Geotechnical, geological, and selected radionuclide retention characteristics of the radioactive waste disposal site near the farallon islands

Measurement of seafloor radioactivity at the Farallon Islands Radioactive Waste Dump Site, California

“…However, the differences in radionuclide contents between the 90-m and 900-m sites could in part be due to the increased sorption capacity of the deeper water, relatively smectite-rich sediments. An increase in radionuclide retention capacity of the deeper sediments was suggested by the data of Booth et al (1989). U and Th concentrations in the bottom sediments are all well within normal ranges for sediments (Wedepohl, 1978) in both the EEL and the sample data (figs.…”

“…This suggests a different mix of clay minerals at the sites with Fe and Mg-rich species (e.g., smectite), with a great affinity for many trace elements, being more important in deeper water. An increase in smectite with increasing water depth has been noted in mineralogical studies of the area (Booth et al, 1989;Griggs and Hein, 1980). There is, however, no obvious relationship between 137 Cs content and the grain size of the sediments (Figs.…”

Detection of barrels that contain low-level radioactive waste in Farallon Island radioactive waste dumpsite using side-scan sonar and underwater-optical systems: Preliminary interpretation of barrel distribution

“…No cores have been collected immediately adjacent to the 900 m site. The substrate at similar depths (about 1000 m) to the south of the site consists generally of coarse silt (Booth et al, 1989;Karl et al, 1990). Although the slopes are steep in the area of the 900m site, very little evidence of downslope mass movement of sediment has been detected on the sidescan sonar images and high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles.…”