Preliminary report on the geology and hydrology of Mortandad Canyon near Los Alamos, New Mexico, with reference to disposal of liquid low-level radioactive waste

Baltz, Elmer Harold; Abrahams, Joseph; Purtyman, W.D.

doi:10.3133/ofr636

Cited by 8 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…The geological map published by Smith et al (1970) shows a generalized distribution of these bedrock units across the Pajarito Plateau and the Jemez Mountains. Other geological maps covering the area are those by Griggs (1964), Kelley (1978), Goff et al (1990), Kempter and Kelley (2002), and Dethier (1997) More detailed geological maps, some with cross sections, covering portions of the LANL include those by Baltz et al (1963), Rogers (1995), Vaniman and Wohletz (1990), Reneau et al (1995), Goff (1995), Goff et al (2002), Lewis et al (2002), and Lavine et al (2003)…”

Section: Regional Geologic Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geologic Framework of a Groundwater System on the Margin of a Rift Basin, Pajarito Plateau, North‐Central New Mexico

Broxton

Vaniman

2005

Vadose Zone Journal

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that includes the LANL and the adjacent communities of Los Alamos and White Rock, San Ildefonso Pueblo The Pajarito Plateau is an important source of abundant potable land west of the Rio Grande, and a northern outlying groundwater for Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and the part of Bandelier National Monument (Fig. 3). Areas communities of Los Alamos and White Rock. Geologic investigations were undertaken as part of a plateau-wide hydrogeological investiga-of the southern Pajarito Plateau in Bandelier National tion to develop conceptual models of the groundwater system as a Monument are not discussed because there are no hyframework for numerical simulations of groundwater flow. The Pajadrogeologic data from wells in this area. The northern rito Plateau is located in the western part of the Españ ola basin where plateau is not discussed because hydrogeologic data for rocks of the Jemez and Cerros del Rio volcanic fields overlie and the Santa Clara Pueblo is not available to the public. interfinger with Neogene basin-fill sedimentary rocks. The vadose Groundwater drawn from beneath the plateau is the zone is about 200 m (600 ft) thick beneath mesas on the east side of primary source of municipal and industrial water used the plateau and more than 375 m (1245 ft) thick on the west side. by LANL and by adjacent communities. Water supply Groundwater occurs as shallow groundwater in canyon-floor alluvium, wells on the plateau are 600 to 950 m (2000-3110 ft) moderately deep groundwater perched in bedrock units of the vadose zone, and groundwater associated with the regional saturated zone.deep (Purtymun, 1995;Koch and Rogers, 2003), andThe most productive rocks of the regional aquifer occur in a westward-they tap the western-central part of the Españ ola basin thickening wedge of coarse-grained, Miocene and Pliocene volcaregional aquifer in Miocene and Pliocene sedimentary niclastic rocks derived from the Jemez volcanic field. Eastern aquifer and volcanic rocks. Although numerous wells penetrate rocks consist of fine-grained, somewhat less productive Miocene sedithe upper part of the regional saturated zone, none fully mentary deposits derived from highland sources to the east and north.penetrate the aquifer. Intermediate and mafic lavas interbedded with the Miocene and Plio-Water quality is typically good, but the effects of cene sedimentary deposits are components of the regional aquifer LANL operations can be detected in parts of the locally. The hydrogeology of the Pajarito Plateau is probably typical groundwater system. Locally, shallow and intermediate of groundwater systems along the margins of the Rio Grande rift where arid to semiarid, sediment-filled basins receive most of their perched groundwater systems of the vadose zone conrecharge from adjacent mountainous areas.

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Section: Regional Geologic Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geologic Framework of a Groundwater System on the Margin of a Rift Basin, Pajarito Plateau, North‐Central New Mexico

Broxton

Vaniman

2005

Vadose Zone Journal

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“…Measurements taken in 1961, before the TA-50 plant became operational, showed that the alluvial groundwater concentration of Cl-was 5-1 1 mg/L, and the concentration of NO3-was 0-3 mg/L (Baltz et al, 1963). By 1990, the alluvial groundwater concentration for C1-was <OS-34 mg/L and the NO3-concentration was 60-310 mg/L (Stoker et al, 1991).…”

Section: Mortandad Canyon Tracer Velocitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The unsaturated hydraulic characteristics of the Bandelier Tuff

Rogers¹,

Gallaher²

1995

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“…6. Soil around the solid" disposal pits and the compacted tuff used to cover the pits when they are filled inhibit the infiltration of water from precipitation through the waste 7. The tuff of the plateau can retain certain nuclides by ion exchange.…”

Section: "A Systematic Sampling Program Was Started About 1959 and mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The location of this acreage should be determined as soon as possible, since a new pit will be required by February 1, 1957.™ By December 14, 1956, the USGS had completed a survey of Mesita del Buey. 7 ' They concluded:…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

History and environmental setting of LASL near-surface land disposal facilities for radioactive wastes (Areas A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and T). A source document

Rogers¹

1977

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Preliminary report on the geology and hydrology of Mortandad Canyon near Los Alamos, New Mexico, with reference to disposal of liquid low-level radioactive waste

Cited by 8 publications

References 0 publications

Geologic Framework of a Groundwater System on the Margin of a Rift Basin, Pajarito Plateau, North‐Central New Mexico

Geologic Framework of a Groundwater System on the Margin of a Rift Basin, Pajarito Plateau, North‐Central New Mexico

The unsaturated hydraulic characteristics of the Bandelier Tuff

History and environmental setting of LASL near-surface land disposal facilities for radioactive wastes (Areas A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and T). A source document

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