Studies of Geology and Hydrology in the Basin Arid Range Province
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Studies of Geology and Hydrology in the Basin arid Range Province, Southwestern United States^ For Isolation of High-Level Radioactive Waste Characterization of the Bbnneville Region, Utah and Kevadt U.S. GEOLOGICAL StJ&VEY Pi*0£ESSIO&AL PAPER 1370-G Prepared in cooperation with the States of Arizona, California, Iti Nevada, Mew Mexico, Texas, and tltah STUDIES OF GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY IN THE BASIN AND RANGE PROVINCE, SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES, FOR ISOLATION OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE- CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BONNEVILLE REGION, UTAH AND NEVADA Looking north of Blue Lake Springs at the southwestern margin of the Great Salt Lake Desert, Tooele County, Utah. Springs at and near Blue Lake Springs discharge 23.44 cubic hectometers of water per year. Carbonate rocks of Paleozoic age are exposed immediately to the left of the photograph. Photograph by K.A. Sargent (1984). Studies of Geology and Hydrology in the Basin and Range Province, Southwestern United States, For Isolation of High-Level Radioactive Waste Characterization of the Bonneville Region, Utah and Nevada Edited by M.S. BEDINGER, K.A. SARGENT, and WILLIAM H. LANGER STUDIES OF GEOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY FOR ISOLATION OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1370-G Prepared in cooperation with the States of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1990 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Studies of geology and hydrology in the Basin and Range province, southwestern United States, for isolation of high-level radioactive waste Characterization of the Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper; 1370-G) "Prepared in cooperation with the States of Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah." Includes bibliographies. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1370-G 1. Geology Bonneville, Lake, Region. 2. Water, Underground Bonneville, Lake, Region. 3. Radioactive waste disposal in the ground Bonneville, Lake, Region. I. Bedinger, M. S. II. Sargent, Kenneth A. III. Langer, William H. IV. Series. QE79.5.S76 1990 557.9 86-600324 For sale by the Books and Open-File Reports Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government WORKING GROUP AFFILIATIONS V BASIN AND RANGE PROVINCE WORKING GROUP U.S. Geological Survey Members Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology University of Nevada, Reno Chairman of the Province Working Group: Reno, NV M.S. Bedinger Hydrologist Alternate: U.S. Geological Survey Susan L. Tingley Denver, CO Deputy to the State Geologist Member: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology K.A. Sargent University of Nevada, Reno Geologist Reno, NV U.S. Geological Survey Denver, CO NEW MEXICO Member: State Members and Alternates James M. Hill ARIZONA Chief, Bureau of Geology Member: New Mexico Energy and Minerals Department Larry D. Fellows Santa Fe, NM State Geologist and Assistant Director Alternate: Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology Frank E. Kottlowski Tucson, AZ Director Alternate: New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources H. Wesley Peirce Socorro, NM Principal Geologist Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology TEXAS Tucson, AZ Member: CALIFORNIA Christopher D. Henry Geologist Member: Texas Bureau of Economic Geology Robert Streitz University of Texas at Austin Geologist Austin, TX California Division of Mines and Geology Sacramento, CA Alternate: Douglas Ratcliff IDAHO Associate Director Member: Texas Bureau of Economic Geology University of Texas at Austin Frank B. Sherman Chief, Ground-Water Section Austin, TX Idaho Department of Water Resources Boise, ID UTAH Alternate: Member: Darrel Clapp Genevieve Atwood Chief, Technical Services Bureau State Geologist Idaho Department of Water Resources Utah Geological and Mineral Survey Boise, ID Salt Lake City, UT Alternate: NEVADA Don R. Mabey Member: Senior Geologist John Schilling Utah Geological and Mineral Survey State Geologist Salt Lake City, UT CONTENTS Page Page Abstract .......................................... Gl Geology, by K.A. Sargent and Don R. Mabey Continued Introduction, by M.S. Bedinger and K.A. Sargent ....... 2 Structural geology Continued Background and purpose ......................... 2 Basin-and-range faulting ...................... G14 Geographic setting .............................. 2 References cited ................................. 14 Acknowledgments .............................. 3 Potential host media for radioactive waste, by K.A. Sargent 16 References cited ................................ 4 Intrusive rocks .................................. 16 Tuffaceous rocks ................................. 16 Geology, by K.A. Sargent and Don R. Mabey ........... 5 Basaltic rocks ................................... 17 Stratigraphy ................................... 5 Argillaceous rocks ................................ 17 Precambrian ................................ 5 Unsaturated zone ................................ 17 Paleozoic .................................. 5 References cited.................................. 17 Cambrian ............................... 5 Quaternary tectonism, by K.A. Sargent and Don R. Mabey 18 Ordovician .............................. 5 Seismicity ...................................... 18 Silurian ................................ Heat flow ....................................... 18 Devonian ............................... Quaternary faulting .............................. 18 Mississippian ............................ 9 Late Cenozoic volcanic activity ..................... 18 Pennsylvanian ........................... 9 Vertical crustal movement ......................... 18 Permian ................................ 9 Photolineations .................................. 19 Mesozoic ................................... 9 Modern tectonism ................................ 19 Triassic ................................. 9 References cited ................................. 20 Jurassic ................................ 9 Ground-water hydrology, by M.S. Bedinger, J.E. Reed, and Cretaceous .............................. 10 William H. Langer .............................. 21 Tertiary ................................... 10 Major hydrogeologic units ......................... 21 Paleocene and Eocene ..................... 10 Ground-water flow regime ......................... 22 Oligocene ............................... 10 Ground-water flow analysis ........................ 23 Miocene and Pliocene ..................... 11 Areal ground-water flow ....................... 23 Tertiary and Quaternary ..................... 12 Cross-sectional models ........................ 23 Quality of ground water .......................... 27 Summary of tectonic events ................... 12 Pleistocene hydrologic conditions ................... 27 Precambrian tectonic setting ............... 12 References cited ................................. 27 Early and middle Paleozoic tectonic setting . 12 Mineral and energy resources, by B.T. Brady ............ 31 Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic tectonic setting . 12 Metallic mineral resources ........................ 31 Cenozoic tectonic setting .................. 13 Nonmetallic and industrial mineral resources ........ 36 Structural geology .............................. 13 Geothermal resources ............................ 36 Thrust faulting ............................. 13 Coal, oil, and gas resources ........................ 36 Folds ...................................... 14 References cited ................................ 36 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket] FRONTISPIECE Photograph of Blue Lake Springs at the southwestern margin of the Great Salt Lake Desert, Tooele County, Utah. PLATES 1-5. Maps showing: 1. Physiographic features of the Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. 2. Potential host rocks and areas of thick unsaturated zones, Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. 3. Hypothetical altitude of the regional potentiometric surface in the carbonate-rock aquifer and contiguous rocks at depth, Bonneville region and vicinity, Utah and Nevada. 4. Hydrogeologic units and relative velocities of ground water at the water table, Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. 5. Relative ground-water traveltimes and flow paths at the water table and natural discharge areas, Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. 6. Hydrogeologic section A-A' showing ground-water flow paths and relative traveltimes, Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. 7. Map showing general locations of the principal mining districts, Bonneville region, Utah and Nevada. FIGURE 1. Photograph of the western face of the House Range from Tule valley ........................................ G3 2. Photograph northward from the House Range to Fish Springs Range ........................................ 4 3. Geographic index map of the Bonneville region ........................................................... 6 4. Diagram showing principal lithologic units and their ages ................................................. 7 VII VIII CONTENTS Page FIGURE 5. Map showing isopachs of Ordovician rocks and basins of deposition .......................................... G8 6. Photograph of outcrop of quartz monzonite showing three fracture planes, east of Gold Hill, Utah ...............