Geohydrology of Rocks Penetrated by Test Well USW H-5, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/138200· OSTI ID:138200

Robison, J. H. ^[1]; Craig, R. W. ^[1]

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1. US Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

This report contains the results of hydraulic and monitoring, geophysical logging, and water analysis of test well USW H-5, one of a group of test wells drilled in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, on behalf of the US Department of Energy to investigate the suitability of the area to store and isolate high- level radioactive waste. The test well was drilled to a depth of 1219 meters; all rocks penetrated are of volcanic origin and of Tertiary age. Depth to water in the test well was 704 meters; the hydraulic head had no measurable variation with depth below land surface, altitude of the water surface was about 774 meters above sea level. Production during hydraulic testing of the test well was about 10 liters per second. Drawdown response to pumping was consistent with two alternative conceptual models. Chemical character of water from the test well was typical of that from tuffaceous rocks in southern Nevada; dissolved solids were about 200 milligrams per liter. Carbon-14 activity of the water was 21.4 percent of modern, yielding an apparent age of 12,400 years before present.

• Research Organization: US Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AI08-78ET44802
• OSTI ID: 138200
• Report Number(s): USGS-WRI--88-4168; ON: DE91018333
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
58 GEOSCIENCES
AGE ESTIMATION
AQUIFERS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDRAULICS
HYDROLOGY
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
TUFF
WATER TABLES
WELL LOGGING
WELLS
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project