Schlumberger soundings at the Amargosa Desert Research Site, Nevada

Bisdorf, Robert J.

doi:10.3133/ofr02140

Cited by 2 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…The small black dots in the contoured area are the 278 locations at which the Global Positioning System measurements were made. (Bisdorf, 2002), supports the resistivity data suggesting the presence of a splay of the Carrara Fault. Lithologic units west of the subsurface interpretation primarily are coarse sand and gravel and east, finer-grained sand and clayey sand.…”

Section: Potentiometric Surfacesupporting

confidence: 78%

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Characterization of geologic deposits in the vicinity of US Ecology, Amargosa Basin, southern Nevada

Taylor¹

2010

Scientific Investigations Report

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For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27).Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. AbstractMultiple approaches have been applied to better understand the characteristics of geologic units exposed at the surface and buried at depth in the vicinity of US Ecology (USE), a low-level commercial waste site in the northern Amargosa Desert, Nevada. Techniques include surficial geologic mapping and interpretation of the subsurface using borehole data. Dated deposits at depth were used to estimate rates of sediment accumulation. The subsurface lithologies have been modeled in three dimensions. Lithologic cross sections have been created from the three-dimensional model and have been compared to resistivity data at the same location. Where deposits appear offset, a fault was suspected. Global Positioning System elevation transects were measured and trenches were excavated to locate a strand of the Carrara Fault. The presence of the fault helps to better understand the shape of the potentiometric surface. These data will be used to better understand the hydrologic parameters controlling the containment of the waste at US Ecology.Quaternary geologic units exposed at the surface, in the vicinity of US Ecology, are derived from the alluvium shed off the adjacent range front and the Amargosa River. These deposits vary from modern to early Pleistocene in age. At depth, heterogeneous sands and gravel occur. Observed in deep trenches and boreholes, the subsurface deposits are characterized as fining-upward sequence of sediment from 5-to 8-meters thick. No volcanic units or fine-grained playa deposits were described in the boreholes to a depth of 200 meters. Based on Infrared Stimulated Luminescence dated core samples, short-term rates of sediment accumulation (<70,000 years) are an average of 2.7 millimeters per year, however, long-term rates (<3,900,000 years) are orders of magnitude less. Resistivity data, when compared to lithologic cross sections, generally are consistent with lithology grain size and probable soil carbonate accumulations. Surface resistivity displays a fining-upward sequence of sediments at the surface with a soil carbonate imprint. Finally, trenching north of US Ecology successfully exposed offset Quaternary deposits on ...

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Section: Potentiometric Surfacesupporting

confidence: 78%

“…A cross section defined by a Schlumberger sounding (Bisdorf, 2002) on the north edge of USE also provided evidence for the presence of the fault ( fig. 14).…”

Section: Activity On the Carrara Faultmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of geologic deposits in the vicinity of US Ecology, Amargosa Basin, southern Nevada

Taylor¹

2010

Scientific Investigations Report

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“…Models selected from the resistivity data are presented and interpreted, with particular attention to resistivity sections produced from the multielectrode transect measurements. This study builds on the previous work of Bisdorf (2002) and Abraham and Lucius (2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey made 38 DC resistivity soundings at the ADRS, and an additional 16 soundings in 2000, using a standard Schlumberger array (Bisdorf, 2002). The general electrode configuration of the Schlumberger array is as shown in figure 6 with the requirement that the distance AB must be a minimum of five times greater than the distance MN.…”

Section: Resistivity Soundingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sounding locations are shown in figure 9. For each sounding, Bisdorf (2002) presents the AB/2 spacing, the corresponding apparent resistivities, and the one-dimensional layered-earth resistivity model. The purpose of the resistivity soundings was to confirm depth to bedrock, examine regional structure including possible faults, identify major clay layers, and locate the water table.…”

Section: Resistivity Soundingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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