A THREE-DIMENSIONAL HYDROSTRATIGRAPHIC FRAMEWORK MODEL OF THE PAHUTE MESA - OASIS VALLEY AREA, NYE COUNTY, NEVADA

摘要

A three-dimensional hydrostratigraphic framework model for the Pahute Mesa - Oasis Valley area has been built to support investigations of the effects of underground nuclear testing on groundwater at the Nevada Test Site and adjacent areas. The model area of over 2,700 square kilometers encompasses the northwestern portion of the Nevada Test Site and adjacent lands to the west managed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. This large study area with generally sparse subsurface data is geologically complex and includes Mesozoic-age thrust faults, at least six Tertiary-age calderas, several intrusive bodies, and many relatively recent basin-and-range normal faults. Published and unpublished data from geophysical investigations, surface geologic maps, and nearly 200 drill holes (mainly on the Nevada Test Site) were used to develop a hydrostratigraphic framework that will form the foundation for subsequent groundwater flow and contaminant transport models.