Published March 27, 1998
| public
Journal Article
Anomalous Strain Accumulation in the Yucca Mountain Area, Nevada
Abstract
Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys from 1991 to 1997 near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, indicate west-northwest crustal elongation at a rate of 1.7 ± 0.3 millimeters per year (1σ) over 34 kilometers, or 50 ± 9 nanostrain per year. Global Positioning System and trilateration surveys from 1983 to 1997 on a 14-kilometer baseline across the proposed repository site for high-level radioactive waste indicate that the crust extended by 0.7 to 0.9 ± 0.2 millimeter per year (50 to 64 ± 14 nanostrain per year), depending on the coseismic effect of the M_s 5.4 1992 Little Skull Mountain earthquake. These strain rates are at least an order of magnitude higher than would be predicted from the Quaternary volcanic and tectonic history of the area.
Additional Information
© American Association for the Advancement of Science. 29 October 1997; accepted 3 March 1998. We thank J. Savage and M. Lisowski for providing trilateration data and GPS data and results from their 1993 survey, and J. Savage for useful discussions. The University NAVSTAR Consortium provided equipment and field logistical support. This project was funded by Nuclear Regulatory Commission contracts NRC-04-92-071 and NRC-02-93-005, and National Science Foundation grant EAR-94- 18784.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 48021
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20140805-155615733
- NRC-04-92-071
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- EAR-94-18784
- NSF
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2014-08-06Created from EPrint's datestamp field
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences