YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE DESCRIPTION BOOK 2 SECTION 4,5 RECIEVED WITH LETTER DATED 9/30/98 FILE CODE 102.8 ACCESSION # 9902040045 WBS: 1.2.3.9 QA: L Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System Management & Operating Contractor BOOK 2 - SECTIONS 4,5 YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE DESCRIPTION BOOOOOOOO-01717-5700-00019 REV 00 September 1998 INFORMATION COPY LAS VEGAS DOCUMENT CONTROL Prepared for: U.S. Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office P.O. Box 30307 North Las Vegas, Nevada 89036-0307 Prepared by: TRW Environmental Safety Systems Inc. 1261 Town Center Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89134-6352 Under Contract Number DE-AC08-91RWO0134 ý10' (' -ý-1-/ q ý PA ý ý o45' Disclaimer This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Yucca Mountain Site Description BOOOOOOOO-01717-5700-00019 REV 00 September 1998.. CONTENTS Page PREFACE ..................... ...................................... xiii ACRONYMS ............................................................ xv SYMBOLS/UNITS ..................................................... xvii 4. CLIMATOLOGY AND METEOROLOGY .................................. 4.1-1 4.1 PRESENT CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY ........................ 4.1-1 4.1.1 Planetary-Scale Atmospheric Features ............................ 4.1-2 4.1.2 Description of Synoptic-Scale Features and Processes ............... 4.1-4 4.1.3 Regional and Site Climatology ............................... 4.1-5 4.1.3.1 Data Sources ................................... 4.1-5 4.1.3.2 Precipitation ...................................... 4.1-6 4.1.3.3 Temperature, Humidity, and Evaporation .................... 4.1-8 4.1.3.4 Wind ............................................ 4.1-9 4.1.4 Meteorological Monitoring Network ............................. 4.1-12 4.1.4.1 M eteorological Sites .................................. 4.1-13 4.1.4.2 M easurements ........................................ 4.1-14 4.1.4.3 Monitoring Program Database ......................... 4.1-15 4.1.4.4 Quality Assurance Activities .......................... 4.1-16 4.1.5 Climatological Summary ..................................... 4.1-16 4.2 PALEOCLIMATOLOGY ............................................ 4.2-1 4.2.1 Introduction ................................................. 4.2-1 4.2.2 Causes and the Nature of Global Quaternary Climate Change ......... 4.2-3 4.2.2.1 Relations of Climate Change to Factors Operating on Different Time Scales ....................................... 4.2-3 4.2.2.1.1 Orbital Parameters ............................ 4.2-4 4.2.2.1.2 Climate Variability: Factors That Can Vary Climate at Short Time Scales ............................. 4.2-6 4.2.2.1.3 Long Records of Climate Change-Linkages between Millennial-Scale Climate Change and Orbital Parameters ................................ 4.2-9 4.2.2.1.3.1 M arine Records ............................. 4.2-9 4.2.2.1.3.2 Ice-Core Records .......................... 4.2-11 4.2.3 Long Regional Records of Quaternary Climate Change ............. 4.2-12 4.2.3.1 Devils Hole ...................................... 4.2-12 4.2.3.2 Death Valley .......................................... 4.2-14 4.2.3.3 Owens Lake .. ...................................... 4.2-16 4.2.3.3.1 Climate Setting ............................ 4.2-16 4.2.3.3.2' Limnologic and Climatic Setting ................ 4.2-17 4.2.3.3.3 Climate Linkage to Owens Lake Chemistry ........ 4.2-18 4.2.3.3.4 Microfossils as Proxy Records of Solute Composition and Total Dissolved Solids ..................... 4.2-19 4.2.3.3.5 Chronology of the Owens Lake Record ........... 4.2-19 4.2.3.3.6 The Paleoclimate Record of Owens Lake ......... 4.2-20 iii Yucca Mountain Site Description BOOOOOOO-01717-5700-00019 REV 00 September 1998 CONTENTS (Continued) Page 4.2.3.3.7 Glacial and Interglacial Variability Documented by the Owens Lake Record .......................... 4.2-22 4.2.3.3.8 Correlation of Owens Lake Paleolimnology and Oxygen Isotope Records of Global Climate ........ 4.2-24 4.2.3.3.9 Owens Lake Conclusions ...................... 4.2-24 4.2.4 Local Records of Late Quaternary Climate Change ................. 4.2-25 4.2.4.1 Pack-Rat Middens ................. .................. 4.2-25 4.2.4.2 Wetland and Spring Deposits........................... 4.2-28 4.2.4.2.1 Corn Creek Flat Section OBI-1 1 Ostracode Data ... 4.2-28 4.2.4.2.2 Cactus Springs Section-Stable Isotope Data ....... 4.2-31 4.2.4.2.3 Lathrop Wells Diatomite Microfossil and Isotope Data ................................ 4.2-32 4.2.4.2.4 Summary of Local Records .................... 4.2-33 4.2.5.1 Secondary Mineral Deposits in the Yucca Mountain Tuffs .... 4.2-34 4.2.5.2 Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Secondary Calcite in the Unsaturated Zone .................................. 4.2-36 4.2.5.2.1 Controls on Infiltration 6'3C Values .............. 4.2-36 4.2.5.2.2 Controls on Infiltration 680 Values ............. 4.2-37 4.2.5.2.3 Formation and Distribution of Secondary Minerals.. 4.2-38 4.2.5.3 Secondary Mineral Evidence of Past Climates .............. 4.2-39 4.3 FUTURE CLIMATE VARIATION ................................... 4.3-1 4.3.1 M odeling .................................................. 4.3-1 4.3.2 Forecasting Using Paleoclimate Data ............................. 4.3-3 4.4 SUM M ARY ..................................................... 4.4-1 4.5 REFERENCES ................................................... 4.5-1 4.5.1 References Cited ............................................. 4.5-1 4.5.2 Codes, Standards, Regulations ................................. 4.5-15 5. HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM ................................................ 5.1-1 5.1 SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY .................................. 5.1-1 5.1.1 Surface Water Bodies and Drainage Areas ........................ 5.1-1 5.1.1.1 Amargosa River System ................................ 5.1-1 5.1.1.2 Perennial Surface W ater ................................ 5.1-4 5.1.2 M onitoring Network .......................................... 5.1-5 5.1.3 Water-Control Structures and Diversions ......................... 5.1-7 5.1.4 Drainage Development, Paleohydrology, and Flood History ........... 5.1-8 5.1.4.1 Drainage Development ................................. 5.1-8 5.1.4.2 Paleohydrology ....................................... 5.1-8 5.1.4.2.1 Site and Subregional Paleohydrologic Studies ....... 5.1-8 5.1.4.2.2 Regional Paleohydrologic Studies ............... 5.1-10 iv Yucca Mountain Site Description BOOOOOOOO-01717-5700-00019 REV 00 September 1998. CONTENTS (Continued) Page 5.1.4.3 Streamgauge Flood Record ............................. 5.1-10 5.1.4.3.1 Site and Subregional Paleohydrologic Floodstream Studies ......................... 5.1-10 5.1.4.3.2 Regional Streamngauge Flood Studies 5.1-13 5.1.4.4 Streamgauge Volume Record .......................... 5.1-13 5.1.4.4.1 Site and Subregional Streamgauge Volume Studies 5.1-13 5.1.4.4.2 Regional Streamgauge Volume Studies .......... 5.1-14 5.1.5 Flood Potential .......................................... 5.1-15 5.1.5.1 Site and Subregional Flood Potential Studies ................ 5.1-15 5.1.5.2 Regional Flood Potential Studies ......................... 5.1-25 5.1.6 Chemistry of Surface Water ................................ 5. i-26 5.1.7 Location, Quantity, and Quality of Surface Water Extracted......... 5.1-30 5.1.8 Projected Surface Water Use ................................ 5.1-30 5.2 REGIONAL HYDROGEOLOGY .................................... 5.2-1 5.2.1 Flow System Boundaries and Hydrogeologic Units ................. 5.2-1 5.2.1.1 Boundaries of Regional Flow System ..................... 5.2-3 5.2.1.2 Boundaries of Subregional Flow System .......... ...... 5.2-4 5.2.1.3 Hydrogeologic Units ............................... 5.2-4 5.2.1.4 Hydraulic Properties of Hydrogeologic Units................ 5.2-9 5.2.1.5 Summary of Flow System Boundaries and Hydrogeologic Units 5.2-15 5.2.2 Potentiometric Levels and Hydraulic Gradients .................... 5.2-17 5.2.2.1 Previous Potentiometric-Surface Maps ................... 5.2-17 5.2.2.2 Current Potentiometric Surface ........... 5.2-22 5.2.2.3 Gradients and Potentiometric Features ................... 5.2-26 5.2.2.4 Summary of Potentiometric Levels and Hydraulic Gradients ... 5.2-27 5.2.3 Recharge and Discharge ...................................... 5.2-28 5.2.3.1 Characterizing the Recharge Component .................. 5.2-28 5.2.3.1.1 Previous Methods of Characterizing Recharge from Precipitation .............................. 5.2-29 5.2.3.1.2 Limitations of the Empirical Maxey-Eakin Method . 5.2-34 5.2.3.1.3. Modifying the Maxey-Eakin Method ............. 5.2-35 5.2.3.1'4 Accuracy of the Modified Maxey-Eakin Method . 5.2-38 5.2.3.1.5 Evaluation of Current