Salton Sea Geothermal Field, California, as a near-field natural analog of a radioactive waste repository in salt
Since high concentrations of radionuclides and high temperatures are not normally encountered in salt domes or beds, finding an exact geologic analog of expected near-field conditions in a mined nuclear waste repository in salt will be difficult. The Salton Sea Geothermal Field, however, provides an opportunity to investigate the migration and retardation of naturally occurring U, Th, Ra, Cs, Sr and other elements in hot brines which have been moving through clay-rich sedimentary rocks for up to 100,000 years. The more than thirty deep wells drilled in this field to produce steam for electrical generation penetrate sedimentary rocks containing concentrated brines where temperatures reach 365/sup 0/C at only 2 km depth. The brines are primarily Na, K, Ca chlorides with up to 25% of total dissolved solids; they also contain high concentrations of metals such as Fe, Mn, Li, Zn, and Pb. This report describes the geology, geophysics and geochemistry of this system as a prelude to a study of the mobility of naturally occurring radionuclides and radionuclide analogs within it. The aim of this study is to provide data to assist in validating quantitative models of repository behavior and to use in designing and evaluating waste packages and engineered barriers. 128 references, 33 figures, 13 tables.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Riverside (USA). Inst. of Geophysics and Planetary Physics
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830; AC02-83CH10140
- OSTI ID:
- 5585044
- Report Number(s):
- BMI/ONWI-513; ON: DE84003851
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Uranium-thorium series radionuclides in brines and reservoir rocks from two deep geothermal boreholes in the Salton Sea geothermal field, southeastern California
Geochemistry and petrology of surface samples, six boreholes and brines from the Salton Sea geothermal field: A natural analog of a nuclear waste repository in salt: Report No. 3
Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
BRINES
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SIMULATION
SALTON SEA GEOTHERMAL FIELD
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGY
GEOPHYSICS
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
SALT DEPOSITS
SODIUM CHLORIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOTHERMAL FIELDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Geothermal Legacy
052002* - Nuclear Fuels- Waste Disposal & Storage
580400 - Geochemistry- (-1989)
152000 - Geothermal Data & Theory
053000 - Nuclear Fuels- Environmental Aspects