skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Mineralogy-petrology and ground water geochemistry of Yucca Mountain tuffs

Abstract

Research at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada, is being supported by the US Department of Energy to evaluate this site as a possible high-level radioactive waste repository. Yucca Mountain is underlain by a thick sequence of ash-flow and bedded tuffs, with a few silicic lavas. Variations in mode of tuff emplacement and postemplacement alterations have given rise to pyroclastic rocks of quite variable character, ranging from nonwelded to densely welded, vitric to devitrified, and nonzeolitized to completely zeolitized. The proposed repository horizon is in the lower portion of the thick, densely welded Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff in the unsaturated zone. Within the Topopah Spring Member and in the rocks beneath the proposed repository horizon, there are significant variations in mineralogy. Such changes in mineralogy include the localized occurrence of such potentially reactive phases as cristobalite, tridymite, smectite, and volcanic glass. The important sorptive minerals clinoptilolite and mordenite also occur in discrete horizons, and their distribution changes horizontally and vertically. A study of the mineralogy in Yucca Mountain as a function of depth and lateral position to predict the horizontal and vertical distribution of these important potentially reactive and sorptive minerals was conducted. This knowledge has aided inmore » locating the repository horizon and will help to put bounds on mineralogic variability within the repository horizon. In addition, studies of the distribution of minerals in Yucca Mountain allow us to deduce the factors that have controlled mineral distributions and to predict mineral assemblages along transport pathways. In addition, the groundwater chemistry is investigated because it and mineralogy are used as input to codes for calculating the transport rate of waste elements from the repository to the accessible environment. 9 references.« less

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
59168
Report Number(s):
CONF-831174-
Resource Type:
Book
Resource Relation:
Conference: Materials Research Society annual meeting, Boston, MA (United States), 14-17 Nov 1983; Other Information: PBD: 1984; Related Information: Is Part Of Scientific basis for nuclear waste management VII; McVay, G.L. (ed.); PB: 283-291 p.; Materials Research Society symposia proceedings, Volume 26
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
05 NUCLEAR FUELS; 58 GEOSCIENCES; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; GROUND WATER; GEOCHEMISTRY; HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES; RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL; RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES; SITE SELECTION; TUFF; MINERALOGY; PETROLOGY; WASTE-ROCK INTERACTIONS; YUCCA MOUNTAIN; EVALUATION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; NEVADA; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; Yucca Mountain Project

Citation Formats

Bish, D L, Ogard, A E, Vaniman, D T, and Benson, L. Mineralogy-petrology and ground water geochemistry of Yucca Mountain tuffs. United States: N. p., 1984. Web.
Bish, D L, Ogard, A E, Vaniman, D T, & Benson, L. Mineralogy-petrology and ground water geochemistry of Yucca Mountain tuffs. United States.
Bish, D L, Ogard, A E, Vaniman, D T, and Benson, L. 1984. "Mineralogy-petrology and ground water geochemistry of Yucca Mountain tuffs". United States.
@article{osti_59168,
title = {Mineralogy-petrology and ground water geochemistry of Yucca Mountain tuffs},
author = {Bish, D L and Ogard, A E and Vaniman, D T and Benson, L},
abstractNote = {Research at Yucca Mountain in southern Nevada, is being supported by the US Department of Energy to evaluate this site as a possible high-level radioactive waste repository. Yucca Mountain is underlain by a thick sequence of ash-flow and bedded tuffs, with a few silicic lavas. Variations in mode of tuff emplacement and postemplacement alterations have given rise to pyroclastic rocks of quite variable character, ranging from nonwelded to densely welded, vitric to devitrified, and nonzeolitized to completely zeolitized. The proposed repository horizon is in the lower portion of the thick, densely welded Topopah Spring Member of the Paintbrush Tuff in the unsaturated zone. Within the Topopah Spring Member and in the rocks beneath the proposed repository horizon, there are significant variations in mineralogy. Such changes in mineralogy include the localized occurrence of such potentially reactive phases as cristobalite, tridymite, smectite, and volcanic glass. The important sorptive minerals clinoptilolite and mordenite also occur in discrete horizons, and their distribution changes horizontally and vertically. A study of the mineralogy in Yucca Mountain as a function of depth and lateral position to predict the horizontal and vertical distribution of these important potentially reactive and sorptive minerals was conducted. This knowledge has aided in locating the repository horizon and will help to put bounds on mineralogic variability within the repository horizon. In addition, studies of the distribution of minerals in Yucca Mountain allow us to deduce the factors that have controlled mineral distributions and to predict mineral assemblages along transport pathways. In addition, the groundwater chemistry is investigated because it and mineralogy are used as input to codes for calculating the transport rate of waste elements from the repository to the accessible environment. 9 references.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/59168}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Mon Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}

Book:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that hold this book.

Save / Share: