Laboratory and field studies related to the Hydrologic Resources Management Program. Progress report, October 1, 1992--September 30, 1993

Abstract

This report describes research done at Los Alamos in FY 1993 for the Hydrologic Resources Management Program. The US Department of Energy funds this research through two programs at the Nevada Test Site (NTS): defense and groundwater characterization. Los Alamos personnel have continued to study the high-pressure zone created in the aquifer under Yucca Flat. We analyzed data from a hole in this area (U-7cd) and drilled another hole and installed a water monitoring tube at U-4t. We analyzed water from a number of locations on the NTS where we know there are radionuclides in the groundwater and critiqued the effectiveness of this monitoring effort. Our program for analyzing postshot debris continued with material from the last nuclear test in September 1992. We supported both the defense program and the groundwater characterization program by analyzing water samples from their wells and by reviewing documents pertaining to future drilling. We helped develop the analytical methodology to be applied to water samples obtained in the environmental restoration and waste management efforts at the NTS. Los Alamos involvement in the Hydrologic Resources Management Program is reflected in the appended list of documents reviewed, presentations given, papers published, and meetings attended.

Hydrologic resources management program and underground test area operable unit fy 1997

“…The presence of volatile radionuclides in the chimney and collapse zone represents an important source of radionuclides that are readily avilable for dissolution in groundwater. The presence of volatile radionuclides in the chimney region was previously reported by Thompson (1997) and Smith et al, (1997).…”

“…The 1993 samples were extensively contaminated with drilling fluid. In 1995, LANL attempted to air lift (jet) water from the hole; unfortunately this approach proved unsuccessful despite copious amounts of water added to dilute the drilling fluids (Thompson, 1995). Fluid samples were not collected during the 1995 exercise.…”

“…Kenneally, J.H. Rego, and J. L. Thompson, 1997, Hydrologic Resources Management Program FY 1996 Progress Report, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, UCRL-ID-126886,4Op. Radionuclide data are decay corrected to both the date of collection and January 1, 1994.…”

“…In this report we summarize our results. Some information about the Pu concentrations in groundwater at this site has already been published (Thompson et al, 1997) (Kersting et. al., in press) This report summarizes the most current data and elaborates on some of the experimental details.…”

Laboratory and Field Studies Related to Radionuclide Migration at the Nevada Test Site in Support of the Underground Test Area and Hydrologic Resources Management Projects

“…In 1989 the pump was removed from UE-7ns. A 2-L grab sample was collected at a depth of 617 m by LANL in 1993, 17 and the tritium concentration was less than 3.7 E1 Bq/L. A new pump is scheduled to go into UE-7ns, so several 2-L grab samples were collected this year and analyzed for tritium and 85 Kr.…”