The data acquired in the Parkfield, California experiment are unique and they are producing results that force a new look at some conventional concepts and models for earthquake occurrence and fault-zone dynamics. No fault-zone drilling project can afford to neglect installation of such a network early enough in advance of the fault-zone penetration to have a well-defined picture of the seismicity details (probably at least 1000 microearthquakes--an easy 2-3 year goal for the M<0 detection of a borehole network). Analyses of nine years of Parkfield monitoring data have revealed significant and unambiguous departures from stationarity both in the seismicity characteristics and in wave propagation details within the S-wave coda for paths within the presumed M6 nucleation zone where we also have found a high Vp/Vs anomaly at depth, and where the three recent M4.7-5.0 sequences have occurred. Synchronous changes well above noise levels have also been seen among several independent parameters, including seismicity rate, average focal depth, S-wave coda velocities, characteristic sequence recurrence intervals, fault creep and water levels in monitoring wells. The significance of these findings lies in their apparent coupling and inter-relationships, from which models for fault-zone process can be fabricated and tested with time. The more general …

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Due to the complex issues surrounding Investigation Derived Waste (IDW) at SRS, the Environmental Restoration Division has been exploring new technologies to deal with the purge water generated during monitoring well sampling. Standard procedures for sampling generates copious amounts of purge water that must be managed as hazardous waste, when containing hazardous and/or radiological contaminants exceeding certain threshold levels. SRS has obtained Regulator approval to field test an innovative surface release prevention mechanism to manage purge water. This mechanism is referred to as the Purge Water Management System (PWMS) and consists of a collapsible bladder situated within a rigid metal tank.

The MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) long-baseline experiment will search for neutrino oscillations by measuring an intense {nu}{sub {mu}} beam at the end of a 730 km flight path. The 10,000 ton MINOS far detector will utilize magnetized steel plates interleaved with track chambers to reconstruct event topologies and to measure the energies of the muons, hadrons and electromagnetic showers produced by neutrino interactions. The experiment is designed to detect {nu}{sub {mu}} {r_arrow} {nu}{sub {tau}} and {nu}{sub {mu}} {r_arrow} {nu}{sub e} oscillations with {Delta}m{sup 2} {ge} 0.001 eV{sup 2} and sin{sup 2} (2{theta}) {ge} 0.01. Any oscillation signal observed can be verified and studied by several independent tests: a near/far rate comparison, the NC/CC event ratio, the CC and NC event energy spectra, and the identification of electrons and {tau} leptons. The neutrino beam can be operated in both wide-band and narrow-band configurations, allowing the detailed study oscillation phenomena. The experiment is scheduled to begin operation in 2001.

The Process Vacuum Liquid Detection interlock systems prevent intrusion of process liquids into the HEPA filters downstream of demisters {number_sign}6 and {number_sign}7 during Process Vacuum System operation. This prevents liquid intrusion into the filters which could cause a criticality. The Safety Envelope (SE) includes the equipment which detects the presence of liquids in the vacuum headers; isolates the filters; shuts down the vacuum pumps; and alarms the condition. The presence of liquid in the HC-4, HC-7, and HC-227S glovebox vacuum traps or a high level of liquid in the 236-Z Tank 50 will isolate these portions of the vacuum system from the main headers. This report identifies the equipment in the SE; operating, maintenance, and surveillance procedures needed to maintain the SE equipment; and rationale for exclusion of some equipment and testing from the SE.