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Generalized
west-east cross section through Yucca Mountain |
Yucca
Mountain was chosen as the potential site for geologic disposal
of high-level radioactive waste partly because of its geologic
setting, which is a natural barrier to the potential movement
of radionuclides from the site. USGS geologists have worked
for more than 20 years to characterize the site geology for repository design, geologic hazard analysis, and performance assessment, including:
- Physical properties of the rocks at, under, and over the proposed
repository
- Geologic history
- Geologic structures that could affect ground-water flow
and contaminant transport
- Potential future geologic hazards, such as
volcanoes, earthquakes,
and erosion
Whitney,
J.W., and Keefer, W.R., eds., 2000, Geologic and geophysical
characterization studies
of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, A potential
high-level radioactive-waste repository: U.S. Geological Survey
Digital
Data Series 058, CD-Rom.
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