Teleseismic tomography of the Yucca Mountain region; Volcanism and tectonism
- US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (US)
In this paper the authors use teleseismic tomography of compressional phases in the Yucca Mountain site area and region to delineate any extant magma systems and to map tectonic structures that might affect a potential nuclear waste repository. The authors observe an upper-mantle high-velocity anomaly beneath the Miocene Silent Canyon caldera. If this anomaly is related to southwestern Nevada volcanic field (SWNVF) volcanism, it may represent cooled residuum from the volume that once delivered heat to that system. hence, the SWNVF appears dead at its roots. A large volume of low-velocity upper mantle adjacent to this high may be any of several things, including partial melt. If the latter, it represents a large heat source for possible volcanism near the site area. The authors can rule out large, mature, silicic magma chambers in the crust near Yucca Mountain, but do reveal a weak columnar low-velocity feature. This low-velocity object may be interpreted variously, one way being local heating of the crust. Lastly, the east boundary of the Crater Flat depression falls very near or beneath the repository block and should be evaluated further.
- OSTI ID:
- 140856
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-920430--; ISBN 0-87262-891-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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