Identifying suitable "piercement" salt domes for nuclear waste storage sites
Piercement salt domes of the northern interior salt basins of the Gulf of Mexico are being considered as permanent storage sites for both nuclear and chemically toxic wastes. The suitable domes are stable and inactive, having reached their final evolutionary configuration at least 30 million years ago. They are buried to depths far below the level to which erosion will penetrate during the prescribed storage period and are not subject to possible future reactivation. The salt cores of these domes are themselves impermeable, permitting neither the entry nor exit of ground water or other unwanted materials. In part, a stable dome may be recognized by its present geometric configuration, but conclusive proof depends on establishing its evolutionary state. The evolutionary state of a dome is obtained by reconstructing the growth history of the dome as revealed by the configuration of sedimentary strata in a large area (commonly 3,000 square miles or more) surrounding the dome. A high quality, multifold CDP reflection seismic profile across a candidate dome will provide much of the necessary information when integrated with available subsurface control. Additional seismic profiles may be required to confirm an apparent configuration of the surrounding strata and an interpreted evolutionary history. High frequency seismic data collected in the near vicinity of a dome are also needed as a supplement to the CDP data to permit accurate depiction of the configuration of shallow strata. Such data must be tied to shallow drill hole control to confirm the geologic age at which dome growth ceased. If it is determined that a dome reached a terminal configuration many millions of years ago, such a dome is incapable of reactivation and thus constitutes a stable storage site for nuclear wastes.
- Research Organization:
- Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 5155848
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-2864; TRN: 80-015590
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SALT DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
SEISMIC SURVEYS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
CLOSURES
DRILL CORES
GULF OF MEXICO
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RISK ASSESSMENT
STRATIGRAPHY
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CARIBBEAN SEA
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MANAGEMENT
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
SURVEYS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
580300* - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)
052002 - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)