HR: 0800h
AN: H11B-0303    [Abstracts]
TI: Defining the Spatial Structure of Sedimentary Interbeds within Basalt at the Idaho National Laboratory Vadose Zone Research Park
AU: * Griffith, B
EM: bcgriffi@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, 118 Carrier Hall , University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Holt, R M
EM: rmholt@olemiss.edu
AF: University of Mississippi Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, 118 Carrier Hall , University, MS 38677 United States
AU: Baker, K
EM: bakeke@inel.gov
AF: Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2107 United States
AU: McLing, T
EM: tml@inel.gov
AF: Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2107 United States
AU: Schafer, A
EM: nsa@inel.gov
AF: Idaho National Laboratory, PO Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2107 United States
AB: The Vadose Zone Research Park (VZRP) is a multidisciplinary field research center located at the Idaho National Laboratory. The VZRP vadose zone consists of variably fractured interfingering basalt flows intercalated with sedimentary interbeds. Recent field studies at the VZRP have shown that sedimentary interbeds intercept, attenuate, and laterally redistribute preferential flow in the basalts. Although geologic data on the spatial location of sedimentary interbeds is sparse at the VZRP (33 boreholes), a nearby site, Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), has sufficient geologic data (95 boreholes) for geostatistical characterization of sedimentary interbeds. Our objective is to determine if INTEC can be used as a geostatistical analog for the VZRP. Indicator variograms of INTEC interbeds show clear anisotropic spatial structure in the horizontal plane, while variograms at the VZRP show a nugget effect. Vertical variograms from both locations compare well. Using subsets of the INTEC data, we evaluate the uncertainty in the VZRP variograms due to a limited number of sampling locations. Our results suggest that indicator geostatistics for sedimentary interbeds at INTEC are an analog for the VZRP
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1875 Unsaturated zone
DE: 1894 Instruments and techniques
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting