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Open-File Report 2008-1118

Deep Resistivity Structure of Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

By Erin L. Wallin, Brian D. Rodriguez, and Jackie M. Williams

Introduction

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project.

From 1951 to 1992, 828 underground nuclear tests were conducted at the Nevada Test Site northwest of Las Vegas (DOE UGTA, 2003). Most of these tests were conducted hundreds of feet above the ground-water table; however, more than 200 of the tests were near, or within, the water table. This underground testing was limited to specific areas of the Nevada Test Site including Pahute Mesa, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM), Frenchman Flat, and Yucca Flat.

One issue of concern is the nature of the somewhat poorly constrained pre-Tertiary geology and its effects on ground-water flow in the area subsequent to a nuclear test. Ground-water modelers would like to know more about the hydrostratigraphy and geologic structure to support a hydrostratigraphic framework model that is under development for the Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain (RM-SM) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) (National Security Technologies, 2007).

See Report PDF for full Introduction.

First posted November 10, 2009

For additional information contact:

Team Chief Scientist,
USGS Crustal Imaging and Characterization
Box 25046, Mail Stop 964
Denver, CO 80225

http://crustal.usgs.gov/

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Suggested citation:

Wallin, E.L., Rodriguez, B.D., and Williams, J.M., 2008, Deep resistivity structure of Mid Valley, Nevada Test Site, Nevada: USGS Open-File Report 2008-1118, 46 p.



Contents

Introduction

Electrical Rock Properties

Magnetotelluric Method

Magnetotelluric Data

Two-Dimensional Resistivity Modeling

Discussion

Summary

References Cited

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