Fracture-lining minerals in the lower Topopah Spring Tuff at Yucca Mountain
Fracture-lining minerals in the lower Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, are being examined to characterize potential flow paths within and away from the candidate repository horizon. Fracture coatings within this interval can be divided into five categories based on rock matrix and type of fracture. Fracture coatings in the densely welded tuff above the basal vitrophyre, near the candidate repository horizon, include (1) those related to lithophysal cavities; (2) mordenite and manganese oxides on nearly planar fractures; (3) later fracture coatings consisting of zeolites, smectite, and calcite. Fracture-coating minerals in the vitrophyre are fine-grained and consist of smectite and a variety of zeolites. The non- to partially-welded vitric and/or zeolitic stuff below the vitrophyre contains fractures mostly lined by cristobalite and clinoptilolite. 13 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 137991
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-90-4354; CONF-910435-37; ON: DE91005901; TRN: 91:004792
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. annual American Nuclear Society (ANS) international high level radioactive waste management conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 28 Apr - 3 May 1991; Other Information: PBD: [1991]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Further description of the petrology of the Topopah Spring member of the paintbrush tuff in drill holes UE25A-1 and USW-G1 and of the lithic-rich tuff in USW-G1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada
Minerals in fractures of the unsaturated zone from drill core USW G-4, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada