Groundwater Flow Model of Corrective Action Units 101and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 0
A steady-state groundwater flow model of the Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Unit (CAU) has been constructed using a suite of hydrostratigraphic frameworks, recharge distributions, and hydraulic parameter assignment conceptualizations. Model calibration and sensitivity analyses, and geochemical verification were conducted and documented. The U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office initiated the Underground Test Area Project to assess and evaluate the effects of the underground nuclear weapons tests on groundwater on the Nevada Test Site and vicinity through the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO). The processes that will be used to complete Underground Test Area corrective actions are described in the "Corrective Action Strategy" in the FFACO Appendix VI, Rev. 1 (December 7, 2000). The objective of the strategy is to analyze and evaluate each Underground Test Area CAU through a combination of data and information collection and evaluation, and modeling groundwater flow and contaminant transport, including uncertainty. The FFACO corrective action process for the Central and Western Pahute Mesa CAUs was initiated with the Corrective Action Investigation Plan. This Corrective Action Investigation Plan identified a three-step model development process to evaluate the impact of testing on groundwater and simulate a contaminant boundary. The first step is the compilation and evaluation of existing and new data for use in the flow model and is documented in a series of data compilation and analysis reports, including Hydrologic Data for Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Units 101 and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa, Nye County, Nevada. The second step is the development of the groundwater flow model, documented in this report. The third step is the development of the transport model to assess the migration of radionuclides away from underground nuclear test cavities on Pahute Mesa. Underground nuclear tests conducted at Pahute Mesa that are of interest to the Underground Test Area Project are those detonated in deep vertical shafts, or drilled into volcanic rock near or below the water table. A total of 82 such underground nuclear tests were conducted in Pahute Mesa. Sixty-four of these tests were detonated on Central Pahute Mesa (CAU 101), and 18 tests were detonated in Western Pahute Mesa (CAU 102). Transport in groundwater is the primary mechanism of migration for the subsurface contamination away from Pahute Mesa underground nuclear tests.
- Research Organization:
- Stoller-Navarro Joint Venture
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC52-03NA99205
- OSTI ID:
- 909598
- Report Number(s):
- S-N/99205-076; TRN: US200722%%1331
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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