Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, as a near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt

Technical Report · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5585044· OSTI ID:5585044

Elders, W A; Cohen, L H

Since high concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not normally encountered in salt domes or beds, finding an exact geologic analog of expected near-field conditions in a mined nuclear waste repository in salt will be difficult. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field, however, provides an opportunity to investigate the migration and retardation of naturally occurring U, Th, Ra, Cs, Sr and other elements in hot brines which have been moving through clay-rich sedimentary rocks for up to 100,000 years. The more than thirty deep wells drilled in this field to produce steam for electrical generation penetrate sedimentary rocks containing concentrated brines where temperatures reach 365/sup 0/C at only 2 km depth. The brines are primarily Na, K, Ca chlorides with up to 25% of total dissolved solids; they also contain high concentrations of metals such as Fe, Mn, Li, Zn, and Pb. This report describes the geology, geophysics and geochemistry of this system as a prelude to a study of the mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides and radionuclide analogs within it. The aim of this study is to provide data to assist in validating quantitative models of repository behavior and to use in designing and evaluating waste packages and engineered barriers. 128 references, 33 figures, 13 tables.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Riverside (USA). Inst. of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830; AC02-83CH10140
• OSTI ID: 5585044
• Report Number(s): BMI/ONWI-513; ON: DE84003851
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
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ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BRINES
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
Geothermal Legacy
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
SALT DEPOSITS
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
SIMULATION
SODIUM CHLORIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT