Petrologic studies of drill cores USW-G2 and UE25b-1H, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Caporuscio, F. A.; Vaniman, D. T.; Bish, D. L.; Broxton, D.E.; Arney, B.; Heiken, G.; Byers, F.; Gooley, R.; Semarge, E.

doi:10.2172/59138

Cited by 23 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 2 publications

(2 reference statements)

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“…Smectite concentrations occur near Yucca Wash (USW G-2) and along Drill Hole Wash (USW G-l, UE-25a#l and b#l). Scott et al (1984) propose that major strike-slip faults may occur within Drill Hole Wash, and similar structures may occur along Yucca Wash. Smectite abundances are exceptionally high within the drill holes near these proposed structures, and the amount of interstratified, relatively nonsorptive illite increases with depth in these locations (Caporuscio et al . 1982).…”

Section: Si! Ica Polymorphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The smectites in Yucca Mountain typicaMy show no, systematic trends in the 001 spacing with depth near the water table (Carroll et al . 1981;Caporuscio et al . 1982;Vaniman et al 1984) and have basal spacings characteristic of mixed sodium-calcium interlayers.…”

Section: Si! Ica Polymorphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Research in this area, sponsored by the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) project of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), includes detailed studies of the mineralogy and petrology of the rocks in and surrounding Yucca Mountain. Results of these studies Caporuscio et al 1982;Levy 1984a;Vaniman et al 1984) are yielding a detailed three-dimensional model of the Yucca Mountain area and are particularly important in predicting the effects a repository would have on the ground-water/rock system (Bish et al . 1984a).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other data sources have also been used to help construct Appendix B (Bentley 1983;Bish et al 1981;Caporuscio et al 1982;Carroll et al . 1981;Craig et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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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: Si! Ica Polymorphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Si! Ica Polymorphsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other data sources have also been used to help construct Appendix B (Bentley 1983;Bish et al 1981;Caporuscio et al 1982;Carroll et al . 1981;Craig et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mineralogic summary of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Bish¹,

Vaniman²

1985

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“…Los Alamos National Laboratory staff have worked to characterize and to understand the mineralogy and petrology of the rocks at and surrounding Yucca Mountain (Heiken and Bevier 1979;Sykes et al 1979;Bish 1981;Bish et al 1981;Caporuscio et al 1982;Vaniman et al 1984;Bish and Vaniman 1985). Bish and Chipera (1989) is the most complete and recent summary of the mineralogy of Yucca Mountain rocks obtained through quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analyses of drill core and cuttings.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution of potentially hazardous phases in the subsurface at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Guthrie¹,

Bish²,

Raymond³

1995

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Los Alamos ABSTRACTDrilling, trenching, excavation of the Exploratory Studies Facility, and other surface-and underground-distributing activities have the potential to release minerals into the environment from tuffs at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Some of these minerals may be potential respiratory health hazards. Therefore, an understanding of the distribution of the minerals that may potentially be liberated during site-characterization and operation of the potential repository is crucial to ensuring worker and public safety. Analysis of previously reported mineralogy of Yucca Mountain tuffs using data and criteria from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggests that the following minerals are of potential concern: quartz, cristobalite, tridymite, opal-CT, erionite, mordenite, and palygorskite. We have re-evaluated the three-dimensional mineral distribution at Yucca Mountain above the static water level both in bulk-rock samples and in fractures, using quantitative X-ray powder diffraction analysis. Erionite, mordenite, and palygorskite occur primarily in fractures; the crystalline-silica minerals, quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite are major bulk-rock phases. Erionite occurs in the altered zone just above the lower Topopah Spring Member vitrophyre, and an occurrence below the vitrophyre but above the Calico Hills has recently been identified. In this latter occurrence, erionite is present in the matrix at levels up to 35 wt%. Mordenite and palygorskite occur throughout the vadose zone nearly to the surface. Opal-CT is limited to zeolitic horizons.

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