Phase I Contaminant Transport Parameters for the Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Unit 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 0

McCord, James T.

doi:10.2172/915816

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 88 publications

(209 reference statements)

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“…Depicted in the green based upon a normal distribution with mean and standard deviation determined through the fractal analysis. The true values are from outcrop and borehole measurements throughout the Nevada Test Site (McCord, 2007; Prothro, 2008).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the Geological Structure and Transport Properties of Denied and Limited Access Sites

Deinert

2022

Earth and Space Science

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Subsurface geology affects a wide array of processes that include geohydrology, land-atmosphere gas transport, seismology and related stability. As a result, the subsurface, and its mechanical and transport properties, are key considerations when screening for locations where carbon sequestration (e.g., Bachu, 2003) or nuclear waste repositories (Hofmann, 1982) might be viable, as well as understanding their performance. Past work has also shown that the subsurface can be an important source of greenhouse gasses. Methane can evolve at great depths of several kilometers below the surface (Etiope & Klusman, 2002) and its seepage to the surface is affected by the medium through which it moves. This is also true for subsurface CO 2 produced through geochemical processes (e.g., Serrano-Ortiz et al., 2010). Subsurface geology is also a key factor in the formation of streams and rivers in many regions and strongly affects infiltration (e.g., Todd and Mays, 2005).Subsurface geology can also affect analyses and decisions with international security implications. Strategic facilities are often placed belowground and sometimes at depths in the hundreds of meters. Earth penetrating munitions have been developed as a strategic deterrence for such facilities. However, rock mechanical properties to include porosity, fracture width and spacing, all affect the ability to predict their shock behavior. The greatest source of uncertainty in understanding the behavior of earth penetrating munitions is the nature of the geology where they could be deployed (Read, 2005). The best possible estimates for local structure are essential to ensure that the devices function as intended and minimize the potential for collateral damage. However, these locations are also typically ones where direct measurements are impossible and other methods are needed.Subsurface geology is also important for analysis of sites at which suspected nuclear tests are conducted. Past work has shown that geological conditions can affect not only the migration time for gases to the surface after a

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The right plot shows the final normalized distribution. The blue error bars display the range of measured values of the permeability from Nevada Test Site along with a reported median permeability (McCord, 2007).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the Geological Structure and Transport Properties of Denied and Limited Access Sites

Deinert

2022

Earth and Space Science

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“…These data are available in one-hour intervals at this site, and were linearly interpolated according to the time step used in the simulations, 300 seconds. The physical characteristics of the fracture-matrix system were selected using data from the Nevada Test site DeNovio et al (2005), McCord (2007, and are summarized in Table 1.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generalized geologic parameter ranges from the Nevada Test site considered for the geologic parameter sensitivity study of UTEX simulated transport of UNE noble gas(DeNovio et al 2005;McCord 2007) …”

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confidence: 99%

Comparison of Numerically Stable Methods for Implementation of a Double Porosity Model with First-Order Reaction Terms

et al. 2014

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The influence of barometric cycling on gas transport through complex media can be described using a double porosity model. Here vertical channels simulate the effect of cracks that pass through homogeneous regions of media. The cracks are coupled to the atmosphere and act as boundaries for the sections of homogeneous media. Convection-diffusion models are then used to simulate gas transport through the coupled system. This approach has been used to model soil aeration, subsurface movement of volatile compounds, and the migration of gases to the surface after below ground nuclear detonations. In the present work, we describe four stable numerical methods that can be used to implement the double porosity model when first-order reactions produce and consume the gaseous species of interest. We find that all four methods satisfy analytical crosschecks and agree to at least seven digits of precision. An iterative solver based on Newton's method is found to be optimal as it is easily scalable to 3-D models and to multithreaded execution.

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“…Detailed knowledge of the geology at the location of a suspected test site may be difficult to obtain. However, considerable information on the range of porosity, conductivity, fracture width, and fracture spacing are available for the Nevada Test Site (Table ) [ McCord , ]. Hourly atmospheric pressure data for the Test Site can be compiled from the weather history at the Desert Rock airfield in Mercury, Nevada.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subsurface mass transport affects the radioxenon signatures that are used to identify clandestine nuclear tests

Lowrey

Biegalski

Osborne

et al. 2013

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] The ratios of noble gas radioisotopes can provide critical information with which to verify that a belowground nuclear test has taken place. The relative abundance of anthropogenic isotopes is typically assumed to rely solely on their fission yield and decay rate. The xenon signature of a nuclear test is then bounded by the signal from directly produced fission xenon, and by the signal that would come from the addition of xenon from iodine precursors. Here we show that this signal range is too narrowly defined. Transport simulations were done to span the range of geological conditions within the Nevada Test Site. The simulations assume a 1 kt test and the barometric history following the nuclear test at Pahute Mesa in March 1992. Predicted xenon ratios fall outside of the typically assumed range 20% of the time and situations can arise where the ground level signal comes entirely from the decay of iodine precursors. Citation: Lowrey, J. D., S. R. Biegalski, A. G. Osborne, and M. R. Deinert (2013), Subsurface mass transport affects the radioxenon signatures that are used to identify clandestine nuclear tests, Geophys.

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Phase I Contaminant Transport Parameters for the Groundwater Flow and Contaminant Transport Model of Corrective Action Unit 97: Yucca Flat/Climax Mine, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, Revision 0

Cited by 4 publications

References 88 publications

Estimating the Geological Structure and Transport Properties of Denied and Limited Access Sites

Estimating the Geological Structure and Transport Properties of Denied and Limited Access Sites

Comparison of Numerically Stable Methods for Implementation of a Double Porosity Model with First-Order Reaction Terms

Subsurface mass transport affects the radioxenon signatures that are used to identify clandestine nuclear tests

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