Hydrologic Resources Management Program and Underground Test Area Project FY 2000 Progress Report Page: 53 of 156
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2. Fieldwork in the Rainier Mesa Tunnels, NTS
In August of 1998, scientists from ANCD at LLNL in conjunction with Defense Threat
Reduction Agency (DTRA), spent four days collecting water samples from the tunnels on
Rainier Mesa, NTS. The tunnel system provides unprecedented access to impacted
waters resulting from underground nuclear testing.
2.1. Sample Collection
Our field sampling was very successful. Samples were collected from three tunnels;
U 12E, U 12T and U 12N. The majority of the water samples were collected from pipes
sampling vadose zone water collected behind cement portals (Figure lA). In tunnel
U12T, we were able to collect water that was dripping off the tunnel walls unencumbered
by the engineered cement barriers (Figure 1 B). This water represents the most
representative natural vadose zone water. Therefore, all colloid characterization work
was carried out using these samples (U12T-A, U12T-B, U12T-C, U12T-D, and U12T-E).
1B
AA
Figure 1. A) water collected from tunnel U 12E. B) water collected from the rock
wall of tunnel Ul2T
2.2. Groundwater Composition
To date, these groundwater samples have been analyzed for groundwater composition,
colloid content, gamma-emitting radionuclides, and Pu, Am and 90Sr. Figure 2 is a
comparison of the cation composition of water collected in U12T, J-13, WW-20,and
ER20-5, NTS. WW-20 and ER20-5 are wells located in volcanic rocks similar to those
on Rainier Mesa. J-13 is groundwater from the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository.
The water in the tunnels is similar to water on Pahute Mesa, although the Na
concentration is much higher.41
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Davisson, M. L.; Eaton, G. F.; Hakemi, N. L.; Hudson, G. B.; Hutcheon, I. D.; Lau, C. A. et al. Hydrologic Resources Management Program and Underground Test Area Project FY 2000 Progress Report, report, July 1, 2001; California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1411019/m1/53/?rotate=180: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.