Physical and chemical characteristics of topographically affected airflow in an open borehole at Yucca Mountain, Nevada
- Geological Survey, Reston, VA (USA)
- Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (USA)
- Southern Methodist Univ., Dallas, TX (USA). Radiocarbon Lab.
Borehole UZ6S, on the crest of Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, has exhaled approximately 10{sup 6} m{sup 3} of gas annually during winter months for three successive years. The flow arises from thermal-topographic effects. The average composition of the exhausted gas is: N{sub 2} = 78%, O{sub 2} = 21%, Ar = 0.94%, CO{sub 2} = 0.125%, and CH{sub 4} = 0.2 ppMv. The CO{sub 2} has the following isotopic signature: {sup 14}C = 108.5 percent modern carbon (pmc), and {delta}{sup 13}C = 17.1 per mil. In the thirty-month observation period, there has been a net flux to the atmosphere of approximately 40 m{sup 3} of liquid water and 1150 kg of carbon. The gas flowing from UZ6S appears to originate in the soil and/or shallow unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain crest. 25 refs., 6 figs., 4 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AI08-78ET44802
- OSTI ID:
- 137750
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-890928-25; ON: DE90012526
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Nuclear waste isolation in the unsaturated zone: FOCUS `89, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 18-21 Sep 1989; Other Information: PBD: [1989]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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