Two-phase flow experiments in natural rock fractures from Yucca Mountain

Technical Report · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/187236· OSTI ID:187236

Persoff, P; Pruess, K

The welded tuffs in the vadose zone of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, are being investigated as the potential site of a geologic repository for high-level nuclear wastes. The suitability of this site depends upon minimizing the possibility of aqueous transport of radionuclides from the wastes to the environment. The repository location has been chosen for its isolation by low-permeability rock from both the surface and the water table, in a desert area of low precipitation. The welded tuffs have very low permeability, offering protection from flowing groundwater. The repository horizon, although of low permeability, is known to be fractured, suggesting the possibility of fast paths for contaminant transport. As part of the repository evaluation, this study has been undertaken to characterize fractures from Yucca Mountain tuffs. Another purpose of this study is to gain insight into pore-level phenomena occurring during multiphase flow in fractures generally. For this reason measurements were made not only in the actual fractures, but also in transparent replicas that reproduce the fracture void geometry. Use of transparent replicas allows observation of displacement phenomena and estimation of fracture saturation.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 187236
• Report Number(s): LBL--37716; ON: DE96003797
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
FLUID FLOW
GEOLOGIC FRACTURES
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
HYDROLOGY
PERMEABILITY
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
TUFF
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
YUCCA MOUNTAIN