Geomorphic assessment of late Quarternary volcanism in the Yucca Mountain area, southern Nevada: Implication for the proposed high-level radiocative waste repository

Journal Article · Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<0549:GAOLQV>2.3.CO;2· OSTI ID:137955

Wells, S G; McFadden, L D; Renault, C E ^[1]; Crowe, B M ^[2]

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1. Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (USA)
2. Los Alamos Yucca Mountain Project Office, Las Vegas, NV (USA)

Volcanic hazard studies for high-level radioactive waste isolation in the Yucca Mountain area, Nevada, require a detailed understanding of Quaternary volcanism to forecast rates of volcanic processes. Recent studies of the Quaternary Cima volcanic field in southern California have demonstrated that K-Ar dates of volcanic landforms are consistent with their geomorphic and pedologic properties. The systematic change of these properties with time may be used to provide age estimates of undated or questionably dated volcanic features. The reliability of radiometric age determinations of the youngest volcanic center, Lathrop Wells, near the proposed Yucca Mountain site in Nevada has been problematic. In this study, a comparison of morphometric, pedogenic, and stratigraphic data establishes that correlation of geomorphic and soil properties between the Cima volcanic field and the Yucca Mountain area is valid. Comparison of the Lathrop Wells cinder cone to a 15-20 ka cinder cone in California shows that their geomorphic-pedogenic properties are similar and implies that the two cones are of similar age. We conclude that previous determinations of ca. 0.27 Ma for the latest volcanic activity at Lathrop Wells, approximately 20 km from the proposed repository, may be in error by as much as an order of magnitude and that the most recent volcanic activity is no older than 20ka.

• OSTI ID: 137955
• Journal Information: Geology, Vol. 18, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1990
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RISK ASSESSMENT
VOLCANIC ROCKS
AGE ESTIMATION
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
ARGON ISOTOPES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOMORPHOLOGY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ISOTOPE DATING
ISOTOPE RATIO
PLANNING
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
QUATERNARY PERIOD
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOIL CHEMISTRY
STRATIGRAPHY
VOLCANIC REGIONS
VOLCANISM
Yucca Mountain Project