Investigating the Influence of Regional Stress on Fault and Fracture Permeability at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site
- Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States)
- Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States)
- Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Regional stress may exert considerable control on the permeability and hydraulic function (i.e., barrier to and/or conduit for fluid flow) of faults and fractures at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). In-situ measurements of the stress field are sparse in this area, and short period earthquake focal mechanisms are used to delineate principal horizontal stress orientations. Stress field inversion solutions to earthquake focal mechanisms indicate that Pahute Mesa is located within a transtensional faulting regime, represented by oblique slip on steeply dipping normal fault structures, with maximum horizontal stress ranging from N29°E to N63°E and average of N42°E. Average horizontal stress directions are in general agreement with large diameter borehole breakouts from Pahute Mesa analyzed in this study and with stress measurements from other locations on the NNSS.
- Research Organization:
- Desert Research Inst. (DRI), Reno, NV (United States); Nevada Univ., Reno, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NA0000939
- OSTI ID:
- 1358216
- Report Number(s):
- 45-275; DOE/NV/0000939-41
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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