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Title: Natural Analoges as a Check of Predicted Drift Stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Abstract

Calculations made by the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project as part of the licensing of a proposed geologic repository (in southwestern Nevada) for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, predict that emplacement tunnels will remain open with little collapse long after ground support has disintegrated. This conclusion includes the effects of anticipated seismic events. Natural analogues cannot provide a quantitative test of this conclusion, but they can provide a reasonableness test by examining the natural and anthropogenic examples of stability of subterranean openings. Available data from a variety of sources, combined with limited observations by the author, show that natural underground openings tend to resist collapse for millions of years and that anthropogenic subterranean openings have remained open from before recorded history through today. This stability is true even in seismically active areas. In fact, the archaeological record is heavily skewed toward preservation of underground structures relative to those found at the surface.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Yucca Mountain Project, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
893593
Report Number(s):
NA
MOL.20060425.0168, DC# 47421; TRN: US0606053
DOE Contract Number:  
NA
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; LICENSING; NATURAL ANALOGUE; OPENINGS; POSITIONING; PRESERVATION; SEISMIC EVENTS; STABILITY; YUCCA MOUNTAIN

Citation Formats

Stuckless, J. Natural Analoges as a Check of Predicted Drift Stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.2172/893593.
Stuckless, J. Natural Analoges as a Check of Predicted Drift Stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/893593
Stuckless, J. 2006. "Natural Analoges as a Check of Predicted Drift Stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/893593. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/893593.
@article{osti_893593,
title = {Natural Analoges as a Check of Predicted Drift Stability at Yucca Mountain, Nevada},
author = {Stuckless, J},
abstractNote = {Calculations made by the U.S. Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project as part of the licensing of a proposed geologic repository (in southwestern Nevada) for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, predict that emplacement tunnels will remain open with little collapse long after ground support has disintegrated. This conclusion includes the effects of anticipated seismic events. Natural analogues cannot provide a quantitative test of this conclusion, but they can provide a reasonableness test by examining the natural and anthropogenic examples of stability of subterranean openings. Available data from a variety of sources, combined with limited observations by the author, show that natural underground openings tend to resist collapse for millions of years and that anthropogenic subterranean openings have remained open from before recorded history through today. This stability is true even in seismically active areas. In fact, the archaeological record is heavily skewed toward preservation of underground structures relative to those found at the surface.},
doi = {10.2172/893593},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/893593}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Fri Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}