10 CFR 60.113 - Performance of particular barriers after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... complete filling with groundwater of available void spaces in the underground facility shall be...) Geologic setting. The geologic repository shall be located so that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel... release rate, designed containment period or pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time, provided that...

10 CFR 60.113 - Performance of particular barriers after permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... complete filling with groundwater of available void spaces in the underground facility shall be...) Geologic setting. The geologic repository shall be located so that pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel... release rate, designed containment period or pre-waste-emplacement groundwater travel time, provided that...

Commercial high-level-waste management: Options and economics. A comparative analysis of the ceramic and glass waste forms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKisson, R. L.; Grantham, L. F.; Guon, J.; Recht, H. L.

1983-02-01

Results of an estimate of the waste management costs of the commercial high level waste from a 3000 metric ton per year reprocessing plant show that the judicious use of the ceramic waste form can save about $2 billion during a 20 year operating campaign relative to the use of the glass waste form. This assumes PWR fuel is processed and the waste is encapsulated in 0.305-m-diam canisters with ultimate emplacement in a BWIP-type horizontal-borehole repository. Waste loading and waste form density are the driving factors in that the low waste loading (25%) and relatively low density (3.1 g cu cm) characteristic of the glass form require several times as many canisters to handle a given waste throughput than is needed for the ceramic waste form whose waste loading capability exceeds 60% and whose waste density is nominally 5.2 cu cm.

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

Ghosh, A.; Hsiung, S.M.; Chowdhury, A.H.

Long-term stability of emplacement drifts and potential near-field fluid flow resulting from coupled effects are among the concerns for safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW). A number of factors can induce drift instability or change the near-field flow patterns. Repetitive seismic loads from earthquakes and thermal loads generated by the decay of emplaced waste are two significant factors. One of two key technical uncertainties (KTU) that can potentially pose a high risk of noncompliance with the performance objectives of 10 CFR Part 60 is the prediction of thermal-mechanical (including repetitive seismic load) effects on stability of emplacement drifts andmore » the engineered barrier system. The second KTU of concern is the prediction of thermal-mechanical-hydrological (including repetitive seismic load) effects on the host rock surrounding the engineered barrier system. The Rock Mechanics research project being conducted at the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) is intended to address certain specific technical issues associated with these two KTUs. This research project has two major components: (i) seismic response of rock joints and a jointed rock mass and (ii) coupled thermal-mechanical-hydrological (TMH) response of a jointed rock mass surrounding the engineered barrier system (EBS). This final report summarizes the research activities concerned with the repetitive seismic load aspect of both these KTUs.« less

Review of potential subsurface permeable barrier emplacement and monitoring technologies

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

Riggsbee, W.H.; Treat, R.L.; Stansfield, H.J.

1994-02-01

This report focuses on subsurface permeable barrier technologies potentially applicable to existing waste disposal sites. This report describes candidate subsurface permeable barriers, methods for emplacing these barriers, and methods used to monitor the barrier performance. Two types of subsurface barrier systems are described: those that apply to contamination.in the unsaturated zone, and those that apply to groundwater and to mobile contamination near the groundwater table. These barriers may be emplaced either horizontally or vertically depending on waste and site characteristics. Materials for creating permeable subsurface barriers are emplaced using one of three basic methods: injection, in situ mechanical mixing, ormore » excavation-insertion. Injection is the emplacement of dissolved reagents or colloidal suspensions into the soil at elevated pressures. In situ mechanical mixing is the physical blending of the soil and the barrier material underground. Excavation-insertion is the removal of a soil volume and adding barrier materials to the space created. Major vertical barrier emplacement technologies include trenching-backfilling; slurry trenching; and vertical drilling and injection, including boring (earth augering), cable tool drilling, rotary drilling, sonic drilling, jetting methods, injection-mixing in drilled holes, and deep soil mixing. Major horizontal barrier emplacement technologies include horizontal drilling, microtunneling, compaction boring, horizontal emplacement, longwall mining, hydraulic fracturing, and jetting methods.« less

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

Harmon, K.M.; Lakey, L.T.; Leigh, I.W.

Worldwide activities related to nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management programs are summarized. Several trends have developed in waste management strategy: All countries having to dispose of reprocessing wastes plan on conversion of the high-level waste (HLW) stream to a borosilicate glass and eventual emplacement of the glass logs, suitably packaged, in a deep geologic repository. Countries that must deal with plutonium-contaminated waste emphasize pluonium recovery, volume reduction and fixation in cement or bitumen in their treatment plans and expect to use deep geologic repositories for final disposal. Commercially available, classical engineering processing are being used worldwide to treatmore » and immobilize low- and intermediate-level wastes (LLW, ILW); disposal to surface structures, shallow-land burial and deep-underground repositories, such as played-out mines, is being done widely with no obvious technical problems. Many countries have established extensive programs to prepare for construction and operation of geologic repositories. Geologic media being studied fall into three main classes: argillites (clay or shale); crystalline rock (granite, basalt, gneiss or gabbro); and evaporates (salt formations). Most nations plan to allow 30 years or longer between discharge of fuel from the reactor and emplacement of HLW or spent fuel is a repository to permit thermal and radioactive decay. Most repository designs are based on the mined-gallery concept, placing waste or spent fuel packages into shallow holes in the floor of the gallery. Many countries have established extensive and costly programs of site evaluation, repository development and safety assessment. Two other waste management problems are the subject of major R and D programs in several countries: stabilization of uranium mill tailing piles; and immobilization or disposal of contaminated nuclear facilities, namely reactors, fuel cycle plants and R and D laboratories.« less

Solid wastes from nuclear power production.

PubMed Central

Soule, H F

1978-01-01

Radioactivity in nuclear power effluents is negligible compared to that in retained wastes to be disposed of as solids. Two basic waste categories are those for which shallow disposal is accepted and those for which more extreme isolation is desired. The latter includes "high level" wastes and others contaminated with radionuclides with the unusual combined properties of long radioactive half-life and high specific radiotoxicity. The favored method for extreme isolation is emplacement in a deep stable geologic formation. Necessary technologies for waste treatment and disposal are considered available. The present program to implement these technologies is discussed, including the waste management significance of current policy on spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. Recent difficulties with shallow disposal of waste are summarized. PMID:738244

Subsurface geology of a potential waste emplacement site, Salt Valley Anticline, Grand County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hite, R.J.

1977-01-01

The Salt Valley anticline, which is located about 32 km northeast of Moab, Utah, is perhaps one of the most favorable waste emplacement sites in the Paradox basin. The site, which includes about 7.8 km 2, is highly accessible and is adjacent to a railroad. The anticline is one of a series of northwest-trending salt anticlines lying along the northeast edge of the Paradox basin. These anticlines are cored by evaporites of the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation of Middle Pennsylvanian age. The central core of the Salt Valley anticline forms a ridgelike mass of evaporites that has an estimated amplitude of 3,600 m. The evaporite core consists of about 87 percent halite rock, which includes some potash deposits; the remainder is black shale, silty dolomite, and anhydrite. The latter three lithologies are referred to as 'marker beds.' Using geophysical logs from drill holes on the anticline, it is possible to demonstrate that the marker beds are complexly folded and faulted. Available data concerning the geothermal gradient and heatflow at the site indicate that heat from emplaced wastes should be rapidly dissipated. Potentially exploitable resources of potash and petroleum are present at Salt Valley. Development of these resources may conflict with use of the site for waste emplacement.

Feasibility of Lateral Emplacement in Very Deep Borehole Disposal of High Level Nuclear Waste

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

superior isolation of the waste (mitigating proliferation, terrorist and human intrusion concerns), the impermeability of available geologic formations ...Continental U.S. (Courtesy “The Future of Geothermal Energy” by MIT)7 2. Age of the granitic formation (Figure 1-4) 3. Proximity to rail, barge, and...state are of particular interest with their access to the ancient and stable Canadian granite shield, but access to suitable formations is found in

Natural geochemical analogues of the near field of high-level nuclear waste repositories

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

Apps, J.A.

1995-09-01

United States practice has been to design high-level nuclear waste (HLW) geological repositories with waste densities sufficiently high that repository temperatures surrounding the waste will exceed 100{degrees}C and could reach 250{degrees}C. Basalt and devitrified vitroclastic tuff are among the host rocks considered for waste emplacement. Near-field repository thermal behavior and chemical alteration in such rocks is expected to be similar to that observed in many geothermal systems. Therefore, the predictive modeling required for performance assessment studies of the near field could be validated and calibrated using geothermal systems as natural analogues. Examples are given which demonstrate the need for refinementmore » of the thermodynamic databases used in geochemical modeling of near-field natural analogues and the extent to which present models can predict conditions in geothermal fields.« less

Conceptual waste packaging options for deep borehole disposal

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

Su, Jiann -Cherng; Hardin, Ernest L.

This report presents four concepts for packaging of radioactive waste for disposal in deep boreholes. Two of these are reference-size packages (11 inch outer diameter) and two are smaller (5 inch) for disposal of Cs/Sr capsules. All four have an assumed length of approximately 18.5 feet, which allows the internal length of the waste volume to be 16.4 feet. However, package length and volume can be scaled by changing the length of the middle, tubular section. The materials proposed for use are low-alloy steels, commonly used in the oil-and-gas industry. Threaded connections between packages, and internal threads used to sealmore » the waste cavity, are common oilfield types. Two types of fill ports are proposed: flask-type and internal-flush. All four package design concepts would withstand hydrostatic pressure of 9,600 psi, with factor safety 2.0. The combined loading condition includes axial tension and compression from the weight of a string or stack of packages in the disposal borehole, either during lower and emplacement of a string, or after stacking of multiple packages emplaced singly. Combined loading also includes bending that may occur during emplacement, particularly for a string of packages threaded together. Flask-type packages would be fabricated and heat-treated, if necessary, before loading waste. The fill port would be narrower than the waste cavity inner diameter, so the flask type is suitable for directly loading bulk granular waste, or loading slim waste canisters (e.g., containing Cs/Sr capsules) that fit through the port. The fill port would be sealed with a tapered, threaded plug, with a welded cover plate (welded after loading). Threaded connections between packages and between packages and a drill string, would be standard drill pipe threads. The internal flush packaging concepts would use semi-flush oilfield tubing, which is internally flush but has a slight external upset at the joints. This type of tubing can be obtained with premium, low-profile threaded connections at each end. The internal-flush design would be suitable for loading waste that arrives from the originating site in weld-sealed, cylindrical canisters. Internal, tapered plugs with sealing filet welds would seal the tubing at each end. The taper would be precisely machined onto both the tubing and the plug, producing a metal-metal sealing surface that is compressed as the package is subjected to hydrostatic pressure. The lower plug would be welded in place before loading, while the upper plug would be placed and welded after loading. Conceptual Waste Packaging Options for Deep Borehole Disposal July 30, 2015 iv Threaded connections between packages would allow emplacement singly or in strings screwed together at the disposal site. For emplacement on a drill string the drill pipe would be connected directly into the top package of a string (using an adapter sub to mate with premium semi-flush tubing threads). Alternatively, for wireline emplacement the same package designs could be emplaced singly using a sub with wireline latch, on the upper end. Threaded connections on the bottom of the lowermost package would allow attachment of a crush box, instrumentation, etc.« less

Calculation of the Naval Long and Short Waste Package Three-Dimensional Thermal Interface Temperatures

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

H. Marr

2006-10-25

The purpose of this calculation is to evaluate the thermal performance of the Naval Long and Naval Short spent nuclear fuel (SNF) waste packages (WP) in the repository emplacement drift. The scope of this calculation is limited to the determination of the temperature profiles upon the surfaces of the Naval Long and Short SNF waste package for up to 10,000 years of emplacement. The temperatures on the top of the outside surface of the naval canister are the thermal interfaces for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP). The results of this calculation are intended to support Licensing Application design activities.

Multi-pack Disposal Concepts for Spent Fuel (Rev. 0)

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

Hadgu, Teklu; Hardin, Ernest; Matteo, Edward N.

2015-12-01

At the initiation of the Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) R&D campaign, international geologic disposal programs and past work in the U.S. were surveyed to identify viable disposal concepts for crystalline, clay/shale, and salt host media (Hardin et al., 2012). Concepts for disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) from reprocessing are relatively advanced in countries such as Finland, France, and Sweden. The UFD work quickly showed that these international concepts are all “enclosed,” whereby waste packages are emplaced in direct or close contact with natural or engineered materials . Alternative “open” modes (emplacement tunnels are keptmore » open after emplacement for extended ventilation) have been limited to the Yucca Mountain License Application Design (CRWMS M&O, 1999). Thermal analysis showed that, if “enclosed” concepts are constrained by peak package/buffer temperature, waste package capacity is limited to 4 PWR assemblies (or 9-BWR) in all media except salt. This information motivated separate studies: 1) extend the peak temperature tolerance of backfill materials, which is ongoing; and 2) develop small canisters (up to 4-PWR size) that can be grouped in larger multi-pack units for convenience of storage, transportation, and possibly disposal (should the disposal concept permit larger packages). A recent result from the second line of investigation is the Task Order 18 report: Generic Design for Small Standardized Transportation, Aging and Disposal Canister Systems (EnergySolution, 2015). This report identifies disposal concepts for the small canisters (4-PWR size) drawing heavily on previous work, and for the multi-pack (16-PWR or 36-BWR).« less

Multi-Pack Disposal Concepts for Spent Fuel (Revision 1)

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

Hardin, Ernest; Matteo, Edward N.; Hadgu, Teklu

2016-01-01

At the initiation of the Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) R&D campaign, international geologic disposal programs and past work in the U.S. were surveyed to identify viable disposal concepts for crystalline, clay/shale, and salt host media. Concepts for disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) from reprocessing are relatively advanced in countries such as Finland, France, and Sweden. The UFD work quickly showed that these international concepts are all “enclosed,” whereby waste packages are emplaced in direct or close contact with natural or engineered materials . Alternative “open” modes (emplacement tunnels are kept open after emplacement formore » extended ventilation) have been limited to the Yucca Mountain License Application Design. Thermal analysis showed that if “enclosed” concepts are constrained by peak package/buffer temperature, that waste package capacity is limited to 4 PWR assemblies (or 9 BWR) in all media except salt. This information motivated separate studies: 1) extend the peak temperature tolerance of backfill materials, which is ongoing; and 2) develop small canisters (up to 4-PWR size) that can be grouped in larger multi-pack units for convenience of storage, transportation, and possibly disposal (should the disposal concept permit larger packages). A recent result from the second line of investigation is the Task Order 18 report: Generic Design for Small Standardized Transportation, Aging and Disposal Canister Systems. This report identifies disposal concepts for the small canisters (4-PWR size) drawing heavily on previous work, and for the multi-pack (16-PWR or 36-BWR).« less

10 CFR 61.11 - General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61...) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and..., and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility. ...

10 CFR 61.11 - General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61...) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and..., and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility. ...

10 CFR 61.11 - General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61...) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and..., and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility. ...

10 CFR 61.11 - General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61...) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and..., and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility. ...

10 CFR 61.11 - General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61...) Plans for use of the land disposal facility for purposes other than disposal of radioactive wastes; and..., and first emplacement of waste at the proposed land disposal facility. ...

Deep Borehole Field Test Requirements and Controlled Assumptions.

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

Hardin, Ernest

2015-07-01

This document presents design requirements and controlled assumptions intended for use in the engineering development and testing of: 1) prototype packages for radioactive waste disposal in deep boreholes; 2) a waste package surface handling system; and 3) a subsurface system for emplacing and retrieving packages in deep boreholes. Engineering development and testing is being performed as part of the Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT; SNL 2014a). This document presents parallel sets of requirements for a waste disposal system and for the DBFT, showing the close relationship. In addition to design, it will also inform planning for drilling, construction, and scientificmore » characterization activities for the DBFT. The information presented here follows typical preparations for engineering design. It includes functional and operating requirements for handling and emplacement/retrieval equipment, waste package design and emplacement requirements, borehole construction requirements, sealing requirements, and performance criteria. Assumptions are included where they could impact engineering design. Design solutions are avoided in the requirements discussion. Deep Borehole Field Test Requirements and Controlled Assumptions July 21, 2015 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This set of requirements and assumptions has benefited greatly from reviews by Gordon Appel, Geoff Freeze, Kris Kuhlman, Bob MacKinnon, Steve Pye, David Sassani, Dave Sevougian, and Jiann Su.« less

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.

Logistics Modeling of Emplacement Rate and Duration of Operations for Generic Geologic Repository Concepts

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

Kalinina, Elena Arkadievna; Hardin, Ernest

This study identified potential geologic repository concepts for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and (2) evaluated the achievable repository waste emplacement rate and the time required to complete the disposal for these concepts. Total repository capacity is assumed to be approximately 140,000 MT of spent fuel. The results of this study provide an important input for the rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) disposal cost analysis. The disposal concepts cover three major categories of host geologic media: crystalline or hard rock, salt, and argillaceous rock. Four waste package sizes are considered: 4PWR/9BWR; 12PWR/21BWR; 21PWR/44BWR, and dual purpose canisters (DPCs). The DPC concepts assumemore » that the existing canisters will be sealed into disposal overpacks for direct disposal. Each concept assumes one of the following emplacement power limits for either emplacement or repository closure: 1.7 kW; 2.2 kW; 5.5 kW; 10 kW; 11.5 kW, and 18 kW.« less

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

Hayes, Timothy; Nelson, Roger

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) manages defense nuclear material that has been determined to be excess to programmatic needs and declared waste. When these wastes contain plutonium, they almost always meet the definition of defense transuranic (TRU) waste and are thus eligible for disposal at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The DOE operates the WIPP in a manner that physical protections for attractiveness level D or higher special nuclear material (SNM) are not the normal operating condition. Therefore, there is currently a requirement to terminate safeguards before disposal of these wastes atmore » the WIPP. Presented are the processes used to terminate safeguards, lessons learned during the termination process, and how these approaches might be useful for future defense TRU waste needing safeguards termination prior to shipment and disposal at the WIPP. Also described is a new criticality control container, which will increase the amount of fissile material that can be loaded per container, and how it will save significant taxpayer dollars. Retrieval, compliant packaging and shipment of retrievably stored legacy TRU waste has dominated disposal operations at WIPP since it began operations 12 years ago. But because most of this legacy waste has successfully been emplaced in WIPP, the TRU waste clean-up focus is turning to newly-generated TRU materials. A major component will be transuranic SNM, currently managed in safeguards-protected vaults around the weapons complex. As DOE and NNSA continue to consolidate and shrink the weapons complex footprint, it is expected that significant quantities of transuranic SNM will be declared surplus to the nation's needs. Safeguards termination of SNM varies due to the wide range of attractiveness level of the potential material that may be directly discarded as waste. To enhance the efficiency of shipping waste with high TRU fissile content to WIPP, DOE designed an over-pack container, similar to the pipe component, called the criticality control over-pack, which will significantly enhance the efficiency of disposal. Hundreds of shipments of transuranic SNM, suitably packaged to meet WIPP waste acceptance criteria and with safeguards terminated have been successfully emplaced at WIPP (primarily from the Rocky Flats site clean-up) since WIPP opened. DOE expects that thousands more may eventually result from SNM consolidation efforts throughout the weapons complex. (authors)« less

Temperature-package power correlations for open-mode geologic disposal concepts.

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

Hardin, Ernest.

2013-02-01

Logistical simulation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management in the U.S. combines storage, transportation and disposal elements to evaluate schedule, cost and other resources needed for all major operations leading to final geologic disposal. Geologic repository reference options are associated with limits on waste package thermal power output at emplacement, in order to meet limits on peak temperature for certain key engineered and natural barriers. These package power limits are used in logistical simulation software such as CALVIN, as threshold requirements that must be met by means of decay storage or SNF blending in waste packages, before emplacement in amore » repository. Geologic repository reference options include enclosed modes developed for crystalline rock, clay or shale, and salt. In addition, a further need has been addressed for open modes in which SNF can be emplaced in a repository, then ventilated for decades or longer to remove heat, prior to permanent repository closure. For each open mode disposal concept there are specified durations for surface decay storage (prior to emplacement), repository ventilation, and repository closure operations. This study simulates those steps for several timing cases, and for SNF with three fuel-burnup characteristics, to develop package power limits at which waste packages can be emplaced without exceeding specified temperature limits many years later after permanent closure. The results are presented in the form of correlations that span a range of package power and peak postclosure temperature, for each open-mode disposal concept, and for each timing case. Given a particular temperature limit value, the corresponding package power limit for each case can be selected for use in CALVIN and similar tools.« less

Geomechanical Considerations for the Deep Borehole Field Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, B. Y.

2015-12-01

Deep borehole disposal of high-level radioactive waste is under consideration as a potential alternative to shallower mined repositories. The disposal concept consists of drilling a borehole into crystalline basement rocks to a depth of 5 km, emplacement of canisters containing solid waste in the lower 2 km, and plugging and sealing the upper 3 km of the borehole. Crystalline rocks such as granites are particularly attractive for borehole emplacement because of their low permeability and porosity at depth, and high mechanical strength to resist borehole deformation. In addition, high overburden pressures contribute to sealing of some of the fractures that provide transport pathways. We present geomechanical considerations during construction (e.g., borehole breakouts, disturbed rock zone development, and creep closure), relevant to both the smaller-diameter characterization borehole (8.5") and the larger-diameter field test borehole (17"). 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.

Deep Borehole Disposal Concept: Development of Universal Canister Concept of Operations

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

Rigali, Mark J.; Price, Laura L.

This report documents key elements of the conceptual design for deep borehole disposal of radioactive waste to support the development of a universal canister concept of operations. A universal canister is a canister that is designed to be able to store, transport, and dispose of radioactive waste without the canister having to be reopened to treat or repackage the waste. This report focuses on the conceptual design for disposal of radioactive waste contained in a universal canister in a deep borehole. The general deep borehole disposal concept consists of drilling a borehole into crystalline basement rock to a depth ofmore » about 5 km, emplacing WPs in the lower 2 km of the borehole, and sealing and plugging the upper 3 km. Research and development programs for deep borehole disposal have been ongoing for several years in the United States and the United Kingdom; these studies have shown that deep borehole disposal of radioactive waste could be safe, cost effective, and technically feasible. The design concepts described in this report are workable solutions based on expert judgment, and are intended to guide follow-on design activities. Both preclosure and postclosure safety were considered in the development of the reference design concept. The requirements and assumptions that form the basis for the deep borehole disposal concept include WP performance requirements, radiological protection requirements, surface handling and transport requirements, and emplacement requirements. The key features of the reference disposal concept include borehole drilling and construction concepts, WP designs, and waste handling and emplacement concepts. These features are supported by engineering analyses.« less

Task Order 22 – Engineering and Technical Support, Deep Borehole Field Test. AREVA Summary Review Report

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

Denton, Mark A.

Under Task Order 22 of the industry Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) Contract to the Department of Energy (DOE) DE-NE0000291, AREVA has been tasked with providing assistance with engineering, analysis, cost estimating, and design support of a system for disposal of radioactive wastes in deep boreholes (without the use of radioactive waste). As part of this task order, AREVA was requested, through a letter of technical direction, to evaluate Sandia National Laboratory’s (SNL’s) waste package borehole emplacement system concept recommendation using input from DOE and SNL. This summary review report (SRR) documents this evaluation, with its focus on the primarymore » input document titled: “Deep Borehole Field Test Specifications/M2FT-15SN0817091” Rev. 1 [1], hereafter referred to as the “M2 report.” The M2 report focuses on the conceptual design development for the Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT), mainly the test waste packages (WPs) and the system for demonstrating emplacement and retrieval of those packages in the Field Test Borehole (FTB). This SRR follows the same outline as the M2 report, which allows for easy correlation between AREVA’s review comments, discussion, potential proposed alternatives, and path forward with information established in the M2 report. AREVA’s assessment focused on three primary elements of the M2 report: the conceptual design of the WPs proposed for deep borehole disposal (DBD), the mode of emplacement of the WP into DBD, and the conceptual design of the DBFT. AREVA concurs with the M2 report’s selection of the wireline emplacement mode specifically over the drill-string emplacement mode and generically over alternative emplacement modes. Table 5-1 of this SRR compares the pros and cons of each emplacement mode considered viable for DBD. The primary positive characteristics of the wireline emplacement mode include: (1) considered a mature technology; (2) operations are relatively simple; (3) probability of a radiological release due to off-normal events are relatively low; (4) costs are relatively low; and (5) maintenance activities are relatively simple. The primary drawback associated with the wireline emplacement mode for DBD is the number of emplacement trips-in to the borehole, which results in a relatively higher probability for a drop event. Fortunately, the WPs can be engineered with impact limiters that will minimize the likelihood of a breach of the WP due to a drop. The WP designs presented in the M2 report appear to be focused on compatibility with the drill-string emplacement mode (e.g., the threaded connections). With the recommendation that the wireline emplacement mode be utilized for the DBFT, some changes may be warranted to these WPs. For example, the development of a WP release connection that is more reliable than the currently credited connection, which is considered to have a high failure probability, and the integration of an impact limiter into its design. The M2 report states the engineering demonstration of the DBFT will occur in the FTB over a 4-year period. AREVA recommends development and testing of the WP emplacement handling equipment occur separately (but concurrently, if not earlier) from the FTB at a mock-up facility. The separation of this activity would prevent schedule interference between the science and engineering thrusts of the project. Performing tests in a mock-up facility would allow additional control and observation compared to the FTB. The mock-up facility could also be utilized as a training facility for future operations. Terminal velocity and impact limiter testing would require the FTB for testing, since these areas would be difficult to reproduce in a limited depth mock-up. Although only at the end of the conceptual stage of design development, DBD appears to be a viable solution for some waste forms produced by the nuclear industry. However, regulatory requirements have yet to be established for pre- and post-closure performance of DBD and should be established as soon as possible. Some of the main areas of focus from a regulatory perspective include: (1) establishing acceptable performance requirements for the long-term behavior of DBD; (2) determining acceptable borehole abandonment criteria; (3) establishing retrievability requirements; (4) developing a consensus on the factor of safety (FoS) for the emplacement mode and WP; and (5) establishing safety and safeguards performance requirements for DBD. Although conservative requirements have been utilized to provide the foundation for the conceptual design of DBD, regulatory requirements and feedback are necessary to confirm recommendations made herein and to ensure the long-term performance of DBD is acceptable. The combination of the M2 report and this SRR is intended to facilitate the completion of the conceptual design for DBD for the Cs and Sr capsules and calcined waste forms. Using the conceptual design, preliminary design activities (the second stage of a three-stage process described in the M2 report) can proceed and the DBFT utilized to support, demonstrate, and confirm engineering elements of this design.« less

40 CFR 148.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) HAZARDOUS WASTE INJECTION RESTRICTIONS General § 148.2 Definitions. Injection interval means that part of the injection zone in which the well is screened, or in which the waste is otherwise directly emplaced...

The fretted terrain of the Nilosyrtis Mensae region of Mars: Clues to the timing of dichotomy formation and the emplacement of the northern plains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Detroye, Jeff E.; Williams, Steven H.

1994-01-01

Geologic mapping of the fretted terrain of the Nilosyrtis Mensae region of Mars has revealed geomorphic evidence that the breakup of the plateau units to the south of Nilosyrtis occurred well before the plains units to the north were emplaced in the late Hesperian time. The plains units were deposited against the fretted terrain which has undergone some modification by mass wasting but not significant backwasting. The morphology observed at the contact between plains and the fretted terrain is consistent with that expected where the edge of a pile of sedimentary debris has undergone mass wasting and other erosion.

10 CFR 61.28 - Contents of application for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61.28 Contents of application for closure. (a) Prior to final closure of the disposal... site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the...

10 CFR 61.28 - Contents of application for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61.28 Contents of application for closure. (a) Prior to final closure of the disposal... site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the...

10 CFR 61.28 - Contents of application for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61.28 Contents of application for closure. (a) Prior to final closure of the disposal... site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the...

10 CFR 61.28 - Contents of application for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61.28 Contents of application for closure. (a) Prior to final closure of the disposal... site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the...

10 CFR 61.28 - Contents of application for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR LAND DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE Licenses § 61.28 Contents of application for closure. (a) Prior to final closure of the disposal... site data pertinent to the long-term containment of emplaced radioactive wastes obtained during the...

Developing an institutional strategy for transporting defense transuranic waste materials

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

Guerrero, J.V.; Kresny, H.S.

In late 1988, the US Department of Energy (DOE) expects to begin emplacing transuranic waste materials in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an R and D facility to demonstrate the safe disposal of radioactive wastes resulting from defense program activities. Transuranic wastes are production-related materials, e.g., clothes, rags, tools, and similar items. These materials are contaminated with alpha-emitting transuranium radionuclides with half-lives of > 20 yr and concentrations > 100 nCi/g. Much of the institutional groundwork has been done with local communities and the State of New Mexico on the siting and construction of the facility. A key tomore » the success of the emplacement demonstration, however, will be a qualified transportation system together with institutional acceptance of the proposed shipments. The DOE's Defense Transuranic Waste Program, and its contractors, has lead responsibility for achieving this goal. The Joint Integration Office (JIO) of the DOE, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is taking the lead in implementing an integrated strategy for assessing nationwide institutional concerns over transportation of defense transuranic wastes and in developing ways to resolve or mitigate these concerns. Parallel prototype programs are under way to introduce both the new packaging systems and the institutional strategy to interested publics and organizations.« less

Demonstration of close-coupled barriers for subsurface containment of buried waste

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

Dwyer, B.P.

1996-05-01

A close-coupled barrier is produced by first installing a conventional cement grout curtain followed by a thin inner lining of a polymer grout. The resultant barrier is a cement polymer composite that has economic benefits derived from the cement and performance benefits from the durable and resistant polymer layer. Close-coupled barrier technology is applicable for final, interim, or emergency containment of subsurface waste forms. Consequently, when considering the diversity of technology application, the construction emplacement and material technology maturity, general site operational requirements, and regulatory compliance incentives, the close-coupled barrier system provides an alternative for any hazardous or mixed wastemore » remediation plan. This paper discusses the installation of a close-coupled barrier and the subsequent integrity verification. The demonstration was installed at a benign site at the Hanford Geotechnical Test Facility, 400 Area, Hanford, Washington. The composite barrier was emplaced beneath a 7,500 liter tank. The tank was chosen to simulate a typical DOE Complex waste form. The stresses induced on the waste form were evaluated during barrier construction. The barrier was constructed using conventional jet grouting techniques. Drilling was completed at a 45{degree} angle to the ground, forming a conical shaped barrier with the waste form inside the cone. Two overlapping rows of cylindrical cement columns were grouted in a honeycomb fashion to form the secondary backdrop barrier layer. The primary barrier, a high molecular weight polymer manufactured by 3M Company, was then installed providing a relatively thin inner liner for the secondary barrier. The primary barrier was emplaced by panel jet grouting with a dual wall drill stem, two phase jet grouting system.« less

Waste Package Component Design Methodology Report

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

D.C. Mecham

2004-07-12

This Executive Summary provides an overview of the methodology being used by the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) to design waste packages and ancillary components. This summary information is intended for readers with general interest, but also provides technical readers a general framework surrounding a variety of technical details provided in the main body of the report. The purpose of this report is to document and ensure appropriate design methods are used in the design of waste packages and ancillary components (the drip shields and emplacement pallets). The methodology includes identification of necessary design inputs, justification of design assumptions, and usemore » of appropriate analysis methods, and computational tools. This design work is subject to ''Quality Assurance Requirements and Description''. The document is primarily intended for internal use and technical guidance for a variety of design activities. It is recognized that a wide audience including project management, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and others are interested to various levels of detail in the design methods and therefore covers a wide range of topics at varying levels of detail. Due to the preliminary nature of the design, readers can expect to encounter varied levels of detail in the body of the report. It is expected that technical information used as input to design documents will be verified and taken from the latest versions of reference sources given herein. This revision of the methodology report has evolved with changes in the waste package, drip shield, and emplacement pallet designs over many years and may be further revised as the design is finalized. Different components and analyses are at different stages of development. Some parts of the report are detailed, while other less detailed parts are likely to undergo further refinement. The design methodology is intended to provide designs that satisfy the safety and operational requirements of the YMP. Four waste package configurations have been selected to illustrate the application of the methodology during the licensing process. These four configurations are the 21-pressurized water reactor absorber plate waste package (21-PWRAP), the 44-boiling water reactor waste package (44-BWR), the 5 defense high-level radioactive waste (HLW) DOE spent nuclear fuel (SNF) codisposal short waste package (5-DHLWDOE SNF Short), and the naval canistered SNF long waste package (Naval SNF Long). Design work for the other six waste packages will be completed at a later date using the same design methodology. These include the 24-boiling water reactor waste package (24-BWR), the 21-pressurized water reactor control rod waste package (21-PWRCR), the 12-pressurized water reactor waste package (12-PWR), the 5 defense HLW DOE SNF codisposal long waste package (5-DHLWDOE SNF Long), the 2 defense HLW DOE SNF codisposal waste package (2-MC012-DHLW), and the naval canistered SNF short waste package (Naval SNF Short). This report is only part of the complete design description. Other reports related to the design include the design reports, the waste package system description documents, manufacturing specifications, and numerous documents for the many detailed calculations. The relationships between this report and other design documents are shown in Figure 1.« less

Mass wasting features in Juventae Chasma, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Ranjan; Singh, Pragya; Porwal, Alok; Ganesh, Indujaa

2016-07-01

Introduction : We report mass-wasting features preserved as debris aprons from Juventae Chasma. Diverse lines of evidence and associated geomorphological features indicate that fluidized ice or water within the wall rocks of the chasma could be responsible for mobilizing the debris. Description : The distinctive features of the landslides in Juvenate Chasma are: (1) lack of a well-defined crown or a clear-cut section at their point of origin and instead the presence of amphitheatre-headed tributary canyons; (2) absence of slump blocks; (3) overlapping of debris aprons; (4) a variety of surface textures from fresh and grooved to degraded and chaotic; (5) rounded lobes of debris aprons; (6) large variation of sizes from small lumps (~0.52 m2) to large tongue shaped ones (~ 80 m2); (7) smaller average size of landslides as compared to other chasmas; and (8) occasional preservation of fresh surficial features indicating recent emplacement. Discussion : Amphitheatre-headed tributary canyons, which are formed due to ground water sapping, indicate that the same was responsible for wall-section collapse, although a structural control cannot be completely ruled out. The emplacement of the mass wasting features preferentially at the mouths of amphitheatre-headed tributary canyons along with the rounded flow fronts of the debris suggest fluids may have played a vital role in their emplacement. The mass-wasting features in Juventae Chasma are unique compared to other landslides in Valles Marineris despite commonalities such as the radial furrows, fan-shaped outlines, overlapping aprons and overtopped obstacles. The unique set of features and close association with amphitheatre-headed tributary canyons imply that the trigger of the landslides was not structural or tectonic but possibly weakness imparted by the presence of water or ice in the pore-spaces of the wall. Craters with fluidized ejecta blankets and scalloped depressions in the surrounding plateau also support this possibility. Depending on the amounts of fluids involved at the time of emplacement, these mass movements may also qualify as debris flows. The role of fluids in the Valles Marineris landslides is still debated; however, in the Juventae Chasma landslides we see unique features which set these apart from other landslides in Valles Marineris. Further study is required to fully investigate the mechanism of emplacement of these debris.

Fundamental properties of monolithic bentonite buffer material formed by cold isostatic pressing for high-level radioactive waste repository

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

Kawakami, S.; Yamanaka, Y.; Kato, K.

1999-07-01

The methods of fabrication, handling, and emplacement of engineered barriers used in a deep geological repository for high level radioactive waste should be planned as simply as possible from the engineering and economic viewpoints. Therefore, a new concept of a monolithic buffer material around a waste package have been proposed instead of the conventional concept with the use of small blocks, which would decrease the cost for buffer material. The monolithic buffer material is composed of two parts of highly compacted bentonite, a cup type body and a cover. As the forming method of the monolithic buffer material, compaction bymore » the cold isostatic pressing process (CIP) has been employed. In this study, monolithic bentonite bodies with the diameter of about 333 mm and the height of about 455 mm (corresponding to the approx. 1/5 scale for the Japanese reference concept) were made by the CIP of bentonite powder. The dry densities: {rho}d of the bodies as a whole were measured and the small samples were cut from several locations to investigate the density distribution. The swelling pressure and hydraulic conductivity as function of the monolithic body density for CIP-formed specimens were also measured. High density ({rho}d: 1.4--2.0 Mg/m{sup 3}) and homogeneous monolithic bodies were formed by the CIP. The measured results of the swelling pressure (3--15 MPa) and hydraulic conductivity (0.5--1.4 x 10{sup {minus}13} m/s) of the specimens were almost the same as those for the uniaxial compacted bentonite in the literature. It is shown that the vacuum hoist system is an applicable handling method for emplacement of the monolithic bentonite.« less

Conference on Continental margin mass wasting and Pleistocene sea-level changes, August 13-15, 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Folger, David W.; Hathaway, J.C.

1987-01-01

A conference on Continental Margin Mass Wasting and Pleistocene Sea-Level Changes was held in Woods Hole, Mass., August 13-15, 1980. Forty-seven participants, representing many government, academic, and industrial organizations, discussed the current state of knowledge of the features of marine mass wasting and of the interrelations of factors influencing them. These factors include sediment source, composition, textures, sedimentation rates, climatic and sea-level changes, gas and gas hydrate (clathrate) contents of sediments, geotechnical characteristics, oceanographic and morphological factors, ground-water processes, and seismic events. The part played by these factors in the processes and features of mass movement and the engineering considerations imposed by the emplacement of manmade structures on the sea floor were considered vital to the evaluation of hazards involved in offshore exploration and development. The conference concluded with a call for bold programs to establish the probability of occurrence and the quantitative importance of these factors and to devise more reliable means of measurement, particularly in place, of the characteristics of the sediment and features involved.

Deep Borehole Field Test Conceptual Design Report

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

Hardin, Ernest L.

This report documents conceptual design development for the Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT), including test packages (simulated waste packages, not containing waste) and a system for demonstrating emplacement and retrieval of those packages in the planned Field Test Borehole (FTB). For the DBFT to have demonstration value, it must be based on conceptualization of a deep borehole disposal (DBD) system. This document therefore identifies key options for a DBD system, describes an updated reference DBD concept, and derives a recommended concept for the DBFT demonstration. The objective of the DBFT is to confirm the safety and feasibility of the DBDmore » concept for long-term isolation of radioactive waste. The conceptual design described in this report will demonstrate equipment and operations for safe waste handling and downhole emplacement of test packages, while contributing to an evaluation of the overall safety and practicality of the DBD concept. The DBFT also includes drilling and downhole characterization investigations that are described elsewhere (see Section 1). Importantly, no radioactive waste will be used in the DBFT, nor will the DBFT site be used for disposal of any type of waste. The foremost performance objective for conduct of the DBFT is to demonstrate safe operations in all aspects of the test.« less

Army Engineer Divers: First In Port-Au-Prince Harbor

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

to the pile once the concrete was poured. This step was com- pleted in a few minutes for each pile. Last, a prefabricated wooden form was emplaced...September-December 201010 Engineer This prefabricated wooden form was emplaced around a rebar cage at the top of damaged piles to hold concrete until it...the mainland into the harbor. Waste from tugboats and sewage from the mainland compounded ecological hazards. The only alternative for the Army and

Design Evolution Study - Aging Options

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

P. McDaniel

The purpose of this study is to identify options and issues for aging commercial spent nuclear fuel received for disposal at the Yucca Mountain Mined Geologic Repository. Some early shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel to the repository may be received with high-heat-output (younger) fuel assemblies that will need to be managed to meet thermal goals for emplacement. The capability to age as much as 40,000 metric tons of heavy metal of commercial spent nuclear he1 would provide more flexibility in the design to manage this younger fuel and to decouple waste receipt and waste emplacement. The following potential agingmore » location options are evaluated: (1) Surface aging at four locations near the North Portal; (2) Subsurface aging in the permanent emplacement drifts; and (3) Subsurface aging in a new subsurface area. The following aging container options are evaluated: (1) Complete Waste Package; (2) Stainless Steel inner liner of the waste package; (3) Dual Purpose Canisters; (4) Multi-Purpose Canisters; and (5) New disposable canister for uncanistered commercial spent nuclear fuel. Each option is compared to a ''Base Case,'' which is the expected normal waste packaging process without aging. A Value Engineering approach is used to score each option against nine technical criteria and rank the options. Open issues with each of the options and suggested future actions are also presented. Costs for aging containers and aging locations are evaluated separately. Capital costs are developed for direct costs and distributable field costs. To the extent practical, unit costs are presented. Indirect costs, operating costs, and total system life cycle costs will be evaluated outside of this study. Three recommendations for aging commercial spent nuclear fuel--subsurface, surface, and combined surface and subsurface are presented for further review in the overall design re-evaluation effort. Options that were evaluated but not recommended are: subsurface aging in a new subsurface area (high cost); surface aging in the complete waste package (risk to the waste package and impact on the Waste Handling Facility); and aging in the stainless steel liner (impact on the waste package design and new high risk operations added to the waste packaging process). The selection of a design basis for aging will be made in conjunction with the other design re-evaluation studies.« less

Department of Energy Operational Readiness Review for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

None, None

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an Operational Readiness Review (ORR) for the restart of Contact Handled (CH) waste emplacement at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) located near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The ORR team assessed the readiness of Nuclear Waste Partnership, LLC (NWP) to manage and perform receipt through CH waste emplacement, and associated waste handling and management activities, including the ability of the National TRU Program (NTP) to evaluate the waste currently stored at the WIPP site against the revised and enhanced Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). Field work for this review began on November 14, 2015more » and was completed on November 30, 2016. The DOE ORR was conducted in accordance with the Department of Energy Operational Readiness Review Implementation Plan for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, dated November 8, 2016, and DOE Order 425.1D, Verification of Readiness to Start Up or Restart Nuclear Facilities. The review activities included personnel interviews, record reviews, direct observation of operations and maintenance demonstrations, and observation of multiple operational and emergency drills/exercises. The DOE ORR also evaluated the adequacy of the contractor’s ORR (CORR) and the readiness of the DOE Carlsbad field Office (CBFO) to oversee the startup and execution of CH waste emplacement activities at the WIPP facility. The WIPP facility is categorized as a Hazard Category 2 DOE Nonreactor Nuclear Facility for all surface and Underground (UG) operations per DOE-STD-1027-92, Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23, Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports. In addition, the WIPP experienced two events in February, 2014 that resulted in Accident Investigations being performed in accordance with the requirements of DOE Order 225.1B, Accident Investigations. Based upon the results of the accident investigations and hazard categorization of the facility, the team placed significant emphasis on the following areas: fire protection, emergency preparedness, radiological protection, nuclear safety, and operations. The identification of specific focus areas was not intended to diminish the importance of other areas of the review, but to ensure that these areas received a particularly thorough and in-depth evaluation due to their significance with respect to the safe operation of the facility.« less

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

Experiments and Modeling to Support Field Test Design

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

Johnson, Peter Jacob; Bourret, Suzanne Michelle; Zyvoloski, George Anthony

Disposition of heat-generating nuclear waste (HGNW) remains a continuing technical and sociopolitical challenge. We define HGNW as the combination of both heat generating defense high level waste (DHLW) and civilian spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Numerous concepts for HGNW management have been proposed and examined internationally, including an extensive focus on geologic disposal (c.f. Brunnengräber et al., 2013). One type of proposed geologic material is salt, so chosen because of its viscoplastic deformation that causes self-repair of damage or deformation induced in the salt by waste emplacement activities (Hansen and Leigh, 2011). Salt as a repository material has been tested atmore » several sites around the world, notably the Morsleben facility in Germany (c.f. Fahland and Heusermann, 2013; Wollrath et al., 2014; Fahland et al., 2015) and at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, NM. Evaluating the technical feasibility of a HGNW repository in salt is an ongoing process involving experiments and numerical modeling of many processes at many facilities.« less

Modeling transient heat transfer in nuclear waste repositories.

PubMed

Yang, Shaw-Yang; Yeh, Hund-Der

2009-09-30

The heat of high-level nuclear waste may be generated and released from a canister at final disposal sites. The waste heat may affect the engineering properties of waste canisters, buffers, and backfill material in the emplacement tunnel and the host rock. This study addresses the problem of the heat generated from the waste canister and analyzes the heat distribution between the buffer and the host rock, which is considered as a radial two-layer heat flux problem. A conceptual model is first constructed for the heat conduction in a nuclear waste repository and then mathematical equations are formulated for modeling heat flow distribution at repository sites. The Laplace transforms are employed to develop a solution for the temperature distributions in the buffer and the host rock in the Laplace domain, which is numerically inverted to the time-domain solution using the modified Crump method. The transient temperature distributions for both the single- and multi-borehole cases are simulated in the hypothetical geological repositories of nuclear waste. The results show that the temperature distributions in the thermal field are significantly affected by the decay heat of the waste canister, the thermal properties of the buffer and the host rock, the disposal spacing, and the thickness of the host rock at a nuclear waste repository.

Ground-water flow model of the Boone formation at the Tar Creek superfund site, Oklahoma and Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, T.B.; Czarnecki, John B.

2006-01-01

Extensive mining activities conducted at the Tar Creek Superfund site, one of the largest Superfund sites in the United States, pose substantial health and safety risks. Mining activities removed a total of about 6,000,000 tons of lead and zinc by 1949. To evaluate the effect of this mining on the ground-water flow, a MODFLOW 2000 digital model has been developed to simulate ground-water flow in the carbonate formations of Mississippian age underlying the Tar Creek Superfund site. The model consists of three layers of variable thickness and a grid of 580 rows by 680 columns of cells 164 feet (50 meters) on a side. Model flux boundary conditions are specified for rivers and general head boundaries along the northern boundary of the Boone Formation. Selected cells in layer 1 are simulated as drain cells. Model calibration has been performed to minimize the difference between simulated and observed water levels in the Boone Formation. Hydraulic conductivity values specified during calibration range from 1.3 to 35 feet per day for the Boone Formation with the larger values occurring along the axis of the Miami Syncline where horizontal anisotropy is specified as 10 to 1. Hydraulic conductivity associated with the mine void is set at 50,000 feet per day and a specific yield of 1.0 is specified to represent that the mine void is filled completely with water. Residuals (the difference between measured and simulated ground-water altitudes) has a root-mean-squared value of 8.53 feet and an absolute mean value of 7.29 feet for 17 observed values of water levels in the Boone Formation. The utility of the model for simulating and evaluating the possible consequences of remediation activities has been demonstrated. The model was used to simulate the emplacement of chat (mine waste consisting of fines and fragments of chert) back into the mine. Scenarios using 1,800,000 and 6,500,000 tons of chat were run. Hydraulic conductivity was reduced from 50,000 feet per day to 35 feet per day in the model cells corresponding to chat emplacement locations. A comparison of the simulated baseline conditions and conditions after simulated chat emplacement revealed little change in water levels, drainage and stream flux, and ground-water flow velocity. Using the calibrated flow model, particle tracks were simulated using MODPATH to evaluate the simultaneous movement of particles with water in the vicinity of four potential sites at which various volumes of chat might be emplaced in the underground mine workings as part of potential remediation efforts at the site. Particle tracks were generated to follow the rate and direction of water movement for a simulated period of 100 years. In general, chat emplacement had minimal effect on the direction and rate of movement when compared to baseline (current) flow conditions. Water-level differences between baseline and chat-emplacement scenarios showed declines as much as 2 to 3 feet in areas immediately downgradient from the chat emplacement cells and little or no head change upgradient. Chat emplacements had minimal effect on changes in surfacewater flux with the largest simulated difference in one cell between baseline and chat emplacement scenarios being about 3.5 gallons per minute.

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

Not Available

Some of the major technical questions associated with the burial of radioactive high-level wastes in geologic formations are related to the thermal environments generated by the waste and the impact of this dissipated heat on the surrounding environment. The design of a high level waste storage facility must be such that the temperature variations that occur do not adversely affect operating personnel and equipment. The objective of this investigation was to assist OWI by determining the thermal environment that would be experienced by personnel and equipment in a waste storage facility in salt. Particular emphasis was placed on determining themore » maximum floor and air temperatures with and without ventilation in the first 30 years after waste emplacement. The assumed facility design differs somewhat from those previously analyzed and reported, but many of the previous parametric surveys are useful for comparison. In this investigation a number of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional simulations of the heat flow in a repository have been performed on the HEATING5 and TRUMP heat transfer codes. The representative repository constructs used in the simulations are described, as well as the computational models and computer codes. Results of the simulations are presented and discussed. Comparisons are made between the recent results and those from previous analyses. Finally, a summary of study limitations, comparisons, and conclusions is given.« less

Excess plutonium disposition: The deep borehole option

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

Ferguson, K.L.

1994-08-09

This report reviews the current status of technologies required for the disposition of plutonium in Very Deep Holes (VDH). It is in response to a recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report which addressed the management of excess weapons plutonium and recommended three approaches to the ultimate disposition of excess plutonium: (1) fabrication and use as a fuel in existing or modified reactors in a once-through cycle, (2) vitrification with high-level radioactive waste for repository disposition, (3) burial in deep boreholes. As indicated in the NAS report, substantial effort would be required to address the broad range of issues relatedmore » to deep bore-hole emplacement. Subjects reviewed in this report include geology and hydrology, design and engineering, safety and licensing, policy decisions that can impact the viability of the concept, and applicable international programs. Key technical areas that would require attention should decisions be made to further develop the borehole emplacement option are identified.« less

No-migration variance petition. Appendices A--B: Volume 2, Revision 1

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

Not Available

1990-03-01

Volume II contains Appendix A, emergency plan and Appendix B, waste analysis plan. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Emergency plan and Procedures (WP 12-9, Rev. 5, 1989) provides an organized plan of action for dealing with emergencies at the WIPP. A contingency plan is included which is in compliance with 40 CFR Part 265, Subpart D. The waste analysis plan provides a description of the chemical and physical characteristics of the wastes to be emplaced in the WIPP underground facility. A detailed discussion of the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria and the rationale for its established units are also included.

Landsat investigations of the northern Paradox basin, Utah and Colorado: implications for radioactive waste emplacement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, Jules D.; Simpson, Shirley L.

1978-01-01

The first stages of a remote-sensing project on the Paradox basin, part of the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) radioactive waste-emplacement program, consisted of a review and selection of the best available satellite scanner images to use in geomorphologic and tectonic investigations of the region. High-quality Landsat images in several spectral bands (E-2260-17124 and E-5165-17030), taken under low sun angle October 9 and 10, 1975, were processed via computer for planimetric rectification, histogram analysis, linear transformation of radiance values, and edge enhancement. A lineament map of the northern Paradox basin was subsequently compiled at 1:400,000 using the enhanced Landsat base. Numerous previously unmapped northeast-trending lineaments between the Green River and Yellowcat dome; confirmatory detail on the structural control of major segments of the Colorado, Gunnison, and Dolores Rivers; and new evidence for late Phanerozoic reactivation of Precambrian basement structures are among the new contributions to the tectonics of the region. Lineament trends appear to be compatible with the postulated Colorado lineament zone, with geophysical potential-field anomalies, and with a northeast-trending basement fault pattern. Combined Landsat, geologic, and geophysical field evidence for this interpretation includes the sinuousity of the composite Salt Valley anticline, the transection of the Moab-Spanish Valley anticline on its southeastern end by northeast-striking faults, and possible transection (?) of the Moab diapir. Similarly, northeast-trending lineaments in Cottonwood Canyon and elsewhere are interpreted as manifestations of structures associated with northeasterly trends in the magnetic and gravity fields of the La Sal Mountains region. Other long northwesterly lineaments near the western termination of the Ryan Creek fault zone. may be associated with the fault zone separating the Uncompahgre horst uplift from the Paradox basin. Implications of the present investigation for a potential radioactive waste-emplacement site in Salt Valley include confirmation of lack of permanent surface drainage and absence of agricultural or other development in the area of northern Salt Valley. On the other hand, the existence of diapirism, salt-karst landforms, and extensive lineamentation of the northern Paradox basin suggest regional tectonic instability at least in the geologic past. Future reactivation of diapiric or other halokinetic processes, including lateral flow, would lead to plastic behavior of the halite that might cause emplaced waste containers to migrate within the diapir. At Salt Valley, existing diapiric boundary faults and intersecting joint sets in sandstone units on the anticlinal flanks could, if the hydraulic gradient is suitable, provide conduits to the halite core for circulating ground water from adjacent Mesozoic sandstones in synclinal areas between the salt diapirs. Moreover, the loci of major lineament intersections might be areas of somewhat elevated seismic risk. If the salt barrier of Salt Valley anticline should fail in the future, potentially water-bearing Mesozoic fissile shales and friable to quartizitic sandstones would be the ultimate repository of the emplaced radioactive waste.

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

Modeling of the T S D E Heater Test to Investigate Crushed Salt Reconsolidation and Rock Salt Creep for the Underground Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Martin, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Wolters, R.; Lux, K. H.

2014-12-01

Rock salt is a potential medium for the underground disposal of nuclear waste because it has several assets, in particular its water and gas tightness in the undisturbed state, its ability to heal induced fractures and its high thermal conductivity as compared to other shallow-crustal rocks. In addition, the run-of-mine, granular salt, may be used to backfill the mined open spaces. We present simulation results associated with coupled thermal, hydraulic and mechanical processes in the TSDE (Thermal Simulation for Drift Emplacement) experiment, conducted in the Asse salt mine in Germany [1]. During this unique test, conceived to simulate reference repository conditions for spent nuclear fuel, a significant amount of data (temperature, stress changes and displacements, among others) was measured at 20 cross-sections, distributed in two drifts in which a total of six electrical heaters were emplaced. The drifts were subsequently backfilled with crushed salt. This test has been modeled in three-dimensions, using two sequential simulators for flow (mass and heat) and geomechanics, TOUGH-FLAC and FLAC-TOUGH [2]. These simulators have recently been updated to accommodate large strains and time-dependent rheology. The numerical predictions obtained by the two simulators are compared within the framework of an international benchmark exercise, and also with experimental data. Subsequently, a re-calibration of some parameters has been performed. Modeling coupled processes in saliniferous media for nuclear waste disposal is a novel approach, and in this study it has led to the determination of some creep parameters that are very difficult to assess at the laboratory-scale because they require extremely low strain rates. Moreover, the results from the benchmark are very satisfactory and validate the capabilities of the two simulators used to study coupled thermal, mechanical and hydraulic (multi-component, multi-phase) processes relative to the underground disposal of high-level nuclear waste in rock salt. References: [1] Bechthold et al., 1999. BAMBUS-I Project. Euratom, Report EUR19124-EN. [2] Blanco Martín et al., 2014. Comparison of two sequential simulators to investigate thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes related to nuclear waste isolation in saliniferous formations. In preparation.

Development of performance assessment methodology for nuclear waste isolation in geologic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonano, E. J.; Chu, M. S. Y.; Cranwell, R. M.; Davis, P. A.

The burial of nuclear wastes in deep geologic formations as a means for their disposal is an issue of significant technical and social impact. The analysis of the processes involved can be performed only with reliable mathematical models and computer codes as opposed to conducting experiments because the time scales associated are on the order of tens of thousands of years. These analyses are concerned primarily with the migration of radioactive contaminants from the repository to the environment accessible to humans. Modeling of this phenomenon depends on a large number of other phenomena taking place in the geologic porous and/or fractured medium. These are ground-water flow, physicochemical interactions of the contaminants with the rock, heat transfer, and mass transport. Once the radionuclides have reached the accessible environment, the pathways to humans and health effects are estimated. A performance assessment methodology for a potential high-level waste repository emplaced in a basalt formation has been developed for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Numerical Modeling of ROM Panel Closures at WIPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.

2016-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico is a U.S. DOE geologic repository for permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. Waste is emplaced in panels excavated in a bedded salt formation (Salado Fm.) at 655 m bgs. In 2014 the U.S. EPA approved the new Run-of-Mine Panel Closure System (ROMPCS) for WIPP. The closure system consists of 100 feet of run-of-mine (ROM) salt sandwiched between two barriers. Nuclear Waste Partnership LLC (the M&O contractor for WIPP) initiated construction of the ROMPCS. The design calls for three horizontal ROM salt layers at different compaction levels ranging from 70-85% intact salt density. Due to panel drift size constraints and equipment availability the design was modified. Three prototype panel closures were constructed: two having two layers of compacted ROM salt (one closure had 1% water added) and a third consisting of simply ROM salt with no layering or added water. Sampling of the prototype ROMPCS layers was conducted to determine the following ROM salt parameters: thickness, moisture content, emplaced density, and grain-size distribution. Previous modeling efforts were performed without knowledge of these ROM salt parameters. This modeling effort incorporates them. The program-accepted multimechanism deformation model is used to model intact salt room creep closure. An advanced crushed salt model is used to model the ROM salt. Comparison of the two models' results with the prototypes' behavior is given. Our goal is to develop a realistic, reliable model that can be used for ROM salt applications at WIPP. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory 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. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S Department of Energy SAND2016-7259A

Optimization of Deep Borehole Systems for HLW Disposal

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

Driscoll, Michael; Baglietto, Emilio; Buongiorno, Jacopo

2015-09-09

This is the final report on a project to update and improve the conceptual design of deep boreholes for high level nuclear waste disposal. The effort was concentrated on application to intact US legacy LWR fuel assemblies, but conducted in a way in which straightforward extension to other waste forms, host rock types and countries was preserved. The reference fuel design version consists of a vertical borehole drilled into granitic bedrock, with the uppermost kilometer serving as a caprock zone containing a diverse and redundant series of plugs. There follows a one to two kilometer waste canister emplacement zone havingmore » a hole diameter of approximately 40-50 cm. Individual holes are spaced 200-300 m apart to form a repository field. The choice of verticality and the use of a graphite based mud as filler between the waste canisters and the borehole wall liner was strongly influenced by the expectation that retrievability would continue to be emphasized in US and worldwide repository regulatory criteria. An advanced version was scoped out using zinc alloy cast in place to fill void space inside a disposal canister and its encapsulated fuel assembly. This excludes water and greatly improves both crush resistance and thermal conductivity. However the simpler option of using a sand fill was found adequate and is recommended for near-term use. Thermal-hydraulic modeling of the low permeability and porosity host rock and its small (≤ 1%) saline water content showed that vertical convection induced by the waste’s decay heat should not transport nuclides from the emplacement zone up to the biosphere atop the caprock. First order economic analysis indicated that borehole repositories should be cost-competitive with shallower mined repositories. It is concluded that proceeding with plans to drill a demonstration borehole to confirm expectations, and to carry out priority experiments, such as retention and replenishment of in-hole water is in order.« less

Modeling of Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical-Chemical Processes for Bentonite in a Clay-rock Repository for Heat-generating Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, H.; Rutqvist, J.; Zheng, L.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2016-12-01

Engineered Barrier Systems (EBS) that include a bentonite-based buffer are designed to isolate the high-level radioactive waste emplaced in tunnels in deep geological formations. The heat emanated from the waste can drive the moisture flow transport and induce strongly coupled Thermal (T), Hydrological (H), Mechanical (M) and Chemical (C) processes within the bentonite buffer and may also impact the evolution of the excavation disturbed zone and the sealing between the buffer and walls of an emplacement tunnel The flow and contaminant transport potential along the disturbed zone can be minimized by backfilling the tunnels with bentonite, if it provides enough swelling stress when hydrated by the host rock. The swelling capability of clay minerals within the bentonite is important for sealing gaps between bentonite block, and between the EBS and the surrounding host rock. However, a high temperature could result in chemical alteration of bentonite-based buffer and backfill materials through illitization, which may compromise the function of these EBS components by reducing their plasticity and capability to swell under wetting. Therefore, an adequate THMC coupling scheme is required to understand and to predict the changes of bentonite for identifying whether EBS bentonite can sustain higher temperatures. More comprehensive links between chemistry and mechanics, taking advantage of the framework provided by a dual-structure model, named Barcelona Expansive Model (BExM), was implemented in TOUGHREACT-FLAC3D and is used to simulate the response of EBS bentonite in in clay formation for a generic case. The current work is to evaluate the chemical changes in EBS bentonite and the effects on the bentonite swelling stress under high temperature. This work sheds light on the interaction between THMC processes, evaluates the potential deterioration of EBS bentonite and supports the decision making in the design of a nuclear waste repository in light of the maximum allowance temperature.

Numerical Modeling of Thermal-Hydrology in the Near Field of a Generic High-Level Waste Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matteo, E. N.; Hadgu, T.; Park, H.

2016-12-01

Disposal in a deep geologic repository is one of the preferred option for long term isolation of high-level nuclear waste. Coupled thermal-hydrologic processes induced by decay heat from the radioactive waste may impact fluid flow and the associated migration of radionuclides. This study looked at the effects of those processes in simulations of thermal-hydrology for the emplacement of U. S. Department of Energy managed high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. Most of the high-level waste sources have lower thermal output which would reduce the impact of thermal propagation. In order to quantify the thermal limits this study concentrated on the higher thermal output sources and on spent nuclear fuel. The study assumed a generic nuclear waste repository at 500 m depth. For the modeling a representative domain was selected representing a portion of the repository layout in order to conduct a detailed thermal analysis. A highly refined unstructured mesh was utilized with refinements near heat sources and at intersections of different materials. Simulations looked at different values for properties of components of the engineered barrier system (i.e. buffer, disturbed rock zone and the host rock). The simulations also looked at the effects of different durations of surface aging of the waste to reduce thermal perturbations. The PFLOTRAN code (Hammond et al., 2014) was used for the simulations. Modeling results for the different options are reported and include temperature and fluid flow profiles in the near field at different simulation times. References:G. E. Hammond, P.C. Lichtner and R.T. Mills, "Evaluating the Performance of Parallel Subsurface Simulators: An Illustrative Example with PFLOTRAN", Water Resources Research, 50, doi:10.1002/2012WR013483 (2014). Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2016-7510 A

Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment

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

P. Dixon

2004-04-26

The conceptual and predictive models documented in this Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment Model report describe the evolution of the physical and chemical conditions within the waste emplacement drifts of the repository. The modeling approaches and model output data will be used in the total system performance assessment (TSPA-LA) to assess the performance of the engineered barrier system and the waste form. These models evaluate the range of potential water compositions within the emplacement drifts, resulting from the interaction of introduced materials and minerals in dust with water seeping into the drifts and with aqueous solutions forming bymore » deliquescence of dust (as influenced by atmospheric conditions), and from thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) processes in the drift. These models also consider the uncertainty and variability in water chemistry inside the drift and the compositions of introduced materials within the drift. This report develops and documents a set of process- and abstraction-level models that constitute the engineered barrier system: physical and chemical environment model. Where possible, these models use information directly from other process model reports as input, which promotes integration among process models used for total system performance assessment. Specific tasks and activities of modeling the physical and chemical environment are included in the technical work plan ''Technical Work Plan for: In-Drift Geochemistry Modeling'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 166519]). As described in the technical work plan, the development of this report is coordinated with the development of other engineered barrier system analysis model reports.« less

Potential migration of buoyant LNAPL from intermediate level waste (ILW) emplaced in a geological disposal facility (GDF) for U.K. radioactive waste.

PubMed

Benbow, Steven J; Rivett, Michael O; Chittenden, Neil; Herbert, Alan W; Watson, Sarah; Williams, Steve J; Norris, Simon

2014-10-15

A safety case for the disposal of Intermediate Level (radioactive) Waste (ILW) in a deep geological disposal facility (GDF) requires consideration of the potential for waste-derived light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) to migrate under positive buoyancy from disposed waste packages. Were entrainment of waste-derived radionuclides in LNAPL to occur, such migration could result in a shorter overall travel time to environmental or human receptors than radionuclide migration solely associated with the movement of groundwater. This paper provides a contribution to the assessment of this issue through multiphase-flow numerical modelling underpinned by a review of the UK's ILW inventory and literature to define the nature of the associated ILW LNAPL source term. Examination has been at the waste package-local GDF environment scale to determine whether proposed disposal of ILW would lead to significant likelihood of LNAPL migration, both from waste packages and from a GDF vault into the local host rock. Our review and numerical modelling support the proposition that the release of a discrete free phase LNAPL from ILW would not present a significant challenge to the safety case even with conservative approximations. 'As-disposed' LNAPL emplaced with the waste is not expected to pose a significant issue. 'Secondary LNAPL' generated in situ within the disposed ILW, arising from the decomposition of plastics, in particular PVC (polyvinyl chloride), could form the predominant LNAPL source term. Released high molecular weight phthalate plasticizers are judged to be the primary LNAPL potentially generated. These are expected to have low buoyancy-based mobility due to their very low density contrast with water and high viscosity. Due to the inherent uncertainties, significant conservatisms were adopted within the numerical modelling approach, including: the simulation of a deliberately high organic material--PVC content wastestream (2D03) within an annular grouted waste package vulnerable to LNAPL release; upper bound inventory estimates of LNAPLs; incorporating the lack of any hydraulic resistance of the package vent; the lack of any degradation of dissolved LNAPL; and, significantly, the small threshold displacement pressure assumed at which LNAPL is able to enter initially water-saturated pores. Initial scoping calculations on the latter suggested that the rate at which LNAPL is able to migrate from a waste package is likely to be very small and insignificant for likely representative displacement pressure data: this represents a key result. Adopting a conservative displacement pressure, however, allowed the effect of other features and processes in the system to be assessed. High LNAPL viscosity together with low density contrast with water reduces LNAPL migration potential. Migration to the host rock is less likely if waste package vent fluxes are small, solubility limits are high and path lengths through the backfill are short. The capacity of the system to dissolve all of the free LNAPL will, however, depend on groundwater availability. Even with the conservatisms invoked, the overall conclusion of model simulations of intact and compromised (cracked or corroded) waste packages, for a range of realistic ILW LNAPL scenarios, is that it is unlikely that significant LNAPL would be able to migrate from the waste packages and even more unlikely it would be sufficiently persistent to reach the host rock immediately beyond the GDF. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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

Zheng, Liange; Rutqvist, Jonny; Kim, Kunhwi

The focus of research within the UFD Campaign is on repository-induced interactions that may affect the key safety characteristics of an argillaceous rock. These include thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) process interactions that occur as a result of repository construction and waste emplacement. Some of the key questions addressed in this report include the development of fracturing in the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) and THMC effects on the near-field argillaceous rock and buffer minerals and petrophysical characteristics, particularly the impacts of induced temperature rise caused by waste heat.

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 solubilities limit radionuclide releases, and the invert material below the package would further delay radionuclide movement. Fourth, rock units in the unsaturated and saturated zone at Yucca Mountain will delay and dilute any radionuclides that have migrated away from the emplacement tunnels. Fifth, disruptions due to volcanism, seismic events, or nuclear criticality have been evaluated and all are shown to have very low likelihood of causing unacceptable doses. Volcanism could result in a small, but calculable, dose during the regulatory period of 10,000 years.

Hanford immobilized low-activity tank waste performance assessment

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

Mann, F.M.

1998-03-26

The Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Tank Waste Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the planned disposal of the vitrified low-level fraction of waste presently contained in Hanford Site tanks. The tank waste is the by-product of separating special nuclear materials from irradiated nuclear fuels over the past 50 years. This waste has been stored in underground single and double-shell tanks. The tank waste is to be retrieved, separated into low and high-activity fractions, and then immobilized by private vendors. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will receive the vitrified waste from private vendors and plansmore » to dispose of the low-activity fraction in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. The high-level fraction will be stored at Hanford until a national repository is approved. This report provides the site-specific long-term environmental information needed by the DOE to issue a Disposal Authorization Statement that would allow the modification of the four existing concrete disposal vaults to provide better access for emplacement of the immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) containers; filling of the modified vaults with the approximately 5,000 ILAW containers and filler material with the intent to dispose of the containers; construction of the first set of next-generation disposal facilities. The performance assessment activity will continue beyond this assessment. The activity will collect additional data on the geotechnical features of the disposal sites, the disposal facility design and construction, and the long-term performance of the waste. Better estimates of long-term performance will be produced and reviewed on a regular basis. Performance assessments supporting closure of filled facilities will be issued seeking approval of those actions necessary to conclude active disposal facility operations. This report also analyzes the long-term performance of the currently planned disposal system as a basis to set requirements on the waste form and the facility design that will protect the long-term public health and safety and protect the environment.« less

Extreme scenarios for nuclear waste repositories.

PubMed

Brown, M J; Crouch, E

1982-09-01

Two extreme scenarios for release of radioactive waste have been constructed. In the first, a volcanic eruption releases 1 km2 of an underground nuclear waste repository, while in the second, waste enters the drinking water reservoir of a major city. With pessimistic assumptions, upper bounds on the number of cancers due to radiation are calculated. In the volcano scenario, the effects of the water are smaller than the effects of natural radioactivity in the volcanic dust if the delay between emplacement and eruption exceeds 2000 yr. The consequences of the waste in drinking water depend on the survival time of the canisters and the rate of leaching of the nuclides from the waste matrix. For a canister life of 400 yr and a leach time of 6300 yr the cancer rate in the affected area would increase by 25%.

40 CFR 194.43 - Passive institutional controls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., design, and contents of the disposal system. Such measures shall include: (1) Identification of the controlled area by markers that have been designed and will be fabricated and emplaced to be as permanent as... system; (ii) The design of the disposal system; (iii) The nature and hazard of the waste; (iv) Geologic...

40 CFR 194.43 - Passive institutional controls.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., design, and contents of the disposal system. Such measures shall include: (1) Identification of the controlled area by markers that have been designed and will be fabricated and emplaced to be as permanent as... system; (ii) The design of the disposal system; (iii) The nature and hazard of the waste; (iv) Geologic...

PROBABILISTIC SAFETY ASSESSMENT OF OPERATIONAL ACCIDENTS AT THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT

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

Rucker, D.F.

2000-09-01

This report presents a probabilistic safety assessment of radioactive doses as consequences from accident scenarios to complement the deterministic assessment presented in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Safety Analysis Report (SAR). The International Council of Radiation Protection (ICRP) recommends both assessments be conducted to ensure that ''an adequate level of safety has been achieved and that no major contributors to risk are overlooked'' (ICRP 1993). To that end, the probabilistic assessment for the WIPP accident scenarios addresses the wide range of assumptions, e.g. the range of values representing the radioactive source of an accident, that could possibly have beenmore » overlooked by the SAR. Routine releases of radionuclides from the WIPP repository to the environment during the waste emplacement operations are expected to be essentially zero. In contrast, potential accidental releases from postulated accident scenarios during waste handling and emplacement could be substantial, which necessitates the need for radiological air monitoring and confinement barriers (DOE 1999). The WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) calculated doses from accidental releases to the on-site (at 100 m from the source) and off-site (at the Exclusive Use Boundary and Site Boundary) public by a deterministic approach. This approach, as demonstrated in the SAR, uses single-point values of key parameters to assess the 50-year, whole-body committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE). The basic assumptions used in the SAR to formulate the CEDE are retained for this report's probabilistic assessment. However, for the probabilistic assessment, single-point parameter values were replaced with probability density functions (PDF) and were sampled over an expected range. Monte Carlo simulations were run, in which 10,000 iterations were performed by randomly selecting one value for each parameter and calculating the dose. Statistical information was then derived from the 10,000 iteration batch, which included 5%, 50%, and 95% dose likelihood, and the sensitivity of each assumption to the calculated doses. As one would intuitively expect, the doses from the probabilistic assessment for most scenarios were found to be much less than the deterministic assessment. The lower dose of the probabilistic assessment can be attributed to a ''smearing'' of values from the high and low end of the PDF spectrum of the various input parameters. The analysis also found a potential weakness in the deterministic analysis used in the SAR, a detail on drum loading was not taken into consideration. Waste emplacement operations thus far have handled drums from each shipment as a single unit, i.e. drums from each shipment are kept together. Shipments typically come from a single waste stream, and therefore the curie loading of each drum can be considered nearly identical to that of its neighbor. Calculations show that if there are large numbers of drums used in the accident scenario assessment, e.g. 28 drums in the waste hoist failure scenario (CH5), then the probabilistic dose assessment calculations will diverge from the deterministically determined doses. As it is currently calculated, the deterministic dose assessment assumes one drum loaded to the maximum allowable (80 PE-Ci), and the remaining are 10% of the maximum. The effective average of drum curie content is therefore less in the deterministic assessment than the probabilistic assessment for a large number of drums. EEG recommends that the WIPP SAR calculations be revisited and updated to include a probabilistic safety assessment.« less

SINGLE HEATER TEST FINAL REPORT

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

J.B. Cho

The Single Heater Test is the first of the in-situ thermal tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of its program of characterizing Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the potential site for a proposed deep geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. The Site Characterization Plan (DOE 1988) contained an extensive plan of in-situ thermal tests aimed at understanding specific aspects of the response of the local rock-mass around the potential repository to the heat from the radioactive decay of the emplaced waste. With the refocusing of the Site Characterization Planmore » by the ''Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program Plan'' (DOE 1994), a consolidated thermal testing program emerged by 1995 as documented in the reports ''In-Situ Thermal Testing Program Strategy'' (DOE 1995) and ''Updated In-Situ Thermal Testing Program Strategy'' (CRWMS M&O 1997a). The concept of the Single Heater Test took shape in the summer of 1995 and detailed planning and design of the test started with the beginning fiscal year 1996. The overall objective of the Single Heater Test was to gain an understanding of the coupled thermal, mechanical, hydrological, and chemical processes that are anticipated to occur in the local rock-mass in the potential repository as a result of heat from radioactive decay of the emplaced waste. This included making a priori predictions of the test results using existing models and subsequently refining or modifying the models, on the basis of comparative and interpretive analyses of the measurements and predictions. A second, no less important, objective was to try out, in a full-scale field setting, the various instruments and equipment to be employed in the future on a much larger, more complex, thermal test of longer duration, such as the Drift Scale Test. This ''shake down'' or trial aspect of the Single Heater Test applied not just to the hardware, but also to the teamwork and cooperation between multiple organizations performing their part in the test.« less

Geological Disposal of Nuclear Waste: Investigating the Thermo-Hygro-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) Coupled Processes at the Waste Canister- Bentonite Barrier Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, C. W.; Davie, D. C.; Charles, D. A.

2015-12-01

Geological disposal of nuclear waste is being increasingly considered to deal with the growing volume of waste resulting from the nuclear legacy of numerous nations. Within the UK there is 650,000 cubic meters of waste safely stored and managed in near-surface interim facilities but with no conclusive permanent disposal route. A Geological Disposal Facility with incorporated Engineered Barrier Systems are currently being considered as a permanent waste management solution (Fig.1). This research focuses on the EBS bentonite buffer/waste canister interface, and experimentally replicates key environmental phases that would occur after canister emplacement. This progresses understanding of the temporal evolution of the EBS and the associated impact on its engineering, mineralogical and physicochemical state and considers any consequences for the EBS safety functions of containment and isolation. Correlation of engineering properties to the physicochemical state is the focus of this research. Changes to geotechnical properties such as Atterberg limits, swelling pressure and swelling kinetics are measured after laboratory exposure to THMC variables from interface and batch experiments. Factors affecting the barrier, post closure, include corrosion product interaction, precipitation of silica, near-field chemical environment, groundwater salinity and temperature. Results show that increasing groundwater salinity has a direct impact on the buffer, reducing swelling capacity and plasticity index by up to 80%. Similarly, thermal loading reduces swelling capacity by 23% and plasticity index by 5%. Bentonite/steel interaction studies show corrosion precipitates diffusing into compacted bentonite up to 3mm from the interface over a 4 month exposure (increasing with temperature), with reduction in swelling capacity in the affected zone, probably due to the development of poorly crystalline iron oxides. These results indicate that groundwater conditions, temperature and corrosion may affect the engineering performance of the bentonite buffer such that any interfaces between bentonite blocks that may be present immediately following buffer emplacement may persist in the longer term.

10 CFR 60.111 - Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... retrieval throughout the period during which wastes are being emplaced and, thereafter, until the completion of a preformance confirmation program and Commission review of the information obtained from such a... retrievability. (3) For purposes of this paragraph, a reasonable schedule for retrieval is one that would permit...

10 CFR 60.111 - Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... retrieval throughout the period during which wastes are being emplaced and, thereafter, until the completion of a preformance confirmation program and Commission review of the information obtained from such a... retrievability. (3) For purposes of this paragraph, a reasonable schedule for retrieval is one that would permit...

10 CFR 60.111 - Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... retrieval throughout the period during which wastes are being emplaced and, thereafter, until the completion of a preformance confirmation program and Commission review of the information obtained from such a... retrievability. (3) For purposes of this paragraph, a reasonable schedule for retrieval is one that would permit...

10 CFR 60.111 - Performance of the geologic repository operations area through permanent closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... retrieval throughout the period during which wastes are being emplaced and, thereafter, until the completion of a preformance confirmation program and Commission review of the information obtained from such a... retrievability. (3) For purposes of this paragraph, a reasonable schedule for retrieval is one that would permit...

Deep Borehole Disposal Remediation Costs for Off-Normal Outcomes

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

Finger, John T.; Cochran, John R.; Hardin, Ernest

2015-08-17

This memo describes rough-order-of-magnitude (ROM) cost estimates for a set of off-normal (accident) scenarios, as defined for two waste package emplacement method options for deep borehole disposal: drill-string and wireline. It summarizes the different scenarios and the assumptions made for each, with respect to fishing, decontamination, remediation, etc.

Geologic and hydrologic considerations for various concepts of high-level radioactive waste disposal in conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ekren, E.B.; Dinwiddie, G.A.; Mytton, J.W.; Thordarson, William; Weir, J.E.; Hinrichs, E.N.; Schroder, L.J.

1974-01-01

The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate and identify which geohydrologic environments in conterminous United States are best suited for various concepts or methods of underground disposal of high-level radioactive wastes and to establish geologic and hydrologic criteria that are pertinent to high-level waste disposal. The unproven methods of disposal include (1) a very deep drill hole (30,000-50,000 ft or 9,140-15,240 m), (2) a matrix of (an array of multiple) drill holes (1,000-20,000 ft or 305-6,100 m), (3) a mined chamber (1,000-10,000 ft or 305-3,050 m), (4) a cavity with separate manmade structures (1,000-10,000 ft or 305-3,050 m), and (5) an exploded cavity (2,000-20,000 ft or 610-6,100 m) o The geohydrologic investigation is made on the presumption that the concepts or methods of disposal are technically feasible. Field and laboratory experiments in the future may demonstrate whether or not any of the methods are practical and safe. All the conclusions drawn are tentative pending experimental confirmation. The investigation focuses principally on the geohydrologic possibilities of several methods of disposal in rocks other than salt. Disposal in mined chambers in salt is currently under field investigation, and this disposal method has been intensely investigated and evaluated by various workers under the sponsorship of the Atomic Energy Commission. Of the various geohydrologic factors that must be considered in the selection of optimum waste-disposal sites, the most important is hydrologic isolation to assure that the wastes will be safely contained within a small radius of the emplacement zone. To achieve this degree of hydrologic isolation, the host rock for the wastes must have very low permeability and the site must be virtually free of faults. In addition, the locality should be in (1) an area of low seismic risk where the possibility of large earthquakes rupturing the emplacement zone is very low, (2) where the possibility- of flooding by rise is very low, (3) where a possible return of glacial or pluvial climate will not cause potentially hazardous changes in surface- or ground-water regimens, and (4) where danger of exhumation by erosion is nil. The geographic location for an optimum site is one that is far removed from major drainages, lakes, and oceans, where population density is low, and where the topographic relief is gentle in order to avoid steep surface-water drainage gradients that would allow rapid distribution of contaminants in case of accident. The most suitable medium for the unproven deep drill-hole, matrix-holes, and exploded-cavity methods appears to be crystalline rocks, either intrusive igneous or metamorphic because of their potentially low permeabilities and high mechanical strengths. Salt (either in thick beds or stable domes), tuff, and possibly shale appear to be suitable for mined chambers and cavities with separate manmade structures. Salt appears to be suitable because of its very low permeability, high thermal conductivity, and natural plasticity. Tuff and shale appear suitable because of their very low permeabilities and high ion-exchange capacities. Sedimentary rocks other than shale and volcanic rocks, exclusive of tuff, are considered to be generally unsuitable for waste emplacement because of their potentially high permeabilities. Areas that appear to satisfy most geohydrologic requirements for the deep drill hole and the matrix holes include principally (1) the stable continental interior where the sedimentary cover is thin or absent, (2) the shield area of the North-Central States, and (3) the metamorphic belt of Eastern United States--primarily the Piedmont. These areas are possibly suitable also for the exploded cavity and the mined chamber because the possibility of finding rock with very- permeability at depths from 1,000? feet (305? m) to 20,000 feet (6,100 m) appears to be high. The Basin and Range province of Western United States, particula

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

N.D. Francis

The objective of this calculation is to develop a time dependent in-drift effective thermal conductivity parameter that will approximate heat conduction, thermal radiation, and natural convection heat transfer using a single mode of heat transfer (heat conduction). In order to reduce the physical and numerical complexity of the heat transfer processes that occur (and must be modeled) as a result of the emplacement of heat generating wastes, a single parameter will be developed that approximates all forms of heat transfer from the waste package surface to the drift wall (or from one surface exchanging heat with another). Subsequently, with thismore » single parameter, one heat transfer mechanism (e.g., conduction heat transfer) can be used in the models. The resulting parameter is to be used as input in the drift-scale process-level models applied in total system performance assessments for the site recommendation (TSPA-SR). The format of this parameter will be a time-dependent table for direct input into the thermal-hydrologic (TH) and the thermal-hydrologic-chemical (THC) models.« less

Initial Radionuclide Inventories

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

Miller, H

The purpose of this analysis is to provide an initial radionuclide inventory (in grams per waste package) and associated uncertainty distributions for use in the Total System Performance Assessment for the License Application (TSPA-LA) in support of the license application for the repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This document is intended for use in postclosure analysis only. Bounding waste stream information and data were collected that capture probable limits. For commercially generated waste, this analysis considers alternative waste stream projections to bound the characteristics of wastes likely to be encountered using arrival scenarios that potentially impact the commercial spent nuclearmore » fuel (CSNF) waste stream. For TSPA-LA, this radionuclide inventory analysis considers U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) high-level radioactive waste (DHLW) glass and two types of spent nuclear fuel (SNF): CSNF and DOE-owned (DSNF). These wastes are placed in two groups of waste packages: the CSNF waste package and the codisposal waste package (CDSP), which are designated to contain DHLW glass and DSNF, or DHLW glass only. The radionuclide inventory for naval SNF is provided separately in the classified ''Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program Technical Support Document'' for the License Application. As noted previously, the radionuclide inventory data presented here is intended only for TSPA-LA postclosure calculations. It is not applicable to preclosure safety calculations. Safe storage, transportation, and ultimate disposal of these wastes require safety analyses to support the design and licensing of repository equipment and facilities. These analyses will require radionuclide inventories to represent the radioactive source term that must be accommodated during handling, storage and disposition of these wastes. This analysis uses the best available information to identify the radionuclide inventory that is expected at the last year of last emplacement, currently identified as 2030 and 2033, depending on the type of waste. TSPA-LA uses the results of this analysis to decay the inventory to the year of repository closure projected for the year of 2060.« less

Characterization of Incorporation the Glass Waste in Adhesive Mortar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, D. P.; Azevedo, A. R. G.; Hespanhol, R. L.; Alexandre, J.

Ehe search for reuse generated waste in urban centers, intending to preserve natural resources, has remained fairly constant, both in context of preventing exploitation of resources as the emplacement of waste on the environment. Glass waste glass created a serious environmental problem, mainly because of inconsistency of its flows. Ehe use of this product as a mineral additive, finely ground, cement replacement and aggregate is a promising direction for recycling. This work aims to study the influence of glass waste from cutting process in adhesive mortar, replacing part of cement. Ehe glass powder is used replacing Portland cement at 10, 15 and 20% by mass. Ehe produced mortars will be evaluated its performance in fresh and hardened states through tests performed in laboratory. Ehe selected feature is indicated by producers of additive and researchers to present good results when used as adhesive mortar.

Albedo Neutron Dosimetry in a Deep Geological Disposal Repository for High-Level Nuclear Waste.

PubMed

Pang, Bo; Becker, Frank

2017-04-28

Albedo neutron dosemeter is the German official personal neutron dosemeter in mixed radiation fields where neutrons contribute to personal dose. In deep geological repositories for high-level nuclear waste, where neutrons can dominate the radiation field, it is of interest to investigate the performance of albedo neutron dosemeter in such facilities. In this study, the deep geological repository is represented by a shielding cask loaded with spent nuclear fuel placed inside a rock salt emplacement drift. Due to the backscattering of neutrons in the drift, issues concerning calibration of the dosemeter arise. Field-specific calibration of the albedo neutron dosemeter was hence performed with Monte Carlo simulations. In order to assess the applicability of the albedo neutron dosemeter in a deep geological repository over a long time scale, spent nuclear fuel with different ages of 50, 100 and 500 years were investigated. It was found out, that the neutron radiation field in a deep geological repository can be assigned to the application area 'N1' of the albedo neutron dosemeter, which is typical in reactors and accelerators with heavy shielding. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

10 CFR Appendix IV to Part 960 - Types of Information for the Nomination of Sites as Suitable for Characterization

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... with its geologic setting, in order to estimate the pre-waste-emplacement ground-water flow conditions.... • Preliminary estimates of ground-water travel times along the likely flow paths from the repository to... hydrochemical conditions of the host rock, of the surrounding geohydrologic units, and along likely ground-water...

IMPROVED WELL PLUGGING EQUIPMENT AND WASTE MANGEMENT TECHNIQUES EXCEED ALARA GOALS AT THE OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

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

Whiteside, R.; Pawlowicz, R.; Whitehead, L.

2002-02-25

In 2000, Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) contracted Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. (TtNUS) and their sub-contractor, Texas World Operations, Inc. (TWO), to plug and abandon (P&A) 111 wells located in the Melton Valley area of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). One hundred and seven of those wells were used to monitor fluid movement and subsurface containment of the low level radioactive liquid waste/grout slurry that was injected into the Pumpkin Valley Shale Formation, underlying ORNL. Four wells were used as hydrofracture injection wells to emplace the waste in the shale formation. Although the practice of hydrofracturing was and is consideredmore » by many to pose no threat to human health or the environment, the practice was halted in 1982 after the Federal Underground Injection Control regulations were enacted by United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) making it necessary to properly close the wells. The work is being performed for the United States Department of Energy Oak Ridge Operations (DOE ORO). The project team is using the philosophy of minimum waste generation and the principles of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) as key project goals to minimize personnel and equipment exposure, waste generation, and project costs. Achievement of these goals was demonstrated by the introduction of several new pieces of custom designed well plugging and abandonment equipment that were tested and used effectively during field operations. Highlights of the work performed and the equipment used are presented.« less

Beatty, Nevada: A section in U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1986-1990 (WRI 91-4084)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.; Fisher, Jeffrey M.; Prudic, David E.; Trask, N.J.; Stevens, P.R.

1991-01-01

A low-level radioactive-waste disposal facility in the Amargosa Desert of Nevada, about 17 km southeast of Beatty and 169 km northwest of Las Vegas, has been operating since 1962. This was the first commercially operated radioactive waste disposal facility in the United States. Wastes at the facility are emplaced in 2 to 15-m deep trenches and covered by backfilling with previously excavated materials. Annual precipitation in the area averages about 112 mm. Vegetation is sparse with creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) being the dominant species. Soils in the area are skeletal and are underlain by more than 170 m of unconsolidated alluvial-fan, fluvial, and ephemeral-lake deposits. Depth to water is about 85 m.Initial field investigations (1976-1980) included monitoring of soil-water content and water potential in an unvegetated soil profile, and collection of meteorological data at the disposal facility. Design of additional hydrogeologic investigations and long-term studies of soil-water movement in a vegetated soil profile began in 1982 and field data collection has been ongoing since 1984. Studies to evaluate the modifying effects of trench construction on the natural site environment and to determine changes in trench structural stability began in 1987. Design of studies to measure gas and vapor movement in the trenches at the facility began in 1989.

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.

INDIVIDUAL DOSIMETRY IN DISPOSAL REPOSITORY OF HEAT-GENERATING NUCLEAR WASTE.

PubMed

Pang, Bo; Saurí Suárez, Héctor; Becker, Frank

2016-09-01

Certain working scenarios in a disposal facility of heat-generating nuclear waste might lead to an enhanced level of radiation exposure for workers in such facilities. Hence, a realistic estimation of the personal dose during individual working scenarios is desired. In this study, the general-purpose Monte Carlo N-Particle code MCNP6 (Pelowitz, D. B. (ed). MCNP6 user manual LA-CP-13-00634, Rev. 0 (2013)) was applied to simulate a representative radiation field in a disposal facility. A tool to estimate the personal dose was then proposed by taking into account the influence of individual motion sequences during working scenarios. As basis for this approach, a movable whole-body phantom was developed to describe individual body gestures of the workers during motion sequences. In this study, the proposed method was applied to the German concept of geological disposal in rock salt. The feasibility of the proposed approach was demonstrated with an example of working scenario in an emplacement drift of a rock salt mine. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performance Assessments of Generic Nuclear Waste Repositories in Shale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, E. R.; Sevougian, S. D.; Mariner, P. E.; Hammond, G. E.; Frederick, J.

2017-12-01

Simulations of deep geologic disposal of nuclear waste in a generic shale formation showcase Geologic Disposal Safety Assessment (GDSA) Framework, a toolkit for repository performance assessment (PA) whose capabilities include domain discretization (Cubit), multiphysics simulations (PFLOTRAN), uncertainty and sensitivity analysis (Dakota), and visualization (Paraview). GDSA Framework is used to conduct PAs of two generic repositories in shale. The first considers the disposal of 22,000 metric tons heavy metal of commercial spent nuclear fuel. The second considers disposal of defense-related spent nuclear fuel and high level waste. Each PA accounts for the thermal load and radionuclide inventory of applicable waste types, components of the engineered barrier system, and components of the natural barrier system including the host rock shale and underlying and overlying stratigraphic units. Model domains are half-symmetry, gridded with Cubit, and contain between 7 and 22 million grid cells. Grid refinement captures the detail of individual waste packages, emplacement drifts, access drifts, and shafts. Simulations are run in a high performance computing environment on as many as 2048 processes. Equations describing coupled heat and fluid flow and reactive transport are solved with PFLOTRAN, an open-source, massively parallel multiphase flow and reactive transport code. Additional simulated processes include waste package degradation, waste form dissolution, radioactive decay and ingrowth, sorption, solubility, advection, dispersion, and diffusion. Simulations are run to 106 y, and radionuclide concentrations are observed within aquifers at a point approximately 5 km downgradient of the repository. Dakota is used to sample likely ranges of input parameters including waste form and waste package degradation rates and properties of engineered and natural materials to quantify uncertainty in predicted concentrations and sensitivity to input parameters. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. SAND2017- 8305 A

Modelling of the reactive transport for rock salt-brine in geological repository systems based on improved thermodynamic database (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, W.; Alkan, H.; Xie, M.; Moog, H.; Sonnenthal, E. L.

2009-12-01

The release and migration of toxic contaminants from the disposed wastes is one of the main issues in long-term safety assessment of geological repositories. In the engineered and geological barriers around the nuclear waste emplacements chemical interactions between the components of the system may affect the isolation properties considerably. As the chemical issues change the transport properties in the near and far field of a nuclear repository, modelling of the transport should also take the chemistry into account. The reactive transport modelling consists of two main components: a code that combines the possible chemical reactions with thermo-hydrogeological processes interactively and a thermodynamic databank supporting the required parameters for the calculation of the chemical reactions. In the last decade many thermo-hydrogeological codes were upgraded to include the modelling of the chemical processes. TOUGHREACT is one of these codes. This is an extension of the well known simulator TOUGH2 for modelling geoprocesses. The code is developed by LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Univ. of California) for the simulation of the multi-phase transport of gas and liquid in porous media including heat transfer. After the release of its first version in 1998, this code has been applied and improved many times in conjunction with considerations for nuclear waste emplacement. A recent version has been extended to calculate ion activities in concentrated salt solutions applying the Pitzer model. In TOUGHREACT, the incorporated equation of state module ECO2N is applied as the EOS module for non-isothermal multiphase flow in a fluid system of H2O-NaCl-CO2. The partitioning of H2O and CO2 between liquid and gas phases is modelled as a function of temperature, pressure, and salinity. This module is applicable for waste repositories being expected to generate or having originally CO2 in the fluid system. The enhanced TOUGHREACT uses an EQ3/6-formatted database for both Pitzer ion-interaction parameters and thermodynamic equilibrium constants. The reliability of the parameters is as important as the accuracy of the modelling tool. For this purpose the project THEREDA (www.thereda.de)was set up. The project aims at a comprehensive and internally consistent thermodynamic reference database for geochemical modelling of near and far-field processes occurring in repositories for radioactive wastes in various host rock formations. In the framework of the project all data necessary to perform thermodynamic equilibrium calculations for elevated temperature in the system of oceanic salts are under revision, and it is expected that related data will be available for download by 2010-03. In this paper the geochemical issues that can play an essential role for the transport of radioactive contaminants within and around waste repositories are discussed. Some generic calculations are given to illustrate the geochemical interactions and their probable effects on the transport properties around HLW emplacements and on CO2 generating and/or containing repository systems.

Coupled Biological-Geomechanical-Geochemical Effects of the Disturbed Rock Zone on the Performance of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunagan, S. C.; Herrick, C. G.; Lee, M. Y.

2008-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is located at a depth of 655 m in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is operated by the U.S. Department of Energy as a deep underground disposal facility for transuranic (TRU) waste. The WIPP must comply with the EPA's environmental regulations that require a probabilistic risk analysis of releases of radionuclides due to inadvertent human intrusion into the repository at some time during the 10,000-year regulatory period. Sandia National Laboratories conducts performance assessments (PAs) of the WIPP using a system of computer codes representing the evolution of underground repository and emplaced TRU waste in order to demonstrate compliance. One of the important features modeled in a PA is the disturbed rock zone (DRZ) surrounding the emplacement rooms in the repository. The extent and permeability of DRZ play a significant role in the potential radionuclide release scenarios. We evaluated the phenomena occurring in the repository that affect the DRZ and their potential effects on the extent and permeability of the DRZ. Furthermore, we examined the DRZ's role in determining the performance of the repository. Pressure in the completely sealed repository will be increased by creep closure of the salt and degradation of TRU waste contents by microbial activity in the repository. An increased pressure in the repository will reduce the extent and permeability of the DRZ. The reduced DRZ extent and permeability will decrease the amount of brine that is available to interact with the waste. Furthermore, the potential for radionuclide release from the repository is dependent on the amount of brine that enters the repository. As a result of these coupled biological-geomechanical-geochemical phenomena, the extent and permeability of the DRZ has a significant impact on the potential radionuclide releases from the repository and, in turn, the repository performance. Sandia is a multi program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04- 94AL85000. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Rooting Characteristics of Vegetation Near Areas 3 and 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites at the Nevada Test Site--Part 1

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

D. J. Hansen

2003-09-30

The U.S. Department of Energy emplaced high-specific-activity low-level radioactive wastes and limited quantities of classified transuranic wastes in Greater Confinement Disposal (GCD) boreholes from 1984 to 1989. The boreholes are located at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) on the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in southern Nevada. The boreholes were backfilled with native alluvium soil. The surface of these boreholes and trenches is expected to be colonized by native vegetation in the future. Considering the long-term performance of the disposal facilities, bioturbation (the disruption of buried wastes by biota) is considered a primary release mechanism for radionuclides disposedmore » in GCD boreholes as well as trenches at both Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. This report provides information about rooting characteristics of vegetation near Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs. Data from this report are being used to resolve uncertainties involving parameterization of performance assessment models used to characterize the biotic mixing of soils and radionuclide transport processes by biota. The objectives of this study were to: (1) survey the prior ecological literature on the NTS and identify pertinent information about the vegetation, (2) conduct limited field studies to describe the current vegetation in the vicinity of Areas 3 and 5 RWMSs so as to correlate findings with more extensive vegetation data collected at Yucca Mountain and the NTS, ( 3 ) review prior performance assessment documents and evaluate model assumptions based on current ecological information, and (4) identify data deficiencies and make recommendations for correcting such deficiencies.« less

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2004-10-12

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. A trench is dug on either side of the zone of interest containing the buried waste so as to accommodate a micro tunnel boring machine. A series of small diameter tunnels are serially excavated underneath the buried waste. The tunnels are excavated by the micro tunnel boring machine at a consistent depth and are substantially parallel to each other. As tunneling progresses, steel casing sections are connected end to end in the excavated portion of the tunnel so that a steel tube is formed. Each casing section has complementary interlocking structure running its length that interlocks with complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent casing section. Thus, once the first tube is emplaced, placement of subsequent tubes is facilitated by the complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent, previously placed, casing sections.

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2005-05-24

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. A trench is dug on either side of the zone of interest containing the buried waste so as to accommodate a micro tunnel boring machine. A series of small diameter tunnels are serially excavated underneath the buried waste. The tunnels are excavated by the micro tunnel boring machine at a consistent depth and are substantially parallel to each other. As tunneling progresses, steel casing sections are connected end to end in the excavated portion of the tunnel so that a steel tube is formed. Each casing section has complementary interlocking structure running its length that interlocks with complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent casing section. Thus, once the first tube is emplaced, placement of subsequent tubes is facilitated by the complementary interlocking structure on the adjacent, previously placed, casing sections.

Near-field transport of {sup 129}I from a point source in an in-room disposal vault

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

Kolar, M.; Leneveu, D.M.; Johnson, L.H.

1995-12-31

A very small number of disposal containers of heat generating nuclear waste may have initial manufacturing defects that would lead to pin-hole type failures at the time of or shortly after emplacement. For sufficiently long-lived containers, only the initial defects need to be considered in modeling of release rates from the disposal vault. Two approaches to modeling of near-field mass transport from a single point source within a disposal room have been compared: the finite-element code MOTIF (A Model Of Transport In Fractured/porous media) and a boundary integral method (BIM). These two approaches were found to give identical results formore » a simplified model of the disposal room without groundwater flow. MOTIF has then been used to study the effects of groundwater flow on the mass transport out of the emplacement room.« less

Moderate-temperature zeolitic alteration in a cooling pyroclastic deposit

USGS Publications Warehouse

Levy, S.S.; O'Neil, J.R.

1989-01-01

The locally zeolitized Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff (13 Myr.), Yucca Mountain, Nevada, U.S.A., is part of a thick sequence of zeolitized pyroclastic units. Most of the zeolitized units are nonwelded tuffs that were altered during low-temperature diagenesis, but the distribution and textural setting of zeolite (heulandite-clinoptilolite) and smectite in the densely welded Topopah Spring tuff suggest that these hydrous minerals formed while the tuff was still cooling after pyroclastic emplacement and welding. The hydrous minerals are concentrated within a transition zone between devitrified tuff in the central part of the unit and underlying vitrophyre. Movement of liquid and convected heat along fractures from the devitrified tuff to the ritrophyre caused local devitrification and hydrous mineral crystallization. Oxygen isotope geothermometry of cogenetic quartz confirms the nondiagenetic moderate temperature origin of the hydrous minerals at temperatures of ??? 40-100??C, assuming a meteoric water source. The Topopah Spring tuff is under consideration for emplacement of a high-level nuclear waste repository. The natural rock alteration of the cooling pyroclastic deposit may be a good natural analog for repository-induced hydrothermal alteration. As a result of repository thermal loading, temperatures in the Topopah Spring vitrophyre may rise sufficiently to duplicate the inferred temperatures of natural zeolitic alteration. Heated water moving downward from the repository into the vitrophyre may contribute to new zeolitic alteration. ?? 1989.

The Sedimentology and Origins of a Giant Mass Transport Deposit: The Nataraja Slide, Arabian Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dailey, S. K.; Clift, P. D.; Kulhanek, D. K.; Calves, G.

2017-12-01

The Nataraja Slide was recently discovered by seismic mapping off the west coast of India in the Arabian Sea. Volumetrically estimated to be 19,000 km3, it is the second largest mass transport deposit known on a passive margin. Understanding how this deposit was emplaced is important to constrain how mass wasting affects the bathymetry of sedimentary basins, as well as the effects triggered by such a large event, including tsunamis. The Nataraja Slide was emplaced at 10.8 Ma as a result of collapse of the western India margin, which traveled 550 km into the basin. The deposit has been cored in two locations by the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 355, where it is 330 m (Site U1456) and 190 m thick (Site U1457). The presence of various deformation structures and the occurrence of a predominantly reworked calcareous nannofossil assemblages are used to define the top of the deposit. The deposit appears to consist of two units at Site U1456 with 22 m of upper Miocene hemipelagic sediment separating them, suggesting emplacement in two large pulses. At both sites, the mass transport deposit has a coarse carbonate-dominated base, composed of clast-supported breccia overlain by massive calcarenite associated with high-energy current transport, and calcilutite. These strata are overlain by steeply inclined, slumped but otherwise coherent pyritized, siliciclastic mudstones and minor volumes of matrix-supported conglomerates, interpreted as debris flows. Emplacement appears to have eroded significant thicknesses of Indus Fan turbidites at Site U1456, as there is a hiatus that is a minimum of 2.5 m.y. at the base. At Site U1457, the slide directly overlies Paleocene reddish mudstones on the eastern flank of the Laxmi Ridge, which likely diverted the sediment to the south in the Laxmi Basin and away from the main Arabian Sea basin. Bulk sediment Nd and Sr isotope geochemistry show a provenance, similar to those of the Tapti and Narmada rivers in western India, and include entrainment of Indus Fan material particularly in the top of the deposit, and drape. Our study aims to further evaluate the depositional mechanisms and original trigger for the mass wasting event by using petrography to understand the sediment in this upper Miocene mass transport deposit.

Convection and thermal radiation analytical models applicable to a nuclear waste repository room

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

Davis, B.W.

1979-01-17

Time-dependent temperature distributions in a deep geologic nuclear waste repository have a direct impact on the physical integrity of the emplaced canisters and on the design of retrievability options. This report (1) identifies the thermodynamic properties and physical parameters of three convection regimes - forced, natural, and mixed; (2) defines the convection correlations applicable to calculating heat flow in a ventilated (forced-air) and in a nonventilated nuclear waste repository room; and (3) delineates a computer code that (a) computes and compares the floor-to-ceiling heat flow by convection and radiation, and (b) determines the nonlinear equivalent conductivity table for a repositorymore » room. (The tables permit the use of the ADINAT code to model surface-to-surface radiation and the TRUMP code to employ two different emissivity properties when modeling radiation exchange between the surface of two different materials.) The analysis shows that thermal radiation dominates heat flow modes in a nuclear waste repository room.« less

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

Yang, Pin; Wang, Yifeng; Rodriguez, Mark A.

The concept of deep borehole nuclear waste disposal has recently been proposed. Effective sealing of a borehole after waste emplacement is generally required. In a high temperature disposal mode, the sealing function will be fulfilled by melting the ambient granitic rock with waste decay heat or an external heating source, creating a melt that will encapsulate waste containers or plug a portion of the borehole above a stack of the containers. However, there are certain drawbacks associated with natural materials, such as high melting temperatures, slow crystallization kinetics, the resulting sealing materials generally being porous with low mechanical strength, insufficientmore » adhesion to waste container surface, and lack of flexibility for engineering controls. Here we show that natural granitic materials can be purposefully engineered through chemical modifications to enhance the sealing capability of the materials for deep borehole disposal. This work systematically explores the effect of chemical modification and crystallinity (amorphous vs. crystalline) on the melting and crystallization processes of a granitic rock system. A number of engineered granitic materials have been obtained that have decreased melting points, enhanced viscous densification, and accelerated recrystallization rates without compromising the mechanical integrity of the materials.« less

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.

Disposal of LLW and ILW in Germany - Characterisation and Documentation of Waste Packages with Respect to the Change of Requirements

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

Bandt, G.; Spicher, G.; Steyer, St.

2008-07-01

Since the 1998 termination of LLW and ILW emplacement in the Morsleben repository (ERAM), Germany, the treatment, conditioning and documentation of radioactive waste products and packages have been continued on the basis of the waste acceptance requirements as of 1995, prepared for the Konrad repository near Salzgitter in Lower Saxony, Germany. The resulting waste products and packages are stored in interim storage facilities. Due to the Konrad license issued in 2002 the waste acceptance requirements have to be completed by additional requirements imposed by the licensing authority, e. g. for the declaration of chemical waste package constituents. Therefore, documentation ofmore » waste products and packages which are checked by independent experts and are in parts approved by the responsible authority (Office for Radiation Protection, BfS) up to now will have to be checked again for fulfilling the final waste acceptance requirements prior to disposal. In order to simplify these additional checks, databases are used to ensure an easy access to all known facts about the waste packages. A short balance of the existing waste products and packages which are already checked and partly approved by BfS as well as an overview on the established databases ensuring a fast access to the known facts about the conditioning processes is presented. (authors)« less

Geophysical studies of the Syncline Ridge area, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoover, D.B.; Hanna, W.F.; Anderson, L.A.; Flanigan, V.J.; Pankratz, L.W.

1982-01-01

A wide variety of geophysical methods were employed to study a proposed nuclear waste site at Syncline Ridge on the Nevada Test Site, Nev. The proposed site was believed to be a relatively undisturbed synclinal structure containing a thick argillite unit of Misslsslppian age, the Eleana Formation unit J, which would be the emplacement medium. Data acquisition for the geophysical studies was constrained because of rugged topography in a block of Tipplpah Limestone overlying the central part of the proposed site. This study employed gravity, magnetic, seismic refraction and reflection, and four distinct electrical methods to try and define the structural integrity and shape of the proposed repository medium. Detailed and regional gravity work revealed complex structure at the site. Magnetics helped only in identifying small areas of Tertiary volcanic rocks because of low magnetization of the rocks. Seismic refraction assisted in identifying near surface faulting and bedrock structure. Difficulty was experienced in obtaining good quality reflection data. This implied significant structural complexity but also revealed the principal features that were supported by other data. Electrical methods were used for fault identification and for mapping of a thick argillaceous unit of the Eleana Formation in which nuclear waste was to be emplaced. The geophysical studies indicate that major faults along the axis of Syncline Ridge and on both margins have large vertical offsets displacing units so as not only to make mining difficult, but also providing potential paths for waste migration to underlying carbonate aquifers. The Eleana Formation appeared heterogeneous, which was inferred to be due to structural complexity. Only a small region in the northwest part of the study area was found to contain a thick and relatively undisturbed volume of host rock.

A Proposed Borehole Scientific Laboratory in Quay County, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielson, Dennis; Eckels, Marc; Mast, Peter; Zellman, Mark; Creed, Robert

2017-04-01

Our team has received funding from the US Department of Energy to initiate a Deep Borehole Field Test that will develop a subsurface test site to evaluate the drilling and scientific aspects of deep borehole disposal of nuclear waste in crystalline rock. Phase 1 of the project will focus on Public Outreach and land acquisition whereas Phase 2 will generate a drilling and testing plan and secure regulatory approvals. Phase 3 will complete the Drilling and Testing Plan and Phase 4 will include the drilling and testing. Phase 5 will be devoted to borehole science and experiments with emplacement technology. Although we are specifically considering issues associated with the disposal of waste, this project is a proof of concept, and no waste will be emplaced at our site. In brief, the concept envisions an 8-1/2 inch open-hole completion at a depth of 5000 m in crystalline rock. There will be an extensive program of sample collection (including core) and analysis as well as geophysical logging and borehole testing. Critical issues will be low permeability in the crystalline rock as well as the ability to manage borehole quality. Our team has proposed a site in Quay County, New Mexico that has an 850 meter thick Paleozoic section overlying homogeneous Precambrian granite. A subsequent phase of the project may drill a second hole with a 17-1/2 inch completion located about 200 m from the first. Our long-term plan is that this site will be managed as a deep scientific observatory that also provides a facility for scientific experiments and testing of borehole infrastructure and drilling equipment.

Vertical Flume Testing of WIPP Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Schuhen, M.; Kicker, D.

2012-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. The DOE demonstrates compliance with 40 CFR 194 by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequences of radionuclide releases for a 10,000 year regulatory period. Human intrusion scenarios include cases in which a future borehole is drilled through the repository. Drilling mud flowing up the borehole will apply a hydrodynamic shear stress to the borehole wall which could result in erosion of the waste and radionuclides being carried up the borehole. WIPP PA uses the parameter TAUFAIL to represent the shear strength of the degraded waste. The hydrodynamic shear strength can only be measured experimentally by flume testing. Flume testing is typically performed horizontally, mimicking stream or ocean currents. However, in a WIPP intrusion event, the drill bit would penetrate the degraded waste and drilling mud would flow up the borehole in a predominantly vertical direction. In order to simulate this, a flume was designed and built so that the eroding fluid enters an enclosed vertical channel from the bottom and flows up past a specimen of surrogate waste material. The sample is pushed into the current by a piston attached to a step motor. A qualified data acquisition system controls and monitors the fluid's flow rate, temperature, pressure, and conductivity and the step motor's operation. The surrogate materials used correspond to a conservative estimate of degraded TRU waste at the end of the regulatory period. The recipes were previously developed by SNL based on anticipated future states of the waste considering inventory, changes in the underground environment, and theoretical and experimental results. The recipes represent the degraded waste in its weakest condition; simulating 50, 75, and 100% degradation by weight. The percent degradation indicates the anticipated amount of iron corrosion and decomposition of cellulosics, plastics, and rubbers. Samples were die compacted to two pressures, 2.3 and 5.0 MPa. Testing has established that the less degraded the surrogate material is and the higher the compaction stress it undergoes, the stronger the sample is. The 50% degraded surrogate waste material was accepted for use in obtaining input parameters for another WIPP PA model by a conceptual model peer review panel and the EPA. The use of a 50% degraded surrogate waste in vertical flume testing would provide an improved estimate of the waste shear strength and establish consistency between PA models in the approach used to obtain input parameters. 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. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S Department of Energy.

Vertical Flume Testing of WIPP Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Schuhen, M.; Kicker, D.

2013-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. The DOE demonstrates compliance with 40 CFR 194 by means of performance assessment (PA) calculations conducted by Sandia National Laboratories. WIPP PA calculations estimate the probability and consequences of radionuclide releases for a 10,000 year regulatory period. Human intrusion scenarios include cases in which a future borehole is drilled through the repository. Drilling mud flowing up the borehole will apply a hydrodynamic shear stress to the borehole wall which could result in erosion of the waste and radionuclides being carried up the borehole. WIPP PA uses the parameter TAUFAIL to represent the shear strength of the degraded waste. The hydrodynamic shear strength can only be measured experimentally by flume testing. Flume testing is typically performed horizontally, mimicking stream or ocean currents. However, in a WIPP intrusion event, the drill bit would penetrate the degraded waste and drilling mud would flow up the borehole in a predominantly vertical direction. In order to simulate this, a flume was designed and built so that the eroding fluid enters an enclosed vertical channel from the bottom and flows up past a specimen of surrogate waste material. The sample is pushed into the current by a piston attached to a step motor. A qualified data acquisition system controls and monitors the fluid's flow rate, temperature, pressure, and conductivity and the step motor's operation. The surrogate materials used correspond to a conservative estimate of degraded TRU waste at the end of the regulatory period. The recipes were previously developed by SNL based on anticipated future states of the waste considering inventory, changes in the underground environment, and theoretical and experimental results. The recipes represent the degraded waste in its weakest condition; simulating 50, 75, and 100% degradation by weight. The percent degradation indicates the anticipated amount of iron corrosion and decomposition of cellulosics, plastics, and rubbers. Samples were die compacted to two pressures, 2.3 and 5.0 MPa. Testing has established that the less degraded the surrogate material is and the higher the compaction stress it undergoes, the stronger the sample is. The 50% degraded surrogate waste material was accepted for use in obtaining input parameters for another WIPP PA model by a conceptual model peer review panel and the EPA. The use of a 50% degraded surrogate waste in vertical flume testing would provide an improved estimate of the waste shear strength and establish consistency between PA models in the approach used to obtain input parameters. 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. This research is funded by WIPP programs administered by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) of the U.S Department of Energy.

Thermal–hydraulic–mechanical modeling of a large-scale heater test to investigate rock salt and crushed salt behavior under repository conditions for heat-generating nuclear waste

DOE PAGES

Blanco-Martín, Laura; Wolters, Ralf; Rutqvist, Jonny; ...

2016-04-28

The Thermal Simulation for Drift Emplacement heater test is modeled with two simulators for coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes. Results from the two simulators are in very good agreement. The comparison between measurements and numerical results is also very satisfactory, regarding temperature, drift closure and rock deformation. Concerning backfill compaction, a parameter calibration through inverse modeling was performed due to insufficient data on crushed salt reconsolidation, particularly at high temperatures. We conclude that the two simulators investigated have the capabilities to reproduce the data available, which increases confidence in their use to reliably investigate disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in saliferous geosystems.

Thermal–hydraulic–mechanical modeling of a large-scale heater test to investigate rock salt and crushed salt behavior under repository conditions for heat-generating nuclear waste

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

Blanco-Martín, Laura; Wolters, Ralf; Rutqvist, Jonny

The Thermal Simulation for Drift Emplacement heater test is modeled with two simulators for coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical processes. Results from the two simulators are in very good agreement. The comparison between measurements and numerical results is also very satisfactory, regarding temperature, drift closure and rock deformation. Concerning backfill compaction, a parameter calibration through inverse modeling was performed due to insufficient data on crushed salt reconsolidation, particularly at high temperatures. We conclude that the two simulators investigated have the capabilities to reproduce the data available, which increases confidence in their use to reliably investigate disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste in saliferous geosystems.

Performance Assessment of a Generic Repository in Bedded Salt for DOE-Managed Nuclear Waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stein, E. R.; Sevougian, S. D.; Hammond, G. E.; Frederick, J. M.; Mariner, P. E.

2016-12-01

A mined repository in salt is one of the concepts under consideration for disposal of DOE-managed defense-related spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high level waste (HLW). Bedded salt is a favorable medium for disposal of nuclear waste due to its low permeability, high thermal conductivity, and ability to self-heal. Sandia's Generic Disposal System Analysis framework is used to assess the ability of a generic repository in bedded salt to isolate radionuclides from the biosphere. The performance assessment considers multiple waste types of varying thermal load and radionuclide inventory, the engineered barrier system comprising the waste packages, backfill, and emplacement drifts, and the natural barrier system formed by a bedded salt deposit and the overlying sedimentary sequence (including an aquifer). The model simulates disposal of nearly the entire inventory of DOE-managed, defense-related SNF (excluding Naval SNF) and HLW in a half-symmetry domain containing approximately 6 million grid cells. Grid refinement captures the detail of 25,200 individual waste packages in 180 disposal panels, associated access halls, and 4 shafts connecting the land surface to the repository. Equations describing coupled heat and fluid flow and reactive transport are solved numerically with PFLOTRAN, a massively parallel flow and transport code. Simulated processes include heat conduction and convection, waste package failure, waste form dissolution, radioactive decay and ingrowth, sorption, solubility limits, advection, dispersion, and diffusion. Simulations are run to 1 million years, and radionuclide concentrations are observed within an aquifer at a point approximately 4 kilometers downgradient of the repository. The software package DAKOTA is used to sample likely ranges of input parameters including waste form dissolution rates and properties of engineered and natural materials in order to quantify uncertainty in predicted concentrations and sensitivity to input parameters. 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.

Probalistic Criticality Consequence Evaluation (SCPB:N/A)

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

P. Gottlieb; J.W. Davis; J.R. Massari

1996-09-04

This analysis is prepared by the Mined Geologic Disposal System (MGDS) Waste Package Development (WPD) department with the objective of providing a comprehensive, conservative estimate of the consequences of the criticality which could possibly occur as the result of commercial spent nuclear fuel emplaced in the underground repository at Yucca Mountain. The consequences of criticality are measured principally in terms of the resulting changes in radionuclide inventory as a function of the power level and duration of the criticality. The purpose of this analysis is to extend the prior estimates of increased radionuclide inventory (Refs. 5.52 and 5.54), for bothmore » internal and external criticality. This analysis, and similar estimates and refinements to be completed before the end of fiscal year 1997, will be provided as input to Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA) to demonstrate compliance with the repository performance objectives.« less

The Jeffers Brook diorite-granodiorite pluton: style of emplacement and role of volatiles at various crustal levels in Avalonian appinites, Canadian Appalachians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe-Piper, Georgia; Piper, David J. W.

2018-04-01

Small appinite plutons ca. 610 Ma outcrop in the peri-Gondwanan Avalon terrane of northern Nova Scotia, with different structural levels exposed. Field mapping shows that the Jeffers Brook pluton is a laccolith emplaced along an upper crustal thrust zone, likely in a dilational jog in a regional dextral strike-slip system. The oldest rocks are probably mafic sills, which heated the area facilitating emplacement of intermediate magmas. Cross-cutting relationships show that both mafic and intermediate magmas were supplied throughout the history of pluton emplacement. The modal composition, mineral chemistry, and bulk chemistry of gabbro, diorite, tonalite, granodiorite, and granite have been studied in the main plutonic phases, dykes, and sills, and mafic microgranular enclaves. As with the type appinites in the Scottish Caledonides, the pluton shows evidence of high water content: the dominance of hornblende, locally within pegmatitic texture; vesicles and irregular felsic patches in enclaves; and late aplite dykes. Analyzed mafic microgranular enclaves are geochemically similar to larger diorite bodies in the pluton. Tonalite-granodiorite is distinct from the diorite in trace-element geochemistry and radiogenic isotopes. Elsewhere to the east, similar rocks of the same age form vertically sheeted complexes in major shear zones; hornblende chemistry shows that they were emplaced at a deeper upper crustal level. This implies that little of the observed geochemical variability in the Jeffers Brook pluton was developed within the pluton. The general requirements to form appinites are proposed to be small magma volumes of subduction-related magmas that reach the upper crust because of continual heating by mafic magmas moving through strike-slip fault pathways and trapping of aqueous fluids rather than venting through volcanic activity.

Coupled THM processes in EDZ of crystalline rocks using an elasto-plastic cellular automaton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Peng-Zhi; Feng, Xia-Ting; Huang, Xiao-Hua; Cui, Qiang; Zhou, Hui

2009-05-01

This paper aims at a numerical study of coupled thermal, hydrological and mechanical processes in the excavation disturbed zones (EDZ) around nuclear waste emplacement drifts in fractured crystalline rocks. The study was conducted for two model domains close to an emplacement tunnel; (1) a near-field domain and (2) a smaller wall-block domain. Goodman element and weak element were used to represent the fractures in the rock mass and the rock matrix was represented as elasto-visco-plastic material. Mohr-Coulomb criterion and a non-associated plastic flow rule were adopted to consider the viscoplastic deformation in the EDZ. A relation between volumetric strain and permeability was established. Using a self-developed EPCA2D code, the elastic, elasto-plastic and creep analyses to study the evolution of stress and deformations, as well as failure and permeability evolution in the EDZ were conducted. Results indicate a strong impact of fractures, plastic deformation and time effects on the behavior of EDZ especially the evolution of permeability around the drift.

Mechanisms Of Saucer-Shaped Sill Emplacement: Insight From Experimental Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galland, O.; Planke, S.; Malthe-Sørenssen, A.; Polteau, S.; Svensen, H.; Podladchikov, Y. Y.

2006-12-01

It has been recently demonstrated that magma intrusions in sedimentary basins had a strong impact on petroleum systems. Most of these intrusions are sills, and especially saucer-shaped sills. These features can be observed in many sedimentary basins (i.e. the Karoo basin, South Africa; the Norwegian and North Sea; the Tunguska basin, Siberia; the Neuquén basin in Argentina). The occurrence of such features in so various settings suggests that their emplacement results from fundamental processes. However, the mechanisms that govern their formation remain poorly constrained. Experiments were conducted to simulate the emplacement of saucer-shaped magma intrusions in sedimentary basins. The model rock and magma were fine-grained silica flour and molten vegetable oil, respectively. This modeling technique allows simultaneous simulation of magma emplacement and brittle deformation at a basin scale. For our purpose, we performed our experiments without external deformation. During the experiments, the oil was injected horizontally at constant flow rate within the silica flour. Then the oil initially emplaced in a sill, whereas the surface of the model inflated into a smooth dome. Subsequently, the oil propagated upwards along inclined sheets, finally reaching the surface at the edge of the dome. The resulting geometries of the intrusions were saucer-shaped sills. Then the oil solidified, and the model was cut in serial cross-sections through which the structures of the intrusive body and of the overburden can be observed. In order to constraint the processes governing the emplacement of such features, we performed a parametric study based on a set of experiments in which we systematically varied parameters such as the depth of emplacement and the injection flow rate of the oil. Our results showed that saucer diameters are larger at deeper level of emplacement. Opposite trend was obtained with varying injection flow rates. Based on our results, we conducted a detailed physical analysis that resulted in the definition of a dimensionless parameter that governs the emplacement of saucers.

Analysis the potential gas production of old municipal solid waste landfill as an alternative energy source: Preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayati, A. P.; Emalya, N.; Munawar, E.; Schwarzböck, T.; Lederer, J.; Fellner, J.

2018-03-01

The MSW landfill produces gas which is represent the energy resource that lost and polluted the ambient air. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential gas production of old landfill as an alternative energy source. The study was conducted by using 10 years old waste in landfill simulator reactor (LSR). Four Landfills Simulator Reactors (LSR) were constructed for evaluate the gas production of old MSW landfilled. The LSR was made of high density poly ethylene (HDPE) has 50 cm outside diameter and 150 cm of high. The 10 years old waste was excavated from closed landfill and subsequently separated from inorganic fraction and sieved to maximum 50 mm size particle prior emplaced into the LSR. Although quite small compare to the LSR containing fresh waste has been reported, the LRS containing 10 years old waste still produce much landfill gas. The landfill gas produced of LSR operated with and without leachate recirculation were about 29 and 21 litter. The composition of landfill gas produced was dominated by CO2 with the composition of CH4 and O2 were around 12.5% and 0.2 %, respectively.

Laboratory Testing of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Surrogate Waste Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broome, S.; Bronowski, D.; Pfeifle, T.; Herrick, C. G.

2011-12-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy geological repository for the permanent disposal of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The waste is emplaced in rooms excavated in the bedded Salado salt formation at a depth of 655 m below the ground surface. After emplacement of the waste, the repository will be sealed and decommissioned. WIPP Performance Assessment modeling of the underground material response requires a full and accurate understanding of coupled mechanical, hydrological, and geochemical processes and how they evolve with time. This study was part of a broader test program focused on room closure, specifically the compaction behavior of waste and the constitutive relations to model this behavior. The goal of this study was to develop an improved waste constitutive model. The model parameters are developed based on a well designed set of test data. The constitutive model will then be used to realistically model evolution of the underground and to better understand the impacts on repository performance. The present study results are focused on laboratory testing of surrogate waste materials. The surrogate wastes correspond to a conservative estimate of the degraded containers and TRU waste materials after the 10,000 year regulatory period. Testing consists of hydrostatic, uniaxial, and triaxial tests performed on surrogate waste recipes that were previously developed by Hansen et al. (1997). These recipes can be divided into materials that simulate 50% and 100% degraded waste by weight. The percent degradation indicates the anticipated amount of iron corrosion, as well as the decomposition of cellulosics, plastics, and rubbers. Axial, lateral, and volumetric strain and axial and lateral stress measurements were made. Two unique testing techniques were developed during the course of the experimental program. The first involves the use of dilatometry to measure sample volumetric strain under a hydrostatic condition. Bulk moduli of the samples measured using this technique were consistent with those measured using more conventional methods. The second technique involved performing triaxial tests under lateral strain control. By limiting the lateral strain to zero by controlling the applied confining pressure while loading the specimen axially in compression, one can maintain a right-circular cylindrical geometry even under large deformations. This technique is preferred over standard triaxial testing methods which result in inhomogeneous deformation or "barreling". Manifestations of the inhomogeneous deformation included non-uniform stress states, as well as unrealistic Poisson's ratios (> 0.5) or those that vary significantly along the length of the specimen. Zero lateral strain controlled tests yield a more uniform stress state, and admissible and uniform values of Poisson's ratio. Hansen, F.D., Knowles, M.K., et al. 1997. Description and Evaluation of a Mechanistically Based Conceptual Model for Spall. SAND97-1369. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque. 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.

Geotechnical engineering for ocean waste disposal. An introduction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Homa J.; Demars, Kenneth R.; Chaney, Ronald C.; ,

1990-01-01

As members of multidisciplinary teams, geotechnical engineers apply quantitative knowledge about the behavior of earth materials toward designing systems for disposing of wastes in the oceans and monitoring waste disposal sites. In dredge material disposal, geotechnical engineers assist in selecting disposal equipment, predict stable characteristics of dredge mounds, design mound caps, and predict erodibility of the material. In canister disposal, geotechnical engineers assist in specifying canister configurations, predict penetration depths into the seafloor, and predict and monitor canister performance following emplacement. With sewage outfalls, geotechnical engineers design foundation and anchor elements, estimate scour potential around the outfalls, and determine the stability of deposits made up of discharged material. With landfills, geotechnical engineers evaluate the stability and erodibility of margins and estimate settlement and cracking of the landfill mass. Geotechnical engineers also consider the influence that pollutants have on the engineering behavior of marine sediment and the extent to which changes in behavior affect the performance of structures founded on the sediment. In each of these roles, careful application of geotechnical engineering principles can contribute toward more efficient and environmentally safe waste disposal operations.

Soil, plant, and structural considerations for surface barriers in arid environments: Application of results from studies in the Mojave Desert near Beatty, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andraski, Brian J.; Prudic, David E.; ,

1997-01-01

The suitability of a waste-burial site depends on hydrologic processes that can affect the near-surface water balance. In addition, the loss of burial trench integrity by erosion and subsidence of trench covers may increase the likelihood of infiltration and percolation, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the site in isolating waste. Although the main components of the water balance may be defined, direct measurements can be difficult, and actual data for specific locations are seldom available. A prevalent assumption is that little or no precipitation will percolate to buried wastes at an arid site. Thick unsaturated zones, which are common to arid regions, are thought to slow water movement and minimize the risk of waste migration to the underlying water table. Thus, reliance is commonly placed on the natural system to isolate contaminants at waste-burial sites in the arid West.Few data are available to test assumptions about the natural soil-water flow systems at arid sites, and even less is known about how the natural processes are altered by construction of a waste-burial facility. The lack of data is the result of technical complexity of hydraulic characterization of the dry, stony soils, and insufficient field studies that account for the extreme temporal and spatial variations in precipitation, soils, and plants in arid regions. In 1976, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a long-term study at a waste site in the Mojave Desert. This paper summarizes the findings of ongoing investigations done under natural-site and waste-burial conditions, and discusses how this information may be applied to the design of surface barriers for waste sites in arid environments.The waste-burial site is in one of the most arid parts of the United States and is about 40 km northeast of Death Valley, near Beatty, Nev. (Figure 1). Precipitation averaged 108 mm/yr during 1981-1992. The water table is 85-115 m below land surface (Fischer, 1992). Sediments are largely alluvial and fluvial deposits (Nichols, 1987). Vegetation is sparse; creosote bush is the dominant species. The waste facility has been used for burial of low-level radioactive waste (1962-1992) and hazardous chemical waste (1970 to present). Burial-trench construction includes excavation of native soil, emplacement of waste, and backfilling with previously stockpiled soil. Only the most recently closed hazardous-waste trench (1991) incorporates a plastic liner in the cover. The surfaces of completed burial trenches and perimeter areas are kept free of vegetation.

Control of stacking loads in final waste disposal according to the borehole technique

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

Feuser, W.; Barnert, E.; Vijgen, H.

1996-12-01

The semihydrostatic model has been developed in order to assess the mechanical toads acting on heat-generating ILW(Q) and HTGR fuel element waste packages to be emplaced in vertical boreholes according to the borehole technique in underground rock salt formations. For the experimental validation of the theory, laboratory test stands reduced in scale are set up to simulate the bottom section of a repository borehole. A comparison of the measurement results with the data computed by the model, a correlation between the test stand results, and a systematic determination of material-typical crushed salt parameters in a separate research project will servemore » to derive a set of characteristic equations enabling a description of real conditions in a future repository.« less

Consequences of the Thermal Transient on the Evolution of the Damaged Zone Around a Repository for Heat-Emitting High-Level Radioactive Waste in a Clay Formation: a Performance Assessment Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Li; Weetjens, Eef; Sillen, Xavier; Vietor, Tim; Li, Xiangling; Delage, Pierre; Labiouse, Vincent; Charlier, Robert

2014-01-01

A proper evaluation of the perturbations of the host rock induced by the excavation and the emplacement of exothermic wastes is essential for the assessment of the long-term safety of high-level radioactive waste disposals in clay formations. The impact of the thermal transient on the evolution of the damaged zone (DZ) has been explored in the European Commission project TIMODAZ (thermal impact on the damaged zone around a radioactive waste disposal in clay host rocks, 2006-2010). This paper integrates the scientific results of the TIMODAZ project from a performance assessment (PA) point of view, showing how these results support and justify key PA assumptions and the values of PA model parameters. This paper also contextualises the significance of the thermal impact on the DZ from a safety case perspective, highlighting how the project outcomes result into an improved understanding of the thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of the clay host rocks. The results obtained in the TIMODAZ project strengthen the assessment basis of the safety evaluation of the current repository designs. There was no evidence throughout the TIMODAZ experimental observations of a temperature-induced additional opening of fractures nor of a significant permeability increase of the DZ. Instead, thermally induced plasticity, swelling and creep seem to be beneficial to the sealing of fractures and to the recovery of a very low permeability in the DZ, close to that of an undisturbed clay host rock. Results from the TIMODAZ project indicate that the favourable properties of the clay host rock, which guarantee the effectiveness of the safety functions of the repository system, are expected to be maintained after the heating-cooling cycle. Hence, the basic assumptions usually made in PA calculations so far are expected to remain valid, and the performance of the system should not be affected in a negative way by the thermal evolution of the DZ around a radioactive waste repository in clay host rock.

System-Level Logistics for Dual Purpose Canister Disposal

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

Kalinina, Elena A.

2014-06-03

The analysis presented in this report investigated how the direct disposal of dual purpose canisters (DPCs) may be affected by the use of standard transportation aging and disposal canisters (STADs), early or late start of the repository, and the repository emplacement thermal power limits. The impacts were evaluated with regard to the availability of the DPCs for emplacement, achievable repository acceptance rates, additional storage required at an interim storage facility (ISF) and additional emplacement time compared to the corresponding repackaging scenarios, and fuel age at emplacement. The result of this analysis demonstrated that the biggest difference in the availability ofmore » UNF for emplacement between the DPC-only loading scenario and the DPCs and STADs loading scenario is for a repository start date of 2036 with a 6 kW thermal power limit. The differences are also seen in the availability of UNF for emplacement between the DPC-only loading scenario and the DPCs and STADs loading scenario for the alternative with a 6 kW thermal limit and a 2048 start date, and for the alternatives with a 10 kW thermal limit and 2036 and 2048 start dates. The alternatives with disposal of UNF in both DPCs and STADs did not require additional storage, regardless of the repository acceptance rate, as compared to the reference repackaging case. In comparison to the reference repackaging case, alternatives with the 18 kW emplacement thermal limit required little to no additional emplacement time, regardless of the repository start time, the fuel loading scenario, or the repository acceptance rate. Alternatives with the 10 kW emplacement thermal limit and the DPCs and STADs fuel loading scenario required some additional emplacement time. The most significant decrease in additional emplacement time occurred in the alternative with the 6 kW thermal limit and the 2036 repository starting date. The average fuel age at emplacement ranges from 46 to 88 years. The maximum fuel age at emplacement ranges from 81 to 146 years. The difference in the average and maximum age of fuel at emplacement between the DPC-only and the DPCs and STADs fuel loading scenarios becomes less significant as the repository thermal limit increases and as the repository start date increases. In general, the role of STADs is to store young (30 year or younger) high burnup (45 GWD/MTU or higher) fuel. Recommendations for future study include detailed evaluation of the feasible alternatives with regard to the costs and factors not considered in this analysis, such as worker dose, dose to members of the public, and economic benefits to host entities. It is also recommended to conduct an additional analysis to evaluate the assumption regarding the transportability and disposability of DPCs for the next iteration of the direct disposal of DPCs study.« less

Alternative methods of salt disposal at the seven salt sites for a nuclear waste repository

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

Not Available

1987-02-01

This study discusses the various alternative salt management techniques for the disposal of excess mined salt at seven potentially acceptable nuclear waste repository sites: Deaf Smith and Swisher Counties, Texas; Richton and Cypress Creek Domes, Mississippi; Vacherie Dome, Louisiana; and Davis and Lavender Canyons, Utah. Because the repository development involves the underground excavation of corridors and waste emplacement rooms, in either bedded or domed salt formations, excess salt will be mined and must be disposed of offsite. The salt disposal alternatives examined for all the sites include commercial use, ocean disposal, deep well injection, landfill disposal, and underground mine disposal.more » These alternatives (and other site-specific disposal methods) are reviewed, using estimated amounts of excavated, backfilled, and excess salt. Methods of transporting the excess salt are discussed, along with possible impacts of each disposal method and potential regulatory requirements. A preferred method of disposal is recommended for each potentially acceptable repository site. 14 refs., 5 tabs.« less

Radiation release at the nation's only operating deep geological repository--an independent monitoring perspective.

PubMed

Thakur, P; Ballard, S; Hardy, R

2014-11-04

Recent incidents at the nation's only operating deep geologic nuclear waste repository, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), resulted in the release of americium and plutonium from one or more defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste containers into the environment. WIPP is a U.S. Department of Energy mined geologic repository that has been in operation since March, 1999. Over 85,000 m3 of waste in various vented payload containers have been emplaced in the repository. The primary radionuclides within the disposed waste are 239+240Pu and 241Am, which account for more than 99% of the total TRU radioactivity disposed and scheduled for disposal in the repository. For the first time in its 15 years of operation, there was an airborne radiation release from the WIPP at approximately 11:30 PM Mountain Standard Time (MST) on Friday, February 14, 2014. The radiation release was likely caused by a chemical reaction inside a TRU waste drum that contained nitrate salts and organic sorbent materials. In a recent news release, DOE announced that photos taken of the waste underground showed evidence of heat and gas pressure resulting in a deformed lid, in material expelled through that deformation, and in melted plastic and rubber and polyethylene in the vicinity of that drum. Recent entries into underground Panel 7 have confirmed that at least one waste drum containing a nitrate salt bearing waste stream from Los Alamos National Laboratory was breached underground and was the most likely source of the release. Further investigation is underway to determine if other containers contributed to the release. Air monitoring across the WIPP site intensified following the first reports of radiation detection underground to ascertain whether or not there were releases to the ground surface. Independent analytical results of air filters from sampling stations on and near the WIPP facility have been released by us at the Carlsbad Environmental Monitoring & Research Center and confirmed trace amounts of 241Am and 239+240Pu, at ratios reflecting the suspect waste stream. The highest activity detected offsite was 115.2 μBq/m3 for 241Am and 10.2 μBq/m3 for 239+240 Pu. These concentrations in air were very small, localized, and below any level of public health or environmental concern.

Waste Generator Instructions: Key to Successful Implementation of the US DOE's 435.1 for Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions (LA-UR-12-24155) - 13218

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

French, David M.; Hayes, Timothy A.; Pope, Howard L.

In times of continuing fiscal constraints, a management and operation tool that is straightforward to implement, works as advertised, and virtually ensures compliant waste packaging should be carefully considered and employed wherever practicable. In the near future, the Department of Energy (DOE) will issue the first major update to DOE Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management. This update will contain a requirement for sites that do not have a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) waste certification program to use two newly developed technical standards: Contact-Handled Defense Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions and Remote-Handled Defense Transuranic Waste Packaging Instructions. The technical standards aremore » being developed from the DOE O 435.1 Notice, Contact-Handled and Remote-Handled Transuranic Waste Packaging, approved August 2011. The packaging instructions will provide detailed information and instruction for packaging almost every conceivable type of transuranic (TRU) waste for disposal at WIPP. While providing specificity, the packaging instructions leave to each site's own discretion the actual mechanics of how those Instructions will be functionally implemented at the floor level. While the Technical Standards are designed to provide precise information for compliant packaging, the density of the information in the packaging instructions necessitates a type of Rosetta Stone that translates the requirements into concise, clear, easy to use and operationally practical recipes that are waste stream and facility specific for use by both first line management and hands-on operations personnel. The Waste Generator Instructions provide the operator with step-by-step instructions that will integrate the sites' various operational requirements (e.g., health and safety limits, radiological limits or dose limits) and result in a WIPP certifiable waste and package that can be transported to and emplaced at WIPP. These little known but widely productive Waste Generator Instructions (WGIs) have been used occasionally in the past at large sites for treatment and packaging of TRU waste. The WGIs have resulted in highly efficient waste treatment, packaging and certification for disposal of TRU waste at WIPP. For example, a single WGI at LANL, combined with an increase in gram loading, resulted in a mind boggling 6,400% increase in waste loading for {sup 238}Pu heat source waste. In fact, the WGI combined with a new Contact Handled (CH) TRU Waste Content (TRUCON) Code provided a massive increase in shippable wattage per Transuranic Package Transporter-II (TRUPACT-II) over the previously used and more restrictive TRUCON Code that have been used previously for the heat source waste. In fact, the use of the WGI process at LANL's TA-55 facility reduced non-compliant drums for WIPP certification and disposal from a 13% failure rate down to a 0.5% failure rate and is expected to further reduce the failure rate to zero drums per year. The inherent value of the WGI is that it can be implemented in a site's current procedure issuance process and it provides documented proof of what actions were taken for each waste stream packaged. The WGI protocol provides a key floor-level operational component to achieve goal alignment between actual site operations, the WIPP TRU waste packaging instructions, and DOE O 435.1. (authors)« less

RH-LLW Disposal Facility Project CD-2/3 to Design/Build Proposal Reconciliation Report

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

Annette L. Schafer

2012-06-01

A reconciliation plan was developed and implemented to address potential gaps and responses to gaps between the design/build vendor proposals and the Critical Decision-2/3 approval request package for the Remote-Handled Low Level Waste Disposal Facility Project. The plan and results of the plan implementation included development of a reconciliation team comprised of subject matter experts from Battelle Energy Alliance and the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office, identification of reconciliation questions, reconciliation by the team, identification of unresolved/remaining issues, and identification of follow-up actions and subsequent approvals of responses. The plan addressed the potential for gaps to exist in themore » following areas: • Department of Energy Order 435.1, “Radioactive Waste Management,” requirements, including the performance assessment, composite analysis, monitoring plan, performance assessment/composite analysis maintenance plan, and closure plan • Environmental assessment supporting the National Environmental Policy Act • Nuclear safety • Safeguards and security • Emplacement operations • Requirements for commissioning • General project implementation. The reconciliation plan and results of the plan implementation are provided in a business-sensitive project file. This report provides the reconciliation plan and non-business sensitive summary responses to identified gaps.« less

Geomechanical/Geochemical Modeling Studies Conducted within theInternational DECOVALEX Project

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

Birkholzer, J.T.; Rutqvist, J.; Sonnenthal, E.L.

2005-10-19

The DECOVALEX project is an international cooperative project initiated by SKI, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, with participation of about 10 international organizations. The general goal of this project is to encourage multidisciplinary interactive and cooperative research on modeling coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geologic formations in support of the performance assessment for underground storage of radioactive waste. One of the research tasks, initiated in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), addresses the long-term impact of geomechanical and geochemical processes on the flow conditions near waste emplacement tunnels. Within this task, four international research teams conduct predictive analysismore » of the coupled processes in two generic repositories, using multiple approaches and different computer codes. Below, we give an overview of the research task and report its current status.« less

Geomechanical/ Geochemical Modeling Studies onducted Within the International DECOVALEX Project

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

J.T. Birkholzer; J. Rutqvist; E.L. Sonnenthal

2006-02-01

The DECOVALEX project is an international cooperative project initiated by SKI, the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, with participation of about 10 international organizations. The general goal of this project is to encourage multidisciplinary interactive and cooperative research on modeling coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geologic formations in support of the performance assessment for underground storage of radioactive waste. One of the research tasks, initiated in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), addresses the long-term impact of geomechanical and geochemical processes on the flow conditions near waste emplacement tunnels. Within this task, four international research teams conduct predictive analysismore » of the coupled processes in two generic repositories, using multiple approaches and different computer codes. Below, we give an overview of the research task and report its current status.« less

Comparison between lab- and full-scale applications of in situ aeration of an old landfill and assessment of long-term emission development after completion.

PubMed

Hrad, Marlies; Gamperling, Oliver; Huber-Humer, Marion

2013-10-01

Sustainable landfilling has become a fundamental objective in many modern waste management concepts. In this context, the in situ aeration of landfills has been recognised for its potential to convert conventional anaerobic landfills into biological stabilised state, whereby both current and potential (long-term) emissions of the landfilled waste are mitigated. In recent years, different in situ aeration concepts have been successfully applied in Europe, North America and Asia, all pursuing different objectives and strategies. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection and simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old, small municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill (2.6ha) in autumn 2007. Complementary laboratory investigations were conducted with waste samples taken from the landfill site in order to provide more information on the transferability of the results from lab- to full-scale aeration measures. In addition, long-term emission development of the stabilised waste after aeration completion was assessed in an ongoing laboratory experiment. Although the initial waste material was described as mostly stable in terms of the biological parameters gas generation potential over 21days (GP21) and respiration activity over 4days (RA4), the lab-scale experiments indicated that aeration, which led to a significant improvement of leachate quality, was accompanied by further measurable changes in the solid waste material under optimised conditions. Even 75weeks after aeration completion the leachate, as well as gaseous emissions from the stabilised waste material, remained low and stayed below the authorised Austrian discharge limits. However, the application of in situ aeration at the investigated landfill is a factor 10 behind the lab-based predictions after 3years of operation, mainly due to technical limitations in the full-scale operation (e.g. high air flow resistivity due to high water content of waste and temporarily high water levels within the landfill; limited efficiency of the aeration wells). In addition, material preparation (e.g. sieving, sorting and homogenisation) prior to the emplacement in Landfill Simulation Reactors (LSRs) must be considered when transferring results from lab- to full-scale application. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ADVANCED NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE EFFECTS ON THE TREATMENT OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE LONG-TERM ASSESSMENT OF GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL SYSTEMS - EBS INPUT

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

Sutton, M; Blink, J A; Greenberg, H R

2012-04-25

The Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign within the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) Fuel Cycle Technology (FCT) program has been tasked with investigating the disposal of the nation's spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) for a range of potential waste forms and geologic environments. The planning, construction, and operation of a nuclear disposal facility is a long-term process that involves engineered barriers that are tailored to both the geologic environment and the waste forms being emplaced. The UFD Campaign is considering a range of fuel cycles that in turn produce a range of wastemore » forms. The UFD Campaign is also considering a range of geologic media. These ranges could be thought of as adding uncertainty to what the disposal facility design will ultimately be; however, it may be preferable to thinking about the ranges as adding flexibility to design of a disposal facility. For example, as the overall DOE-NE program and industrial actions result in the fuel cycles that will produce waste to be disposed, and the characteristics of those wastes become clear, the disposal program retains flexibility in both the choice of geologic environment and the specific repository design. Of course, other factors also play a major role, including local and State-level acceptance of the specific site that provides the geologic environment. In contrast, the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) repository license application (LA) is based on waste forms from an open fuel cycle (PWR and BWR assemblies from an open fuel cycle). These waste forms were about 90% of the total waste, and they were the determining waste form in developing the engineered barrier system (EBS) design for the Yucca Mountain Repository design. About 10% of the repository capacity was reserved for waste from a full recycle fuel cycle in which some actinides were extracted for weapons use, and the remaining fission products and some minor actinides were encapsulated in borosilicate glass. Because the heat load of the glass was much less than the PWR and BWR assemblies, the glass waste form was able to be co-disposed with the open cycle waste, by interspersing glass waste packages among the spent fuel assembly waste packages. In addition, the Yucca Mountain repository was designed to include some research reactor spent fuel and naval reactor spent fuel, within the envelope that was set using the commercial reactor assemblies as the design basis waste form. This milestone report supports Sandia National Laboratory milestone M2FT-12SN0814052, and is intended to be a chapter in that milestone report. The independent technical review of this LLNL milestone was performed at LLNL and is documented in the electronic Information Management (IM) system at LLNL. The objective of this work is to investigate what aspects of quantifying, characterizing, and representing the uncertainty associated with the engineered barrier are affected by implementing different advanced nuclear fuel cycles (e.g., partitioning and transmutation scenarios) together with corresponding designs and thermal constraints.« less

Limitations to the use of two-dimensional thermal modeling of a nuclear waste repository

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

Davis, B.W.

1979-01-04

Thermal modeling of a nuclear waste repository is basic to most waste management predictive models. It is important that the modeling techniques accurately determine the time-dependent temperature distribution of the waste emplacement media. Recent modeling studies show that the time-dependent temperature distribution can be accurately modeled in the far-field using a 2-dimensional (2-D) planar numerical model; however, the near-field cannot be modeled accurately enough by either 2-D axisymmetric or 2-D planar numerical models for repositories in salt. The accuracy limits of 2-D modeling were defined by comparing results from 3-dimensional (3-D) TRUMP modeling with results from both 2-D axisymmetric andmore » 2-D planar. Both TRUMP and ADINAT were employed as modeling tools. Two-dimensional results from the finite element code, ADINAT were compared with 2-D results from the finite difference code, TRUMP; they showed almost perfect correspondence in the far-field. This result adds substantially to confidence in future use of ADINAT and its companion stress code ADINA for thermal stress analysis. ADINAT was found to be somewhat sensitive to time step and mesh aspect ratio. 13 figures, 4 tables.« less

Pluton emplacement within an extensional transfer zone during dextral strike-slip faulting: an example from the late Archaean Abitibi Greenstone Belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacroix, S.; Sawyer, E. W.; Chown, E. H.

1998-01-01

The Lake Abitibi area within the late Archaean Abitibi Greenstone Belt exhibits an interlinked plutonic, structural and metamorphic evolution that may characterize segmented strike-slip faults at upper-to-mid-crustal levels. Along the major, southeastward propagating Macamic D2 dextral strike-slip fault, Theological and preexisting D1 structural heterogeneities induced the development of NNW-trending dextral-oblique splays which evolved into an extensional trailing fan and created an extensional, NNW-dipping stepover. Magma flowing upwards from deeper parts of the Macamic Fault spread towards the southeast at upper crustal levels along both the oblique-slip and extensional D2 splays, and built several plutons in a pull-apart domain between 2696 and 2690 Ma. Different emplacement and material transfer mechanisms operated simultaneously in different parts of the system, including fault dilation and wedging, lateral expansion, wall-rock ductile flow and stoping. Transfer of movement between D2 splays occurred under ductile conditions during syn-emplacement, amphibolite-grade metamorphism (500-700 °C). During cooling (< 2690 Ma), narrower brittle-ductile zones of greenschist-grade shearing were concentrated along the pluton-wall rock contacts, but the extensional stepover locked since both normal and reverse movements occurred along NNW-dipping faults. Pluton emplacement, contact metamorphism and propagation of D2 faults appear to have been closely linked during the Superior Province-wide late transpressional event.

Superhot fluids circulating close to magma intrusions: a contribution from analogue modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanari, Domenico; Agostini, Andrea; Bonini, Marco; Corti, Giacomo

2017-04-01

Magma overpressure at the time of the emplacement at shallow crustal levels may lead to deformation (i.e. forced folding, fracturing and faulting) in the country rock, both at local and regional scale. To get insights into this process, we reproduced and analysed in the laboratory the fracture/fault network associated with the emplacement of magma at shallow crustal levels. We used a mixture of quartz sand and K-feldspar fine sand as an analogue for the brittle crust, and polyglycerols for the magma. The models were able to reproduce complex 3D architectures of deformation resulting from magma emplacement, with different deformation patterns -invariably dominated by forced folding and associated brittle faulting/fracturing- resulting from variable parameters. These results provide useful hints into geothermal researches. Fractures and faults associated with magma emplacement are indeed expected to significantly influence the distribution and migration of superhot geothermal fluids near the edge of the magma intrusion. These structures can therefore be considered as potential targets for geothermal or mineral deposits exploration. In this perspective, the results of analogue models may provide useful geometric and conceptual constraints for field work, numerical modeling, and particularly seismic interpretation for achieving a better understanding and tuning of the integrated conceptual model concerning the circulation of supercritical fluids. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. 608553 (Project IMAGE).

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 comparison of skyshine computational methods.

PubMed

Hertel, Nolan E; Sweezy, Jeremy E; Shultis, J Kenneth; Warkentin, J Karl; Rose, Zachary J

2005-01-01

A variety of methods employing radiation transport and point-kernel codes have been used to model two skyshine problems. The first problem is a 1 MeV point source of photons on the surface of the earth inside a 2 m tall and 1 m radius silo having black walls. The skyshine radiation downfield from the point source was estimated with and without a 30-cm-thick concrete lid on the silo. The second benchmark problem is to estimate the skyshine radiation downfield from 12 cylindrical canisters emplaced in a low-level radioactive waste trench. The canisters are filled with ion-exchange resin with a representative radionuclide loading, largely 60Co, 134Cs and 137Cs. The solution methods include use of the MCNP code to solve the problem by directly employing variance reduction techniques, the single-scatter point kernel code GGG-GP, the QADMOD-GP point kernel code, the COHORT Monte Carlo code, the NAC International version of the SKYSHINE-III code, the KSU hybrid method and the associated KSU skyshine codes.

Petrology and geochemistry of the Grouse Canyon Member of the Belted Range Tuff, Rock-Mechanics Drift, U12g Tunnel, Nevada Test Site

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

Connolly, J.R.; Mansker, W.L.; Hicks, R.

1983-04-01

G-Tunnel at Nevada Test Site (NTS) is the site of thermal and thermomechanical experiments examining the feasibility of emplacing heat-producing nuclear wastes in silicic tuffs. This report describes the general stratigraphy, mineralogy, and bulk chemistry of welded portions of the Grouse Canyon Member of the Belted Range Tuff, the unit in which most of these experiments will be performed. The geologic characteristics of the Grouse Canyon Member are compared with those of the Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff, presently the preferred horizon for an actual waste repository at Yucca Mountain, near the southwest boundary of Nevada Test Site.more » This comparison suggests that test results obtained in welded tuff from G-Tunnel are applicable, with limitations, to evaluation of the Topopah Spring Member at Yucca Mountain.« less

Advanced Containment System

DOEpatents

Kostelnik, Kevin M.; Kawamura, Hideki; Richardson, John G.; Noda, Masaru

2005-02-08

An advanced containment system for containing buried waste and associated leachate. The advanced containment system comprises a plurality of casing sections with each casing section interlocked to an adjacent casing section. Each casing section includes a complementary interlocking structure that interlocks with the complementary interlocking structure on an adjacent casing section. A barrier filler substantially fills the casing sections and may substantially fill the spaces of the complementary interlocking structure to form a substantially impermeable barrier. Some of the casing sections may include sensors so that the casing sections and the zone of interest may be remotely monitored after the casing sections are emplaced in the ground.

Comparison between lab- and full-scale applications of in situ aeration of an old landfill and assessment of long-term emission development after completion

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

Hrad, Marlies; Gamperling, Oliver; Huber-Humer, Marion, E-mail: marion.huber-humer@boku.ac.at

Highlights: ► Current data on in situ aeration effects from the first Austrian full-scale case study. ► Data on lasting waste stabilisation after aeration completion. ► Information on the transferability of results from lab- to full-scale aeration. - Abstract: Sustainable landfilling has become a fundamental objective in many modern waste management concepts. In this context, the in situ aeration of landfills has been recognised for its potential to convert conventional anaerobic landfills into biological stabilised state, whereby both current and potential (long-term) emissions of the landfilled waste are mitigated. In recent years, different in situ aeration concepts have been successfullymore » applied in Europe, North America and Asia, all pursuing different objectives and strategies. In Austria, the first full-scale application of in situ landfill aeration by means of low pressure air injection and simultaneous off-gas collection and treatment was implemented on an old, small municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill (2.6 ha) in autumn 2007. Complementary laboratory investigations were conducted with waste samples taken from the landfill site in order to provide more information on the transferability of the results from lab- to full-scale aeration measures. In addition, long-term emission development of the stabilised waste after aeration completion was assessed in an ongoing laboratory experiment. Although the initial waste material was described as mostly stable in terms of the biological parameters gas generation potential over 21 days (GP{sub 21}) and respiration activity over 4 days (RA{sub 4}), the lab-scale experiments indicated that aeration, which led to a significant improvement of leachate quality, was accompanied by further measurable changes in the solid waste material under optimised conditions. Even 75 weeks after aeration completion the leachate, as well as gaseous emissions from the stabilised waste material, remained low and stayed below the authorised Austrian discharge limits. However, the application of in situ aeration at the investigated landfill is a factor 10 behind the lab-based predictions after 3 years of operation, mainly due to technical limitations in the full-scale operation (e.g. high air flow resistivity due to high water content of waste and temporarily high water levels within the landfill; limited efficiency of the aeration wells). In addition, material preparation (e.g. sieving, sorting and homogenisation) prior to the emplacement in Landfill Simulation Reactors (LSRs) must be considered when transferring results from lab- to full-scale application.« less

Hydrogeological Characteristics of Fractured Rocks around the In-DEBS Test Borehole at the Underground Research Facility (KURT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Nak-Youl; Kim, Geon Young; Kim, Kyung-Su

2016-04-01

In the concept of the deep geological disposal of radioactive wastes, canisters including high-level wastes are surrounded by engineered barrier, mainly composed of bentonite, and emplaced in disposal holes drilled in deep intact rocks. The heat from the high-level radioactive wastes and groundwater inflow can influence on the robustness of the canister and engineered barrier, and will be possible to fail the canister. Therefore, thermal-hydrological-mechanical (T-H-M) modeling for the condition of the disposal holes is necessary to secure the safety of the deep geological disposal. In order to understand the T-H-M coupling phenomena at the subsurface field condition, "In-DEBS (In-Situ Demonstration of Engineered Barrier System)" has been designed and implemented in the underground research facility, KURT (KAERI Underground Research Tunnel) in Korea. For selecting a suitable position of In-DEBS test and obtaining hydrological data to be used in T-H-M modeling as well as groundwater flow simulation around the test site, the fractured rock aquifer including the research modules of KURT was investigated through the in-situ tests at six boreholes. From the measured data and results of hydraulic tests, the range of hydraulic conductivity of each interval in the boreholes is about 10-7-10-8 m/s and that of influx is about 10-4-10-1 L/min for NX boreholes, which is expected to be equal to about 0.1-40 L/min for the In-DEBS test borehole (diameter of 860 mm). The test position was determined by the data and availability of some equipment for installing In-DEBS in the test borehole. The mapping for the wall of test borehole and the measurements of groundwater influx at the leaking locations was carried out. These hydrological data in the test site will be used as input of the T-H-M modeling for simulating In-DEBS test.

Investigation of Coupled Processes and Impact of High Temperature Limits in Argillite Rock: FY17 Progress. Predecisional Draft

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

Zheng, Liange; Rutqvist, Jonny; Xu, Hao

The focus of research within the Spent Fuel and Waste Science and Technology (SFWST) (formerly called Used Fuel Disposal) Campaign is on repository-induced interactions that may affect the key safety characteristics of EBS bentonite and an argillaceous rock. These include thermal-hydrologicalmechanical- chemical (THMC) process interactions that occur as a result of repository construction and waste emplacement. Some of the key questions addressed in this report include the development of fracturing in the excavation damaged zone (EDZ) and THMC effects on the near-field argillaceous rock and buffer materials and petrophysical characteristics, particularly the impacts of temperature rise caused by waste heat.more » This report documents the following research activities. Section 2 presents THM model developments and validation, including modeling of underground heater experiments at Mont Terri and Bure underground research laboratories (URLs). The heater experiments modeled are the Mont Terri FE (Full-scale Emplacement) Experiment, conducted as part of the Mont Terri Project, and the TED in heater test conducted in Callovo-Oxfordian claystone (COx) at the Meuse/Haute-Marne (MHM) underground research laboratory in France. The modeling of the TED heater test is one of the Tasks of the DEvelopment of COupled Models and their VAlidation against EXperiments (DECOVALEX)-2019 project. Section 3 presents the development and application of thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical (THMC) modeling to evaluate EBS bentonite and argillite rock responses under different temperatures (100 °C and 200 °C). Model results are presented to help to understand the impact of high temperatures on the properties and behavior of bentonite and argillite rock. Eventually the process model will support a robust GDSA model for repository performance assessments. Section 4 presents coupled THMC modeling for an in situ test conducted at Grimsel underground laboratory in Switzerland in the Full-Scale Engineered Barrier Experiment Dismantling Project (FEBEX-DP). The data collected in the test after almost two decades of heating and two dismantling events provide a unique opportunity of validating coupled THMC models and enhancing our understanding of coupled THMC process in EBS bentonite. Section 5 presents a planned large in-situ test, “HotBENT,” at Grimsel Test Site, Switzerland. In this test, bentonite backfilled EBS in granite will be heated up to 200 °C, where the most relevant features of future emplacement conditions can be adequately reproduced. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has very actively participated in the project since the very beginning and have conducted scoping calculations in FY17 to facilitate the final design of the experiment. Section 6 presents present LBNL’s activities for modeling gas migration in clay related to Task A of the international DECOVALEX-2019 project. This is an international collaborative activity in which DOE and LBNL gain access to unique laboratory and field data of gas migration that are studied with numerical modeling to better understand the processes, to improve numerical models that could eventually be applied in the performance assessment for nuclear waste disposal in clay host rocks and bentonite backfill. Section 7 summarizes the main research accomplishments for FY17 and proposes future work activities.« less

Magnetic fabric in granitoid plutons emplaced during Variscan orogeny and timing of their intrusions: Eastern Variscan front

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hrouda, F.; Schulmann, K.; Chlupacova, M.; Aichler, J.; Mixa, P.; Pecina, V.; Zacek, V.; Kroener, A.

2003-04-01

The eastern Variscan front at the Czech and Polish border is characterised by oblique underthrusting of Neo-Proterozoic continental margin below thickened crustal root. The underthrust plate is subsequently imbricated and forms obliquely convergent crustal wedge which was further thrust over the foreland. Several granitic plutons of arc geochemical affinity are intruded during different stages of crustal thickening and exhumation. Analysis of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility was carried out to study the relationships between host rock deformation and magma emplacement fabrics in different crustal levels and geographical positions with respect to crustal wedge and westerly orogenic root. Deep seated granodiorite sheets (Javornik intrusion 348 Ma, and Stare Mesto sill 340 Ma) are emplaced in the deepest and more internal high grade parts of the orogen along the margin of thickened crustal root. They show AMS fabrics entirely concordant with surrounding high grade gneisses and were emplaced during contractional (transpressive) regime.The Sumperk granodiorite is a more shallow intrusion emplaced in the central part of the crustal wedge. This sheet-like intrusion shows its AMS fabrics conformable to transpressional fabrics of surrounding mylonitised barovian schists and gneisses. The Zulova Pluton 330 Ma, representing the shallowest intrusion, intrudes the most external part of the crustal wedge. It shows the magnetic fabrics virtually perpendicular to compressional structures in the neighbouring areas. In addition, these fabrics are clearly concordant with large-scale detachment zone along which the Devonian meta-sedimentary cover slided to the west. The AMS fabrics of granitoids thus testify the progressive oblique convergence prograding to the east followed by collapse of external part of orogenic wedge. The AMS fabric data allow us to evaluate the mechanical role of arc magmas syntectonically emplaced during oblique convergence and finally during normal shearing perpendicular to the orogen.

Hydrogeochemical effects of a bulkhead in the Dinero mine tunnel, Sugar Loaf mining district, near Leadville, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walton-Day, Katherine; Mills, Taylor J.

2015-01-01

The Dinero mine drainage tunnel is an abandoned, draining mine adit near Leadville, Colorado, that has an adverse effect on downstream water quality and aquatic life. In 2009, a bulkhead was constructed (creating a mine pool and increasing water-table elevations behind the tunnel) to limit drainage from the tunnel and improve downstream water quality. The goal of this study was to document changes to hydrology and water quality resulting from bulkhead emplacement, and to understand post-bulkhead changes in source water and geochemical processes that control mine-tunnel discharge and water quality. Comparison of pre-and post-bulkhead hydrology and water quality indicated that tunnel discharge and zinc and manganese loads decreased by up to 97 percent at the portal of Dinero tunnel and at two downstream sites (LF-537 and LF-580). However, some water-quality problems persisted at LF-537 and LF-580 during high-flow events and years, indicating the effects of the remaining mine waste in the area. In contrast, post-bulkhead water quality degraded at three upstream stream sites and a draining mine tunnel (Nelson tunnel). Water-quality degradation in the streams likely occurred from increased contributions of mine-pool groundwater to the streams. In contrast, water-quality degradation in the Nelson tunnel was likely from flow of mine-pool water along a vein that connects the Nelson tunnel to mine workings behind the Dinero tunnel bulkhead. Principal components analysis, mixing analysis, and inverse geochemical modeling using PHREEQC indicated that mixing and geochemical reactions (carbonate dissolution during acid weathering, precipitation of goethite and birnessite, and sorption of zinc) between three end-member water types generally explain the pre-and post-bulkhead water composition at the Dinero and Nelson tunnels. The three end members were (1) a relatively dilute groundwater having low sulfate and trace element concentrations; (2) mine pool water, and (3) water that flowed from a structure in front of the bulkhead after bulkhead emplacement. Both (2) and (3) had high sulfate and trace element concentrations. These results indicate how analysis of monitoring information can be used to understand hydrogeochemical changes resulting from bulkhead emplacement. This understanding, in turn, can help inform future decisions on the disposition of the remaining mine waste and water-quality problems in the area.

An ecological engineering approach for keeping water from reaching interred wastes in arid or semiarid regions

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

Anderson, J.E.

1997-12-31

This paper describes application of a soil-plant cover system (SPCS) to preclude water from reaching interred wastes in arid and semiarid regions. Where potential evapotranspiration far exceeds precipitation, water can be kept from reaching buried wastes by (1) providing a sufficiently deep cap of soil to store precipitation that falls while plants are dormant and (2) maintaining plant cover to deplete soil moisture during the growing season, thereby emptying the storage reservoir. Research at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) has shown that 2 m of soil is adequate to store moisture from snowmelt and spring rains. Healthy stands ofmore » perennial grasses and shrubs adapted to the INEL climate use all available soil moisture, even during a very wet growing season. However, burrowing by small mammals or ants may affect the performance of a SPCS by increasing infiltration of water. Intrusion barriers of gravel and cobble can be used to restrict burrowing, but emplacement of such barriers affects soil moisture storage and plant rooting depths. A replicated field experiment to investigate the implications of those effects is in progress. Incorporation of an SPCS should be considered in the design of isolation barriers for shallow land burial of hazardous wastes in and regions.« less

Prototype pushing robot for emplacing vitrified waste canisters into horizontal disposal drifts

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

Londe, L.; Seidler, W.K.; Bosgiraud, J.M.

2007-07-01

Within the French Underground Disposal concept, as described in ANDRA's (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs) Dossier 2005, the Pushing Robot is an application envisaged for the emplacement (and the potential retrieval) of 'Vitrified waste packages', also called 'C type packages'. ANDRA has developed a Prototype Pushing Robot within the framework of the ESDRED Project (Engineering Studies and Demonstration of Repository Design) which is co-funded by the European Commission as part of the sixth EURATOM Research and Training Framework Programme (FP6) on nuclear energy (2002 - 2006). The Rationale of the Pushing Robot technology comes from various considerations,more » including the need for (1) a simple and robust system, capable of moving (and potentially retrieving) on up to 40 metres (m), a 2 tonne C type package (mounted on ceramic sliding runners) inside the carbon steel sleeve constituting the liner (and rock support) of a horizontal disposal cell, (2) small annular clearances between the package and the liner, (3) compactness of the device to be transferred from surface to underground, jointly with the package, inside a shielding cask, and (4) remote controlled operations for the sake of radioprotection. The initial design, based on gripping supports, has been replaced by a 'technical variant' based on inflatable toric jacks. It was then possible, using a test bench, to check that the Pushing Robot worked properly. Steps as high as 7 mm were successfully cleared by a dummy package pushed by the Prototype.. Based on the lessons learned by ANDRA's regarding the Prototype Pushing Robot, a new Scope of Work is being written for the Contract concerning an Industrial Scale Demonstrator. The Industrial Scale Demonstration should be completed by the end of the second Quarter of 2008. (authors)« less

Investigating Magmatic Processes in the Lower Levels of Mantle-derived Magmatic Systems: The Age & Emplacement of the Kunene Anorthosite Complex (SW Angola)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayes, B.; Bybee, G. M.; Owen-Smith, T.; Lehmann, J.; Brower, A. M.; Ashwal, L. D.; Hill, C. M.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of mantle-derived magmatic systems has shifted from a notion of upper crustal, melt-dominated magma chambers that feed short-lived volcanic eruptions, to a view of more long-lived trans-crustal, mush-dominated systems. Proterozoic massif-type anorthosite systems are voluminous, plagioclase-dominated plutonic suites with ubiquitous intermediate compositions (An 50 ± 10) that represent mantle-derived magmas initially ponded at Moho depths and crystallized polybarically until emplacement at mid-crustal levels. Thus, these systems provide unique insight into magma storage and processing in the lower reaches of the magma mush column, where such interpretation has previously relied on cumulate xenoliths in lavas, geophysical data and experimental/numerical modeling. We present new CA-ID-TIMS ages and a series of detailed field observations from the largest Proterozoic anorthosite massif on Earth, the Kunene Anorthosite Complex (KAC) of SW Angola. Field structures indicate that (i) the bulk of the material was emplaced in the form of crystal mushes, as both plutons and sheet-like intrusions; (ii) prolonged magmatism led to cumulate disaggregation (block structure development) and remobilization, producing considerable textural heterogeneity; (iii) crystal-rich magmatic flow induced localized recrystallization and the development of protoclastic (mortar) textures; and (iv) late residual melts were able to migrate locally prior to complete solidification. Dating of pegmatitic pods entrained from cumulate zones at the base of the crust (1500 ± 13 Ma) and their host anorthosites (1375-1438 Ma) reveals time periods in the range of 60-120 Myr between the earliest products of the system and the final mushes emplaced at higher crustal levels. Therefore, the KAC represents a complex, mushy magmatic system that developed over a long period of time. Not only do these observations help in refining our understanding of Proterozoic anorthosite petrogenesis, they also allow us to place constraints on the types of magmatic processes that operate in the lower levels of other trans-crustal magmatic systems.

A Probabilistic Performance Assessment Study of Potential Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Sites in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knowlton, R. G.; Arnold, B. W.; Mattie, P. D.; Kuo, M.; Tien, N.

2006-12-01

For several years now, Taiwan has been engaged in a process to select a low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal site. Taiwan is generating LLW from operational and decommissioning wastes associated with nuclear power reactors, as well as research, industrial, and medical radioactive wastes. The preliminary selection process has narrowed the search to four potential candidate sites. These sites are to be evaluated in a performance assessment analysis to determine the likelihood of meeting the regulatory criteria for disposal. Sandia National Laboratories and Taiwan's Institute of Nuclear Energy Research have been working together to develop the necessary performance assessment methodology and associated computer models to perform these analyses. The methodology utilizes both deterministic (e.g., single run) and probabilistic (e.g., multiple statistical realizations) analyses to achieve the goals. The probabilistic approach provides a means of quantitatively evaluating uncertainty in the model predictions and a more robust basis for performing sensitivity analyses to better understand what is driving the dose predictions from the models. Two types of disposal configurations are under consideration: a shallow land burial concept and a cavern disposal concept. The shallow land burial option includes a protective cover to limit infiltration potential to the waste. Both conceptual designs call for the disposal of 55 gallon waste drums within concrete lined trenches or tunnels, and backfilled with grout. Waste emplaced in the drums may be solidified. Both types of sites are underlain or placed within saturated fractured bedrock material. These factors have influenced the conceptual model development of each site, as well as the selection of the models to employ for the performance assessment analyses. Several existing codes were integrated in order to facilitate a comprehensive performance assessment methodology to evaluate the potential disposal sites. First, a need existed to simulate the failure processes of the waste containers, with subsequent leaching of the waste form to the underlying host rock. The Breach, Leach, and Transport Multiple Species (BLT-MS) code was selected to meet these needs. BLT-MS also has a 2-D finite-element advective-dispersive transport module, with radionuclide in-growth and decay. BLT-MS does not solve the groundwater flow equation, but instead requires the input of Darcy flow velocity terms. These terms were abstracted from a groundwater flow model using the FEHM code. For the shallow land burial site, the HELP code was also used to evaluate the performance of the protective cover. The GoldSim code was used for two purposes: quantifying uncertainties in the predictions, and providing a platform to evaluate an alternative conceptual model involving matrix-diffusion transport. Results of the preliminary performance assessment analyses using examples to illustrate the computational framework will be presented. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under Contract DE AC04 94AL85000.

Lunar base habitat designs: Characterizing the environment, and selecting habitat designs for future trade-offs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ganapathi, Gani B.; Ferrall, Joseph; Seshan, P. K.

1993-01-01

A survey of distinct conceptual lunar habitat designs covering the pre- and post-Apollo era is presented. The impact of the significant lunar environmental challenges such as temperature, atmosphere, radiation, soil properties, meteorites, and seismic activity on the habitat design parameters are outlined. Over twenty habitat designs were identified and classified according to mission type, crew size; total duration of stay, modularity, environmental protection measures, and emplacement. Simple selection criteria of (1) post-Apollo design, (2) uniqueness of the habitat design, (3) level of thoroughness in design layout, (4) habitat dimensions are provided, and (5) materials of construction for the habitat shell are specified, are used to select five habitats for future trade studies. Habitat emplacement scenarios are created to examine the possible impact of emplacement of the habitat in different locations, such as lunar poles vs. equatorial, above ground vs. below ground, etc.

Excavation Induced Hydraulic Response of Opalinus Clay - Investigations of the FE-Experiment at the Mont Terri URL in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, T.; Müller, H. R.; Garitte, B.; Sakaki, T.; Vietor, T.

2013-12-01

The Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) Experiment at the Mont Terri underground research laboratory in Switzerland is a full-scale heater test in a clay-rich formation (Opalinus Clay). Based on the Swiss disposal concept it simulates the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) evolution of a spent fuel / vitrified high-level waste (SF / HLW) repository tunnel in a realistic manner. The main aim of this experiment is to investigate SF / HLW repository-induced THM coupled effects mainly in the host rock but also in the engineered barrier system (EBS), which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks. A further aim is to gather experience with full-scale tunnel construction and associated hydro-mechanical (HM) processes in the host rock. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors (state-of-the-art sensors and measurement systems as well as fiber-optic sensors). The sensors are distributed in the host rock's near- and far-field, the tunnel lining, the EBS, and on the heaters. The heater emplacement and backfilling has not started yet, therefore only the host rock instrumentation is installed at the moment and is currently generating data. We will present the instrumentation concept and rationale as well as the first monitoring results of the excavation and ventilation phase. In particular, we investigated the excavation induced hydraulic response of the host rock. Therefore, the spatiotemporal evolution of porewater-pressure time series was analyzed to get a better understanding of HM coupled processes during and after the excavation phase as well as the impact of anisotropic geomechanic and hydraulic properties of the clay-rich formation on its hydraulic behavior. Excavation related investigations were completed by means of inclinometer data to characterize the non-elastic and time-dependent deformations. In addition, we evaluated the effect of drainage and suction processes during the ventilation phase on the pressure distribution in the host rock. Based on our results the conceptual models of HM processes and hydraulic behavior of clay rich formations during excavation and ventilation phases could be improved.

The Wall-Rock Record of Incremental Emplacement in the Little Cottonwood-Alta Magmatic and Hydrothermal System, Wasatch Mountains, Utah, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stearns, M.; Callis, S.; Beno, C.; Bowman, J. R.; Bartley, J. M.

2017-12-01

Contact aureoles record the cumulative effects on wall rocks of magma emplacement. Like the plutons they surround, contact aureoles have long been regarded to form geologically instantaneously. Protracted incremental emplacement of plutons must be reconciled with the wall-rock record of heat and mass transfer. Fundamental questions include how heat and material move from intrusions into their aureoles and how long that process takes. The Little Cottonwood stock is surrounded by a 2 km-wide contact aureole that contains prograde AFM mineral assemblages in the pelitic layers of the Proterozoic Big Cottonwood Formation. The Alta stock is surrounded by a well characterized 1 km-wide contact aureole containing both prograde AFM and CMS mineral assemblages in Ophir Shale and Mississippian dolostones, respectively. Understanding the petrogenesis of these aureoles requires the timing of magmatism and wall-rock metamorphism to be independently determined. Preliminary petrochronology (U/Th-Pb dates and trace element concentrations collected by LASS-ICP-MS) from the inner aureoles of both intrusions establishes a protracted history of monazite (re)crystallization from 35-25 Ma in the Little Cottonwood aureole and 35 Ma in the Alta aureole. Little Cottonwood aureole monazites are characterized by a positive age correlation with heavy rare earth elements (HREE) and a negative correlation with Eu/Eu*. Alta aureole monazites have a similar range of the HREE concentrations and Eu/Eu* variation. Zircon growth interpreted to record emplacement-level magmatic crystallization of the western Little Cottonwood stock ranges from 33-28 Ma near the contact. Multi-grain U-Pb zircon TIMS dates from the Alta stock range from 35-33 Ma and are interpreted to suggest the full range of emplacement-level magmatism in the Alta stock. Additionally, in situ U-Pb titanite dates from the Alta stock record intermittent high temperature hydrothermal activity in the stock margin from 35-24 Ma. These new data suggest that the Little Cottonwood aureole developed over several million years and overlapped in time with hydrothermal (re)crystallization of titanite within the Alta Stock. Both systems continued to develop after monazite (re)crystallization within Ophir Shale, which was concurrent with emplacement of the Alta Stock.

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

Jordan, Amy B.; Zyvoloski, George Anthony; Weaver, Douglas James

The simulation work presented in this report supports DOE-NE Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) goals related to the development of drift scale in-situ field testing of heat-generating nuclear waste (HGNW) in salt formations. Numerical code verification and validation is an important part of the lead-up to field testing, allowing exploration of potential heater emplacement designs, monitoring locations, and perhaps most importantly the ability to predict heat and mass transfer around an evolving test. Such predictions are crucial for the design and location of sampling and monitoring that can be used to validate our understanding of a drift scale test thatmore » is likely to span several years.« less

Deep Geologic Nuclear Waste Disposal - No New Taxes - 12469

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

Conca, James; Wright, Judith

2012-07-01

To some, the perceived inability of the United States to dispose of high-level nuclear waste justifies a moratorium on expansion of nuclear power in this country. Instead, it is more an example of how science yields to social pressure, even on a subject as technical as nuclear waste. Most of the problems, however, stem from confusion on the part of the public and their elected officials, not from a lack of scientific knowledge. We know where to put nuclear waste, how to put it there, how much it will cost, and how well it will work. And it's all aboutmore » the geology. The President's Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has drafted a number of recommendations addressing nuclear energy and waste issues (BRC 2011) and three recommendations, in particular, have set the stage for a new strategy to dispose of high-level nuclear waste and to manage spent nuclear fuel in the United States: 1) interim storage for spent nuclear fuel, 2) resumption of the site selection process for a second repository, and 3) a quasi-government entity to execute the program and take control of the Nuclear Waste Fund in order to do so. The first two recommendations allow removal and storage of spent fuel from reactor sites to be used in the future, and allows permanent disposal of actual waste, while the third controls cost and administration. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NPWA 1982) provides the second repository different waste criteria, retrievability, and schedule, so massive salt returns as the candidate formation of choice. The cost (in 2007 dollars) of disposing of 83,000 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) high-level waste (HLW) is about $ 83 billion (b) in volcanic tuff, $ 29 b in massive salt, and $ 77 b in crystalline rock. Only in salt is the annual revenue stream from the Nuclear Waste Fund more than sufficient to accomplish this program without additional taxes or rate hikes. The cost is determined primarily by the suitability of the geologic formation, i.e., how well it performs on its own for millions of years with little engineering assistance from humans. It is critical that the states most affected by this issue (WA, SC, ID, TN, NM and perhaps others) develop an independent multi-state agreement in order for a successful program to move forward. Federal approval would follow. Unknown to most, the United States has a successful operating deep permanent geologic nuclear repository for high and low activity waste, called the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Its success results from several factors, including an optimal geologic and physio-graphic setting, a strong scientific basis, early regional community support, frequent interactions among stakeholders at all stages of the process, long-term commitment from the upper management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) over several administrations, strong New Mexico State involvement and oversight, and constant environmental monitoring from before nuclear waste was first emplaced in the WIPP underground (in 1999) to the present. WIPP is located in the massive bedded salts of the Salado Formation, whose geological, physical, chemical, redox, thermal, and creep-closure properties make it an ideal formation for long-term disposal, long-term in this case being greater than 200 million years. These properties also mean minimal engineering requirements as the rock does most of the work of isolating the waste. WIPP has been operating for twelve years, and as of this writing, has disposed of over 80,000 m{sup 3} of nuclear weapons waste, called transuranic or TRU waste (>100 nCurie/g but <23 Curie/1000 cm{sup 3}) including some high activity waste from reprocessing of spent fuel from old weapons reactors. All nuclear waste of any type from any source can be disposed in this formation better, safer and cheaper than in any other geologic formation. At the same time, it is critical that we complete the Yucca Mountain license application review so as not to undermine the credibility of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the scientific community. (authors)« less

Engineering concepts for the placement of wastes on the abyssal seafloor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valent, Philip J.; Palowitch, Andrew W.; Young, David K.

1998-05-01

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), with industry and academic participation, has completed a study of the concept of isolating industrial wastes (i.e., sewage sludge, fly ash from municipal incinerators, and dredged material) on the abyssal seafloor. This paper presents results of the technical and economic assessment of this waste management concept. The results of the environmental impacts portion of the study are presented in a companion paper. The technical assessment began with identification of 128 patents addressing waste disposal in the ocean. From these 128 patents, five methods for transporting wastes through the water column and emplacing wastes within an easily monitored area on the abyssal seafloor were synthesized for technical assessment. In one method waste is lowered to the seafloor in a bucket of 190 m 3. In a second method waste is pumped down to the seafloor in pipes, 1.37 m in diameter and 6100 m in length. In a third method waste is free-fallen from the ocean surface in 380-m 3 geosynthetic fabric containers (GFCs). In the fourth and fifth methods, waste is carried to near the seafloor in GFCs transported in (a) a 20,000 metric ton displacement (loaded), unpowered, unmanned submersible glider, or (b) a 2085 metric ton displacement (loaded) disk-shaped transporter traversing to and from the seafloor much like an untethered elevator. In the last two methods the transporter releases the GFCs to free-fall the last few hundred meters to the seafloor. Two reliability analyses, a Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and a Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), showed that the free-fall GFC method posed the least overall relative risk, provided that fabric container and transporter designs eliminate the potential for tearing of the containers on release from the surface transporter. Of the five methods, the three GFC methods were shown to offer cost-effective waste management options when compared with present-day waste management techniques in higher-priced areas, such as the New York-New Jersey area. In conclusion, the abyssal seafloor waste isolation concept is technically feasible and cost-effective for many waste sources.

Compaction behavior of surrogate degraded emplaced WIPP waste.

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

Broome, Scott Thomas; Bronowski, David R.; Kuthakun, Souvanny James

The present study results are focused on laboratory testing of surrogate waste materials. The surrogate wastes correspond to a conservative estimate of degraded Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) containers and TRU waste materials at the end of the 10,000 year regulatory period. Testing consists of hydrostatic, triaxial, and uniaxial strain tests performed on surrogate waste recipes that were previously developed by Hansen et al. (1997). These recipes can be divided into materials that simulate 50% and 100% degraded waste by weight. The percent degradation indicates the anticipated amount of iron corrosion, as well as the decomposition of cellulosics, plastics, andmore » rubbers (CPR). Axial, lateral, and volumetric strain and axial, lateral, and pore stress measurements were made. Two unique testing techniques were developed during the course of the experimental program. The first involves the use of dilatometry to measure sample volumetric strain under a hydrostatic condition. Bulk moduli of the samples measured using this technique were consistent with those measured using more conventional methods. The second technique involved performing triaxial tests under lateral strain control. By limiting the lateral strain to zero by controlling the applied confining pressure while loading the specimen axially in compression, one can maintain a right-circular cylindrical geometry even under large deformations. This technique is preferred over standard triaxial testing methods which result in inhomogeneous deformation or (3z(Bbarreling(3y. (BManifestations of the inhomogeneous deformation included non-uniform stress states, as well as unrealistic Poissons ratios (> 0.5) or those that vary significantly along the length of the specimen. Zero lateral strain controlled tests yield a more uniform stress state, and admissible and uniform values of Poissons ratio.« less

Management of Legacy Spent Nuclear Fuel Wastes at the Chalk River Laboratories: The Challenges and Innovative Solutions Implemented - 13301

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

Schruder, Kristan; Goodwin, Derek

2013-07-01

AECL's Fuel Packaging and Storage (FPS) Project was initiated in 2004 to retrieve, transfer, and stabilize an identified inventory of degraded research reactor fuel that had been emplaced within in-ground 'Tile Hole' structures in Chalk River Laboratories' Waste Management Area in the 1950's and 60's. Ongoing monitoring of the legacy fuel storage conditions had identified that moisture present in the storage structures had contributed to corrosion of both the fuel and the storage containers. This prompted the initiation of the FPS Project which has as its objective to design, construct, and commission equipment and systems that would allow for themore » ongoing safe storage of this fuel until a final long-term management, or disposition, pathway was available. The FPS Project provides systems and technologies to retrieve and transfer the fuel from the Waste Management Area to a new facility that will repackage, dry, safely store and monitor the fuel for a period of 50 years. All equipment and the new storage facility are designed and constructed to meet the requirements for Class 1 Nuclear Facilities in Canada. (authors)« less

Deep Borehole Field Test Laboratory and Borehole Testing Strategy

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

Kuhlman, Kristopher L.; Brady, Patrick V.; MacKinnon, Robert J.

2016-09-19

Deep Borehole Disposal (DBD) of high-level radioactive wastes has been considered an option for geological isolation for many years (Hess et al. 1957). Recent advances in drilling technology have decreased costs and increased reliability for large-diameter (i.e., ≥50 cm [19.7”]) boreholes to depths of several kilometers (Beswick 2008; Beswick et al. 2014). These advances have therefore also increased the feasibility of the DBD concept (Brady et al. 2009; Cornwall 2015), and the current field test design will demonstrate the DBD concept and these advances. The US Department of Energy (DOE) Strategy for the Management and Disposal of Used Nuclear Fuelmore » and High-Level Radioactive Waste (DOE 2013) specifically recommended developing a research and development plan for DBD. DOE sought input or expression of interest from States, local communities, individuals, private groups, academia, or any other stakeholders willing to host a Deep Borehole Field Test (DBFT). The DBFT includes drilling two boreholes nominally 200m [656’] apart to approximately 5 km [16,400’] total depth, in a region where crystalline basement is expected to begin at less than 2 km depth [6,560’]. The characterization borehole (CB) is the smaller-diameter borehole (i.e., 21.6 cm [8.5”] diameter at total depth), and will be drilled first. The geologic, hydrogeologic, geochemical, geomechanical and thermal testing will take place in the CB. The field test borehole (FTB) is the larger-diameter borehole (i.e., 43.2 cm [17”] diameter at total depth). Surface handling and borehole emplacement of test package will be demonstrated using the FTB to evaluate engineering feasibility and safety of disposal operations (SNL 2016).« less

Deformation mechanisms accommodating the emplacement of an igneous sill-complex in the Irish sector of the Rockall Basin, offshore NW Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magee, Craig; Jackson, Christopher; Schofield, Nick

2013-04-01

Magma intrusion within the subsurface is heavily influenced by the pre-existing architecture of the upper crust and, depending on the emplacement mechanisms, may modify basin structure and fluid flow pathways. Seismic reflection data reveal that intrusive networks predominantly consist of interconnected, saucer-shaped sills that are often associated with dome-shaped 'forced' folds generated by intrusion-induced uplift. Previous studies of intrusion-related forced folds have primarily focused on isolated sills or laccoliths and have shown that the fold amplitude is less than the intrusion thickness, suggesting that additional space-making mechanisms (e.g. grain comminution, fluidization) accompanied emplacement. Furthermore, forced folding is often considered as an instantaneous process over geological time. However, fold growth and the interplay between accompanying ductile and brittle deformation styles remains poorly understood. Here, we use 3D seismic reflection data from the eastern margin of the Irish Rockall Basin, NE Atlantic, to quantitatively study eighty-two igneous intrusions (i.e. saucer-shaped sills and inclined sheets) in order to constrain the emplacement history of a Palaeocene-to-Middle Eocene sill-complex. Emplacement occurred across a Cretaceous clastic-to-marl dominated succession at palaeodepths of <5 km. Northwards-dipping, planar transgressive sheet intrusions are most abundant in the deeper portion of the sill-complex and magma flow indicators within them (i.e. steps and broken bridges) reveal that magma flowed upwards and outwards, feeding into shallow-level saucer-shaped sills at the peak of the transgressive limbs. The saucer-shaped sills are characterized by radial magma flow patterns, emanating from the inner sill, distinguished by mapping the long axes of magma lobes and fingers. These magma flow indictors also provide a proxy for intrusion style; i.e. where sills intrude the Lower Cretaceous sandstones, magma propagation was facilitated by brittle fracturing while non-brittle processes (e.g. fluidization) accompanied shallow-level intrusions into the Upper Cretaceous marls. Directly overlying the sill-complex, within the Palaeocene-Mid-Eocene succession, are a series of 22 forced folds that are interpreted to have formed via intrusion-induced uplift. Onlap and truncational relationships observed throughout the folded Palaeocene-Mid-Eocene strata indicate that the folds grew progressively, likely due to the near-continuous intrusion of small magmatic pulses within the sill-complex. Importantly, individual forced folds cannot be attributed to a single intrusion and, instead, appear to have been generated from the incremental emplacement of adjacent and overlapping sills. Furthermore, where the sills are clustered, individual folds have merged together to form broad, compound folds. We show that emplacement depth below the contemporaneous seabed and vertical stacking of the sills strongly influenced forced fold development. Furthermore, magmatic activity occurred for a prolonged (~8 Ma) time period.

Drift-Scale THC Seepage Model

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

C.R. Bryan

The purpose of this report (REV04) is to document the thermal-hydrologic-chemical (THC) seepage model, which simulates the composition of waters that could potentially seep into emplacement drifts, and the composition of the gas phase. The THC seepage model is processed and abstracted for use in the total system performance assessment (TSPA) for the license application (LA). This report has been developed in accordance with ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport: Coupled Processes (Mountain-Scale TH/THC/THM, Drift-Scale THC Seepage, and Post-Processing Analysis for THC Seepage) Report Integration'' (BSC 2005 [DIRS 172761]). The technical work plan (TWP) describes planning information pertainingmore » to the technical scope, content, and management of this report. The plan for validation of the models documented in this report is given in Section 2.2.2, ''Model Validation for the DS THC Seepage Model,'' of the TWP. The TWP (Section 3.2.2) identifies Acceptance Criteria 1 to 4 for ''Quantity and Chemistry of Water Contacting Engineered Barriers and Waste Forms'' (NRC 2003 [DIRS 163274]) as being applicable to this report; however, in variance to the TWP, Acceptance Criterion 5 has also been determined to be applicable, and is addressed, along with the other Acceptance Criteria, in Section 4.2 of this report. Also, three FEPS not listed in the TWP (2.2.10.01.0A, 2.2.10.06.0A, and 2.2.11.02.0A) are partially addressed in this report, and have been added to the list of excluded FEPS in Table 6.1-2. This report has been developed in accordance with LP-SIII.10Q-BSC, ''Models''. This report documents the THC seepage model and a derivative used for validation, the Drift Scale Test (DST) THC submodel. The THC seepage model is a drift-scale process model for predicting the composition of gas and water that could enter waste emplacement drifts and the effects of mineral alteration on flow in rocks surrounding drifts. The DST THC submodel uses a drift-scale process model relying on the same conceptual model and many of the same input data (i.e., physical, hydrologic, thermodynamic, and kinetic) as the THC seepage model. The DST THC submodel is the primary means for validating the THC seepage model. The DST THC submodel compares predicted water and gas compositions, and mineral alteration patterns, with observed data from the DST. These models provide the framework to evaluate THC coupled processes at the drift scale, predict flow and transport behavior for specified thermal-loading conditions, and predict the evolution of mineral alteration and fluid chemistry around potential waste emplacement drifts. The DST THC submodel is used solely for the validation of the THC seepage model and is not used for calibration to measured data.« less

LLNL Input to SNL L2 MS: Report on the Basis for Selection of Disposal Options

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

Sutton, M; Blink, J A; Halsey, W G

2011-03-02

This mid-year deliverable has two parts. The first part is a synopsis of J. Blink's interview of the former Nevada Attorney General, Frankie Sue Del Papa, which was done in preparation for the May 18-19, 2010 Legal and Regulatory Framework Workshop held in Albuquerque. The second part is a series of sections written as input for the SNL L2 Milestone M21UF033701, due March 31, 2011. Disposal of high-level radioactive waste is categorized in this review into several categories. Section II discusses alternatives to geologic disposal: space, ice-sheets, and an engineered mountain or mausoleum. Section III discusses alternative locations for minedmore » geologic disposal: islands, coastlines, mid-continent, and saturated versus unsaturated zone. Section IV discusses geologic disposal alternatives other than emplacement in a mine: well injection, rock melt, sub-seabed, and deep boreholes in igneous or metamorphic basement rock. Finally, Secton V discusses alternative media for mined geologic disposal: basalt, tuff, granite and other igneous/metamorphic rock, alluvium, sandstone, carbonates and chalk, shale and clay, and salt.« 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.

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

Klein, Thomas; Patterson, Russell; Camphouse, Chris

There are two primary regulatory requirements for Panel Closures at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the nation's only deep geologic repository for defense related Transuranic (TRU) and Mixed TRU waste. The Federal requirement is through 40 CFR 191 and 194, promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The state requirement is regulated through the authority of the Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) under the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Act (HWA), New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA) 1978, chap. 74-4-1 through 74-4-14, in accordance with the New Mexico Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (HWMR), 20.4.1 New Mexico Annotatedmore » Code (NMAC). The state regulations are implemented for the operational period of waste emplacement plus 30 years whereas the federal requirements are implemented from the operational period through 10,000 years. The 10,000 year federal requirement is related to the adequate representation of the panel closures in determining long-term performance of the repository. In Condition 1 of the Final Certification Rulemaking for 40 CFR Part 194, the EPA required a specific design for the panel closure system. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) has requested, through the Planned Change Request (PCR) process, that the EPA modify Condition 1 via its rulemaking process. The DOE has also requested, through the Permit Modification Request (PMR) process, that the NMED modify the approved panel closure system specified in Permit Attachment G1. The WIPP facility is carved out of a bedded salt formation 655 meters below the surface of southeast New Mexico. Condition 1 of the Final Certification Rulemaking specifies that the waste panels be closed using Option D which is a combination of a Salado mass concrete (SMC) monolith and an isolation/explosion block wall. The Option D design was also accepted as the panel closure of choice by the NMED. After twelve years of waste handling operations and a greater understanding of the waste and the behavior of the underground salt formation, the DOE has established a revised panel closure design. This revised design meets both the short-term NMED Permit requirements for the operational period, and also the Federal requirements for long-term repository performance. This new design is simpler, easier to construct and has less of an adverse impact on waste disposal operations than the originally approved Option D design. The Panel Closure Redesign is based on: (1) the results of in-situ constructability testing performed to determine run-of-mine salt reconsolidation parameters and how the characteristics of the bedded salt formation affect these parameters and, (2) the results of air flow analysis of the new design to determine that the limit for the migration of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) will be met at the compliance point. Waste panel closures comprise a repository feature that has been represented in WIPP performance assessment (PA) since the original Compliance Certification Application of 1996. Panel closures are included in WIPP PA models principally because they are a part of the disposal system, not because they play a substantive role in inhibiting the release of radionuclides to the outside environment. The 1998 rulemaking that certified WIPP to receive transuranic waste placed conditions on the panel closure design to be implemented in the repository. The revised panel closure design, termed the Run-of-Mine (ROM) Panel Closure System (ROMPCS), is comprised of 30.48 meters of ROM salt with barriers at each end. The ROM salt is generated from ongoing mining operations at the WIPP and may be compacted and/or moistened as it is emplaced in a panel entry. The barriers consist of bulkheads, similar to those currently used in the panels as room closures. A WIPP performance assessment has been completed that incorporates the ROMPCS design into the representation of the repository, and compares repository performance to that achieved with the approved Option D design. Several key physical processes and rock mechanics principles are incorporated into the performance assessment. First, creep closure of the salt rock surrounding a panel entry results in consolidation of the ROM salt emplaced in the entry. Eventually, the ROM salt comprising the ROMPCS will approach a condition similar to intact salt. As the ROM salt reaches higher fractional densities during consolidation, back stress will be imposed on the surrounding rock mass leading to eventual healing of the disturbed rock zone above and below the panel closure. Healing of the disturbed rock zone above and below the ROMPCS reduces the porosity and permeability in those areas. Analysis of the new design demonstrates that: (1) the WIPP continues to meet regulatory compliance requirements when the ROMPCS design is implemented instead of Option D, and (2) there is no impact on the short-term effectiveness of the panel closure to limit the concentration of VOCs at the WIPP site boundary to a fraction of the health-based exposure limits (HBLs) during the operational period. (authors)« less

The propagation direction of mafic radial dikes inferred from flow-direction analysis of an exposed radial dike sequence, Summer Coon Volcano, Colorado, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, A.; Valentine, G.

2016-12-01

Mafic eruptions along the flanks of stratovolcanoes pose significant hazards to life and property due to the uncertainty linked to new vent locations and their potentially close proximity to inhabited areas. Flank eruptions are often fed by radial dikes with magma supplied either laterally from the central conduit or vertically from a deeper storage location. The highly eroded Oligocene age Summer Coon stratovolcano, Colorado reveals over 700 mafic dikes surrounding a series of intrusive stocks (inferred conduit). The exposure provides an opportunity to study radial dike propagation directions and their relationship with the conduit in the lower portions of a volcanic edifice. Detailed geologic mapping and a geophysical survey revealed that little or no direct connection exists between the mafic radial dikes and the inferred conduit at the current level of exposure. Oriented samples collected from the chilled margins of 29 mafic dikes were analyzed for flow fabrics and emplacement directions. Among them, 20 dikes show flow angles greater than 30 degrees from horizontal, and a single dike had flow fabrics oriented at approximately 20 degrees. Of the dikes with steeper fabrics nine dikes were emplaced up and toward the volcano's center between 30-75 degrees from horizontal, and 11 dikes emplaced up and away from the volcano's center between 35-60 degrees. The two groups of dikes likely responded to the stress field within the edifice, where steepest-emplaced had relatively high magma overpressure and were focused toward the volcano's summit, while dikes with lower overpressures propagated out toward the flanks. At Summer Coon, the lack of connection between mafic dikes and the inferred conduit and presence of only one sub-horizontally emplaced dike implies the stresses within lower edifice impeded lateral dike nucleation and propagation while promoting and influencing the emplacement direction of upward propagating dikes.

Sill Emplacement and Forced Folding in the Canterbury Basin, offshore SE New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reeves, Jennifer; Magee, Craig; Jackson, Christopher

2017-04-01

Sill-complexes are common in sedimentary basins worldwide. The geometry of sill-complexes and their associated deformation can be used to unravel tectono-magmatic events. For example, intruding magma may uplift the overburden and the free surface to produce forced folds that are typically either dome-shaped or flat-topped. These four-way dip closures can form suitable hydrocarbon traps and dating of onlapping of sedimentary strata allows the timing of emplacement, relative to hydrocarbon generation and migration to be assessed. Furthermore, these forced folds directly overlie the forcing intrusion and their volume is commonly assumed to equal that of the emplaced magma. This relationship between folds, which may be expressed that the Earth's surface, and magma volume is fundamental for volcano predication due to the use of ground deformation as a proxy for the location and magnitude of future eruptions. However, recent studies have demonstrated that fluidization of weak host rock can accommodate magma during non-brittle emplacement, producing little or no overburden deformation. Assessing the mechanics of intrusion-induced forced folding is therefore critical to a variety of Earth Science disciplines. Here, we use 3D seismic reflection data map four sills at a high-resolution within the underexplored Canterbury Basin, offshore SE New Zealand. We demonstrate that: (i) despite similar emplacement levels, forced folds are only developed above two of the sills, with no apparent uplift above the other two sills; (ii) onlap of sedimentary onto forced folds and associated hydrothermal vents indicates two episodes of sill emplacement in the Whaingaroan (34.6-31.8 Ma) and Opoitian (5.33-3.7 Ma); and (iii) intra-fold thickness is variable, with lower intervals within the folds displaying a flat-topped geometry overlain by sedimentary strata displaying dome-shaped folding. We discuss the formation of these forced folds as assess the role of non-brittle and inelastic deformation on the geometry and growth of forced folds.

Development and demonstration of a telerobotic excavation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burks, Barry L.; Thompson, David H.; Killough, Stephen M.; Dinkins, Marion A.

1994-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory is developing remote excavation technologies for the Department of Energy's Office (DOE) of Technology Development, Robotics Technology Development Program, and also for the Department of Defense (DOD) Project Manager for Ammunition Logistics. This work is being done to meet the need for remote excavation and removal of radioactive and contaminated buried waste at several DOE sites and unexploded ordnance at DOD sites. System requirements are based on the need to uncover and remove waste from burial sites in a way that does not cause unnecessary personnel exposure or additional environmental contamination. Goals for the current project are to demonstrate dexterous control of a backhoe with force feedback and to implement robotic operations that will improve productivity. The Telerobotic Small Emplacement Excavator is a prototype system that incorporates the needed robotic and telerobotic capabilities on a commercially available platform. The ability to add remote dexterous teleoperation and robotic operating modes is intended to be adaptable to other commercially available excavator systems.

Summaries of FY 1996 geosciences research

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

NONE

1996-12-01

The Geosciences Research Program is directed by the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) Office of Energy Research (OER) through its Office of Basic Energy Sciences (OBES). Activities in the Geosciences Research Program are directed toward building the long-term fundamental knowledge base necessary to provide for energy technologies of the future. Future energy technologies and their individual roles in satisfying the nations energy needs cannot be easily predicted. It is clear, however, that these future energy technologies will involve consumption of energy and mineral resources and generation of technological wastes. The earth is a source for energy and mineral resources and ismore » also the host for wastes generated by technological enterprise. Viable energy technologies for the future must contribute to a national energy enterprise that is efficient, economical, and environmentally sound. The Geosciences Research Program emphasizes research leading to fundamental knowledge of the processes that transport, modify, concentrate, and emplace (1) the energy and mineral resources of the earth and (2) the energy by-products of man.« 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

Fault-controlled pluton emplacement in the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt of southwest Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalakay, Thomas J.; John, Barbara E.; Lageson, David R.

2001-06-01

Problems associated with syncompressional pluton emplacement center on the need to make room for magma in environments where crustal shortening, not extension, occurs on a regional scale. New structural data from the Pioneer and Boulder batholiths of southwest Montana, USA, suggest emplacement at the top of frontal thrust ramps as composite tabular bodies at crustal depths between 1 and 10 km. Frontal thrust facilitated pluton emplacement was accommodated by: (1) a magma feeder zone created along the ramp interface; (2) providing 'releasing steps' at ramp tops that serve as initial points of emplacement and subsequent pluton growth; and (3) localizing antithetic back-thrusts that assist in pluton ascent. A model of magma emplacement is proposed that involves these elements. This model for syntectonic ramp-top emplacement of plutons helps explain how space is made for plutons within fold-and-thrust belts.

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

Generic repository design concepts and thermal analysis (FY11).

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

Howard, Robert; Dupont, Mark; Blink, James A.

2011-08-01

Reference concepts for geologic disposal of used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in the U.S. are developed, including geologic settings and engineered barriers. Repository thermal analysis is demonstrated for a range of waste types from projected future, advanced nuclear fuel cycles. The results show significant differences among geologic media considered (clay/shale, crystalline rock, salt), and also that waste package size and waste loading must be limited to meet targeted maximum temperature values. In this study, the UFD R&D Campaign has developed a set of reference geologic disposal concepts for a range of waste types that could potentially be generatedmore » in advanced nuclear FCs. A disposal concept consists of three components: waste inventory, geologic setting, and concept of operations. Mature repository concepts have been developed in other countries for disposal of spent LWR fuel and HLW from reprocessing UNF, and these serve as starting points for developing this set. Additional design details and EBS concepts will be considered as the reference disposal concepts evolve. The waste inventory considered in this study includes: (1) direct disposal of SNF from the LWR fleet, including Gen III+ advanced LWRs being developed through the Nuclear Power 2010 Program, operating in a once-through cycle; (2) waste generated from reprocessing of LWR UOX UNF to recover U and Pu, and subsequent direct disposal of used Pu-MOX fuel (also used in LWRs) in a modified-open cycle; and (3) waste generated by continuous recycling of metal fuel from fast reactors operating in a TRU burner configuration, with additional TRU material input supplied from reprocessing of LWR UOX fuel. The geologic setting provides the natural barriers, and establishes the boundary conditions for performance of engineered barriers. The composition and physical properties of the host medium dictate design and construction approaches, and determine hydrologic and thermal responses of the disposal system. Clay/shale, salt, and crystalline rock media are selected as the basis for reference mined geologic disposal concepts in this study, consistent with advanced international repository programs, and previous investigations in the U.S. The U.S. pursued deep geologic disposal programs in crystalline rock, shale, salt, and volcanic rock in the years leading up to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, or NWPA (Rechard et al. 2011). The 1987 NWPA amendment act focused the U.S. program on unsaturated, volcanic rock at the Yucca Mountain site, culminating in the 2008 license application. Additional work on unsaturated, crystalline rock settings (e.g., volcanic tuff) is not required to support this generic study. Reference disposal concepts are selected for the media listed above and for deep borehole disposal, drawing from recent work in the U.S. and internationally. The main features of the repository concepts are discussed in Section 4.5 and summarized in Table ES-1. Temperature histories at the waste package surface and a specified distance into the host rock are calculated for combinations of waste types and reference disposal concepts, specifying waste package emplacement modes. Target maximum waste package surface temperatures are identified, enabling a sensitivity study to inform the tradeoff between the quantity of waste per disposal package, and decay storage duration, with respect to peak temperature at the waste package surface. For surface storage duration on the order of 100 years or less, waste package sizes for direct disposal of SNF are effectively limited to 4-PWR configurations (or equivalent size and output). Thermal results are summarized, along with recommendations for follow-on work including adding additional reference concepts, verification and uncertainty analysis for thermal calculations, developing descriptions of surface facilities and other system details, and cost estimation to support system-level evaluations.« less

Magma traps and driving pressure: consequences for pluton shape and emplacement in an extensional regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogan, John P.; Price, Jonathan D.; Gilbert, M. Charles

1998-09-01

The level of emplacement and final form of felsic and mafic igneous rocks of the Wichita Mountains Igneous Province, southwestern Oklahoma, U.S.A. are discussed in light of magma driving pressure, lithostatic load, and crustal magma traps. Deposition of voluminous A-type rhyolites upon an eroded gabbroic substrate formed a subhorizontal strength anisotropy that acted as a crustal magma trap for subsequent rising felsic and mafic magma. Intruded along this crustal magma trap are the A-type sheet granites (length/thickness 100:1) of the Wichita Granite Group, of which the Mount Scott Granite sheet is typical, and smaller plutons of biotite bearing Roosevelt Gabbro. In marked contrast to the subhorizontal granite sheets, the gabbro plutons form more equant stocks with flat roofs and steep side walls. Late Diabase dikes cross-cut all other units, but accompanying basaltic flows are extremely rare in the volcanic pile. Based on magmastatic calculations, we draw the following conclusions concerning the level of emplacement and the shape of these intrusions. (1) Magma can rise to a depth at which the magma driving pressure becomes negligible. Magma that maintains a positive driving pressure at the surface has the potential to erupt. (2) Magma ascent may be arrested at a deeper level in the crust by a subhorizontal strength anisotropy (i.e. crustal magma trap) if the magma driving pressure is greater than or equal to the lithostatic load at the depth of the subhorizontal strength anisotropy. (3) Subhorizontal sheet-intrusions form along crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure greatly exceeds the lithostatic load. Under such conditions, the magma driving pressure is sufficent to lift the overburden to create the necessary space for the intrusion. (4) Thicker steep-sided stocks or batholiths, with flat roofs, form at crustal magma traps when the magma driving pressure approximates that of the lithostatic load. Under these conditions, the necessary space for the intrusion must be created by other mechanisms (e.g. stoping). (5) Subvertical sheets (i.e. dikes) form when the magma driving pressure is less than the lithostatic load at the level of emplacement.

Sampling of Stochastic Input Parameters for Rockfall Calculations and for Structural Response Calculations Under Vibratory Ground Motion

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

M. Gross

2004-09-01

The purpose of this scientific analysis is to define the sampled values of stochastic (random) input parameters for (1) rockfall calculations in the lithophysal and nonlithophysal zones under vibratory ground motions, and (2) structural response calculations for the drip shield and waste package under vibratory ground motions. This analysis supplies: (1) Sampled values of ground motion time history and synthetic fracture pattern for analysis of rockfall in emplacement drifts in nonlithophysal rock (Section 6.3 of ''Drift Degradation Analysis'', BSC 2004 [DIRS 166107]); (2) Sampled values of ground motion time history and rock mechanical properties category for analysis of rockfall inmore » emplacement drifts in lithophysal rock (Section 6.4 of ''Drift Degradation Analysis'', BSC 2004 [DIRS 166107]); (3) Sampled values of ground motion time history and metal to metal and metal to rock friction coefficient for analysis of waste package and drip shield damage to vibratory motion in ''Structural Calculations of Waste Package Exposed to Vibratory Ground Motion'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 167083]) and in ''Structural Calculations of Drip Shield Exposed to Vibratory Ground Motion'' (BSC 2003 [DIRS 163425]). The sampled values are indices representing the number of ground motion time histories, number of fracture patterns and rock mass properties categories. These indices are translated into actual values within the respective analysis and model reports or calculations. This report identifies the uncertain parameters and documents the sampled values for these parameters. The sampled values are determined by GoldSim V6.04.007 [DIRS 151202] calculations using appropriate distribution types and parameter ranges. No software development or model development was required for these calculations. The calculation of the sampled values allows parameter uncertainty to be incorporated into the rockfall and structural response calculations that support development of the seismic scenario for the Total System Performance Assessment for the License Application (TSPA-LA). The results from this scientific analysis also address project requirements related to parameter uncertainty, as specified in the acceptance criteria in ''Yucca Mountain Review Plan, Final Report'' (NRC 2003 [DIRS 163274]). This document was prepared under the direction of ''Technical Work Plan for: Regulatory Integration Modeling of Drift Degradation, Waste Package and Drip Shield Vibratory Motion and Seismic Consequences'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 170528]) which directed the work identified in work package ARTM05. This document was prepared under procedure AP-SIII.9Q, ''Scientific Analyses''. There are no specific known limitations to this analysis.« less

Posthole Broadband Sensor Emplacement vs. Surface Vaults: Observations of Comparative Noise Performance and Trade-offs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweet, J. R.; Beaudoin, B. C.; Barstow, N.; Pfeifer, M.; Anderson, K. R.; Frassetto, A.

2015-12-01

Advances in seismometer design have diversified the range of instruments available for use in temporary field installations. IRIS programs, primarily PASSCAL and the Transportable Array (TA), have helped steer development of these new instruments to meet these evolving needs. PASSCAL operates a small pool of posthole broadband sensors, purpose built for direct burial. Near surface posthole installations are a new, cost effective, and logistically simple technique for broadband emplacement that is an alternative to the vault installations used in portable broadband seismic experiments for nearly 30 years. Direct burial installation is limited to the time and effort required to dig the borehole and emplace the sensor, thus reducing both material costs and time to install. Also, in Alaska, extreme environments and difficult logistics make standard TA tank vaults inappropriate for most sites. TA has developed improved deployment strategies for these environments. There, holes for posthole sensors are hammer- drilled or augered to several meters depth in soil, permafrost, or bedrock and then cased. These emplacement costs are generally less than standard TA vaults. We compare various installation techniques for test cases as well as general deployments of PASSCAL and TA stations. Automated noise performance analyses have been part of the TA throughout its operation, but until recently vault performance for portable installations supported by the PASSCAL program was sparse. In this study, we select a suite of co-located direct burial and surface vault installations and compare their noise performance using probability density functions. Our initial analyses suggest that direct burial sensors have lower noise levels than vault installations on both horizontal and vertical channels across a range of periods spanning <1 s to 100 s. However, most of these initial experiments for PASSCAL were with sensors not purpose built for direct burial and it became obvious that a sensor designed for direct burial was necessary. For the TA, direct emplacement of purpose-built sensors has routinely improved noise levels, particularly beyond about 20 s, by tens of dB. These results suggest that moving towards an instrument pool composed primarily of purpose-built direct burial sensors could yield higher-quality data at lower cost.

Generic Argillite/Shale Disposal Reference Case

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

Zheng, Liange; Colon, Carlos Jové; Bianchi, Marco

Radioactive waste disposal in a deep subsurface repository hosted in clay/shale/argillite is a subject of widespread interest given the desirable isolation properties, geochemically reduced conditions, and widespread geologic occurrence of this rock type (Hansen 2010; Bianchi et al. 2013). Bianchi et al. (2013) provides a description of diffusion in a clay-hosted repository based on single-phase flow and full saturation using parametric data from documented studies in Europe (e.g., ANDRA 2005). The predominance of diffusive transport and sorption phenomena in this clay media are key attributes to impede radionuclide mobility making clay rock formations target sites for disposal of high-level radioactivemore » waste. The reports by Hansen et al. (2010) and those from numerous studies in clay-hosted underground research laboratories (URLs) in Belgium, France and Switzerland outline the extensive scientific knowledge obtained to assess long-term clay/shale/argillite repository isolation performance of nuclear waste. In the past several years under the UFDC, various kinds of models have been developed for argillite repository to demonstrate the model capability, understand the spatial and temporal alteration of the repository, and evaluate different scenarios. These models include the coupled Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical (THM) and Thermal-Hydrological-Mechanical-Chemical (THMC) models (e.g. Liu et al. 2013; Rutqvist et al. 2014a, Zheng et al. 2014a) that focus on THMC processes in the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) bentonite and argillite host hock, the large scale hydrogeologic model (Bianchi et al. 2014) that investigates the hydraulic connection between an emplacement drift and surrounding hydrogeological units, and Disposal Systems Evaluation Framework (DSEF) models (Greenberg et al. 2013) that evaluate thermal evolution in the host rock approximated as a thermal conduction process to facilitate the analysis of design options. However, the assumptions and the properties (parameters) used in these models are different, which not only make inter-model comparisons difficult, but also compromise the applicability of the lessons learned from one model to another model. The establishment of a reference case would therefore be helpful to set up a baseline for model development. A generic salt repository reference case was developed in Freeze et al. (2013) and the generic argillite repository reference case is presented in this report. The definition of a reference case requires the characterization of the waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, EBS backfill, host rock, and biosphere. This report mainly documents the processes in EBS bentonite and host rock that are potentially important for performance assessment and properties that are needed to describe these processes, with brief description other components such as waste inventory, waste form, waste package, repository layout, aquifer, and biosphere. A thorough description of the generic argillite repository reference case will be given in Jové Colon et al. (2014).« less

Deep Borehole Emplacement Mode Hazard Analysis Revision 0

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

Sevougian, S. David

This letter report outlines a methodology and provides resource information for the Deep Borehole Emplacement Mode Hazard Analysis (DBEMHA). The main purpose is identify the accident hazards and accident event sequences associated with the two emplacement mode options (wireline or drillstring), to outline a methodology for computing accident probabilities and frequencies, and to point to available databases on the nature and frequency of accidents typically associated with standard borehole drilling and nuclear handling operations. Risk mitigation and prevention measures, which have been incorporated into the two emplacement designs (see Cochran and Hardin 2015), are also discussed. A key intent ofmore » this report is to provide background information to brief subject matter experts involved in the Emplacement Mode Design Study. [Note: Revision 0 of this report is concentrated more on the wireline emplacement mode. It is expected that Revision 1 will contain further development of the preliminary fault and event trees for the drill string emplacement mode.]« less

Voluntarism, public engagement and the role of geoscience in radioactive waste management policy-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilham, Nic

2014-05-01

In the UK, as elsewhere in Europe, there has been a move away from previous 'technocratic' approaches to radioactive waste management (RWM). Policy-makers have recognised that for any RWM programme to succeed, sustained engagement with stakeholders and the public is necessary, and any geological repository must be constructed and operated with the willing support of the community which hosts it. This has opened up RWM policy-making and implementation to a wider range of (often contested) expert inputs, ranging across natural and social sciences, engineering and even ethics. Geoscientists and other technical specialists have found themselves drawn into debates about how various types of expertise should be prioritised, and how they should be integrated with diverse public and stakeholder perspectives. They also have a vital role to play in communicating to the public the need for geological disposal of radioactive waste, and the various aspects of geoscience which will inform the process of implementing this, from identifying potential volunteer host communities, to finding a suitable site, developing the safety case, construction of a repository, emplacement of waste, closure and subsequent monitoring. High-quality geoscience, effectively communicated, will be essential to building and maintaining public confidence throughout the many decades such projects will take. Failure to communicate effectively the relevant geoscience and its central role in the UK's radioactive waste management programme arguably contributed to West Cumbria's January 2013 decision to withdraw from the site selection process, and may discourage other communities from coming forward in future. Across countries needing to deal with their radioactive waste, this unique challenge gives an unprecedented urgency to finding ways to engage and communicate effectively with the public about geoscience.

The Role of Cooling in Pahohoe Emplacement on Planetary Surfaces.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaze, L. S.; Baloga, S. M.

2015-01-01

Abundant evidence is emerging that many lavas on Mars were emplaced as slow-moving pahoehoe flows. Models for such scenarios contrast sharply with those for steep-sloped applications where gravity is the dominant force. The mode of flow emplacement on low slopes is characterized by toe formation and inflation. In the latter phase of pahoehoe flow emplacement, stagnation, inflation, and toe formation are most closely tied to the final topography, dimensions, and morphologic features. This mode of emplacement is particularly relevant to the low slopes of planetary surfaces such as the plains of Mars, Io and the Moon.

Thermal-Hydraulic-Mechanical (THM) Coupled Simulation of a Generic Site for Disposal of High Level Nuclear Waste in Claystone in Germany: Exemplary Proof of the Integrity of the Geological Barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massmann, J.; Ziefle, G.; Jobmann, M.

2016-12-01

Claystone is investigated as a potential host rock for the disposal of high level nuclear waste (HLW). In Germany, DBE TECHNOLOGY GmbH, the BGR and the "Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS)" are developing an integrated methodology for safety assessment within the R&D project "ANSICHT". One part herein is the demonstration of integrity of the geological barrier to ensure safe containment of radionuclides over 1 million years. The mechanical excavation of an underground repository, the ex­po­si­tion of claystone to at­mos­pheric air, the insertion of backfill, buffer, sealing and supporting material as well as the deposition of heat producing waste constitute a sig­nif­i­cant disturbance of the underground system. A complex interacting scheme of thermal, hydraulic and mechanical (THM) processes can be expected. In this work, the finite element software OpenGeoSys, main­ly de­vel­oped at the "Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ)", is used to simulate and evaluate several THM coupled effects in the repository surroundings up to the surface over a time span of 1 million years. The numerical setup is based on two generic geological models inspired by the representative geology of potentially suitable regions in North- and South Germany. The results give an insight into the evolution of temperature, pore pressure, stresses as well as deformation and enables statements concerning the extent of the significantly influenced area. One important effect among others is the temperature driven change in the densities of the solid and liquid phase and its influence on the stress field. In a further step, integrity criteria have been quantified, based on specifications of the German federal ministry of the environment. The exemplary numerical evaluation of these criteria demonstrates, how numerical simulations can be used to prove the integrity of the geological barrier and detect potential vulnerabilities. Fig.: Calculated zone of increased temperature (blue bubble) around a generic repository of HLW in a representative geological setting, 1000 years after emplacement of HLW

Lavas and Sills in the Ferrar Large Igneous Province: Field and Geochemical Evidence for the Order of Emplacement.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliot, D. H.; Fleming, T. H.

2005-12-01

Many large igneous provinces, particularly those associated with Gondwana break-up, include major sill complexes as well as flood basalt fields. In the Ferrar province, radiometric dates of lavas and sills are indistinguishable. Nevertheless, in north Victoria Land (NVL) field evidence suggests the lavas had to have been erupted first in order to create the overburden needed for emplacement at shallow depths of thick sills, lacking vesicles, in a thin (100 m) Upper Triassic sedimentary sequence overlying basement. Elsewhere in the Transantarctic Mountains sills occur almost exclusively in a thick (2-2.5 km) Devonian-Triassic sedimentary sequence (Beacon Supergroup) that was possibly capped by 500+m of lavas before sill emplacement. For south Victoria Land (SVL), Marsh (2004) proposed that the most evolved rocks were erupted first as lavas, and sills were emplaced at progressively greater depth as increasingly more magnesian magmas and crystal mushes were injected into supracrustal and finally basement rocks. In NVL most lavas have MgO between 6-8% with a few as low as 4.5% MgO, whereas analyzed chilled margins of sills range from 3.7-5.6% MgO. In the Prince Albert Mountains (PAM), SVL, lava and sill compositions overlap (3.9-7.3% MgO). In the greater Dry Valleys region (SVL) lavas at Carapace Nunatak range from 3.6-6.7% MgO; chilled margins of Dry Valleys sills range from about 4.2 to 7.2% MgO. In the Queen Alexandra Range, central Transantarctic Mountains (CTM), lavas are predominantly 2.6-5.7% MgO; sills in the region range from 4.5% to 10.7% MgO. In the Otway Massif region (head of the Shackleton Glacier, CTM) most lavas are strongly evolved (2.7-3.4% MgO); sills in the Shackleton Glacier region range from 4.3-7.3% MgO. Nowhere do lavas show unequivocal systematic temporal change in MgO, and notably in CTM the initial flows are the most mafic (7.5-8.0% MgO). Olivine dolerite sills (chilled margins: -9% MgO) tend to occur low in the stratigraphic section. Except for NVL where Beacon strata exposures are limited, sills are thicker (100-200 m) and more regular in lower stratigraphic levels. Sills with orthopyroxene crystal-mush tongues are not known outside the Dry Valleys except perhaps the Warren Range (SVL). No province-wide systematic relationship is apparent between compositions of lavas and sill chilled margins. Nevertheless, in CTM most lavas are significantly more evolved than the sills; within the sills there is no clear relationship between MgO and stratigraphy, and some less evolved compositions occur at relatively high stratigraphic levels. In SVL compositional overlap is almost complete; locally, cross-cutting relations show more mafic sills and sheets cutting less mafic compositions. In NVL the chemical relations between lavas and sills are opposite from those that have been advocated for SVL. Interpretation is compounded by sills that exchange stratigraphic position or climb stratigraphically. Factors affecting magma emplacement include magma density, lithostatic pressure, overpressures required for lateral emplacement, and rock physical properties; when and where the evolving source was tapped may play an equal role in the emplacement order. Further, detailed work on the sills will show whether crystallization might have yielded lower density residual liquids that could have migrated and formed distal fingers of sills or migrated to higher stratigraphic levels.

Emplacement of Columbia River flood basalt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reidel, Stephen P.

1998-11-01

Evidence is examined for the emplacement of the Umatilla, Wilbur Creek, and the Asotin Members of Columbia River Basalt Group. These flows erupted in the eastern part of the Columbia Plateau during the waning phases of volcanism. The Umatilla Member consists of two flows in the Lewiston basin area and southwestern Columbia Plateau. These flows mixed to form one flow in the central Columbia Plateau. The composition of the younger flow is preserved in the center and the composition of the older flow is at the top and bottom. There is a complete gradation between the two. Flows of the Wilbur Creek and Asotin Members erupted individually in the eastern Columbia Plateau and also mixed together in the central Columbia Plateau. Comparison of the emplacement patterns to intraflow structures and textures of the flows suggests that very little time elapsed between eruptions. In addition, the amount of crust that formed on the earlier flows prior to mixing also suggests rapid emplacement. Calculations of volumetric flow rates through constrictions in channels suggest emplacement times of weeks to months under fast laminar flow for all three members. A new model for the emplacement of Columbia River Basalt Group flows is proposed that suggests rapid eruption and emplacement for the main part of the flow and slower emplacement along the margins as the of the flow margin expands.

Feasibility study of tank leakage mitigation using subsurface barriers

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

Treat, R.L.; Peters, B.B.; Cameron, R.J.

1994-09-21

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has established the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) to satisfy manage and dispose of the waste currently stored in the underground storage tanks. The retrieval element of TWRS includes a work scope to develop subsurface impermeable barriers beneath SSTs. The barriers could serve as a means to contain leakage that may result from waste retrieval operations and could also support site closure activities by facilitating cleanup. Three types of subsurface barrier systems have emerged for further consideration: (1) chemical grout, (2) freeze walls, and (3) desiccant, represented in this feasibility study as a circulatingmore » air barrier. This report contains analyses of the costs and relative risks associated with combinations retrieval technologies and barrier technologies that from 14 alternatives. Eight of the alternatives include the use of subsurface barriers; the remaining six nonbarrier alternative are included in order to compare the costs, relative risks and other values of retrieval with subsurface barriers. Each alternative includes various combinations of technologies that can impact the risks associated with future contamination of the groundwater beneath the Hanford Site to varying degrees. Other potential risks associated with these alternatives, such as those related to accidents and airborne contamination resulting from retrieval and barrier emplacement operations, are not quantitatively evaluated in this report.« less

Monitoring water content in Opalinus Clay within the FE-Experiment: Test application of dielectric water content sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaki, T.; Vogt, T.; Komatsu, M.; Müller, H. R.

2013-12-01

The spatiotemporal variation of water content in the near field rock around repository tunnels for radioactive waste in clay formations is one of the essential quantities to be monitored for safety assessment in many waste disposal programs. Reliable measurements of water content are important not only for the understanding and prediction of coupled hydraulic-mechanic processes that occur during tunnel construction and ventilation phase, but also for the understanding of coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) processes that take place in the host rock during the post closure phase of a repository tunnel for spent fuel and high level radioactive waste (SF/HLW). The host rock of the Swiss disposal concept for SF/HLW is the Opalinus Clay formation (age of approx. 175 Million years). To better understand the THM effects in a full-scale heater-engineered barrier-rock system in Opalinus Clay, a full-scale heater test, namely the Full-Scale Emplacement (FE) experiment, was initiated in 2010 at the Mont Terri underground rock laboratory in north-western Switzerland. The experiment is designed to simulate the THM evolution of a SF/HLW repository tunnel based on the Swiss disposal concept in a realistic manner during the construction, emplacement, backfilling, and post-closure phases. The entire experiment implementation (in a 50 m long gallery with approx. 3 m diameter) as well as the post-closure THM evolution will be monitored using a network of several hundred sensors. The sensors will be distributed in the host rock, the tunnel lining, the engineered barrier, which consists of bentonite pellets and blocks, and on the heaters. The excavation is completed and the tunnel is currently being ventilated. Measuring water content in partially saturated clay-rich high-salinity rock with a deformable grain skeleton is challenging. Therefore, we use the ventilation phase (before backfilling and heating) to examine the applicability of commercial water content sensors and to design custom-made TDR sensors. The focus of this study is mainly on dielectric-based commercial water content sensors. Unlike soils for which the sensors were originally designed, it requires significantly more attention to properly install it onto rock (i.e., a good contact with the sensor and rock). The results will be used to select and design the instrumentation set-up for monitoring water content during the heating phase where sensors have to withstand harsh conditions (high salinity, high temperature, high pressures, high clay content and long term monitoring up to 10 years). The sensor tests are beneficial also in the sense that the water content data generated during these tests provide insights into drainage processes after tunnel construction and seasonal water content variations in the near field rock around the test gallery. We will present results from the tests and measurements performed during the first year.

Modeling acid-gas generation from boiling chloride brines

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background This study investigates the generation of HCl and other acid gases from boiling calcium chloride dominated waters at atmospheric pressure, primarily using numerical modeling. The main focus of this investigation relates to the long-term geologic disposal of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, where pore waters around waste-emplacement tunnels are expected to undergo boiling and evaporative concentration as a result of the heat released by spent nuclear fuel. Processes that are modeled include boiling of highly concentrated solutions, gas transport, and gas condensation accompanied by the dissociation of acid gases, causing low-pH condensate. Results Simple calculations are first carried out to evaluate condensate pH as a function of HCl gas fugacity and condensed water fraction for a vapor equilibrated with saturated calcium chloride brine at 50-150°C and 1 bar. The distillation of a calcium-chloride-dominated brine is then simulated with a reactive transport model using a brine composition representative of partially evaporated calcium-rich pore waters at Yucca Mountain. Results show a significant increase in boiling temperature from evaporative concentration, as well as low pH in condensates, particularly for dynamic systems where partial condensation takes place, which result in enrichment of HCl in condensates. These results are in qualitative agreement with experimental data from other studies. Conclusion The combination of reactive transport with multicomponent brine chemistry to study evaporation, boiling, and the potential for acid gas generation at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository is seen as an improvement relative to previously applied simpler batch evaporation models. This approach allows the evaluation of thermal, hydrological, and chemical (THC) processes in a coupled manner, and modeling of settings much more relevant to actual field conditions than the distillation experiment considered. The actual and modeled distillation experiments do not represent expected conditions in an emplacement drift, but nevertheless illustrate the potential for acid-gas generation at moderate temperatures (<150°C). PMID:19917082

Limits to the use of highly compacted bentonite as a deterrent for microbiologically influenced corrosion in a nuclear fuel waste repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroes-Gascoyne, Simcha; Hamon, Connie J.; Maak, Peter

Recent studies have suggested that microbial activity in highly compacted bentonite (⩾1600 kg/m 3) is severely suppressed. Therefore, it appears that the dry density of emplaced bentonite barriers in a geological repository for nuclear waste may be tailored such that a microbiologically unfavorable environment can be created adjacent to used fuel containers. This would ensure that microbiologically influenced corrosion is a negligible contributor to the overall corrosion process. However, this premise is valid only as long as the emplaced bentonite maintains a uniform high dry density (⩾1600 kg/m 3) because it has been shown that high dry density only suppresses microbial activity but not necessarily eliminates the viable microbial population in bentonite. In a repository, a reduction in the dry density of highly compacted bentonite may occur at a number of interface locations, such as placement gaps, contact regions with materials of different densities and contact points with water-carrying fractures in the rock. Experiments were carried out in our laboratory to examine the effects of a reduction in dry density (from 1600 kg/m 3 to about 1000 kg/m 3) on the recovery of microbial culturability in compacted bentonite. Results showed that upon expansion of compacted bentonite into a void, the resulting reduction in dry density stimulated or restored culturability of indigenous microbes. In a repository this would increase the possibility of in situ activity, which might be detrimental for the longevity of waste containers. Reductions in dry density, therefore, should be minimized or eliminated by adequate design and placement methods of compacted bentonite. Materials compliance models can be used to determine the required as-placed dry densities of bentonite buffer and gap fillings to achieve specific targets for long-term equilibrium dry densities for various container placement room designs. Locations where flowing fractures could be in contact with highly compacted bentonite should either be avoided or grouted adequately to limit contact between bentonite and flowing water. Even if localized enhanced microbial activity at interfaces remains of concern, despite adequate engineering and placement methods, the potential consequences can be assessed and quantified adequately by a combination of in situ activity measurements and modeling calculations.

POST-PROCESSING ANALYSIS FOR THC SEEPAGE

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

Y. SUN

This report describes the selection of water compositions for the total system performance assessment (TSPA) model of results from the thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) seepage model documented in ''Drift-Scale THC Seepage Model'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169856]). The selection has been conducted in accordance with ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport: Coupled Processes (Mountain-Scale TH/THC/THM, Drift-Scale THC Seepage, and Post-Processing Analysis for THC Seepage) Report Integration'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 171334]). This technical work plan (TWP) was prepared in accordance with AP-2.27Q, ''Planning for Science Activities''. Section 1.2.3 of the TWP describes planning information pertaining to the technical scope, content, and managementmore » of this report. The post-processing analysis for THC seepage (THC-PPA) documented in this report provides a methodology for evaluating the near-field compositions of water and gas around a typical waste emplacement drift as these relate to the chemistry of seepage, if any, into the drift. The THC-PPA inherits the conceptual basis of the THC seepage model, but is an independently developed process. The relationship between the post-processing analysis and other closely related models, together with their main functions in providing seepage chemistry information for the Total System Performance Assessment for the License Application (TSPA-LA), are illustrated in Figure 1-1. The THC-PPA provides a data selection concept and direct input to the physical and chemical environment (P&CE) report that supports the TSPA model. The purpose of the THC-PPA is further discussed in Section 1.2. The data selection methodology of the post-processing analysis (Section 6.2.1) was initially applied to results of the THC seepage model as presented in ''Drift-Scale THC Seepage Model'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169856]). Other outputs from the THC seepage model (DTN: LB0302DSCPTHCS.002 [DIRS 161976]) used in the P&CE (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169860], Section 6.6) were also subjected to the same initial selection. The present report serves as a full documentation of this selection and also provides additional analyses in support of the choice of waters selected for further evaluation in ''Engineered Barrier System: Physical and Chemical Environment'' (BSC 2004 [DIRS 169860], Section 6.6). The work scope for the studies presented in this report is described in the TWP (BSC 2004 [DIRS 171334]) and other documents cited above and can be used to estimate water and gas compositions near waste emplacement drifts. Results presented in this report were submitted to the Technical Data Management System (TDMS) under specific data tracking numbers (DTNs) as listed in Appendix A. The major change from previous selection of results from the THC seepage model is that the THC-PPA now considers data selection in space around the modeled waste emplacement drift, tracking the evolution of pore-water and gas-phase composition at the edge of the dryout zone around the drift. This post-processing analysis provides a scientific background for the selection of potential seepage water compositions.« less

Simultaneous flow of gas and water in a damage-susceptible argillaceous rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, T. S.

2011-12-01

A research project has been initiated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to study the influence of gas generation and migration on the long term safety of deep geological repositories for radioactive wastes. Such facilities rely on multiple barriers to isolate and contain the wastes. Depending on the level of radioactivity of the wastes, those barriers include some or all of the following: corrosion and structurally resistant containers, low permeability seals around the emplacements rooms, galleries and shaft, and finally the host rock formations. Large quantities of gas may be generated from the degradation of the waste forms or the corrosion of the containers. The generated gas pressures, if sufficiently large, can induce cracks and microcracks in the engineered and natural barriers and affect their containment functions. The author has developed a mathematical model to simulate the above effects. The model must be calibrated and validated with laboratory and field experiments in order to provide confidence in its future use for assessing the effects of gas on the long term safety of nuclear wastes repositories. The present communication describes the model and its use in the simulation of laboratory and large scale in-situ gas injection experiments in an argillaceous rock, known as Opalinus clay, from Mont Terri, Switzerland. Both the laboratory and in-situ experiments show that the gas flow rate substantially increases when the injection pressure is higher than the confining stress. The above observation seems to indicate that at high gas injection pressures, damage could possibly be induced in the rock formation resulting in an important increase in its permeability. In order to simulate the experiments, we developed a poro-elastoplastic model, with the consideration of two compressible pore fluids (water and gas). The bulk movement of the pore fluids is assumed to obey the generalized Darcy's law, and their respective degree of saturation is represented by the Van Genuchten's functions. The solid skeleton is assumed to be elastoplastic, with degradation of the strength and elastic modulus accompanied by an increase in permeability when damage is accumulated. The model can predict the three distinct flow regimes found in the experiments: a low flow regime where gas movement is restricted to the injection zone, a moderate flow regime when damage is limited, and a high flow regime when damage induces a substantial increase in the permeability.

WEXFORD containment data report

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

Stubbs, T.; Heinle, R.

The WEXFORD event was detonated in hole U2cr of the Nevada Test Site. A plan view map of the local region of hole U2cr showing the surface projections of the faults and the local drill holes is given. The device had a depth-of-burial of 314 m in the Tunnel Beds tuff of Area 2, about 120 m above the standing water level (SWL). Stemming of the 2.44 m diameter emplacement hole followed the plan. A log of the stemming operations was maintained by Holmes and Narver. Detonation time was 07:45 PDT on August 30, 1984 and about 26 minutes latermore » the chimney collapsed to the surface leaving a small, off-center crater which grew, over several days, until it took on a cookie cutter form encompassing the emplacement hole and having a mean diameter of about 35 m. An interior, highly asymmetric crater had a mean diameter of about 12 m. No functioning monitors detected radiation arrivals in the emplacement hole above a depth of 130 m and the WEXFORD containment was considered successful.« less

Insights Into Magma Ascent During Shallow-Level Crustal Shortening From Magnetic Fabrics of the Philipsburg Batholith, SW Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naibert, T. J.; Geissman, J. W.

2007-12-01

Latest Cretaceous development of the Sevier fold and thrust belt in SW Montana overlapped spatially with silicic magmatism. In the fold thrust belt, large volumes of magma were emplaced well east of the main magmatic arc, now exposed as the Idaho Batholith. Hypothesized mechanisms for emplacement of magma within the overthrust belt often involve magma ascent along shallow, west-dipping faults. The ~ 74 Ma (K-Ar method) Philipsburg Batholith is a 122 km2 tabular granodiorite emplaced into deformed Precambrian Belt Supergroup through Cretaceous strata. The Philipsburg Batholith lies in the upper plate of the Georgetown- Princeton Thrust, NW of Anaconda, Montana and cross-cuts two other previously mapped faults. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements of 122 sites from the Philipsburg Batholith define magnetic foliations and/or lineations to test magma ascent along the Georgetown-Princeton Thrust. AMS fabrics in the Philipsburg Batholith, dominantly defined by magnetite, are generally oblate or triaxial and are typically very consistent at the site level. Preliminary fabric data show subhorizontal foliations across most of the batholith, with steeply dipping foliations near the margins and a minor increase in foliation dip near the inferred fault trace. The hypothesis of magma ascent along fault surfaces will be supported if further data confirm the concentration of relatively steep foliation orientations across the trace of the Georgetown-Princeton thrust.

Contrasting magmatic structures between small plutons and batholiths emplaced at shallow crustal level (Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinotti, Lucio P.; D'Eramo, Fernando J.; Weinberg, Roberto F.; Demartis, Manuel; Tubía, José María; Coniglio, Jorge E.; Radice, Stefania; Maffini, M. Natalia; Aragón, Eugenio

2016-11-01

Processes like injection, magma flow and differentiation and influence of the regional strain field are here described and contrasted to shed light on their role in the formation of small plutons and large batholiths their magmatic structures. The final geometric and compositional arrangement of magma bodies are a complex record of their construction and internal flow history. Magma injection, flow and differentiation, as well as regional stresses, all control the internal nature of magma bodies. Large magma bodies emplaced at shallow crustal levels result from the intrusion of multiple magma batches that interact in a variety of ways, depending on internal and external dynamics, and where the early magmatic, growth-related structures are commonly overprinted by subsequent history. In contrast, small plutons emplaced in the brittle-ductile transition more likely preserve growth-related structures, having a relatively simple cooling history and limited internal magma flow. Outcrop-scale magmatic structures in both cases record a rich set of complementary information that can help elucidate their evolution. Large and small granitic bodies of the Sierra Pampeanas preserve excellent exposures of magmatic structures that formed as magmas stepped through different rheological states during pluton growth and solidification. These structures reveal not only the flow pattern inside magma chambers, but also the rheological evolution of magmas in response to temperature evolution.

Variability of mass-wasting processes in the tectonically-controlled Calabro Tyrrhenian continental margin (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casalbore, D.; Bosman, A.; Casas, D.; Chiocci, F. L.; Martorelli, E.; Ridente, D.

2017-12-01

The recent collection of multibeam bathymetry and single-channel seismic profiles on the Calabro-Tyrrhenian continental margin in Southern Italy allowed us to depict a large suite of mass-wasting processes, ranging from gullies up to shelf-indenting canyon system along with over 400 landslide scars, affecting the 52% of the entire area. In detail, slide scars occur from the coast down to -1700 m, with mobilized volumes ranging from some hundreds of m3 up to tens of millions of m3. On the whole, they affect an area of >85 km2, being able to mobilize approximately 1.4 km3. These slides also show a large variability of features both in the headwall, translational and toe domain, thus providing useful insights for a better understanding of their failure and post-failure behavior. The aim of this study is to show the magnitude-frequency relationship of this large amount of slides in order to quantify a range of probabilities for the occurrence of new landslide events as well as to illustrate the main mechanisms that control their development and emplacement.

VIEW OF SOUTH GUN EMPLACEMENT. NOTE THE EXCAVATED EDGE OF ...

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

VIEW OF SOUTH GUN EMPLACEMENT. NOTE THE EXCAVATED EDGE OF THE GUN BLOCK IN THE FOREGROUND. VIEW FACING NORTH - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Ford Island 5-Inch Antiaircraft Battery, South Gun Emplacement, Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

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 association with a volcanic eruption through the repository. Mathematical relations were built between the resulting conduit areas and the fraction of the repository area occupied by waste packages. This relation was used in conjunction with a joint distribution incorporating variability in eruptive conduit diameters and in the number of eruptive conduits that could intersect the repository.

The ''Taourirt'' magmatic province, a marker of the closing stage of the Pan-African orogeny in the Tuareg Shield: review of available data and Sr-Nd isotope evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azzouni-Sekkal, Abla; Liégeois, Jean-Paul; Bechiri-Benmerzoug, Faten; Belaidi-Zinet, Safia; Bonin, Bernard

2003-10-01

The Tuareg Shield, located between the Archaean to Palaeoproterozoic Saharan metacraton and the West African craton, is composed of 23 recognized terranes that welded together during the Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogeny (750-520 Ma). Final convergence occurred mainly during the 620-580 Ma period with the emplacement of high-K calc-alkaline batholiths, but continued until 520 Ma with the emplacement of alkali-calcic and alkaline high-level complexes. The last plutons emplaced in central Hoggar at 539-523 Ma are known as the "Taourirt" province. This expression is redefined and three geographical groups are identified: the Silet-, Laouni- and Tamanrasset-Taourirts. The Silet-Taourirts are cross-cutting Pan-African island arc assemblages while the two others intrude the Archaean-Palaeoproterozoic LATEA metacraton. The Taourirts are high-level subcircular often nested alkali-calcic, sometimes alkaline, complexes. They are aligned along mega-shear zones often delimiting terranes. Mainly granitic, they comprise highly differentiated varieties such as alaskite (Silet-Taourirts) and topaz-albite leucogranite (Tamanrasset-Taourirts). Different subgroups were defined on the basis of REE patterns and major and other trace elements. The Taourirt province displays a wide transition from dominant alkali-calcic to minor alkaline granite varieties. Sr isotopes indicate that these complexes were affected by fluid circulation during the Ordovician along shear zones probably contemporaneous to the beginning of the Tassilis sandstone deposition. Nd isotope systematic indicates a major interaction with the upper crust during the emplacement of highly differentiated melts, particularly in samples showing seagull wing-shaped REE patterns. On the other hand, all Taourirt plutons are strongly contaminated by the lower crust: ɛNd vary from -2 to -8 and TDM from 1200 to 1700 Ma. This implies the presence of an old crust at depth, also below the Silet-Taourirts, which are emplaced within Pan-African island arc assemblages. A model is proposed for the genesis of the Taourirt province where reworking of the mega-shear zones, which dissected the LATEA metacraton, provoked a linear delamination of the lithospheric mantle, asthenosphere uprise and partial melting of the lower crust (or strong interaction with), giving rise to a mixed source.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF A LUNAR REGOLITH CLUSTERED-REACTOR SYSTEM

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

John Darrell Bess

2009-06-01

It is proposed that a fast-fission, heatpipe-cooled, lunar-surface power reactor system be divided into subcritical units that could be launched safely without the incorporation of additional spectral shift absorbers or other complex means of control. The reactor subunits are to be emplaced directly into the lunar regolith utilizing the regolith not just for shielding but as the reflector material to increase the neutron economy of the system. While a single subunit cannot achieve criticality by itself, coordinated placement of additional subunits will provide a critical reactor system for lunar surface power generation. A lunar regolith clustered-reactor system promotes reliability, safety,more » and ease of manufacture and testing at the cost of a slight increase in launch mass per rated power level and an overall reduction in neutron economy when compared to a single-reactor system. Additional subunits may be launched with future missions to increase the cluster size and power according to desired lunar base power demand and lifetime. The results address the potential uncertainties associated with the lunar regolith material and emplacement of the subunit systems. Physical distance between subunits within the clustered emplacement exhibits the most significant feedback regarding changes in overall system reactivity. Narrow, deep holes will be the most effective in reducing axial neutron leakage from the core. The variation in iron concentration in the lunar regolith can directly influence the overall system reactivity although its effects are less than the more dominant factors of subunit emplacement.« less

Paleomagnetism in the Determination of the Emplacement Temperature of Cerro Colorado Tuff Cone, El Pinacate Volcanic Field, Sonora, Mexico.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Trejo, A.; Alva-Valdivia, L. M.; Vidal Solano, J. R.; Garcia Amador, B.; Gonzalez-Rangel, J. A.

2014-12-01

Cerro Colorado Maar is located at the World Heritage Site, biosphere reserve El Pinacate and Gran Desierto del Altar, at the NNW region of Sonora, Mexico (in El Pinacate Volcanic Field). It is a tuff cone, about 1 km diameter, result of several phreatomagmatic episodes during the late Quaternary. We report paleomagnetic and rock magnetic properties from fusiform volcanic bombs obtained from the borders of Cerro Colorado. This study is based in the thermoremanent magnetization TRM normally acquired by volcanic rocks, which can be used to estimate the emplacement temperature range. We performed the experiments on 20 lithic fragments (10 cm to 20 cm approximately), taking 6-8 paleomagnetic cores from each. Rock magnetic experiments (magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature (k-T), hysteresis curves and FORC analysis, shows that the main magnetic mineral carriers of magnetization are titanomagnetite and titanohematite in different levels of intergrowth. The k-T curves suggest in many cases, only one magnetic phase, but also in other cases a second magnetic phase. Thermal demagnetization was used to demagnetize the specimens in detailed short steps and make a well-defined emplacement temperature determination ranges. We found that temperature emplacement determination range for these two magnetic phases is between 350-450 °C, and 550-580 °C, respectively. These results are consistent with those expected in an eruption of Surtsey type, showing a distinct volcanic activity compared to the other craters from El Pinacate volcanic field.

Emplacement, rapid burial, and exhumation of 90-Ma plutons in southeastern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Himmelberg, G.R.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Brew, D.A.

2004-01-01

In southeastern Alaska, granodiorite-tonalite plutons of the Admiralty-Revillagigedo belt intruded the Jurassic-Cretaceous Gravina belt along the eastern side of the Alexander terrane around 90 Ma. These plutons postdate some deformation related to a major contractional event between the previously amalgamated Wrangellia and Alexander terranes and the previously accreted terranes of the North American margin. We studied the aureole mineral assemblages of these plutons near Petersburg, Alaska, determined pressure and temperature of equilibration, and examined structures that developed within and adjacent to these plutons. Parallelism of magmatic and submagmatic fabrics with fabrics in the country rock indicates synchroneity of pluton emplacement with regional deformation and suggests that magma transport to higher crustal levels was assisted by regional deformation. Replacement of andalusite by kyanite or sillimanite indicates crustal thickening soon after pluton emplacement. Regional structural analysis indicates the crustal thickening was accomplished by thrust burial. Thermobarometric analyses indicate the aureoles reached near-peak temperatures of 525 to 635 ??C at pressures of 570 to 630 MPa. Consideration of the rate of thermal decay of the aureoles suggests that burial was rapid and occurred at rates around 5 to 8 mm/year. Structural observations indicate there was contractional deformation before, during, and after emplacement of the 90-Ma plutons. Initial exhumation of the Admiralty-Revillagedo belt in the Petersburg area may have occurred along a thrust west of the pluton belt within the Gravina belt. ?? 2004 NRC Canada.

Buffered and unbuffered dike emplacement on Earth and Venus - Implications for magma reservoir size, depth, and rate of magma replenishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parfitt, E. A.; Head, J. W., III

1993-01-01

Models of the emplacement of lateral dikes from magma chambers under constant (buffered) driving pressure conditions and declining (unbuffered) driving pressure conditions indicate that the two pressure scenarios lead to distinctly different styles of dike emplacement. In the unbuffered case, the lengths and widths of laterally emplaced dikes will be severely limited and the dike lengths will be highly dependent on chamber size; this dependence suggests that average dike length can be used to infer the dimensions of the source magma reservoir. On Earth, the characteristics of many mafic-dike swarms suggest that they were emplaced in buffered conditions (e.g., the Mackenzie dike swarm in Canada and some dikes within the Scottish Tertiary). On Venus, the distinctive radial fractures and graben surrounding circular to oval features and edifices on many size scales and extending for hundreds to over a thousand km are candidates for dike emplacement in buffered conditions.

Origin of a late Neoproterozoic (605 ± 13 Ma) intrusive carbonate-albitite complex in Southern Sinai, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azer, Mokhles Kamal; Stern, Robert J.; Kimura, Jun-Ichi

2010-03-01

New geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological data and interpretations are presented for late Neoproterozoic intrusive carbonates and related rocks of southern Sinai, Egypt (northernmost Arabian-Nubian Shield). The Tarr carbonates are coarsely crystalline and related to explosive emplacement of hypabyssal and volcanic albitite at 605 ± 13 Ma. The carbonates associated with the albitites are divisible into two types: primary dolomitite and secondary breunneritite (Fe-rich magnesite). The dolomitite was clearly intrusive but differs from classic igneous carbonatites, containing much lower abundances of incompatible elements, such as REE, U, Th, Rb, Nb, Y, P, Sr, Zr, Ba, and total alkalies. The breunneritite is a secondary replacement of dolomitite, probably marking the roots of a vigorous hydrothermal system. Albitites show pristine abundances of major and trace elements and were not subjected to a major metamorphic overprint. They are relatively more fractionated, alkaline and related to within-plate A-type magmas, were emplaced in an extensional or non-compressive tectonic regime in the cupola of high-level A-type granite. Tarr albitites may represent residual magma remaining after near-total crystallization of an A-type granite pluton at depth, forcibly emplaced into the roof above the cooling pluton. The intrusive dolomitite exsolved from highly differentiated albitite melt, in the apical regions of a still-buried alkaline “A-type” granite pluton that was rich in CO2; these volatiles migrated upwards and towards the cooler margins of the magma body. Late NNE-SSW extension allowed a shallow-level cupola to form, into which albitite melts and carbonate fluids migrated, culminating in explosive emplacement of albitite breccia and intrusive carbonate. Isotopic compositions of Tarr dolomitite and albitite indicate these are consanguineous and ultimately of mantle origin. Magmatic volatiles fenitized the wall rock, while submarine hydrothermal activity transformed some of the dolomitite into breunneritite. Recognition of Tarr-type should encourage similar hypabyssal complex intrusions to be sought for in association with A-type granitic plutons elsewhere.

VIEW OF EAST GUN EMPLACEMENT. NOTE THE STEEL REINFORCING RODS ...

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

VIEW OF EAST GUN EMPLACEMENT. NOTE THE STEEL REINFORCING RODS PROTRUDING FROM THE BROKEN TOP OF THE RETAINING WALL. VIEW FACING NORTHEAST - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Ford Island 5-Inch Antiaircraft Battery, East Gun Emplacement, Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickers, John

2015-01-01

The Additive Construction with Mobile Emplacement (ACME) project is developing technology to build structures on planetary surfaces using in-situ resources. The project focuses on the construction of both 2D (landing pads, roads, and structure foundations) and 3D (habitats, garages, radiation shelters, and other structures) infrastructure needs for planetary surface missions. The ACME project seeks to raise the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of two components needed for planetary surface habitation and exploration: 3D additive construction (e.g., contour crafting), and excavation and handling technologies (to effectively and continuously produce in-situ feedstock). Additionally, the ACME project supports the research and development of new materials for planetary surface construction, with the goal of reducing the amount of material to be launched from Earth.

Architecture and emplacement of flood basalt flow fields: case studies from the Columbia River Basalt Group, NW USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vye-Brown, C.; Self, S.; Barry, T. L.

2013-03-01

The physical features and morphologies of collections of lava bodies emplaced during single eruptions (known as flow fields) can be used to understand flood basalt emplacement mechanisms. Characteristics and internal features of lava lobes and whole flow field morphologies result from the forward propagation, radial spread, and cooling of individual lobes and are used as a tool to understand the architecture of extensive flood basalt lavas. The features of three flood basalt flow fields from the Columbia River Basalt Group are presented, including the Palouse Falls flow field, a small (8,890 km2, ˜190 km3) unit by common flood basalt proportions, and visualized in three dimensions. The architecture of the Palouse Falls flow field is compared to the complex Ginkgo and more extensive Sand Hollow flow fields to investigate the degree to which simple emplacement models represent the style, as well as the spatial and temporal developments, of flow fields. Evidence from each flow field supports emplacement by inflation as the predominant mechanism producing thick lobes. Inflation enables existing lobes to transmit lava to form new lobes, thus extending the advance and spread of lava flow fields. Minimum emplacement timescales calculated for each flow field are 19.3 years for Palouse Falls, 8.3 years for Ginkgo, and 16.9 years for Sand Hollow. Simple flow fields can be traced from vent to distal areas and an emplacement sequence visualized, but those with multiple-layered lobes present a degree of complexity that make lava pathways and emplacement sequences more difficult to identify.

Emplacement of Pahoehoe Toe Networks: Observations of May, 2010 Tube-fed Flows at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crown, D. A.; Ramsey, M.; Hon, K.

2010-12-01

Pahoehoe lava flows are compound features that consist of multiple overlapping and interfingering lobes and exhibit morphologically diverse surfaces characterized by channelized zones, smooth-surfaced sheets, and numerous, small toe networks. Previous work compiled detailed planform maps of solidified pahoehoe toe networks to document their morphology, morphometry and connective relationships in order to provide constraints on lava transport models. In order to expand this research to active flow emplacement, we observed slow-moving, tube-fed pahoehoe flows on the coastal plain near Kalapana, Hawaii in May, 2010. The evolution of pahoehoe toe and toe network characteristics over their emplacement history was examined and the role of small-scale flow inflation on the advance of pahoehoe lobes evaluated. We collected both visible video footage and high-speed, high-precision thermal infrared (TIR) data using a FLIR S-40 camera. The TIR data provide surface temperature maps that can be easily used to identify formation of new toes and track their growth and surface cooling. From these maps, lobe development, connective relationships, and frontal and lateral spreading rates can be analyzed. Preliminary results suggest that regular cycles of activity characterize the development of these pahoehoe lobes: 1) emplacement of new toes in local topographic lows at the front, margin, and within the interior of an active lobe forming small interconnected networks, 2) decline and sometimes temporary cessation in the production of new pahoehoe toes, 3) inflation of the recently emplaced flow surface, either partially or en masse depending on the rate of influx of new lava, the degree of irregularity of the pre-flow surface, and/or the slope across the recently emplaced lava surface, and 4) fracturing of the recently emplaced surface crust that feeds emplacement of new toes. Inflation fractures typically cut across several previously emplaced toes and can occur at the front, along the margins, or within the active lobe, even at significant distances behind the flow front.

Emplacement of the Santa Rita Flat pluton as a pluton-scale saddle reef

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vines, John A.; Law, Richard D.

2000-12-01

Regional mapping indicates that the Middle Jurassic Santa Rita Flat pluton, exposed in the Inyo Range of eastern California, is situated within the core of a south-plunging synform defined by bedding in the surrounding metasedimentary wall rocks, which dip beneath the pluton. However, bedding in rocks preserved above the pluton defines a south-plunging antiform. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility analysis revealed that magnetic foliation within the pluton also defines a south-plunging antiform, and the accompanying magnetic lineation plunges subparallel to the axis of this antiform. Our data indicate that the pluton was initially intruded as a sill in the hinge zone of the enveloping synform. Subsequent vertical inflation of the sill resulted in upward doming of the overlying roof and formation of the antiform now observed at the current erosion level in the pluton and preserved roof rocks. Emplacement of the pluton at 164 ± 1.5 Ma (U-Pb zircon age) overlaps in time with regional thrust faulting and folding ca. 185 148 Ma recognized in the southern Inyo Range. We speculate that space for initial emplacement of the pluton was produced during folding by layer-parallel slip and hinge-zone dilation, producing a saddle reef-like structure.

The formation of technic soil in a revegetated uranium ore waste rock pile (Limousin, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boekhout, Flora; Gérard, Martine; Kanzari, Aisha; Calas, Georges; Descostes, Michael

2014-05-01

Mining took place in France between 1945 and 2001 during which time ~210 different sites were exploited and/or explored. A total of 76 Kt of uranium was produced, 52 Mt of ore was extracted, but also 200 Mt of waste rocks was produced, the majority of which, with uranium levels corresponding to the natural environment. So far, the processes of arenisation and technic soil formation in waste rock piles are not well understood but have important implications for understanding the environmental impact and long-term speciation of uranium. Understanding weathering processes in waste rock piles is essential to determine their environmental impact. The main objectives of this work are to assess 1) the micromorphological features and neo-formed U-bearing phases related to weathering and 2) the processes behind arenisation of the rock pile. The site that was chosen is the Vieilles Sagnes waste rock pile in Fanay (Massif Central France) that represents more or less hydrothermally altered granitic rocks that have been exposed to weathering since the construction of the waste rock pile approximately 50 years ago. Two trenches were excavated to investigate the vertical differentiation of the rock pile. This site serves as a key location for studying weathering processes of waste rock piles, as it has not been reworked after initial construction and has therefore preserved information on the original mineralogy of the waste rock pile enabling us to access post emplacement weathering processes. The site is currently overgrown by moss, meter high ferns and small trees. At present day the rock pile material can be described as hydrothermally altered rocks and rock fragments within a fine-grained silty clay matrix exposed to surface conditions and weathering. A sandy "paleo" technic soil underlies the waste rock pile and functions as a natural liner by adsorption of uranium on clay minerals. Post-mining weathering of rock-pile material is superimposed on pre-mining hydrothermal and possible supergene alteration. Clay minerals present are kaolinite, smectite and chlorite. The formation of these minerals is however ambiguous, and can form during both hydrothermal as weathering processes, calling for a detailed micromorphological study. Micromorphological investigations on undisturbed samples by microscopic and ultramicroscopic techniques allow us to interpretate the processes behind the formation of technic soil in the matrix of the waste rock pile, as well as the rate and chronology of mineral formation and arenisation related to weathering (formation of protosoil and saprolitisation). By studying the formation of weathering aureaoles in between the different granitic blocks, we quantify the anthropogenic influence on weathering of this rock pile and their impacts on local ecosystem by comparing our site with natural occuring outcrops of granites currently subjected to weathering. Electron microscope imaging and microgeochemical mapping permits us to make detailed micromorphological observations linking nanoscale processes to petrolographical macroscopic features and field observations. Different petrographic and electronic images of the mineral paragenesis in the micromass associated to their microgeochemical characteristics will be presented. Also, the impact of previous hydrothermal alteration will be highlighted.

Effects of Heat Generation on Nuclear Waste Disposal in Salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, D. J.

2008-12-01

Disposal of nuclear waste in salt is an established technology, as evidenced by the successful operations of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) since 1999. The WIPP is located in bedded salt in southeastern New Mexico and is a deep underground facility for transuranic (TRU) nuclear waste disposal. There are many advantages for placing radioactive wastes in a geologic bedded-salt environment. One desirable mechanical characteristic of salt is that it flows plastically with time ("creeps"). The rate of salt creep is a strong function of temperature and stress differences. Higher temperatures and deviatoric stresses increase the creep rate. As the salt creeps, induced fractures may be closed and eventually healed, which then effectively seals the waste in place. With a backfill of crushed salt emplaced around the waste, the salt creep can cause the crushed salt to reconsolidate and heal to a state similar to intact salt, serving as an efficient seal. Experiments in the WIPP were conducted to investigate the effects of heat generation on the important phenomena and processes in and around the repository (Munson et al. 1987; 1990; 1992a; 1992b). Brine migration towards the heaters was induced from the thermal gradient, while salt creep rates showed an exponential dependence on temperature. The project "Backfill and Material Behavior in Underground Salt Repositories, Phase II" (BAMBUS II) studied the crushed salt backfill and material behavior with heat generation at the Asse mine located near Remlingen, Germany (Bechthold et al. 2004). Increased salt creep rates and significant reconsolidation of the crushed salt were observed at the termination of the experiment. Using the data provided from both projects, exploratory modeling of the thermal-mechanical response of salt has been conducted with varying thermal loading and waste spacing. Increased thermal loading and decreased waste spacing drive the system to higher temperatures, while both factors are desired to reduce costs, as well as decrease the overall footprint of the repository. Higher temperatures increase the rate of salt creep which then effectively seals the waste quicker. Data of the thermal-mechanical response of salt at these higher temperatures is needed to further validate the exploratory modeling and provide meaningful constraints on the repository design. Sandia is a multi program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04- 94AL85000.

Plutonism at Different Crustal Levels of an Arc: Insights From the 5 to 40 km (Paleodepth) North Cascades Crustal Section, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, R. B.; Paterson, S. R.; Matzel, J. P.

2008-12-01

The crystalline core of the North Cascades preserves a Cretaceous crustal section that facilitates evaluation of pluton construction, emplacement, geometry, composition, and deformation at widely variable crustal levels (~5 to 40 km paleodepth) in a thick (> 55 km) continental magmatic arc. The oldest and largest pulse of plutonism was focused between 96-89 Ma when fluxes were a minimum of 3.9x10-6km3/yr/km of arc length, but the coincidence with regional crustal thickening and underthrusting of a cool outboard terrane resulted in relatively low mid- to deep-crustal temperatures for an arc. A second, smaller peak of magmatism at 78-71 Ma (minimum of 8.2x10-7km3/yr/km of arc length) occurred during regional transpression. Tonalite dominates at all levels of the section. Intrusions range from large plutons to thin (< 50 m) dispersed sheets encased in metamorphic rocks that record less focused magmatism. The percentage of igneous rocks increases systematically from shallow to middle to deep levels; from approximately 37% to 55% to 65% of the total rock volume. Unfocused magmas comprise much higher percentages (approximately 19%) of the total plutonic rock at deep- and mid-crustal depths, but only 1% at shallower levels, whereas the largest intrusions were emplaced into shallow crust. Plutons have a range of shapes, including: asymmetric wedges to funnels; subhorizontal tabular sheets; steep-sided, blade-shaped bodies with high aspect ratios in map view; and steep-sided, vertically extensive (> 8 km) bodies shaped like thick disks and/or hockey pucks. Sheeted intrusions and gently dipping tabular bodies are more common with depth. Some of these plutons fit the model that most intrusions are subhorizontal and tabular, but many do not, reflecting the complex changes in lithology and rheology in arc crust undergoing regional shortening. The steep sheeted plutons partly represent magma transfer zones that fed the large shallow plutons, which were sites of intermittent magma accumulation for up to 5.5 m.y. Downward movement of host rocks by multiple processes occurred at all crustal levels during pluton emplacement. Ductile flow and accompanying rigid rotation were the dominant processes; stoping played an important secondary role, and magma wedging and regional deformation also aided emplacement. Overall, there are some striking changes with increasing depth, but many features and processes in the arc are similar throughout the crustal section, probably reflecting the relatively small differences in peak temperatures between the mid- and deep crust. Such patterns may be representative of thick continental magmatic arcs constructed during regional shortening.

A lunar/Martian anchor emplacement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clinton, Dustin; Holt, Andrew; Jantz, Erik; Kaufman, Teresa; Martin, James; Weber, Reed

On the Moon or Mars, it is necessary to have an anchor, or a stable, fixed point able to support the forces necessary to rescue a stuck vehicle, act as a stake for a tent in a Martian gale, act as a fulcrum in the erection of general construction poles, or support tent-like regolith shields. The anchor emplacement system must be highly autonomous. It must supply the energy and stability for anchor deployment. The goal of the anchor emplacement system project is to design and build a prototype anchor and to design a conceptual anchor emplacement system. Various anchors were tested in a 1.3 cubic meter test bed containing decomposed granite. A simulated lunar soil was created by adjusting the moisture and compaction characteristics of the soil. We conducted tests on emplacement torque, amount of force the anchor could withstand before failure, anchor pull out force at various angles, and soil disturbances caused by placing the anchor. A single helix auger anchor performed best in this test bed based on energy to emplace, and the ultimate holding capacity. The anchor was optimized for ultimate holding capacity, minimum emplacement torque, and minimum soil disturbance in sandy soils yielding the following dimensions: helix diameter (4.45 cm), pitch (1.27 cm), blade thickness (0.15 cm), total length (35.56 cm), shaft diameter (0.78 cm), and a weight of 212.62 g. The experimental results showed that smaller diameter, single-helix augers held more force than larger diameter augers for a given depth. The emplacement system consists of a flywheel and a motor for power, sealed in a protective box supported by four legs. The flywheel system was chosen over a gear system based on its increased reliability in the lunar environment.

Pyroclastic Flow (Post-)Emplacement Thermal History Derived From Titanomagnetite Curie Temperatures: Mt. St. Helens and Soufrière Hills as Test Cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles, J.; Jackson, M.; Lappe, S. C. L. L.; Solheid, P.; Stinton, A. J.

2014-12-01

Pumice blocks and ash matrix sampled from the 1980 pyroclastic flows at Mt. St. Helens and the 2010 flow at Soufrière Hills, Montserrat, display magnetic Curie temperatures (TC) that vary strongly with depth in the flow. We demonstrate that these TC variations result from variable degrees of cation ordering within Mg- and Al-bearing titanomagnetites, and that the degree of ordering is dependent on the emplacement temperature and post-emplacement thermal history of the sample. Curie temperatures are lowest at the tops of flows where rapid cooling has quenched in a relatively low degree of cation order. Samples that cooled more slowly at depth in the flow evolved towards a higher degree of cation order with a correspondingly higher TC. Isothermal annealing experiments in the laboratory have allowed us to document the time-temperature evolution of the cation ordering and Curie temperature, and we use this data in combination with conductive cooling calculations to forward model stratigraphic variations in TC as a function of emplacement temperature (e.g., Fig.1). Preliminary results show that modeled emplacement temperatures (Templ) are reasonably close to measured or estimated emplacement temperatures. Thermal demagnetization data from lithic clasts incorporated into some flows supports the modeled emplacement temperatures; a low-temperature overprint in the direction of the present-day field is removed at ~Templ. However, the documented variation of TC with thermal history means that care should be taken in interpreting this more traditional lithic-based paleomagnetic paleothermometry data. Modification of Curie and blocking temperatures both during natural cooling and during laboratory thermal treatments could affect lithic-based emplacement temperature estimates.

A lunar/Martian anchor emplacement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clinton, Dustin; Holt, Andrew; Jantz, Erik; Kaufman, Teresa; Martin, James; Weber, Reed

1993-01-01

On the Moon or Mars, it is necessary to have an anchor, or a stable, fixed point able to support the forces necessary to rescue a stuck vehicle, act as a stake for a tent in a Martian gale, act as a fulcrum in the erection of general construction poles, or support tent-like regolith shields. The anchor emplacement system must be highly autonomous. It must supply the energy and stability for anchor deployment. The goal of the anchor emplacement system project is to design and build a prototype anchor and to design a conceptual anchor emplacement system. Various anchors were tested in a 1.3 cubic meter test bed containing decomposed granite. A simulated lunar soil was created by adjusting the moisture and compaction characteristics of the soil. We conducted tests on emplacement torque, amount of force the anchor could withstand before failure, anchor pull out force at various angles, and soil disturbances caused by placing the anchor. A single helix auger anchor performed best in this test bed based on energy to emplace, and the ultimate holding capacity. The anchor was optimized for ultimate holding capacity, minimum emplacement torque, and minimum soil disturbance in sandy soils yielding the following dimensions: helix diameter (4.45 cm), pitch (1.27 cm), blade thickness (0.15 cm), total length (35.56 cm), shaft diameter (0.78 cm), and a weight of 212.62 g. The experimental results showed that smaller diameter, single-helix augers held more force than larger diameter augers for a given depth. The emplacement system consists of a flywheel and a motor for power, sealed in a protective box supported by four legs. The flywheel system was chosen over a gear system based on its increased reliability in the lunar environment.

VIEW OF GUN EMPLACEMENT AND THE TABLELIKE CAST CONCRETE STRUCTURE ...

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

VIEW OF GUN EMPLACEMENT AND THE TABLE-LIKE CAST CONCRETE STRUCTURE SHOWING THE SPALLED AREA ON ITS EAST SIDE (LEFT) WHERE THE SECOND PROJECTING ARM WAS BROKEN OFF. NOTE THE SLOPED CONCRETE PAD IN THE BACKGROUND. VIEW FACING SOUTHWEST - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Ford Island 5-Inch Antiaircraft Battery, East Gun Emplacement, Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

Presentations - Lande, Lauren and others, 2015 | Alaska Division of

Science.gov Websites

Details Title: A petrological model for emplacement of the ultramafic Ni-Cu-PGE Alpha complex, eastern , Newberry, R.J., and Twelker, Evan, 2015, A petrological model for emplacement of the ultramafic Ni-Cu-PGE Sheets Maps & Other Oversized Sheets Sheet 1 A petrological model for emplacement of the ultramafic

Schematic designs for penetration seals for a reference repository in bedded salt

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

Kelsall, P.C.; Case, J.B.; Meyer, D.

1982-11-01

The isolation of radioactive wastes in geologic repositories requires that man-made penetrations such as shafts, tunnels, or boreholes are adequately sealed. This report describes schematic seal designs for a repository in bedded salt referenced to the straitigraphy of southeastern New Mexico. The designs are presented for extensive peer review and will be updated as site-specific conceptual designs when a site for a repository in salt has been selected. The principal material used in the seal system is crushed salt obtained from excavating the repository. It is anticipated that crushed salt will consolidate as the repository rooms creep close to themore » degree that mechanical and hydrologic properties will eventually match those of undisturbed, intact salt. For southeastern New Mexico salt, analyses indicate that this process will require approximately 1000 years for a seal located at the base of one of the repository shafts (where there is little increase in temperature due to waste emplacement) and approximately 400 years for a seal located in an access tunnel within the repository. Bulkheads composed of contrete or salt bricks are also included in the seal system as components which will have low permeability during the period required for salt consolidation.« less

Status of Progress Made Toward Preliminary Design Concepts for the Inventory in Select Media for DOE-Managed HLW/SNF

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

Matteo, Edward N.; Hardin, Ernest L.; Hadgu, Teklu

As the title suggests, this report provides a summary of the status and progress for the Preliminary Design Concepts Work Package. Described herein are design concepts and thermal analysis for crystalline and salt host media. The report concludes that thermal management of defense waste, including the relatively small subset of high thermal output waste packages, is readily achievable. Another important conclusion pertains to engineering feasibility, and design concepts presented herein are based upon established and existing elements and/or designs. The multipack configuration options for the crystalline host media pose the greatest engineering challenges, as these designs involve large, heavy wastemore » packages that pose specific challenges with respect to handling and emplacement. Defense-related Spent Nuclear Fuel (DSNF) presents issues for post-closure criticality control, and a key recommendation made herein relates to the need for special packaging design that includes neutron-absorbing material for the DSNF. Lastly, this report finds that the preliminary design options discussed are tenable for operational and post-closure safety, owing to the fact that these concepts have been derived from other published and well-studied repository designs.« less

Syn-emplacement fracturing in the Sandfell laccolith, eastern Iceland – implications for rhyolite intrusion growth and volcanic hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattsson, Tobias; Burchardt, Steffi; Almqvist, Bjarne S. G.; Ronchin, Erika

2018-02-01

Felsic magma commonly pools within shallow mushroom-shaped magmatic intrusions, so-called laccoliths or cryptodomes, which can cause both explosive eruptions and collapse of the volcanic edifice. Deformation during laccolith emplacement is primarily considered to occur in the host rock. However, shallowly emplaced laccoliths (cryptodomes) show extensive internal deformation. While deformation of magma in volcanic conduits is an important process for regulating eruptive behavior, the effects of magma deformation on intrusion emplacement remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigate the emplacement of the 0.57 km3 rhyolitic Sandfell laccolith, Iceland, which formed at a depth of 500 m in a single intrusive event. By combining field measurements, 3D modeling, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, microstructural analysis, and FEM modeling we examine deformation in the magma to constrain its influence on intrusion emplacement. Concentric flow bands and S-C fabrics reveal contact-parallel magma flow during the initial stages of laccolith inflation. The magma flow fabric is overprinted by strain-localization bands and more than one third of the volume of the Sandfell laccolith display concentric intensely fractured layers. A dominantly oblate magmatic fabric in the fractured areas and conjugate geometry of strain-localization bands, and fractures in the fracture layers demonstrate that the magma was deformed by intrusive stresses. This implies that a large volume of magma became viscously stalled and was unable to flow during intrusion. Fine-grained groundmass and vesicle-poor rock adjacent to the fracture layers point to that the interaction between the strain-localization bands and the flow bands at sub-solidus state caused the brittle-failure and led to decompression degassing and crystallization and rapid viscosity increase in the magma. The extent of syn-emplacement fracturing in the Sandfell laccolith further shows that strain-induced degassing limited the amount of eruptible magma by essentially solidifying the rim of the magma body. Our observations indicate that syn-emplacement changes in rheology, and the associated fracturing of intruding magma not only occur in volcanic conduits, but also play a major role in the emplacement of viscous magma intrusions in the upper kilometer of the crust.

Use of a Dual-Structure Constitutive Model for Predicting the Long-Term Behavior of an Expansive Clay Buffer in a Nuclear Waste Repository

DOE PAGES

Vilarrasa, Víctor; Rutqvist, Jonny; Blanco Martin, Laura; ...

2015-12-31

Expansive soils are suitable as backfill and buffer materials in engineered barrier systems to isolate heat-generating nuclear waste in deep geological formations. The canisters containing nuclear waste would be placed in tunnels excavated at a depth of several hundred meters. The expansive soil should provide enough swelling capacity to support the tunnel walls, thereby reducing the impact of the excavation-damaged zone on the long-term mechanical and flow-barrier performance. In addition to their swelling capacity, expansive soils are characterized by accumulating irreversible strain on suction cycles and by effects of microstructural swelling on water permeability that for backfill or buffer materialsmore » can significantly delay the time it takes to reach full saturation. In order to simulate these characteristics of expansive soils, a dual-structure constitutive model that includes two porosity levels is necessary. The authors present the formulation of a dual-structure model and describe its implementation into a coupled fluid flow and geomechanical numerical simulator. The authors use the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM), which is an elastoplastic constitutive model for unsaturated soils, to model the macrostructure, and it is assumed that the strains of the microstructure, which are volumetric and elastic, induce plastic strain to the macrostructure. The authors tested and demonstrated the capabilities of the implemented dual-structure model by modeling and reproducing observed behavior in two laboratory tests of expansive clay. As observed in the experiments, the simulations yielded nonreversible strain accumulation with suction cycles and a decreasing swelling capacity with increasing confining stress. Finally, the authors modeled, for the first time using a dual-structure model, the long-term (100,000 years) performance of a generic heat-generating nuclear waste repository with waste emplacement in horizontal tunnels backfilled with expansive clay and hosted in a clay rock formation. The thermo-hydro-mechanical results of the dual-structure model were compared with those of the standard single-structure BBM. The main difference between the simulation results from the two models is that the dual-structure model predicted a time to fully saturate the expansive clay barrier on the order of thousands of years, whereas the standard single-structure BBM yielded a time on the order of tens of years. These examples show that a dual-structure model, such as the one presented here, is necessary to properly model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of expansive soils.« less

Drift-Scale Coupled Processes (DST and THC Seepage) Models

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

P. Dixon

The purpose of this Model Report (REV02) is to document the unsaturated zone (UZ) models used to evaluate the potential effects of coupled thermal-hydrological-chemical (THC) processes on UZ flow and transport. This Model Report has been developed in accordance with the ''Technical Work Plan for: Performance Assessment Unsaturated Zone'' (Bechtel SAIC Company, LLC (BSC) 2002 [160819]). The technical work plan (TWP) describes planning information pertaining to the technical scope, content, and management of this Model Report in Section 1.12, Work Package AUZM08, ''Coupled Effects on Flow and Seepage''. The plan for validation of the models documented in this Model Reportmore » is given in Attachment I, Model Validation Plans, Section I-3-4, of the TWP. Except for variations in acceptance criteria (Section 4.2), there were no deviations from this TWP. This report was developed in accordance with AP-SIII.10Q, ''Models''. This Model Report documents the THC Seepage Model and the Drift Scale Test (DST) THC Model. The THC Seepage Model is a drift-scale process model for predicting the composition of gas and water that could enter waste emplacement drifts and the effects of mineral alteration on flow in rocks surrounding drifts. The DST THC model is a drift-scale process model relying on the same conceptual model and much of the same input data (i.e., physical, hydrological, thermodynamic, and kinetic) as the THC Seepage Model. The DST THC Model is the primary method for validating the THC Seepage Model. The DST THC Model compares predicted water and gas compositions, as well as mineral alteration patterns, with observed data from the DST. These models provide the framework to evaluate THC coupled processes at the drift scale, predict flow and transport behavior for specified thermal-loading conditions, and predict the evolution of mineral alteration and fluid chemistry around potential waste emplacement drifts. The DST THC Model is used solely for the validation of the THC Seepage Model and is not used for calibration to measured data.« less

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

Vilarrasa, Víctor; Rutqvist, Jonny; Blanco Martin, Laura

Expansive soils are suitable as backfill and buffer materials in engineered barrier systems to isolate heat-generating nuclear waste in deep geological formations. The canisters containing nuclear waste would be placed in tunnels excavated at a depth of several hundred meters. The expansive soil should provide enough swelling capacity to support the tunnel walls, thereby reducing the impact of the excavation-damaged zone on the long-term mechanical and flow-barrier performance. In addition to their swelling capacity, expansive soils are characterized by accumulating irreversible strain on suction cycles and by effects of microstructural swelling on water permeability that for backfill or buffer materialsmore » can significantly delay the time it takes to reach full saturation. In order to simulate these characteristics of expansive soils, a dual-structure constitutive model that includes two porosity levels is necessary. The authors present the formulation of a dual-structure model and describe its implementation into a coupled fluid flow and geomechanical numerical simulator. The authors use the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM), which is an elastoplastic constitutive model for unsaturated soils, to model the macrostructure, and it is assumed that the strains of the microstructure, which are volumetric and elastic, induce plastic strain to the macrostructure. The authors tested and demonstrated the capabilities of the implemented dual-structure model by modeling and reproducing observed behavior in two laboratory tests of expansive clay. As observed in the experiments, the simulations yielded nonreversible strain accumulation with suction cycles and a decreasing swelling capacity with increasing confining stress. Finally, the authors modeled, for the first time using a dual-structure model, the long-term (100,000 years) performance of a generic heat-generating nuclear waste repository with waste emplacement in horizontal tunnels backfilled with expansive clay and hosted in a clay rock formation. The thermo-hydro-mechanical results of the dual-structure model were compared with those of the standard single-structure BBM. The main difference between the simulation results from the two models is that the dual-structure model predicted a time to fully saturate the expansive clay barrier on the order of thousands of years, whereas the standard single-structure BBM yielded a time on the order of tens of years. These examples show that a dual-structure model, such as the one presented here, is necessary to properly model the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of expansive soils.« less

Magmatism at different crustal levels in the ancient North Cascades magmatic arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shea, E. K.; Bowring, S. A.; Miller, R. B.; Miller, J. S.

2013-12-01

The mechanisms of magma ascent and emplacement inferred from study of intrusive complexes have long been the subject of intense debate. Current models favor incremental construction based on integration of field, geochemical, geochronologic, and modeling studies. Much of this work has been focused on a single crustal level. However, study of magmatism throughout the crust is critical for understanding how magma ascends through and intrudes surrounding crustal material. Here, we present new geochronologic and geochemical work from intrusive complexes emplaced at a range of crustal depths in the Cretaceous North Cascades magmatic arc. These complexes were intruded between 92 and 87 Ma at depths of at ≤5 -10 km, ~20 km, and ~25 km during this time. U-Pb CA-TIMS geochronology in zircon can resolve <0.1% differences in zircon dates and when combined with detailed field relationships allow new insights into how magmatic systems are assembled. We can demonstrate highly variable rates of intrusion at different crustal levels: the shallow-crustal (5-10 km) Black Peak intrusive complex was assembled semi-continuously over ~5 My, while the deep-crustal (25-30 km) Tenpeak intrusive complex was assembled in brief, high-flux events over ~2.6 My. Between these bodies is the Seven-Fingered Jack-Entiat intrusive complex, a highly elongate amalgamation of intrusions recording two episodes of magmatism between~92-88 Ma and ~80-77 Ma. Each of these complexes provides a window into crustal processes that occur at different depths. Our data suggest assembly of the Black Peak intrusive complex occurred via a series of small (0.5-2 km2) magmatic increments from ~92 Ma to ~87 Ma. Field relations and zircon trace element geochemistry indicate each of these increments were emplaced and crystallized as closed systems-we find no evidence for mixing between magmas in the complex. However, zircon inheritance becomes more common in younger intrusions, indicating assimilation of older plutonic material, possibly during magma production or transport. The Seven-Fingered Jack intrusive complex, emplaced around 15-20 km, preserves a much more discontinuous record of intrusion than the Black Peak. Our data indicate major magmatism in the complex occurred between ~92.1-91.1 Ma. Inheritance in the Seven-Fingered Jack is common, particularly along contacts between intrusions. The Tenpeak intrusive complex, assembled between ~92 Ma and 89 Ma, represents one of the deepest exhumed complexes in the North Cascades. Our geochronology indicates that plutons comprising the complex were intruded rapidly (<200 ka) and followed by periods of magmatic quiescence. Contact relations between contemporaneous intrusions are often mixed, further supporting rapid assembly. Zircon systematics in the Tenpeak are relatively simple, showing no evidence for inheritance from the surrounding host rock or from earlier intrusions. However, zircon oxygen isotope data indicates many magmas contain significant crustal input. The Black Peak, Seven-Fingered Jack, and Tenpeak intrusions illustrate the complicated nature of magmatism at different crustal levels in the 92-87 Ma North Cascades magmatic arc. Our data support incremental assembly of these complexes, but show that many features, such as style of emplacement, zircon chemical and temporal systematics, and magma composition vary between these intrusions.

Validating Cellular Automata Lava Flow Emplacement Algorithms with Standard Benchmarks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, J. A.; Connor, L.; Charbonnier, S. J.; Connor, C.; Gallant, E.

2015-12-01

A major existing need in assessing lava flow simulators is a common set of validation benchmark tests. We propose three levels of benchmarks which test model output against increasingly complex standards. First, imulated lava flows should be morphologically identical, given changes in parameter space that should be inconsequential, such as slope direction. Second, lava flows simulated in simple parameter spaces can be tested against analytical solutions or empirical relationships seen in Bingham fluids. For instance, a lava flow simulated on a flat surface should produce a circular outline. Third, lava flows simulated over real world topography can be compared to recent real world lava flows, such as those at Tolbachik, Russia, and Fogo, Cape Verde. Success or failure of emplacement algorithms in these validation benchmarks can be determined using a Bayesian approach, which directly tests the ability of an emplacement algorithm to correctly forecast lava inundation. Here we focus on two posterior metrics, P(A|B) and P(¬A|¬B), which describe the positive and negative predictive value of flow algorithms. This is an improvement on less direct statistics such as model sensitivity and the Jaccard fitness coefficient. We have performed these validation benchmarks on a new, modular lava flow emplacement simulator that we have developed. This simulator, which we call MOLASSES, follows a Cellular Automata (CA) method. The code is developed in several interchangeable modules, which enables quick modification of the distribution algorithm from cell locations to their neighbors. By assessing several different distribution schemes with the benchmark tests, we have improved the performance of MOLASSES to correctly match early stages of the 2012-3 Tolbachik Flow, Kamchakta Russia, to 80%. We also can evaluate model performance given uncertain input parameters using a Monte Carlo setup. This illuminates sensitivity to model uncertainty.

Upper crustal emplacement and deformation of granitoids inside the Uppermost Unit of the Cretan nappe stack: constraints from U-Pb zircon dating, microfabrics and paleostress analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kneuker, Tilo; Dörr, Wolfgang; Petschick, Rainer; Zulauf, Gernold

2015-03-01

The present study is dealing with the emplacement and deformation of diorite and quartz diorite exposed along new road cuts between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia (Uppermost Unit, eastern Crete). Mingling of both melt types is indicated by enclaves of diorite inside quartz diorite and vice versa. The diorite and quartz diorite intruded into coarse-grained white marble, which is in lateral contact to, but also forms the roof of, the intrusive body. Evidence for contact metamorphism is indicated by increasing grain size of calcite in the marble with decreasing distance from the diorite. U-Pb (TIMS) dating of zircons, separated from quartz diorite, yielded a concordant age at 74.0 ± 0.25 Ma, which is interpreted as emplacement age. As this age is close to published K-Ar cooling ages of hornblende and biotite, the melt should have intruded and cooled down rapidly at upper structural levels, which is not common for granitoids of the Uppermost Unit of Crete. Upper crustal melt emplacement is also documented by stoped blocks and by the lack of any ductile (viscous) deformation. The diorite and quartz diorite, however, are affected by strong post-Oligocene brittle faulting. Paleostress analysis, based on these faults, revealed a change in stress field from N-S and NNW-SSE shortening by thrusting (convergence between African and European plates) to NNE-SSW and NE-SW shortening accommodated by strike-slip (SW-ward extrusion of the Anatolian microplate). Calcite-twin density indicates high differential stress (260 ± 20 MPa) related to these phases of crustal shortening.

Long-term performance monitoring for a permeable reactive barrier at the U.S. Coast Guard Support Center, Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

PubMed

Puls, R W; Blowes, D W; Gillham, R W

1999-08-12

A continuous hanging iron wall was installed in June, 1996, at the U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) Support Center near Elizabeth City, NC, United States, to treat overlapping plumes of chromate and chlorinated solvent compounds. The wall was emplaced using a continuous trenching machine whereby native soil and aquifer sediment was removed and the iron simultaneously emplaced in one continuous excavation and fill operation. To date, there have been seven rounds (November 1996, March 1997, June 1997, September 1997, December 1997, March 1998, and June 1998) of performance monitoring of the wall. At this time, this is the only full-scale continuous 'hanging' wall installed as a permeable reactive barrier to remediate both chlorinated solvent compounds and chromate in groundwater. Performance monitoring entails the following: sampling of 10-5 cm PVC compliance wells and 15 multi-level samplers for the following constituents: TCE, cis-dichloroethylene (c-DCE), vinyl chloride, ethane, ethene, acetylene, methane, major anions, metals, Cr(VI), Fe(II), total sulfides, dissolved H(2), Eh, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, alkalinity, and turbidity. Electrical conductivity profiles have been conducted using a Geoprobe to verify emplacement of the continuous wall as designed and to locate upgradient and downgradient wall interfaces for coring purposes. Coring has been conducted in November, 1996, in June and September, 1997, and March, 1998, to evaluate the rate of corrosion on the iron surfaces, precipitate buildup (particularly at the upgradient interface), and permeability changes due to wall emplacement. In addition to several continuous vertical cores, angled cores through the 0.6-m thick wall have been collected to capture upgradient and downgradient wall interfaces along approximate horizontal flow paths for mineralogic analyses.

Development of the 10-11 July 2015 two-stage sequence of multiple emplacements of pyroclastic density currents at Volcán de Colima, México: Insight from associated seismic signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zobin, Vyacheslav M.

2018-02-01

The 10-11 July 2015 partial collapses of the lava dome in the crater of Volcán de Colima, México, were accompanied by a sequence of two-stage multiple PDCs, separated by a 15-h interval, with a total bulk volume of 14.2 × 106 m3 of fragmentary material and runout distances reaching 9.1 and 10.3 km, respectively (Reyes-Dávila et al., 2016). Broad-band seismic signals, associated with the PDCs and recorded at seismic station EZ5 installed at a distance of 4 km from the crater, were used for analysis of the 20-h eruption process. This process included two stages of the multiple PDCs emplacements, two one-hour periods of preliminary events to each of the stages, and the inter-stage period. Analysis of seismic signals allowed us to identify the types of volcanic events composing this eruption episode and estimate their quantitative characteristics and spectral parameters of generated seismic signals. It was shown that the seismic signals produced by PDCs emplacements, recorded during the two stages, were characterized by different characteristics. The second stage PDCs had radiated greater seismic energy than the PDCs emplaced during the first stage. Spectral analysis of the seismic signals, produced by PDCs, indicates a clearly separation in frequency content at 1.95 Hz between the higher-frequency events of the first stage and the lower-frequency events of the second stage of the PDCs emplacements. The obtained difference in the spectral contents of the seismic signals, produced by the movement of two multiple PDCs, may be supposed as a consequence of the proposed relative difference in the volumes of the PDCs of two multiple sequences due to a difference in the level of radiated seismic energy and a change in bottom conditions of the ravines during their passing along the ravines. Results of seismic study were used in discussion of the nature of the two-stage eruptive process.

Investigating the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and other rock magnetic properties of the Beaver River Diabase in northeastern Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariri, Samer H.

The Beaver River Diabase (BRD) is a series of mafic dikes and sills within the Beaver Bay Complex (BBC) of northern Minnesota, which formed during the development of the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift (MCR). The BRD is one of the youngest and most extensive intrusive phases of the BBC. The BRD dikes and sills were emplaced into the medial levels of the 6-10 kilometer-thick North Shore Volcanic Group and occur over an arcuate area extending 120 by 20 kilometers. The BRD is composed of fine- to medium-grained ophitic olivine gabbro and does not display obvious foliation or lineation features and rarely displays modal layering. Without obvious magmatic internal structures, it is difficult to determine emplacement properties such as flow direction using standard geologic mapping or petrographic techniques. For this reason, we measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), in conjunction with other rock magnetic properties, to better understand the BRD's emplacement and deformation history in the context of the MCR. AMS measures the directional dependence of low-field magnetic susceptibility, and is used to infer a shape-preferred orientation of magnetic minerals within a rock, which can be related to specific emplacement mechanisms (e.g. directional flow or settling). Preliminary analysis of AMS at 20 sites within the southern half of the BRD (with 4-7 samples per site) shows maximum susceptibility values between 4.48 x 10-6 and 2.22 x 10-4 m 3/kg (1165 and 65400 μSI). Most specimens display nearly isotropic AMS ellipsoids (Pj < 1.15) with minor degrees of prolateness and oblateness. However, about 20% of specimens have higher anisotropies (Pj between 1.15 and 1.67) and higher degrees of oblateness and prolateness. Variations in AMS properties may reflect differences in concentration and composition of magnetic minerals, as well as emplacement mechanisms. Measurements of susceptibility as a function of temperature yield Curie points between 470 and 570 °C, indicating the presence of low-titanium titanomagnetite. Major hysteresis loops show coercivities between 1 and 25 mT, consistent with titanomagnetite as the dominant remanence carrier.

Physical controls and depth of emplacement of igneous bodies: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menand, Thierry

2011-03-01

The formation and growth of magma bodies are now recognised as involving the amalgamation of successive, discrete pulses such as sills. Sills would thus represent the building blocks of larger plutons ( sensu lato). Mechanical and thermal considerations on the incremental development of these plutons raise the issue of the crustal levels at which magma can stall and accumulate as sills. Reviewing the mechanisms that could a priori explain sill formation, it is shown that principal physical controls include: rigidity contrast, where sills form at the interface between soft strata overlaid by comparatively stiffer strata; rheology anisotropy, where sills form within the weakest ductile zones; and rotation of deviatoric stress, where sills form when the minimum compressive stress becomes vertical. Comparatively, the concept of neutral buoyancy is unlikely to play a leading control in the emplacement of sills, although it could assist their formation. These different controls on sill formation, however, do not necessarily operate on the same length scale. The length scale associated with the presence of interfaces separating upper stiffer layers from lower softer ones determines the depth at which rigidity-controlled sills will form. On another hand, the emplacement depths for rheology-controlled sills are likely to be determined by the distribution of the weakest ductile zones. Whereas the emplacement depth of stress-controlled sills is determined by a balance between the horizontal maximum compressive stress, which favours sill formation, and the buoyancy of their feeder dykes, which drives magma vertically. Ultimately, the depth at which a sill forms depends on whether crustal anisotropy or stress rotation is the dominant control, i.e. which of these processes operates at the smallest length scale. Using dimensional analysis, it is shown that sill formation controlled by remote stress rotation would occur on length scales of hundreds of meters or greater. This therefore suggests that crustal heterogeneities and their associated anisotropy are likely to play a larger role than remote stress rotation in controlling sill emplacement, unless these heterogeneities are several hundred meters or more apart. This also reinforces the role of local stress barriers, owing to interactions between deviatoric stress and crustal heterogeneities, in the formation of sills.

Magmatism and crustal extension: Constraining activation of the ductile shearing along the Gediz detachment, Menderes Massif (western Turkey)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossetti, Federico; Asti, Riccardo; Faccenna, Claudio; Gerdes, Axel; Lucci, Federico; Theye, Thomas

2017-06-01

The Menderes Massif of western Turkey is a key area to study feedback relationships between magma generation/emplacement and activation of extensional detachment tectonics. Here, we present new textural analysis and in situ U-(Th)-Pb titanite dating from selected samples collected in the transition from the undeformed to the mylonitized zones of the Salihli granodiorite at the footwall of the Neogene, ductile-to-brittle, top-to-the-NNE Gediz-Alaşheir (GDF) detachment fault. Ductile shearing was accompanied by the fluid-mediated sub-solidus transformation of the granodiorite to orthogneiss, which occurred at shallower crustal levels and temperatures compatible with the upper greenschist-to-amphibolite facies metamorphic conditions (530-580 °C and P < 2 GPa). The syn-tectonic metamorphic overgrowth of REE-poor titanite on pristine REE-rich igneous titanite offers the possibility to constrain the timing of magma crystallisation and solid-state shearing at the footwall of the Gediz detachment. The common Pb corrected 206Pb/238U (206Pb*/238U) ages and the REE re-distribution in titanite that spatially correlates with the Th/U zoning suggests that titanite predominantly preserve open-system ages during fluid-assisted syn-tectonic re-crystallisation in the transition from magma crystallization and emplacement (at 16-17 Ma) to the syn-tectonic, solid-state shearing (at 14-15 Ma). A minimum time lapse of ca. 1-2 Ma is then inferred between the crustal emplacement of the Salihli granodiorite and nucleation of the ductile extensional shearing along the Gediz detachment. The reconstruction of the cooling history of the Salihli granodiorite documents a punctuated evolution dominated by two episodes of rapid cooling, between 14 Ma and 12 Ma ( 100 °C/Ma) and between 3 and 2 Ma ( 105 °C/Ma). We relate the first episode to nucleation and development of post-emplacement of ductile shearing along the GDF and the second to brittle high-angle faulting, respectively. Our dataset suggests that in the Menderes Massif the activation of ductile extension was a consequence, rather than the cause, of magma emplacement in the extending crust.

Assessment of potential doses to workers during postulated accident conditions at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

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

Hoover, M.D.; Farrell, R.F.; Newton, G.J.

1995-12-01

The recent 1995 WIPP Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Update provided detailed analyses of potential radiation doses to members of the public at the site boundary during postulated accident scenarios at the U.S. Department of Energy`s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). The SAR Update addressed the complete spectrum of potential accidents associated with handling and emplacing transuranic waste at WIPP, including damage to waste drums from fires, punctures, drops, and other disruptions. The report focused on the adequacy of the multiple layers of safety practice ({open_quotes}defense-in-depth{close_quotes}) at WIPP, which are designed to (1) reduce the likelihood of accidents and (2) limitmore » the consequences of those accidents. The safeguards which contribute to defense-in-depth at WIPP include a substantial array of inherent design features, engineered controls, and administrative procedures. The SAR Update confirmed that the defense-in-depth at WIPP is adequate to assure the protection of the public and environment. As a supplement to the 1995 SAR Update, we have conducted additional analyses to confirm that these controls will also provide adequate protection to workers at the WIPP. The approaches and results of the worker dose assessment are summarized here. In conformance with the guidance of DOE Standard 3009-94, we emphasize that use of these evaluation guidelines is not intended to imply that these numbers constitute acceptable limits for worker exposures under accident conditions. However, in conjunction with the extensive safety assessment in the 1995 SAR Update, these results indicate that the Carlsbad Area Office strategy for the assessment of hazards and accidents assures the protection of workers, members of the public, and the environment.« less

Mechanical characterization of municipal solid waste from two waste dumps at Delhi, India.

PubMed

Ramaiah, B J; Ramana, G V; Datta, Manoj

2017-10-01

The article presents the physical and mechanical properties of the emplaced municipal solid waste (MSW) recovered from different locations of the Ghazipur and Okhla dumps both located at Delhi, India. Mechanical compressibility and shear strength of the collected MSW were evaluated using a 300×300mm direct shear (DS) shear box. Compression ratio (C c ') of MSW at these two dumps varied between 0.11 and 0.17 and is falling on the lower bound of the range (0.1-0.5) of the data reported in the literature for MSW. Low C c ' of MSW is attributed to the relatively low percentages of compressible elements such as textiles, plastics and paper, coupled with relatively high percentages of inert materials such as soil-like and gravel sized fractions. Shear strength of MSW tested is observed to be displacement dependent. The mobilized shear strength parameters i.e., the apparent cohesion intercept (c') and friction angle (ϕ') of MSW at these two dumps are best characterized by c'=13kPa and ϕ'=23° at 25mm displacement and c'=17kPa and ϕ'=34° at 55mm displacement and are in the range reported for MSW in the literature. A large database on the shear strength of MSW from 18 countries that includes: the experimental data from 277 large-scale DS tests (in-situ and laboratory) and the data from back analysis of 11 failed landfill slopes is statistically analyzed. Based on the analysis, a simple linear shear strength envelope, characterized by c'=17kPa and ϕ'=32°, is proposed for MSW for preliminary use in the absence of site-specific data for stability evaluation of the solid waste landfill under drained conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of stress-strain and volume change behavior of emplaced municipal solid waste using large-scale triaxial testing.

PubMed

Ramaiah, B J; Ramana, G V

2017-05-01

The article presents the stress-strain and volume change behavior, shear strength and stiffness parameters of landfilled municipal solid waste (MSW) collected from two dump sites located in Delhi, India. Over 30 drained triaxial compression (TXC) tests were conducted on reconstituted large-scale specimens of 150mm diameter to study the influence of fiber content, age, density and confining pressure on the shear strength of MSW. In addition, a few TXC tests were also conducted on 70mm diameter specimen to examine the effect of specimen size on the mobilized shear strength. It is observed that the fibrous materials such as textiles and plastics, and their percentage by weight have a significant effect on the stress-strain-volume change behavior, shear strength and stiffness of solid waste. The stress-strain-volume change behavior of MSW at Delhi is qualitatively in agreement with the behavior reported for MSW from different countries. Results of large-scale direct shear tests conducted on MSW with an identical composition used for TXC tests revealed the cross-anisotropic behavior as reported by previous researchers. Effective shear strength parameters of solid waste evaluated from this study is best characterized by ϕ'=39° and c'=0kPa for the limiting strain-based failure criteria of K 0 =0.3+5% axial strain and are in the range of the data reported for MSW from different countries. Data presented in this article is useful for the stress-deformation and stability analysis of the dump sites during their operation as well as closure plans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Magma interaction in the root of an arc batholith

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, T.; Robbins, V.; Clarke, G. L.; Daczko, N. R.; Piazolo, S.

2016-12-01

Fiordland, New Zealand, preserves extensive Cretaceous arc plutons, emplaced into parts of the Delamerian/Ross Orogen. Dioritic to gabbroic material emplaced at mid to lower crustal levels are exposed in the Malaspina Pluton (c. 1.2 GPa) and the Breaksea Orthogneiss (c. 1.8 GPa). Distinct magmatic pulses can be mapped in both of these plutons consistent with cycles of melt advection. Relationships are consistent with predictions from lower crustal processing zones (MASH and hot zones) considered important in the formation of Cordilleran margins. Metamorphic garnet growth is enhanced along magmatic contacts, such as where hornblende gabbronorite is cut by garnet-clinopyroxene-bearing diorite. Such features are consistent with cycles of incremental emplacement, younger magma having induced localised garnet granulite metamorphism in wall rock of older material. Temperature estimates and microstructures preserved in garnet granulite are consistent with sub-solidus, water-poor conditions in both the Malaspina and Breaksea Orthogneiss. The extent and conditions of the metamorphism implies conditions and duration was incapable of partially melting older wall rock material. The nature of interactions in intermediate to basic compositions are assessed in terms of magma genesis in the Cretaceous batholith. Most of the upper crustal felsic I-type magmatism along the margin being controlled by high-pressure garnet-clinopyroxene fractionation.

Biodegradation of organic matters from mixed unshredded municipal solid waste through air convection before landfilling.

PubMed

Mahar, Rasool B; Liu, Jianguo; Yue, Dongbei; Nie, Yongfeng

2007-01-01

Landfilling is a dominant municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal method in most developing countries. In China, approximately 85% of the generated MSW is being disposed of in the landfills. The amount of MSW is growing rapidly with the rate of approximately 8-10% annually, which contains a high quantity of moisture and organic matters. The problems of leachate treatment and landfill gas (LFG) emissions are increasing gradually. Reducing the hazard before emplacement, pretreatment of MSW before landfilling has become very important for the conventional landfill. In this study, aerobic pretreatment of mixed MSW was used, and much attention has been given to the natural convection of air in the mixed and unshredded MSW for bioconversion of organic matter (OM). This study is an attempt to investigate aerobic pretreatment suitability for the mixed and unshredded MSW at Beijing. A pilot-scale aerobic pretreatment simulator (APS) was developed at Beishen Shu Landfill in Beijing. To work out the biodegradation of the OM in the APS, fresh and pretreated MSW samples were collected and analyzed for OM, moisture content, temperature, chemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, lignocelluloses, and biochemical methane potential at various stages of the pretreatment. Furthermore, results of the fresh and pretreated MSW are compared. Significant reduction in the observed parameters of the pretreated waste samples is observed. This work demonstrates that pretreatment is significantly effective in reducing the landfill emissions that is leachate and LFG.

Numerical Modeling to Assess DNAPL Movement and Removal at the Scenic Site Operable Unit Near Baton Rouge, Louisiana: A Case Study.

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

Oostrom, Mart; Thorne, Paul D.; White, Mark D.

2003-12-01

Detailed three-dimensional multifluid flow modeling was conducted to assess movement and removal of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) movement at a waste site in Louisiana. The site’s subsurface consists of several permeable zones separated by (semi) confining clays. In the upper subsurface, the two major permeable zones are, starting with the uppermost zone, the +40- and +20-MSL (mean sea level) zones. At the site, a total of 23,000 m3 of DNAPL was emplaced in an open waste pit between 1962 and 1974. In this period, considerable amounts of DNAPL moved into the subsurface. By 1974 a portion of the DNAPLmore » was removed and the waste site was filled with low-permeability materials and closed. During this process, some of the DNAPL was mixed with the fill material and remained at the site. Between 1974 and 2000, no additional DNAPL recovery activities were implemented. In an effort to reduce the DNAPL source, organic liquid has been pumped through a timed-pumping scheme from a total of 7 wells starting in calendar year 2000. The recovery wells are screened in the lower part of the waste fill material. In site investigations, DNAPL has been encountered in the +40-MSL but not in the +20-MSL zone. The following questions are addressed: (1) Where has the DNAPL migrated vertically and laterally? (2) How much further is DNAPL expected to move in the next century? (3) How effective is the current DNAPL pumping in reducing the DNAPL source? The computational domains for the simulations were derived from 3-D interpolations of borehole logs using a geologic interpretation software (EarthvisionTM ) . The simulation results show that DNAPL primarily entered the subsurface in the period 1962 – 1974, when the waste site was operational. After 1974, the infiltration rates dropped dramatically as a result of the infilling of the waste pit. The simulation results indicate that DNAPL moved from the pit into the underlying +40-MSL zone through two contact zones at the west side of the pit. Lateral movement of the DNAPL body has been relatively slow as a result of the high viscosity and the rapidly decreasing driving force after the waste pit was filled in. For all simulations, lateral movement of DNAPL in the period 1962 - 2001 is predicted to be less than 60 m from the two contact areas, while additional movement in the next century is expected to be less than 30 m. No DNAPL is predicted to enter the +20-MSL zone, which agrees with site information. The simulations also clearly demonstrate the minimal effect of the current pumping scheme on source reduction and DNAPL movement.« less

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.

ENGINEERED BARRIER SYSTEM: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENT

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

R. Jarek

2005-08-29

The purpose of this model report is to describe the evolution of the physical and chemical environmental conditions within the waste emplacement drifts of the repository, including the drip shield and waste package surfaces. The resulting seepage evaporation and gas abstraction models are used in the total system performance assessment for the license application (TSPA-LA) to assess the performance of the engineered barrier system and the waste form. This report develops and documents a set of abstraction-level models that describe the engineered barrier system physical and chemical environment. Where possible, these models use information directly from other reports as input,more » which promotes integration among process models used for TSPA-LA. Specific tasks and activities of modeling the physical and chemical environment are included in ''Technical Work Plan for: Near-Field Environment and Transport In-Drift Geochemistry Model Report Integration'' (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782], Section 1.2.2). As described in the technical work plan, the development of this report is coordinated with the development of other engineered barrier system reports. To be consistent with other project documents that address features, events, and processes (FEPs), Table 6.14.1 of the current report includes updates to FEP numbers and FEP subjects for two FEPs identified in the technical work plan (TWP) governing this report (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]). FEP 2.1.09.06.0A (Reduction-oxidation potential in EBS), as listed in Table 2 of the TWP (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]), has been updated in the current report to FEP 2.1.09.06.0B (Reduction-oxidation potential in Drifts; see Table 6.14-1). FEP 2.1.09.07.0A (Reaction kinetics in EBS), as listed in Table 2 of the TWP (BSC 2005 [DIRS 173782]), has been updated in the current report to FEP 2.1.09.07.0B (Reaction kinetics in Drifts; see Table 6.14-1). These deviations from the TWP are justified because they improve integration with FEPs documents. The updates have no impact on the model developed in this report.« less

77 FR 64361 - Report on Waste Burial Charges: Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-19

... Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level Waste Burial Facilities AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... 15, ``Report on Waste Burial Charges: Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level... for low-level waste. DATES: Submit comments by November 15, 2012. Comments received after this date...

Analysis of inflated submarine and sub-lacustrine Pahoehoe lava flows using high-resolution bathymetric and lidar data (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deschamps, A.; Van Vliet-Lanoe, B.; Soule, S. A.; Allemand, P.; Le Saout, M.; Delacourt, C.

2013-12-01

The summit of the East Pacific Rise (EPR), 16°N, is investigated based -among others- on high-resolution bathymetry acquired using the AUV Aster-X, and photos and videos collected using the submersible Nautile (Ifremer). HR bathymetry reveals submarine tumuli and inflated smooth lava flows at the summit of the ridge, emplaced on sub-horizontal terrains. They are primarily composed of jumbled and lobate flows with occurrences of sheet flows, and pillows close to the flow margins. They are 5 to 15 meters -high, and their surface ranges 0.2 to 1.5 km2. Their surface is either planar or depressed, likely due to lava topographic downdraining during eruption. At their margins, planar slabs of lava, few meters wide, slope down from the top of the flow, at angles ranging 40 to 80°. A series of cracks, 0,5 to 1.5 m deep, separate the horizontal surface of the flow from their inclined flanks. These cracks parallel the sinuous edges of the flows, suggesting the flow flanks tilted outward. Tumuli are also observed. Some of these smooth flows form 80 to 750 m -long sinuous ridges, suggesting the existence of lava tubes. Their morphology indicates that these flows experienced inflationary emplacement styles, but at a much larger scale than Pahoehoe lavas in Hawaii and La Réunion Islands. In these two islands, indeed, inflation structures are typically less than 2 meters high and only several tens of meters in length at maximum, suggesting that their mechanism of emplacement and inflation is significantly different. Conversely, we observe comparable inflation flows in Iceland and in Idaho and Oregon, also emplaced onto sub-horizontal terrains. We use high-resolution aerial photographs and lidar data to investigate their morphology. In the Eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP), quaternary basaltic plains volcanism produced monogenetic coalescent shields, and phreatomagmatic basaltic eruptions that are directly related to proximity of magmatism to the Snake River or Pleistocene lakes. For example, the Hells Half Acres Holocene lava flows, Idaho, display similar morphology as EPR flows, with sheet lavas, flow lobes 5-8 m high and approximately 100 m wide, and pressure ridges. Similar flows are observed in the ESRP: Craters of the Moon, Wapi, and Cerro Grande lava flows for example. In Oregon, Potholes, Devils Garden, Diamond Craters, Deschute River, Owyhee River, Jordan Crater flows are also strictly comparable. In Iceland, Lake Mytvan lava flows, for example, were emplaced in sublacustrine environments, and Budahraun flows in Snaefellness were emplaced at the coast below the sea level. The common point of these presently "aerial" lava flow is their emplacement in lakes, paleo-lakes and river beds, thus in "wet" environment, often controlled by rivers and their tributaries. A more efficient cooling of the lava lobes in wet environment probably triggers the development of strong and plastic margins due to cooling, which resists continued movement of the flow, whereas a thinner margin developing in aerial environment may favor lobe break out when internal pressure rises above the tensile strength of the crust. We propose a theoretical model for these lava flow emplacement on sub-horizontal basement.

Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed by shallow-land burial. Low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities has been buried at six commercially operated sites; low-level radioactive waste generated by Federal facilities has been buried at eight major and several minor Federally operated sites (fig. 1). Generally, low-level radioactive waste is somewhat imprecisely defined as waste that does not fit the definition of high-level radioactive waste and does not exceed 100 nCi/g in the concentration of transuranic elements. Most low-level radioactive waste generated by non-Federal facilities is generated at nuclear powerplants; the remainder is generated primarily at research laboratories, hospitals, industrial facilities, and universities. On the basis of half lives and concentrations of radionuclides in low-level radioactive waste, the hazard associated with burial of such waste generally lasts for about 500 years. Studies made at several of the commercially and Federally operated low-level radioactive-waste repository sites indicate that some of these sites have not provided containment of waste nor the expected protection of the environment.

Groundwork for Universal Canister System Development

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

Price, Laura L.; Gross, Mike; Prouty, Jeralyn L.

2015-09-01

The mission of the United States Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management is to complete the safe cleanup of the environmental legacy brought about from five decades of nuclear weapons development and go vernment - sponsored nuclear energy re search. S ome of the waste s that that must be managed have be en identified as good candidates for disposal in a deep borehole in crystalline rock (SNL 2014 a). In particular, wastes that can be disposed of in a small package are good candidates for this disposal concept. A canister - based system that can be used formore » handling these wastes during the disposition process (i.e., storage, transfers, transportation, and disposal) could facilitate the eventual disposal of these wastes. This report provides information for a program plan for developing specifications regarding a canister - based system that facilitates small waste form packaging and disposal and that is integrated with the overall efforts of the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy Used Fuel Dis position Camp aign's Deep Borehole Field Test . Groundwork for Universal Ca nister System Development September 2015 ii W astes to be considered as candidates for the universal canister system include capsules containing cesium and strontium currently stored in pools at the Hanford Site, cesium to be processed using elutable or nonelutable resins at the Hanford Site, and calcine waste from Idaho National Laboratory. The initial emphasis will be on disposal of the cesium and strontium capsules in a deep borehole that has been drilled into crystalline rock. Specifications for a universal canister system are derived from operational, performance, and regulatory requirements for storage, transfers, transportation, and disposal of radioactive waste. Agreements between the Department of Energy and the States of Washington and Idaho, as well as the Deep Borehole Field Test plan provide schedule requirements for development of the universal canister system . Future work includes collaboration with the Hanford Site to move the cesium and strontium capsules into dry storage, collaboration with the Deep Borehole Field Tes t to develop surface handling and emplacement techniques and to develop the waste package design requirements, developing universal canister system design options and concepts of operations, and developing system analysis tools. Areas in which f urther research and development are needed include material properties and structural integrity, in - package sorbents and fillers, waste form tolerance to heat and postweld stress relief, waste package impact limiters, sensors, cesium mobility under downhol e conditions, and the impact of high pressure and high temperature environment on seals design.« less

Identification of the Emplacement of Improvised Explosive Devices by Experienced Mission Payload Operators.

PubMed

McNeese, Nathan J; Cooke, Nancy J; Branaghan, Russell; Knobloch, Ashley; Taylor, Amanda

2017-04-01

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have become one of the deadliest threats to military personnel, resulting in over 50% of American combat casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. Identification of IED emplacement is conducted by mission payload operators (MPOs). Yet, experienced MPOs are limited in number, making MPO training a critical intervention. In this article, we implement a Cognitive Engineering Based on Expert Skill methodology to better understand how experienced MPOs identify the emplacement of IEDs for the purposes of improving training. First, expert knowledge was elicited through interviews and questionnaires to identify the types of perceptual cues used and how these cues are cognitively processed. Results indicate that there are many different static and dynamic cues that interact with each other over time and space. Using data from the interviews and questionnaires, an empirically grounded framework is presented that explains the cognitive process of IED emplacement detection. Using the overall findings and the framework, IED emplacement training scenarios were developed and built into a simulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mush!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashwal, L. D.

2012-12-01

Evidence for emplacement as crystal-laden mushes is abundant in mafic magma systems (i.e. products of broadly basaltic magmatism), including anorthosite complexes, layered mafic intrusions and a variety of sills and dikes. Some of the best examples involve the way feldspar becomes concentrated into anorthositic rocks. Proterozoic anorthosite massifs (e.g. Nain, Rogaland, Adirondacks), whose bulk compositions are characteristically hyperfeldspathic, are best interpreted as resulting from emplacement of plagioclase-rich mushes that ascended to shallow crustal emplacement sites from deep (~Moho) staging chambers in which ~An50 crystals floated due to density relations at high pressure. Supporting evidence includes large (up to ~1 m) grain size, compositional homogeneity of plagioclase with variable Mg# (caused by trapped liquid effects), and protoclastic textures. Isotopic disequilibrium between cumulus plagioclase and post-cumulus pyroxene result from progressive contamination with continental components. This is dramatically demonstrated at Nain (Labrador), where the anorthositic crystal mushes (~1.3 Ga) were emplaced into early Archean (~3.8 Ga) country rocks. High-Al, high-pressure orthopyroxene megacrysts are commonly dragged upward in feldspathic mushes to shallow emplacement sites, where they exsolved plagioclase lamellae (Bybee & Ashwal, this meeting). Archean calcic anorthosites (e.g. Fiskenaesset, W Greenland) and related sills, dikes and flows that contain homogeneous megacrysts up to 10s of cm across of ~An80 also must have formed by mush emplacement, although probably from shallower staging chambers in oceanic rather than continental crust. Many layered mafic intrusions (e.g. Bushveld, Stillwater, Dufek, Duluth) contain thick horizons of anorthosite in which plagioclase compositions are uniform, in some cases throughout >1000 m of stratigraphy. This is best interpreted as representing repeated emplacement of plagioclase-rich mushes from one or more deeper crystallizing magma chambers. In the Bushveld Complex, where deep drill cores have allowed near-continuous measurements of mineral compositions and geophysical properties, the results reveal a subtle cyclicity, invisible in outcrops, over scales of 50 - 100 m, commonly associated with broad reversals in mineral compositional trends. Each of these can be interpreted as a blending zone involving a new addition of crystal-laden magma. Much of Bushveld stratigraphy, and that of other layered intrusions contains plagioclase:pyroxene demonstrably higher than cotectic proportions, supporting overall construction by plagioclase-rich magmas. Isotopic disequilibrium effects, similar to those described above, have been detected in Bushveld cumulates, lending further support to mush emplacement models. Large layered intrusions were probably constructed by repeated emplacement of dozens of individual magmatic entities with variable crystal:melt ratios (Marsh, 2006, Elements). Even the properties of very small (~30 km2) layered intrusions like that at Doros, Namibia (Owen-Smith & Ashwal, this meeting) show abundant evidence for multiple mush emplacement. In plutonic magma bodies arising from mafic magmatism, therefore, the involvement of crystal mushes appears to be the rule rather than the exception.

Multistage magma emplacement and progressive strain accumulation in the shallow-level Krkonoše-Jizera plutonic complex, Bohemian Massif

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žák, Jiří; Verner, Kryštof; Sláma, Jiří; Kachlík, Václav; Chlupáčová, Marta

2013-09-01

relationships combined with new U-Pb zircon geochronology suggest that the shallow-level Krkonoše-Jizera plutonic complex, northern Bohemian Massif, was assembled successively from bottom to top, starting with emplacement of the separately evolved S-type Tanvald granite (317.3 ± 2.1 Ma), followed by at least two voluminous batches of the I-type porphyritic Liberec (319.5 ± 2.3 Ma) and Jizera (320.1 ± 3.0 Ma and 319.3 ± 3.7 Ma) granites. The intrusive sequence was completed by uppermost, minor intrusions of the equigranular Harrachov (315.0 ± 2.7 Ma) and Krkonoše granites. The I-type granites exhibit an unusually complex pattern of superposed feldspar phenocryst and magnetic fabrics as revealed from the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS). The outer Liberec granite preserves margin-parallel foliations and lineations, interpreted to record emplacement-related strain captured by cooling from the pluton floor and walls. In contrast, the inner Jizera, Harrachov, and Krkonoše granites were overprinted by synmagmatic strain resulting from dextral movements along regional strike-slip faults cutting the opposite ends of the plutonic complex. Late-stage felsic dikes in the Liberec and Jizera granites reorient from horizontal to vertical (lineation-perpendicular) attitude in response to changing the least principal stress direction, whereas mafic schlieren do not do so, representing only randomly oriented small-scale thermal-mechanical instabilities in the phenocryst framework. In general, this case example challenges the common approach of inferring pluton-wide magma flow from interpolated foliation, lineation, and schlieren patterns. More likely, magmatic fabrics in large plutons record complex temporal succession of superposed strains resulting from diverse processes at multiple scales.

Rapid fluvial incision of a late Holocene lava flow: Insights from LiDAR, alluvial stratigraphy, and numerical modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sweeney, Kristin; Roering, Joshua J.

2016-01-01

Volcanic eruptions fundamentally alter landscapes, paving over channels, decimating biota, and emplacing fresh, unweathered material. The fluvial incision of blocky lava flows is a geomorphic puzzle. First, high surface permeability and lack of sediment should preclude geomorphically effective surface runoff and dissection. Furthermore, past work has demonstrated the importance of extreme floods in driving incision via column toppling and plucking in columnar basalt, but it is unclear how incision occurs in systems where surface blocks are readily mobile. We examine rapid fluvial incision of the Collier lava flow, an andesitic Holocene lava flow in the High Cascades of Oregon. Since lava flow emplacement ∼1600 yr ago, White Branch Creek has incised bedrock gorges up to 8 m deep into the coherent core of the lava flow and deposited >0.2 km3 of sediment on the lava flow surface. Field observation points to a bimodal discharge regime in the channel, with evidence for both annual snowmelt runoff and outburst floods from Collier glacier, as well as historical evidence of vigorous glacial meltwater. To determine the range of discharge events capable of incision in White Branch Creek, we used a mechanistic model of fluvial abrasion. We show that the observed incision implies that moderate flows are capable of both initiating channel formation and sustaining incision. Our results have implications for the evolution of volcanic systems worldwide, where glaciation and/or mass wasting may accelerate fluvial processes by providing large amounts of sediment to otherwise porous, sediment-starved landscapes.

High-level waste program progress report, April 1, 1980-June 30, 1980

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

None

1980-08-01

The highlights of this report are on: waste management analysis for nuclear fuel cycles; fixation of waste in concrete; study of ceramic and cermet waste forms; alternative high-level waste forms development; and high-level waste container development.

Nested granites in question: Contrasted emplacement kinematics of independent magmas in the Zaër pluton, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchez, Jean Luc; Diot, Herve

1990-10-01

The concentrically zoned Zaër pluton (Variscan Meseta of Morocco), previously modeled as the nesting of two magmas forming a ballooning pluton, is here subjected to a study of its internal magmatic and solid-state structures. The magmatic flow patterns, derived mainly from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility measurements, together with structural observations down to thin-section scale, indicate that these two magmas have undergone totally independent kinematics of emplacement. This supports recent isotope geochemistry and geochronology data indicating independent origin of the magmas and diachronism of emplacement, respectively. Thus, we propose that a magma diapir, probably emplaced within a crustal fracture zone, cooled down to brittle conditions, before a likely flat-lying fracture was opened within the fracture zone and was filled with a new and compositionally different pulse of magma.

40 CFR 227.30 - High-level radioactive waste.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false High-level radioactive waste. 227.30 Section 227.30 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN DUMPING...-level radioactive waste. High-level radioactive waste means the aqueous waste resulting from the...

Regional and contact metamorphism within the Moy Intrusive Complex, Grampian Highlands, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaleski, E.

1985-04-01

In central Scotland, the Moy Intrusive Complex consists of (1) the Main Phase — syntectonic peraluminous granodiorite to granite emplaced at c. 455 Ma, intruded by (2) the Finglack Alaskite — post-tectonic leucocratic granite emplaced at 407+/-5 Ma. The Main Phase was emplaced into country rocks at amphibolite facies temperatures. Rb-Sr dates and a compositional spectrum of decreasing celadonite content in Main Phase muscovite suggest the persistence of c. 550° C temperatures for c. 30 Ma but with a declining pressure regime, i.e. isothermal uplift. The Finglack Alaskite was intruded at high structural level, leading to the development of a contact metamorphic aureole in the Main Phase. The thermal effects of contact metamorphism include intergrowths of andalusite, biotite and feldspar in pseudomorphs after muscovite. This is associated with recrystallized granoblastic quartz. Muscovite breakdown and reaction with adjacent biotite, quartz and feldspar, i.e. a function of local mineral assemblage rather than bulk rock composition, is postulated to explain the occurrence of metamorphic andalusite in a granitoid rock. The Main Phase pluton of the Moy Intrusive Complex lies within a NNE trending belt of c. 450 Ma Caledonian tectonic and magmatic activity paralleling the Moine Thrust, and extending from northern Scotland to the Highland Boundary Fault. Syntectonic ‘S-type’ magmatism with upper crustal source areas implies crustal thickening and suggests an intracratonic orogeny.

Post-mining deterioration of bauxite overburdens in Jamaica: storage methods or subsoil dilution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Mark A.; Omoregie, Samson N.

2008-03-01

Rapid degradation of disturbed soil from a karst bauxite mine in Jamaica was recorded. Substantial macronutrient losses were incurred during a short (1 month) or a long (12 months) storage of the replaced topsoils during frequent wet/dry changes. The results suggested very high rates (>70% in the first year) of soil degradation from storage, alongside moderate rates (30%) within the same storage dump. However, higher levels of soil organic matter (SOM) were indicated just below the surface, compared with the surface horizons. It was unlikely that under a high leaching humid tropical rainfall regime, natural degradation processes could have re-emplaced such material firmly intact in the 15-30 cm zone. It was therefore concluded that these SOM anomalies were due to mechanical dilution of surface soil with subsoil material during overburden removal and emplacement rather than from long storage. Increasing the soil organic content during storage could be one corrective approach. However, it is far less costly to exercise greater care to apply more precise overburden removal and emplacement techniques initially, than it is to correct the results of topsoil contamination with subsoil. Although this study was limited to one mine, in the context of imminent large-scale mining expansion and current practices, further investigations are needed to accurately ascertain the proportion of similar subsoil contamination in other bauxite-mined sites.

Solid Waste Management Plan. Revision 4

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

NONE

1995-04-26

The waste types discussed in this Solid Waste Management Plan are Municipal Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste, Low-Level Mixed Waste, Low-Level Radioactive Waste, and Transuranic Waste. The plan describes for each type of solid waste, the existing waste management facilities, the issues, and the assumptions used to develop the current management plan.

Landfill-stimulated iron reduction and arsenic release at the Coakley Superfund Site (NH).

PubMed

deLemos, Jamie L; Bostick, Benjamin C; Renshaw, Carl E; Stürup, Stefan; Feng, Xiahong

2006-01-01

Arsenic is a contaminant at more than one-third of all Superfund Sites in the United States. Frequently this contamination appearsto resultfrom geochemical processes rather than the presence of a well-defined arsenic source. Here we examine the geochemical processes that regulate arsenic levels at the Coakley Landfill Superfund Site (NH), a site contaminated with As, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Long-term field observations indicate that the concentrations of most of these contaminants have diminished as a result of treatment by monitored natural attenuation begun in 1998; however, dissolved arsenic levels increased modestly over the same interval. We attribute this increase to the reductive release of arsenic associated with poorly crystalline iron hydroxides within a glaciomarine clay layer within the overburden underlying the former landfill. Anaerobic batch incubations that stimulated iron reduction in the glaciomarine clay released appreciable dissolved arsenic and iron. Field observations also suggest that iron reduction associated with biodegradation of organic waste are partly responsible for arsenic release; over the five-year study period since a cap was emplaced to prevent water flow through the site, decreases in groundwater dissolved benzene concentrations at the landfill are correlated with increases in dissolved arsenic concentrations, consistent with the microbial decomposition of both benzene and other organics, and reduction of arsenic-bearing iron oxides. Treatment of contaminated groundwater increasingly is based on stimulating natural biogeochemical processes to degrade the contaminants. These results indicate that reducing environments created within organic contaminant plumes may release arsenic. In fact, the strong correlation (>80%) between elevated arsenic levels and organic contamination in groundwater systems at Superfund Sites across the United States suggests that arsenic contamination caused by natural degradation of organic contaminants may be widespread.

10 CFR 72.128 - Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., reactor-related greater than Class C waste, and other radioactive waste storage and handling. 72.128... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design Criteria § 72.128 Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor...

10 CFR 72.128 - Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., reactor-related greater than Class C waste, and other radioactive waste storage and handling. 72.128... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design Criteria § 72.128 Criteria for spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, reactor...

Tilting, burial, and uplift of the Guadalupe Igneous Complex, Sierra Nevada, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haeussler, Peter J.; Paterson, Scott R.

1993-01-01

It is often incorrectly assumed that plutons have a relatively uneventful structural history after emplacement. The 151 Ma Guadalupe Igneous Complex (GIC) in the Foothills Terrane, California, was involved in three post-emplacement events: (1) ∼30° of southwestside-up tilting during ductile regional faulting and contraction, (2) burial of the pluton from ∼4 to 12 km during crustal thickening of the wall rocks, and (3) uplift with only minor tilting in the Late Cretaceous. Tilting of the pluton is indicated by (1) southwest to northeast gradational changes from layered gabbros and diorites to granites and granophyres; (2) northeastward dips of layering in gabbro, internal contacts, and bedding of overlying coeval(?) volcanic rocks; (3) northeastward decrease in wall-rock metamorphic grade; and (4) paleomagnetic data from 14 localities across the pluton. We argue that tilting occurred between 146-135 Ma during southwest-northeast-directed regional contraction. This contraction is indicated by widespread folds and cleavages and by reverse motion on the Bear Mountains fault zone (BMFZ), a large northeast-dipping shear zone that bounds the GIC on its southwest side. Burial of the GIC, which overlapped in time but outlasted tilting, is suggested by (1) post-emplacement contractional faulting, folding, and cleavage development; (2) analyses of strains associated with widespread cleavage that indicate vertical thickening of ∼100% and (3) microstructural and mineral assemblage data that indicate shallow emplacement of the GIC, in contrast to mineral assemblage and limited geobarometric data from adjacent 120-110 Ma plutons that indicate moderate emplacement levels. Late Cretaceous uplift is indicated by 95-75 Ma sedimentary rocks that unconformably overlie the 120-110 Ma plutons.This geologic history is interesting for several reasons. First, although the GIC participated in extensive post-emplacement deformation, it lacks internal structural evidence of these events, except locally along the Bear Mountains fault zone. Second, the agreement between paleomagnetic and structural evidence for tilting suggests that no large latitudinal displacement of the GIC is required. Third, the paleomagnetic data also help to define the geometry of the magma chamber now represented by the GIC. Lack of streaking of paleomagnetic site-mean directions demonstrates that the pluton acted as a single unit after cooling through the blocking temperature (450-560 °C) of low-titanium titanomagnetite; however, variations in the dip of internal layering and contacts, from 70° at the base to 30° near the top of the pluton, indicate that not all of these features were horizontal and planar when they formed. We propose that this variation in dip of layering is most consistent with sidewall crystallization of magma resulting in drape of layering along the walls of the intrusion. Therefore, internal layering within this pluton does not record paleohorizontal.

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 statistical analysis to compare model and field temperatures, and found that heat flow in the block was dominated by conduction.

A Volume Flux Approach to Cryolava Dome Emplacement on Europa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quick, Lynnae C.; Fagents, Sarah A.; Hurford, Terry A.; Prockter, Louise M.

2017-01-01

We previously modeled a subset of domes on Europa with morphologies consistent with emplacement by viscous extrusions of cryolava. These models assumed instantaneous emplacement of a fixed volume of fluid onto the surface, followed by relaxation to form domes. However, this approach only allowed for the investigation of late-stage eruptive processes far from the vent and provided little insight into how cryolavas arrived at the surface. Consideration of dome emplacement as cryolavas erupt at the surface is therefore pertinent. A volume flux approach, in which lava erupts from the vent at a constant rate, was successfully applied to the formation of steep-sided volcanic domes on Venus. These domes are believed to have formed in the same manner as candi-date cryolava domes on Europa. In order to gain a more complete understanding of the potential for the emplacement of Europa domes via extrusive volcanism, we have applied this new volume flux approach to the formation of putative cryovolcanic domes on Europa. Assuming as in that europan cryolavas are briny, aqueous solutions which may or may not contain some ice crystal fraction, we present the results of this modeling and explore theories for the formation of low-albedo moats that surround some domes.

16. Emplacement no. 1, door to small communication room (L), ...

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

16. Emplacement no. 1, door to small communication room (L), delivery table for projectile at right - Fort Wadsworth Battery Romeyn B. Ayers, South side of Ayers Road, Staten Island, Rosebank, Richmond County, NY

11. Battery Richmond, emplacement no. 1, showing (LR): sealed location ...

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

11. Battery Richmond, emplacement no. 1, showing (L-R): sealed location of delivery table for projectile hoist, recess for powder hoist - Forth Wadsworth Battery Richmond, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York County, NY

10 CFR 60.135 - Criteria for the waste package and its components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Section 60.135 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (CONTINUED) DISPOSAL OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES... for the waste package and its components. (a) High-level-waste package design in general. (1) Packages... package's permanent written records. (c) Waste form criteria for HLW. High-level radioactive waste that is...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... waste, and/or high level waste including possible reaction with water during wet loading and unloading... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... waste, and/or high level waste including possible reaction with water during wet loading and unloading... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor...

10 CFR 72.108 - Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Siting Evaluation Factors § 72.108 Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste transportation. The...

10 CFR 72.108 - Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE Siting Evaluation Factors § 72.108 Spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related greater than Class C waste transportation. The...

Thermochronology of the Cornubian batholith in southwest England: Implications for pluton emplacement and protracted hydrothermal mineralization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chesley, J. T.; Halliday, A. N.; Snee, L. W.; Mezger, K.; Shepherd, T. J.; Scrivener, R. C.

1993-04-01

The metalliferous ore deposits of southwest England are associated with biotite-muscovite granites that intruded upper Paleozoic sediments and volcanic rocks at the end of the Hercynian Orogeny. The hydrothermal mineralization can be subdivided into four stages: (1) exoskarns (2) high-temperature tin and tungsten oxide-bearing sheeted greisen bordered veins and Sn-bearing tourmaline veins and breccias (3) polymetallic quartz-tourmaline-chlorite-sulfide-fluorite-bearing fissure veins, which represent the main episode of economic mineralization (4) late-stage, low-temperature polymetallic fluorite veins. U-Pb dating of monazite and xenotime and 40Ar /39Ar dating of muscovite were used to determine emplacement ages and cooling times for individual plutons within the Cornubian batholith, as well as separate intrusive phases within the plutons. In addition, 40Ar /39Ar ages from hornblende and secondary muscovite and Sm-Nd isochron ages from fluorite were employed to determine the relationship between pluton emplacement and different stages of mineralization. The U-Pb ages indicate that granite magmatism was protracted from ~300 Ma down to ~275 Ma with no evidence of a major hiatus. There is no systematic relation between the age of a pluton and its location within the batholith. The U-Pb ages for separate granite phases within a single pluton are resolvable and indicate that magma emplacement within individual plutons occurred over periods of as much as 4.5 myrs. Felsic porphyry dike emplacement was coeval with plutonism, but continued to ~270 Ma. The geochronologic data suggest that the Cornubian batholith originated from repeated melting events over 30 myrs and was formed by a series of small coalescing granitic bodies. Cooling rates of the main plutons are unrelated to emplacement age, but decrease from the southwest to the northeast from ~210°C myr -1 to ~60°C myr -1 with a mean of 100°C myr -1. These slow cooling rates appear to reflect the addition of heat from multiple intrusive episodes. The mineralization history is distinct for each pluton and ranges from coeval with, to up to 40 myrs younger than the cooling age for the host pluton. Stage 2 mineralization is broadly synchronous with the emplacement of granite magmas, is dominated by fluids expelled during crystallization, and may be repeated by the emplacement of younger magmas within the same pluton. Sm-Nd isochrons for fluorite from stage 3 polymetallic mineralization give ages of 259 ± 7, 266 ± 3 and 267 ± 12 Ma, postdating stage 2 mineralization by up to 25 myrs within the same deposit. The similarity in age of the main polymetallic mineralization hosted by the oldest and youngest plutons, suggests that this stage of mineralization is unlikely to be related to hydrothermal circulation driven by the emplacement and cooling of the host granite. The mineralization is more likely the product of regional hydrothermal circulation driven by heat from the emplacement and crystallization of younger buried pulses of magma.

Thermochronology of the Cornubian batholith in southwest England: Implications for pluton emplacement and protracted hydrothermal mineralization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chesley, J.T.; Halliday, A.N.; Snee, L.W.; Mezger, K.; Shepherd, T.J.; Scrivener, R.C.

1993-01-01

The metalliferous ore deposits of southwest England are associated with biotite-muscovite granites that intruded upper Paleozoic sediments and volcanic rocks at the end of the Hercynian Orogeny. The hydrothermal mineralization can be subdivided into four stages: 1. (1) exoskarns 2. (2) high-temperature tin and tungsten oxide-bearing sheeted greisen bordered veins and Sn-bearing tourmaline veins and breccias 3. (3) polymetallic quartz-tourmaline-chlorite-sulfide-fluorite-bearing fissure veins, which represent the main episode of economic mineralization 4. (4) late-stage, low-temperature polymetallic fluorite veins. U-Pb dating of monazite and xenotime and 40Ar 39Ar dating of muscovite were used to determine emplacement ages and cooling times for individual plutons within the Cornubian batholith, as well as separate intrusive phases within the plutons. In addition, 40Ar 39Ar ages from hornblende and secondary muscovite and Sm-Nd isochron ages from fluorite were employed to determine the relationship between pluton emplacement and different stages of mineralization. The U-Pb ages indicate that granite magmatism was protracted from ~300 Ma down to ~275 Ma with no evidence of a major hiatus. There is no systematic relation between the age of a pluton and its location within the batholith. The U-Pb ages for separate granite phases within a single pluton are resolvable and indicate that magma emplacement within individual plutons occurred over periods of as much as 4.5 myrs. Felsic porphyry dike emplacement was coeval with plutonism, but continued to ~270 Ma. The geochronologic data suggest that the Cornubian batholith originated from repeated melting events over 30 myrs and was formed by a series of small coalescing granitic bodies. Cooling rates of the main plutons are unrelated to emplacement age, but decrease from the southwest to the northeast from ~210??C myr-1 to ~60??C myr-1 with a mean of 100??C myr-1. These slow cooling rates appear to reflect the addition of heat from multiple intrusive episodes. The mineralization history is distinct for each pluton and ranges from coeval with, to up to 40 myrs younger than the cooling age for the host pluton. Stage 2 mineralization is broadly synchronous with the emplacement of granite magmas, is dominated by fluids expelled during crystallization, and may be repeated by the emplacement of younger magmas within the same pluton. Sm-Nd isochrons for fluorite from stage 3 polymetallic mineralization give ages of 259 ?? 7, 266 ?? 3 and 267 ?? 12 Ma, postdating stage 2 mineralization by up to 25 myrs within the same deposit. The similarity in age of the main polymetallic mineralization hosted by the oldest and youngest plutons, suggests that this stage of mineralization is unlikely to be related to hydrothermal circulation driven by the emplacement and cooling of the host granite. The mineralization is more likely the product of regional hydrothermal circulation driven by heat from the emplacement and crystallization of younger buried pulses of magma. ?? 1993.

Extremely High Magma Emplacement Rates Recorded in the Golden Horn Batholith, WA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eddy, M. P.; Bowring, S. A.; Tepper, J. H.; Miller, R. B.

2015-12-01

High SiO2 rhyolites emplaced during 'super-eruptions' demonstrate that large volumes of eruptible magma can exist in the upper crust. However, the timescale over which the magma reservoirs that source these eruptions are built remains controversial. Thermal models suggest that magma emplacement rates need to be > 0.005-0.01 km3/yr in order to accumulate enough eruptible magma to source a 'super-eruption'. Yet, these rates are higher than the time-averaged rates (< 0.001 km3/yr) for nearly all well-studied granitoid plutonic complexes. This disparity contradicts geologic evidence suggesting that the high SiO2 rhyolites emplaced during 'super-eruptions' are extracted from crystal rich magma chambers that should be preserved in the geologic record as granodioritic and granitic plutons. We quantify time-averaged magma emplacement rates for the upper crustal Golden Horn batholith, WA based on new geologic mapping and U-Pb zircon CA-IDTIMS geochronology. The batholith is exposed over 310 km3 and can be separated in the field into five intrusive units. High topography allows the 3D geometry of each phase to be constrained and their volumes range from < 100 km3 to > 400 km3. U-Pb zircon geochronology reveals that four of the five phases were assembled incrementally and distinct zircon populations from samples within these phases suggest that individual magmatic pulses had fully crystallized before the next arrived. However, six nearly identical U-Pb zircon dates from a > 400 km3 rapakivi granite show that this phase was built in ca. 50 kyr and that large portions may have been emplaced nearly simultaneously. The implied emplacement rate for this phase (≥ 0.008 km3/yr) is in agreement with those predicted for assembly of the upper crustal magma chambers that source 'super-eruptions', and it may provide a rare and unprecedented opportunity to study the processes that occur in such chambers.

Eruption and emplacement dynamics of a thick trachytic lava flow of the Sancy volcano (France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latutrie, Benjamin; Harris, Andrew; Médard, Etienne; Gurioli, Lucia

2017-01-01

A 70-m-thick, 2200-m-long (51 × 106 m3) trachytic lava flow unit underlies the Puy de Cliergue (Mt. Dore, France). Excellent exposure along a 400-m-long and 60- to 85-m-high section allows the flow interior to be accessed on two sides of a glacial valley that cuts through the unit. We completed an integrated morphological, structural, textural, and chemical analysis of the unit to gain insights into eruption and flow processes during emplacement of this thick silicic lava flow, so as to elucidate the chamber and flow dynamic processed that operate during the emplacement of such systems. The unit is characterized by an inverse chemical stratification, where there is primitive lava beneath the evolved lava. The interior is plug dominated with a thin basal shear zone overlying a thick basal breccia, with ramping affecting the entire flow thickness. To understand these characteristics, we propose an eruption model that first involves processes operating in the magma chamber whereby a primitive melt is injected into an evolved magma to create a mixed zone at the chamber base. The eruption triggered by this event first emplaced a trachytic dome, into which banded lava from the chamber base was injected. Subsequent endogenous dome growth led to flow down the shallow slope to the east on which the highly viscous (1012 Pa s) coulée was emplaced. The flow likely moved extremely slowly, being emplaced over a period of 4-10 years in a glacial manner, where a thick (>60-m) plug slid over a thin (5-m-thick) basal shear zone. Excellent exposure means that the Puy de Cliergue complex can be viewed as a case type location for understanding and defining the eruption and emplacement of thick, high-viscosity, silicic lava flow systems.

Rapid Intradeformational Emplacement of the Big Hole Canyon Pluton Into the Sevier Fold-Thrust Belt, Southwest Montana.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hespenheide, M. A.

2002-12-01

The Big Hole Canyon pluton (BHCp) is a Late Cretaceous pluton emplaced within the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt of the western North American Cordillera. The pluton is exposed over 60km2 and a thickness of ~1400m. Combined anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), structural, and field studies document a clear pattern of magmatic flow radiating from at least three subvertical conduits <100m wide and ~300 to ~800m long. Interpreted flow plunges change rapidly to subhorizontal fabrics across the rest of the pluton, matching the expected pattern for laccolithic emplacement. Ascent conduits within the Big Hole Canyon pluton are coincident with the fold axis of an anticline above a thrust ramp, suggesting that the magma ascended up the fault of the fault-bend-fold. Geobarometry and stratigraphic reconstructions indicate an emplacement depth of approximately ~3km. Preliminary thermal modeling indicates that the BHCp was emplaced in 250,000 years, likely between periods of regional shortening deformation. Rapid magma ascent rates calculated by dike flow modeling and implied by entrained wall-rock xenoliths may indicate sequential magma injection into the pluton; an absence of chill margins between phases within the pluton indicates that sequential injections must have taken place quickly enough that the magmas did not have time to cool below the solidus temperature. The geometry and location of the BHCp suggest that magma used a pre-existing fault as a mechanical discontinuity for both ascent and emplacement. Continued intrusion of magma had a sufficient amount of driving pressure to stretch, shear, and lift the roof of the pluton. Detailed field mapping, structural studies, AMS, and thermobarometry indicate that the Late Cretaceous Big Hole Canyon pluton was emplaced as a laccolith at the top of a pre-existing fault-bend-fold in the frontal portion of the Sevier fold-thrust belt.

Exploring Inflated Pahohoe Lava Flow Morphologies and the Effects of Cooling Using a New Simulation Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaze, L. S.; Baloga, S. M.

2014-01-01

Pahoehoe lavas are recognized as an important landform on Earth, Mars and Io. Observations of such flows on Earth (e.g., Figure 1) indicate that the emplacement process is dominated by random effects. Existing models for lobate a`a lava flows that assume viscous fluid flow on an inclined plane are not appropriate for dealing with the numerous random factors present in pahoehoe emplacement. Thus, interpretation of emplacement conditions for pahoehoe lava flows on Mars requires fundamentally different models. A new model that implements a simulation approach has recently been developed that allows exploration of a variety of key influences on pahoehoe lobe emplacement (e.g., source shape, confinement, slope). One important factor that has an impact on the final topographic shape and morphology of a pahoehoe lobe is the volumetric flow rate of lava, where cooling of lava on the lobe surface influences the likelihood of subsequent breakouts.

Pluton emplacement in a releasing bend in a transpressive regime: the arrozal granite in the Paraíba do Sul shear belt, Rio de Janeiro.

PubMed

Nummer, Alexis R; Machado, Rômulo; Dehler, Nolan M

2007-06-01

The Arrozal Granite, situated in the southwestern region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, has a granitic to granodioritic composition. It contains a strong mylonitic foliation along its border, passing gradually to a well-developed magmatic foliation towards its center. Structural analysis indicates that the Arrozal Granite was emplaced along the Além-Paraíba Shear Zone in a dextral transpressive tectonic regime. A regional shift of the trend along this shear zone from NE-SW to E-W, observed in the area, is interpreted to be casually related to the creation of space for the emplacement of the granite. Our data indicate that releasing bends may have played an important role for space generation during the emplacement of the Arrozal Granite and other plutons.

Regional stratigraphy and geologic history of Mare Crisium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, J. W., III; Adams, J. B.; Mccord, T. B.; Pieters, C.; Zisk, S.

1978-01-01

Remote sensing and Luna 24 sample data are used to develop a summary of the regional stratigraphy and geologic history of Mare Crisium. Laboratory spectra of Luna 24 samples, telescopic reflectance spectra in the 0.3 to 1.1 micron range and orbital X-ray data have identified three major basalt groups in the region. Group I soil is derived from iron- and magnesium-rich titaniferous basalts and was apparently emplaced over the majority of the basin, however is presently exposed as a shelf in the southwest part. Group II soils, derived from very low titanium ferrobasalts, were emplaced in two stages subsequent to Group I emplacement and now appear as part of the outer shelf and topographic annulus. Subsidence of the basin interior preceded and continued after the emplacement of the third basalt group, a soil derived from a low titanium ferrobasalt. The Luna 24 site is found to be within a patch of Group II material.

On the importance of coupled THM processes to predict the long-term response of a generic salt repository for high-level nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Martin, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2013-12-01

Salt is a potential medium for the underground disposal of nuclear waste because it has several assets, in particular its ability to creep and heal fractures generated by excavation and its water and gas tightness in the undisturbed state. In this research, we focus on disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste (such as spent fuel) and we consider a generic salt repository with in-drift emplacement of waste packages and subsequent backfill of the drifts with run-of-mine crushed salt. As the natural salt creeps, the crushed salt backfill gets progressively compacted and an engineered barrier system is subsequently created. In order to evaluate the integrity of the natural and engineered barriers over the long-term, it is important to consider the coupled effects of the thermal, hydraulic and mechanical processes that take place. In particular, the results obtained so far show how the porosity reduction of the crushed salt affects the saturation and pore pressure evolution throughout the repository, both in time and space. Such compaction is induced by the stress and temperature regime within the natural salt. Also, transport properties of the host rock are modified not only by thermo-mechanically and hydraulically-induced damaged processes, but also by healing/sealing of existing fractures. In addition, the THM properties of the backfill evolve towards those of the natural salt during the compaction process. All these changes are based on dedicated laboratory experiments and on theoretical considerations [1-3]. Different scenarios are modeled and compared to evaluate the relevance of different processes from the perspective of effective nuclear waste repositories. The sensitivity of the results to some parameters, such as capillarity, is also addressed. The simulations are conducted using an updated version of the TOUGH2-FLAC3D simulator, which is based on a sequential explicit method to couple flow and geomechanics [4]. A new capability for large strains and creep has been introduced and validated. The time-dependent geomechanical response of salt is determined using the Lux/Wolters constitutive model, developed at Clausthal University of Technology (Germany). References: [1] R. Wolters, and K.-H. Lux. Evaluation of Rock Salt Barriers with Respect to Tightness: Influence of Thermomechanical Damage, Fluid Infiltration and Sealing/Healing. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt (SaltMech7). Paris: Balkema, Rotterdam (2012). [2] W. Bechthold et al., Backfilling and Sealing of Underground Repositories for Radioactive Waste in Salt (BAMBUS Project), European Atomic Energy Community, Report EUR19124 EN (1999). [3] J. Kim, E.L Sonnenthal and J. Rutqvist, 'Formulation and sequential numerical algorithms of coupled fluid/heat flow and geomechanics for multiple porosity materials', Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng., 92, 425 (2012). [4] J. Rutqvist. Status of the TOUGH-FLAC simulator and recent applications related to coupled fluid flow and crustal deformations. Computational Geosciences, 37, 739-750 (2011).

Operational Strategies for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site in Egypt - 13513

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

Mohamed, Yasser T.

The ultimate aims of treatment and conditioning is to prepare waste for disposal by ensuring that the waste will meet the waste acceptance criteria of a disposal facility. Hence the purpose of low-level waste disposal is to isolate the waste from both people and the environment. The radioactive particles in low-level waste emit the same types of radiation that everyone receives from nature. Most low-level waste fades away to natural background levels of radioactivity in months or years. Virtually all of it diminishes to natural levels in less than 300 years. In Egypt, The Hot Laboratories and Waste Management Centermore » has been established since 1983, as a waste management facility for LLW and ILW and the disposal site licensed for preoperational in 2005. The site accepts the low level waste generated on site and off site and unwanted radioactive sealed sources with half-life less than 30 years for disposal and all types of sources for interim storage prior to the final disposal. Operational requirements at the low-level (LLRW) disposal site are listed in the National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control NCNSRC guidelines. Additional procedures are listed in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Standards Manual. The following describes the current operations at the LLRW disposal site. (authors)« less

Igneous sills record far-field and near-field stress interactions during volcano construction: Isle of Mull, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, T. L.; Walker, R. J.; Healy, D.; Bubeck, A.; England, R. W.; McCaffrey, K. J. W.

2017-11-01

Sill emplacement is typically associated with horizontally mechanically layered host rocks in a near-hydrostatic far-field stress state, where contrasting mechanical properties across the layers promote transitions from dykes, or inclined sheets, to sills. We used detailed field observations from the Loch Scridain Sill Complex (Isle of Mull, UK), and mechanical models to show that layering is not always the dominant control on sill emplacement. The studied sills have consistently shallow dips (1°-25°) and cut vertically bedded and foliated metamorphic basement rocks, and horizontally bedded cover sedimentary rocks and lavas. Horizontal and shallowly-dipping fractures in the host rock were intruded with vertical opening in all cases, whilst steeply-dipping discontinuities within the sequence (i.e. vertical fractures and foliation in the basement, and vertical polygonal joints in the lavas) were not intruded during sill emplacement. Mechanical models of slip tendency, dilation tendency, and fracture susceptibility for local and overall sill geometry data, support a radial horizontal compression during sill emplacement. Our models show that dykes and sills across Mull were emplaced during NW-SE horizontal shortening, related to a far-field tectonic stress state. The dykes generally accommodated phases of NE-SW horizontal tectonic extension, whereas the sills record the superposition of the far-field stress with a near-field stress state, imposed by emplacement of the Mull Central Volcano. We show that through detailed geometric characterisation coupled with mechanical modelling, sills may be used as an indication of fluctuations in the paleostress state.

Palaeomagnetic Emplacement Temperature Determinations of Pyroclastic and Volcaniclastic Deposits in Southern African Kimberlite Pipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fontana, G.; Mac Niocaill, C.; Brown, R.; Sparks, R. S.; Matthew, F.; Gernon, T. M.

2009-12-01

Kimberlites are complex, ultramafic and diamond-bearing volcanic rocks preserved in volcanic pipes, dykes and craters. The formation of kimberlite pipes is a strongly debated issue and two principal theories have been proposed to explain pipe formation: (1) the explosive degassing of magma, and (2) the interaction of rising magma with groundwater (phreatomagmatism). Progressive thermal demagnetization studies are a powerful tool for determining the emplacement temperatures of ancient volcanic deposits and we present the first application of such techniques to kimberlite deposits. Lithic clasts were sampled from a variety of lithofacies, from three pipes for which the internal geology is well constrained (A/K1 pipe, Orapa Mine, Botswana and the K1 and K2 pipes, Venetia Mine, South Africa). The sampled deposits included massive and layered vent-filling breccias with varying abundances of lithic inclusions and layered crater-filling pyroclastic deposits, talus breccias and volcaniclastic breccias. Lithic clasts sampled from layered and massive vent-filling pyroclastic deposits in A/K1 were emplaced at >590° C. Results from K1 and K2 provide a maximum emplacement temperature limit for vent-filling breccias of 420-460° C; and constrain equilibrium deposit temperatures at 300-340° C. Crater-filling volcaniclastic kimberlite breccias and talus deposits from A/K1 were emplaced at ambient temperatures, consistent with infilling of the pipe by post-eruption epiclastic processes. Identified within the epiclastic crater-fill succession is a laterally extensive 15-20 metre thick kimberlite pyroclastic flow deposit emplaced at temperatures of 220-440° C. It overlies the post-eruption epiclastic units and is considered an extraneous pyroclastic kimberlite deposit erupted from another kimberlite vent. The results provide important constraints on kimberlite emplacement mechanisms and eruption dynamics. Emplacement temperatures of >590°C for pipe-filling pyroclastic deposits are consistent with volatile-driven eruptions, and suggest phreatomagmatism did not play a major role in the generation of the deposits. The discovery of an extraneous pyroclastic flow deposit within the Orapa A/K1 epiclastic crater, which was erupted from another vent, suggests kimberlite eruptions are capable of producing sustained eruption columns and thick pyroclastic deposits involving significant transport away from source.

Preliminary conceptual model for mineral evolution in Yucca Mountain

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

Duffy, C.J.

1993-12-01

A model is presented for mineral alteration in Yucca Mountain, Nevada, that suggests that the mineral transformations observed there are primarily controlled by the activity of aqueous silica. The rate of these reactions is related to the rate of evolution of the metastable silica polymorphs opal-CT and cristobalite assuming that a{sub SiO{sub 2(aq)}} is fixed at the equilibrium solubility of the most soluble silica polymorph present. The rate equations accurately predict the present depths of disappearance of opal-CT and cristobalite. The rate equations have also been used to predict the extent of future mineral alteration that may result from emplacementmore » of a high-level nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain. Relatively small changes in mineralogy are predicted, but these predictions are based on the assumption that emplacement of a repository would not increase the pH of water in Yucca Mountain nor increase its carbonate content. Such changes may significantly increase mineral alteration. Some of the reactions currently occurring in Yucca Mountain consume H{sup +} and CO{sub 3}{sup 2{minus}}. Combining reaction rate models for these reactions with water chemistry data may make it possible to estimate water flux through the basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Member and to help confirm the direction and rate of flow of groundwater in Yucca Mountain.« less

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

Not Available

The papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy's Twelfth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28 and 29, 1990. General subjects addressed during the conference included: mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste tracking and transportation, public involvement, performance assessment, waste stabilization, financial assurance, waste minimization, licensing and environmental documentation, below-regulatory-concern waste, low-level radioactive waste temporary storage, current challenges, and challenges beyond 1990.

Thirteenth annual U.S. DOE low-level radioactive waste management conference: Proceedings

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

NONE

1991-12-31

The 40 papers in this document comprise the proceedings of the Department of Energy`s Thirteenth Annual Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference that was held in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 19--21, 1991. General subjects addressed during the conference included: disposal facility design; greater-than-class C low-level waste; public acceptance considerations; waste certification; site characterization; performance assessment; licensing and documentation; emerging low-level waste technologies; waste minimization; mixed waste; tracking and transportation; storage; and regulatory changes. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base.

Special Analysis for Disposal of High-Concentration I-129 Waste in the Intermediate-Level Vaults at the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility

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

Collard, L.B.

2000-09-26

This revision was prepared to address comments from DOE-SR that arose following publication of revision 0. This Special Analysis (SA) addresses disposal of wastes with high concentrations of I-129 in the Intermediate-Level (IL) Vaults at the operating, low-level radioactive waste disposal facility (the E-Area Low-Level Waste Facility or LLWF) on the Savannah River Site (SRS). This SA provides limits for disposal in the IL Vaults of high-concentration I-129 wastes, including activated carbon beds from the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), based on their measured, waste-specific Kds.

The emplacement, geochemistry and petrogenesis of two central Morocco Hercynian granites. Geotectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliani, G.; Cheilletz, A.; Zimmermann, J. L.

New field, petrographic and geochemical data including REE, Rb-Sr, and K-Ar, are presented concerning the emplacement and petrogenesis of two calc-alkaline Moroccan Hercynian granites: the Zaër pluton and the Djebel Aouam stocks. Zonation in the Zaër pluton does not appear to result from simple fractional crystallization nor from hydrothermal alteration but is rather the diapiric intrusion of two interlocked bodies. REE geochemistry supports the interpretation that the biotite-granodiorite magma (301 ± 8.2 M.a.) and the Djebel Aouam stocks appear to have been derived by fusion of crustal materials with possible mantle contamination ( Initial87Sr/ 86Srratio = 0.70514 ). The second two-mica granitic magma (283.4 ± 6.2 M.a.) corresponds to a peraluminous granite (1.22 < A/ CNK < 1.33) generated by fusion of continental crust including mature sedimentarr materials (Initial 87Sr/ 86Sr ratio = 0.70836). These granites are compared to the Acadian granites of north Appalachian and classified in the «post-collision, uplift environmentå type. An illustrative four step model presenting the generation and emplacement of these two granites together with the associated W-Sn-Pb-Zn-Ag mineralizations is proposed: (1) first magma generation, (2) first melt emplacement, (3) second melt emplacement, (4) late convective flow.

Thirty-year solid waste generation forecast for facilities at SRS

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

Not Available

1994-07-01

The information supplied by this 30-year solid waste forecast has been compiled as a source document to the Waste Management Environmental Impact Statement (WMEIS). The WMEIS will help to select a sitewide strategic approach to managing present and future Savannah River Site (SRS) waste generated from ongoing operations, environmental restoration (ER) activities, transition from nuclear production to other missions, and decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) programs. The EIS will support project-level decisions on the operation of specific treatment, storage, and disposal facilities within the near term (10 years or less). In addition, the EIS will provide a baseline for analysis ofmore » future waste management activities and a basis for the evaluation of the specific waste management alternatives. This 30-year solid waste forecast will be used as the initial basis for the EIS decision-making process. The Site generates and manages many types and categories of waste. With a few exceptions, waste types are divided into two broad groups-high-level waste and solid waste. High-level waste consists primarily of liquid radioactive waste, which is addressed in a separate forecast and is not discussed further in this document. The waste types discussed in this solid waste forecast are sanitary waste, hazardous waste, low-level mixed waste, low-level radioactive waste, and transuranic waste. As activities at SRS change from primarily production to primarily decontamination and decommissioning and environmental restoration, the volume of each waste s being managed will change significantly. This report acknowledges the changes in Site Missions when developing the 30-year solid waste forecast.« less

78 FR 1155 - Low-Level Waste Disposal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 10 CFR Part 61 [NRC-2011-0012] RIN 3150-AI92 Low-Level Waste... correcting a document appearing in the Federal Register on December 7, 2012 entitled, ``Low-Level Waste... and Submitting Comments, ``Regulatory Analysis for Proposed Revisions to Low-Level Waste Disposal...

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO SHOWING EMPLACEMENT STEEL BEAMS FUEL STORAGE BUILDING ...

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

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO SHOWING EMPLACEMENT STEEL BEAMS FUEL STORAGE BUILDING (CPP-603) LOOKING EAST. INL PHOTO NUMBER NRTS-51-1371. Unknown Photographer, 1/31/1951 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Fuel Reprocessing Complex, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Alternatives Generation and Analysis for Heat Removal from High Level Waste Tanks

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

WILLIS, W.L.

This document addresses the preferred combination of design and operational configurations to provide heat removal from high-level waste tanks during Phase 1 waste feed delivery to prevent the waste temperature from exceeding tank safety requirement limits. An interim decision for the preferred method to remove the heat from the high-level waste tanks during waste feed delivery operations is presented herein.

75 FR 1615 - Amended Record of Decision: Idaho High-Level Waste and Facilities Disposition Final Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Amended Record of Decision: Idaho High-Level Waste and Facilities Disposition...-Level Waste and Facilities Disposition Final Environmental Impact Statement. This document corrects an... Record of Decision: Idaho High-Level Waste and Facilities [[Page 1616

Final Environmental Impact Statement for Treating Transuranic (TRU)/Alpha Low-level Waste at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

N /A

2000-06-30

The DOE proposes to construct, operate, and decontaminate/decommission a TRU Waste Treatment Facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The four waste types that would be treated at the proposed facility would be remote-handled TRU mixed waste sludge, liquid low-level waste associated with the sludge, contact-handled TRU/alpha low-level waste solids, and remote-handled TRU/alpha low-level waste solids. The mixed waste sludge and some of the solid waste contain metals regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and may be classified as mixed waste. This document analyzes the potential environmental impacts associated with five alternatives--No Action, the Low-Temperature Drying Alternative (Preferred Alternative), themore » Vitrification Alternative, the Cementation Alternative, and the Treatment and Waste Storage at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Alternative.« less

Liquid and Gaseous Waste Operations Department annual operating report CY 1996

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

Maddox, J.J.; Scott, C.B.

1997-03-01

This annual report summarizes operating activities dealing with the process waste system, the liquid low-level waste system, and the gaseous waste system. It also describes upgrade activities dealing with the process and liquid low-level waste systems, the cathodic protection system, a stack ventilation system, and configuration control. Maintenance activities are described dealing with nonradiological wastewater treatment plant, process waste treatment plant and collection system, liquid low-level waste system, and gaseous waste system. Miscellaneous activities include training, audits/reviews/tours, and environmental restoration support.

Relating Seismicity to Dike Emplacement, and the Conundrum of Dyke-Parallel Faulting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dering, G.; Micklethwaite, S.; Cruden, A. R.; Barnes, S. J.; Fiorentini, M. L.

2016-12-01

Seismic monitoring shows that faulting and fracturing precede and accompany magma emplacement on timescales of hours and days. One outstanding problem is that the precision of earthquake hypocentre locations is typically limited to tens or hundreds of meters and cannot resolve whether the hypocentres relate to strain of wall rock fragments within the dikes, in a process zone around the intrusion or peripherally in the country rock. We examine a swarm of 19 dolerite dikes, near Albany, Western Australia using an unmanned aerial vehicle and Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to obtain accurate, high resolution 3D reconstructions of outcrop and to digitally extract structural data. We find rare overprinting relationships indicate dike emplacement and faulting was coeval and that the number of faults/fractures increase into the dike swarm (2.2 ± 0.7 more fractures, per unit length in host rocks intruded by dikes relative to the background value). The faults are cataclasite-bearing and parallel to the dikes but intriguingly dike emplacement appears to have been accommodated by mode 1 extension. We further provide the first evidence that dike-parallel shear failure occurs in a damage zone associated with the dike swarm. These results support seismological observations of dike-parallel shear failure associated with some intrusion events, which contradict Mohr-Coulomb theory and numerical modelling of dike propagation in brittle-elastic rock, where shear failure is predicted to occur on faults oriented approximately 30° to the dyke plane. We suggest the dike swarm occupies a network of joints and fractures formed prior to swarm emplacement but then reactivated ahead of propagating dikes and remaining active during the early stages of emplacement.

Thermal Anomaly Engendered by the Emplacement of AN Au-DEPOSIT: Example from the Franciscan Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahfid, A.; Lacroix, B.; Delchini, S.; Hughes, J.

2016-12-01

The thermal history of the Lucia subterrane located within the Franciscan Complex (California, USA) has been previously proposed by Underwood et al. (1995). Based on both vitrinite reflectance (Rm) and illite cristallinity methods, these authors suggest that the Lucia subterrane is locally perturbed by a thermal anomaly (up to 300ºC), probably caused by the emplacement of an Au-deposit: the Los Burros Gold deposit. Although both the thermal anomaly and the deposit seem spatially correlated, their relationship is still poorly constrained. In order to better explain the anomalous temperatures recorded in the vicinity of the deposit and their possible link with mineralization processes, we first performed detailed geological and structural mapping within the Los Burros district coupled to a thermal study. The peak temperature reached by metasediments from the Lucia subterrane have been regionally investigated using Raman Spectroscopy of Carbonaceous Materials (RSCM) method. In addition, through a careful fluid-inclusion study of the deposit, the potential source and the temperature of the fluid responsible for the Los Burros Au-deposit emplacement are currently being investigated. Our preliminary results confirm the previous temperatures and the presence of the thermal anomaly in the range 260-320ºC as inferred by Underwood et al (1995). In addition, our structural interpretation shows that the Los Burros deposit was emplaced during a late tectonic event marked by local reorientation of the regional tectonic features and the emplacement of meter-wide, quartz-calcite-sulfide extension veins. The temperatures determined by both methods (RSCM thermometry and fluid inclusion microthermometry) are consistent and support that the thermal anomaly is likely generated by the emplacement of the Los Burros Au-deposit during a local tectonic event.

Paleomagnetic Investigations on the Tectonic Evolution of the Southeastern Anatolian Ophiolites in Late Cretaceous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cengiz Cinku, M.; Karabulut, S.; Parlak, O.; Cabuk, B. S.; Ustaömer, T.; Hisarli, M. Z.

2016-12-01

Two E-W trending ophiolite belts crop out in SE Turkey, The southerly located ophiolites (Hatay, Koçali) were emplaced onto the Arabian Platform in Late Cretaceous whereas the northerly located ophiolites (Göksun, İspendere, Kömürhan, Guleman) were underthrust the S Tauride margin (i.e. Malatya-Keban Platform) in Late Cretaceous. Here we report our first paleomagnetic results from 155 different sites which was was focused on to the sheeted dyke complex, cumulate gabbros and extrusive sequences of each ophiolite from the N and S belts, while the cover units where sampled to distinguish emplacement related tectonic rotations from post-emplacement tectonic rotations. Rock magnetic experiments showed evidence of magnetite/titanomagnetite as the main magnetic carriers at the majority of sites. Progressive thermal and alternating demagnetization revealed that the characteristic remanent component is removed between 500 and 580 °C or 30-100 mT, respectively. Our new paleomagnetic results from the ophiolitic rocks emplaced in Arabian platform and the SE Anatolia show important implications to the spreading centre of the former ocean (s). Large counterclockwise rotations up to 100° are obtained from the sheeded dykes of the Hatay ophiolite in the Arabian plate with a paleolatitude of 16°, in contrast to the sheeded dykes of the Göksun ophiolite emplaced in the SE Anatolian with clockwise rotation of 90° and a paleolatitude of 22°. The relative movement of the ophiolitic series show their emplacement in the different zones. This study was financially supported by the project of the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with Project number 114R024.

Topography of the Deuteronilus contact on Mars: Evidence for an ancient water/mud ocean and long-wavelength topographic readjustments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, M. A.; Erkeling, G.; Hiesinger, H.; Bernhardt, H.; Reiss, D.

2017-09-01

In this paper, we present the results of our detailed study of morphology, topography, and age of the Deuteronilus contact that outlines Vastitas Borealis Formation (VBF) in the northern plains and the Isidis Planitia unit. The Deuteronilus contact represents a sharp and distinct geological boundary that can be traced continuously for many hundreds to thousands of kilometers. In the northern plains, segments of the Deuteronilus contact occur at two distinct topographic levels. In the northern plains, the long-wavelength topography of the Deuteronilus contact occur at two distinct topographic levels. In the Tempe, Chryse, Acidalia, and Cydonia-Deuteronilus regions (the total length is ∼14,000 km), the contact is at the mean elevation of about -3.92 km (the decile range is 180 m, from -4.01 km to -3.83 km). In the Pyramus-Astapus, Utopia, and Western Elysium regions (the total length is ∼7700 km), the mean elevation of the contact is about -3.58 km (the decile range is 270 m, from -3.73 km to -3.46 km). These levels to large extent (but not completely) correspond to the model geoids that may have been characterized the shape of Mars at the time of the VBF emplacement. Largest deviations of the actual topographic position of the contact from the model geoids occur in the Tantalus and Phlegra regions where the deviations are due to the post-VBF changes of the regional topography. The fact that the model geoids satisfactory describe the shape of the largest portion of the contact provides additional evidence for both the emplacement of the VBF edges near an equipotential surface and for relative stability of the shape of Mars during a long time interval of about 3.6 Ga. Within the northern plains in the Tempe Terra, Acidalia Planitia, Cydonia-Deuteronilus, Pyramus-Astapus, and the southern Utopia regions, the absolute model ages of the VBF surface near the Deuteronilus contact are tightly clustered around the age of ∼3.6 Ga, which we interpret as the age of the VBF emplacement. The surface of the VBF-like Isidis Planitia unit is distinctly younger, ∼3.50 ± 0.01 Ga, which suggests that this unit formed independently. Neither volcanic nor glacial modes of emplacement are consistent with the topographic configuration and the shape of the Deuteronilus contact within both the northern plains and in Isidis Planitia. The broad flooding and formation of extensive water/mud reservoirs remains to be the most plausible mode of formation of the VBF in the northern plains and the VBF-like unit on the floor of the Isidis basin.

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

76 FR 58543 - Draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-21

...-Level Radioactive Waste Management AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Reopening of comment... for public comment a draft Policy Statement on Volume Reduction and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management that updates the 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level Waste Volume Reduction. The revised Policy...

Screening the Hanford tanks for trapped gas

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

Whitney, P.

1995-10-01

The Hanford Site is home to 177 large, underground nuclear waste storage tanks. Hydrogen gas is generated within the waste in these tanks. This document presents the results of a screening of Hanford`s nuclear waste storage tanks for the presence of gas trapped in the waste. The method used for the screening is to look for an inverse correlation between waste level measurements and ambient atmospheric pressure. If the waste level in a tank decreases with an increase in ambient atmospheric pressure, then the compressibility may be attributed to gas trapped within the waste. In this report, this methodology ismore » not used to estimate the volume of gas trapped in the waste. The waste level measurements used in this study were made primarily to monitor the tanks for leaks and intrusions. Four measurement devices are widely used in these tanks. Three of these measure the level of the waste surface. The remaining device measures from within a well embedded in the waste, thereby monitoring the liquid level even if the liquid level is below a dry waste crust. In the past, a steady rise in waste level has been taken as an indicator of trapped gas. This indicator is not part of the screening calculation described in this report; however, a possible explanation for the rise is given by the mathematical relation between atmospheric pressure and waste level used to support the screening calculation. The screening was applied to data from each measurement device in each tank. If any of these data for a single tank indicated trapped gas, that tank was flagged by this screening process. A total of 58 of the 177 Hanford tanks were flagged as containing trapped gas, including 21 of the 25 tanks currently on the flammable gas watch list.« less

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO REMOTE ANALYTICAL FACILITY (CPP627) SHOWING EMPLACEMENT OF ...

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

CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTO REMOTE ANALYTICAL FACILITY (CPP-627) SHOWING EMPLACEMENT OF ROOF SLABS. INL PHOTO NUMBER NRTS-54-13463. R.G. Larsen, Photographer, 12/20/1954 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Fuel Reprocessing Complex, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Multisensory Emplaced Learning: Resituating Situated Learning in a Moving World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fors, Vaike; Backstrom, Asa; Pink, Sarah

2013-01-01

This article outlines the implications of a theory of "sensory-emplaced learning" for understanding the interrelationships between the embodied and environmental in learning processes. Understanding learning as multisensory and contingent within everyday place-events, this framework analytically describes how people establish themselves as…

Multisensory Emplaced Learning: Resituating Situated Learning in a Moving World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fors, Vaike; Backstrom, Asa; Pink, Sarah

2013-01-01

This article outlines the implications of a theory of "sensory-emplaced learning" for understanding the interrelationships between the embodied and environmental in learning processes. Understanding learning as multisensory and contingent within everyday place-events, this framework analytically describes how people establish themselves…

The properties of the nano-minerals and hazardous elements: Potential environmental impacts of Brazilian coal waste fire.

PubMed

Civeira, Matheus S; Pinheiro, Rafael N; Gredilla, Ainara; de Vallejuelo, Silvia Fdez Ortiz; Oliveira, Marcos L S; Ramos, Claudete G; Taffarel, Silvio R; Kautzmann, Rubens M; Madariaga, Juan Manuel; Silva, Luis F O

2016-02-15

Brazilian coal area (South Brazil) impacted the environment by means of a large number of coal waste piles emplaced over the old mine sites and the adjacent areas of the Criciúma, Urussanga, and Siderópolis cities. The area studied here was abandoned and after almost 30 years (smokeless visual) some companies use the actual minerals derived from burning coal cleaning rejects (BCCRs) complied in the mentioned area for industry tiles or refractory bricks. Mineralogical and geochemical similarities between the BCCRs and non-anthropogenic geological environments are outlined here. Although no visible flames were observed, this study revealed that auto-combustion existed in the studied area for many years. The presence of amorphous phases, mullite, hematite and other Fe-minerals formed by high temperature was found. There is also pyrite, Fe-sulphates (eg. jarosite) and unburnt coal present, which are useful for comparison purposes. Bad disposal of coal-dump wastes represents significant environmental concerns due to their potential influence on atmosphere, river sediments, soils and as well as on the surface and groundwater in the surroundings of these areas. The present study using advanced analytical techniques were performed to provide an improved understanding of the complex processes related with sulphide-rich coal waste oxidation, spontaneous combustion and mineral formation. It is reporting huge numbers of rare minerals with alunite, montmorillonite, szomolnokite, halotrichite, coquimbite and copiapite at the BCCRs. The data showed the presence of abundant amorphous Si-Al-Fe-Ti as (oxy-)hydroxides and Fe-hydro/oxides with goethite and hematite with various degrees of crystallinity, containing hazardous elements, such as Cu, Cr, Hf, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Pb, Th, U, Zr, and others. By Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the mineralogical composition was related with the range of elemental concentration of each sample. Most of the nano-minerals and ultra-fine particles found in the burned coal-dump wastes are the same as those commonly associated with coal cleaning rejects, in which oxidation of sulphides plays an important role to environment and human health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New SW Pacific tectonic model: Cyclical intraoceanic magmatic arc construction and near-coeval emplacement along the Australia-Pacific margin in the Cenozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whattam, Scott A.; Malpas, John; Ali, Jason R.; Smith, Ian E. M.

2008-03-01

Various reconstructions of the SW Pacific for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic suggest that northeast dipping subduction began in the South Loyalty Basin (SLB) at 55-50 Ma and that subsequent closure of the SLB resulted in the diachronous emplacement of Cretaceous-Paleocene ophiolitic nappes onto the Norfolk Ridge in New Caledonia at 40-34 Ma and in Northland, New Zealand, around 24-21 Ma. A fundamental problem with these models is that they do not account for the fact that NE dipping subduction had already been established offshore Papua New Guinea by at least 65-60 Ma which resulted in the emplacement of the Papuan Ultramafic Belt (PUB) ophiolite at 59-58 Ma. A second issue is that the reconstructions are based largely upon unfounded assumptions as to the age and nature of the basement beneath the Loyalty arc and Three Kings Ridge. Finally, reconstructions of the Northland region are based upon the erroneous assumption that the age of the majority of the igneous component comprising the Northland allochthon is Late Cretaceous-Paleocene, when in fact it is Oligocene. A new model is presented whereby the PUB, New Caledonia, and Northland ophiolites formed and were emplaced in a cyclical fashion above an extensive NE dipping Cenozoic intraoceanic arc system which diachronously propagated (N-S) along the entire eastern margin of the Australian Plate. These "infant arc" ophiolites represent fragments of suprasubduction zone lithosphere (SSZL) generated in the earliest stages of magmatic arc formation that were emplaced shortly after (<20 m.y.) as a result of forearc-Australian Plate collision. Subduction inception was the result of subsidence of older MORB-like lithosphere generated within an extensive "back arc basin" to the east of the Norfolk Ridge during the earliest stages of SLB formation above a southwest dipping Pacific Plate. During emplacement of each ophiolite, a crustal fragment of the older lithosphere was scraped off the NE dipping slab and subsequently back-thrust beneath each ophiolite during its emplacement.

40 CFR 761.347 - First level sampling-waste from existing piles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 31 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false First level sampling-waste from..., DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE, AND USE PROHIBITIONS Sampling Non-Liquid, Non-Metal PCB Bulk Product Waste for... Waste Destined for Off-Site Disposal, in Accordance With § 761.61 § 761.347 First level sampling—waste...

40 CFR 761.347 - First level sampling-waste from existing piles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false First level sampling-waste from..., DISTRIBUTION IN COMMERCE, AND USE PROHIBITIONS Sampling Non-Liquid, Non-Metal PCB Bulk Product Waste for... Waste Destined for Off-Site Disposal, in Accordance With § 761.61 § 761.347 First level sampling—waste...

Steerable sound transport in a 3D acoustic network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xia, Bai-Zhan; Jiao, Jun-Rui; Dai, Hong-Qing; Yin, Sheng-Wen; Zheng, Sheng-Jie; Liu, Ting-Ting; Chen, Ning; Yu, De-Jie

2017-10-01

Quasi-lossless and asymmetric sound transports, which are exceedingly desirable in various modern physical systems, are almost always based on nonlinear or angular momentum biasing effects with extremely high power levels and complex modulation schemes. A practical route for the steerable sound transport along any arbitrary acoustic pathway, especially in a three-dimensional (3D) acoustic network, can revolutionize the sound power propagation and the sound communication. Here, we design an acoustic device containing a regular-tetrahedral cavity with four cylindrical waveguides. A smaller regular-tetrahedral solid in this cavity is eccentrically emplaced to break spatial symmetry of the acoustic device. The numerical and experimental results show that the sound power flow can unimpededly transport between two waveguides away from the eccentric solid within a wide frequency range. Based on the quasi-lossless and asymmetric transport characteristic of the single acoustic device, we construct a 3D acoustic network, in which the sound power flow can flexibly propagate along arbitrary sound pathways defined by our acoustic devices with eccentrically emplaced regular-tetrahedral solids.

Sub-decadal turbidite frequency during the early Holocene: Eel Fan, offshore northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paull, Charles K.; McGann, Mary L.; Sumner, Esther J; Barnes, Philip M; Lundsten, Eve M.; Anderson, Krystle; Gwiazda, Roberto; Edwards, Brian D.; Caress, David W

2014-01-01

Remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicle technologies were used to image and sample exceptional deep sea outcrops where an ∼100-m-thick section of turbidite beds is exposed on the headwalls of two giant submarine scours on Eel submarine fan, offshore northern California (USA). These outcrops provide a rare opportunity to connect young deep-sea turbidites with their feeder system. 14C measurements reveal that from 12.8 ka to 7.9 ka, one turbidite was being emplaced on average every 7 yr. This emplacement rate is two to three orders of magnitude higher than observed for turbidites elsewhere along the Pacific margin of North America. The turbidites contain abundant wood and shallow-dwelling foraminifera, demonstrating an efficient connection between the Eel River source and the Eel Fan sink. Turbidite recurrence intervals diminish fivefold to ∼36 yr from 7.9 ka onward, reflecting sea-level rise and re-routing of Eel River sediments.

76 FR 35137 - Vulnerability and Threat Information for Facilities Storing Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-16

... High-Level Radioactive Waste AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Public meeting... Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste, and Reactor-Related Greater Than Class C Waste,'' and 73... Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) storage facilities. The draft regulatory...

13. Emplacement no. 2, overhead view of counterweight well, showing ...

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

13. Emplacement no. 2, overhead view of counterweight well, showing channel for gun motor cable and bolt plates upon which base ring of gun carriage was mounted - Fort Wadsworth Battery Romeyn B. Ayers, South side of Ayers Road, Staten Island, Rosebank, Richmond County, NY

ISLAY containment data report

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

Stubbs, T.; Heinle, R.

1997-06-01

This containment data report for the ISLAY event provides a description of the event, including the site, emplacement, and instrumentation. Stemming performance is reported, including radiation pressure and motion. Collapse phenomena are reported, including motion and radiation pressure. Measurements on the emplacement pipe are reported, including motion, pressure, temperature, and radiation.

Magma Emplacement Processes of the Oligocene Zákupy and Miocene Měrunice Diatremes, Czech Republic: Revealed via Petrography, Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility, Paleomegnetic, and Ground Magnetometry Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shields, Sarah; Petronis, Michael; Rapprich, Vladislav; Valenta, Jan

2016-04-01

The emplacement of silica-undersaturated magma in continental rift volcanoes remains poorly understood because the roots of these systems are not often accessible. The Miocene Měrunice and Oligocene Zákupy diatremes, Czech Republic, are located within or on the SE shoulder of the Eger Rift. These diatremes provide a unique opportunity to conduct a comparative emplacement study, in near 3-dimensions, of their sub-volcanic magma plumbing systems. Studies across the rift reveal that magma compositions show a temporal evolution trend that coincides with three rift phases: melilitic-nephelinites during pre-rift (79-49 Ma); two magmas, weakly alkaline olivine basalts and strongly alkaline nephlelinite-tephrite-phonolites during syn-rift (42-16 Ma), and olivine foidites during late rift (16-0.3 Ma). Here we report preliminary data on how varying degrees of alkaline magma generation paired with a dynamic rift stress regime yield unique emplacement mechanisms of presumed monogenetic rift diatremes. Field observations and laboratory data at both diatremes indicate multiple emplacement and eruptive events, as shown by variation in eruptive materials and cross cutting relationships between dikes and sills that differ in emplacement dynamics. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data were collected from 25 Zákupy diatreme sites and reveal primarily oblate magnetic fabrics that we interpret to indicate that magma flowed up, down, and laterally away from the suspected main conduit. Preliminary paleomagnetic data reveal that the intrusions are of reversed polarity and show some scatter about the expected reverse polarity reference direction that could be related to sub-volcanic deformation of the diatreme. In addition, ground magnetometry data indicate that the main conduit is likely located at the center of the quarry as shown by a magnetic low with a magnetic high radiating around the probable conduit. Curie point estimates show that the magnetic mineral phases carrying the characteristic remanent magnetization are moderate to high titanomagnetite with ilmenite inclusions in clinopyroxene. AMS data from the main feeder dikes from the Měrunice diatreme display a steep upward NW and NE emplacement trend. Petrologic observations indicate that the rocks are olivine basanites with little to no compositional variation between the intrusive and extrusive products. Paleomagnetic data from the Měrunice diatreme are underway and should aid with defining subvolcanic deformation during the growth of the diatreme. The results from this multidisciplinary study suggest that these presumed monogenetic systems display characteristics that are better described by a polygenetic emplacement model.

40 CFR 266.220 - What does a storage and treatment conditional exemption do?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF SPECIFIC HAZARDOUS WASTES AND SPECIFIC TYPES OF HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITIES Conditional Exemption for Low-Level Mixed Waste Storage... exemption exempts your low-level mixed waste from the regulatory definition of hazardous waste in 40 CFR 261...

Long-Term Modeling of Coupled Processes in a Generic Salt Repository for Heat-Generating Nuclear Waste: Analysis of the Impacts of Halite Solubility Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanco Martin, L.; Rutqvist, J.; Battistelli, A.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2015-12-01

Rock salt is a potential medium for the underground disposal of nuclear waste because it has several assets, such as its ability to creep and heal fractures and its water and gas tightness in the undisturbed state. In this research, we focus on disposal of heat-generating nuclear waste and we consider a generic salt repository with in-drift emplacement of waste packages and crushed salt backfill. As the natural salt creeps, the crushed salt backfill gets progressively compacted and an engineered barrier system is subsequently created [1]. The safety requirements for such a repository impose that long time scales be considered, during which the integrity of the natural and engineered barriers have to be demonstrated. In order to evaluate this long-term integrity, we perform numerical modeling based on state-of-the-art knowledge. Here, we analyze the impacts of halite dissolution and precipitation within the backfill and the host rock. For this purpose, we use an enhanced equation-of-state module of TOUGH2 that properly includes temperature-dependent solubility constraints [2]. We perform coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical modeling and we investigate the influence of the mentioned impacts. The TOUGH-FLAC simulator, adapted for large strains and creep, is used [3]. In order to quantify the importance of salt dissolution and precipitation on the effective porosity, permeability, pore pressure, temperature and stress field, we compare numerical results that include or disregard fluids of variable salinity. The sensitivity of the results to some parameters, such as the initial saturation within the backfill, is also addressed. References: [1] Bechthold, W. et al. Backfilling and Sealing of Underground Repositories for Radioactive Waste in Salt (BAMBUS II Project). Report EUR20621 EN: European Atomic Energy Community, 2004. [2] Battistelli A. Improving the treatment of saline brines in EWASG for the simulation of hydrothermal systems. Proceedings, TOUGH Symposium 2012, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, Sept. 17-19, 2012. [3] Blanco-Martín L, Rutqvist J, Birkholzer JT. Long-term modelling of the thermal-hydraulic-mechanical response of a generic salt repository for heat generating nuclear waste. Eng Geol 2015;193:198-211. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2015.04.014.

Investigating the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and other rock magnetic properties of the Beaver River Diabase in northeastern Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariri, S. H.; Brownlee, S. J.; Feinberg, J. M.; Jackson, M. J.; Miller, J. D.

2013-12-01

The Beaver River Diabase (BRD) is a series of mafic dikes and sills within the Beaver Bay Complex (BBC) of northern Minnesota, which formed during the development of the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift (MCR). The BRD is one of the youngest and most extensive intrusive phases of the BBC. The BRD dikes and sills were emplaced into the medial levels of the 6-10 kilometer-thick North Shore Volcanic Group and occur over an arcuate area extending 120 by 20 kilometers. The BRD is composed of fine- to medium-grained ophitic olivine gabbro and does not display obvious foliation or lineation features and rarely displays modal layering. Without obvious magmatic internal structures, it is difficult to determine emplacement properties such as flow direction using standard geologic mapping or petrographic techniques. For this reason, we measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), in conjunction with other rock magnetic properties, to better understand the BRD's emplacement and deformation history in the context of the MCR. AMS measures the directional dependence of low-field magnetic susceptibility, and is used to infer a shape-preferred orientation of magnetic minerals within a rock, which can be related to specific emplacement mechanisms (e.g. directional flow or settling). Preliminary analysis of AMS at 20 sites within the southern half of the BRD (with 4-7 samples per site) shows maximum susceptibility values between 4.48 x 10-6 and 2.22 x 10-4 m3/kg (1165 and 65400 μSI). Most specimens display nearly isotropic AMS ellipsoids (Pj < 1.15) with minor degrees of prolateness and oblateness. However, about 20% of specimens have higher anisotropies (Pj between 1.15 and 1.67) and higher degrees of oblateness and prolateness. Variations in AMS properties may reflect differences in concentration and composition, as well as emplacement mechanisms. Measurements of susceptibility as a function of temperature yield Curie points between 470 and 570 °C, indicating a presence of low-titanium titanomagnetite. Major hysteresis loops and first order reversal curve (FORC) experiments show coercivities between 1 and 125 mT, with a bulk average microcoercivity of 25 mT, consistent with titanomagnetite as the dominant remanence carrier. Further analysis will also investigate the relationship of AMS to rock fabric by measuring mineral crystal preferred orientations using electron backscatter diffraction. These measurements will supplement the AMS data, and provide links to the role of microstructure, texture and mineralogy in AMS.

Sill and Laccolith growth by Inflation and Propagation--just not necessarily at the same time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currier, R. M.; Marsh, B. D.

2013-12-01

Sill and laccolith growth is achieved by two key mechanisms, inflation (vertical growth) and propagation (radial growth). Of the myriad of models proposed for magmatic intrusion, all are variations on the same theme--some combination of inflation and propagation. Because of the inherent observational limitations in studying actual high-level crustal magma emplacement, there remains a poor consensus on any preferred model. To gain insight we have performed a series of simple experiments using layered gelatin as a viscoelastic crustal analog, and molten wax as magma analog. Wax is injected from the base of the gelatin mold, begins ascent as a dike, and is captured by the overlying, more rigid, layer of gelatin. The use of a solidifying magma analog separates these experiments from other gelatin-based studies. When water is used, a common choice for magma analog, the intrusion propagates in an extremely smooth manner. However, at the tip of any magma filled crack, where thickness is at a minimum, propagation and solidification are in fierce competition. The introduction of solidification reveals that emplacement actually occurs as a series of ensuing pulses--at times propagating and inflating concurrently, and at other times growth is achieved solely through propagation, or solely inflation. Unlike models without solidification, here no single combination of propagation and inflation accounts for growth, but rather, the different styles of emplacement reflect the relative competitiveness of propagation and solidification at that time and location. When propagation is fast relative to solidification, growth is smooth, and propagation and inflation occur simultaneously. When solidification dominates, propagation ceases, and growth by inflation becomes the chief emplacement mechanism. Nevertheless, regardless of the strong effect of solidification, building backpressure and the associated crack stresses can disrupt the chill zone at the sill edge, and bring on rapid propagation of magma in conjunction with overall sill deflation. Because the competitiveness of solidification increases with decreasing propagation velocity, and because propagation velocity of a growing magma body must necessarily decrease with time, these mechanisms are a fundamental feature of any magma body that grows for any extended period. Generally, larger flux rates correlate to larger radii and thinner sills. For classical laccolith formation, flux rate must be slow enough for solidification to curtail propagation at an early stage, effectively limiting radial growth and promoting further growth solely via inflation. The effects of this overall process occurs on multiple scales, and the history of the chilled margins can be clearly seen with a series of essentially ';chatter rinds' marking the staccato process of emplacement.

Rapid thermal rejuvenation of high-crystallinity magma linked to porphyry copper deposit formation; evidence from the Koloula Porphyry Prospect, Solomon Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapster, S.; Condon, D. J.; Naden, J.; Noble, S. R.; Petterson, M. G.; Roberts, N. M. W.; Saunders, A. D.; Smith, D. J.

2016-05-01

Magmas containing the components needed to form porphyry copper deposits are relatively common within arcs, yet mineralising events are uncommon within the long-lived magmatic systems that host them. Understanding what causes the transition from barren to productive intrusions is critical to the development of conceptual deposit models. We have constrained the tempo of pre- and syn-mineralisation magmatic events in relationship to the thermal evolution of the plutonic body that underlies one of the world's youngest exposed plutonic-porphyry systems, the Inamumu Zoned Pluton, Koloula Porphyry Prospect, Solomon Islands. High precision ID-TIMS U-Pb dates of texturally and chemically characterised zircons indicate pluton emplacement over <150 kyr was superseded after ca. 50 kyr by two discrete episodes of mineralising porphyritic melt emplacement. Their associated hydrothermal systems initiated within ca. 30 kyrs of each other. Zircon populations within evolved intrusions contain resorbed cores that were recycled from the deeper magmatic system, yet their youngest dates are statistically indistinguishable from those yielded by crystals lacking resorption. Comparisons of Ti-in-zircon proxy temperatures, modelled zircon saturation temperatures and temperature-crystallinity relationships suggest that prior to being heated and emplaced within the shallow level pluton, magmas were stored at depth in a high-crystallinity (>50% crystals) state, past the point of rheological lock-up. We estimate that thermal rejuvenation of the deeper high-crystallinity magma and generation of a mobile melt fraction may have occurred ≤10 kyr before its transport and emplacement within the porphyry environment. The underlying pluton likely cooled and returned to high-crystallinity states prior to subsequent remobilisation-emplacement events. Titanium-in-zircon geothermometry and whole-rock geochemistry suggest pre-mineralisation intrusions were remobilised by mixing of a silicic magma with a high-temperature, less-evolved melt. In contrast, syn-mineralisation melts were most likely remobilised by the percolation of hot volatiles exsolved from contemporaneous less-evolved intrusions cooling beneath the crystalline silicic magma. The evidence for the rapid thermal rejuvenation and long term storage of highly crystalline silicic magmas is consistent with previous studies that indicate two components of exsolved volatiles contribute to ore forming fluids. We conclude that the liberation of crystal-rich porphyry copper deposit forming magmas, and the addition of the chemical components required for ore formation, are intrinsically linked to the volatiles released during the recharge of less-evolved melt into a highly crystalline silicic magma.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) conceptual design report. Part I: executive summary. Part II: facilities and system

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

Not Available

1977-06-01

The pilot plant is developed for ERDA low-level contact-handled transuranic waste, ERDA remote-handled intermediate-level transuranic waste, and for high-level waste experiments. All wastes placed in the WIPP arrive at the site processed and packaged; no waste processing is done at the WIPP. All wastes placed into the WIPP are retrievable. The proposed site for WIPP lies 26 miles east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. This document includes the executive summary and a detailed description of the facilities and systems. (DLC)

Topic I: Induced changes in hydrology at low-level radioactive waste repository sites: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prudic, David E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Engineering practices, including the excavation of trenches, placement of waste, nature of waste forms, backfilling procedures and materials, and trench-cover construction and materials at low-level radioactive-waste repository sites greatly affect the geohydrology of the sites. Engineering practices are dominant factors in eventual stability and isolation of the waste. The papers presented relating to Topic I were discussions of the hydrogeologic setting at existing low-level radioactive-waste repository sites and changes in the hydrology induced by site operations. Papers summarizing detailed studies presented at this workshop include those at sites near Sheffield, Ill.; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tenn.; West Valley, N.Y.; Maxey Flats, Ky.; Barnwell, S.C.; and Beatty, Nev. 

Household-level dynamics of food waste production and related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours in Guelph, Ontario.

PubMed

Parizeau, Kate; von Massow, Mike; Martin, Ralph

2015-01-01

It has been estimated that Canadians waste $27 billion of food annually, and that half of that waste occurs at the household level (Gooch et al., 2010). There are social, environmental, and economic implications for this scale of food waste, and source separation of organic waste is an increasingly common municipal intervention. There is relatively little research that assesses the dynamics of household food waste (particularly in Canada). The purpose of this study is to combine observations of organic, recyclable, and garbage waste production rates to survey results of food waste-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours at the household level in the mid-sized municipality of Guelph, Ontario. Waste weights and surveys were obtained from 68 households in the summer of 2013. The results of this study indicate multiple relationships between food waste production and household shopping practices, food preparation behaviours, household waste management practices, and food-related attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles. Notably, we observed that food awareness, waste awareness, family lifestyles, and convenience lifestyles were related to food waste production. We conclude that it is important to understand the diversity of factors that can influence food wasting behaviours at the household level in order to design waste management systems and policies to reduce food waste. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

10 CFR 62.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... Emergency access means access to an operating non-Federal or regional low-level radioactive waste disposal... regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facility or facilities for a period not to exceed 180 days... waste. Non-Federal disposal facility means a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility that is...

77 FR 72997 - Low-Level Waste Disposal

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-07

...-2011-0012] RIN 3150-AI92 Low-Level Waste Disposal AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION... Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations that govern low-level radioactive waste... development of criteria for waste acceptance based on the results of these analyses. These amendments will...

12. Battery Richmond, emplacement no. 1, iron stair from terreplein ...

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

12. Battery Richmond, emplacement no. 1, iron stair from terreplein up to loading platform. Beneath stair is doorway to powder room, at left is an entrance to the shot gallery; at center is entance to guard room - Forth Wadsworth Battery Richmond, Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, New York County, NY

Geochemical reversals within the lower 100 m of the Palisades sill, New Jersey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorring, Matthew L.; Naslund, H. R.

1995-03-01

Transects through the lower part of the Palisades sill were made at Fort Lee and Alpine, New Jersey in order to characterize the petrologic signature of previously proposed “reversals” in the normal, tholeiitic differentiation trend. Petrographic and geochemical data include: (1) modal and grain size analyses, (2) bulk rock major and trace element concentrations by DCP-AES, and (3) augite, orthopyroxene, magnetite, and olivine compositions by electron microprobe analysis. Anomalous horizons, defined by increased bulk rock Mg?, Cr, Ni, and Co concentrations and abrupt modal and grain-size changes, occur at 10 m (the well known olivine zone), 27 m, 45 m, and 95 m above the basal contact. Thermal models coupled with estimates of the emplacement rate and total magma volume indicate that the olivine zone (OZ) is an early-stage feature, related to the emplacement of initial magma into the Palisades chamber. Stoke’s Law calculations indicate that the settling velocity of average-sized olivine crystals in a high-titanium, quartz-normative (HTQ) magma is too slow for significant gravity settling to have occurred prior to the solidification of the basal 20 m of the sill. It is suggested that the OZ resulted from the emplacement of a heterogeneous initial magma from a compositionally stratified, sub-Palisades storage chamber located within the upper crust; however, heterogeneity may have been derived directly from the mantle or during rapid ascent. Geochemical models indicate that the OZ contains accumulated olivine that is not in cotectic (or constant) proportions with the other cumulus phases, suggesting a mechanical sorting process. Magma chamber recharge is proposed to have occurred at the 27 m and 45 m levels, when a slightly more-primitive HTQ magma was injected into the Palisades sill cha- mber. Zones of elevated Mg? and Cr, 6 to 10 m thick, at these two horizons may indicate the thickness of the hybrid magma formed by the mixing of these two compositions. Geochemical models indicate that the rocks at these levels have accumulated excess orthopyroxene relative to samples from the rest of the sill. Normal faulting in the Fort Lee area at the 95 m level has caused repetition of the stratigraphic section, and hence, the sharp reversal observed at this level.

Increased Levels of Markers of Microbial Exposure in Homes with Indoor Storage of Organic Household Waste

PubMed Central

Wouters, Inge M.; Douwes, Jeroen; Doekes, Gert; Thorne, Peter S.; Brunekreef, Bert; Heederik, Dick J. J.

2000-01-01

As part of environmental management policies in Europe, separate collection of organic household waste and nonorganic household waste has become increasingly common. As waste is often stored indoors, this policy might increase microbial exposure in the home environment. In this study we evaluated the association between indoor storage of organic waste and levels of microbial agents in house dust. The levels of bacterial endotoxins, mold β(1→3)-glucans, and fungal extracullar polysaccharides (EPS) of Aspergillus and Penicillium species were determined in house dust extracts as markers of microbial exposure. House dust samples were collected in 99 homes in The Netherlands selected on the basis of whether separated organic waste was present in the house. In homes in which separated organic waste was stored indoors for 1 week or more the levels of endotoxin, EPS, and glucan were 3.2-, 7.6-, and 4.6-fold higher, respectively (all P < 0.05), on both living room and kitchen floors than the levels in homes in which only nonorganic residual waste was stored indoors. Increased levels of endotoxin and EPS were observed, 2.6- and 2.1-fold (P < 0.1), respectively, when separated organic waste was stored indoors for 1 week or less, whereas storage of nonseparated waste indoors had no effect on microbial agent levels (P > 0.2). The presence of textile floor covering was another major determinant of microbial levels (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that increased microbial contaminant levels in homes are associated with indoor storage of separated organic waste. These increased levels might increase the risk of bioaerosol-related respiratory symptoms in susceptible people. PMID:10653727

Reference commercial high-level waste glass and canister definition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slate, S. C.; Ross, W. A.; Partain, W. L.

1981-09-01

Technical data and performance characteristics of a high level waste glass and canister intended for use in the design of a complete waste encapsulation package suitable for disposal in a geologic repository are presented. The borosilicate glass contained in the stainless steel canister represents the probable type of high level waste product that is produced in a commercial nuclear-fuel reprocessing plant. Development history is summarized for high level liquid waste compositions, waste glass composition and characteristics, and canister design. The decay histories of the fission products and actinides (plus daughters) calculated by the ORIGEN-II code are presented.

77 FR 58591 - Report on Waste Burial Charges: Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-21

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2010-0362] Report on Waste Burial Charges: Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level Waste Burial Facilities AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... Commission) has issued for public comment a document entitled: NUREG-1307 Revision 15, ``Report on Waste...

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1986-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trask, N.J.; Stevens, P.R.

1991-01-01

The report summarizes progress on geologic and hydrologic research related to the disposal of radioactive wastes. The research efforts are categorized according to whether they are related most directly to: (1) high-level wastes, (2) transuranic wastes, (3) low-level and mixed low-level and hazardous wastes, or (4) uranium mill tailings. Included is research applicable to the identification and geohydrologic characterization of waste-disposal sites, to investigations of specific sites where wastes have been stored, to development of techniques and methods for characterizing disposal sites, and to studies of geologic and hydrologic processes related to the transport and/or retention of waste radionuclides.

Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management in the United States: What Have We Wrought? The Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award - 12222

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

Jacobi, Lawrence R.

2012-07-01

In 1979, radioactive waste disposal was an important national issue. State governors were closing the gates on the existing low-level radioactive waste disposal sites and the ultimate disposition of spent fuel was undecided. A few years later, the United States Congress thought they had solved both problems by passing the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1981, which established a network of regional compacts for low-level radioactive waste disposal, and by passing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to set out how a final resting place for high-level waste would be determined. Upon passage of the acts, State, Regionalmore » and Federal officials went to work. Here we are some 30 years later with little to show for our combined effort. The envisioned national repository for high-level radioactive waste has not materialized. Efforts to develop the Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste disposal facility were abandoned after spending $13 billion on the failed project. Recently, the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future issued its draft report that correctly concludes the existing policy toward high-level nuclear waste is 'all but completely broken down'. A couple of new low-level waste disposal facilities have opened since 1981, but neither were the result of efforts under the act. What the Act has done is interject a system of interstate compacts with a byzantine interstate import and export system to complicate the handling of low-level radioactive waste, with attendant costs. As this paper is being written in the fourth-quarter of 2011, after 30 years of political and bureaucratic turmoil, a new comprehensive low-level waste disposal facility at Andrews Texas is approaching its initial operating date. The Yucca Mountain project might be completed or it might not. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is commencing a review of their 1981 volume reduction policy statement. The Department of Energy after 26 years has yet to figure out how to implement its obligations under the 1985 amendments to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act. But, the last three decades have not been a total loss. A great deal has been learned about radioactive waste disposal since 1979 and the efforts of the public and private sector have shaped and focused the work to be done in the future. So, this lecturer asks the question: 'What have we wrought?' to which he provides his perspective and his recommendations for radioactive waste management policy for the next 30 years. (author)« less

Permian charnockites in the Pobeda area: Implications for Tarim mantle plume activity and HT metamorphism in the South Tien Shan range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loury, Chloé; Rolland, Yann; Lanari, Pierre; Guillot, Stéphane; Bosch, Delphine; Ganino, Clément; Jourdon, Anthony; Petit, Carole; Gallet, Sylvain; Monié, Patrick; Riel, Nicolas

2018-04-01

The Permian history of the Central Asian Orogenic belt is marked by large-scale strike-slip faults that reactivate former Paleozoic structures, delineated by widespread alkaline magmatism. The genetic link between the syn-kinematic granitoids emplaced in the Tien Shan range and magmas emplaced within the Tarim Large Igneous Province, and the interaction between this plume and transcurrent tectonics, are still unsolved issues. We investigated the Pobeda massif, in the eastern Kyrgyz Tien Shan, located at the boundary between the Tien Shan range and the Tarim Craton, which exhibits a high-temperature unit. In this unit, Permian magmatism resulted in the emplacement of alkaline charnockites at mid-crustal levels. The primary mineralogical assemblage is nominally anhydrous and made of ortho- and clino-pyroxenes, fayalite, K-feldspar, plagioclase and quartz. These charnockites are associated with partially-molten paragneisses and marbles. Thermobarometry on these rocks indicates that the charnockites emplaced following the intrusion of a melt at a temperature > 1000 °C and pressure of around 6 kbar, corresponding to depth of 20 km. The resulting thermal anomaly triggered the partial melting of paragneisses. Bulk geochemistry including Sr, Nd, Pb and Hf isotopes suggests that charnockites fit into the Tarim Large Igneous Province magmatic series, with minor crustal assimilation. U-Pb ages on zircons of charnockites and surrounding paragneisses indicate that charnockites intruded and triggered partial melting of the gneisses at c. 287, 275 and 265 Ma. 40Ar/39Ar dating on amphibole gives a similar age as the U-Pb age at 276.2 ± 2.0 Ma. 40Ar/39Ar dating on biotite from the Charnockite unit marbles gives ages at ca. 256-265 Ma, which shows that exhumation onset directly follows the HT history, and is tentatively correlated to top-to-the-North thrusting of the Charnockite unit in a transpressive context. Additional 40Ar/39Ar dating on syn-kinematic white micas from an adjacent transpressive shear-zone indicates continuation of the strike-slip tectonics at shallow crustal levels, after the exhumation of the Charnockite unit, at 248-257 Ma. These results demonstrate that Tien Shan Permian magmatism is linked to the Tarim mantle plume activity. Lithosphere-scale shear zones in the Tien Shan range, could have been responsible for lateral flow focusing of the Tarim mantle plume up to the boundary with the Tien Shan range and subsequent decompression melting resulting in the Permian magmatism observed in the Pobeda area.

10 CFR 961.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General § 961.1... fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) as provided in section 302 of the Nuclear Waste... title to, transport, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and/or high-level radioactive waste delivered to...

Household-level dynamics of food waste production and related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours in Guelph, Ontario

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

Parizeau, Kate, E-mail: kate.parizeau@uoguelph.ca; Massow, Mike von; Martin, Ralph

Highlights: • We combined household waste stream weights with survey data. • We examine relationships between waste and food-related practices and beliefs. • Families and large households produced more total waste, but less waste per capita. • Food awareness and waste awareness were related to reduced food waste. • Convenience lifestyles were differentially associated with food waste. - Abstract: It has been estimated that Canadians waste $27 billion of food annually, and that half of that waste occurs at the household level (Gooch et al., 2010). There are social, environmental, and economic implications for this scale of food waste, andmore » source separation of organic waste is an increasingly common municipal intervention. There is relatively little research that assesses the dynamics of household food waste (particularly in Canada). The purpose of this study is to combine observations of organic, recyclable, and garbage waste production rates to survey results of food waste-related beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours at the household level in the mid-sized municipality of Guelph, Ontario. Waste weights and surveys were obtained from 68 households in the summer of 2013. The results of this study indicate multiple relationships between food waste production and household shopping practices, food preparation behaviours, household waste management practices, and food-related attitudes, beliefs, and lifestyles. Notably, we observed that food awareness, waste awareness, family lifestyles, and convenience lifestyles were related to food waste production. We conclude that it is important to understand the diversity of factors that can influence food wasting behaviours at the household level in order to design waste management systems and policies to reduce food waste.« less

Dynamics of the Mount Nyiragongo lava lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgi, P.-Y.; Darrah, T. H.; Tedesco, D.; Eymold, W. K.

2014-05-01

The permanent and presently rising lava lake at Mount Nyiragongo constitutes a major potential geological hazard to the inhabitants of the Virunga volcanic region in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. Based on two field campaigns in June 2010 and 2011, we estimate the lava lake level from the southeastern crater rim (~400 m diameter) and lava lake area (~46,550 m2), which constrains, respectively, the lava lake volume (~9 × 106 m3) and volume flow rate needed to keep the magma in a molten state (0.6 to 3.5 m3 s-1). A bidirectional magma flow model, which includes the characterization of the conduit diameter and funnel-shaped lava lake geometry, is developed to constrain the amount of magma intruded/emplaced within the magmatic chamber and rift-related structures that extend between Mount Nyiragongo's volcanic center and the city of Goma, DRC, since Mount Nyiragongo's last eruption (17 January 2002). Besides matching field data of the lava lake level covering the period 1977 to 2002, numerical solutions of the model indicate that by 2022, 20 years after the January 2002 eruption, between 300 and 1700 × 106 m3 (0.3 to 1.7 km3) of magma could have intruded/emplaced underneath the edifice, and the lava lake volume could exceed 15 × 106 m3.

Nuclear waste storage container with metal matrix

DOEpatents

Sump, Kenneth R.

1978-01-01

The invention relates to a storage container for high-level waste having a metal matrix for the high-level waste, thereby providing greater impact strength for the waste container and increasing heat transfer properties.

Stabilization and disposal of Argonne-West low-level mixed wastes in ceramicrete waste forms.

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

Barber, D. B.; Singh, D.; Strain, R. V.

1998-02-17

The technology of room-temperature-setting phosphate ceramics or Ceramicrete{trademark} technology, developed at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)-East is being used to treat and dispose of low-level mixed wastes through the Department of Energy complex. During the past year, Ceramicrete{trademark} technology was implemented for field application at ANL-West. Debris wastes were treated and stabilized: (a) Hg-contaminated low-level radioactive crushed light bulbs and (b) low-level radioactive Pb-lined gloves (part of the MWIR {number_sign} AW-W002 waste stream). In addition to hazardous metals, these wastes are contaminated with low-level fission products. Initially, bench-scale waste forms with simulated and actual waste streams were fabricated by acid-base reactionsmore » between mixtures of magnesium oxide powders and an acid phosphate solution, and the wastes. Size reduction of Pb-lined plastic glove waste was accomplished by cryofractionation. The Ceramicrete{trademark} process produces dense, hard ceramic waste forms. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) results showed excellent stabilization of both Hg and Pb in the waste forms. The principal advantage of this technology is that immobilization of contaminants is the result of both chemical stabilization and subsequent microencapsulation of the reaction products. Based on bench-scale studies, Ceramicrete{trademark} technology has been implemented in the fabrication of 5-gal waste forms at ANL-West. Approximately 35 kg of real waste has been treated. The TCLP is being conducted on the samples from the 5-gal waste forms. It is expected that because the waste forms pass the limits set by the EPAs Universal Treatment Standard, they will be sent to a radioactive-waste disposal facility.« less

National low-level waste management program radionuclide report series, Volume 15: Uranium-238

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

Adams, J.P.

1995-09-01

This report, Volume 15 of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series, discusses the radiological and chemical characteristics of uranium-238 ({sup 238}U). The purpose of the National Low-Level Waste Management Program Radionuclide Report Series is to provide information to state representatives and developers of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities about the radiological, chemical, and physical characteristics of selected radionuclides and their behavior in the waste disposal facility environment. This report also includes discussions about waste types and forms in which {sup 238}U can be found, and {sup 238}U behavior in the environment and in the human body.

DETAIL OF THE SLOPING CONCRETE PAD AT THE SOUTH SIDE ...

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

DETAIL OF THE SLOPING CONCRETE PAD AT THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE GUN EMPLACEMENT. NOTE ADDED BLOCK OF CAST CONCRETE AT THE LOW (RIGHT) END OF SLOPED PAD. VIEW FACING SOUTHWEST - U.S. Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Ford Island 5-Inch Antiaircraft Battery, East Gun Emplacement, Ford Island, Pearl City, Honolulu County, HI

From Embodiment to Emplacement: Re-Thinking Competing Bodies, Senses and Spatialities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pink, Sarah

2011-01-01

In this article I discuss how a shift from theories of embodiment to one of emplacement can inform how we understand the performing body in competitive and pedagogical contexts. I argue that recent theoretical advances concerning the senses, human perception and place offer new analytical possibilities for understanding skilled performances and…

Erratum: Correction to: Emplacement controls for the basaltic-andesitic radial dikes of Summer Coon volcano and implications for flank vents at stratovolcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, A. G.; Valentine, G. A.

2018-06-01

In the article "Emplacement controls for the basaltic-andesitic radial dikes of Summer Coon volcano and implications for flank vents at stratovolcanoes", the vertical axis for Fig. 8 a was incorrectly labeled (i.e., the value for dikes per km2).

Estimating the Life Cycle Cost of Space Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Harry W.

2015-01-01

A space system's Life Cycle Cost (LCC) includes design and development, launch and emplacement, and operations and maintenance. Each of these cost factors is usually estimated separately. NASA uses three different parametric models for the design and development cost of crewed space systems; the commercial PRICE-H space hardware cost model, the NASA-Air Force Cost Model (NAFCOM), and the Advanced Missions Cost Model (AMCM). System mass is an important parameter in all three models. System mass also determines the launch and emplacement cost, which directly depends on the cost per kilogram to launch mass to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The launch and emplacement cost is the cost to launch to LEO the system itself and also the rockets, propellant, and lander needed to emplace it. The ratio of the total launch mass to payload mass depends on the mission scenario and destination. The operations and maintenance costs include any material and spares provided, the ground control crew, and sustaining engineering. The Mission Operations Cost Model (MOCM) estimates these costs as a percentage of the system development cost per year.

Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility of Silicic Rocks From Quarries in the Vicinity of São Marcos, Rio Grande Do Sul, South Brazil: Implications for Emplacement Mechanisms.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canon-Tapia, E.; Raposo, M. I. B.

2017-12-01

The Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province includes felsic volcanic rocks whose mechanism of emplacement and location of their eruptive sources are controversial. Opening of several quarries of dimension stone near the city of Sao Marcos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, offers a unique opportunity to study in detail some of those products. Here, we present the results of a study of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) completed in some rocks that had been interpreted as the roots of volcanic conduits. Our results, and reexamination of the textural features of the rocks, lead to a reinterpretation that suggests that these rocks were emplaced subaerially, and involved assimilation and remelting of clastic components of previous lavas. The extremely high eruption temperatures of the lavas promoted the development of peperite-like textures and mixing patterns similar to those observed in plutonic environments. Due to the inferred conditions of emplacement, it is unlikely that the eruptive vents are located far from the area of study, therefore ruling out the long-travelled nature of these products.

Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility of silicic rocks from quarries in the vicinity of São Marcos, Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil: Implications for emplacement mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cañón-Tapia, Edgardo; Raposo, M. Irene B.

2018-04-01

The Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province includes acid volcanic rocks that can be found throughout its extension. Several aspects concerning those rocks remain controversial, including their mechanism of emplacement and location of their eruptive sources. Opening of several quarries of dimension stone near the city of Sao Marcos, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, offers a unique opportunity to study in detail the acid products. Here, we present the results of a study of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) completed in some rocks that had been interpreted as the roots of volcanic conduits. Our results, and reexamination of the textural features of the rocks, lead to a reinterpretation that suggests that these rocks were emplaced subaerially, and involved assimilation and remelting of clastic components of previous products. Due to the inferred conditions of emplacement, it is unlikely that the eruptive vents are located far from the area of study, therefore ruling out the long-travelled nature of these products.

Local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on Ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murchie, Scott L.; Head, James W.; Helfenstein, Paul; Plescia, Jeffrey B.

1987-01-01

The surface of the Jovian satellite, Ganymede, is divided into two main units, dark terrain cut by arcuate and subradial furrows, and light terrain consisting largely of areas with pervasive U-shaped grooves. The grooved terrain may be subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology of groove domains into four terrain types: (1) elongate bands of parallel grooves (groove lanes); (2) polygonal domains of parallel grooves (grooved polygons); (3) polygonal domains of two orthogonal groove sets (reticulate terrain); and (4) polygons having two to several complexly cross-cutting groove sets (complex grooved terrain). Reticulate terrain is frequently dark and not extensively resurfaced, and grades to a more hummocky terrain type. The other three grooved terrain types have almost universally been resurfaced by light material during their emplacement. The sequence of events during grooved terrain emplacement has been investigated. An attempt is made to integrate observed geologic and tectonic patterns to better constrain the relative ages and styles of emplacement of grooved terrain types. A revised model of grooved terrain emplacement is proposed and is tested using detailed geologic mapping and measurement of crater density.

Regional implications of geochemistry and style of emplacement of Miocene I-type diorite and granite, Delos, Cyclades, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe-Piper, Georgia; Piper, David J. W.; Matarangas, Dionysis

2002-01-01

The Miocene plutons of the Cyclades were emplaced in a subduction setting during regional back-arc extension of continental crust, that led to flat-lying mid-crustal detachment faulting. Mapping of the island of Delos shows that quartz diorite and tonalite were emplaced as dykes in country rock of schist and marble within shear zones parallel to the extension direction. Mafic magmas were followed by numerous small batches of felsic magma, with magmatic and ductile deformation synchronous with magma emplacement. Late granite dykes occupy brittle fractures in the more deformed rocks. Mafic and intermediate rocks show a bimodal distribution of incompatible trace elements, with one group of broadly tholeiitic character and the other with substantial enrichment in Sr, Nb, and HFSE, but low Th and Ba. These differences appear to be inherited from two distinct mafic sources that are different from the mafic source for the plutons of the eastern Cyclades. Voluminous granodiorite results from these mafic magmas fractionating and/or mixing with felsic crustal material, some of which was derived by anatexis of a sedimentary protolith, indicated by high B and Mn. Some late granites appear derived from partial melting of Hercynian paragneiss. Regionally, the shear zones appear to be feeders to more extensive granitic plutons located at space produced at ramps in detachment fault zones. The shear zones parallel the Mid-Cycladic Lineament, a broad zone of displacement between two crustal blocks rotating in opposing directions as rollback took place at the Hellenic subduction zone. Distinctive geochemical features in Miocene igneous rocks suggests that these two blocks had quite different geological histories. The localisation of plutonism and core complexes near the Mid Cycladic Lineament suggests that this crustal-scale shear played a role in bringing subduction-derived magmas to mid-crustal levels. The heat supplied by the mafic magmas promoted ductile deformation high in the crust, where extension was concentrated, leading to the formation of core complexes. The regional extension resulted in progressive shallowing of the position of the granite solidus within the crust, leading to welding of the Mid-Cycladic Lineament, which is no longer seismically active.

Emplacement controls for the basaltic-andesitic radial dikes of Summer Coon volcano and implications for flank vents at stratovolcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harp, A. G.; Valentine, G. A.

2018-02-01

Mafic flank eruptions are common events that pose a serious hazard to the communities and infrastructure often encroaching on the slopes of stratovolcanoes. Flank vent locations are dictated by the propagation path of their feeder dikes. The dikes are commonly thought to propagate either laterally from the central conduit or vertically from a deeper source. However, these interpretations are often based on indirect measurements, such as surface deformation and seismicity at active systems, and several studies at eroded volcanoes indicate the propagation paths may be more complex. We investigated the Oligocene age Summer Coon volcano (Colorado, USA), where erosion has exposed over 700 basaltic-andesitic radial dikes, to constrain the propagation directions, geometries, and spatial distributions of mafic dikes within a stratovolcano. The mean fabric angle of aligned plagioclase crystals was measured in oriented samples from the margins of 77 dikes. Of the 41 dikes with statistically significant flow fabrics, 85% had fabric angles that were inclined—plunging both inward and outward relative to the center of the volcano. After comparing fabric angles to those reported in other studies, we infer that, while most of the dikes with outward-plunging fabrics descended toward the flanks from a source within the edifice and near its axis, dikes with inward-plunging fabrics ascended through the edifice and toward the flanks from a deeper source. A possible control for the inclination of ascending dikes was the ratio between magma overpressure and the normal stress in the host rock. While higher ratios led to high-angle propagation, lower ratios resulted in inclined emplacement. Dikes crop out in higher frequencies within a zone surrounding the volcano axis at 2500 m radial distance from the center and may be the result of ascending dikes, emplaced at similar propagation angles, intersecting the current level of exposure at common distances from the volcano axis. The process of inclined dike emplacement may be common at other stratovolcanoes and should be considered from a monitoring and hazard perspective as slight variations in the propagation angle would translate to major shifts in the anticipated vent location.

Noise Characteristics of EarthScope Transportable Array Posthole Sensor Emplacements in Alaska and Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aderhold, K.; Frassetto, A.; Busby, R. W.; Enders, M.; Bierma, R. M.; Miner, J.; Woodward, R.

2016-12-01

From 2011 to 2015, IRIS has built or upgraded 67 broadband seismic stations in Alaska and western Canada as part of the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) program. An additional 72 stations will be completed by the fall of 2016. Nearly all use new posthole seismometers, emplaced at 3 m depth in cased holes within fractured bedrock outcrops, permafrost, or soil. Based on initial tests in Alaska, New Mexico, and California, this emplacement technique was chosen to streamline logistics in challenging, remote conditions as well as optimize station performance. A versatile drill capable of operating with a hammer bit or auger was developed specifically for the TA and is light enough to be transported by helicopter in a single load. The drilling system is ideal for TA deployment logistics in Alaska, but could be adapted to many regional or permanent network operations because it is easily transported on a flatbed truck and manuevered into tight working locations. The TA will complete another 73 installations in 2017 and operate the full network of 268 real-time stations through at least 2019. The removal of some TA stations is planned for 2020, but upgrades to existing stations are permanent contributions to these networks. The TA stations are a proof of concept for a new approach to emplacement of seismometers across a large network and will enable high-quality scientific research as well as advances in hazard monitoring. To evaluate the new and upgraded stations, we use probability density functions of hourly power spectral density computed by the IRIS DMC MUSTANG metric service for the continuous data recorded through 2016. Our results show that the noise performance of TA postholes in Alaska and Canada show significant improvement over the tank vaults of the lower-48 TA. With an ideal posthole drilled into bedrock or permafrost, noise levels can approach the quality of GSN stations particularly on the horizontal channels at long periods [>70 seconds]. Stations also display a strong but expected regional and seasonal variation. We provide notable examples of station performance, focusing on regional trends as well as the performance of stations upgraded from surface vault to posthole configuration.

Assembling an ignimbrite: Compositionally defined eruptive packages in the 1912 Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes ignimbrite, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fierstein, J.; Wilson, C.J.N.

2005-01-01

The 1912 Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (VTTS) ignimbrite was constructed from 9 compositionally distinct, sequentially emplaced packages, each with distinct proportions of rhyolite (R), dacite (D), and andesite (A) pumices that permit us to map package boundaries and flow paths from vent to distal extents. Changing pumice proportions and interbedding relationships link ignimbrite formation to coeval fall deposition during the first ???16 h (Episode I) of the eruption. Pumice compositional proportions in the ignimbrite were estimated by counts on ???100 lapilli at multiple levels in vertical sections wherever accessible and more widely over most of the ignimbrite surface in the VTTS. The initial, 100% rhyolite ignimbrite package (equivalent to regional fall Layer A and occupying ???3.5 h) was followed by packages with increasing proportions of andesite, then dacite, emplaced over ???12.5 h and equivalent to regional fall Layers B1-B3. Coeval fall deposits are locally intercalated with the ignimbrite and show parallel changes in R:D (rhyolite:dacite) proportions, but lack significant amounts of andesite. Andesite was thus dominantly a low-fountaining component in the eruption column and is preferentially represented in packages filling the VTTS north of the vent. The most extensive packages (3 and 4) occur in B1 and early B2 times where flow mobility and volume were optimized; earlier all-rhyolite flows (Package 1) were highly energetic but less voluminous, while later packages (5-9) were both less voluminous and emplaced at lower velocities. Package boundaries are expressed as one or more of the following: sharp color changes corresponding to compositional variations; persistent finer-grained basal parts of flow units; compaction swales filled by later packages; erosional channels cut by the flows that fill them; lobate accumulations of one package; and (mostly south of the vent) intercalated fall deposit layers. Clear flow-unit boundaries are best developed between ignimbrite of non-successive packages, indicating time breaks of tens of minutes to hours. Less well-defined stratification may represent rapidly emplaced successive flow units but often changes over short distances and indicates variations in localized depositional conditions. ?? 2005 Geological Society of America.

10 CFR 62.12 - Contents of a request for emergency access: General information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... EMERGENCY ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission... the person(s) or company(ies) generating the low-level radioactive waste for which the determination...) Certification that the radioactive waste for which emergency access is requested is low-level radioactive waste...

Temporal and structural evolution of the Early Palæogene rocks of the Seychelles microcontinent.

PubMed

Shellnutt, J Gregory; Yeh, Meng-Wan; Suga, Kenshi; Lee, Tung-Yi; Lee, Hao-Yang; Lin, Te-Hsien

2017-03-14

The Early Palæogene Silhouette/North Island volcano-plutonic complex was emplaced during the rifting of the Seychelles microcontinent from western India. The complex is thought to have been emplaced during magnetochron C28n. However, the magnetic polarities of the rocks are almost entirely reversed and inconsistent with a normal polarity. In this study we present new in situ zircon U/Pb geochronology of the different intrusive facies of the Silhouette/North Island complex in order to address the timing of emplacement and the apparent magnetic polarity dichotomy. The rocks from Silhouette yielded weighted mean 206 Pb/ 238 U ages from 62.4 ± 0.9 Ma to 63.1 ± 0.9 Ma whereas the rocks from North Island yielded slightly younger mean ages between 60.6 ± 0.7 Ma to 61.0 ± 0.8 Ma. The secular latitudinal variation from Silhouette to North Island is consistent with the anticlockwise rotation of the Seychelles microcontinent and the measured polarities. The rocks from Silhouette were emplaced across a polarity cycle (C26r-C27n-C27r) and the rocks from North Island were emplaced entirely within a magnetic reversal (C26r). Moreover, the rocks from North Island and those from the conjugate margin of India are contemporaneous and together mark the culmination of rift-related magmatism.

10 CFR 72.24 - Contents of application: Technical information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... STORAGE OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C... radioactive waste, and/or reactor-related GTCC waste as appropriate, including how the ISFSI or MRS will be... of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and/or reactor-related GTCC waste as appropriate for...

40 CFR 60.50c - Applicability and delegation of authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... later than December 1, 2008; or (2) For which modification is commenced after March 16, 1998 but no... during periods when only pathological waste, low-level radioactive waste, and/or chemotherapeutic waste... when only pathological waste, low-level radioactivewaste and/or chemotherapeutic waste is burned. (c...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor... be designed to store spent fuel and/or solid reactor-related GTCC waste. (1) Reactor-related GTCC...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS must include the design criteria for the proposed storage installation. These...

10 CFR 72.120 - General considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General Design... reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or to store spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, or reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS must include the design criteria for the proposed storage installation. These...

How to build a mid-crustal intrusive suite: geologic mapping, U-Pb geo-/thermochronology, and thermal modeling of the Bergell Intrusion, Central Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samperton, K. M.; Schoene, B.; Annen, C.

2015-12-01

Insights into the characteristic rates and processes of crustal magmatic systems can best be made through the integration of observational, analytical and modeling perspectives. We present such an approach in reconstructing the emplacement, differentiation and cooling history of the Bergell Intrusion (N Italy/SE Switzerland), a normally-zoned pluton preserving a ~10 km mid-crustal transect. U-Pb zircon, titanite and allanite geo-/thermochronology of Bergell granitoids provide key empirical constraints for informing numerical simulations of pulse-wise, incremental assembly. Protracted zircon crystallization histories, representing the time between magma zircon saturation and cooling to the solidus, provide a direct petrologic link to forward models of magma emplacement, both of which can be used to derive quantitative magmatic cooling rates for the middle crust. Titanite and allanite dates provide additional constraints on the timing of solidification. Geochronology and modeling are performed in the context of detailed field and structural observations, including those previously interpreted as evidence of upward, pluton-scale melt migration via floor convergence/roof ballooning. Combined Bergell data and modeling demonstrate that pulsed assembly can lead to the formation of substantial melt reservoirs in the middle crust: this finding is largely in contrast to similar models of shallow crustal plutons, highlighting the importance of factors such as ambient country rock temperature in affecting melt residence timescales. This work emphasizes the importance of implementing joint data/modeling studies to intrusive rocks across the full range of spatial scales, emplacement levels and tectonic settings observed on Earth.

Experimental Modeling of the Formation of Saucer-Shaped sills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galland, O.; Planke, S.; Malthe-Sorenssen, A.

2007-12-01

Many magma intrusions in sedimentary basins are sills, and especially saucer-shaped sills. These features are observed in many places (i.e. South Africa; the Norwegian and North Sea; Siberia; Argentina). Sand injectites exhibit similar geometries. The occurrence of such features in so various settings suggests that their emplacement results from fundamental processes in sedimentary basins. To understand such processes, we performed experimental modeling of saucer-shaped sill emplacement. The experiments consist of injecting a molten low viscosity vegetable oil (model magma) at a constant flow rate into a fine-grained Coulomb silica flour (model rock). When the oil starts intruding, the initially flat surface of the model inflates and forms a smooth dome. At the end of the experiment, the oil erupts at the edge of the dome. After the experiment, the oil cools and solidifies, the resulting solid intrusion is unburied and exposed, and its upper surface digitalized. For our purpose, we did our experiments without external deformation. We performed two series of experiments with varying depth of injection. The first series consisted of injection into a homogeneous medium. The resulting intrusions were cone-sheets and dykes. The second series consisted of heterogeneous models where the heterogeneity was a weak layer made of a flexible net. The resulting intrusions were made of (1) a horizontal basal sill emplaced along the weakness, and (2) inclined sheets nucleating at the edges of the basal sill and propagating upward and outward. The inclined sheets exhibited a convex shape, i.e. a decreasing slope outward. In addition, the deeper the sills emplaced, the larger they were. Our experimental results are consistent with saucer-shaped features in nature. We infer from our results that the transition between the basal sills and the inclined sheets results from a transition of emplacement processes. We suggest that the basal sill emplace by open (mode I) fracturing, whereas the inclined sheets result from shear (mode II) fracturing, i.e. along faults at the edge of the dome.

Basement diapirism associated with the emplacement of major ophiolite nappes: Some constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews-Speed, C. P.; Johns, C. C.

1985-09-01

The association of basement uplifts with major ophiolite nappes in some Phanerozoic orogenic belts suggests that gravitational instability results in the local diapiric uplift of the basement following ophiolite emplacement. In previous analyses of diapirism in crustal silicate rocks, viscous behaviour of rocks has been assumed. It is argued that this assumption is not valid. An alternative analysis is offered to determine whether or not the stress would be sufficient for diapirism to occur. The negative buoyancy stress resulting from the emplacement of an ophiolite nappe 5-15 km thick onto continental basement may be in the range 10-50 MPa. If the horizontal deviatoric stress is zero, this will be the maximum principal compressive stress. After ophiolite emplacement the thermal profile through the ophiolite and the basement will relax from a saw-tooth form to an equilibrium profile. If the ophiolite is young and thick there will be a zone of ductile strain in the lower part of the ophiolite and in the upper part of the continental basement. Results from steady-state creep experiments suggest that temperatures in this zone may be high enough for a short time after ophiolite emplacement (3 Ma or more) for the rocks in this zone to deform at geologically significant strain rates (10 -14 or greater) in response to the negative buoyancy stress. A thin ophiolite or rapid erosion will result in this ductile zone being absent or too short-lived for significant strain. Aquaeous fluids may reduce the strength of brittle rocks by decreasing the effective normal stress or by encouraging pressure solution creep. Evidence suggests that the deviatoric stress across presently active faults may be as low at 10 MPa. Thus diapirism in response to ophiolite emplacement may occur through brittle strain. Gravity spreading within the ophiolite is an alternative mechanism for accommodating the gravitational instability. The critical evidence lies in the field.

The origins of radial fracture systems and associated large lava flows on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parfitt, Elisabeth A.; Wilson, Lionel; Head, James W., III

1992-01-01

Magellan images have revealed the existence of systems of radial fractures on venus that are very similar in form to terrestrial dike swarms such as the Mackenzie swarm in Northern Canada. The association of many of the fracture systems with lava flows, calderas, and volcanic edifices further support the idea of a dike emplacement origin. A global survey of the Magellan images has allowed the location of 300 such fracture systems. Two types of fracture systems are defined. A series of models were developed to simulate the emplacement of dikes on Venus. Observations of fracture lengths and widths were then used to constrain the emplacement conditions. The model results show that the great length and relatively large width of the fractures can only be explained if the dikes that produce them were emplaced in high driving pressure (pressure buffered) conditions. Such conditions imply high rates of melt production, which is consistent with the melt being derived directly from a plume head. We have recently modeled the vertical emplacement of a dike from the top of a mantle plume and calculated the eruption rates such a dike would produce on reaching the surface. This modeling shows that eruption rates of approximately 0.1 cu km/hr can readily be generated by such a dike, consistent with the above results. However, the sensitivity of the model to dike width and therefore driving pressure means that eruption rates from dikes emplaced from the base of the crust or the head of a mantle plume could be orders of magnitude higher than this. Clearly, therefore, the model needs to be refined in order to better constrain eruption conditions. However, it is worth noting here that the initial results do show that even for moderate dike widths, eruption rates could be at least on the order of those estimated for terrestrial flood basalts.

Numerical modeling of forceful pluton emplacement and associated deformation at different crustal levels - instantaneous, continuous or episodic intrusion?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y.; Nabelek, P. I.

2015-12-01

The Papoose Flat pluton in the White-Inyo Range, California, is one of the best examples of forceful magma emplacement at mid-crustal levels that is revealed by a highly strained aureole. A thermo-rheological 2-D model of the pluton and its aureole is proposed. We explored how the frequency of magma input, from instantaneous to continuous to the bottom of the laccolith, affects the ductile width of the aureole and the crystallinity of the pluton, which has implications for eruption of magma. We modeled these aspects at mid- and upper-crustal levels. The pluton was assumed to be 5 km thick in the middle and 13 km wide. Except for instantaneous growth, pluton was assumed to grow over 5 m.y. The aureole was assumed to have power-law rheology of quartz with dependence on H2O fugacity, which was calculated using the CORK equation (Holland & Powell, 1991) Our result shows that the bottom of the Papoose Flat pluton was emplaced at the brittle-ductile transition zone of the crust. The crustal rheology profile assisted the softening of rocks around the pluton. The simulated temperature and strength profiles confirm that ductile deformation was related to thermal weakening (Saint-Blanquat et al., 2001). Results of incremental growth calculations show that the pluton remains hot and only partially crystalline for millions of years when it grows by frequent input of small batches of liquid. At the mid-crustal level, the ductile region around the pluton is much wider and exists longer than at the shallow crustal level. Brittle rheology is dominant during the late stage growth at the shallow depth. When the pluton grows instantly or by only few episodes of large batches of input, the mobile part of the pluton is thin and the ductile aureole is narrower. High-frequency incremental growth by smaller magma batches produces a large volume of mobile magma that has the potential to induce internal magmatic layering that may be reflected in aligned acquired magnetic susceptibility (AMS) in upper parts of the pluton. By examing the chamber overpressure generated by injection of magma (Jellinek and DePaolo, 2003) and the overpressure related to magma buoyancy (Karlstrom et al, 2010), eruption during high-frequency magma input may be promoted by the magma buoyancy while an eruption during low-frequency input may be caused by injection of a large magma batch.

ONDRAF/NIRAS and high-level radioactive waste management in Belgium

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

Decamps, F.

1993-12-31

The National Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials, ONDRAF/NIRAS, is a public body with legal personality in charge of managing all radioactive waste on Belgian territory, regardless of its origin and source. It is also entrusted with tasks related to the management of enriched fissile materials, plutonium containing materials and used or unused nuclear fuel, and with certain aspects of the dismantling of closed down nuclear facilities. High-level radioactive waste management comprises essentially and for the time being the storage of high-level liquid waste produced by the former EUROCHEMIC reprocessing plant and of high-level and very high-level heatmore » producing waste resulting from the reprocessing in France of Belgian spent fuel, as well as research and development (R and D) with regard to geological disposal in clay of this waste type.« less

Using analog flow experiments to model morphologies developed during episodic dome growth: A case study of Mount St Helens, 1980-1986

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altman, K. M.; Teasdale, R.

2009-12-01

From 1980 to 1986 the dacite dome at Mount St. Helens was emplaced as a series of 17 events, identified by different growth rates, volumes, height to diameter ratios, emplacement rates, surface textures and dome morphologies (Swanson, 1989). Rates of emplacement characterize three periods; between October 18, 1980 and the end of 1981 the growth rate was 1.8 x 10^6 m^3/month; between March 1982 and March 1984 the growth rate was 1.3 x 10^6 m^3/month; followed by a growth rate of 0.62 x 10^6 m^3/month until the end of the emplacement events in 1986 (Swanson, 1989). The shape of the dome changed from 1980 to 1986 as a function of magma viscosity, tensile strength of the hot core, and thickness of the outer shell (Swanson, 1989). The height to diameter ratios (h:d) recorded throughout the growth of the dome have been used to quantify the changes in the shape of the dome. The dome was flatter during the first period of emplacement when larger volumes kept the dome hotter and hindered the formation of a thick, cool outer crust (Swanson, 1989). Once the growth rate slowed by June 1981, a thick skin had formed and allowed the dome to steepen (Swanson, 1989). Analog models presented here aim to reproduce the emplacement of the domes based on observations and data recorded at Mount St. Helens from 1980 to 1986. Flow experiments use a slurry of PEG (poly-ethelyne glycol) mixed with kaolin powder that is pumped into a tank of cold water (Fink and Griffiths, 1998). PEG is used because it is liquid at room temperature and solidifies in the cold water. Kaolin powder is added to the PEG to simulate the viscosity of the dacite domes. The observed and recorded data from Mount St. Helens are used to constrain analog flow model parameters such as slope, effusion rate, and PEG viscosity in an attempt to recreate the dome morphologies observed in the 1980 to 1986 episodes. As expected, dome morphology in experiments varies with the crustal thickness developed during experiments. The thickness of dome crust increases when the difference between water temperature and the slurry are large. Dome crust thickness controls the h:d ratio, which are used here to characterize dome morphology. The h:d ratio of experiments are within 5% of those measured at Mount St. Helens, so are considered good representations of dome growth events. Ongoing work investigates multiple episodes of dome emplacement using solid structures in the tanks to represent previously emplaced dome edifices.

A combined geochronological approach to investigating long lived granite magmatism, the Shap granite, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miles, A. J.; Woodcock, N. H.

2018-04-01

With the advent of more precise dating methods, it has become apparent that zircon dates from granite plutons frequently indicate older emplacement ages than other dating methods. Here we attempt to reconcile a number of dating methods from the c. 5 km2 Caledonian Shap granite, Northern England. The results reveal a more complex and protracted evolution than indicated by application of any single dating method. Zircon U-Pb dates give a weighted mean age of 415.6 ± 1.4 (2σ) Ma. A mafic enclave, dated at 412 ± 2 (2σ) Ma (revised Rb-Sr feldspar age from Davidson et al., 2005), contains resorbed K-feldspar and zircon crystals scavenged from the host crystal mush. These ages are at odds with field relations in the thermal aureole that suggest final emplacement at approximately 404 Ma or later during Acadian deformation. Previously reported Re-Os ages on molybdenites associated with magmatic fluids, have given ages of 405.2 ± 1.8 (2σ) Ma (Selby et al., 2008) and confirm the overlap of at least some magmatic activity with Acadian deformation. A similar emplacement age is supported by Rb-Sr whole-rock-mineral and biotite K-Ar dates when adjusted for revised decay constants (402 ± 3 Ma and 401 ± 7 Ma, respectively, Wadge et al., 1978). The lower closure temperatures of these systems relative to the U-Pb system in zircon means that they are more likely to record the timing of final granite emplacement. These data suggest that most zircons grew before final granite emplacement, by about 10 Ma on average. We suggest that the majority of zircon crystals record pre-emplacement magmatic activity within a deeper part of the system. Mafic enclaves and their scavenged cargo of crystals record the assembly of a mid-crustal batholith where crystals remained at least locally mobile at 412 Ma. Gravity data support the existence of an extensive, 1500 km2 intrusive body, originally at about 15 km depth beneath Shap. This batholith is likely to have remained below the granite solidus for much of its existence due to conductive heat loss, but episodic influxes of silicic magma between c. 412 and 405 Ma are thought to have enabled periods of rejuvenation. These influxes are recorded by complex compositional zoning patterns within K-feldspar megacrysts. The Shap granite itself is likely to represent a rejuvenated crystal slurry, emplaced as a cylindrical cupola above the main magma body during Acadian transpression. This study highlights the importance of integrating different dating techniques and that final emplacement of granites can only be indicated by the youngest zircon ages.

Strategic Minimization of High Level Waste from Pyroprocessing of Spent Nuclear Fuel

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

Simpson, Michael F.; Benedict, Robert W.

The pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel results in two high-level waste streams--ceramic and metal waste. Ceramic waste contains active metal fission product-loaded salt from the electrorefining, while the metal waste contains cladding hulls and undissolved noble metals. While pyroprocessing was successfully demonstrated for treatment of spent fuel from Experimental Breeder Reactor-II in 1999, it was done so without a specific objective to minimize high-level waste generation. The ceramic waste process uses “throw-away” technology that is not optimized with respect to volume of waste generated. In looking past treatment of EBR-II fuel, it is critical to minimize waste generation for technologymore » developed under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP). While the metal waste cannot be readily reduced, there are viable routes towards minimizing the ceramic waste. Fission products that generate high amounts of heat, such as Cs and Sr, can be separated from other active metal fission products and placed into short-term, shallow disposal. The remaining active metal fission products can be concentrated into the ceramic waste form using an ion exchange process. It has been estimated that ion exchange can reduce ceramic high-level waste quantities by as much as a factor of 3 relative to throw-away technology.« less

Corrective Action Decision Document/Corrective Action Plan for Corrective Action Unit 547: Miscellaneous Contaminated Waste Sites, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Mark Krauss

2011-09-01

The purpose of this CADD/CAP is to present the corrective action alternatives (CAAs) evaluated for CAU 547, provide justification for selection of the recommended alternative, and describe the plan for implementing the selected alternative. Corrective Action Unit 547 consists of the following three corrective action sites (CASs): (1) CAS 02-37-02, Gas Sampling Assembly; (2) CAS 03-99-19, Gas Sampling Assembly; and(3) CAS 09-99-06, Gas Sampling Assembly. The gas sampling assemblies consist of inactive process piping, equipment, and instrumentation that were left in place after completion of underground safety experiments. The purpose of these safety experiments was to confirm that a nuclearmore » explosion would not occur in the case of an accidental detonation of the high-explosive component of the device. The gas sampling assemblies allowed for the direct sampling of the gases and particulates produced by the safety experiments. Corrective Action Site 02-37-02 is located in Area 2 of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and is associated with the Mullet safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U2ag on October 17, 1963. Corrective Action Site 03-99-19 is located in Area 3 of the NNSS and is associated with the Tejon safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U3cg on May 17, 1963. Corrective Action Site 09-99-06 is located in Area 9 of the NNSS and is associated with the Player safety experiment conducted in emplacement borehole U9cc on August 27, 1964. The CAU 547 CASs were investigated in accordance with the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to determine and implement appropriate corrective actions for CAU 547. Existing radiological survey data and historical knowledge of the CASs were sufficient to meet the DQOs and evaluate CAAs without additional investigation. As a result, further investigation of the CAU 547 CASs was not required. The following CAAs were identified for the gas sampling assemblies: (1) clean closure, (2) closure in place, (3) modified closure in place, (4) no further action (with administrative controls), and (5) no further action. Based on the CAAs evaluation, the recommended corrective action for the three CASs in CAU 547 is closure in place. This corrective action will involve construction of a soil cover on top of the gas sampling assembly components and establishment of use restrictions at each site. The closure in place alternative was selected as the best and most appropriate corrective action for the CASs at CAU 547 based on the following factors: (1) Provides long-term protection of human health and the environment; (2) Minimizes short-term risk to site workers in implementing corrective action; (3) Is easily implemented using existing technology; (4) Complies with regulatory requirements; (5) Fulfills FFACO requirements for site closure; (6) Does not generate transuranic waste requiring offsite disposal; (7) Is consistent with anticipated future land use of the areas (i.e., testing and support activities); and (8) Is consistent with other NNSS site closures where contamination was left in place.« less

Magma deformation and emplacement in rhyolitic dykes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGowan, Ellen; Tuffen, Hugh; James, Mike; Wynn, Peter

2016-04-01

Silicic eruption mechanisms are determined by the rheological and degassing behaviour of highly-viscous magma ascending within shallow dykes and conduits. However, we have little knowledge of how magmatic behaviour shifts during eruptions as dykes and conduits evolve. To address this we have analysed the micro- to macro-scale textures in shallow, dissected rhyolitic dykes at the Tertiary Húsafell central volcano in west Iceland. Dyke intrusion at ~3 Ma was associated with the emplacement of subaerial rhyolitic pyroclastic deposits following caldera formation[1]. The dykes are dissected to ~500 m depth, 2-3 m wide, and crop out in two stream valleys with 5-30 m-long exposures. Dykes intrude diverse country rock types, including a welded ignimbrite, basaltic lavas, and glacial conglomerate. Each of the six studied dykes is broadly similar, exhibiting obsidian margins and microcrystalline cores. Dykes within pre-fractured lava are surrounded by external tuffisite vein networks, which are absent from dykes within conglomerate, whereas dykes failed to penetrate the ignimbrite. Obsidian at dyke margins comprises layers of discrete colour. These display dramatic thickness variations and collapsed bubble structures, and are locally separated by zones of welded, brecciated and flow-banded obsidian. We use textural associations to present a detailed model of dyke emplacement and evolution. Dykes initially propagated with the passage of fragmented, gas-charged magma and generation of external tuffisite veins, whose distribution was strongly influenced by pre-existing fractures in the country rock. External tuffisites retained permeability throughout dyke emplacement due to their high lithic content. The geochemically homogenous dykes then evolved via incremental magma emplacement, with shear deformation localised along emplacement boundary layers. Shear zones migrated between different boundary layers, and bubble deformation promoted magma mobility. Brittle-ductile microtextures and bubble populations point towards multi-step and multi-rate magma decompression, and we propose that gas overpressure in bubbles created tensile micro-cracks, whose coalescence culminated in macroscopic fragmentation. Finally, we infer that bubble collapse was associated with both localised brittle magma failure at shallow levels and macroscopic magma fragmentation deeper within the magmatic system. Processes recorded by the Húsafell dyke exposures appear akin to those occurring in the shallow conduits of Chaitén and Cordón Caulle during recent rhyolitic eruptions[2,3]. The field evidence presented here therefore bridges the gap between eruption observations and the deeper geological record, and so provides new insight into conduit evolution during explosive-hybrid-effusive eruptive phases[2,3] and the influence of country rock. The parallels between intrusive dyke textures and those found in extruded silicic lavas suggest that processes recorded in the dykes, including bubble collapse, volatile resorption, thermally-induced vesiculation and the formation of brittle-ductile shear zones, also occur within extrusive flows, contributing to their extreme textural heterogeneity[4]. [1] Saemundsson K & Noll H (1974) Jökull 24, 40-59. [2] Schipper CI et al. (2013) JVGR, 262, 25-37. [3] Castro JC et al. (2014) EPSL, 405, 52-61. [4] Shields JK et al. (2016) JVGR, 310, 137-158.

Discrimination Report ESTCP Project #MM-0437

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

Gasperikova, Erika

2008-10-01

The FY06 Defense Appropriation contains funding for the 'Development of Advanced, Sophisticated, and Discrimination Technologies for UXO Cleanup' in the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. In 2003, the Defense Science Board observed: 'The...problem is that instruments that can detect the buried UXOs also detect numerous scrap metal objects and other artifacts, which leads to an enormous amount of expensive digging. Typically 100 holes may be dug before a real UXO is unearthed. The Task Force assessment is that much of this wasteful digging can be eliminated by the use of more advanced technology instruments that exploit modern digital processing andmore » advanced multi-mode sensors to achieve an improved level of discrimination of scrap from UXOs'. Significant progress has been made in discrimination technology. To date, testing of these approaches has been primarily limited to test sites with only limited application at live sites. Acceptance of discrimination technologies requires demonstration of system capabilities at UXO sites under real world conditions. FE Warren Air Force Base (AFB) in Cheyenne, WY is one such site. The demonstration objective was to determine the discrimination capabilities, cost and reliability of the Berkeley UXO Discriminator (BUD) in discrimination of UXO from scrap metal in real life conditions. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory performed a detection and discrimination survey of the Priority 1 area ({approx}5 acres) of the FE Warren AFB. The data included a system characterization with the emplaced calibration items and targets in the Geophysical Prove Out (GPO) area.« less

Status of plutonium ceramic immobilization processes and immobilization forms

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

Ebbinghaus, B.B.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Vance, E.R.

1996-05-01

Immobilization in a ceramic followed by permanent emplacement in a repository or borehole is one of the alternatives currently being considered by the Fissile Materials Disposition Program for the ultimate disposal of excess weapons-grade plutonium. To make Pu recovery more difficult, radioactive cesium may also be incorporated into the immobilization form. Valuable data are already available for ceramics form R&D efforts to immobilize high-level and mixed wastes. Ceramics have a high capacity for actinides, cesium, and some neutron absorbers. A unique characteristic of ceramics is the existence of mineral analogues found in nature that have demonstrated actinide immobilization over geologicmore » time periods. The ceramic form currently being considered for plutonium disposition is a synthetic rock (SYNROC) material composed primarily of zirconolite (CaZrTi{sub 2}O{sub 7}), the desired actinide host phase, with lesser amounts of hollandite (BaAl{sub 2}Ti{sub 6}O{sub 16}) and rutile (TiO{sub 2}). Alternative actinide host phases are also being considered. These include pyrochlore (Gd{sub 2}Ti{sub 2}O{sub 7}), zircon (ZrSiO{sub 4}), and monazite (CePO{sub 4}), to name a few of the most promising. R&D activities to address important technical issues are discussed. Primarily these include moderate scale hot press fabrications with plutonium, direct loading of PuO{sub 2} powder, cold press and sinter fabrication methods, and immobilization form formulation issues.« less

10 CFR 72.8 - Denial of licensing by Agreement States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the storage of spent fuel and reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or the storage of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS. [66 FR 51839, Oct. 11, 2001] ...

10 CFR 72.8 - Denial of licensing by Agreement States.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE, AND REACTOR-RELATED GREATER THAN CLASS C WASTE General... the storage of spent fuel and reactor-related GTCC waste in an ISFSI or the storage of spent fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and reactor-related GTCC waste in an MRS. [66 FR 51839, Oct. 11, 2001] ...

78 FR 53793 - Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-30

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Request To Amend a License To Import Radioactive Waste Pursuant to... (Class A total of 5,500 ``Foreign Suppliers.'' No IW022/04 radioactive tons of low- other changes to the existing 11005700 waste). level waste). license which authorizes the import of low-level waste for...

High-Level Radioactive Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Howard C.

1995-01-01

Presents a method to calculate the amount of high-level radioactive waste by taking into consideration the following factors: the fission process that yields the waste, identification of the waste, the energy required to run a 1-GWe plant for one year, and the uranium mass required to produce that energy. Briefly discusses waste disposal and…

Radioactive Waste.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blaylock, B. G.

1978-01-01

Presents a literature review of radioactive waste disposal, covering publications of 1976-77. Some of the studies included are: (1) high-level and long-lived wastes, and (2) release and burial of low-level wastes. A list of 42 references is also presented. (HM)

Compound parabolic concentrator with cavity for tubular absorbers

DOEpatents

Winston, Roland

1983-01-01

A compond parabolic concentrator with a V-shaped cavity is provided in which an optical receiver is emplaced. The cavity redirects all energy entering between the receiver and the cavity structure onto the receiver, if the optical receiver is emplaced a distance from the cavity not greater than 0.27 r (where r is the radius of the receiver).

SUBGRADE MONOLITHIC ENCASEMENT STABILIZATION OF CATEGORY 3 LOW LEVEL WASTE (LLW)

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

PHILLIPS, S.J.

2004-02-03

A highly efficient and effective technology has been developed and is being used for stabilization of Hazard Category 3 low-level waste at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. Using large, structurally interconnected monoliths, which form one large monolith that fills a waste disposal trench, the patented technology can be used for final internment of almost any hazardous, radioactive, or toxic waste or combinations of these waste materials packaged in a variety of sizes, shapes, and volumes within governmental regulatory limits. The technology increases waste volumetric loading by 100 percent, area use efficiency by 200 percent, and volumetric configuration efficiencymore » by more than 500 percent over past practices. To date, in excess of 2,010 m{sup 3} of contact-handled and remote-handled low-level radioactive waste have been interned using this patented technology. Additionally, in excess of 120 m{sup 3} of low-level radioactive waste requiring stabilization in low-diffusion coefficient waste encasement matrix has been disposed using this technology. Greater than five orders of magnitude in radiation exposure reduction have been noted using this method of encasement of Hazard Category 3 waste. Additionally, exposure monitored at all monolith locations produced by the slip form technology is less than 1.29 x E-07 C {center_dot} kg{sup -1}. Monolithic encasement of Hazard Category 3 low-level waste and other waste category materials may be successfully accomplished using this technology at nominally any governmental or private sector waste disposal facility. Additionally, other waste materials consisting of hazardous, radioactive, toxic, or mixed waste materials can be disposed of using the monolithic slip form encasement technology.« less

Morphology, volcanism, and mass wasting in Crater Lake, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, C.R.; Gardner, J.V.; Mayer, L.A.; Buktenica, M.W.; Dartnell, P.; Ramsey, D.W.; Robinson, J.E.

2002-01-01

Crater Lake was surveyed nearly to its shoreline by high-resolution multibeam echo sounding in order to define its geologic history and provide an accurate base map for research and monitoring surveys. The bathymetry and acoustic backscatter reveal the character of landforms and lead to a chronology for the concurrent filling of the lake and volcanism within the ca. 7700 calibrated yr B.P. caldera. The andesitic Wizard Island and central-plattform volcanoes are composed of sequences of lava deltas that record former lake levels and demonstrate simultaneous activity at the two vents. Wizard Island eruptions ceased when the lake was ~80 m lower than at present. Lava streams from prominent channels on the surface of the central platform descended to feed extensive subaqueous flow fields on the caldera floor. The Wizard Island and central-platform volcanoes, andesitic Merriam Cone, and a newly discovered probable lava flow on the eastern floor of the lake apparently date from within a few hundred years of caldera collapse, whereas a small rhydacite dome was emplaced on the flank of Wizard Island at ca. 4800 cal. yr B.P. Bedrock outcrops on the submerged caldera walls are shown in detail and, in some cases, can be correlated with exposed geologic units of Mount Mazama. Fragmental debris making up the walls elsewhere consists of narrow talus cones forming a dendritic pattern that leads to fewer, wider ridges downslope. Hummocky topography and scattered blocks up to ~280 m long below many of the embayments in the caldera wall mark debris-avalanche deposits that probably formed in single events and commonly are affected by secondary failures. The flat-floored, deep basins contain relatively fine-grained sediment transported from the debris aprons by sheet-flow turbidity currents. Crater Lake apparently filled rapidly (ca. 400-750 yr) until reaching a permeable layer above glaciated lava identified by the new survey in the northeast caldera wall at ~1845 m elevation. Thereafter, a gradual, climatically modulated rise in lake level to the present 1883 m produced a series of beaches culminating in a modern wave-cut platform, commonly ~40 m wide, where suitable material is present. The new survey reveals landforms that result from intermediate-composition volcanism in rising water, delineates mass wasting and sediment transport into a restricted basin, and yields a more accurate postcaldera history leading to improved assessment of volcanic hazards.

Public concerns and behaviours towards solid waste management in Italy.

PubMed

Sessa, Alessandra; Di Giuseppe, Gabriella; Marinelli, Paolo; Angelillo, Italo F

2010-12-01

A self-administered questionnaire investigated knowledge, perceptions of the risks to health associated with solid waste management, and practices about waste management in a random sample of 1181 adults in Italy. Perceived risk of developing cancer due to solid waste burning was significantly higher in females, younger, with an educational level lower than university and who believed that improper waste management is linked to cancer. Respondents who had visited a physician at least once in the last year for fear of contracting a disease due to the non-correct waste management had an educational level lower than university, have modified dietary habits for fear of contracting disease due to improper waste management, believe that improper waste management is linked to allergies, perceive a higher risk of contracting infectious disease due to improper waste management and have participated in education/information activities on waste management. Those who more frequently perform with regularity differentiate household waste collection had a university educational level, perceived a higher risk of developing cancer due to solid waste burning, had received information about waste collection and did not need information about waste management. Educational programmes are needed to modify public concern about adverse health effects of domestic waste.

Tracker Mindset for Explosive Device Emplacement Indicator Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

NOTES 14. ABSTRACT While investigating landmine detection training for the AN/PSS-14, we noticed operators were so focused on the detector’s auditory ...traces? 1.1.1 How Humans See Basically speaking, when light from the environment enters the eye, it stimulates the rod and cone photoreceptors on...contours or edges more visible. 31 Intuition Can targets, in some way, be detected at a level below conscious awareness? Can stimulation , of which

Costs associated with the management of waste from healthcare facilities: An analysis at national and site level.

PubMed

Vaccari, Mentore; Tudor, Terry; Perteghella, Andrea

2018-01-01

Given rising spend on the provision of healthcare services, the sustainable management of waste from healthcare facilities is increasingly becoming a focus as a means of reducing public health risks and financial costs. Using data on per capita healthcare spend at the national level, as well as a case study of a hospital in Italy, this study examined the relationship between trends in waste generation and the associated costs of managing the waste. At the national level, healthcare spend as a percentage of gross domestic product positively correlated with waste arisings. At the site level, waste generation and type were linked to department type and clinical performance, with the top three highest generating departments of hazardous healthcare waste being anaesthetics (5.96 kg day -1 bed -1 ), paediatric and intensive care (3.37 kg day -1 bed -1 ) and gastroenterology-digestive endoscopy (3.09 kg day -1 bed -1 ). Annual overall waste management costs were $US5,079,191, or approximately $US2.36 kg -1 , with the management of the hazardous fraction of the waste being highest at $US3,707,939. In Italy, reduction in both waste arisings and the associated costs could be realised through various means, including improved waste segregation, and linking the TARI tax to waste generation.

DESIGN ANALYSIS FOR THE DEFENSE HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL CONTAINER

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

G. Radulesscu; J.S. Tang

The purpose of ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' analysis is to technically define the defense high-level waste (DHLW) disposal container/waste package using the Waste Package Department's (WPD) design methods, as documented in ''Waste Package Design Methodology Report'' (CRWMS M&O [Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management and Operating Contractor] 2000a). The DHLW disposal container is intended for disposal of commercial high-level waste (HLW) and DHLW (including immobilized plutonium waste forms), placed within disposable canisters. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-managed spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in disposable canisters may also be placed in a DHLW disposal container alongmore » with HLW forms. The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate that the DHLW disposal container/waste package satisfies the project requirements, as embodied in Defense High Level Waste Disposal Container System Description Document (SDD) (CRWMS M&O 1999a), and additional criteria, as identified in Waste Package Design Sensitivity Report (CRWMS M&Q 2000b, Table 4). The analysis briefly describes the analytical methods appropriate for the design of the DHLW disposal contained waste package, and summarizes the results of the calculations that illustrate the analytical methods. However, the analysis is limited to the calculations selected for the DHLW disposal container in support of the Site Recommendation (SR) (CRWMS M&O 2000b, Section 7). The scope of this analysis is restricted to the design of the codisposal waste package of the Savannah River Site (SRS) DHLW glass canisters and the Training, Research, Isotopes General Atomics (TRIGA) SNF loaded in a short 18-in.-outer diameter (OD) DOE standardized SNF canister. This waste package is representative of the waste packages that consist of the DHLW disposal container, the DHLW/HLW glass canisters, and the DOE-managed SNF in disposable canisters. The intended use of this analysis is to support Site Recommendation reports and to assist in the development of WPD drawings. Activities described in this analysis were conducted in accordance with the Development Plan ''Design Analysis for the Defense High-Level Waste Disposal Container'' (CRWMS M&O 2000c) with no deviations from the plan.« less

Urinary heavy metal levels and relevant factors among people exposed to e-waste dismantling.

PubMed

Wang, Hongmei; Han, Mei; Yang, Suwen; Chen, Yanqing; Liu, Qian; Ke, Shen

2011-01-01

Primitive electronic waste (e-waste) recycling has become a growing environmental concern, and toxic heavy metals released from e-waste activities may continue to threaten the health of local people. To study the impact of heavy metals in people around e-waste sites, 349 people from e-waste recycling sites (exposure group) and 118 people from a green plantation (control group) were surveyed, and their urinary levels of lead (UPb), cadmium (UCd), manganese (UMn), copper (UCu), and Zinc (UZn) were assayed. Questionnaire surveys for risk factors were also performed and analyzed by using the Pearson correlation analysis. Results indicated that the levels of urinary Cd in both occupational dismantling people {GM(GSD) 0.72(0.71) ug/L} and non-occupational dismantling people {GM(GSD) 0.50(0.79) ug/L} were higher than the control group {GM(GSD) 0.27(0.85) ug/L}. Further analyses of correlations between urinary heavy metal levels and exposure factors in the exposed group revealed positive relationship between the duration of dismantling and the level of UPb (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, rice sources from local village have a positive correlation with the level of UPb and UCd (p < 0.01). Other factors, however, may also have influences on heavy metal burden, and not all urinary heavy metal levels can be contributed to e-waste dismantling exposure levels. Primitive e-waste recycling activities may contribute to the changes of urinary heavy metal levels and increase the health risk for those chronically working on e-waste dismantling. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 25760 - Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume Reduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-01

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0183] Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management and Volume.... Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is revising its 1981 Policy Statement on Low-Level..., the NRC staff issued SECY-10-0043, ``Blending of Low-Level Radioactive Waste'' (ADAMS Accession No...

Curie temperatures of titanomagnetite in ignimbrites: Effects of emplacement temperatures, cooling rates, exsolution, and cation ordering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Mike; Bowles, Julie A.

2014-11-01

Pumices, ashes, and tuffs from Mt. St. Helens and from Novarupta contain two principal forms of titanomagnetite: homogeneous grains with Curie temperatures in the range 350-500°C and oxyexsolved grains with similar bulk composition, containing ilmenite lamellae and having Curie temperatures above 500°C. Thermomagnetic analyses and isothermal annealing experiments in combination with stratigraphic settings and thermal models show that emplacement temperatures and cooling history may have affected the relative proportions of homogeneous and exsolved grains and have clearly had a strong influence on the Curie temperature of the homogeneous phase. The exsolved grains are most common where emplacement temperatures exceeded 600°C, and in laboratory experiments, heating to over 600°C in air causes the homogeneous titanomagnetites to oxyexsolve rapidly. Where emplacement temperatures were lower, Curie temperatures of the homogeneous grains are systematically related to overburden thickness and cooling timescales, and thermomagnetic curves are generally irreversible, with lower Curie temperatures measured during cooling, but little or no change is observed in room temperature susceptibility. We interpret this irreversible behavior as reflecting variations in the degree of cation ordering in the titanomagnetites, although we cannot conclusively rule out an alternative interpretation involving fine-scale subsolvus unmixing. Short-range ordering within the octahedral sites may play a key role in the observed phenomena. Changes in the Curie temperature have important implications for the acquisition, stabilization, and retention of natural remanence and may in some cases enable quantification of the emplacement temperatures or cooling rates of volcanic units containing homogeneous titanomagnetites.

Time-Lapse Electrical Geophysical Monitoring of Amendment-Based Biostimulation

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

Johnson, Timothy C.; Versteeg, Roelof; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.

Biostimulation is increasingly used to accelerate microbial remediation of recalcitrant groundwater contaminants. Effective application of biostimulation requires successful emplacement of amendment in the contaminant target zone. Verification of remediation performance requires postemplacement assessment and contaminant monitoring. Sampling based approaches are expensive and provide low-density spatial and temporal information. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is an effective geophysical method for determining temporal changes in subsurface electrical conductivity. Because remedial amendments and biostimulation-related biogeochemical processes often change subsurface electrical conductivity, ERT can complement and enhance sampling-based approaches for assessing emplacement and monitoring biostimulation-based remediation. Field studies demonstrating the ability of time-lapse ERTmore » to monitor amendment emplacement and behavior were performed during a biostimulation remediation effort conducted at the Department of Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) Yard, in Brandywine, Maryland, United States. Geochemical fluid sampling was used to calibrate a petrophysical relation in order to predict groundwater indicators of amendment distribution. The petrophysical relations were field validated by comparing predictions to sequestered fluid sample results, thus demonstrating the potential of electrical geophysics for quantitative assessment of amendment-related geochemical properties. Crosshole radar zero-offset profile and borehole geophysical logging were also performed to augment the data set and validate interpretation. In addition to delineating amendment transport in the first 10 months after emplacement, the time-lapse ERT results show later changes in bulk electrical properties interpreted as mineral precipitation. Results support the use of more cost-effective surfacebased ERT in conjunction with limited field sampling to improve spatial and temporal monitoring of amendment emplacement and remediation performance.« less

Time-lapse electrical geophysical monitoring of amendment-based biostimulation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Timothy C.; Versteeg, Roelof J.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Major, William; Lane, John W.

2015-01-01

Biostimulation is increasingly used to accelerate microbial remediation of recalcitrant groundwater contaminants. Effective application of biostimulation requires successful emplacement of amendment in the contaminant target zone. Verification of remediation performance requires postemplacement assessment and contaminant monitoring. Sampling-based approaches are expensive and provide low-density spatial and temporal information. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is an effective geophysical method for determining temporal changes in subsurface electrical conductivity. Because remedial amendments and biostimulation-related biogeochemical processes often change subsurface electrical conductivity, ERT can complement and enhance sampling-based approaches for assessing emplacement and monitoring biostimulation-based remediation.Field studies demonstrating the ability of time-lapse ERT to monitor amendment emplacement and behavior were performed during a biostimulation remediation effort conducted at the Department of Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) Yard, in Brandywine, Maryland, United States. Geochemical fluid sampling was used to calibrate a petrophysical relation in order to predict groundwater indicators of amendment distribution. The petrophysical relations were field validated by comparing predictions to sequestered fluid sample results, thus demonstrating the potential of electrical geophysics for quantitative assessment of amendment-related geochemical properties. Crosshole radar zero-offset profile and borehole geophysical logging were also performed to augment the data set and validate interpretation.In addition to delineating amendment transport in the first 10 months after emplacement, the time-lapse ERT results show later changes in bulk electrical properties interpreted as mineral precipitation. Results support the use of more cost-effective surface-based ERT in conjunction with limited field sampling to improve spatial and temporal monitoring of amendment emplacement and remediation performance.

Application for a Permit to Operate a Class III Solid Waste Disposal Site at the Nevada National Security Site Area 5 Asbestiform Low-Level Solid Waste Disposal Site

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

NSTec Environmental Programs

2010-10-04

The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) is located approximately 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. The U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) is the federal lands management authority for the NNSS and National Security Technologies, LLC (NSTec) is the Management and Operations contractor. Access on and off the NNSS is tightly controlled, restricted, and guarded on a 24-hour basis. The NNSS is posted with signs along its entire perimeter. NSTec is the operator of all solid waste disposal sites on the NNSS. The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site (RWMS) ismore » the location of the permitted facility for the Solid Waste Disposal Site (SWDS). The Area 5 RWMS is located near the eastern edge of the NNSS (Figure 1), approximately 26 km (16 mi) north of Mercury, Nevada. The Area 5 RWMS is used for the disposal of low-level waste (LLW) and mixed low-level waste. Many areas surrounding the RWMS have been used in conducting nuclear tests. The site will be used for the disposal of regulated Asbestiform Low-Level Waste (ALLW), small quantities of low-level radioactive hydrocarbon-burdened (LLHB) media and debris, LLW, LLW that contains Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water, and small quantities of LLHB demolition and construction waste (hereafter called permissible waste). Waste containing free liquids, or waste that is regulated as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) or state-of-generation hazardous waste regulations, will not be accepted for disposal at the site. Waste regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that will be accepted at the disposal site is regulated asbestos-containing materials (RACM) and PCB Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water. The term asbestiform is used throughout this document to describe RACM. The disposal site will be used as a depository of permissible waste generated both on site and off site. All generators designated by NNSA/NSO will be eligible to dispose regulated ALLW at the Asbestiform Low-Level Waste Disposal Site in accordance with the DOE/NV-325, Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC, current revision). Approval will be given by NNSA/NSO to generators that have successfully demonstrated through process knowledge (PK) and/or sampling and analysis that the waste is low-level, contains asbestiform material, or contains PCB Bulk Product Waste greater than 50 ppm that leaches at a rate of less than 10 micrograms of PCB per liter of water, or small quantities of LLHB demolition and construction waste and does not contain prohibited waste materials. Each waste stream will be approved through the Radioactive Waste Acceptance Program (RWAP), which ensures that the waste meets acceptance requirements outlined in the NNSSWAC.« less

The moon: Sources of the crustal magnetic anomalies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hood, L.L.; Coleman, P.J.; Wilhelms, D.E.

1979-01-01

Previously unmapped Apollo 16 subsatellite magnetometer data collected at low altitudes over the lunar near side are presented. Medium-amplitude magnetic anomalies exist over the Fra Mauro and Cayley Formations (primary and secondary basin ejecta emplaced 3.8 to 4.0 billion years ago) but are nearly absent over the maria and over the craters Copernicus, Kepler, and Reiner and their encircling ejecta mantles. The largest observed anomaly (radial component ??? 21 gammas at an altitude of 20 kilometers) is exactly correlated with a conspicuous light-colored deposit on western Oceanus Procellarum known as Reiner ??. Assuming that the Reiner ?? deposit is the source body and estimating its maximum average thickness as 10 meters, a minimum mean magnetization level of 5.2 ?? 2.4 ?? 10-2 electromagnetic units per gram, or ??? 500 times the stable magnetization component of the most magnetic returned sample, is calculated. An age for its emplacement of ??? 2.9 billion years is inferred from photogeologic evidence, implying that magnetization of lunar crustal materials must have continued for a period exceeding 1 billion years. Copyright ?? 1979 AAAS.

Detection of free liquid in containers of solidified radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, W.O.

Nondestructive detection of the presence of free liquid within a sealed enclosure containing solidified waste is accomplished by measuring the levels of waste at two diametrically opposite locations while slowly tilting the enclosure toward one of said locations. When the measured level remains constant at the other location, the measured level at said one location is noted and any measured difference of levels indicates the presence of liquid on the surface of the solifified waste. The absence of liquid in the enclosure is verified when the measured levels at both locations are equal.

Detection of free liquid in containers of solidified radioactive waste

DOEpatents

Greenhalgh, Wilbur O.

1985-01-01

A method of nondestructively detecting the presence of free liquid within a sealed enclosure containing solidified waste by measuring the levels of waste at two diametrically opposite locations while slowly tilting the enclosure toward one of said locations. When the measured level remains constant at the other location, the measured level at said one location is noted and any measured difference of levels indicates the presence of liquid on the surface of the solidified waste. The absence of liquid in the enclosure is verified when the measured levels at both locations are equal.

Emplacement of the youngest flood lava on Mars: A short, turbulent story

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jaeger, W.L.; Keszthelyi, L.P.; Skinner, J.A.; Milazzo, M.P.; McEwen, A.S.; Titus, T.N.; Rosiek, M.R.; Galuszka, D.M.; Howington-Kraus, E.; Kirk, R.L.

2010-01-01

Recently acquired data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Context (CTX) imager, and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft were used to investigate the emplacement of the youngest flood-lava flow on Mars. Careful mapping finds that the Athabasca Valles flood lava is the product of a single eruption, and it covers 250,000 km2 of western Elysium Planitia with an estimated 5000-7500 km3 of mafic or ultramafic lava. Calculations utilizing topographic data enhanced with MRO observations to refine the dimensions of the channel system show that this flood lava was emplaced turbulently over a period of only a few to several weeks. This is the first well-documented example of a turbulently emplaced flood lava anywhere in the Solar System. However, MRO data suggest that this same process may have operated in a number of martian channel systems. The magnitude and dynamics of these lava floods are similar to the aqueous floods that are generally believed to have eroded the channels, raising the intriguing possibility that mechanical erosion by lava could have played a role in their incision. ?? 2009.

Emplacement of the youngest flood lava on Mars: A short, turbulent story

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jaeger, W.L.; Keszthelyi, L.P.; Skinner, J.A.; Milazzo, M.P.; McEwen, A.S.; Titus, T.N.; Rosiek, M.R.; Galuszka, D.M.; Howington-Kraus, E.; Kirk, R.L.

2009-01-01

Recently acquired data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Context (CTX) imager, and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft were used to investigate the emplacement of the youngest flood-lava flow on Mars. Careful mapping finds that the Athabasca Valles flood lava is the product of a single eruption, and it covers 250,000 km2 of western Elysium Planitia with an estimated 5000-7500 km3 of mafic or ultramafic lava. Calculations utilizing topographic data enhanced with MRO observations to refine the dimensions of the channel system show that this flood lava was emplaced turbulently over a period of only a few to several weeks. This is the first well-documented example of a turbulently emplaced flood lava anywhere in the Solar System. However, MRO data suggest that this same process may have operated in a number of martian channel systems. The magnitude and dynamics of these lava floods are similar to the aqueous floods that are generally believed to have eroded the channels, raising the intriguing possibility that mechanical erosion by lava could have played a role in their incision.

Various-scale controls of complex subduction dynamics on magmatic-hydrothermal processes in eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menant, Armel; Jolivet, Laurent; Sternai, Pietro; Ducoux, Maxime; Augier, Romain; Rabillard, Aurélien; Gerya, Taras; Guillou-Frottier, Laurent

2014-05-01

In subduction environment, magmatic-hydrothermal processes, responsible for the emplacement of magmatic bodies and related mineralization, are strongly controlled by slab dynamics. This 3D dynamics is often complex, resulting notably in spatial evolution through time of mineralization and magmatism types and in fast kinematic changes at the surface. Study at different scales of the distribution of these magmatic and hydrothermal products is useful to better constrain subduction dynamics. This work is focused on the eastern Mediterranean, where the complex dynamics of the Tethyan active margin since the upper Cretaceous is still largely debated. We propose new kinematic reconstructions of the region also showing the distribution of magmatic products and mineralization in space and time. Three main periods have thus been identified with a general southward migration of magmatic and ore bodies. (1) From late Cretaceous to lower Paleocene, calc-alkaline magmatism and porphyry Cu deposits emplaced notably in the Balkans, along a long linear cordillera. (2) From late Paleocene to Eocene, a barren period occurred while the Pelagonian microcontinent was buried within the subduction zone. (3) Since the Oligocene, Au-rich deposits and related K-rich magmatism emplaced in the Rhodopes, the Aegean and western Anatolian extensional domains in response to fast slab retreat and related mantle flow inducing the partial melting of the lithospheric mantle or the base of the upper crust where Au was previously stored. The emplacement at shallow level of this mineralization was largely controlled by large-scale structures that drained the magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. In the Cyclades for instance, field studies show that Au-rich but also base metal-rich ore deposits are syn-extensional and spatially related to large-scale detachment systems (e.g. on Tinos, Mykonos, Serifos islands), which are recognized as subduction-related structures. These results highlight the importance at different scales of subduction dynamics and related mantle flow on the emplacement of mineralization and magmatic bodies. Indeed, besides a general southward migration of the magmatic-hydrothermal activity since the upper Cretaceous from the Balkans to the present-day Aegean volcanic arc, a secondary westward migration is observed during the Miocene from the Menderes massif to the Cyclades. This feature is a possible consequence of a slab tearing event and related mantle flow, as suggested notably by tomographic models below western Anatolia. To further test the effects of slab retreat and tearing on the flow and temperature field within the mantle, we performed 3D thermo-mechanical numerical modeling. Models suggest that the asthenospheric flow induced by the development of a slab tear controls the migration of magmatic products stored at the base of the crust, influencing the distribution of potentially fertile magmas within the upper crust.

Hydrogeologic factors in the selection of shallow land burial sites for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, John N.

1986-01-01

In the United States, low-level radioactive waste is disposed of by shallow land burial. Commercial low-level radioactive waste has been buried at six sites, and low-level radioactive waste generated by the Federal Government has been buried at nine major and several minor sites. Several existing low-level radioactive waste sites have not provided expected protection of the environment. These shortcomings are related, at least in part, to an inadequate understanding of site hydrogeology at the time the sites were selected. To better understand the natural systems and the effect of hydrogeologic factors on long-term site performance, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted investigations at five of the six commercial low-level radioactive waste sites and at three Federal sites. These studies, combined with those of other Federal and State agencies, have identified and confirmed important hydrogeologic factors in the effective disposal of low-level radioactive waste by shallow land burial. These factors include precipitation, surface drainage, topography, site stability, geology, thickness of the host soil-rock horizon, soil and sediment permeability, soil and water chemistry, and depth to the water table.

Multi-discipline Waste Acceptance Process at the Nevada National Security Site - 13573

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

Carilli, Jhon T.; Krenzien, Susan K.

2013-07-01

The Nevada National Security Site low-level radioactive waste disposal facility acceptance process requires multiple disciplines to ensure the protection of workers, the public, and the environment. These disciplines, which include waste acceptance, nuclear criticality, safety, permitting, operations, and performance assessment, combine into the overall waste acceptance process to assess low-level radioactive waste streams for disposal at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site. Four waste streams recently highlighted the integration of these disciplines: the Oak Ridge Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators and Consolidated Edison Uranium Solidification Project material, West Valley Melter, and classified waste. (authors)

Lead-iron phosphate glass as a containment medium for the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes

DOEpatents

Boatner, L.A.; Sales, B.C.

1984-04-11

Disclosed are lead-iron phosphate glasses containing a high level of Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ for use as a storage medium for high-level radioactive nuclear waste. By combining lead-iron phosphate glass with various types of simulated high-level nuclear waste

Process for treating waste water having low concentrations of metallic contaminants

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

Looney, Brian B; Millings, Margaret R; Nichols, Ralph L

A process for treating waste water having a low level of metallic contaminants by reducing the toxicity level of metallic contaminants to an acceptable level and subsequently discharging the treated waste water into the environment without removing the treated contaminants.

Environmental analysis burial of offsite low-level waste at SRP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poe, W. L.; Moyer, R. A.

1980-12-01

The environmental effects of receipt and burial of low level naval waste are assessed. This low level waste was sent to the NRC-licensed burial ground operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc., at Barnwell, South Carolina. The DOE announced that DOE-generated low level waste would no longer be buried at commercial waste burial sites. The SRP was selected to receive the Naval waste described in this analysis. Receipt and burial of these wastes will have a negligible effect on SRP's environment and increase only sightly the environmental effects of the SRP operations discussed in the EIS on SRP waste management operations. The environmental effects of burial of this waste at Chem-Nuclear Burial Ground or at the SRP Burial Ground are described in this environmental analysis to permit assessment of incremental effects caused by the decision to bury this Naval waste in the SRP Burial Ground rather than in the Barnwell Burial Ground. The radiological effects from burial of this waste in either the SRP or Chem-Nuclear Burial Ground are very small when compared to those from natural background radiation or to the annual population dose commitment from operation of SRP. The environmental effects of burial at SRP to dose commitments normally received by the population surrounding SRP are compared.

Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Soluble Fractions of Industrial Solid Wastes on Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri

PubMed Central

Flohr, Letícia; de Castilhos Júnior, Armando Borges; Matias, William Gerson

2012-01-01

Industrial wastes may produce leachates that can contaminate the aquatic ecosystem. Toxicity testing in acute and chronic levels is essential to assess environmental risks from the soluble fractions of these wastes, since only chemical analysis may not be adequate to classify the hazard of an industrial waste. In this study, ten samples of solid wastes from textile, metal-mechanic, and pulp and paper industries were analyzed by acute and chronic toxicity tests with Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri. A metal-mechanic waste (sample MM3) induced the highest toxicity level to Daphnia magna(CE50,48 h = 2.21%). A textile waste induced the highest toxicity level to Vibrio fischeri (sample TX2, CE50,30 min = 12.08%). All samples of pulp and paper wastes, and a textile waste (sample TX2) induced chronic effects on reproduction, length, and longevity of Daphnia magna. These results could serve as an alert about the environmental risks of an inadequate waste classification method. PMID:22619632

Acute and chronic toxicity of soluble fractions of industrial solid wastes on Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri.

PubMed

Flohr, Letícia; de Castilhos Júnior, Armando Borges; Matias, William Gerson

2012-01-01

Industrial wastes may produce leachates that can contaminate the aquatic ecosystem. Toxicity testing in acute and chronic levels is essential to assess environmental risks from the soluble fractions of these wastes, since only chemical analysis may not be adequate to classify the hazard of an industrial waste. In this study, ten samples of solid wastes from textile, metal-mechanic, and pulp and paper industries were analyzed by acute and chronic toxicity tests with Daphnia magna and Vibrio fischeri. A metal-mechanic waste (sample MM3) induced the highest toxicity level to Daphnia magna(CE(50,48 h) = 2.21%). A textile waste induced the highest toxicity level to Vibrio fischeri (sample TX2, CE(50,30 min) = 12.08%). All samples of pulp and paper wastes, and a textile waste (sample TX2) induced chronic effects on reproduction, length, and longevity of Daphnia magna. These results could serve as an alert about the environmental risks of an inadequate waste classification method.

SOLID WASTE INTEGRATED FORECAST TECHNICAL (SWIFT) REPORT FY2005 THRU FY2035 2005.0 VOLUME 2

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

BARCOT, R.A.

This report provides up-to-date life cycle information about the radioactive solid waste expected to be managed by Hanford's Waste Management (WM) Project from onsite and offsite generators. It includes: (1) an overview of Hanford-wide solid waste to be managed by the WM Project; (2) multi-level and waste class-specific estimates; (3) background information on waste sources; and (4) comparisons to previous forecasts and other national data sources. The focus of this report is low-level waste (LLW), mixed low-level waste (MLLW), and transuranic waste, both non-mixed and mixed (TRU(M)). Some details on hazardous waste are also provided, however, this information is notmore » considered comprehensive. This report includes data requested in December, 2004 with updates through March 31,2005. The data represent a life cycle forecast covering all reported activities from FY2005 through the end of each program's life cycle and are an update of the previous FY2004.1 data version.« less

Role of strike-slip faulting in the evolution of allochthonous terranes in the Philippines

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

Karig, D.E.; Sarewitz, D.R.; Haeck, G.D.

1986-10-01

Concepts of allochthonous terrane transport and emplacement are dominated by the assumption that most terranes originate on the subducting plate, collide with the upper plate, and are emplaced there. Movement of terranes along the convergent margin is recognized but is generally attributed to postcollision slip. In the northern Philippines, allochthonous terranes originate primarily within the arc system, have been translated along it by strike-slip faults, and were emplaced by cessation of that slip. The authors suggest that in the Philippines some originally vertical strike-slip boundaries may have evolved into shallow-dipping sutures marked by fold and thrust systems. This mode ofmore » terrane evolution may be more common than generally appreciated, particularly in orogenic belts developed in response to oblique convergence.« less

New Jersey State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The New Jersey state Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in New Jersey. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in New Jersey. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in New Jersey.« less

Mississippi State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

None

The Mississippi State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state an federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Mississippi. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Mississippi. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Mississippi.« less

North Carolina State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The North Carolina State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in North Carolina. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in North Carolina. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in North Carolina.« less

Wyoming State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Wyoming State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Wyoming. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Wyoming. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Wyoming.« less

Kansas State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Kansas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Kansas. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Kansas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Kansas.« less

Puerto Rico State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Puerto Rico State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Puerto Rico. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Puerto Rico. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessmentmore » was developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Puerto Rico.« less

Ohio State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

The Ohio State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Ohio. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Ohio. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Ohio.« less

Massachusetts State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-03-12

The Massachusetts State Briefing Book is one of a series of State briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist State and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Massachusetts. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Massachusetts. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Massachusetts.« less

Texas State Briefing Book for low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Texas State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactivee waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Texas. The profile is the result of a survey of NRC licensees in Texas. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developed throughmore » personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may impact waste management practices in Texas.« less

Vermont State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-07-01

The Vermont State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Vermont. The profile is the result of a survey of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensees in Vermont. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested parties including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment wasmore » developed through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant government agencies and activities, all of which may affect waste management practices in Vermont.« less

Response of zircon to melting and metamorphism in deep arc crust, Fiordland (New Zealand): implications for zircon inheritance in cordilleran granites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Shrema; Kemp, A. I. S.; Collins, W. J.

2018-04-01

The Cretaceous Mount Daniel Complex (MDC) in northern Fiordland, New Zealand was emplaced as a 50 m-thick dyke and sheet complex into an active shear zone at the base of a Cordilleran magmatic arc. It was emplaced below the 20-25 km-thick, 125.3 ± 1.3 Ma old Western Fiordland Orthogneiss (WFO) and is characterized by metre-scale sheets of sodic, low and high Sr/Y diorites and granites. 119.3 ± 1.2 Ma old, pre-MDC lattice dykes and 117.4 ± 3.1 Ma late-MDC lattice dykes constrain the age of the MDC itself. Most dykes were isoclinally folded as they intruded, but crystallised within this deep-crustal, magma-transfer zone as the terrain cooled and was buried from 25 to 50 km (9-14 kbar), based on published P-T estimated from the surrounding country rocks. Zircon grains formed under these magmatic/granulite facies metamorphic conditions were initially characterized by conservatively assigning zircons with oscillatory zoning as igneous and featureless rims as metamorphic, representing 54% of the analysed grains. Further petrological assignment involved additional parameters such as age, morphology, Th/U ratios, REE patterns and Ti-in-zircon temperature estimates. Using this integrative approach, assignment of analysed grains to metamorphic or igneous groupings improved to 98%. A striking feature of the MDC is that only 2% of all igneous zircon grains reflect emplacement, so that the zircon cargo was almost entirely inherited, even in dioritic magmas. Metamorphic zircons of MDC show a cooler temperature range of 740-640 °C, reflects the moderate ambient temperature of the lower crust during MDC emplacement. The MDC also provides a cautionary tale: in the absence of robust field and microstructural relations, the igneous-zoned zircon population at 122.1 ± 1.3 Ma, derived mostly from inherited zircons of the WFO, would be meaningless in terms of actual magmatic emplacement age of MDC, where the latter is further obscured by younger (ca. 114 Ma) metamorphic overgrowths. Thus, our integrative approach provides the opportunity to discriminate between igneous and metamorphic zircon within deep-crustal complexes. Also, without the tight field relations at Mt Daniel, the scatter beyond a statistically coherent group might be ascribed to the presence of "antecrysts", but it is clear that the WFO solidified before the MDC was emplaced, and these older "igneous" grains are inherited. The bimodal age range of inherited igneous grains, dominated by 125 Ma and 350-320 Ma age clusters, indicate that the adjacent WFO and a Carboniferous metaigneous basement were the main sources of the MDC magmas. Mafic lenses, stretched and highly attenuated into wisps within the MDC and dominated by 124 Ma inherited zircons, are considered to be entrained restitic material from the WFO. A comparison with lower- and upper-crustal, high Sr/Y metaluminous granites elsewhere in Fiordland shows that zircon inheritance is common in the deep crust, near the source region, but generally much less so in coeval, shallow magma chambers (plutons). This is consistent with previous modelling on rapid zircon dissolution rates and high Zr saturation concentrations in metaluminous magmas. Accordingly, unless unusual circumstances exist, such as MDC preservation in the deep crust, low temperatures of magma generation, or rapid emplacement and crystallization at higher structural levels, information on zircon inheritance in upper crustal, Cordilleran plutons is lost during zircon dissolution, along with information on the age, nature and variety of the source material. The observation that dioritic magmas can form at these low temperatures (< 750 °C) also suggests that the petrogenesis of mafic rocks in the arc root might need to be re-assessed.

From Crustal Anatexis to Pluton Emplacement: High-Precision Zircon Geochronology Reveals the Thermal History of the Larderello-Travale Geothermal System (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farina, F.; Dini, A.; Ovtcharova, M.; Davies, J.; Bouvier, A. S.; Baumgartner, L. P.; Caricchi, L.; Schaltegger, U.

2017-12-01

Late Miocene to recent post-collisional extension in Tuscany (Italy) led to the emplacement of shallow-level granitic plutons and to the eruption of small rhyolitic bodies. The intrusion of peraluminous two-mica and tourmaline-bearing granites triggered the formation of the steam-dominated Larderello-Travale geothermal system. In this study, zircon crystals from granite samples obtained from drill holes at 3.0-4.5 km depth were investigated by combining in-situ oxygen isotopes analysis and high-precision CA-ID-TIMS U-Pb age determinations to gain insight into the nature of the magmatic heat source fuelling the geothermal field. Magmatic zircon crystals display δ18O values ranging from 8.6 to 13.5‰ and crystals from individual samples exhibit inter- and intra-grain oxygen isotope variability exceeding 3‰. The geochronological data indicates the existence of three magmatic pulses with ages between 3.637 ± 0.008 and 1.671 ± 0.004 Ma. More importantly, zircon crystals from individual samples exhibit an age spread as large as 200-400 ky. This age dispersion, which is more than one order of magnitude greater than the uncertainty on a single date, suggest that most of the zircon did not crystallize at the emplacement level, but within isolated and isotopically distinct magma batches before large-scale homogenization in a magmatic reservoir at depth. The rate of assembly and final volume of this reservoir is estimated using the distribution of precise U-Pb zircon dates following the approach of Caricchi et al. (2014). Thermal modelling indicates that the heat flow at the surface in the geothermal field cannot be sustained by the inferred reservoir or by heat advection from the mantle. Our data suggest the existence of a younger shallow-level intrusion, whose occurrence also accounts for the existence of confined magmatic fluids at the top of the Larderello-Travale intrusion. We conclude that a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating high-precision zircon dating, in-situ oxygen isotopes and thermal modelling can be used to resolve the thermal structure of the crust in active geothermal systems. Ref: Caricchi et al., (2014). Nature, 511, 457-461. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 701494.

10 CFR 1800.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.10 Purpose and scope. Pursuant to Articles IV.i.(1), (7), (15), and VII.e. of the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact...

10 CFR 1800.10 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMMISSION DECLARATION OF PARTY STATE ELIGIBILITY FOR NORTHEAST INTERSTATE LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT § 1800.10 Purpose and scope. Pursuant to Articles IV.i.(1), (7), (15), and VII.e. of the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact...

A Geological Model for the Evolution of Early Continents (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, P. F.; Coltice, N.; Flament, N. E.; Thébaud, N.

2013-12-01

Geochemical probing of ancient sediments (REE in black shales, strontium composition of carbonates, oxygen isotopes in zircons...) suggests that continents were a late Archean addition at Earth's surface. Yet, geochemical probing of ancient basalts reveals that they were extracted from a mantle depleted of its crustal elements early in the Archean. Considerations on surface geology, the early Earth hypsometry and the rheology and density structure of Archean continents can help solve this paradox. Surface geology: The surface geology of Archean cratons is characterized by thick continental flood basalts (CFBs, including greenstones) emplaced on felsic crusts dominated by Trondhjemite-Tonalite-Granodiorite (TTG) granitoids. This simple geology is peculiar because i/ most CFBs were emplaced below sea level, ii/ after their emplacement, CFBs were deformed into relatively narrow, curviplanar belts (greenstone basins) wrapping around migmatitic TTG domes, and iii/ Archean greenstone belts are richly endowed with gold and other metals deposits. Flat Earth hypothesis: From considerations on early Earth continental geotherm and density structure, Rey and Coltice (2008) propose that, because of the increased ability of the lithosphere to flow laterally, orogenic processes in the Archean produced only subdued topography (

Geohydrologic aspects for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bedinger, M.S.

1989-01-01

The objective for siting and design of low-level radioactive-waste repository sites is to isolate the waste from the biosphere until the waste no longer poses an unacceptable hazard as a result of radioactive decay. Low-level radioactive waste commonly is isolated at shallow depths with various engineered features to stabilize the waste and to reduce its dissolution and transport by ground water. The unsaturated zone generally is preferred for isolating the waste. Low-level radioactive waste may need to be isolated for 300 to 500 years. Maintenance and monitoring of the repository site are required by Federal regulations for only the first 100 years. Therefore, geohydrology of the repository site needs to provide natural isolation of the waste for the hazardous period following maintenance of the site. Engineering design of the repository needs to be compatible with the natural geohydrologic conditions at the site. Studies at existing commercial and Federal waste-disposal sites provide information on the problems encountered and the basis for establishing siting guidelines for improved isolation of radioactive waste, engineering design of repository structures, and surveillance needs to assess the effectiveness of the repositories and to provide early warning of problems that may require remedial action.Climate directly affects the hydrology of a site and probably is the most important single factor that affects the suitability of a site for shallow-land burial of low-level radioactive waste. Humid and subhumid regions are not well suited for shallow isolation of low-level radioactive waste in the unsaturated zone; arid regions with zero to small infiltration from precipitation, great depths to the water table, and long flow paths to natural discharge areas are naturally well suited to isolation of the waste. The unsaturated zone is preferred for isolation of low-level radioactive waste. The guiding rationale is to minimize contact of water with the waste and to minimize transport of waste from the repository. The hydrology of a flow system containing a repository is greatly affected by the engineering of the repository site. Prediction of the performance of the repository is a complex problem, hampered by problems of characterizing the natural and manmade features of the flow system and by the limitations of models to predict flow and geochemical processes in the saturated and unsaturated zones. Disposal in low-permeability unfractured clays in the saturated zone may be feasible where the radionuclide transport is controlled by diffusion rather than advection.

10 CFR 62.13 - Contents of a request for emergency access: Alternatives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... EMERGENCY ACCESS TO NON-FEDERAL AND REGIONAL LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES Request for a Commission... following: (1) Storage of low-level radioactive waste at the site of generation; (2) Storage of low-level... disposal at a Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in the case of a Federal or defense...

Wireless Sensor Networks for Detection of IED Emplacement

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Abstract We are investigating the use of wireless nonimaging -sensor...networks for the difficult problem of detection of suspicious behavior related to IED emplacement. Hardware for surveillance by nonimaging -sensor networks...with people crossing a live sensor network. We conclude that nonimaging -sensor networks can detect a variety of suspicious behavior, but

Extent and impact of Cretaceous magmatism on the formation and evolution of Jurassic oceanic crust in the western Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, H.; Lizarralde, D.; Tominaga, M.; Hart, L.; Tivey, M.; Swift, S. A.

2015-12-01

Multi-channel seismic (MCS) images and wide-angle sonobuoy data acquired during a 2011 cruise on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson (TN272) show widespread emplacement of igneous sills and broadly thickened oceanic Layer 2 through hundreds of kilometers of oceanic crust in one of the oldest ocean basins in the western Pacific, a region known as the Jurassic Quiet Zone (JQZ). Oceanic crust from the JQZ has grown through at least two main magmatic phases: It was formed by mid-ocean ridge processes in the Jurassic (at ~170 Ma), and then it was added to by a substantial Cretaceous magmatic event (at ~75-125 Ma). The scale of Cretaceous magmatism is exemplified by massive seafloor features such as the Ontong Java Plateau, Mid-Pacific Mountains, Marshall-Gilbert Islands, Marcus-Wake Seamount Chain, and numerous guyots, seamounts, and volcaniclastic flows observed throughout the region. We use seismic data to image heavily intruded and modified oceanic crust along an 800-km-long transect through the JQZ in order to examine how processes of secondary crustal growth - including magmatic emplacement, transport, and distribution - are expressed in the structure of modified oceanic crust. We also model gravity anomalies to constrain crustal thickness and depth to the Moho. Our observations suggest that western Pacific crust was modified via the following modes of emplacement: (a) extrusive seafloor flows that may or may not have grown into seamounts, (b) seamounts formed through intrusive diking that pushed older sediments aside during their formation, and (c) igneous sills that intruded sediments at varying depths. Emplacement modes (a) and (b) tend to imply a focused, pipe-like mechanism for melt transport through the lithosphere. Such a mechanism does not explain the observed broadly distributed intrusive emplacement of mode (c) however, which may entail successive sill emplacement between igneous basement and sediments thickening oceanic Layer 2 along ~400 km of our seismic line. This mode of crustal growth seems to require broad zones of melt transport through the lithosphere and across the Moho.

Post-emplacement cooling and contraction of lava flows: InSAR observations and thermal model for lava fields at Hekla volcano, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wittmann, Werner; Dumont, Stephanie; Lavallee, Yan; Sigmundsson, Freysteinn

2016-04-01

Gradual post-emplacement subsidence of lava flows has been observed at various volcanoes, e.g. Okmok volcano in Alaska, Kilauea volcano on Hawaii and Etna volcano on Sicily. In Iceland, this effect has been observed at Krafla volcano and Hekla volcano. The latter was chosen as a case study for investigating subsidence mechanisms, specifically thermal contraction. Effects like gravitational loading, clast repacking or creeping of a hot and liquid core can contribute to subsidence of emplaced lava flows, but thermal contraction is considered being a crucial effect. The extent to which it contributes to lava flow subsidence is investigated by mapping the relative movement of emplaced lava flows and flow substrate, and modeling the observed signal. The slow vegetation in Iceland is advantageous for Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and offers great coherence over long periods after lava emplacement, expanding beyond the outlines of lava flows. Due to this reason, InSAR observations over volcanoes in Iceland have taken place for more than 20 years. By combining InSAR tracks from ERS, Envisat and Cosmo-SkyMed satellites we gain six time series with a total of 99 interferograms. Making use of the high spatial resolution, a temporal trend of vertical lava movements was investigated over a course of over 23 years over the 1991 lava flow of Hekla volcano, Iceland. From these time series, temporal trends of accumulated subsidence and subsidence velocities were determined in line of sight of the satellites. However, the deformation signal of lava fields after emplacement is vertically dominated. Subsidence on this lava field is still ongoing and subsidence rates vary from 14.8 mm/year in 1995 to about 1.0 mm/year in 2014. Fitting a simple exponential function suggests a exponential decay constant of 5.95 years. Additionally, a one-dimensional, semi-analytical model was fitted to these data. While subsidence due to phase change is calculated analytically, subsidence due to thermal contraction gives additional subsidence, which is calculated numerically. Inversions were carried out for initial lava thickness, thermal expansivity, thermal diffusivity, latent heat and specific heat as the crucial parameters governing lava flow subsidence.

Flood lavas on Earth, Io and Mars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keszthelyi, L.; Self, S.; Thordarson, T.

2006-01-01

Flood lavas are major geological features on all the major rocky planetary bodies. They provide important insight into the dynamics and chemistry of the interior of these bodies. On the Earth, they appear to be associated with major and mass extinction events. It is therefore not surprising that there has been significant research on flood lavas in recent years. Initial models suggested eruption durations of days and volumetric fluxes of order 107 m3 s-1 with flows moving as turbulent floods. However, our understanding of how lava flows can be emplaced under an insulating crust was revolutionized by the observations of actively inflating pahoehoe flows in Hawaii. These new ideas led to the hypothesis that flood lavas were emplaced over many years with eruption rates of the order of 104 m3 s-1. The field evidence indicates that flood lava flows in the Columbia River Basalts, Deccan Traps, Etendeka lavas, and the Kerguelen Plateau were emplaced as inflated pahoehoe sheet flows. This was reinforced by the observation of active lava flows of ??? 100 km length on Io being formed as tube-fed flow fed by moderate eruption rates (102-103 m3 s-1). More recently it has been found that some flood lavas are also emplaced in a more rapid manner. New high-resolution images from Mars revealed 'platy-ridged' flood lava flows, named after the large rafted plates and ridges formed by compression of the flow top. A search for appropriate terrestrial analogues found an excellent example in Iceland: the 1783-1784 Laki Flow Field. The brecciated Laki flow top consists of pieces of pahoehoe, not aa clinker, leading us to call this 'rubbly pahoehoe'. Similar flows have been found in the Columbia River Basalts and the Kerguelen Plateau. We hypothesize that these flows form with a thick, insulating, but mobile crust, which is disrupted when surges in the erupted flux are too large to maintain the normal pahoehoe mode of emplacement Flood lavas emplaced in this manner could have (intermittently) reached effusion rates of the order of 106 m3 s-1.

30. FLOOR PLANS OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY. SHOWS LEVELS ABOVE ...

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

30. FLOOR PLANS OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY. SHOWS LEVELS ABOVE GRADE AND AT LEVEL OF OPERATING CORRIDOR. INEEL DRAWING NUMBER 200-0633-00-287-106351. FLUOR NUMBER 5775-CPP-633-A-1. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

10 CFR 2.1027 - Sua sponte.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Applicable to Proceedings for the Issuance of Licenses for the Receipt of High-Level Radioactive Waste at a... construction authorization for a high-level radioactive waste repository at a geologic repository operations...-level radioactive waste at a geologic repository operations area under parts 60 or 63 of this chapter...

Airborne bacteria and fungi associated with waste-handling work.

PubMed

Park, Donguk; Ryu, Seunghun; Kim, Shinbum; Byun, Hyaejeong; Yoon, Chungsik; Lee, Kyeongmin

2013-01-01

Municipal workers handling household waste are potentially exposed to a variety of toxic and pathogenic substances, in particular airborne bacteria, gram-negative bacteria (GNB), and fungi. However, relatively little is known about the conditions under which exposure is facilitated. This study assessed levels of airborne bacteria, GNB, and fungi, and examined these in relation to the type of waste-handling activity (collection, transfer, transport, and sorting at the waste preprocessing plant), as well as a variety of other environmental and occupational factors. Airborne microorganisms were sampled using an Andersen single-stage sampler equipped with agar plates containing the appropriate nutritional medium and then cultured to determine airborne levels. Samples were taken during collection, transfer, transport, and sorting of household waste. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify environmental and occupational factors that significantly affect airborne microorganism levels during waste-handling activities. The "type of waste-handling activity" was the only factor that significantly affected airborne levels of bacteria and GNB, accounting for 38% (P = 0.029) and 50% (P = 0.0002) of the variation observed in bacteria and GNB levels, respectively. In terms of fungi, the type of waste-handling activity (R2 = 0.76) and whether collection had also occurred on the day prior to sampling (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.78) explained most of the observed variation. Given that the type of waste-handling activity was significantly correlated with levels of bacteria, GNB, and fungi, we suggest that various engineering, administrative, and regulatory measures should be considered to reduce the occupational exposure to airborne microorganisms in the waste-handling industry.

A multi-echelon supply chain model for municipal solid waste management system.

PubMed

Zhang, Yimei; Huang, Guo He; He, Li

2014-02-01

In this paper, a multi-echelon multi-period solid waste management system (MSWM) was developed by inoculating with multi-echelon supply chain. Waste managers, suppliers, industries and distributors could be engaged in joint strategic planning and operational execution. The principal of MSWM system is interactive planning of transportation and inventory for each organization in waste collection, delivery and disposal. An efficient inventory management plan for MSWM would lead to optimized productivity levels under available capacities (e.g., transportation and operational capacities). The applicability of the proposed system was illustrated by a case with three cities, one distribution and two waste disposal facilities. Solutions of the decision variable values under different significant levels indicate a consistent trend. With an increased significant level, the total generated waste would be decreased, and the total transported waste through distribution center to waste to energy and landfill would be decreased as well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multi-echelon supply chain model for municipal solid waste management system

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

Zhang, Yimei, E-mail: yimei.zhang1@gmail.com; Huang, Guo He; He, Li

2014-02-15

In this paper, a multi-echelon multi-period solid waste management system (MSWM) was developed by inoculating with multi-echelon supply chain. Waste managers, suppliers, industries and distributors could be engaged in joint strategic planning and operational execution. The principal of MSWM system is interactive planning of transportation and inventory for each organization in waste collection, delivery and disposal. An efficient inventory management plan for MSWM would lead to optimized productivity levels under available capacities (e.g., transportation and operational capacities). The applicability of the proposed system was illustrated by a case with three cities, one distribution and two waste disposal facilities. Solutions ofmore » the decision variable values under different significant levels indicate a consistent trend. With an increased significant level, the total generated waste would be decreased, and the total transported waste through distribution center to waste to energy and landfill would be decreased as well.« less

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

Matlack, K. S.; Abramowitz, H.; Miller, I. S.

About 50 million gallons of high-level mixed waste is currently stored in underground tanks at the United States Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hanford site in the State of Washington. The Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) will provide DOE’s Office of River Protection (ORP) with a means of treating this waste by vitrification for subsequent disposal. The tank waste will be separated into low- and high-activity waste fractions, which will then be vitrified respectively into Immobilized Low Activity Waste (ILAW) and Immobilized High Level Waste (IHLW) products. The ILAW product will be disposed in an engineered facility onmore » the Hanford site while the IHLW product is designed for acceptance into a national deep geological disposal facility for high-level nuclear waste. The ILAW and IHLW products must meet a variety of requirements with respect to protection of the environment before they can be accepted for disposal.« less

The Face that Launched a Thousand Slips

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J. M.; Howard, A. D.; Schenk, P.; Thomas, P. C.

2013-01-01

Helene, (approximately 17.6 kilometers mean radius) is an L4 Trojan co-orbital of Saturn's moon Dione. Its hemisphere features an unusual morphology consisting of broad depressions and a generally smooth surface patterned with streaks and grooves. The streaks appear to be oriented down-gradient, as are the grooves. This pattern suggests intensive mass-wasting as a dominant process on the leading hemisphere. Kilometer-scale impact craters are very sparse on the leading hemisphere other than the degraded kilometer-scale basins defining the overall satellite shape, and many small craters have a diffuse appearance suggesting ongoing mass wasting. Thus mass wasting must dominate surface-modifying processes at present. In fact, the mass wasting appears to have been sufficient in magnitude to narrow the divides between adjacent basins to narrow septa, similar, but in lower relief, to the honeycomb pattern of Hyperion. The prominent groves occur primarily near topographic divides and appear have cut into a broad, slightly lower albedo surface largely conforming to the present topography but elevated a few meters above the smooth surfaces undergoing mass wasting flow. Low ridges and albedo markings on the surface suggest surface flow of materials traveling up to several kilometers. Diffusive mass wasting produces smooth surfaces - such a pattern characterizes most of the low-lying surfaces. The grooves, however, imply that the transport process is advective at those locations where they occur, that is, erosion tends to concentrate along linear pathways separated by divides. In fact, in many places grooves have a fairly regular spacing of 125-160 meters, defining a characteristic erosional scale. Several questions are prompted by the unusual morphology of Helene: 1) What is the nature of the surface materials? 2) Are the transport processes gradual or catastrophic motion from one or a few events? 3) What mechanisms drive mass wasting and groove development? 4) Have the formative processes been active in the recent past? 5) Finally, is the surface accreting or eroding? The smooth character of the leading edge hemisphere of Helene and the dominance of mass wasting suggest that the surface is composed of fine-grained debris, probably dominated by dust-size to small gravel particles. The Lagrangian points of saturnian satellites are locations where planetesimals might have accreted to form co-orbital satellites such as and they may capture ejecta from their master moon. Published models suggest that Helene is a site of net accretion, but we find no extant explanation for the dominance of fine grain sizes for the surface (and probable subsurface) composition of Helene and the other Lagrangian satellites. Observation of the mass wasting tracks on Helene suggests the presence of well-defined streams of debris with low bordering levees that may be depositional features or remnants of the dissected higher surface. Some flows in grazing illumination appear to have a convex cross-section. This mass-flow morphology might be consistent with the occurrence of large-scale flow events, but which might have occurred through rapid emplacement or slow glacier-like creep. On the other hand, small craters appear to have been "softened" by creep-like processes, indicating ongoing mass wasting.

Presentation of the 2007 Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award

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

McNamara, L.

Perma-Fix Environmental Services, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Larry McNamara is the 2007 recipient of the distinguished Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award from the Southeast Compact Commission for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management. This award recognizes Mr. McNamara's innovation in the commercialization of mixed waste treatment processes for the nuclear industry, and the significant role that these innovations have played solving low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) management problems in the United States with specific emphasis on low-level mixed wastes. Low-level mixed wastes (LLMW) have historically been the most difficult wastes to treat because of the specialized equipment, permits and experience neededmore » to deal with a large variety of hazardous constituents. Prior to innovations in the mixed waste treatment industry championed by Mr. McNamara, wastes were stored at generator sites around the country in regulated storage areas, at great cost, and in many cases for decades. In this paper, Mr. McNamara shares lessons he has learned over the past seven years in developing and implementing innovative waste management solutions that have helped solve one of the nation's biggest challenges. He also describes the future challenges facing the industry. (authors)« less

10 CFR 961.3 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... ENERGY STANDARD CONTRACT FOR DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND/OR HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE General... means any person who has title to spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. Purchaser means... (42 U.S.C. 2133, 2134) or who has title to spent nuclear fuel or high level radioactive waste and who...

10 CFR 62.1 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (42 U.S.C. 2021) to any non-Federal or regional low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal facility or... regional or non-Federal low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities and who submit a request to the... LOW-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES General Provisions § 62.1 Purpose and scope. (a) The regulations...

Process for solidifying high-level nuclear waste

DOEpatents

Ross, Wayne A.

1978-01-01

The addition of a small amount of reducing agent to a mixture of a high-level radioactive waste calcine and glass frit before the mixture is melted will produce a more homogeneous glass which is leach-resistant and suitable for long-term storage of high-level radioactive waste products.

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

Dirk Gombert; Jay Roach

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) was announced in 2006. As currently envisioned, GNEP will be the basis for growth of nuclear energy worldwide, using a closed proliferation-resistant fuel cycle. The Integrated Waste Management Strategy (IWMS) is designed to ensure that all wastes generated by fuel fabrication and recycling will have a routine disposition path making the most of feedback to fuel and recycling operations to eliminate or minimize byproducts and wastes. If waste must be generated, processes will be designed with waste treatment in mind to reduce use of reagents that complicate stabilizationmore » and minimize volume. The IWMS will address three distinct levels of technology investigation and systems analyses and will provide a cogent path from (1) research and development (R&D) and engineering scale demonstration, (Level I); to (2) full scale domestic deployment (Level II); and finally to (3) establishing an integrated global nuclear energy infrastructure (Level III). The near-term focus of GNEP is on achieving a basis for large-scale commercial deployment (Level II), including the R&D and engineering scale activities in Level I that are necessary to support such an accomplishment. Throughout these levels is the need for innovative thinking to simplify, including regulations, separations and waste forms to minimize the burden of safe disposition of wastes on the fuel cycle.« less

Volcanic arc emplacement onto the southernmost Appalachian Laurentian shelf: Characteristics and constraints

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tull, J.F.; Barineau, C.I.; Mueller, P.A.; Wooden, J.L.

2007-01-01

In the southernmost Appalachians, the Hillabee Greenstone, an Ordovician volcanic arc fragment, lies directly atop the outermost Laurentian Devonian-earliest Mississippian(?) shelf sequence at the structural top of the greenschist facies Talladega belt, the frontal metamorphic allochthon along this orogenic segment. The Hillabee Greenstone was emplaced between latest Devonian and middle Mississippian time. It and the uppermost Laurentian section were later repeated together within a series of map-scale imbricate slices of a postmetamorphic, dextral, transpressional, Alleghanian thrust duplex system that placed the high-grade eastern Blue Ridge allochthon atop the Talladega belt. Geochemical and geochronologic (U-Pb zircon) studies indicate that the Hillabee Greenstone's interstratified tholeiitic metabasalt and calc-alkaline metadacite/rhyolite formed within an extensional setting on continental crust ca. 460-470 Ma. Palinspastic reconstructions of the southern Appalachian Ordovician margin place the Hillabee Greenstone outboard of the present position of the Pine Mountain terrane and suggest links to Ordovician plutonism in the overlying eastern Blue Ridge, and possibly to widespread K-bentonite deposits within Ordovician platform units. The tectonic evolution of the Hillabee Greenstone exhibits many unusual and intriguing features, including: (1) premetamorphic emplacement along a basal cryptic thrust, which is remarkably concordant to both hanging wall and footwall sequences across its entire extent (>230 km), (2) formation, transport, and emplacement of the arc fragment accompanied by minimal deformation of the Hillabee Greenstone and underlying outer-margin shelf rocks, (3) emplacement temporally coincident with the adjacent collision of the younger, tectonically independent Ouachita volcanic arc with southeastern Laurentia. These features highlight strong contrasts in the Ordovician-Taconian evolution of the southern and northern parts of the Appalachian orogen. ?? 2007 Geological Society of America.

Constraints on the magnitude and rate of CO2 dissolution at Bravo Dome natural gas field

PubMed Central

Sathaye, Kiran J.; Hesse, Marc A.; Cassidy, Martin; Stockli, Daniel F.

2014-01-01

The injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) captured at large point sources into deep saline aquifers can significantly reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions from fossil fuels. Dissolution of the injected CO2 into the formation brine is a trapping mechanism that helps to ensure the long-term security of geological CO2 storage. We use thermochronology to estimate the timing of CO2 emplacement at Bravo Dome, a large natural CO2 field at a depth of 700 m in New Mexico. Together with estimates of the total mass loss from the field we present, to our knowledge, the first constraints on the magnitude, mechanisms, and rates of CO2 dissolution on millennial timescales. Apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology records heating of the Bravo Dome reservoir due to the emplacement of hot volcanic gases 1.2–1.5 Ma. The CO2 accumulation is therefore significantly older than previous estimates of 10 ka, which demonstrates that safe long-term geological CO2 storage is possible. Integrating geophysical and geochemical data, we estimate that 1.3 Gt CO2 are currently stored at Bravo Dome, but that only 22% of the emplaced CO2 has dissolved into the brine over 1.2 My. Roughly 40% of the dissolution occurred during the emplacement. The CO2 dissolved after emplacement exceeds the amount expected from diffusion and provides field evidence for convective dissolution with a rate of 0.1 g/(m2y). The similarity between Bravo Dome and major US saline aquifers suggests that significant amounts of CO2 are likely to dissolve during injection at US storage sites, but that convective dissolution is unlikely to trap all injected CO2 on the 10-ky timescale typically considered for storage projects. PMID:25313084

Time-Lapse Electrical Geophysical Monitoring of Amendment-Based Biostimulation.

PubMed

Johnson, Timothy C; Versteeg, Roelof J; Day-Lewis, Frederick D; Major, William; Lane, John W

2015-01-01

Biostimulation is increasingly used to accelerate microbial remediation of recalcitrant groundwater contaminants. Effective application of biostimulation requires successful emplacement of amendment in the contaminant target zone. Verification of remediation performance requires postemplacement assessment and contaminant monitoring. Sampling-based approaches are expensive and provide low-density spatial and temporal information. Time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is an effective geophysical method for determining temporal changes in subsurface electrical conductivity. Because remedial amendments and biostimulation-related biogeochemical processes often change subsurface electrical conductivity, ERT can complement and enhance sampling-based approaches for assessing emplacement and monitoring biostimulation-based remediation. Field studies demonstrating the ability of time-lapse ERT to monitor amendment emplacement and behavior were performed during a biostimulation remediation effort conducted at the Department of Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) Yard, in Brandywine, Maryland, United States. Geochemical fluid sampling was used to calibrate a petrophysical relation in order to predict groundwater indicators of amendment distribution. The petrophysical relations were field validated by comparing predictions to sequestered fluid sample results, thus demonstrating the potential of electrical geophysics for quantitative assessment of amendment-related geochemical properties. Crosshole radar zero-offset profile and borehole geophysical logging were also performed to augment the data set and validate interpretation. In addition to delineating amendment transport in the first 10 months after emplacement, the time-lapse ERT results show later changes in bulk electrical properties interpreted as mineral precipitation. Results support the use of more cost-effective surface-based ERT in conjunction with limited field sampling to improve spatial and temporal monitoring of amendment emplacement and remediation performance. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Timing of mafic magmatism VS localization of the deformation: the Ivrea Zone (Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bidault, M.; Geoffroy, L.; Arbaret, L.; Aubourg, C. T.

2017-12-01

Mafic magma emplacement is a common feature of continental extension systems, represented at initial stage by volcanic rifts and at more mature stage by volcanic passive margins. In those contexts, lithospheric extension is not isovolumic, magma being notably added to the crust while it is tectonically stretched and thinned. Crystal-scale power-law mechanisms responsible for the continuous flow of the lower crust during extension are composition- and temperature-dependent and additionally, very slow processes. However magma emplacement is a very rapid process. Its effect on the lower crust rheology is dual depending upon the time-scale of the processes: thermal weakening, when newly-formed hot intrusions emplace and heat their surrounding, and rheological chemical hardening when mafic intrusions are cold. Consequently, the localization and type of ductile deformation affecting the lower crust depend on the emplacement rate, volume and spatial organization of the mafic system. The Ivrea Zone is a well-known variscan continental crust section that underwent extension through first gravitational collapse in the Carboniferous and then lithospheric extension until the Permian. From the Late Carboniferous to the Permian, extension in the Ivrea Zone was associated with large volumes of magma intrusion within the lower crust. This volcanic rift stage predated the development of a non-volcanic passive margin during the Jurassic. The entire system was tilted 90° eastward during the Alpine orogeny but remained unaffected by significant metamorphism or pervasive strain. We combine new field observations, Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility data and trace-element geochemistry to investigate the timing, tectonic-setting and consequences of magma emplacement in the in-extension Ivrea lower crust. We propose a new tectonic history, highlighting time-dependent strain transfer and localization in the lower crust, in connection with mafic magma intrusion.

Internal fabrics in magmatic plutons emplaced in extended brittle crust - insight from analogue models with AMS (Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaei, Masoud; Zavada, Prokop; Machek, Matej; Roxerova, Zuzana

2016-04-01

Magma emplacement in extended brittle crust was simulated by injecting plaster of Paris (magma) into a large sandbox with central deformable rubber sheet. Analog magma is during the experiments injected through small circular inlet cut in the center of the elastic sheet. Injection force oscillation during the steadily evacuating analog magma was recorded during the experiments and regularly showed 3-4 increases followed by a quick drop. The recorded oscillation amplitude is largest for static injection without extension of the sandbox, which formed a columnar body with concentric and zonal internal fabric. Experiments including normal or oblique 20% extension resulted in along rift axis elongated oblate ellipsoidal pluton with rift parallel ridges in the top part of the pluton. Inspection of horizontal profiles show bone-shaped internal zoning patterns limited by conjugate sets of shear zones. Orientation of these internal shear zones is correlated with the sand-clock fault pattern developed in the overburden sand pack. Another set of shear zones parallel with the long axes of the plutons (rift axis) are associated with successive emplacement of distinct plaster pulses during the buildup of the entire body. The innermost lastly emplaced pulses of plaster display weak vertical magnetic fabrics with vertical lineations, while the outer shells of already emplaced plaster reveal stronger and margin parallel oblate magnetic fabrics with subhorizontal lineations. We interpret the vertical innermost fabrics as a result of active ascent of plaster from the injection inlet, while the fabrics in the outer zones likely reflect push due to inflation of the inner domain reflected in the reworking of the magnetic fabric.

Igneous Sheet Intrusions as a Record of Paleostress States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, T. L.; Walker, R. J.; Healy, D.; Bubeck, A.; England, R. W.; McCaffrey, K. J. W.

2017-12-01

The architecture of igneous sheet intrusion networks provides useful constraints on paleostress during emplacement. Several models for sill emplacement have used the close spatial relationships between sills and dikes in layered (sedimentary) host rocks to propose that dike-sill transitions are driven by layering. Such models require a stress rotation - from horizontal extension for dikes, to horizontal compression for sills - which is assumed to reflect a near-hydrostatic stress state, facilitating the dilation and intrusion of pre-existing structures (e.g. faults, joints, and bedding). Here, we present case examples of sills for which layering is not the main control on emplacement: Isle of Mull (UK), Faroe Islands (European Atlantic margin) and the San Rafael Subvolcanic Field (Utah, USA). In each case, dikes cut, or are cut by, sills; indicating that dikes were not the feeders to sills in the same section. The sills consist of linked, flat and shallowly-dipping segments that always show near-vertical opening directions. Sills cut bedding and formation contacts with consistent low-angle dips, and cut or abut against vertical faults, fractures, and tectonic foliations. From this, we infer that magma pressure during emplacement did not exceed the horizontal stress. To constrain the stress state during emplacement we present a novel approach that combines analysis of local and overall sill geometry data with mechanical models for slip tendency, dilation tendency, and fracture susceptibility. We also present a new depth-independent mechanical model, which estimates paleostress ratio and driving fluid pressure ratio using the opening angles of dilated fluid-filled fractures. Our results show that the studied sills record previously unrecognised local fluctuations in the far-field stress state, during magmatic supply. Sills, therefore, present an important tool for determining paleostress in areas where few brittle deformation structures (e.g. faults), other than intrusions, are present.

Emplacement of Basaltic Lava Flows: the Legacy of GPL Walker

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cashman, K. V.

2005-12-01

Through his early field measurements of lava flow morphology, G.P.L. Walker established a framework for examination of the dynamics of lava flow emplacement that is still in place today. I will examine this legacy as established by three early papers: (1) his 1967 paper, where he defined a relationship between the thickness of recent Etna lava flows and the slope over which they flowed, a relationship that he ascribed to lava viscosity; (2) his 1971 paper, which defined a relationship between lava flux and the formation of simple and compound flow units that he used to infer high effusion rates for the emplacement of some flood basalt lavas; and (3) his often-cited 1973 paper, which related the length of lava flows to their average effusion rate. These three papers, all similar in their basic approach of using field measurements of lava flow morphology to extract fundamental relationships between eruption conditions (magma flux and rheology) and emplacement style (flow length and thickness), firmly established the relationship between flow morphology and emplacement dynamics that has since been widely applied not only to subaerial lava flows, but also to the interpretation of flows in submarine and planetary environments. Important extensions of these concepts have been provided by improved field observation methods, particularly for analysis of flowing lava, by laboratory measurements of lava rheology, by the application of analog experiments to lava flow dynamics, and by steady improvement of numerical techniques to model the flow of lava over complex terrain. The real legacy of G.P.L. Walker's field measurement approach, however, may lie in the future, as new topographic measurement techniques such as LIDAR hold exciting promise for truly quantitative analysis of lava flow morphologies and their relationship to flow dynamics.

Emplacement of Volcanic Domes on Venus and Europa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quick, Lynnae C.; Glaze, Lori S.; Baloga, Steve M.

2015-01-01

Placing firmer constraints on the emplacement timescales of visible volcanic features is essential to obtaining a better understanding of the resurfacing history of Venus. Fig. 1 shows a Magellan radar image and topography for a putative venusian lava dome. 175 such domes have been identified, having diameters that range from 19 - 94 km, and estimated thicknesses as great as 4 km [1-2]. These domes are thought to be volcanic in origin [3], having formed by the flow of a viscous fluid (i.e., lava) onto the surface. Among the unanswered questions surrounding the formation of Venus steep-sided domes are their emplacement duration, composition, and the rheology of the lava. Rheologically speaking, maintenance of extremely thick, 1-4 km flows necessitates higher viscosity lavas, while the domes' smooth upper surfaces imply the presence of lower viscosity lavas [2-3]. Further, numerous quantitative issues, such as the nature and duration of lava supply, how long the conduit remained open and capable of supplying lava, the volumetric flow rate, and the role of rigid crust in influencing flow and final morphology all have implications for subsurface magma ascent and local surface stress conditions. The surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa exhibits many putative cryovolcanic constructs [5-7], and previous workers have suggested that domical positive relief features imaged by the Galileo spacecraft may be volcanic in origin [5,7-8] (Fig. 2). Though often smaller than Venus domes, if emplaced as a viscous fluid, formation mechanisms for europan domes may be similar to those of venusian domes [7]. Models for the emplacement of venusian lava domes (e.g. [9-10]) have been previously applied to the formation of putative cryolava domes on Europa [7].

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

DOE PAGES

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.; ...

2016-09-05

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

Characterization of Products from Fast Micropyrolysis of Municipal Solid Waste Biomass

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

Klemetsrud, Bethany; Ukaew, Suchada; Thompson, Vicki S.

Biomass feedstock costs remain one of the largest impediments to biofuel production economics. Municipal solid waste (MSW) represents an attractive feedstock with year-round availability, an established collection infrastructure paid for by waste generators, low cost and the potential to be blended with higher cost feedstocks to reduce overall feedstock costs. Paper waste, yard waste and construction and demolition waste (C&D) were examined for their applicability in the pyrolysis conversion pathway. Paper waste consisted of non-recyclable paper such as mixed low grade paper, food and beverage packaging, kitchen paper wastes and coated paper; yard waste consisted of grass clippings and C&Dmore » wastes consisted of engineered wood products obtained from a construction waste landfill. We tested the waste materials for thermochemical conversion potential using a bench scale fast micro-pyrolysis process. Bio-oil yields were the highest for the C&D materials and lowest for the paper waste. The C&D wastes had the highest level of lignin derived compounds (phenolic and cyclics) while the paper waste had higher levels of carbohydrate derived compounds (aldehydes, organic acids, ketones, alcohols and sugar derived). But, the paper material had higher amounts of lignin derived compounds than expected based upon lignin content that is likely due to the presence of polyphenolic resins used in paper processing. The paper and yard wastes had significantly higher levels of ash content than the C&D wastes (14-15% versus 0.5-1.3%), which further correlated to higher levels of alkali and alkaline earth metals, which are known to reduce pyrolysis bio-oil yields. There appeared to be an inverse correlation of both calcium and potassium content with the amount of chromatographic product peaks, indicative of cracking reactions occurring during product formation. Furthermore the effect of acid washing was evaluated for grass clipping and waste paper and the bio-oil yield was increased from 58% to 73% and 67% to 73%, respectively.« less

75 FR 61228 - Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Efforts

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-04

... NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD Board Meeting: Technical Lessons Gained From High-Level... Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will meet in Dulles... of Energy on technical issues and to review the technical validity of DOE activities related to...

Quantitative analysis of impact of awareness-raising activities on organic solid waste separation behaviour in Balikpapan City, Indonesia.

PubMed

Murase, Noriaki; Murayama, Takehiko; Nishikizawa, Shigeo; Sato, Yuriko

2017-10-01

Many cities in Indonesia are under pressure to reduce solid waste and dispose of it properly. In response to this pressure, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Indonesian Government have implemented a solid waste separation and collection project to reduce solid waste in the target area (810 households) of Balikpapan City. We used a cluster randomised controlled trial method to measure the impact of awareness-raising activities that were introduced by the project on residents' organic solid waste separation behaviour. The level of properly separated organic solid waste increased by 6.0% in areas that conducted awareness-raising activities. Meanwhile, the level decreased by 3.6% in areas that did not conduct similar activities. Therefore, in relative comparison, awareness-raising increased the level by 9.6%. A comparison among small communities in the target area confirmed that awareness-raising activities had a significant impact on organic solid waste separation. High frequencies of monitoring at waste stations and door-to-door visits by community members had a positive impact on organic solid waste separation. A correlation between the proximity of environmental volunteers' houses to waste stations and a high level of separation was also confirmed. The awareness-raising activities introduced by the project led to a significant increase in the separation of organic solid waste.

Final report on cermet high-level waste forms

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

Kobisk, E.H.; Quinby, T.C.; Aaron, W.S.

1981-08-01

Cermets are being developed as an alternate method for the fixation of defense and commercial high level radioactive waste in a terminal disposal form. Following initial feasibility assessments of this waste form, consisting of ceramic particles dispersed in an iron-nickel base alloy, significantly improved processing methods were developed. The characterization of cermets has continued through property determinations on samples prepared by various methods from a variety of simulated and actual high-level wastes. This report describes the status of development of the cermet waste form as it has evolved since 1977. 6 tables, 18 figures.

Estimating Residual Solids Volume In Underground Storage Tanks

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

Clark, Jason L.; Worthy, S. Jason; Martin, Bruce A.

2014-01-08

The Savannah River Site liquid waste system consists of multiple facilities to safely receive and store legacy radioactive waste, treat, and permanently dispose waste. The large underground storage tanks and associated equipment, known as the 'tank farms', include a complex interconnected transfer system which includes underground transfer pipelines and ancillary equipment to direct the flow of waste. The waste in the tanks is present in three forms: supernatant, sludge, and salt. The supernatant is a multi-component aqueous mixture, while sludge is a gel-like substance which consists of insoluble solids and entrapped supernatant. The waste from these tanks is retrieved andmore » treated as sludge or salt. The high level (radioactive) fraction of the waste is vitrified into a glass waste form, while the low-level waste is immobilized in a cementitious grout waste form called saltstone. Once the waste is retrieved and processed, the tanks are closed via removing the bulk of the waste, chemical cleaning, heel removal, stabilizing remaining residuals with tailored grout formulations and severing/sealing external penetrations. The comprehensive liquid waste disposition system, currently managed by Savannah River Remediation, consists of 1) safe storage and retrieval of the waste as it is prepared for permanent disposition; (2) definition of the waste processing techniques utilized to separate the high-level waste fraction/low-level waste fraction; (3) disposition of LLW in saltstone; (4) disposition of the HLW in glass; and (5) closure state of the facilities, including tanks. This paper focuses on determining the effectiveness of waste removal campaigns through monitoring the volume of residual solids in the waste tanks. Volume estimates of the residual solids are performed by creating a map of the residual solids on the waste tank bottom using video and still digital images. The map is then used to calculate the volume of solids remaining in the waste tank. The ability to accurately determine a volume is a function of the quantity and quality of the waste tank images. Currently, mapping is performed remotely with closed circuit video cameras and still photograph cameras due to the hazardous environment. There are two methods that can be used to create a solids volume map. These methods are: liquid transfer mapping / post transfer mapping and final residual solids mapping. The task is performed during a transfer because the liquid level (which is a known value determined by a level measurement device) is used as a landmark to indicate solids accumulation heights. The post transfer method is primarily utilized after the majority of waste has been removed. This method relies on video and still digital images of the waste tank after the liquid transfer is complete to obtain the relative height of solids across a waste tank in relation to known and usable landmarks within the waste tank (cooling coils, column base plates, etc.). In order to accurately monitor solids over time across various cleaning campaigns, and provide a technical basis to support final waste tank closure, a consistent methodology for volume determination has been developed and implemented at SRS.« less

Intraflow width variations in Martian and terrestrial lava flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peitersen, Matthew N.; Crown, David A.

1997-03-01

Flow morphology is used to interpret emplacement processes for lava flows on Earth and Mars. Accurate measurements of flow geometry are essential, particularly for planetary flows where neither compositional sampling nor direct observations of active flows may be possible. Width behavior may indicate a flow's response to topography, its emplacement regime, and its physical properties. Variations in width with downflow distance from the vent may therefore provide critical clues to flow emplacement processes. Flow width is also one of the few characteristics that can be readily measured from planetary mission data with accuracy. Recent analyses of individual flows at two terrestrial and four Martian sites show that widths within an individual flow vary by up to an order of magnitude. Width is generally thought to be correlated to topography; however, recent studies show that this relationship is neither straightforward nor easily quantifiable.

Low-Level Waste Forum notes and summary reports for 1994. Volume 9, Number 3, May-June 1994

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

NONE

1994-06-01

This issue includes the following articles: Vermont ratifies Texas compact; Pennsylvania study on rates of decay for classes of low-level radioactive waste; South Carolina legislature adjourns without extending access to Barnwell for out-of-region generators; Southeast Compact Commission authorizes payments for facility development, also votes on petitions, access contracts; storage of low-level radioactive waste at Rancho Seco removed from consideration; plutonium estimates for Ward Valley, California; judgment issued in Ward Valley lawsuits; Central Midwest Commission questions court`s jurisdiction over surcharge rebates litigation; Supreme Court decides commerce clause case involving solid waste; parties voluntarily dismiss Envirocare case; appellate court affirms dismissal ofmore » suit against Central Commission; LLW Forum mixed waste working group meets; US EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air rulemakings; EPA issues draft radiation site cleanup regulation; EPA extends mixed waste enforcement moratorium; and NRC denies petition to amend low-level radioactive waste classification regulations.« less

Understanding the Alteration of Bentonite Backfill Using Coupled THMC Modeling for a Long Term Heater Test at the Grimsel Underground Research Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkholzer, J. T.; Zheng, L.; Xu, H.; Rutqvist, J.

2017-12-01

Compacted bentonite is commonly used as backfill material in emplacement tunnels of nuclear waste repositories because of its low permeability, high swelling pressure, and retardation capacity of radionuclide. To assess whether this backfill material can maintain these favorable features when undergoing heating from the waste package and hydration from the host rock, we need a thorough understanding of the thermal, hydrological, mechanical, and chemical evolution of bentonite under disposal conditions. Dedicated field tests integrated with THMC modeling provide an effective way to deepen such understanding. Here, we present coupled THMC models for an in situ heater test which was conducted at the Grimsel Test Site in Switzerland for 18 years. The comprehensive monitoring data obtained in the test provide a unique opportunity to evaluate bentonite integrity and test coupled THMC models. We developed a modeling strategy where conceptual model complexity is increased gradually by adding/testing processes such as Non-Darcian flow, enhanced vapor diffusion, thermal osmosis and different constitutive relationships for permeability/porosity changes due to swelling. The final THMC model explains well all the THM data and the concentration profiles of conservative chemical species. Over the course of modeling the in situ test, we learned that (1) including Non-Darcian flow into the model leads to a significant underestimation of hydration rate of bentonite, (2) chemical data provide an important additional piece of information for calibrating a THM model; (3) key processes needed to reproduce the data include vapor diffusion, as well as porosity and permeability changes due to swelling and thermal osmosis; (4) the concentration profiles of cations (calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium) were largely shaped by transport processes despite their concentration levels being affected by mineral dissolution/precipitation and cation exchange. The concentration profiles of pH, bicarbonate and sulphate were largely determined by chemical reactions. These findings enable more reliable calculation of the time frame and condition of the early unsaturated phase in bentonite, the porosity and permeability after the bentonite becomes fully saturated, and how transport processes interact with reactions.

Analyses of livestock production, waste storage, and pathogen levels and prevalences in farm manures.

PubMed

Hutchison, M L; Walters, L D; Avery, S M; Munro, F; Moore, A

2005-03-01

Survey results describing the levels and prevalences of zoonotic agents in 1,549 livestock waste samples were analyzed for significance with livestock husbandry and farm waste management practices. Statistical analyses of survey data showed that livestock groups containing calves of <3 months of age, piglets, or lambs had higher prevalences and levels of Campylobacter spp. and Escherichia coli O157 in their wastes. Younger calves that were still receiving milk, however, had significantly lower levels and prevalence of E. coli O157. Furthermore, when wastes contained any form of bedding, they had lowered prevalences and levels of both pathogenic Listeria spp. and Campylobacter spp. Livestock wastes generated by stock consuming a diet composed principally of grass were less likely to harbor E. coli O157 or Salmonella spp. Stocking density did not appear to influence either the levels or prevalences of bacterial pathogens. Significant seasonal differences in prevalences were detected in cattle wastes; Listeria spp. were more likely to be isolated in March to June, and E. coli O157 was more likely to be found in May and June. Factors such as livestock diet and age also had significant influence on the levels and prevalences of some zoonotic agents in livestock wastes. A number of the correlations identified could be used as the basis of a best-practice disposal document for farmers, thereby lowering the microbiological risks associated with applying manures of contaminated livestock to land.

Subsurface Contamination Control

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

Y. Yuan

There are two objectives of this report, ''Subsurface Contamination Control''. The first is to provide a technical basis for recommending limiting radioactive contamination levels (LRCL) on the external surfaces of waste packages (WP) for acceptance into the subsurface repository. The second is to provide an evaluation of the magnitude of potential releases from a defective WP and the detectability of the released contents. The technical basis for deriving LRCL has been established in ''Retrieval Equipment and Strategy for Wp on Pallet'' (CRWMS M and O 2000g, 6.3.1). This report updates the derivation by incorporating the latest design information of themore » subsurface repository for site recommendation. The derived LRCL on the external surface of WPs, therefore, supercede that described in CRWMS M and O 2000g. The derived LRCL represent the average concentrations of contamination on the external surfaces of each WP that must not be exceeded before the WP is to be transported to the subsurface facility for emplacement. The evaluation of potential releases is necessary to control the potential contamination of the subsurface repository and to detect prematurely failed WPs. The detection of failed WPs is required in order to provide reasonable assurance that the integrity of each WP is intact prior to MGR closure. An emplaced WP may become breached due to manufacturing defects or improper weld combined with failure to detect the defect, by corrosion, or by mechanical penetration due to accidents or rockfall conditions. The breached WP may release its gaseous and volatile radionuclide content to the subsurface environment and result in contaminating the subsurface facility. The scope of this analysis is limited to radioactive contaminants resulting from breached WPs during the preclosure period of the subsurface repository. This report: (1) documents a method for deriving LRCL on the external surfaces of WP for acceptance into the subsurface repository; (2) provides a table of derived LRCL for nuclides of radiological importance; (3) Provides an as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA) evaluation of the derived LRCL by comparing potential onsite and offsite doses to documented ALARA requirements; (4) Provides a method for estimating potential releases from a defective WP; (5) Provides an evaluation of potential radioactive releases from a defective WP that may become airborne and result in contamination of the subsurface facility; and (6) Provides a preliminary analysis of the detectability of a potential WP leak to support the design of an airborne release monitoring system.« less

Origin and extent of fresh paleowaters on the Atlantic continental shelf, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, D.; Person, M.; Wang, P.; Gable, C.W.; Hutchinson, D.; Marksamer, A.; Dugan, Brandon; Kooi, H.; Groen, K.; Lizarralde, D.; Evans, R.L.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Lane, J.W.

2010-01-01

While the existence of relatively fresh groundwater sequestered within permeable, porous sediments beneath the Atlantic continental shelf of North and South America has been known for some time, these waters have never been assessed as a potential resource. This fresh water was likely emplaced during Pleistocene sea-level low stands when the shelf was exposed to meteoric recharge and by elevated recharge in areas overrun by the Laurentide ice sheet at high latitudes. To test this hypothesis, we present results from a high-resolution paleohydrologic model of groundwater flow, heat and solute transport, ice sheet loading, and sea level fluctuations for the continental shelf from New Jersey to Maine over the last 2 million years. Our analysis suggests that the presence of fresh to brackish water within shallow Miocene sands more than 100 km offshore of New Jersey was facilitated by discharge of submarine springs along Baltimore and Hudson Canyons where these shallow aquifers crop out. Recharge rates four times modern levels were computed for portions of New England's continental shelf that were overrun by the Laurentide ice sheet during the last glacial maximum. We estimate the volume of emplaced Pleistocene continental shelf fresh water (less than 1 ppt) to be 1300 km3 in New England. We also present estimates of continental shelf fresh water resources for the U.S. Atlantic eastern seaboard (104 km3) and passive margins globally (3 ?? 105 km3). The simulation results support the hypothesis that offshore fresh water is a potentially valuable, albeit nonrenewable resource for coastal megacities faced with growing water shortages. ?? 2009 National Ground Water Association.

DOE Waste Treatability Group Guidance

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

Kirkpatrick, T.D.

1995-01-01

This guidance presents a method and definitions for aggregating U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) waste into streams and treatability groups based on characteristic parameters that influence waste management technology needs. Adaptable to all DOE waste types (i.e., radioactive waste, hazardous waste, mixed waste, sanitary waste), the guidance establishes categories and definitions that reflect variations within the radiological, matrix (e.g., bulk physical/chemical form), and regulated contaminant characteristics of DOE waste. Beginning at the waste container level, the guidance presents a logical approach to implementing the characteristic parameter categories as part of the basis for defining waste streams and as the solemore » basis for assigning streams to treatability groups. Implementation of this guidance at each DOE site will facilitate the development of technically defined, site-specific waste stream data sets to support waste management planning and reporting activities. Consistent implementation at all of the sites will enable aggregation of the site-specific waste stream data sets into comparable national data sets to support these activities at a DOE complex-wide level.« less

License restrictions at Barnwell

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

Autry, V.R.

1991-12-31

The State of South Carolina was delegated the authority by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to regulate the receipt, possession, use and disposal of radioactive material as an Agreement State. Since 1970, the state has been the principal regulatory authority for the Barnwell Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility operated by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. The radioactive material license issued authorizing the receipt and disposal of low-level waste contains numerous restrictions to ensure environmental protection and compliance with shallow land disposal performance criteria. Low-level waste has evolved from minimally contaminated items to complex waste streams containing high concentrations of radionuclides and processing chemicalsmore » which necessitated these restrictions. Additionally, some waste with their specific radionuclides and concentration levels, many classified as low-level radioactive waste, are not appropriate for shallow land disposal unless additional precautions are taken. This paper will represent a number of these restrictions, the rationale for them, and how they are being dealt with at the Barnwell disposal facility.« less

Documenting Chemical Assimilation in a Basaltic Lava Flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, K. E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Needham, D. H.; Evans, C.; Whelley, P. L.; Scheidt, S.; Williams, D.; Rogers, A. D.; Glotch, T.

2017-01-01

Lava channels are features seen throughout the inner Solar System, including on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Flow emplacement is therefore a crucial process in the shaping of planetary surfaces. Many studies have investigated the dynamics of lava flow emplacement, both on Earth and on the Moon [1,2,3] but none have focused on how the compositional and structural characteristics of the substrate over which a flow was emplaced influenced its final flow morphology. Within the length of one flow, it is common for flows to change in morphology, a quality linked to lava rheology (a function of multiple factors including viscosity, temperature, composition, etc.). The relationship between rheology and temperature has been well-studied [4,5,6] but less is understood about the relationship between a pre-flow terrain's chemistry and how the interaction between this flow and the new flow might affect lava rheology and therefore emplacement dynamics. Lava erosion. Through visual observations of active terrestrial flows, lava erosion has been well-documented [i.e. 7,8,9,10]. Lava erosion is the process by which flow composition is altered as the active lava melts and assimilates the pre-flow terrain over which it moves. Though this process has been observed, there is only one instance of where it was been geochemically documented.

The role of the geothermal gradient in the emplacement and replenishment of ground ice on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clifford, Stephen M.

1993-01-01

Knowledge of the mechanisms by which ground ice is emplaced, removed, and potentially replenished, are critical to understanding the climatic and hydrologic behavior of water on Mars, as well as the morphologic evolution of its surface. Because of the strong temperature dependence of the saturated vapor pressure of H2O, the atmospheric emplacement or replenishment of ground ice is prohibited below the depth at which crustal temperatures begin to monotonically increase due to geothermal heating. In contrast, the emplacement and replenishment of ground ice from reservoirs of H2O residing deep within the crust can occur by at least three different thermally-driven processes, involving all three phases of water. In this regard, Clifford has discussed how the presence of a geothermal gradient as small as 15 K/km can give rise to a corresponding vapor pressure gradient sufficient to drive the vertical transport of 1 km of water from a reservoir of ground water at depth to the base of the cryosphere every 10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7) years. This abstract expands on this earlier treatment by considering the influence of thermal gradients on the transport of H2O at temperatures below the freezing point.

A new model for the emplacement of Columbia River basalts as large, inflated pahoehoe lava flow fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Self, S.; Thordarson, Th.; Keszthelyi, L.; Walker, G.P.L.; Hon, K.; Murphy, M.T.; Long, P.; Finnemore, S.

1996-01-01

Extensive flows of the Columbia River Basalt (CRB) Group in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are dominantly inflated compound pahoehoe sheet lavas. Early studies recognized that CRB lavas are compound pahoehoe flows, with textures suggesting low flow velocities, but it was thought that the great thickness and extent of the major flows required very rapid emplacement as turbulent floods of lava over a period of days or weeks. However, small volume ( < 1 km3) compound pahoehoe flows on Kilauea, Hawai'i, demonstrate that such flows can thicken by at least an order of magnitude through gradual inflation and the same mechanism has been proposed for larger (10-20 km3) pahoehoe flows in Iceland. The vertical distribution of vesicles and other morphologic features within CRB lava flows indicate that they grew similarly by inflation. Small pahoehoe lobes at the base and top of many CRB pahoehoe lava flows indicate emplacement in a gradual, piecemeal manner rather than as a single flood. We propose that each thick CRB sheet flow was active for months to years and that each group of flows produced by a single eruption (a flow field) was emplaced slowly over many years. Copyright 1996 by the American Geophysical Union.

Source term evaluation model for high-level radioactive waste repository with decay chain build-up.

PubMed

Chopra, Manish; Sunny, Faby; Oza, R B

2016-09-18

A source term model based on two-component leach flux concept is developed for a high-level radioactive waste repository. The long-lived radionuclides associated with high-level waste may give rise to the build-up of activity because of radioactive decay chains. The ingrowths of progeny are incorporated in the model using Bateman decay chain build-up equations. The model is applied to different radionuclides present in the high-level radioactive waste, which form a part of decay chains (4n to 4n + 3 series), and the activity of the parent and daughter radionuclides leaching out of the waste matrix is estimated. Two cases are considered: one when only parent is present initially in the waste and another where daughters are also initially present in the waste matrix. The incorporation of in situ production of daughter radionuclides in the source is important to carry out realistic estimates. It is shown that the inclusion of decay chain build-up is essential to avoid underestimation of the radiological impact assessment of the repository. The model can be a useful tool for evaluating the source term of the radionuclide transport models used for the radiological impact assessment of high-level radioactive waste repositories.

76 FR 54808 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for the Office of Management and Budget (OMB...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level Radioactive Waste and Reactor-Related... receive, transfer, package and possess power reactor spent fuel, high-level waste, and other radioactive..., package, and possess power reactor spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste, and other associated...

75 FR 15423 - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Evaluation Report for the Phase 1 Decommissioning...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-29

... DOE to carry out a high-level radioactive waste management demonstration project at the Western New... solidification of high-level radioactive waste for disposal in a Federal repository for permanent disposal. The... and other facilities where the solidified high-level radioactive waste was stored, the facilities used...

75 FR 70707 - Detroit Edison Company; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

... extend the time period that can elapse during shipments of low-level radioactive waste before the... extend the time period for the licensee to receive acknowledgment that the low-level radioactive waste...-level radioactive waste are not acknowledged by the intended recipient within 20 days after transfer to...

Solidification of Savannah River plant high level waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maher, R.; Shafranek, L. F.; Kelley, J. A.; Zeyfang, R. W.

1981-11-01

Authorization for construction of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is expected in FY-83. The optimum time for stage 2 authorization is about three years later. Detailed design and construction will require approximately five years for stage 1, with stage 2 construction completed about two to three years later. Production of canisters of waste glass would begin in 1988, and the existing backlog of high level waste sludge stored at SRP would be worked off by about the year 2000. Stage 2 operation could begin in 1990. The technology and engineering are ready for construction and eventual operation of the DWPF for immobilizing high level radioactive waste at Savannah River Plant (SRP). Proceeding with this project will provide the public, and the leadership of this country, with a crucial demonstration that a major quanitity of existing high level nuclear wastes can be safely and permanently immobilized.

Pathways for Disposal of Commercially-Generated Tritiated Waste

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

Halverson, Nancy V.

From a waste disposal standpoint, tritium is a major challenge. Because it behaves like hydrogen, tritium exchanges readily with hydrogen in the ground water and moves easily through the ground. Land disposal sites must control the tritium activity and mobility of incoming wastes to protect human health and the environment. Consequently, disposal of tritiated low-level wastes is highly regulated and disposal options are limited. The United States has had eight operating commercial facilities licensed for low-level radioactive waste disposal, only four of which are currently receiving waste. Each of these is licensed and regulated by its state. Only two ofmore » these sites accept waste from states outside of their specified regional compact. For waste streams that cannot be disposed directly at one of the four active commercial low-level waste disposal facilities, processing facilities offer various forms of tritiated low-level waste processing and treatment, and then transport and dispose of the residuals at a disposal facility. These processing facilities may remove and recycle tritium, reduce waste volume, solidify liquid waste, remove hazardous constituents, or perform a number of additional treatments. Waste brokers also offer many low-level and mixed waste management and transportation services. These services can be especially helpful for small-quantity tritiated-waste generators, such as universities, research institutions, medical facilities, and some industries. The information contained in this report covers general capabilities and requirements for the various disposal/processing facilities and brokerage companies, but is not considered exhaustive. Typically, each facility has extensive waste acceptance criteria and will require a generator to thoroughly characterize their wastes. Then a contractual agreement between the waste generator and the disposal/processing/broker entity must be in place before waste is accepted. Costs for tritiated waste transportation, processing and disposal vary based a number of factors. In many cases, wastes with very low radioactivity are priced primarily based on weight or volume. For higher activities, costs are based on both volume and activity, with the activity-based charges usually being much larger than volume-based charges. Other factors affecting cost include location, waste classification and form, other hazards in the waste, etc. Costs may be based on general guidelines used by an individual disposal or processing site, but final costs are established by specific contract with each generator. For this report, seven hypothetical waste streams intended to represent commercially-generated tritiated waste were defined in order to calculate comparative costs. Ballpark costs for disposition of these hypothetical waste streams were calculated. These costs ranged from thousands to millions of dollars. Due to the complexity of the cost-determining factors mentioned above, the costs calculated in this report should be understood to represent very rough cost estimates for the various hypothetical wastes. Actual costs could be higher or could be lower due to quantity discounts or other factors.« less

Fate of pathogens present in livestock wastes spread onto fescue plots.

PubMed

Hutchison, Mike L; Walters, Lisa D; Moore, Tony; Thomas, D John I; Avery, Sheryl M

2005-02-01

Fecal wastes from a variety of farmed livestock were inoculated with livestock isolates of Escherichia coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Campylobacter jejuni, and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts at levels representative of the levels found in naturally contaminated wastes. The wastes were subsequently spread onto a grass pasture, and the decline of each of the zoonotic agents was monitored over time. There were no significant differences among the decimal reduction times for the bacterial pathogens. The mean bacterial decimal reduction time was 1.94 days. A range of times between 8 and 31 days for a 1-log reduction in C. parvum levels was obtained, demonstrating that the protozoans were significantly more hardy than the bacteria. Oocyst recovery was more efficient from wastes with lower dry matter contents. The levels of most of the zoonotic agents had declined to below detectable levels by 64 days. However, for some waste types, 128 days was required for the complete decline of L. monocytogenes levels. We were unable to find significant differences between the rates of pathogen decline in liquid (slurry) and solid (farmyard manure) wastes, although concerns have been raised that increased slurry generation as a consequence of more intensive farming practices could lead to increased survival of zoonotic agents in the environment.

'Away' is a place: The impact of electronic waste recycling on blood lead levels in Ghana.

PubMed

Amankwaa, Ebenezer Forkuo; Adovor Tsikudo, Kwame A; Bowman, Jay A

2017-12-01

E-waste recycling remains a major source of livelihood for many urban poor in developing countries, but this economic activity is fraught with significant environmental health risk. Yet, human exposure to the toxic elements associated with e-waste activities remains understudied and not evidently understood. This study investigates the impact of informal e-waste processing on the blood lead levels (BLLs) of e-waste workers and non-e-waste workers (mainly females working in activities that serve the Agbogbloshie e-waste site), and relates their lead exposure to socio-demographic and occupational characteristics. A total of 128 blood samples were analysed for lead levels. Surprisingly, the mean BLL (3.54μg/dL) of non-e-waste workers was slightly higher than that of e-waste workers (3.49μg/dL), although higher BLLs ranges were found among e-waste workers (0.50-18.80μg/dL) than non-e-waste workers (0.30-8.20μg/dL). Workers who engaged in e-waste burning tended to have the highest BLLs. In general, the BLLs are within the ABLES/US CDC reference level of 5μg/dL, although 12.3% of the workers have elevated BLLs, i.e. BLL ≥5μg/dL. The study concludes that the impact of e-waste recycling is not limited to workers alone. Traders and residents within the Agbogbloshie enclave are equally at risk through a range of environmental vectors. This calls for increased public awareness about the effects of human exposure to lead and other toxic elements from e-waste recycling. A key contribution is that government and stakeholder projects for safe e-waste infrastructure should disaggregate the e-waste value chain, recognize differential risk and resist one-size-fits-all strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 268.36 - Waste specific prohibitions-inorganic chemical wastes

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.36 Waste... radioactive wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of... applicable subpart D levels, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of this part...

40 CFR 268.36 - Waste specific prohibitions-inorganic chemical wastes

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.36 Waste... radioactive wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of... applicable subpart D levels, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of this part...

40 CFR 268.36 - Waste specific prohibitions-inorganic chemical wastes

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.36 Waste... radioactive wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of... applicable subpart D levels, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of this part...

40 CFR 268.36 - Waste specific prohibitions-inorganic chemical wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.36 Waste... radioactive wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of... applicable subpart D levels, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of this part...

40 CFR 268.33 - Waste specific prohibitions-chlorinated aliphatic wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.33 Waste... wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of paragraph (a... levels of subpart D of this part, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of...

40 CFR 268.33 - Waste specific prohibitions-chlorinated aliphatic wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.33 Waste... wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of paragraph (a... levels of subpart D of this part, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of...

40 CFR 268.33 - Waste specific prohibitions-chlorinated aliphatic wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.33 Waste... wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of paragraph (a... levels of subpart D of this part, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of...

40 CFR 268.36 - Waste specific prohibitions-inorganic chemical wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.36 Waste... radioactive wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of... applicable subpart D levels, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of this part...

40 CFR 268.33 - Waste specific prohibitions-chlorinated aliphatic wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.33 Waste... wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of paragraph (a... levels of subpart D of this part, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of...

40 CFR 268.33 - Waste specific prohibitions-chlorinated aliphatic wastes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) LAND DISPOSAL RESTRICTIONS Prohibitions on Land Disposal § 268.33 Waste... wastes mixed with these wastes are prohibited from land disposal. (b) The requirements of paragraph (a... levels of subpart D of this part, the waste is prohibited from land disposal, and all requirements of...

Impact of Raw and Bioaugmented Olive-Mill Wastewater and Olive-Mill Solid Waste on the Content of Photosynthetic Molecules in Tobacco Plants.

PubMed

Parrotta, Luigi; Campani, Tommaso; Casini, Silvia; Romi, Marco; Cai, Giampiero

2016-08-03

Disposal and reuse of olive-mill wastes are both an economic and environmental problem, especially in countries where the cultivation of olive trees is extensive. Microorganism-based bioaugmentation can be used to reduce the pollutant capacity of wastes. In this work, bioaugmentation was used to reduce the polyphenolic content of both liquid and solid wastes. After processing, bioaugmented wastes were tested on the root development of maize seeds and on photosynthesis-related molecules of tobacco plants. In maize, we found that bioaugmentation made olive-mill wastes harmless for seed germination. In tobacco, we analyzed the content of RuBisCO (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase) and of the photosynthetic pigments lutein, chlorophylls, and β-carotene. Levels of RuBisCO were negatively affected by untreated wastewater but increased if plants were treated with bioaugmented wastewater. On the contrary, levels of RuBisCO increased in the case of plants treated with raw olive-mill solid waste. Pigment levels showed dissimilar behavior because their concentration increased if plants were irrigated with raw wastewater or treated with raw olive-mill solid waste. Treatment with bioaugmented wastes restored pigment content. Findings show that untreated wastes are potentially toxic at the commencement of treatment, but plants can eventually adapt after an initial stress period. Bioaugmented wastes do not induce immediate damages, and plants rapidly recover optimal levels of photosynthetic molecules.

The future of high-level nuclear waste disposal, state sovereignty and the tenth amendment: Nevada v. Watkins

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

Swazo, S.

The federal government`s monopoly over America`s nuclear energy production began during World War II with the birth of the Atomic Age. During the next thirty years, nuclear waste inventories increased with minor congressional concern. In the early 1970s, the need for federal legislation to address problems surrounding nuclear waste regulation, along with federal efforts to address these problems, became critical. Previous federal efforts had completely failed to address nuclear waste disposal. In 1982, Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to deal with issues of nuclear waste management and disposal, and to set an agenda for the development ofmore » two national high-level nuclear waste repositories. This article discusses the legal challenge to the NWPA in the Nevada v. Watkins case. This case illustrates the federalism problems faced by the federal government in trying to site the nation`s only high-level nuclear waste repository within a single state.« less

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

Singledecker, Steven John

The purpose of this document is to describe the waste stream from Z-Pinch Residual Waste Project that due to worker safety concerns and operational efficiency is a candidate for blending Transuranic and low level waste together and can be safely packaged as low-level waste consistent with DOE Order 435.1 requirements and NRC guidance 10 CFR 61.42. This waste stream consists of the Pu-ICE post-shot containment systems, including plutonium targets, generated from the Z Machine experiments requested by LANL and conducted by SNL/NM. In the past, this TRU waste was shipped back to LANL after Sandia sends the TRU data packagemore » to LANL to certify the characterization (by CCP), transport and disposition at WIPP (CBFO) per LANL MOU-0066. The Low Level Waste is managed, characterized, shipped and disposed of at NNSS by SNL/NM per Sandia MOU # 11-S-560.« less

Guidelines for the evaluation and assessment of the sustainable use of resources and of wastes management at healthcare facilities.

PubMed

Townend, William K; Cheeseman, Christopher R

2005-10-01

This paper presents guidelines that can be used by managers of healthcare facilities to evaluate and assess the quality of resources and waste management at their facilities and enabling the principles of sustainable development to be addressed. The guidelines include the following key aspects which need to be considered when completing an assessment. They are: (a) general management; (b) social issues; (c) health and safety; (d) energy and water use; (e) purchasing and supply; (f) waste management (responsibility, segregation, storage and packaging); (g) waste transport; (h) recycling and re-use; (i) waste treatment; and (j) final disposal. They identify actions required to achieve a higher level of performance which can readily be applied to any healthcare facility, irrespective of the local level of social, economic and environmental development. The guidelines are presented, and the characteristics of facilities associated with sustainable (level 4) and unsustainable (level 0) healthcare resource and wastes management are outlined. They have been used to assess a major London hospital, and this highlighted a number of deficiencies in current practice, including a lack of control over purchasing and supply, and very low rates of segregation of municipal solid waste from hazardous healthcare waste.

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 2 - Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. D Appendix D to Part 2 Energy NUCLEAR... the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic... Completion of NMSS and Commission supervisory review; issuance of construction authorization; NWPA 3-year...

10 CFR Appendix D to Part 2 - Schedule for the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic Repository. D Appendix D to Part 2 Energy NUCLEAR... the Proceeding on Consideration of Construction Authorization for a High-Level Waste Geologic... Completion of NMSS and Commission supervisory review; issuance of construction authorization; NWPA 3-year...

Shapes of Venusian 'pancake' domes imply episodic emplacement and silicic composition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, Jonathan H.; Bridges, Nathan T.; Grimm, Robert E.

1993-01-01

The main evidence available for constraining the composition of the large circular 'pancake' domes on Venus is their gross morphology. Laboratory simulations using polyethylene glycol show that the height to diameter (aspect) ratios of domes of a given total volume depend critically on whether their extrusion was continuous or episodic, with more episodes leading to greater cooling and taller domes. Thus without observations of their emplacement, the compositions of Venusian domes cannot be uniquely constrained by their morphology. However, by considering a population of 51 Venusian domes to represent a sampling of many stages during the growth of domes with comparable histories, and by plotting aspect ratio versus total volume, we find that the shapes of the domes are most consistent with episodic emplacement. On Earth this mode of dome growth is found almost exclusively in lavas of dacite to rhyolite composition, strengthening earlier inferences about the presence of evolved magmas on Venus.

Ceramic Borehole Seals for Nuclear Waste Disposal Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowry, B.; Coates, K.; Wohletz, K.; Dunn, S.; Patera, E.; Duguid, A.; Arnold, B.; Zyvoloski, G.; Groven, L.; Kuramyssova, K.

2015-12-01

Sealing plugs are critical features of the deep borehole system design. They serve as structural platforms to bear the weight of the backfill column, and as seals through their low fluid permeability and bond to the borehole or casing wall. High hydrostatic and lithostatic pressures, high mineral content water, and elevated temperature due to the waste packages and geothermal gradient challenge the long term performance of seal materials. Deep borehole nuclear waste disposal faces the added requirement of assuring performance for thousands of years in large boreholes, requiring very long term chemical and physical stability. A high performance plug system is being developed which capitalizes on the energy of solid phase reactions to form a ceramic plug in-situ. Thermites are a family of self-oxidized metal/oxide reactions with very high energy content and the ability to react under water. When combined with engineered additives the product exhibits attractive structural, sealing, and corrosion properties. In the initial phase of this research, exploratory and scaled tests demonstrated formulations that achieved controlled, fine grained, homogeneous, net shape plugs composed predominantly of ceramic material. Laboratory experiments produced plug cores with confined fluid permeability as low as 100 mDarcy, compressive strength as high as 70 MPa (three times the strength of conventional well cement), with the inherent corrosion resistance and service temperature of ceramic matrices. Numerical thermal and thermal/structural analyses predicted the in-situ thermal performance of the reacted plugs, showing that they cooled to ambient temperature (and design strength) within 24 to 48 hours. The current development effort is refining the reactant formulations to achieve desired performance characteristics, developing the system design and emplacement processes to be compatible with conventional well service practices, and understanding the thermal, fluid, and structural effects the plug will have on surrounding media. This paper will report on the state of the development effort and plans for a field demonstration in early 2016 in a cased well with traditional plug seal and strength measurements.

CARRIER/CASK HANDLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

E.F. Loros

2000-06-23

The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives casks on railcars and legal-weight trucks (LWTs) (transporters) that transport loaded casks and empty overpacks to the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) from the Carrier/Cask Transport System. Casks that come to the MGR on heavy-haul trucks (HHTs) are transferred onto railcars before being brought into the Carrier/Cask Handling System. The system is the interfacing system between the railcars and LWTs and the Assembly Transfer System (ATS) and Canister Transfer System (CTS). The Carrier/Cask Handling System removes loaded casks from the cask transporters and transfers the casks to a transfer cart for either the ATS or CTS,more » as appropriate, based on cask contents. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives the returned empty casks from the ATS and CTS and mounts the casks back onto the transporters for reshipment. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount loaded casks back onto the transporters and remove empty casks from the transporters. The Carrier/Cask Handling System receives overpacks from the ATS loaded with canisters that have been cut open and emptied and mounts the overpacks back onto the transporters for disposal. If necessary, the Carrier/Cask Handling System can also mount empty overpacks back onto the transporters and remove loaded overpacks from them. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is located within the Carrier Bay of the Waste Handling Building System. The system consists of cranes, hoists, manipulators, and supporting equipment. The Carrier/Cask Handling System is designed with the tooling and fixtures necessary for handling a variety of casks. The Carrier/Cask Handling System performance and reliability are sufficient to support the shipping and emplacement schedules for the MGR. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Carrier/Cask Transport System, ATS, and CTS as noted above. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Waste Handling Building System for building structures and space allocations. The Carrier/Cask Handling System interfaces with the Waste Handling Building Electrical System for electrical power.« less

Constraining dike emplacement conditions from virtual outcrop modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jørgen Kjøll, Hans; Andersen, Torgeir; Tegner, Christian

2017-04-01

In the Late Neoproterozoic, the paleocontinents of Baltica and Laurentia rifted apart and sea-floor spreading into the Ordovician formed the Iapetus Ocean. The Iapetus later closed and the two continents collided forming the Caledonian orogen. Rocks related to the break-up and subsequent opening of the Iapetus, now reside as partly well-preserved tectonic lenses in thrust nappes within the Scandinavian Caledonides. The break-up architecture can be separated in two distinct domains, one hyperextended magma-poor segment in the SW, and one magma-rich part that comprise the Baltoscandian Dike Swarm (BDS), the main subject of this study. The magma-rich segment is exposed from c. Røros in the south, through Sweden and into Northern Norway, a distance of more than 900 kilometers. The magmatism of the BDS has been dated to c. 580-610 Ma and is now interpreted to represent a break-up related large igneous province (LIP). The BDS is generally well exposed in freshly glaciated outcrops and mountain cliffs. It intrudes proximal to distal marine, argillaceous, meta-sandstones and carbonates that locally display well-preserved extensional features, such as normal faults at both high and low angle. Partial melting of host rocks is observed at several localities, indicating relatively high temperatures during dike emplacement. Temperature estimates by previous workers indicate high-T (850°C) conditions during the break-up from the northernmost part of the dike swarm. Emplacement depths have not yet been accurately constrained, although some anomalous high pressure for an extensional environment (≈9Kbar) is indicated in the Corrovarre area. The spectacular exposure of the dike swarm provides the opportunity to evaluate the conditions during emplacement from dike geometries and morphologies. The several hundred meters high vertical cliff walls give excellent opportunities to assess the dike geometries over a range of host lithologies and across several km of stratigraphy (up to 3 km) in the, now tilted, cross-sections. The outcrops and mountain cliffs have been thoroughly photographed using a UAV and helicopter. 3-dimensional digital outcrop models have been prepared and interpreted together with outcrop observations. The new data give new insight into dike emplacement mechanisms, which in turn provide better constraints for the ambient conditions during emplacement of the dikes. Our regional observations support previous interpretations, that the BDS represented the distal parts of a magma-rich passive margin and the ocean-continent transition. Such tectonic domains are rarely exposed and available for direct observation and the study area in the North Scandinavian Caledonides, therefore represents a unique opportunity to better constrain the conditions during continental break-up as well as the infra-crustal dike emplacement mechanisms at divergent plate margins.

Similarities in basalt and rhyolite lava flow emplacement processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magnall, Nathan; James, Mike; Tuffen, Hugh; Vye-Brown, Charlotte

2016-04-01

Here we use field observations of rhyolite and basalt lava flows to show similarities in flow processes that span compositionally diverse lava flows. The eruption, and subsequent emplacement, of rhyolite lava flows is currently poorly understood due to the infrequency with which rhyolite eruptions occur. In contrast, the emplacement of basaltic lava flows are much better understood due to very frequent eruptions at locations such as Mt Etna and Hawaii. The 2011-2012 eruption of Cordón Caulle in Chile enabled the first scientific observations of the emplacement of an extensive rhyolite lava flow. The 30 to 100 m thick flow infilled a topographic depression with a negligible slope angle (0 - 7°). The flow split into two main channels; the southern flow advanced 4 km while the northern flow advanced 3 km before stalling. Once the flow stalled the channels inflated and secondary flows or breakouts formed from the flow front and margins. This cooling rather than volume-limited flow behaviour is common in basaltic lava flows but had never been observed in rhyolite lava flows. We draw on fieldwork conducted at Cordón Caulle and at Mt Etna to compare the emplacement of rhyolite and basaltic flows. The fieldwork identified emplacement features that are present in both lavas, such as inflation, breakouts from the flow font and margins, and squeeze-ups on the flow surfaces. In the case of Cordón Caulle, upon extrusion of a breakout it inflates due to a combination of continued lava supply and vesicle growth. This growth leads to fracturing and breakup of the breakout surface, and in some cases a large central fracture tens of metres deep forms. In contrast, breakouts from basaltic lava flows have a greater range of morphologies depending on the properties of the material in the flows core. In the case of Mt Etna, a range of breakout morphologies are observed including: toothpaste breakouts, flows topped with bladed lava as well as breakouts of pahoehoe or a'a lava. This range in breakout morphologies is in stark contrast to breakouts observed at Cordón Caulle. We also compare the cooled crusts that form on the surface of the flows; in basalts this is of order tens of centimetres thick, in rhyolite flows the crust is of order several metres thick (based on field observations and theoretical values). This surface crust may control the flow advance in the latter phases of the flow evolution, causing stalling of the flow front and subsequent breakout formation. The similarities in flow features between compositional end members hints at a more universal model for lava flow emplacement.

Geometry and controls on the development of igneous sill-related forced folds: 2D seismic reflection case study from offshore Southern Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, Christopher; Schofield, Nick; Magee, Craig; Golenkov, Bogdan

2017-04-01

Emplacement of magma in the shallow subsurface can result in the development of dome-shaped folds at the Earth's surface. These so-called 'forced folds' have been described in the field and in subsurface datasets, although the exact geometry of the folds and the nature of their relationship to underlying sills remains unclear and, in some cases, controversial. As a result, the utility of these features in tracking the subsurface movement of magma, and predicting the potential size and location of potentially hazardous volcanic eruptions, is uncertain. Here we use high-quality, 2D seismic reflection and borehole data from the Ceduna sub-basin, offshore southern Australia to describe the structure and infer the evolution of igneous sill-related forced folds in the Bight Basin Igneous Complex (BBIC). We mapped 33 igneous sills, which were emplaced 200-1500 m below the palaeo-seabed in an Upper Cretaceous, coal-bearing, predominantly coastal-plain succession. The intrusions, which are expressed as packages of high-amplitude reflections, are 32-250 m thick and 7-19 km in diameter. They are overlain by dome-shaped folds, which are up to 17 km wide and display up to 210 m of relief. The edges of these folds coincide with the margins of the underlying sills and the folds display the greatest relief where the underlying sills are thickest; the folds are therefore interpreted as forced folds that formed in response to emplacement of magma in the shallow subsurface. The folds are onlapped by Lutetian (middle Eocene) strata, indicating they formed and the intrusions were emplaced during the latest Ypresian (c. 48 Ma). We demonstrate that fold amplitude is typically less than sill thickness even for sills with very large diameter-to-depth ratios, suggesting that pure elastic bending (forced folding) of the overburden is not the only process accommodating magma emplacement, and that supra-sill compaction may be important even at relatively shallow depths. Based on the observation that the sills intruded a shallowly-buried succession, the discrepancy between fold amplitude and sill thickness may reflect loss of host rock volume by fluidisation and pore fluid expulsion from poorly-lithified, water-rich beds. This study indicates that host rock composition, emplacement depth and deformation mechanisms are important controls on the style of deformation that occurs during intrusive igneous activity, and that forced fold amplitude may not always reflect the thickness of an underlying igneous intrusion. In addition, the results of this study suggest that physical and numerical models need to model more complex host rock stratigraphies and rheologies if they wish to capture the full range of deformation mechanisms that occur during magma emplacement in the Earth's shallow subsurface.

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation

PubMed Central

Goff, Sarah L.; Kleppel, Reva; Lindenauer, Peter K.; Rothberg, Michael B.

2015-01-01

Objectives To elicit sources of waste as viewed by hospital workers Design Qualitative study using photo-elicitation, an ethnographic technique for prompting in-depth discussion Setting U.S. academic tertiary care hospital Participants Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative support personnel, administrators and respiratory therapists Methods A purposive sample of personnel at an academic tertiary care hospital was invited to take up to 10 photos of waste. Participants discussed their selections using photos as prompts during in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analyzed in an iterative process using grounded theory; open and axial coding was performed, followed by selective and thematic coding to develop major themes and sub-themes. Results Twenty-one participants (9 women, average number of years in field=19.3) took 159 photos. Major themes included types of waste and recommendations to reduce waste. Types of waste comprised four major categories: Time, Materials, Energy and Talent. Participants emphasized time wastage (50% of photos) over other types of waste such as excess utilization (2.5%). Energy and Talent were novel categories of waste. Recommendations to reduce waste included interventions at the micro-level (e.g. individual/ward), meso-level (e.g. institution) and macro-level (e.g., payor/public policy). Conclusions The waste hospital workers identified differed from previously described waste both in the types of waste described and the emphasis placed on wasted time. The findings of this study represent a possible need for education of hospital workers about known types of waste, an opportunity to assess the impact of novel types of waste described and an opportunity to intervene to reduce the waste identified. PMID:23748192

Hospital workers' perceptions of waste: a qualitative study involving photo-elicitation.

PubMed

Goff, Sarah L; Kleppel, Reva; Lindenauer, Peter K; Rothberg, Michael B

2013-10-01

To elicit sources of waste as viewed by hospital workers. Qualitative study using photo-elicitation, an ethnographic technique for prompting in-depth discussion. U.S. academic tertiary care hospital. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrative support personnel, administrators and respiratory therapists. A purposive sample of personnel at an academic tertiary care hospital was invited to take up to 10 photos of waste. Participants discussed their selections using photos as prompts during in-depth interviews. Transcripts were analysed in an iterative process using grounded theory; open and axial coding was performed, followed by selective and thematic coding to develop major themes and subthemes. Twenty-one participants (nine women, average number of years in field=19.3) took 159 photos. Major themes included types of waste and recommendations to reduce waste. Types of waste comprised four major categories: Time, Materials, Energy and Talent. Participants emphasised time wastage (50% of photos) over other types of waste such as excess utilisation (2.5%). Energy and Talent were novel categories of waste. Recommendations to reduce waste included interventions at the micro-level (eg, individual/ward), meso-level (eg, institution) and macro-level (eg, payor/public policy). The waste hospital workers identified differed from previously described waste both in the types of waste described and the emphasis placed on wasted time. The findings of this study represent a possible need for education of hospital workers about known types of waste, an opportunity to assess the impact of novel types of waste described and an opportunity to intervene to reduce the waste identified.

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1983, 1984, and 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinwiddie, G.A.; Trask, N.J.

1986-01-01

The report summarizes progress on geologic and hydrologic research related to the disposal of radioactive wastes. The research is described according to whether it is related most directly to: (1) high-level and transuranic wastes, (2) low-level wastes, or (3) uranium mill tailings. Included is research applicable to the identification and geohydrologic characterization of waste-disposal sites, to investigations of specific sites where wastes have been stored, and to studies of regions or environments where waste-disposal sites might be located. A significant part of the activity is concerned with techniques and methods for characterizing disposal sites and studies of geologic and hydrologic processes related to the transport and (or) retention of waste radionuclides.

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

Osmanlioglu, Ahmet Erdal

Pre-treatment of radioactive waste is the first step in waste management program that occurs after waste generation from various applications in Turkey. Pre-treatment and characterization practices are carried out in Radioactive Waste Management Unit (RWMU) at Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (CNRTC) in Istanbul. This facility has been assigned to take all low-level radioactive wastes generated by nuclear applications in Turkey. The wastes are generated from research and nuclear applications mainly in medicine, biology, agriculture, quality control in metal processing and construction industries. These wastes are classified as low- level radioactive wastes. Pre-treatment practices cover several steps. In thismore » paper, main steps of pre-treatment and characterization are presented. Basically these are; collection, segregation, chemical adjustment, size reduction and decontamination operations. (author)« less

Geohydrology of the near-surface unsaturated zone adjacent to the disposal site for low-level radioactive waste near Beatty, Nevada: A section in Safe disposal of radionuclides in low-level radioactive-waste repository sites; Low-level radioactive-waste disposal workshop, U.S. Geological Survey, July 11-16, 1987, Big Bear Lake, Calif., Proceedings (Circular 1036)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Jeffrey M.; Bedinger, Marion S.; Stevens, Peter R.

1990-01-01

Shallow-land burial in arid areas is considered the best method for isolating low-level radioactive waste from the environment (Nichols and Goode, this report; Mercer and others, 1983). A major threat to waste isolation in shallow trenches is ground-water percolation. Repository sites in arid areas are believed to minimize the risk of ground-water contamination because such sites receive minimal precipitation and are underlain by thick unsaturated zones. Unfortunately, few data are available on rates of water percolation in an arid environment.

Maine State Briefing Book on low-level radioactive waste management

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

Not Available

1981-08-01

The Maine State Briefing Book is one of a series of state briefing books on low-level radioactive waste management practices. It has been prepared to assist state and Federal agency officials in planning for safe low-level radioactive waste disposal. The report contains a profile of low-level radioactive waste generators in Maine. The profile is the result of a survey of radioactive material licensees in Maine. The briefing book also contains a comprehensive assessment of low-level radioactive waste management issues and concerns as defined by all major interested partices including industry, government, the media, and interest groups. The assessment was developedmore » through personal communications with representatives of interested parties, and through a review of media sources. Lastly, the briefing book provides demographic and socioeconomic data and a discussion of relevant goverment agencies and activities, all of which may impact management practices in Maine.« less

West Valley demonstration project: Alternative processes for solidifying the high-level wastes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holton, L. K.; Larson, D. E.; Partain, W. L.; Treat, R. L.

1981-10-01

Two pretreatment approaches and several waste form processes for radioactive wastes were selected for evaluation. The two waste treatment approaches were the salt/sludge separation process and the combined waste process. Both terminal and interim waste form processes were studied.

IONSIV(R) IE-911 Performance in Savannah River Site Radioactive Waste

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

Walker, D.D.

2001-06-04

This report describes cesium sorption from high-level radioactive waste solutions onto IONSIV(R) IE-911 at ambient temperature. Researchers characterized six radioactive waste samples from five high-level waste tanks in the Savannah River Site tank farm, diluted the wastes to 5.6 M Na+, and made equilibrium and kinetic measurements of cesium sorption. The equilibrium measurements were compared to ZAM (Zheng, Anthony, and Martin) model predictions. The kinetic measurements were compared to simulant solutions whose column performance has been measured.