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Title: Gas transport across the low-permeability containment zone of an underground nuclear explosion

Abstract

Understanding the nature of gas transport from an underground nuclear explosion (UNE) is required for evaluating the ability to detect and interpret either on-site or atmospheric signatures of noble gas radionuclides resulting from the event. We performed a pressure and chemical tracer monitoring experiment at the site of an underground nuclear test that occurred in a tunnel in Nevada to evaluate the possible modes of gas transport to the surface. The site represents a very well-contained, low gaspermeability end member for past UNEs at the Nevada National Security Site. However, there is very strong evidence that gases detected at the surface during a period of low atmospheric pressure resulted from fractures of extremely small aperture that are essentially invisible. Our analyses also suggest that gases would have easily migrated to the top of the high-permeability collapse zone following the detonation minimizing the final distance required for migration along these narrow fractures to the surface. This indicates that on-site detection of gases emanating from such low-permeability sites is feasible while standoff detection of atmospheric plumes may also be possible at local distances for sufficiently high fracture densities. Finally, our results show that gas leakage into the atmosphere also occurred directly frommore » the tunnel portal and should be monitored in future tunnel gas sampling experiments for the purpose of better understanding relative contributions to detection of radioxenon releases via both fracture network and tunnel transport.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]
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  1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
  2. Mission Support and Test Services, LLC, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS), North Las Vegas, NV (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1631098
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-777779
Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322; 968887; TRN: US2200739
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC52-07NA27344; NA0003624
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Scientific Reports
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 10; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION

Citation Formats

Carrigan, Charles R., Sun, Yunwei, Hunter, Steven L., Ruddle, David G., Simpson, Matthew D., Obi, Curtis M., Huckins-Gang, Heather E., Prothro, Lance B., and Townsend, Margaret J. Gas transport across the low-permeability containment zone of an underground nuclear explosion. United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-58445-1.
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Carrigan, Charles R., Sun, Yunwei, Hunter, Steven L., Ruddle, David G., Simpson, Matthew D., Obi, Curtis M., Huckins-Gang, Heather E., Prothro, Lance B., & Townsend, Margaret J. Gas transport across the low-permeability containment zone of an underground nuclear explosion. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58445-1
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Carrigan, Charles R., Sun, Yunwei, Hunter, Steven L., Ruddle, David G., Simpson, Matthew D., Obi, Curtis M., Huckins-Gang, Heather E., Prothro, Lance B., and Townsend, Margaret J. Wed . "Gas transport across the low-permeability containment zone of an underground nuclear explosion". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58445-1. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1631098.
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@article{osti_1631098,
title = {Gas transport across the low-permeability containment zone of an underground nuclear explosion},
author = {Carrigan, Charles R. and Sun, Yunwei and Hunter, Steven L. and Ruddle, David G. and Simpson, Matthew D. and Obi, Curtis M. and Huckins-Gang, Heather E. and Prothro, Lance B. and Townsend, Margaret J.},
abstractNote = {Understanding the nature of gas transport from an underground nuclear explosion (UNE) is required for evaluating the ability to detect and interpret either on-site or atmospheric signatures of noble gas radionuclides resulting from the event. We performed a pressure and chemical tracer monitoring experiment at the site of an underground nuclear test that occurred in a tunnel in Nevada to evaluate the possible modes of gas transport to the surface. The site represents a very well-contained, low gaspermeability end member for past UNEs at the Nevada National Security Site. However, there is very strong evidence that gases detected at the surface during a period of low atmospheric pressure resulted from fractures of extremely small aperture that are essentially invisible. Our analyses also suggest that gases would have easily migrated to the top of the high-permeability collapse zone following the detonation minimizing the final distance required for migration along these narrow fractures to the surface. This indicates that on-site detection of gases emanating from such low-permeability sites is feasible while standoff detection of atmospheric plumes may also be possible at local distances for sufficiently high fracture densities. Finally, our results show that gas leakage into the atmosphere also occurred directly from the tunnel portal and should be monitored in future tunnel gas sampling experiments for the purpose of better understanding relative contributions to detection of radioxenon releases via both fracture network and tunnel transport.},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-58445-1},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 10,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Wed Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58445-1
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Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 9 works
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: The Disko Elm nuclear test occurred in the P-tunnel complex within Aqueduct Mesa at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). The Portal at the base of the mesa accesses a tunnel at 5520 feet or 1725 m altitude. Surface-ground-zero (SGZ) or the point directly above the detonation ismore » at 6377 feet or 1993 m altitude. The detonation point is at the tunnel level or 1725 m altitude yielding an equivalent depth of burial beneath the mesa of 268 m, which places it near the top of the UZNT or zeolitized non-welded or bedded tuff geologic formation (orange layer in figure). Image generated using EarthVision 10, Dynamic Graphics Inc., Alameda, CA.« less
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Works referenced in this record:

Evaluating the Importance of Barometric Pumping for Subsurface Gas Transport Near an Underground Nuclear Test Site
journal, January 2019

  • Bourret, S. M.; Kwicklis, E. M.; Miller, T. A.
  • Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.2136/vzj2018.07.0134

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT
journal, January 2010

  • Auer, Matthias; Kumberg, Timo; Sartorius, Hartmut
  • Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 167, Issue 4-5
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00024-009-0027-y

Evidence for High Rates of Gas Transport in the Deep Subsurface
journal, April 2019

  • Stauffer, P. H.; Rahn, T.; Ortiz, J. P.
  • Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 46, Issue 7
  • DOI: 10.1029/2019GL082394

Spalax™ new generation: A sensitive and selective noble gas system for nuclear explosion monitoring
journal, September 2015

Radiological effluents released from US continental tests, 1961 through 1992. Revision 1
report, August 1996

  • Schoengold, C. R.; DeMarre, M. E.; Kirkwood, E. M.
  • DOI: 10.2172/414107

Radionuclide Gas Transport through Nuclear Explosion-Generated Fracture Networks
journal, December 2015

  • Jordan, Amy B.; Stauffer, Philip H.; Knight, Earl E.
  • Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep18383

Delayed signatures of underground nuclear explosions
journal, March 2016

  • Carrigan, Charles R.; Sun, Yunwei; Hunter, Steven L.
  • Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep23032

The characteristic release of noble gases from an underground nuclear explosion
journal, January 2019

Ten Years of Development of Equipment for Measurement of Atmospheric Radioactive Xenon for the Verification of the CTBT
journal, January 2010

  • Auer, Matthias; Kumberg, Timo; Sartorius, Hartmut
  • Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 167, Issue 4-5
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00024-009-0027-y

Spalax™ new generation: A sensitive and selective noble gas system for nuclear explosion monitoring
journal, September 2015

The characteristic release of noble gases from an underground nuclear explosion
journal, January 2019

Delayed signatures of underground nuclear explosions
journal, March 2016

  • Carrigan, Charles R.; Sun, Yunwei; Hunter, Steven L.
  • Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.1038/srep23032

Evaluating the Importance of Barometric Pumping for Subsurface Gas Transport Near an Underground Nuclear Test Site
journal, January 2019

  • Bourret, S. M.; Kwicklis, E. M.; Miller, T. A.
  • Vadose Zone Journal, Vol. 18, Issue 1
  • DOI: 10.2136/vzj2018.07.0134
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    Table 1 (p. 11)table
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    Table 2 (p. 15)table
    Figure 7 (p. 17)figure
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