Numerical and laboratory investigations of transient and steady-state flow in a fractured core
- Geological Survey, Lakewood, CO (United States)
- SAIC, Golden, CO (United States)
An improved understanding of the ability of fractures to transmit water at matric potentials less than zero is essential for evaluating the ability of the rocks of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to safely isolate nuclear waste. Numerical and experimental investigations of this subnuclear waste. Numerical and experimental investigations of this subject will help substantiate flux estimates of both liquid water and water vapor at Yucca Mountain, aid in assessing the effectiveness of capillary barriers at the contact between nonwelded and fractured welded units, and may provide insight as to the manner in which flow may become concentrated along specific pathways through a network of fractures under conditions of partial saturation. This paper summarizes some of the numerical and laboratory investigations that have been conducted at the US Geological Survey in Denver on a core of welded tuff containing a single fracture parallel to the core axis. The objectives of these investigations were to (1) explore the possibility that the unsaturated hydrologic properties of a fracture could be estimated by applying inverse techniques to the results of transient imbibition experiments, and (2) evaluate the accuracy of estimates of unsaturated fracture hydrologic properties derived from transient tests or numerical modeling through direct steady-state measurements. The core examined in these experiments is 0.0699 m long and has a radius of 0.0208 m. It was obtained from the {open_quotes}columnar zone{close_quotes} of the Tiva Canyon member of the Paintbrush Tuff near Wren Wash on Yucca Mountain. 10 refs., 12 figs.
- Research Organization:
- US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Regulatory Applications; Southwest Research Inst., San Antonio, TX (United States). Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses; Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources
- OSTI ID:
- 139515
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CP-0040; CONF-9101106-; ON: TI93016989; TRN: 94:007179
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 5. flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock related to high-level radioactive waste disposal, Tucson, AZ (United States), 7-10 Jan 1991; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of workshop 5: Flow and transport through unsaturated fractured rock -- related to high-level radioactive waste disposal; Evans, D.D. [ed.] [Arizona Univ., Tucson, AZ (United States). Dept. of Hydrology and Water Resources]; Nicholson, T.J. [ed.] [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Regulatory Applications]; PB: 238 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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