Mineralogy and petrology of tuff units from a UE25a-1 drill site, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Sykes, M. L.; Heiken, G.; Smyth, Joseph R.

doi:10.2172/59108

Cited by 21 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Phillipsite ?nd Erionite Although phillipsite and erionite were previously reported to occur in several samples from both UE25a#l and J-13 (Heiken and Bevier 1979;Sykes et al . 1979), we have found no evidence for the presence of these two zeolites in these samples.…”

Section: Clinoptiloiite and Mordenitementioning

confidence: 94%

Mineralogic summary of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Bish¹,

Vaniman²

1985

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Quantitative x-ray powder diffraction analysis of tuffs and silicic lavas, using matrix-flushing techniques, has been used to obtain a model of three-dimensional mineral distributions at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This method of analysis is especially useful in tuff, where the most abundant phases are commonly too fine grained for optical determination. The three-dimensional distributions of primary glass and of tridymite are particularly well constrained. Vitric nonwelded glasses occur above and below the welded devitrified Topopah Spring Member, but the glass in the lower nonwelded vitric zone is progressively altered to zeolites to the east where the zone is closer to the static water level. The zeolites clinoptilolite, mordenite, heulandite, and erionite have all been found at Yucca Mountain, but only mordenite and clinoptilolite are abundant and can be mapped between many drill holes and at many depths. Heulandite distribution is also mappa_,e, but only below the densely welded devitrified part of the Topopah Spring Member. Erionite has been confirmed only once, as a fracture coating. There is a fairly continuous smectite-rich interval immediately above the basal vitrophyre of the Topopah Spring Member, but no evidence suggests that the smectites can provide information on the paleogroundwater table. There are at least four mappable zeolitized zones in Yucca Mountain, and the thicker zones tend to coincide with intervals that retained glass following early tuff devitrification. Problems in extrapolation occur where zones of welding pinch out. No phillipsite has been found, and some samples previously reported to contain phillipsite or erionite were reexamined with negative results. The deeper alteration to albite and analcime was not sampled in every drill hole, and the distribution of these phases is difficult to map.

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Section: Clinoptiloiite and Mordenitementioning

confidence: 94%

Mineralogic summary of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Bish¹,

Vaniman²

1985

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“…The prefix G followed by a number refers to a sequence of exploratory geologic drill holes that were drilled within and surrounding the exploratory block at Yucca Mountain. The numeric labels after the YM-and JA-prefixes do not refer to the drill hole depth but are keyed to the sample labels used in the mineralogy and petrology report by, respectively, Sykes et al (1979) 7 and Heiken and Bevier (1979).…”

Section: Data Basementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the early stages of the NNWSI program, x-ray diffraction mineralogical analyses of core samples was completed before analytical techniques were refined [drill hole J-13 (Ref. 7), drill hole UE25a-l (Ref. 7), and drill hole USW-G1 (Ref.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary report on the statistical evaluation of sorption data: Sorption as a function of mineralogy, temperature, time, and particle size

Beckman¹,

Thomas²,

Crowe³

1988

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The Yucca Mountain area of Nevada is a candidate of the US Department of Energy as a permanent geologic repository for the isolation of high-level wastes.To determine the site's suitability as a repository, studies are being done of the transport of radionuclides from a repository to the environment by dissolution Two intervals are given to assess the uncertainty in the estimate. In the first interval, only random variability is considered. The second type considers variability caused by geologic processes. From these data, predictions were made within one-half order of magnitude.

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“…Alteration of glassy tuffs can occur by (1) devitrification of hot flows, (2) vapor phase crystallization, and (3) interaction of gronn^.-^cer (Sykes et al, 1979). A large portion of ash flows undergo devitrification after emplacement {Winograd, 1971).…”

Section: Geologic and Hydrologic Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appraisal of nuclear waste isolation in the vadose zone in arid and semiarid regions (with emphasis on the Nevada Test Site)

Wollenberg¹,

Wang²,

Korbin³

1983

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An appraisal was made of the concept of isolating high-level radioactive waste in the vadose zone of alluvial-filled valleys and tuffaceous rocks of the Basin and Range geomorphic province. Principal attributes of these terranes are: (1) low population density, (2) low moisture influx, (3) a deep water table, (4) the presence of sorptive rocks, and (5) relative ease of construction. Concerns about heat effects of waste on unsaturated rocks of relatively low thermal conductivity are considered. Calculations shov; that a "standard" 2000-acre repository with a thermal loading of 40 kw/acre in partially saturated alluvium or tuff would experience an average temperature rise of less than 100°C above the initial temperature. The actual maximum temperature would depend strongly on the emplacement geometry. Concerns about seismicity, volcanism, and future climatic change are also mitigated. The conclusion reached in this appraisal is that unsaturated zones in alluvium and tuff of arid regions should be investigated as comprehensively as other geologic settings considered to be potential repository sites. DISCLAIMERThis report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsi bility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Refer ence herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recom mendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Figure A12. Thermal conductivities of quartz-rich, consolidated sand stones * 115 Figure A13. Ratio of the effective thermal conductivity of unsaturated rock to that of the saturated rock deduced from different weighting models 117 Figure A14. increase in repository temperature in a dry rock medium based on geometric mean model 118 xi LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Thermal conductivities of alluvium 23 Table 2. Thermal and mechanical properties of alluvium 24 Table 3. Principal advantages and concerns of waste isolation in the unsaturated zone of Basin and Range alluvial-filled valleys * 47 Table 4. Ranges of sorption ratios in tuff from Yucca Mountain and Jackass Flats • 55TeJale 5. Thermal and mechanical properties of tuff 57 Table 6. General stratigraphy of Yucca Mountain in the vicinity of drill hole UE25a-1 69 Table 7. Comparison of advantages and concerns of locating a repository in various tuff units 82 Table 8. Hydraulic properties of tuffaceous units ..... 87 Table 9. Assets, concerns, and unknowns of siting a repository in tuffaceous rock above the water table at Yucca Mountain 88 Table 10. Major advantages and concerns of waste isolation in unsaturated and saturated regimes 93 Tabl...

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Mineralogy and petrology of tuff units from a UE25a-1 drill site, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Cited by 21 publications

References 3 publications

Mineralogic summary of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Mineralogic summary of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Preliminary report on the statistical evaluation of sorption data: Sorption as a function of mineralogy, temperature, time, and particle size

Appraisal of nuclear waste isolation in the vadose zone in arid and semiarid regions (with emphasis on the Nevada Test Site)

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