from hair, yielding values that underestimate the amount of chronic hormone deposition within the shaft. Collecting samples proximal to the scalp and obtaining hair washing frequency data may be valuable when conducting human hair cortisol studies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Shampoo and Water Washing on Hair Cortisol Concentrations

PubMed Central

Hamel, Amanda F.; Meyer, Jerrold S.; Henchey, Elizabeth; Dettmer, Amanda M.; Suomi, Stephen J.; Novak, Melinda A.

2010-01-01

Background Measurement of cortisol in hair is an emerging biomarker for chronic stress in human and nonhuman primates. Currently unknown, however, is the extent of potential cortisol loss from hair that has been repeatedly exposed to shampoo and/or water. Methods Pooled hair samples from 20 rhesus monkeys were subjected to five treatment conditions: 10, 20, or 30 shampoo washes, 20 water-only washes, or a no-wash control. For each wash, hair was exposed to a dilute shampoo solution or tap water for 45 s, rinsed 4 times with tap water, and rapidly dried. Samples were then processed for cortisol extraction and analysis using previously published methods. Results Hair cortisol levels were significantly reduced by washing, with an inverse relationship between number of shampoo washes and the cortisol concentration. This effect was mainly due to water exposure, as cortisol levels following 20 water-only washes were similar to those following 20 shampoo treatments. Conclusions Repeated exposure to water with or without shampoo appears to leach cortisol from hair, yielding values that underestimate the amount of chronic hormone deposition within the shaft. Collecting samples proximal to the scalp and obtaining hair washing frequency data may be valuable when conducting human hair cortisol studies. PMID:21034727

Analysis of Conservative Tracer Tests in the Bullfrog, Tram, and Prow Pass Tuffs, 1996 to 1998, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Umari, Amjad; Fahy, Michael F.; Earle, John D.; Tucci, Patrick

2008-01-01

To evaluate the potential for transport of radionuclides in ground water from the proposed high-level nuclear-waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, conservative (nonsorbing) tracer tests were conducted among three boreholes, known as the C-hole Complex, and values for transport (or flow) porosity, storage (or matrix) porosity, longitudinal dispersivity, and the extent of matrix diffusion were obtained. The C-holes are completed in a sequence of Miocene tuffaceous rock, consisting of nonwelded to densely welded ash-flow tuff with intervals of ash-fall tuff and volcaniclastic rocks, covered by Quaternary alluvium. The lower part of the tuffaceous-rock sequence includes the Prow Pass, Bullfrog, and Tram Tuffs of the Crater Flat Group. The rocks are pervaded by tectonic and cooling fractures. Paleozoic limestone and dolomite underlie the tuffaceous rocks. Four radially convergent and one partially recirculating conservative (nonsorbing) tracer tests were conducted at the C-hole Complex from 1996 to 1998 to establish values for flow porosity, storage porosity, longitudinal dispersivity, and extent of matrix diffusion in the Bullfrog and Tram Tuffs and the Prow Pass Tuff. Tracer tests included (1) injection of iodide into the combined Bullfrog-Tram interval; (2) injection of 2,6 difluorobenzoic acid into the Lower Bullfrog interval; (3) injection of 3-carbamoyl-2-pyridone into the Lower Bullfrog interval; and (4) injection of iodide and 2,4,5 trifluorobenzoic acid, followed by 2,3,4,5 tetrafluorobenzoic acid, into the Prow Pass Tuff. All tracer tests were analyzed by the Moench single- and dual-porosity analytical solutions to the advection-dispersion equation or by superposition of these solutions. Nonlinear regression techniques were used to corroborate tracer solution results, to obtain optimal parameter values from the solutions, and to quantify parameter uncertainty resulting from analyzing two of the three radially convergent conservative tracer tests

Examining the relationship between socio-economic status, WASH practices and wasting

PubMed Central

Raihan, Mohammad Jyoti; Farzana, Fahmida Dil; Sultana, Sabiha; Haque, Md Ahshanul; Rahman, Ahmed Shafiqur; Waid, Jillian L.; McCormick, Ben; Choudhury, Nuzhat; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2017-01-01

Childhood wasting is a global problem and is significantly more pronounced in low and middle income countries like Bangladesh. Socio Economic Status (SES) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices may be significantly associated with wasting. Most previous research is consistent about the role of SES, but the significance of WASH in the context of wasting remains ambiguous. The effect of SES and WASH on weight for length (WHZ) is examined using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to explicitly describe the direct and indirect role of WASH in the context of SES.A nationally representative survey of 10,478 Bangladeshi children under 5 were examined. An expert defined SEM was used to construct latent variables for SES and WASH. The SEM included a direct pathway from SES to WHZ and an indirect pathway from SES to WHZ via WASH along with regression of relevant covariates on the outcome WHZ and the latent variables. Both SES (p<0.01) and WASH (p<0.05) significantly affect WHZ. SES (p<0.01) also significantly affects WASH. Other structural components showed that child’s age (p<0.01) affects WHZ and types of residence (p<0.01) affects SES. WASH practices at least partially mediate the association between SES and wasting status. WASH and SES are both significantly associated with WHZ. PMID:28278161

A novel washing algorithm for underarm stain removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acikgoz Tufan, H.; Gocek, I.; Sahin, U. K.; Erdem, I.

2017-10-01

After contacting with human sweat which comprise around 27% sebum, anti-perspirants comprising aluminium chloride or its compounds form a jel-like structure whose solubility in water is very poor. In daily use, this jel-like structure closes sweat pores and hinders wetting of skin by sweat. However, when in contact with garments, they form yellowish stains at the underarm of the garments. These stains are very hard to remove with regular machine washing. In this study, first of all, we focused on understanding and simulating such stain formation on the garments. Two alternative procedures are offered to form jel-like structures. On both procedures, commercially available spray or deo-stick type anti-perspirants, standard acidic and basic sweat solutions and artificial sebum are used to form jel-like structures, and they are applied on fabric in order to get hard stains. Secondly, after simulation of the stain on the fabric, we put our efforts on developing a washing algorithm specifically designed for removal of underarm stains. Eight alternative washing algorithms are offered with varying washing temperature, amounts of detergent, and pre-stain removal procedures. Better algorithm is selected by comparison of Tristimulus Y values after washing.

Soil-geomorphic significance of land surface characteristics in an arid mountain range, Mojave Desert, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hirmas, D.R.; Graham, R.C.; Kendrick, K.J.

2011-01-01

Mountains comprise an extensive and visually prominent portion of the landscape in the Mojave Desert, California. Landform surface properties influence the role these mountains have in geomorphic processes such as dust flux and surface hydrology across the region. The primary goal of this study was to describe and quantify land surface properties of arid-mountain landforms as a step toward unraveling the role these properties have in soil-geomorphic processes. As part of a larger soil-geomorphic study, four major landform types were identified within the southern Fry Mountains in the southwestern Mojave Desert on the basis of topography and landscape position: mountaintop, mountainflank, mountainflat (intra-range low-relief surface), and mountainbase. A suite of rock, vegetation, and morphometric land surface characteristic variables was measured at each of 65 locations across the study area, which included an associated piedmont and playa. Our findings show that despite the variation within types, landforms have distinct land surface properties that likely control soil-geomorphic processes. We hypothesize that surface expression influences a feedback process at this site where water transports sediment to low lying areas on the landscape and wind carries dust and soluble salts to the mountains where they are washed between rocks, incorporated into the soil, and retained as relatively long-term storage. Recent land-based video and satellite photographs of the dust cloud emanating from the Sierra Cucapá Mountains in response to the 7.2-magnitude earthquake near Mexicali, Mexico, support the hypothesis that these landforms are massive repositories of dust.

Endotoxins in cotton: washing effects and size distribution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olenchock, S.A.; Mull, J.C.; Jones, W.G.

1983-01-01

Endotoxin contamination was measured in washed and unwashed cottons from three distinct growing areas, California, Mississippi, and Texas. The data show differences in endotoxin contamination based upon the geographic source of the cotton. It is also shown that washing bulk cotton before the carding process results in lower endotoxin in the cotton dust. Washing conditions can affect the endotoxin levels, and all size fractions of the airborne dust contain quantifiable endotoxin contamination. Endotoxin analyses provide a simple and reliable method for monitoring the cleanliness of cotton or airborne cotton dusts.

Hand washing frequencies and procedures used in retail food services.

PubMed

Strohbehn, Catherine; Sneed, Jeannie; Paez, Paola; Meyer, Janell

2008-08-01

Transmission of viruses, bacteria, and parasites to food by way of improperly washed hands is a major contributing factor in the spread of foodborne illnesses. Field observers have assessed compliance with hand washing regulations, yet few studies have included consideration of frequency and methods used by sectors of the food service industry or have included benchmarks for hand washing. Five 3-h observation periods of employee (n = 80) hand washing behaviors during menu production, service, and cleaning were conducted in 16 food service operations for a total of 240 h of direct observation. Four operations from each of four sectors of the retail food service industry participated in the study: assisted living for the elderly, childcare, restaurants, and schools. A validated observation form, based on 2005 Food Code guidelines, was used by two trained researchers. Researchers noted when hands should have been washed, when hands were washed, and how hands were washed. Overall compliance with Food Code recommendations for frequency during production, service, and cleaning phases ranged from 5% in restaurants to 33% in assisted living facilities. Procedural compliance rates also were low. Proposed benchmarks for the number of times hand washing should occur by each employee for each sector of food service during each phase of operation are seven times per hour for assisted living, nine times per hour for childcare, 29 times per hour for restaurants, and 11 times per hour for schools. These benchmarks are high, especially for restaurant employees. Implementation would mean lost productivity and potential for dermatitis; thus, active managerial control over work assignments is needed. These benchmarks can be used for training and to guide employee hand washing behaviors.

Multiple episodes of zeolite deposition in fractured silicic tuff

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carlos, B.A.; Chipera, S.J.; Snow, M.G.

Fractures in silicic tuffs above the water table at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA contain two morphologies of heulandite with different compositions. Tabular heulandite is zoned, with Sr-rich cores and Mg-rich rims. Later prismatic heulandite is nearly the same composition as the more magnesian rims. Heulandite and stellerite may occur between layers of calcite, and calcite occurs locally between generations of heulandite. Thermodynamic modeling, using estimated thermodynamic data and observed chemical compositions for heulandite and stellerite, shows that stellerite is the favored zeolite unless Ca concentrations are reduced or Mg and/or Sr concentrations are significantly elevated above current Yucca Mountain waters.

Washing machine related injuries in children: a continuing threat

PubMed Central

Warner, B; Kenney, B; Rice, M

2003-01-01

Objective: To describe washing machine related injuries in children in the United States. Methods: Injury data for 496 washing machine related injuries documented by the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and death certificate data files were analyzed. Gender, age, diagnosis, body part injured, disposition, location and mechanism of injury were considered in the analysis of data. Results: The upper extremities were most frequently injured in washing machine related injuries, especially with wringer machines. Fewer than 10% of patients required admission, but automatic washers accounted for most of these and for both of the deaths. Automatic washer injuries involved a wider range of injury mechanism, including 23 children who fell from the machines while in baby seats. Conclusions: Though most injuries associated with washing machines are minor, some are severe and devastating. Many of the injuries could be avoided with improvements in machine design while others suggest a need for increased education of potential dangers and better supervision of children if they are allowed access to areas where washing machines are operating. Furthermore, washing machines should only be used for their intended purpose. Given the limitations of educational efforts to prevent injuries, health professionals should have a major role in public education regarding these seemingly benign household appliances. PMID:14693900

Humic substances as a washing agent for Cd-contaminated soils.

PubMed

Meng, Fande; Yuan, Guodong; Wei, Jing; Bi, Dongxue; Ok, Yong Sik; Wang, Hailong

2017-08-01

Cost-effective and eco-friendly washing agents are in demand for Cd contaminated soils. Here, we used leonardite-derived humic substances to wash different types of Cd-contaminated soils, namely, a silty loam (Soil 1), a silty clay loam (Soil 2), and a sandy loam (Soil 3). Washing conditions were investigated for their effects on Cd removal efficiency. Cadmium removal was enhanced by a high humic substance concentration, long washing time, near neutral pH, and large solution/soil ratio. Based on the tradeoff between efficiency and cost, an optimum working condition was established as follows: humic substance concentration (3150 mg C/L), solution pH (6.0), washing time (2 h) and a washing solution/soil ratio (5). A single washing removed 0.55 mg Cd/kg from Soil 1 (1.33 mg Cd/kg), 2.32 mg Cd/kg from Soil 2 (6.57 mg Cd/kg), and 1.97 mg Cd/kg from Soil 3 (2.63 mg Cd/kg). Cd in effluents was effectively treated by adding a small dose of calcium hydroxide, reducing its concentration below the discharge limit of 0.1 mg/L in China. Being cost-effective and safe, humic substances have a great potential to replace common washing agents for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. Besides being environmentally benign, humic substances can improve soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Storage, Transportation, and Disposal of Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Younker, J. L.

2002-12-01

The U.S. Congress established a comprehensive federal policy to dispose of wastes from nuclear reactors and defense facilities, centered on deep geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Site screening led to selection of three potential sites and in 1987, Congress directed the Secretary of Energy to characterize only one site: Yucca Mountain in Nevada. For more than 20 years, teams of scientists and engineers have been evaluating the potential suitability of the site. On the basis of their work, the U.S. Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham, concluded in February 2002 that a safe repository can be sited at Yucca Mountain. On July 23, 2002, President Bush signed Joint Resolution 87 approving the site at Yucca Mountain for development of a repository, which allows the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to prepare and submit a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Concerns have been raised relative to the safe transportation of nuclear materials. The U.S. history of transportation of nuclear materials demonstrates that high-level nuclear materials can be safely transported. Since the 1960s, over 1.6 million miles have been traveled by more than 2,700 spent nuclear fuel shipments, and there has never been an accident severe enough to cause a release of radioactive materials. The DOE will use NRC-certified casks that must be able to withstand very stringent tests. The same design features that allow the casks to survive severe accidents also limit their vulnerability to sabotage. In addition, the NRC will approve all shipping routes and security plans. With regard to long-term safety, the Yucca Mountain disposal system has five key attributes. First, the arid climate and geology of Yucca Mountain combine to ensure that limited water will enter the emplacement tunnels. Second, the DOE has designed a waste package and drip shield that are expected to have very long lifetimes in the repository environment. Third, waste form

A refined characterization of the alluvial geology of yucca flat and its effect on bulk hydraulic conductivity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, G.A.; Halford, K.J.

2011-01-01

In Yucca Flat, on the Nevada National Security Site in southern Nevada, the migration of radionuclides from tests located in the alluvial deposits into the Paleozoic carbonate aquifer involves passage through a thick, heterogeneous section of late Tertiary and Quaternary alluvial sediments. An understanding of the lateral and vertical changes in the material properties of the alluvial sediments will aid in the further development of the hydrogeologic framework and the delineation of hydrostratigraphic units and hydraulic properties required for simulating groundwater flow in the Yucca Flat area. Previously published geologic models for the alluvial sediments within Yucca Flat are based on extensive examination and categorization of drill-hole data, combined with a simple, data-driven interpolation scheme. The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Stanford University, is researching improvements to the modeling of the alluvial section, incorporating prior knowledge of geologic structure into the interpolation method and estimating the uncertainty of the modeled hydrogeologic units.

30 CFR 206.259 - Determination of washing allowances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Allowable maintenance expenses include: Maintenance of the wash plant; maintenance of equipment; maintenance..., or a cost equal to the depreciable investment in the wash plant multiplied by the rate of return in... depreciable fixed assets (including costs of delivery and installation of capital equipment) which are an...

BLAISDELL SLOW SAND FILTER WASHING MACHINE. VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

BLAISDELL SLOW SAND FILTER WASHING MACHINE. VIEW LOOKING SOUTHWEST. - Yuma Main Street Water Treatment Plant, Blaisdell Slow Sand Filter Washing Machine, Jones Street at foot of Main Street, Yuma, Yuma County, AZ

Randomized study of washing 40- to 42-day-stored red blood cells.

PubMed

Bennett-Guerrero, Elliott; Kirby, Brett S; Zhu, Hongmei; Herman, Annadele E; Bandarenko, Nicholas; McMahon, Timothy J

2014-10-01

Pretransfusion washing of red blood cells (RBCs) stored for a longer duration may have theoretical advantages but few data exist to support this practice. In many hospital settings, use of a point-of-care cell washer could conceivably be used to quickly wash allogeneic RBCs before transfusion. The purpose of this preliminary study was to compare a point-of-care device with a common blood bank device for washing longer-stored RBCs. Forty RBC units stored for 40 to 42 days were randomized to washing with the COBE 2991 device (Terumo BCT; FDA-cleared for washing stored RBCs) or the Cell Saver Elite (Haemonetics; FDA-cleared point-of-care device for processing and washing fresh autologous shed whole blood). Supernatant and unit RBCs from unwashed (baseline) and washed blood were assayed for potassium, lactate, intracellular ATP, percentage of RBC recovery, cell-free hemoglobin, RBC microparticles, and RBCs were examined for susceptibility to hemolysis by physical stress. Both devices recovered a high percentage of RBCs and efficiently removed extracelluar potassium. Washing with the Elite resulted in significant increases in cell-free Hb, percent hemolysis, and RBC microparticle production, whereas washing with the COBE 2991 did not (fold Δ = 2.1 vs. 1.0, 4.6 vs. 1.2, 2.0 vs. 1.1, respectively; p < 0.05). Hemolysis induced by physical stress was not altered by washing. Although point-of-care washing of longer-stored RBCs is appealing, these preliminary data suggest that transfusion of washed, longer-stored units could result in potentially greater exposure to plasma free Hb. More data are needed before this practice can be routinely recommended. © 2014 AABB.

33 CFR 157.124 - COW tank washing machines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false COW tank washing machines. 157... (CONTINUED) POLLUTION RULES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT RELATING TO TANK VESSELS CARRYING OIL IN BULK Crude Oil Washing (COW) System on Tank Vessels Design, Equipment, and Installation § 157...

33 CFR 157.124 - COW tank washing machines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false COW tank washing machines. 157....124 COW tank washing machines. (a) COW machines must be permanently mounted in each cargo tank. (b) The COW machines in each tank must have sufficient nozzles with the proper diameter, working pressure...

33 CFR 110.230 - Puget Sound Area, Wash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Puget Sound Area, Wash. 110.230... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.230 Puget Sound Area, Wash. (a) The anchorage grounds—(1... shores of Whidbey Island. (4) Port Gardner General Anchorage, Possession Sound. Beginning at a point...

33 CFR 110.230 - Puget Sound Area, Wash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Puget Sound Area, Wash. 110.230... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Anchorage Grounds § 110.230 Puget Sound Area, Wash. (a) The anchorage grounds—(1... shores of Whidbey Island. (4) Port Gardner General Anchorage, Possession Sound. Beginning at a point...

Preliminary model of the pre-Tertiary basement rocks beneath Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, based on analysis of gravity and magnetic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phelps, Geoffrey A.; McKee, Edwin H.; Sweetkind, D.; Langenheim, V.E.

2000-01-01

The Environmental Restoration Program of the U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office, was developed to investigate the possible consequences to the environment of 40 years of nuclear testing on the Nevada Test Site. The majority of the tests were detonated underground, introducing contaminants into the ground-water system (Laczniak and others, 1996). An understanding of the ground-water flow paths is necessary to evaluate the extent of ground-water contamination. This report provides information specific to Yucca Flat on the Nevada Test Site. Critical to understanding the ground-water flow beneath Yucca Flat is an understanding of the subsurface geology, particularly the structure and distribution of the pre-Tertiary rocks, which comprise both the major regional aquifer and aquitard sequences (Winograd and Thordarson, 1975; Laczniak and others, 1996). Because the pre-Tertiary rocks are not exposed at the surface of Yucca Flat their distribution must be determined through well logs and less direct geophysical methods such as potential field studies. In previous studies (Phelps and others, 1999; Phelps and Mckee, 1999) developed a model of the basement surface of the Paleozoic rocks beneath Yucca Flat and a series of normal faults that create topographic relief on the basement surface. In this study the basement rocks and structure of Yucca Flat are examined in more detail using the basement gravity anomaly derived from the isostatic gravity inversion model of Phelps and others (1999) and high-resolution magnetic data, as part of an effort to gain a better understanding of the Paleozoic rocks beneath Yucca Flat in support of groundwater modeling.

YUCCA9-Mediated Auxin Biosynthesis and Polar Auxin Transport Synergistically Regulate Regeneration of Root Systems Following Root Cutting

PubMed Central

Xu, Dongyang; Miao, Jiahang; Yumoto, Emi; Yokota, Takao; Asahina, Masashi; Watahiki, Masaaki

2017-01-01

Abstract Recovery of the root system following physical damage is an essential issue for plant survival. An injured root system is able to regenerate by increases in lateral root (LR) number and acceleration of root growth. The horticultural technique of root pruning (root cutting) is an application of this response and is a common garden technique for controlling plant growth. Although root pruning is widely used, the molecular mechanisms underlying the subsequent changes in the root system are poorly understood. In this study, root pruning was employed as a model system to study the molecular mechanisms of root system regeneration. Notably, LR defects in wild-type plants treated with inhibitors of polar auxin transport (PAT) or in the auxin signaling mutant auxin/indole-3-acetic acid19/massugu2 were recovered by root pruning. Induction of IAA19 following root pruning indicates an enhancement of auxin signaling by root pruning. Endogenous levels of IAA increased after root pruning, and YUCCA9 was identified as the primary gene responsible. PAT-related genes were induced after root pruning, and the YUCCA inhibitor yucasin suppressed root regeneration in PAT-related mutants. Therefore, we demonstrate the crucial role of YUCCA9, along with other redundant YUCCA family genes, in the enhancement of auxin biosynthesis following root pruning. This further enhances auxin transport and activates downstream auxin signaling genes, and thus increases LR number. PMID:29016906

33 CFR 162.235 - Puget Sound Area, Wash.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Puget Sound Area, Wash. 162.235...) PORTS AND WATERWAYS SAFETY INLAND WATERWAYS NAVIGATION REGULATIONS § 162.235 Puget Sound Area, Wash. (a.... Southbound boats shall sound the signal within 600 yards of Port Townsend Canal Light. Northbound boats shall...

Hand washing with soap and WASH educational intervention reduces under-five childhood diarrhoea incidence in Jigjiga District, Eastern Ethiopia: A community-based cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hashi, Abdiwahab; Kumie, Abera; Gasana, Janvier

2017-06-01

Despite the tremendous achievement in reducing child mortality and morbidity in the last two decades, diarrhoea is still a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children in many developing countries, including Ethiopia. Hand washing with soap promotion, water quality improvements and improvements in excreta disposal significantly reduces diarrhoeal diseases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of hand washing with soap and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) educational Intervention on the incidence of under-five children diarrhoea. A community-based cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 24 clusters (sub-Kebelles) in Jigjiga district, Somali region, Eastern Ethiopia from February 1 to July 30, 2015. The trial compared incidence of diarrhoea among under-five children whose primary caretakers receive hand washing with soap and water, sanitation, hygiene educational messages with control households. Generalized estimating equation with a log link function Poisson distribution family was used to compute adjusted incidence rate ratio and the corresponding 95% confidence interval. The results of this study show that the longitudinal adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of diarrhoeal diseases comparing interventional and control households was 0.65 (95% CI 0.57, 0.73) suggesting an overall diarrhoeal diseases reduction of 35%. The results are similar to other trials of WASH educational interventions and hand washing with soap. In conclusion, hand washing with soap practice during critical times and WASH educational messages reduces childhood diarrhoea in the rural pastoralist area.

Car wash wastewater treatment and water reuse - a case study.

PubMed

Zaneti, R N; Etchepare, R; Rubio, J

2013-01-01

Recent features of a car wash wastewater reclamation system and results from a full-scale car wash wastewater treatment and recycling process are reported. This upcoming technology comprises a new flocculation-column flotation process, sand filtration, and a final chlorination. A water usage and savings audit (22 weeks) showed that almost 70% reclamation was possible, and fewer than 40 L of fresh water per wash were needed. Wastewater and reclaimed water were characterized by monitoring chemical, physicochemical and biological parameters. Results were discussed in terms of aesthetic quality (water clarification and odour), health (pathological) and chemical (corrosion and scaling) risks. A microbiological risk model was applied and the Escherichia coli proposed criterion for car wash reclaimed water is 200 CFU 100 mL(-1). It is believed that the discussions on car wash wastewater reclamation criteria may assist institutions to create laws in Brazil and elsewhere.

WASH and gender in health care facilities: The uncharted territory.

PubMed

Kohler, Petra; Renggli, Samuel; Lüthi, Christoph

2017-11-08

Health care facilities in low- and middle-income countries are high-risk settings, and face special challenges to achieving sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Our applied interdisciplinary research conducted in India and Uganda analyzed six dimensions of WASH services in selected health care facilities, including menstrual hygiene management. To be effective, WASH monitoring strategies in health care facilities must include gender sensitive measures. We present a novel strategy, showing that applied gender sensitive multitool assessments are highly productive in assessments of WASH services and facilities from user and provider perspectives. We discuss its potential for applications at scale and as an area of future research.

Adapting Dry Cask Storage for Aging at a Geologic Repository

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Sanders; D. Kimball

2005-08-02

A Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) Aging System is a crucial part of operations at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in the United States. Incoming commercial SNF that does not meet thermal limits for emplacement will be aged on outdoor pads. U.S. Department of Energy SNF will also be managed using the Aging System. Proposed site-specific designs for the Aging System are closely based upon designs for existing dry cask storage (DCS) systems. This paper evaluates the applicability of existing DCS systems for use in the SNF Aging System at Yucca Mountain. The most important difference between existing DCS facilities andmore » the Yucca Mountain facility is the required capacity. Existing DCS facilities typically have less than 50 casks. The current design for the aging pad at Yucca Mountain calls for a capacity of over 2,000 casks (20,000 MTHM) [1]. This unprecedented number of casks poses some unique problems. The response of DCS systems to off-normal and accident conditions needs to be re-evaluated for multiple storage casks. Dose calculations become more complicated, since doses from multiple or very long arrays of casks can dramatically increase the total boundary dose. For occupational doses, the geometry of the cask arrays and the order of loading casks must be carefully considered in order to meet ALARA goals during cask retrieval. Due to the large area of the aging pad, skyshine must also be included when calculating public and worker doses. The expected length of aging will also necessitate some design adjustments. Under 10 CFR 72.236, DCS systems are initially certified for a period of 20 years [2]. Although the Yucca Mountain facility is not intended to be a storage facility under 10 CFR 72, the operational life of the SNF Aging System is 50 years [1]. Any cask system selected for use in aging will have to be qualified to this design lifetime. These considerations are examined, and a summary is provided of the adaptations that must be made in order to use

Faults, lineaments, and earthquake epicenters digital map of the Pahute Mesa 30' x 60' Quadrangle, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Minor, S.A.; Vick, G.S.; Carr, M.D.; Wahl, R.R.

1996-01-01

This map database, identified as Faults, lineaments, and earthquake epicenters digital map of the Pahute Mesa 30' X 60' quadrangle, Nevada, has been approved for release and publication by the Director of the USGS. Although this database has been subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete, the USGS reserves the right to revise the data pursuant to further analysis and review. Furthermore, it is released on condition that neither the USGS nor the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use. This digital map compilation incorporates fault, air photo lineament, and earthquake epicenter data from within the Pahute Mesa 30' by 60' quadrangle, southern Nye County, Nevada (fig. 1). The compilation contributes to the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project, established to determine whether or not the Yucca Mountain site is suitable for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste. Studies of local and regional faulting and earthquake activity, including the features depicted in this compilation, are carried out to help characterize seismic hazards and tectonic processes that may be relevant to the future stability of Yucca Mountain. The Yucca Mountain site is located in the central part of the Beatty 30' by 60' quadrangle approximately 15 km south of the south edge of the Pahute Mesa quadrangle (fig. 1). The U.S. Geological Survey participates in studies of the Yucca Mountain site under Interagency Agreement DE-AI08-78ET44802. The map compilation is only available on line as a digital database in ARC/INFO ASCII (Generate) and export formats. The database can be downloaded via 'anonymous ftp' from a USGS system named greenwood.cr.usgs.gov (136.177.48.5). The files are located in a directory named /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-96-0262. This directory contains a text document named 'README.1 ST' that contains database technical and explanatory documentation, including instructions for

The suitability of EIT to estimate EELV in a clinical trial compared to oxygen wash-in/wash-out technique.

PubMed

Karsten, Jan; Meier, Torsten; Iblher, Peter; Schindler, Angela; Paarmann, Hauke; Heinze, Hermann

2014-02-01

Open endotracheal suctioning procedure (OSP) and recruitment manoeuvre (RM) are known to induce severe alterations of end-expiratory lung volume (EELV). We hypothesised that EIT lung volumes lack clinical validity. We studied the suitability of EIT to estimate EELV compared to oxygen wash-in/wash-out technique. Fifty-four postoperative cardiac surgery patients were enrolled and received standardized ventilation and OSP. Patients were randomized into two groups receiving either RM after suctioning (group RM) or no RM (group NRM). Measurements were conducted at the following time points: Baseline (T1), after suctioning (T2), after RM or NRM (T3), and 15 and 30 min after T3 (T4 and T5). We measured EELV using the oxygen wash-in/wash-out technique (EELVO2) and computed EELV from EIT (EELVEIT) by the following formula: EELVEITTx,y…=EELVO2+ΔEELI×VT/ΔZ. EELVEIT values were compared with EELVO2 using Bland-Altman analysis and Pearson correlation. Limits of agreement ranged from -0.83 to 1.31 l. Pearson correlation revealed significant results. There was no significant impact of RM or NRM on EELVO2-EELVEIT relationship (p=0.21; p=0.23). During typical routine respiratory manoeuvres like endotracheal suctioning or alveolar recruitment, EELV cannot be estimated by EIT with reasonable accuracy.

Effect of Nitrite/Nitrate concentrations on Corrosivity of Washed Precipitate

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Congdon, J.W.

2001-03-28

Cyclic polarization scans were performed using A-537 carbon steel in simulated washed precipitate solutions of various nitrite and nitrate concentrations. The results of this study indicate that nitrate is an aggressive anion in washed precipitate. Furthermore, a quantitative linear log-log relationship between the minimum effective nitrite concentration and the nitrate concentration was established for washed precipitate with other ions at their average compositions.

A Systematic Review: Costing and Financing of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools

PubMed Central

McGinnis, Shannon M.; McKeon, Thomas; Desai, Richa; Ejelonu, Akudo; Laskowski, Stanley; Murphy, Heather M.

2017-01-01

Despite the success of recent efforts to increase access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) globally, approximately one-third of schools around the world still lack adequate WASH services. A lack of WASH in schools can lead to the spread of preventable disease and increase school absences, especially among women. Inadequate financing and budgeting has been named as a key barrier for integrating successful and sustainable WASH programs into school settings. For this reason, the purpose of this review is to describe the current knowledge around the costs of WASH components as well as financing models that could be applied to WASH in schools. Results show a lack of information around WASH costing, particularly around software elements as well as a lack of data overall for WASH in school settings as compared to community WASH. This review also identifies several key considerations when designing WASH budgets or selecting financing mechanisms. Findings may be used to advise future WASH in school programs. PMID:28425945

A Systematic Review: Costing and Financing of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools.

PubMed

McGinnis, Shannon M; McKeon, Thomas; Desai, Richa; Ejelonu, Akudo; Laskowski, Stanley; Murphy, Heather M

2017-04-20

Despite the success of recent efforts to increase access to improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) globally, approximately one-third of schools around the world still lack adequate WASH services. A lack of WASH in schools can lead to the spread of preventable disease and increase school absences, especially among women. Inadequate financing and budgeting has been named as a key barrier for integrating successful and sustainable WASH programs into school settings. For this reason, the purpose of this review is to describe the current knowledge around the costs of WASH components as well as financing models that could be applied to WASH in schools. Results show a lack of information around WASH costing, particularly around software elements as well as a lack of data overall for WASH in school settings as compared to community WASH. This review also identifies several key considerations when designing WASH budgets or selecting financing mechanisms. Findings may be used to advise future WASH in school programs.

Washing effects of limonene on pesticide residues in green peppers.

PubMed

Lu, Hai-Yan; Shen, Yan; Sun, Xing; Zhu, Hong; Liu, Xian-Jin

2013-09-01

The presence of pesticide residues in food has caused much concern. The low health risks and environmental impacts of limonene make it a very interesting solvent for use in green chemistry. Washing effects of limonene on pesticide residues of methyl chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, fenpropathrin and deltamethrin were investigated in green pepper. Results showed that washing with a low concentration of limonene for 5 min (where LOQ is limit of quantitation) caused 53.67%, washing with a high concentration were 84.64%, Washing with a low concentration of limonene for 10 min produced 55.90%, washing with a high concentration were 94.42%, washing with tap water (for 10 min) and the emulsion with only egg yolk lecithin (at high concentration for 10 min) were 25.18 %, 37.83%, 21.84%, 20.87%, 13.86% and < LOQ, 59.70%, 54.09%, 54.76%, 54.47%, respectively. The data indicated that washing with a low concentration of limonene for 5 min was the optimal treatment for elimination of pesticide residues in green pepper, considering effect and treatment time as well as cost. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Droplet-based microfluidic washing module for magnetic particle-based assays

PubMed Central

Lee, Hun; Xu, Linfeng; Oh, Kwang W.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose a continuous flow droplet-based microfluidic platform for magnetic particle-based assays by employing in-droplet washing. The droplet-based washing was implemented by traversing functionalized magnetic particles across a laterally merged droplet from one side (containing sample and reagent) to the other (containing buffer) by an external magnetic field. Consequently, the magnetic particles were extracted to a parallel-synchronized train of washing buffer droplets, and unbound reagents were left in an original train of sample droplets. To realize the droplet-based washing function, the following four procedures were sequentially carried in a droplet-based microfluidic device: parallel synchronization of two trains of droplets by using a ladder-like channel network; lateral electrocoalescence by an electric field; magnetic particle manipulation by a magnetic field; and asymmetrical splitting of merged droplets. For the stable droplet synchronization and electrocoalescence, we optimized droplet generation conditions by varying the flow rate ratio (or droplet size). Image analysis was carried out to determine the fluorescent intensity of reagents before and after the washing step. As a result, the unbound reagents in sample droplets were significantly removed by more than a factor of 25 in the single washing step, while the magnetic particles were successfully extracted into washing buffer droplets. As a proof-of-principle, we demonstrate a magnetic particle-based immunoassay with streptavidin-coated magnetic particles and fluorescently labelled biotin in the proposed continuous flow droplet-based microfluidic platform. PMID:25379098