GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION REPORT WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT (WIPP) SITE, SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO SAND78-1596 VOLUME II Dennis W. Powers, Steven J. Lambert, Sue-Ellen Shaffer, Leslie R. Hill, Wendell D. Weart, Editors Department 4510 Waste Management Technology Sandia Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 AUGUST, 1978 PRINTED DECEMBER, 1978 WSTRIBimOM (J* JiiUS ]>UCUM£N'1' lg UNLIMITEftD GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME II PAGE 6.0 HYDROLOGY 6- 1 6.1 INTRODUCTION 6- 1 6.2 SURFACE HYDROLOGY 6- 2 6.2.1 Surface Water Features 6- 2 6.2.2 Precipitation Patterns 6- 4 6.2.3 Drainage 6- 5 6.2.4 Floods 6- 5 6.2.5 Evaporation and Transpiration 6- 6 6.2.6 Infiltration 6- 7 6.2.7 Surface Water Quality 6- 7 6.3 GROUND MATER HYDROLOGY 6- 8 6.3.1 Regional Ground Water Conditions 6- 8 6.3.2 Hydrology of Rocks Underlying the Salado Formation 6- 10 Deep Hydrologic Units 6- 11 Ellenburger Group 6- 11 Devonian Zone 6- 12 Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Zone 6-12 Bone Springs Formation 6- 13 Guadalupian Age Rocks Hydrologic System. 6- 13 Castile Formation 6- 19 Salado Formation 6- 20 6.3.3 Hydrology of Rocks Overlying the Salado Formation 6- 21 Rustler Formation 6- 22 The Dewey Lake Red Beds 6- 23 Dockum Group 6- 23 Ogallala Formation 6- 24 Quaternary Deposits 6- 25 -2- PAGE 6.3.4 Regional Ground Water Use 6- 26 Oil Field Secondary Recovery 6- 27 Ground Water Utilization East of the Pecos River, Southeast New Mexico 6- 28 6.3.5 Ground Water Occurrence at the Proposed Site ... 6- 28 Fluid-Bearing Zones 6- 29 Hydroloqic Testing 6- 30 Bell Canyon Formation 6- 34 Rustler-Salado Contact 6- 35 Culebra Dolomite 6- 35 Magenta Dolomite 6- 36 Salt-Residue Zone 6- 36 6.3.6 Dissolution of Salt In the Permian Evaporites .. 6- 37 Shallow Dissolution 6- 38 Deep Dissolution 6- 40 Rates of Dissolution 6- 42 6.4 HYDROLOGY DRILLING AND TESTING SUMMARY 6-46 6.4.1 Hole No. B-l 6- 46 6.4.2 Hole No. H-2a 6-48 6.4.3 Hole No. H-2b 6-49 6.4.4 Hole No. H-2c 6- 50 6.4.5 Hole No. H-3 6- 51 6.4.6 Hole No. P-14 6-53 6.4.7 Hole No. P-15 6-54 6.4.8 Hole No. P-17 6-56 6.4.9 Hole No. P-18 6- 57 6.4.10 Hole No. AEC-6 6- 58 6.5 SUMMARY 6- 60 6.6 REFERENCES 6- 62 -3- PAGE 7.0 GEOCHEMISTRY 7- 1 7.1 INTRODUCTION 7- 1 7.2 THE MINERALOGY OF DELAWARE BASIN EVAPORITES AND RELATED ROCKS OF THE LOS MEDANOS AREA 7- 2 7.2.1 Introduction 7- 2 7.2.2 Previous Work 7- 3 7.2.3 Overview of Evaporite Mineralogy 7- 3 7.2.4 Mineralogy of Fluid-Bearing Zones in the Rustler Formation and Delaware Mountain Group .. 7-4 Magenta Member, Rustler Formation (AEC No. 8) 7- 4 Cuiebra Member, Rustler Formation (AEC No. B) 7- 4 Bell Canyon Sandstone (AEC No. 8) 7- 4 Cherry Canyon Sandstone (Pine Springs Outcrop) 7- 4 7.3 DETAILED CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY OF SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE COMPONENTS OF THE SALADO FORMATION 7- 5 7.3.1 Introduction 7- 5 7.3.2 Material and Methods 7- 6 Sample Preparation and Handling 7- 6 Analysis of Soluble Portion 7- 6 Analysis of Insoluble Portion 7- 6 Thermal Analysis 7- 7 Results of Analyses 7- 7 7.3.3 Results and Discussion 7- 8 Distribution of Mineral Phases 7- 8 Effects of Heating Samples 7- 12 7.3.4 Conclusion 7-14 7.4 DETAILED PETROLOGY AND SILICATE MINERALOGY OF SOME PERMIAN BASIN SOCKS 7- 15 7.4.1 Introduction 7-15 7.4.2 Procedure 7-15 7.4.3 Silicate Mineralogy and Geochemistry 7- 16 Sa«ple Preparation and Analysis 7- 17 Silicate Mineralogy 7- 18 Distribution of Clay Materials 7- 21 -4- PAGE 7.4.4 Mineralogy of Duval Mine Samples 7- 21 7.4.5 Chemical Composition 7- 22 7.4.6 Petrography 7-23 Macroscopic Petrography 7- 23 Microscopic Petrography 7- 25 7.4.7 Interpretations and Tentative Conclusions 7- 27 7.5 VOLATILES AND FLUID INCLUSIONS IN MINERALS OF THE SALADO FORMATION 7- 31 7.5.1 Introduction 7-31 7.5.2 Overview of Volatile Contents of Evaporltes 7-32 7.5.3 Mineral Sources of Water in the Salado Evaporite Sequence 7- 35 Introduction 7- 35 Sampling and Sample Preparation 7- 36 Analytical Methods Used in This study 7-37 Weight Losses for Cores, AEC No. 7 and 8 7-38 Mineralogy and Petrology of Cores No. 7 and 8 7- 40 Summary and Conclusions 7- 45 7.6 FLUID INCLUSIONS IN CORE SAMPLES FROM ERDA NO. 9 7-47 7.6.1 Introduction 7- 47 7.6.2 Samples Studied 7-48 7.6.3 Sample Preparation 7-49 Sections 7- 49 Coarse water-soluble residues 7- 50 7.6.4 Methods of Study 7- 50 Petrographic Examination 7- 50 Heating Stage 7- 51 Freezing stage 7- 51 Crushing stage 7- 52 Coarse water-soluble residues 7- 52 Decrepitation 7- 52 7.6.5 Results of Petrographic Examination 7- 53 Inclusion type A 7- 53 Inclusion type B 7- 54 Inclusion type C 7- 55 Inclusion type D 7- 55 -5- PAGE 7.6.6 Weight Percent of Fluid 7-55 7.6.7 Results of Heating Stage Studies 7- 56 7.6.8 Results of Freezing Stage Studies 7- 57 7.6.9 Results of Crushing Stage Studies 7- 57 7.6.10 Results of Study of coarse Water-Insoluble Residues 7- 58 7.6.11 Decrepitation Tests 7- 58 7.6.12 Study of Suite of Samples from Kerr-McGee 7- 59 7.6.13 Discussion 7- 61 Geological Significance 7- 61 Nuclear Waste Disposal Significance 7-63 1.1 THE GEOCHEMISTRY OF DELAWARE BASIN GROUNDWATERS IN RELATION TO THEIR HOST ROCKS 7-70 7.7.1 Introduction 7-70 7.7.2 Data 7-72 Solutes 7- 72 Thermodynamics 7- 75 Stable Isotopes 7- 76 7.7.3 Summary 7-79 7.8 RUBIDIUM- STRONTIUM SYSTEMATICS OF THE SALADO FORMATION, SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO 7- 79 7.8.1 Introduction 7-79 7.8.2 Previous Work 7-81 7.8.3 Analytical Procedure 7-82 Sample Preparation 7-82 Rb- Sr Isotoplc Analysis 7- 84 7.8.4 Results 7-85 7.8.5 Discussion 7-87 7.8.6 Concluding Statements 7-88 7.9 URANIUM ISOTOPE DISEQUILIBRIUM IN GROUNDWATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AND IMPLICATIONS REGARDING AGE-DATING OF WATERS 7- 89 7.9.1 Introduction 7-89 History 7- 89 Implications 7- 90 -6- PftGE 7.9.2 Analytical Approach 7-91 General Geochemistry of Groundwaters 7-91 Experimental Procedures 7-91 7.9.J Results and Discussion 7-93 7.9.4 Application oC the Uranium Isotope Disequilibrium Model 7- 93 7.9.5 Model Ages Based on Mo Leaching 7-97 7.9.6 Implications and Conclusions 7- 99 7.10 SUMMARY 7-101 7.11 REFERENCES 7-103 7.12 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7-109 8.0 RESOURCES 8- 1 8.1 INTRODUCTION 8- 1 8.2 ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN RESOURCE EVALUATION AND THEIR REPORTS 8- 1 8.3 POTENTIAL RESOURCES IN RELATIONSHIP TO STRATIGRAPHY AT THE WIPP SITE 8- 2 8.4 RESOURCE DESCRIPTION BY SPECIFIC COMMODITIES 8- 2 8.4.1 Caliche 8- 2 8.4.2 Uranium 8- 3 8.4.3 Gypsum 8- 3 8.4.4 Halite (Salt) 8- 4 8.4.5 Sulfur 8- 4 8.4.6 Lithium 8- 5 8.4.7 Potash 8- 5 Method of Evaluation 8- 5 Description of the Potash Exploration Drilling Phase 8- 6 Calculation of Potash Resource Distribution Volume and Grade 8- 7 Results of the OSGS Resource Estimate 8- 9 Results of the USBM Valuation of Potash Resources 8- 10 Summary of Conclusions Concerning Potash Resources In the WIPP Site 6- 11 -7- PAGE 8.4.8 Hydrocarbons 8-12 Method of Evaluation 8- 12 Total Hydrocarbon Resources at the WIPP Site 8- 14 Estimate of the Economically Recoverable Hydrocarbon Resources 8- 16 Summary of Conclusions Concerning Hydrocarbon Resources 8- 19 8.4.9 Metalliferous Deposits in the Precambrian 8-19 8.5 SUMMARY 8-20 8.6 REFERENCES 8- 22 9.0 SPECIAL STUDIES OF WIPP REPOSITORY ROCKS 9.1 INTPADUCTION 9- 1 9.2 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES 9- 2 9.2.1 Introduction 9- 2 9.2.2 Petrography 9- 3 Fabric 9- 4 Fracture 9- 5 9.2.3 Physical Properties 9- 6 Density and Resistivity 9- 6 Volatile Mass Loss 9- 6 Permeability 9- 7 Thermal Conductivity 9- 7 Sonic Pulse Velocity 9- 8 Summary of Data 9- 8 9.2.4 Thermomechanical Properties 9- 8 Introduction 9- 8 Apparatus, Experiments, Capabilities and Data Handling Material and Test Specimens ... 9-10 Quasistatic Rock Salt Properties 9- 11 Quasistatic Unconfined Properties 9-12 Quasistatic Tr.'.axial Properties 9- 12 Quasistatic Stress-Strain Relationships. 9- 14 Deviatoric Loading at Constant Confining Pressure 9- 14 PAGE Nonelastic Behavior and Pressure Effects at Ambient Temperature 9- 15 Elevated Temperature Data 9- 15 Influence o? Load Path 9- 15 Interpretation of Quasistatic Data 9-18 Creep of Rock Salt 9- 18 Creep Strain Limits of Rock Salt at Failure 9- 19 Applicability of Laboratory Measurements .... 9-20 9.2.5 Summary and Conclusions 9- 20 9.3 RADIONUCLIDE SORPTION ON WIPP ROCKS 9- 21 9.3.1 Introduction 9-21 9.3.2 Geological Media 9- 23 Sample Selection 9- 23 Sample Preparation 9- 24 9.3.3 Brine and Groundwater Simulants 9- 24 9.3.4 Solution Chemistry 9-24 Solutes 9- 24 Oxidation Potential 9- 25 Hydrogen Ion Activity 9- 25 Radionuclide Concentration 9- 26 9.3.5 Experimental Procedures 9-26 Apparatus, Sample Size and Sampling 9- 26 Analyses 9- 27 Equilibration Time 9- 27 9.3.6 Kd Data 9-28 9.3.7 Diacusslon of Kd Data 9- 28 Cesium 9- 28 Strontium 9- 29 Europium, Gadallnlum and Cerium 9- 29 Technetium and Iodine 9- 30 Ruthenium and Antimony 9- 30 Actlnides 9- 31 9.3.8 Parametric Effects 9-31 -9- PAGE pH and Nuclide Concentration Effects on Kd .