Applications of in situ cosmogenic nuclides in the geologic site characterization of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:245626

Gosse, J C; Harrington, C D ^[1]; Whitney, J W ^[2]

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1. Joy Industrial Equipment Co., Los Angeles, CA (United States). Western Precipitation Div.
2. Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)

The gradual buildup of rare isotopes from interactions between cosmic rays and atoms in an exposed rock provides a new method of directly determining the exposure age of rock surfaces. The cosmogenic nuclide method can also provide constraints on erosion rates and the length of time surface exposure was interrupted by burial. Numerous successful applications of the technique have been imperative to the complete surface geologic characterization of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, a potential high level nuclear waste repository. In this short paper, we summarize the cosmogenic nuclide method and describe with examples some the utility of the technique in geologic site characterization. We report preliminary results from our ongoing work at Yucca Mountain.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 245626
• Report Number(s): LA-UR--96-1773; CONF-951155--122; ON: DE96011302
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
CONTAINMENT
GEOLOGY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RISK ASSESSMENT
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
YUCCA MOUNTAIN