Vadose zone monitoring at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, 1985--1989
Vadose zone monitoring at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) was implemented under the Subsurface Investigation Program Plan. The objective of the Subsurface Investigation Program was to characterize the subsurface at the RWMC in order to measure and predict radionuclide transport. Soil moisture sensors were installed to characterize the uniformity of water entry to the surficial sediments and moisture flux in the surficial sediments and the deeper stratigraphic units. From 1985 to 1987, a network of vadose zone instruments was installed in sediments at the RWMC. The instruments included psychrometers, gypsum blocks, heat-dissipation sensors (HDSs), tensiometers, lysimeters, and neutron access tubes. These instruments were placed at depths up to 230 ft below land surface (BLS) in a heterogeneous geologic system comprised of sediments that overlie and are intercalated with basalt flows. After organic contaminants were detected in the subsurface at the RWMC in 1988, the vadose zone monitoring project was incorporated into a broader characterization effort. This report presents the analyses of the vadose zone monitoring data collected from FY-1985 to FY-1989. The performance of the instruments are compared. Matric potential ranges and trends in the surficial sediments and interbeds are discussed. Hydraulic gradients are calculated to determine the direction of moisture movement. Using the neutron logging data in conjunction with the matric potential and hydraulic gradient data, infiltration is examined with respect to seasonal nature and source. 14 refs., 19 figs., 4 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- EG and G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, ID (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-76ID01570
- OSTI ID:
- 6087969
- Report Number(s):
- EGG-WM-9299; ON: DE91010097
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Vadose zone monitoring at the radioactive waste management complex, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory
Subsurface Investigations Program at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory: Annual progress report, FY-1987
Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
BASALT
BOREHOLES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SULFATES
CAVITIES
DRAINAGE
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGY
GYPSUM
HYDROLOGY
HYGROMETRY
IDAHO NATIONAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY
IGNEOUS ROCKS
IMPLEMENTATION
LITHOLOGY
LYSIMETERS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MINERALS
MOISTURE
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEUTRON LOGGING
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLUMES
PSYCHROMETRY
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVITY LOGGING
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
REMOTE SENSING
ROCKS
SEDIMENTS
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
SULFATE MINERALS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TENSIOMETERS
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
VOLCANIC ROCKS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WELL LOGGING