In:
Water Resources Research, American Geophysical Union (AGU), Vol. 34, No. 6 ( 1998-06), p. 1507-1529
Abstract:
Boreholes open to the unsaturated zone at the crest of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were variously sampled for CO 2 (including 13 C and 14 C), CH 4 , N 2 , O 2 , Ar, CFC‐11, CFC‐12, and CFC‐113 from 1986 to 1993. Air enters the mountain in outcrops, principally on the eastern slope, is enriched in CO 2 by mixing with soil gas, and is advected to the mountain crest, where it returns to the atmosphere. The CFC data indicate that travel times of the advecting gas in the shallow Tiva Canyon hydrogeologic unit are ≤5 years. The 14 C activities are postbomb to depths of 100 m, indicating little retardation of 14 CO 2 in the shallow flow systems. The 14 C activities from 168 to 404 m in the Topopah Spring hydrogeologic unit are 85–90 pMC at borehole USW‐UZ6. The CFC data show that the drilling of USW‐UZ6 in 1984 has altered the natural system by providing a conduit through the Paintbrush Nonwelded unit, allowing flow from Topopah Spring outcrops in Solitario Canyon on the west to USW‐UZ6, upward in the borehole through the Paintbrush, to the shallow Tiva Canyon flow systems, and out of the mountain.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0043-1397
,
1944-7973
Language:
English
Publisher:
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Publication Date:
1998
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2029553-4
detail.hit.zdb_id:
5564-5
SSG:
13
SSG:
14
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