Analysis of Yucca Mountain Pore-Water Chloride Data
Distribution of chemical constituents in the unsaturated zone (UZ) system of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, depends on many factors, such as hydrological and geochemical processes of surface precipitation, evapotranspiration, the water-fracture-matrix interactions, large-scale mixing via lateral flow and transport, and the history of climate changes. This study analyzes pore-water chloride-concentration data and models the transport processes. The model results are then used to calibrate the UZ flow model with the aim of refining the infiltration distribution and percolation fluxes to the potential repository. The major chemical data used in this study were pore-water chloride (Cl) concentrations. The sensitivity of this conservative tracer to the UZ flow system is well known. This constituent was directly incorporated into a three-dimensional dual-permeability flow model. Chemical transport properties were taken into account. The surface flux of chloride was determined by the total amount of precipitation reaching the surface and chemical concentration in the precipitation. The entire flow system was divided into domains based on the distribution of pore-water chemical data, infiltration data, hydrogeological and hydrostructural features. Model calibration proceeded by adjusting the site-scale infiltration map and anisotropy permeabilities to reach a satisfying agreement between the simulated subsurface chloride distribution and measured data.
- Research Organization:
- Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 786549
- Report Number(s):
- MOL.20010808.0252; DC 28988; TRN: US0502269
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Jun 2001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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