Investigating How the Multiscale Heterogeneity of Hydrogeologic Properties Affects Flow and Transport at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Paul Cook and Joe Wang

Contact: Paul Cook, 510/486-6110, PJCook@lbl.gov

Reserach Objectives
Much of the exposed rock within the underground tunnels at the proposed repository site for disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, has been mapped for fractures and cavities. It is thought that such features (the fractures and cavities) would be the most likely pathways for possible hydrological flow. Yet surface feature mapping gives very little indication as to the capability of these features to transmit fluids. An ongoing effort to dynamically "map" potential hydrological features of this type, using pneumatic testing at the Yucca Mountain Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), has been underway as part of the systematic testing program there. Systematic testing at regular intervals, the choice of which is unbiased by previous knowledge of specific features (such as large fractures or an extra abundance of fractures/cavities), is in progress. This type of testing is crucial for understanding the overall hydrological characteristics and associated heterogeneity of the proposed repository units.

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