In the consideration of Yucca Mountain as a possible site for storing high level nuclear waste, a number of geologic concerns have been suggested for study by the National Academy of Sciences which include: (1) natural geologic and geochemical barriers, (2) possible future fluctuations in the water table that might flood a mined underground repository, (3) tectonic stability, and (4) considerations of shaking such as might be caused by nearby earthquakes or possible volcanic eruptions. This volume represents the third part of an overall plan of geophysical investigation of Yucca Mountain, preceded by the Site Characterization Plan (SCP; dated 1988) and the report referred to as the Geophysical White Paper, Phase 1, entitled Status of Data, Major Results, and Plans for Geophysical Activities, Yucca Mountain Project (Oliver and others, 1990). The SCP necessarily contained uncertainty about applicability and accuracy of methods then untried in the Yucca Mountain volcano-tectonic setting, and the White Paper, Phase 1, focused on summarization of survey coverage, data quality, and applicability of results. For the most part, it did not present data or interpretation. The important distinction of the current volume lies in presentation of data, results, and interpretations of selected geophysical methods used in characterization …

Water levels have been monitored hourly in 16 wells representing 24 intervals in the Yucca Mountain area, Nevada. Water levels were monitored using pressure transducers and were recorded by data loggers. The pressure transducers were periodically calibrated by raising and lowering them in the wells. The water levels were normally measured at approximately the same time that the transducers were calibrated. Where the transducer output appeared reasonable, it was converted to water levels using the calibrations and manual water-level measurements. The amount of transducer output that was converted to water levels ranged from zero for one interval to 100 percent for one interval. Fifteen of the wells were completed in Tertiary volcanic rocks and one well was completed in Paleozoic carbonate rocks. Each well monitored from one to four depth intervals. Water-level fluctuation caused by barometric pressure changes and earth tides were observed. Transducer output is presented in graphic form and, where appropriate, water-level altitude is presented in graphical and tabular form.

An assessment of the geothermal resources within a fifty-mile radius of the Yucca Mountain Project area was conducted to determine the potential for commercial development. The assessment includes collection, evaluation, and quantification of existing geological, geochemical, hydrological, and geophysical data within the Yucca Mountain area as they pertain to geothermal phenomena. Selected geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data were reduced to a set of common-scale digital maps using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for systematic analysis and evaluation. Available data from the Yucca Mountain area were compared to similar data from developed and undeveloped geothermal areas in other parts of the Great Basin to assess the resource potential for future geothermal development at Yucca Mountain. This information will be used in the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project to determine the potential suitability of the site as a permanent underground repository for high-level nuclear waste.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently investigating the feasibility of permanently disposing the nation`s commercial high-level radioactive wastes (in the form of spent fuel from the over 100 electric power-generating nuclear reactors across the U.S.) and a portion of the defense high-level radioactive wastes (currently stored at federal facilities around the country) in the unsaturated tuffaceous rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Quantitative predictions based on the most current understanding of the processes and parameters potentially affecting the long-term behavior of the disposal system are used to assess the ability of the site and its associated engineered designs to meet regulatory objectives set forward by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The evaluation of the ability of the overall system to meet the performance objectives specified in the applicable regulatory standards has been termed total system performance assessment (TSPA). The aim of any total system performance assessment is to be as complete and reasonably conservative as possible and to assure that the descriptions of the predictive models and parameters are sufficient to ascertain their accuracy. Total system performance assessments evolve with time. As additional site and design information is generated, performance assessment …

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is currently investigating the feasibility of permanently disposing the nation`s commercial high-level radioactive wastes (in the form of spent fuel from the over 100 electric power-generating nuclear reactors across the U.S.) and a portion of the defense high-level radioactive wastes (currently stored at federal facilities around the country) in the unsaturated tuffaceous rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Quantitative predictions based on the most current understanding of the processes and parameters potentially affecting the long-term behavior of the disposal system are used to assess the ability of the site and its associated engineered designs to meet regulatory objectives of the US NRC and the US EPA. The evaluation of the ability of the overall system to meet the performance objectives specified in the applicable regulatory standards has been termed total system performance assessment (TSPA). Total system performance assessments require the explicit quantification of the relevant processes and process interactions. In addition assessments are useful to help define the most significant processes, the information gaps and uncertainties and therefore the additional information required for more robust and defensible assessment of the overall performance. The aim of any total system performance assessment is to be as complete …

Precipitation totals of 245 and 210 mm were measured at UE-29 UZN {number_sign}91 and UE-29 UZN {number_sign}92 respectively, during the 1992 water year, October 1, 1991 to September 30, 1992. Approximately ninety percent of the precipitation fell during the period December 27 to April 2. Localized streamflow was generated in the Fortymile Wash drainage basin during the February 12-15, 1992 and March 31, 1992 precipitation, and infiltrated into the streambed materials. The streamflow went across the UE-29 UZN {number_sign}91 neutron-access borehole location and within several meters of the UE-29 UZN {number_sign}92 location. Neutron logging in these boreholes showed increases in the volumetric water content of the unsaturated alluvium and indicated streamflow infiltrated to a depth of approximately 5 meters. The volumetric water content in the upper 5 meters then gradually decreased during the remaining part of the water year. Ground-water levels rose over one meter in wells UE-29 a{number_sign}1 and UE-29 a{number_sign}2, and one-half meter in neutron-access borehole LJE-29 UZN {number_sign}91 following the streamflows. Water level declines of 0.5 meter in UE-29 a{number_sign}1 and rises of 0.2 meter in UE-29 a{number_sign}2 and 0.1 meter in UE-29 UZN {number_sign}91 coincided with a June 29, 1992 earthquake at the Little Skull Mountain, …

Data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during studies to determine the potential suitability of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 34 sites, ground-water discharge at 6 sites, and groundwater withdrawals within Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and Amargosa Desert are presented for calendar year 1993. Data on ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals collected by other agencies (or as part of other programs) are included to further indicate variations through time at selected monitoring locations. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven wells in Jackass Flats is presented. The statistical summary includes the number of measurements, the maximum, minimum, and median or mean water-level altitudes, and the average or standard deviation of the water-level altitudes for selected baseline periods and for calendar years 1992 and 1993.

Parts of four 1:250,000-scale geologic maps by the California Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mines and Geology have been digitized for use in hydrogeologic characterization. These maps include the area of California between lat. 35{degree}N; Long. 115{degree}W and lat. 38{degree}N, long. 118{degree}W of the Kingman Sheet (Jennings, 1961), Trona Sheet (Jennings and others, 1962), Mariposa Sheet (Strand, 1967), and Death Valley Sheet (Streitz and Stinson, 1974). These digital maps are being released by the US Geological Survey in the ARC/INFO Version 6.1 Export format. The digitized data include geologic unit boundaries, fault traces, and identity of geologic units. The procedure outlined in US Geological Survey Circular 1054 (Soller and others, 1990) was sued during the map construction. The procedure involves transferring hard-copy data into digital format by scanning manuscript maps, manipulating the digital map data, and outputting the data. Most of the work was done using Environmental Systems Research Institute`s ARC/INFO software. The digital maps are available in ARC/INFO Rev. 6.1 Export format, from the USGS, Yucca Mountain Project, in Denver, Colorado.

The events of Fiscal Year 1994 made it a notable year in OCRWN`s history. Highlights include formulation of a new program approach; intensive consultation with other parties to build confidence in that approach; the delivery, assembly, and initial testing of the tunnel boring machine that is now digging into Yucca Mountain; steps toward acquisition of a standardized multipurpose canister system and planning for the accompanying environmental impact statement; and solicitation, through a Federal Register notice, of utilities` and other interested parties` recommendations toward resolving key waste-acceptance issues.

Understanding the mechanics of variably saturated flow in fractured-porous media is of fundamental importance to evaluating the isolation performance of the proposed high-level radioactive waste repository for the Yucca Mountain site. Developing that understanding must be founded on the analysis and interpretation of laboratory and field data. This report presents an analysis of the unsaturated hydraulic properties of tuff cores from the Pena Blanca natural analog site in Mexico. The basic intent of the analysis was to examine possible trends and relationships between the hydraulic properties and the degree of hydrothermal alteration exhibited by the tuff samples. These data were used in flow simulations to evaluate the significance of a particular conceptual (composite) model and of distinct hydraulic properties on the rate and nature of water flow.

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

Of the materials reviewed, commercially pure titanium, Ti Gr 2, is the most susceptible to crevice corrosion. Ti Gr 7, 12, and 16 are likely to be resistant to crevice corrosion under the current expected Yucca Mountain repository conditions. Although Grade 7 has the greatest resistance to crevice corrosion it is also the most expensive. Although the possibility of sustained loads cracking exists, it has not yet been observed in a Ti alloys. For hydride precipitation to occur 100{degrees}C, the hydrogen concentration would need to be relatively high, much higher than the maximum amount of hydrogen allowed during the manufacture of ({alpha} Ti alloys (0.0 15 wt%). A large amount of (SCC) stress corrosion cracking data accumulated at SNL and BNL for the WIPP program and by the Canadian Waste Management Program on titanium grades 2 and 12 indicates that there is no SCC at naturally occurring potentials in various brines. Hydride-induced cracking of titanium is a possibility and therefore, further investigation of this phenomenon under credible repository conditions is warranted. One disadvantage of titanium and its alloys is that their strengths decrease rather rapidly with temperature. This is due to the strong temperature dependence of interstitial solute strengthening mechanisms. …

This report contains ground-water altitudes and well data for wells located in Nye County, Nevada, and Inyo County, California, south of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, the potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository. Data are from wells whose coordinates are within the Beatty and Death Valley Junction, California-Nevada maps from the US Geological Survey, scale 1:100,000 (30-minute {times} 60-minute quadrangle). Compilation of these data was made to provide a reference for numerical models of ground-water flow at Yucca Mountain and its vicinity. Water-level measurements were obtained from the US Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS) data base, and span the period of October 1951 to May 1991; most measurements were made from 1980 to 1990.

One of the primary factors that influences our predictions of host-rock thermal response within a high level waste repository is how the waste stream`s represented in the models. In the context of thermal modeling, waste stream refers to an itemized listing of the type (pressurized-water or boiling-water reactor), age, burnup, and enrichment of the spent nuclear fuel assemblies entering the repository over the 25-year emplacement phase. The effect of package-by-package variations in spent fuel characteristics on predicted repository thermal response is the focus of this report. A three-year portion of the emplacement period was modeled using three approaches to waste stream resolution. The first assumes that each package type emplaced in a given year is adequately represented by average characteristics. For comparison, two models that explicitly account for each waste package`s individual characteristics were run; the first assuming a random selection of packages and the second an ordered approach aimed at locating the higher power output packages toward the center of the emplacement area. Results indicate that the explicit representation of packages results in hot and cold spots that could have performance assessment and design implications. Furthermore, questions are raised regarding the representativeness of average characteristics with respect to integrated …

This report discusses the details of modifications made to the TOUGH2 family of codes to complement its direct solver which significantly increases the size of problems solved by the TOUGH2 code. With this modification, the TOUGH2 system is being tested in multiphase, multicomponent fluid and heat flow problems related to vadose zone hydrology, nuclear waste disposal, and environmental remediation.

Many soils contain rock fragments the sizes of which are much larger than the average pore size of the sieved soil. Due to the fact that these fragments are often fairly large in relation to the soil testing apparatus, it is common to remove them before performing hydrologic tests on the soil. The question then arises as to whether or not there is a simple way to correct the laboratory-measured values to account for the fragments, so as to arrive at property values that can apply to the soil in situ. This question has arisen in the surface infiltration studies that are part of the site characterization program at Yucca Mountain, where accurate values of the hydraulic conductivities of near-surface soils are needed in order to accurately estimate infiltration rates. Although this problem has been recognized for some time, and numerous review articles have been written there are as yet no proven models to account for the effect of rock fragments on hydraulic conductivity and water retention. In this report we will develop some simple physically-based models to account for the effects of rock fragments on gross hydrological properties, and apply the resulting equations to experimental data taken from the …

Matrix permeability values determined by single-hole pneumatic testing in nonfractured ash-flow tuff ranged from 5.1 to 20.3*10{sup -16} m{sup 2} (meters squared), depending on the gas-injection rate and analysis method used. Results from the single-hole tests showed several significant correlations between permeability and injection rate and between permeability and test order. Fracture permeability values determined by cross-hole pneumatic testing in fractured ash-flow tuff ranged from 0.81 to 3.49 x 10{sup -14} m{sup 2}, depending on injection rate and analysis method used. Results from the cross-hole tests monitor intervals showed no significant correlation between permeability and injection rate; however, results from the injection interval showed a significant correlation between injection rate and permeability. Porosity estimates from the cross-hole testing range from 0.8 to 2.0 percent. The maximum temperature change associated with the pneumatic testing was 1.2{degrees}C measured in the injection interval during cross-hole testing. The maximum temperature change in the guard and monitor intervals was 0.1{degrees}C. The maximum error introduced into the permeability values due to temperature fluctuations is approximately 4 percent. Data from temperature monitoring in the borehole indicated a positive correlation between the temperature decrease in the injection interval during recovery testing and the gas-injection rate. The thermocouple psychrometers …

A program was established for DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) to evaluate factors that are anticipated to affect waste glass reaction during repository disposal, especially in an unsaturated environment typical of what may be expected for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository site. This report covers progress in FY 1994 on the following tasks: (1) Critical Reviews of important parameters that affect the reactivity of glass in an unsaturated environment are being prepared. (2) A series of tests is ongoing to evaluate the reactivity of fully radioactive glasses in a high-level waste repository environment and compare it to the reactivity of synthetic, nonradioactive glasses of similar composition. (3) The effect of radiation upon the durability of waste glasses at a high SA/V ratio and a high gas-to-liquid volume ratio has been assessed. (4) A series of tests is being performed to compare the extent of reaction of nuclear waste glasses at various SA/V ratios. Such differences in the SA/V ratio may significantly affect glass durability. At long-term periods and high SA/V ratios, acceleration in glass reaction has been observed. (5) Tests were initiated on West Valley Reference 6 (WV6) glass and on the Environmental Assessment (EA) glass. (6) Tests …

Ground-water chemistry data derived from samples collected within an approximately 100,000-square-kilometer area in the Southern Great Basin have been compiled into a digital data base. The data were compiled from published reports, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System (NWIS), and previously unpublished USGS files. The data are contained in two compressed files which self-expand into Lotus (.WK1) files. The first file contains 4,738 records (4.84 megabytes) and represents the basic compilation of all identified analyses. The second file is an edited version of the first and contains 3,733 records (3.84 megabytes). Editing included the removal of duplicate records and the combining of records, when appropriate. The analyses presented are of variable quality and comprehensiveness and include no isotopic data. Of the 3,733 analyses in the edited data base, 58 percent of the major ion concentrations balance to within {+-}10 percent. Most of the remaining records are not sufficiently complete for a balance to be calculated.

This report presents the results of 11 rotary shear tests conducted on replicas of three hollow cylinders of natural fractures with JRC values of 7.7, 9.4 and 12.0. The JRC values were determined from the results of laser profilometer measurements. The replicas were created from gypsum cement. By varying the water-to-gypsum cement ratio from 30 to 45%, fracture replicas with different values of compressive strength (JCS) were created. The rotary shear experiments were performed under constant normal (nominal) stresses ranging between 0.2 and 1.6 MPa. In this report, the shear test results are compared with predictions using Barton`s empirical peak shear strength equation. observations during the experiments indicate that only certain parts of the fracture profiles influence fracture shear strength and dilatancy. Under relatively low applied normal stresses, the JCS does not seem to have a significant effect on shear behavior. As an alternative, a new procedure for predicting the shear behavior of fractures was developed. The approach is based on basic fracture properties such as fracture surface profile data and the compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, and Poisson`s ratio of the fracture walls. Comparison between predictions and actual shear test results shows that the alternative procedure is a reliable …

Wetting front instability is an important phenomenon affecting fluid flow and contaminant transport in unsaturated soils and rocks. It causes the development of fingers which travel faster than would a uniform front and thus bypass much of the medium. Water saturation and solute concentration in such fingers tend to be higher than in the surrounding medium. During infiltration, fingering may cause unexpectedly rapid arrival of water and solute at the water-table. This notwithstanding, most models of subsurface flow and transport ignore instability and fingering. In this report, we survey the literature to assess the extent to which this may or may not be justified. Our overview covers experiments, theoretical studies, and computer simulations of instability and fingering during immiscible two-phase flow and transport, with emphasis on infiltration into soils and fractured rocks. Our description of instability in an ideal fracture (Hele-Shaw cell) includes an extension of existing theory to fractures and interfaces having arbitrary orientations in space. Our discussion of instability in porous media includes a slight but important correction of existing theory for the case of an inclined interface. We conclude by outlining some potential directions for future research. Among these, we single out the effect of soil and …

A processed quartz sand (Wedron 510), mined from the St. Peter sandstone, has been characterized by a variety of chemical and physical methods for use as a reference porous media in transport model validation experiments. Wedron 510 sand was used in an intermediate-scale experiment involving migration of Ni, Li and Br through a 6-m high x 3-m diameter caisson. Ni and Li adsorption/desorption, and Li/Ni site-competition experiments yielded information on the importance of the trace mineral phases to adsorption of Li and Ni by the sand. The presence of an iron hydroxide coating similar to goethite on the sand grains is suggested by visual observation and leaching experiments. Kaolinite was identified by SEM and XRD as a significant trace mineral phase in the sand and occurs as small particles coating the sand grains. Quartz, the predominant constituent of the sand by weight, does not appear to contribute significantly to the adsorption properties of the sand. Qualitatively, the adsorption properties of the sand can be adequately modeled as a two-mineral system (goethite and kaolinite). The studies described in this report should provide a basis for understanding transport of Ni, Li and Br through porous media similar to the reference sand. Techniques …

Colloids having the same surface charge sign as the bulk of the geologic media in a groundwater system may be able to travel through the system faster than soluble species because they will follow fluid streamlines more closely and they should have less tendency to diffuse into pores or dead spaces in the media than soluble species. Synthetic colloids with uniform, controlled properties may be ideal for serving as {open_quotes}worst-case{close_quotes} tracers that provide lower-bound estimates of contaminant travel times in hydrologic systems. This report discusses a review of the literature pertaining to colloid transport in single saturated natural fractures. After a brief background discussion to put the literature review in perspective, the phenomenon of colloid transport in saturated fractures is divided into three major topics, each of which is reviewed in detail: (1) saturated fluid flow through fractures; (2) colloid transport by convection, diffusion, and force fields; and (3) colloid interactions with surfaces. It is suggested that these phenomena be accounted for in colloid transport models by using (1) lubrication theory to describe water flow through fractures, (2) particle tracking methods to describe colloid transport in fractures, and (3) a kinetic boundary layer approximation to describe colloid interactions with fracture …

Valuable structural information, much of it unavailable by other methods, can be obtained about complexes in solution through NMR spectroscopy. From chemical shift and intensity measurements of complexed species, NMR can serve as a species-specific structural probe for molecules in solution and can be used to validate thermodynamic constants used in geochemical modeling. Fourier-transform nuclear magnetic resonance (FT-NMR) spectroscopy has been employed to study the speciation of uranium(VI) ions in aqueous carbonate solutions as a function of pH, ionic strength, carbonate concentration, uranium concentration, and temperature. Carbon-13 and oxygen-17 NMR spectroscopy were used to monitor the fractions, and hence thermodynamic binding constants of two different uranyl species U0{sub 2}(CO{sub 3}){sub 3}{sup 4{minus}} and (UO{sub 2}){sub 3}(CO{sub 3}){sub 6}{sup 6{minus}} in aqueous solution. Synthetic buffer solutions were prepared under the ionic strength conditions used in the NMR studies in order to obtain an accurate measure of the hydrogen ion concentration, and a discussion of pH = {minus}log(a{sub H}{sup +}) versus p[H] = {minus}log[H+] is provided. It is shown that for quantitative studies, the quantity p[H] needs to be used. Fourteen uranium(VI) binding constants recommended by the OECD NEA literature review were corrected to the ionic strengths employed in the NMR study …