Digital geologic map of the Nevada Test Site and vicinity, Nye, Lincoln, and Clark Counties, Nevada, and Inyo County, California

Technical Report · Wed Mar 08 00:00:00 EST 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/752996· OSTI ID:752996

Slate, Janet L. ^[1]; Berry, Margaret E. ^[1]; Rowley, Peter D. ^[2]; Fridrich, Christopher J. ^[1]; Morgan, Karen S. ^[1]; Workman, Jeremiah B. ^[1]; Young, Owen D. ^[1]; Dixon, Gary L. ^[2]; Williams, Van S. ^[1]; McKee, Edwin H. ^[3]; Ponce, David A. ^[3]; Hildenbrand, Thomas G. ^[3]; Swadley, W. C. ^[1]; Lundstrom, Scott C. ^[1]; Ekren, E. Bartlett ^[4]; Warren, Richard G. ^[5]; Cole, James C. ^[1]; Fleck, Robert J. ^[3]; Lanphere, Marvin A. ^[3]; Sawyer, David A. ^[1] ; Minor, Scott A. ^[1]; Grunwald, Daniel J. ^[1]; Laczniak, Randell J. ^[2]; Menges, Christopher M. ^[2]; Yount, James C. ^[1]; Jayko, Angela S. ^[3]

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1. US Geological Survey, Denver, CO (United States)
2. US Geological Survey, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
3. US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)
4. Geology Unlimited, Fort Collins, CO (United States)
5. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

This digital geologic map of the Nevada Test Site (NTS) and vicinity, as well as its accompanying digital geophysical maps, are compiled at 1:100,000 scale. The map area covers two 30 x 60-minute quadrangles-the Pahute Mesa quadrangle to the north and the Beatty quadrangle to the south-plus a strip of 7 1/2-minute quadrangles on the east side. In addition to the NTS, the map area includes the rest of the southwest Nevada volcanic field, part of the Walker Lane, most of the Amargosa Desert, part of the Funeral and Grapevine Mountains, some of Death Valley, and the northern Spring Mountains. This geologic map improves on previous geologic mapping of the same area by providing new and updated Quaternary and bedrock geology, new geophysical interpretations of faults beneath the basins, and improved GIS coverages. This publication also includes a new isostatic gravity map and a new aeromagnetic map. The primary purpose of the three maps is to provide an updated geologic framework to aid interpretation of ground-water flow through and off the NTS. The NTS is centrally located within the area of the Death Valley regional ground-water flow system of southwestern Nevada and adjacent California. During the last 40 years, DOE and its predecessor agencies have conducted about 900 nuclear tests on the NTS, of which 100 were atmospheric tests and the rest were underground tests. More than 200 of the tests were detonated at or beneath the water table, which commonly is about 500 to 600 m below the surface. Because contaminants introduced by these test may move into water supplies off the NTS, rates and directions of ground-water flow must be determined. Knowledge about the ground water also is needed to properly appraise potential future effects of the possible nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, adjacent to the NTS.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Nevada Operations Office (NO)
• DOE Contract Number: AI08-96NV11967
• OSTI ID: 752996
• Report Number(s): USGS/OFR-99-554; TRN: US0001588
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Report contains 3 large color plates; PBD: 8 Mar 2000
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON- RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
58 GEOSCIENCES
NEVADA TEST SITE
CALIFORNIA
NEVADA
MAPS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GRAVITY SURVEYS
MAGNETIC SURVEYS
GROUND WATER
HYDROLOGY
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITIES
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
geology
Nevada Test Site
NYE County
Lincoln County
Clark County
Nevada
Inyo County
California