Water-table fluctuations in the Amargosa Desert, Nye County, Nevada
Conference
·
OSTI ID:794104
Pleistocene ground-water discharge deposits approximately 20 km southwest of Yucca Mountain were previously thought to represent pluvial water-table rises of 80 to 120 m. Data from new boreholes at two of the three discharge sites indicate that the modern water-table is at depths of only 17 to 30 m and that this shallow water is part of the regional ground-water flow system rather than being perched. Calcite in equilibrium with this modern ground water would have isotopic compositions similar to those in Pleistocene calcite associated with the discharge deposits. Carbon and uranium isotopes in both ground water and discharge deposits imply that past discharge consisted of a mixture of both shallow and deep ground water. These data limit Pleistocene water-table fluctuations at the specified Amargosa Desert discharge sites to between 17 and 30 m and eliminate the need to invoke large water-table rises.
- Research Organization:
- U.S. Geological (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- OSTI ID:
- 794104
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AMARGOSA DESERT
CALCITE
DESERTS
FLUCTUATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ISOTOPE RATIO
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
WATER TABLE
WATER TABLES
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
AMARGOSA DESERT
CALCITE
DESERTS
FLUCTUATIONS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GROUND WATER
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
ISOTOPE RATIO
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
WATER TABLE
WATER TABLES
YUCCA MOUNTAIN