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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Evaluation of seismic reflection surveying on the Hanford Site, Benton County, Washington

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6184068
The Columbia River Basalt Group is being studied as a potential site for a spent fuel repository for the United States of America. To accomplish this end, design and environmental studies are being conducted to assess the feasibility of building tunnels at depths of approximately 3,000 feet to store the spent fuel. Three production-type seismic reflection surveys were performed to determine the ability of this geophysical method to delineate subsurface structure within the basalt flows lying beneath the Hanford Site. In determining the method capability, different seismic sources including proprietary VIBROSEIS; dynamite; and, primacord, were utilized to secure noise spreads. From the noise-spread results, the optimum survey method was designed for production survey lines. Production lines were then run using the different sources at three separate locations on the Hanford Site. These surveys indicate that seismic reflection methods using a VIBROSEIS source can be used to delineate subsurface structure on the Hanford Site and, in turn, provide valuable data necessary for the Basalt Waste Isolation Program.
Research Organization:
Seismograph Service Corp., Tulsa, OK (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
EY-77-C-06-1030
OSTI ID:
6184068
Report Number(s):
RHO-BWI-C-20
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English