Three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework model for use with a steady-state numerical ground-water flow model of the Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California

Interbasin flow revisited: The contribution of local recharge to high-discharge springs, Death Valley, CA

“…Numerical modeling supports the interbasin flow for the Yucca Mountain area (D'Agnese, 1997;Prudic et al, 1993;Harrill, 1986;Belcher et al, 2002;Belcher, 2004). Or, perhaps, it is better to say that interbasin flow has been conceptualized into the models as they were built.…”

“…Groundwater models evaluating the Yucca Mountain-Amargosa Valley area and the high-flux springs in the Death Valley region typically consider at least two major ground water systems, local basin-fill aquifers and regional carbonate aquifers (Prudic et al, 1993;D'Agnese et al, 1997;Belcher et al, 2002;Belcher, 2004). Paleozoic carbonates crop out in horst blocks and underlie the sediment filled grabens throughout much of the Death Valley region.…”

Geochemical interpretation of groundwater flow in the southern Great Basin

“…Quaternary alluvial deposits are the weathering products of tuffaceous rocks derived from a Pleistocene unit consisting of gravels that represent earlier, dissected alluvial fans and a Holocene unit consisting of current alluvial fans (Cornwall and Kleinhampl, 1961;White, 1979). The geology and hydrology of the DVRFS has been previously described by Winograd and Thordarson (1975), Laczniak et al (1996), Sweetkind et al (2001), and Belcher et al (2002), and the reader is therefore referred to these reports for more detail.…”

“…The major hydrologic units were slightly revised from the earlier work of Winograd and Thordarson (1975) by Laczniak et al (1996) to include (1) the basement confining unit, (2) carbonate rock aquifer, (3) Eleana confining unit, (4) the volcanic aquifers and confining unit, and (5) the valley-fill aquifer. The basement confining unit consists primarily of Precambrian (Middle to Late Proterozoic) metamorphic rock (Belcher et al, 2002) to Paleozoic (Early Cambrian) marine sediments (Winograd and Thordarson, 1975). The carbonate rock aquifer consists of Paleozoic carbonate rocks from the Middle to Late Cambrian up to the Lower to Middle Devonian.…”

“…In 1957, underground nuclear testing was initiated at the NTS due to increased concerns of atmospheric fallout; much of the testing took place at or below the groundwater table (Winograd and Thordarson, 1975). Since this time, many studies on groundwater flow, geology, and geochemistry related to the NTS and the surrounding region have been conducted to evaluate the potential for contaminant migration into the underlying groundwater systems within southern Nevada and eventually Death Valley in California (e.g., Winograd and Friedman, 1972;Winograd and Thordarson, 1975;White, 1979;Kreamer et al, 1996;Thomas et al, 1996;Johannesson et al, 1997aJohannesson et al, , 1997bLaczniak et al, 1996Laczniak et al, , 1999Zhou et al, 2000;Stetzenbach et al, 1999Stetzenbach et al, , 2001Sweetkind et al, 2001;Belcher et al, 2001Belcher et al, , 2002Farnham et al, 2000Farnham et al, , 2003.…”