Download or read book Modeling Groundwater Flow and Transport of Radionuclides at Amchitka Island s Underground Nuclear Tests written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since 1963, all United States nuclear tests have been conducted underground. A consequence of this testing has been the deposition of large amounts of radioactive material in the subsurface, sometimes in direct contact with groundwater. The majority of this testing occurred on the Nevada Test Site (NTS), but a limited number of experiments were conducted in other locations. One of these locations, Amchitka Island, Alaska is the subject of this report. Three underground nuclear tests were conducted on Amchitka Island. Long Shot was an 80-kiloton-yield test conducted at a depth of 700 meters (m) on October 29, 1965 (DOE, 2000). Milrow had an announced yield of about 1,000 kilotons, and was detonated at a depth of 1,220 m on October 2, 1969. Cannikin had an announced yield less than 5,000 kilotons, and was conducted at a depth of 1,790 m on November 6, 1971. The purpose of this work is to provide a portion of the information needed to conduct a human-health risk assessment of the potential hazard posed by the three underground nuclear tests on Amchitka Island. Specifically, the focus of this work is the subsurface transport portion, including the release of radionuclides from the underground cavities and their movement through the groundwater system to the point where they seep out of the ocean floor and into the marine environment. This requires a conceptual model of groundwater flow on the island using geologic, hydrologic, and chemical information, a numerical model for groundwater flow, a conceptual model of contaminant release and transport properties from the nuclear test cavities, and a numerical model for contaminant transport. Needed for the risk assessment are estimates of the quantity of radionuclides (in terms of mass flux) from the underground tests on Amchitka that could discharge to the ocean, the time of possible discharge, and the location in terms of distance from shoreline. The radionuclide data presented here are all reported in terms of normalized masses to avoid presenting classified information. As only linear processes are modeled, the results can be readily scaled by the true classified masses for use in the risk assessment. The modeling timeframe for the risk assessment was set at 1,000 years, though some calculations are extended to 2,000 years. This first section of the report endeavors to orient the reader with the environment of Amchitka and the specifics of the underground nuclear tests. Of prime importance are the geologic and hydrologic conditions of the subsurface. A conceptual model for groundwater flow beneath the island is then developed and paired with an appropriate numerical modeling approach in section 2. The parameters needed for the model, supporting data for them, and data uncertainties are discussed at length. The calibration of the three flow models (one for each test) is then presented. At this point the conceptual radionuclide transport model is introduced and its numerical approach described in section 3. Again, the transport parameters and their supporting data and uncertainties are the focus. With all of the processes and parameters in place, the first major modeling phase can be discussed in section 4. In this phase, a parametric uncertainty analysis is performed to determine the sensitivity of the transport modeling results to the uncertainties present in the parameters. This analysis is motivated by the recognition of substantial uncertainty in the subsurface conditions on the island and the need to incorporate that uncertainty into the modeling. The conclusion of the first phase determines the parameters to hold as uncertain through the main flow and transport modeling. This second, main phase of modeling is presented in section 5, with the contaminant breakthrough behavior of each test site addressed. This is followed by a sensitivity analysis in section 6, regarding the importance of additional processes that could not be supported in the main modeling effort due to lack of data. Finally, the results for the individual sites are compared, the sensitivities discussed, and final conclusions presented in section 7.

Download or read book Modeling Groundwater Flow and Transport of Radionuclides at Amchitka Island s Underground Nuclear Tests Milrow Long Shot and Cannikin written by Ahmed E. Hassan and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Using Geophysical Constraints to Determine Groundwater Travel Times Seafloor Arrival Locations and Saltwater Concentrations for Transition Zone Depths at Underground Nuclear Detonations on Amchitka Island written by Anna M. Wagner and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "There is a great amount of radioactive material in the subsurface of Amchitka Island as a result from underground nuclear testing performed between 1965 and 1971. It is unknown how long it will take for the radionuclides to travel to the seafloor and the marine environment or where possible seepage zones will occur. The contaminant transport is greatly affected by the location of the transition zone (TZ) and the effective porosity, which were both determined by magnetotellurics (MT) in 2004. The hypothesis of this study was as follows: the groundwater travel times and seafloor arrival locations, can be estimated through groundwater modeling, with the location of the transition zone being estimated by magnetotellurics. An additional hypothesis is as follows: saltwater concentration for a TZ and the general subsurface characteristics can be quantified with groundwater modeling, using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The groundwater travel times were estimated with groundwater modeling using the transition zone location as determined by MT. Shortest groundwater travel times are 1,200 and 2,100 years, at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively. At Long Shot, a decreased groundwater travel time of up to 55 % could be seen when an enhanced hydraulic conductivity was included at the location of an assumed andesite sill layer. The seafloor arrival locations can be up to 1,000 and 2,100 m offshore at Long Shot and Cannikin respectively but will most likely occur closer to shore. This study was also successful at establishing the general characteristics of the subsurface by using geophysical constraints in combination with saltwater and hydraulic head measurements. The subsurface at Long Shot is isotropic or has mild anisotropy ratio of 1:2, which confirms the study by Fenske (1972). As represented in this study, this method has been shown to be valuable in determining the saltwater concentration of the TZ as determined by MT and can thus be used in further studies of islands and coastal areas"--Leaf iii.

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Download or read book TYBO BENHAM written by and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent field studies have led to the discovery of trace quantities of plutonium originating from the BENHAM underground nuclear test in two groundwater observation wells on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site. These observation wells are located 1.3 km from the BENHAM underground nuclear test and approximately 300 m from the TYBO underground nuclear test. In addition to plutonium, several other conservative (e.g. tritium) and reactive (e.g. cesium) radionuclides were found in both observation wells. The highest radionuclide concentrations were found in a well sampling a welded tuff aquifer more than 500m above the BENHAM emplacement depth. These measurements have prompted additional investigations to ascertain the mechanisms, processes, and conditions affecting subsurface radionuclide transport in Pahute Mesa groundwater. This report describes an integrated modeling approach used to simulate groundwater flow, radionuclide source release, and radionuclide transport near the BENHAM and TYBO underground nuclear tests on Pahute Mesa. The components of the model include a flow model at a scale large enough to encompass many wells for calibration, a source-term model capable of predicting radionuclide releases to aquifers following complex processes associated with nonisothermal flow and glass dissolution, and site-scale transport models that consider migration of solutes and colloids in fractured volcanic rock. Although multiple modeling components contribute to the methodology presented in this report, they are coupled and yield results consistent with laboratory and field observations. Additionally, sensitivity analyses are conducted to provide insight into the relative importance of uncertainty ranges in the transport parameters.

Download or read book Simulation of Radionuclide Migration in Groundwater Away from an Underground Nuclear Test written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reactive transport simulations are being used to evaluate the nature and extent of radionuclide contamination within alluvium surrounding an underground nuclear test at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Simulations are focused on determining the abundance and chemical nature of radionuclides that are introduced into groundwater, as well as the rate and extent of radionuclide migration and reaction in groundwater surrounding the working point of the test. Transport simulations based upon a streamline-based numerical model are used to illustrate the nature of radionuclide elution out of the near-field environment and illustrate the conceptual modeling process. The numerical approach allowed for relatively complex flow and chemical reactions to be considered in a computationally efficient manner. The results are particularly sensitive to the rate of melt glass dissolution, distribution of reactive minerals in the alluvium, and overall groundwater flow configuration. They provide a rational basis from which defensible migration assessments can proceed.

Download or read book Thermally Induced Groundwater Flow Resulting from an Underground Nuclear Test written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors examine the transient residual thermal signal resulting from an underground nuclear test (buried below the water table) and its potential to affect local groundwater flow and radionuclide migration in a saturated, fractured, volcanic aquifer system. Thermal profiles measured in a drillback hole between 154 days and 6.5 years after the test have been used to calibrate a non-isothermal model of fluid flow. In this process, they have estimated the magnitude and relative changes in permeability, porosity and fracture density between different portions of the disturbed and undisturbed geologic medium surrounding the test location. The relative impacts of buoyancy forces (arising from the thermal residual of the test and the background geothermal gradient) and horizontal pressure gradients on the post-test flow system are better understood. A transient particle/streamline model of contaminant transport is used to visualize streamlines and streaklines of the flow field and to examine the migration of non-reactive radionuclides. Sensitivity analyses are performed to understand the effects of local and sub-regional geologic features, and the effects of fractured zones on the movement of groundwater and thermal energy. Conclusions regarding the overall effect of the thermal regime on the residence times and fluxes of radionuclides out of the system are drawn, and implications for more complicated, reactive contaminant transport are discussed.

Download or read book Modeling of Groundwater Flow and Radionuclide Transport at the Climax Mine Sub CAU Nevada Test Site written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Yucca Flat-Climax Mine Corrective Action Unit (CAU) on the Nevada Test Site comprises 747 underground nuclear detonations, all but three of which were conducted in alluvial, volcanic, and carbonate rocks in Yucca Flat. The remaining three tests were conducted in the very different hydrogeologic setting of the Climax Mine granite stock located in Area 15 at the northern end of Yucca Flat. As part of the Corrective Action Investigation (CAI) for the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU, models of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport will be developed for Yucca Flat. However, two aspects of these CAU-scale models require focused modeling at the northern end of Yucca Flat beyond the capability of these large models. First, boundary conditions and boundary flows along the northern reaches of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU require evaluation to a higher level of detail than the CAU-scale Yucca Flat model can efficiently provide. Second, radionuclide fluxes from the Climax tests require analysis of flow and transport in fractured granite, a unique hydrologic environment as compared to Yucca Flat proper. This report describes the Climax Mine sub-CAU modeling studies conducted to address these issues, with the results providing a direct feed into the CAI for the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU. Three underground nuclear detonations were conducted for weapons effects testing in the Climax stock between 1962 and 1966: Hard Hat, Pile Driver, and Tiny Tot. Though there is uncertainty regarding the position of the water table in the stock, it is likely that all three tests were conducted in the unsaturated zone. In the early 1980s, the Spent Fuel Test-Climax (SFT-C) was constructed to evaluate the feasibility of retrievable, deep geologic storage of commercial nuclear reactor wastes. Detailed mapping of fractures and faults carried out for the SFT-C studies greatly expanded earlier data sets collected in association with the nuclear tests and provided invaluable information for subsequent modeling studies at Climax. The objectives of the Climax Mine sub-CAU work are to (1) provide simulated heads and groundwater flows for the northern boundaries of the Yucca Flat-Climax Mine CAU model, while incorporating alternative conceptualizations of the hydrogeologic system with their associated uncertainty, and (2) provide radionuclide fluxes from the three tests in the Climax stock using modeling techniques that account for groundwater flow in fractured granite. Meeting these two objectives required two different model scales. The northern boundary groundwater fluxes were addressed using the Death Valley Regional Flow System (DVRFS) model (Belcher, 2004) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey as a modeling framework, with refined hydrostratigraphy in a zone north of Yucca Flat and including Climax stock. Radionuclide transport was simulated using a separate model confined to the granite stock itself, but linked to regional groundwater flow through boundary conditions and calibration targets.

Download or read book Assessment of Hydrologic Transport of Radionuclides from the Gasbuggy Underground Nuclear Test Site New Mexico written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is operating an environmental restoration program to characterize, remediate, and close non-Nevada Test Site locations that were used for nuclear testing. Evaluation of radionuclide transport by groundwater from these sites is an important part of the preliminary risk analysis. These evaluations are undertaken to allow prioritization of the test areas in terms of risk, provide a quantitative basis for discussions with regulators and the public about future work at the sites, and provide a framework for assessing data needs to be filled by site characterization. The Gasbuggy site in northwestern New Mexico was the location of an underground detonation of a 29-kiloton nuclear device in 1967. The test took place in the Lewis Shale, approximately 182 m below the Ojo Alamo Sandstone, which is the aquifer closest to the detonation horizon. The conservative assumption was made that tritium was injected from the blast-created cavity into the Ojo Alamo Sandstone by the force of the explosion, via fractures created by the shot. Model results suggest that if radionuclides produced by the shot entered the Ojo Alamo, they are most likely contained within the area currently administered by DOE. The transport calculations are most sensitive to changes in the mean groundwater velocity, followed by the variance in hydraulic conductivity, the correlation scale of hydraulic conductivity, the transverse hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient, and uncertainty in the source size. This modeling was performed to investigate how the uncertainty in various physical parameters affects calculations of radionuclide transport at the Gasbuggy site, and to serve as a starting point for discussion regarding further investigation at the site; it was not intended to be a definitive simulation of migration pathways or radionuclide concentration values.

Download or read book Simulating Effects of Non Isothermal Flow on Reactive Transport of Radionuclides Originating from an Underground Nuclear Test written by R. M. Maxwell and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 18 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Temperature can significantly affect radionuclide transport behavior. In simulation of radionuclide transport originating from an underground nuclear test, temperature effects from residual test heat include non-isothermal groundwater flow behavior (e.g. convection cells), increased dissolution rates of melt glass containing refractory radionuclides, changes in water chemistry, and, in turn, changes in radionuclide sorption behavior. The low-yield (0.75 kiloton) Cambric underground nuclear test situated in alluvium below the water table offers unique perspectives on radionuclide transport in groundwater. The Cambric test was followed by extensive post-test characterization of the radionuclide source term and a 16-year pumping-induced radionuclide migration experiment that captured more mobile radionuclides in groundwater. Discharge of pumped groundwater caused inadvertent recirculation of radionuclides through a 220-m thick vadose zone to the water table and below, including partial re-capture in the pumping well. Non-isothermal flow simulations indicate test-related heat persists at Cambric for about 10 years and induces limited thermal convection of groundwater. The test heat has relatively little impact on mobilizing radionuclides compared to subsequent pumping effects. However, our reactive transport models indicate test-related heat can raise melt glass dissolution rates up to 10{sup 4} faster than at ambient temperatures depending on pH and species activities. Non-isothermal flow simulations indicate that these elevated glass dissolution rates largely decrease within 1 year. Thermally-induced increases in fluid velocity may also significantly increase rates of melt glass dissolution by changing the fluid chemistry in contact with the dissolving glass.

Download or read book Development of Phenomenological Models of Underground Nuclear Tests on Pahute Mesa Nevada Test Site BENHAM and TYBO written by and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although it is well accepted that underground nuclear explosions modify the in situ geologic media around the explosion point, the details of these changes are neither well understood nor well documented. As part of the engineering and containment process before a nuclear test, the physical environment is characterized to some extent to predict how the explosion will interact with the in situ media. However, a more detailed characterization of the physical environment surrounding an expended site is needed to successfully model radionuclide transport in the groundwater away from the detonation point. It is important to understand how the media have been altered and where the radionuclides are deposited. Once understood, this information on modified geologic media can be incorporated into a phenomenological model that is suitable for input to computer simulations of groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. The primary goals of this study are to (1) identify the modification of the media at a pertinent scale, and (2) provide this information to researchers modeling radionuclide transport in groundwater for the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nevada Operations Office Underground Test Area (UGTA) Project. Results from this study are most applicable at near-field scale (a model domain of about 500 m) and intermediate-field scale (a model domain of about 5 km) for which detailed information can be maximized as it is incorporated in the modeling grids. UGTA collected data on radionuclides in groundwater during recent drilling at the ER-20-5 site, which is near BENHAM and TYBO on Pahute Mesa at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Computer simulations are being performed to better understand radionuclide transport. The objectives of this modeling effort include: evaluating site-specific information from the BENHAM and TYBO tests on Pahute Mesa; augmenting the above data set with generalized containment data; and developing a phenomenological model suitable for input to groundwater flow and transport modeling efforts that describes the physical in situ environment after the BENHAM and TYBO nuclear explosions.

Download or read book Contaminant Boundary at the Faultless Underground Nuclear Test written by and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) have reached agreement on a corrective action strategy applicable to address the extent and potential impact of radionuclide contamination of groundwater at underground nuclear test locations. This strategy is described in detail in the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO, 2000). As part of the corrective action strategy, the nuclear detonations that occurred underground were identified as geographically distinct corrective action units (CAUs). The strategic objective for each CAU is to estimate over a 1,000-yr time period, with uncertainty quantified, the three-dimensional extent of groundwater contamination that would be considered unsafe for domestic and municipal use. Two types of boundaries (contaminant and compliance) are discussed in the FFACO that will map the three-dimensional extent of radionuclide contamination. The contaminant boundary will identify the region wi th 95 percent certainty that contaminants do not exist above a threshold value. It will be prepared by the DOE and presented to NDEP. The compliance boundary will be produced as a result of negotiation between the DOE and NDEP, and can be coincident with, or differ from, the contaminant boundary. Two different thresholds are considered for the contaminant boundary. One is based on the enforceable National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for radionuclides, which were developed as a requirement of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The other is a risk-based threshold considering applicable lifetime excess cancer-risk-based criteria The contaminant boundary for the Faultless underground nuclear test at the Central Nevada Test Area (CNTA) is calculated using a newly developed groundwater flow and radionuclide transport model that incorporates aspects of both the original three-dimensional model (Pohlmann et al., 1999) and the two-dimensional model developed for the Faultless data decision analysis (DDA) (Pohll and Mihevc, 2000). This new model includes the uncertainty in the three-dimensional spatial distribution of lithology and hydraulic conductivity from the 1999 model as well as the uncertainty in the other flow and transport parameters from the 2000 DDA model. Additionally, the new model focuses on a much smaller region than was included in the earlier models, that is, the subsurface within the UC-1 land withdrawal area where the 1999 model predicted radionuclide transport will occur over the next 1,000 years. The purpose of this unclassified document is to present the modifications to the CNTA groundwater flow and transport model, to present the methodology used to calculate contaminant boundaries, and to present the Safe Drinking Water Act and risk-derived contaminant boundaries for the Faultless underground nuclear test CAU.

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Download or read book A Validation for the Groundwater Flow and Transport Model of the Faultless Nuclear Test at Central Nevada Test Area written by Ahmed E. Hassan and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Evaluation of Groundwater Flow and Transport at the Shoal Underground Nuclear Test written by Greg Pohll and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Approximating Dose and Risk for Contaminants in Groundwater from the Underground Nuclear Test Areas of the Nevada National Security Site NNSS written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As part of the Environmental Management Program at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity investigates the potential impacts of radionuclides that were introduced into groundwater from the underground nuclear tests conducted near or below the NNSS water table between 1951 and 1992. Groundwater models are being used to simulate contaminant transport and forecast contaminant boundaries that encompass areas where the groundwater has a five percent or greater probability of containing contaminants above the Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Levels (SDWA MCLs) at any time during the next 1,000 years. Transport modeling conducted for the Frenchman Flat Corrective Action Unit (CAU) at the NNSS identified the beta/photon-emitting radionuclides tritium (3H), carbon-14 (14C), chlorine-36 (36Cl), technetium-99 (99Tc), and iodine-129 (129I) as having the greatest influence in defining the farthest extent of the modeled CAU contaminant boundary. These same radionuclides are assumed here as the contaminants of concern (COCs) for all underground nuclear tests at the NNSS because models are not yet complete for the other CAUs. Potential public exposure to the COCs will only occur and be of concern if the COCs migrate into the groundwater beneath public or private lands at levels that exceed either individual SDWA MCLs or dose and risk limits. Groundwater flow directions strongly suggest that any contaminant boundary predicted by contaminant fate and transport modeling to overlap public or private lands is more likely to occur to the west and/or southwest of the NNSS and the adjacent Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). Well-established, rural communities exist in these directions. Estimates of representative activity concentrations at the applicable SDWA MCL were developed for the five COCs. It is assumed that these COC concentrations may collectively occur at some public or private location in the future, but that situation does not exist today. These representative activity concentrations are evaluated with respect to conforming collectively to a modern annual committed effective dose (CED) and lifetime excess cancer morbidity risk for a hypothetical reasonably maximally exposed individual (RMEI). This approach goes beyond the SDWA MCL focus of the contaminant boundary because individual COC concentrations may comply with the SDWA MCL but not collectively meet the modern health-protection metrics and the SDWA language, especially if future modeling studies or monitoring activities show multiple radionuclides from different SDWA MCL categories to be COCs. For the drinking water exposure pathway alone, the annual committed effective dose (CED) for the RMEI from all five COCs that are collectively at estimated activity concentrations equal to their SDWA MCL is well below the U.S. Department of Energy health-protective CED limit of 100 millirem (mrem)/yr. This is consistent using both the NNSS unclassified, 1992 decay-corrected radionuclide atom inventory and the atom inventory based on radionuclides measured in groundwater obtained from the ALMENDRO cavity in 2009 to calculate the SDWA MCL activity concentrations in groundwater. The RMEI's total lifetime excess cancer risk from the drinking water exposure pathway for both atom inventories is within the range of 1 × 10-4 to d"1 × 10-6, which is considered health protective according to modern SDWA MCL regulatory language. The biosphere exposure pathways are drinking water, garden produce, animal products, inadvertent soil ingestion, and indoor and outdoor air inhalation. The exposure parameters for communities west and southwest of the NNSS were developed when the Yucca Mountain high-level, nuclear-waste disposal facility was under consideration. For all biosphere exposure pathways, calculations of the annual CED and lifetime excess cancer morbidity risk for the RMEI revealed that: 1) The annual CED is well within ...