PHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGIC PROPERTIES OF 

OUTCROP SAMPLES FROM A NONWELDED TO 

WELDED TUFF TRANSITION, 

YUCCA MOUNTAIN, NEVADA

by Christopher A. Rautman, Sandia National Laboratories; 

Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, U.S. Geological Survey; and 

Jonathan D. Istok, Oregon State University

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4061

Prepared in cooperation with the 

NEVADA OPERATIONS OFFICE, 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under 

Interagency Agreement DE-AI08-92NV10874, 

Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000

Denver, Colorado 

1995
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Gordon P. Eaton, Director

The use of trade, product, industry, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from:

Chief, Earth Science Investigations U.S. Geological Survey

Program Earth Science Information Center

Yucca Mountain Project Branch Open-File Reports Section

U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286, MS 517

Box 25046, MS 421 Denver Federal Center

Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 

Denver, CO 80225
CONTENTS

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................. I

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................^ 1

Geologic overview................................................................................................................................................................ 3

Transect stratigraphy............................................................................................................................................................. 3

Study methods....................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Field sampling............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Laboratory analyses.................................................................................................................................................... 6

Physical and hydrologicproperties....................................................................................................................................... 9

Summary .............................................................................................................................................................^ 14

References cited ......................................................................................................._^ 17

Appendix............................................................................................................................................................................... 19

FIGURES

1. Location of the two-dimensional transect grid and the potential Yucca Mountain repository in

southern Nevada.................................................................................................................................................... 2

2. Schematic stratigraphic profile of part of the Paintbrush Group (Miocene) nonwelded interval in

Solitario Canyon showing position of shardy-base lithologic interval near drill hole USW UZ-6s..................... 5

3. Variations in porosity with spatial position in the shardy-base unit exposed in Solitario Canyon,

Yucca Mountain, Nevada....................................................................................................................................... 10

4. Variations in saturated hydraulic conductivity with spatial position in the shardy-base unit exposed in

Solitario Canyon, Yucca Mountain, Nevada......................................................................................................... 11

5. Distribution of values for (a) porosity, (b) bulk density, (c) log sorptivity, and (d) log-saturated 

hydraulic conductivity for the entire shardy-base unit of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of Miocene age, 

Yucca Mountain, Nevada....................................................................................................................................... 13

6. Selected hydrologic properties versus transect elevation, showing vertical control of material 

properties at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: (a) porosity; (b) bulk density; (c) log sorptivity; (d) logsaturated hydraulic conductivity............................................................................................................................ 15

7. Cross-variable correlations between various hydrologic properties measured on samples from the 

shardy-base unit at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: (a) bulk density as a function of porosity; (b) log 

sorptivity as a function of porosity; (c) log-saturated hydraulic conductivity as a function of porosity; and 

(d) log sorptivity as a function of log-saturated hydraulic conductivity............................................................... 16

TABLES

1. Conceptual comparative stratigraphic columns showing the zonation of units within the Paintbrush Group

of Miocene age, Yucca Mountain, Nevada............................................................................................................... 4

2. Summary of transect locations and stratigraphic information, Yucca Mountain, Nevada........................................ 7

3. Summary statistics for samples belonging to the shardy-base unit of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of the

Paintbrush Group of Miocene age, Yucca Mountain, Nevada.................................................................................. 12

4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by

relative-humidity ovendrying.................................................................................................................................... 20

CONTENTS III
CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Multiply

centimeter (cm)

degree Celsius (°C)

kilometer (km)

megapascals (MPa)

meter (m)

meter (of water head) (m)

millimeter (mm)

By

0.3937

(')

0.6214

1.45 X 102

3.281

1.43

0.03937

To obtain

inch (in)

degree Fahrenheit (°F)

mile (mi)

pounds per square-inch (lb/in2)

foot (ft)

pounds per square-inch (lb/in2)

inch (in)

Degree Celsius (°C) may be converted to degree Fahrenheit (°F) by using the following equation:

°F = 9/5(°C) + 32.

The following term and abbreviation also is used in this report: 

grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3)

Nevada State Plane Coordinate System: Nevada State Plane Coordinates (in feet) are widely used on the Yucca Mountain Project. These 

coordinates are for the central zone of Nevada, and are based on a Transverse Mercator projection. The origin of this projection for the central 

zone of Nevada is latitude 34°45'N., and the central meridian is at longitude 116°40'W. Metric conversions of Nevada State Plane Coordinates 

are distinct from metric coordinates obtained using the 10,000 metre Universal Transverse Mercator grid, Zone II.

IV CONTENTS
Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples 

from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, 

Yucca Mountain, Nevada

By Christopher A. Rautman, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, and Jonathan D. Istok

Abstract

Quantitative material-property data are 

needed to describe lateral and vertical spatial variability of physical and hydrologic properties and 

to model ground-water flow and radionuclide 

transport at the potential Yucca Mountain nuclearwaste repository site in Nevada. As part of ongoing site characterization studies of Yucca Mountain directed toward this understanding of spatial 

variability, laboratory measurements of porosity, 

bulk and particle density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and sorptivity have been obtained for a 

set of outcrop samples that form a systematic, twodimensional grid that covers a large exposure of 

the basal Tiva Canyon Tuff of the Paintbrush 

Group of Miocene age at Yucca Mountain. The 

samples form a detailed vertical grid roughly parallel to the transport direction of the parent ash 

flows, and they exhibit material-property variations in an interval of major lithologic change 

overlying a potential nuclear-waste repository at 

Yucca Mountain.

The observed changes in hydrologic properties were systematic and consistent with the 

changes expected for the nonwelded to welded 

transition at the base of a major ash-flow sequence. 

Porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and 

sorptivity decreased upward from the base of the 

Tiva Canyon Tuff, indicating the progressive compaction of ash-rich volcanic debris and the onset of 

welding with increased overburden pressure from 

the accumulating ash-flow sheet. The rate of 

decrease in the values of these material properties 

varied with vertical position within the transition 

interval. In contrast, bulk-density values 

increased upward, a change that also is consistent 

with progressive compaction and the onset of 

welding. Particle-density values remained almost 

constant throughout the transition interval, probably indicating compositional (chemical) homogeneity.

INTRODUCTION

Tuffs within the unsaturated zone at Yucca 

Mountain, located approximately 130 km northwest of 

Las Vegas, Nevada, are being investigated as the site of 

a potential geologic repository for high-level nuclear 

waste (fig. 1). These studies are sponsored by the 

U.S. Department of Energy and are being conducted by 

several Federal agencies and laboratories. As part of 

these ongoing repository studies, the U.S. Geological 

Survey and Sandia National Laboratories have conducted a joint investigation during the period 1990 to 

the present (1994) to obtain values for various hydrologic properties that are needed for analyzing groundwater flow and radionuclide transport. Actual measurements of rock material properties, including hydrologic properties such as those presented in this data 

report, are needed to develop three-dimensional models of material properties that would be suitable for 

evaluation through numerical-modeling techniques. 

Sample data are essential for describing spatial variability of hydrologic properties in the natural rock mass 

and for evaluating uncertainty in the results of performance modeling.

Rocks at the base of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of the 

Paintbrush Group of Miocene age exhibit a profound 

vertical change in hydrologic properties, from properties associated with the overlying densely welded and 

highly fractured ash-flow tuff to properties characteristic of the underlying nonwelded and unfractured tuffaceous materials. This transition interval represents 

the first major change in macroscopic lithology from 

welded to nonwelded tuff and in physical properties 

below the present (1994) topographic surface. This 

transition interval overlies the potential repository 

horizon. Precipitation infiltrating downward through 

Yucca Mountain would pass through this interval of 

lithologic- and material-property change. The porous 

and permeable base of the Tiva Canyon Tuff also crops 

out immediately updip from the potential repository.

Abstract
555,000ft E 

169,156m E

565,000ft E 

172,204m E

^ Potential Repository 

Boundary

/ / / / s "

S \(l\ \}\ \fs^\

Explanation

' Concealed fault; 

ball and bar on 

downthrown side

Base map from EG&G/EM 

Remote Sensing Laboratory, 

digital Arclnfo coverages. 

Grid is Nevada State Plane 

Coordinate System

Figure 1 . Location of the two-dimensional transect grid and the potential Yucca Mountain 

repository in southern Nevada.

2 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
As a result, the transition interval also provides a 

potential pathway for the lateral introduction of infiltrating ground water into Yucca Mountain. Therefore, 

the basal part of the Tiva Canyon Tuff may have a pronounced effect on the nature and functioning of the 

unsaturated flow system at Yucca Mountain.

This report presents laboratory measurement 

data for physical and hydrologic properties of samples 

obtained from a semiregular, two-dimensional grid 

covering a large exposure of the basal part of the Tiva 

Canyon Tuff. Some 330 samples were collected during 

the early spring of 1992 from 26 individual vertical 

transects along a 1,300-m north-south exposure. The 

grid is approximately aligned with the reported southerly direction of ash-flow transport from a caldera 

source about 6 km to the north (Carr, 1988). Bulk properties (porosity, bulk density, and particle density) have 

been determined for relative-humidity oven-dried core 

samples. Sorptivity and saturated hydraulic conductivity also have been determined for most of the same 

samples. Additional description and interpretation of 

the data are presented in Rautman and others (1993) 

and in Istok and others (1994).

GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW

Yucca Mountain is underlain by a thick sequence 

of nonwelded and variably welded ash-flow tuffs intercalated with lesser intervals of air-fall and reworked 

(bedded) tuffs. This alternating sequence of tuffs has 

been broken by basin-and-range faulting and forms a 

series of generally east-dipping fault blocks. The upper 

part of the volcanic sequence is well exposed by the 

Solitario Canyon fault along the west face of Yucca 

Mountain in Solitario Canyon (fig. 1).

The thick, welded intervals of the Tiva Canyon 

and Topopah Spring Tuffs of the Paintbrush Group of 

Miocene age were subdivided informally by Scott and 

Bonk (1984) into a large number of zones of variable 

lateral extent. This informal zonation has evolved considerably since publication of the Scott and Bonk 

(1984) geologic map. This evolution has been most 

pronounced in hydrologic applications. The numerous 

color-based subdivisions of several of the original 

zones are not used by some investigators, and the distinction of units that are present mostly outside the 

immediate repository region have been disregarded. 

Additional informal geologic names have been developed to identify intervals of distinctive material properties with potentially important hydrologic or 

engineering-design implications. The informal subdivision of the Paintbrush Group at Yucca Mountain generally resembles the nomenclature used in table 1 in the 

immediate vicinity of the potential repository

(Rautman and Flint, 1992). The focus of the outcrop 

sampling described in this report is on the shardy-base 

unit (unit ccs, table 1) that is present at the base of the 

Tiva Canyon Tuff.

TRANSECT STRATIGRAPHY

The base of the shardy-base unit (fig. 2) consists 

of a pumice-rich air-fall tuff, which overlies a prominent red to orange, oxidized and weathered interval 

(a paleosol?) developed on an underlying ash-flow 

deposit, probably equivalent to the Yucca Mountain 

Tuff, which is mapped at this stratigraphic horizon to 

the north of the sample grid. These pumiceous materials are tentatively inferred to represent the initial stages 

of the Claim Canyon eruption and caldera-collapse 

sequence that ultimately produced the 100-m-thick 

Tiva Canyon Tuff (Carr, 1988). The basal pumice-rich 

air-fall tuff varies in thickness laterally from 0.75 to 

2 m. Much of the thickness variation may indicate preexisting topography. Some of the variation in thickness 

may also indicate later erosion, because some exposures have been reworked, indicating minor breaks in 

volcanic activity preceding eruption of the main phase 

of the Tiva Canyon Tuff. A weakly developed, slightly 

iron-stained interval at the top of the pumice-rich airfall tuff may indicate incipient development of a weathering profile during a brief period of quiescence.

The pumice-rich air-fall tuff is overlain by 7.5 to 

12m (average thickness 9 m) of ash-flows that compose the bulk of the shardy-base unit (fig. 2). Two subunits seem to be present. The lower ash flow is 

nonwelded, poorly sorted, and varies in thickness from 

less than 2.5 to more than 6 m. A 0.5-m-thick interval 

at the base of the lower ash flow may locally contain 

large (as large as 10 cm) light-colored pumice fragments that are similar in composition and in color to the 

ash matrix and may be difficult to distinguish visually 

from the remainder of the ash flow. The upper ash flow 

varies from 2 to 6 m in thickness and changes from 

nonwelded at the base to densely welded at a gradational upper contact with the overlying columnar unit 

(fig. 2).

Distinctive yellow and less-common black, glass 

shards, easily visible under a hand lens, are characteristic of the entire shardy-base microstratigraphic unit. 

The gradational top of the shardy-base unit is characterized by the loss of macroscopically visible glass 

shards and the presence of increased welding, devitrification, and vapor-phase alteration. Locally, in the 

southern part of the outcrop, the shardy-base unit is 

overlain by a prominent, dark-gray, vertically jointed 

black vitrophyre. The vitrophyre seems to rise stratigraphically to the north in relationship to the top of the

GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW
Table 1. Conceptual comparative stratigraphic columns showing the zonation of units within the 

Paintbrush Group of Miocene age, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

[Abbreviations: Mtn. - Mountain, Cyn. - Canyon, Mbr. - Member. Proposed zonation of Buesch and others. Sequential letter codes: 

Tpc - Tiva Canyon, Tpt - Topopah Spring; r - crystal-rich, p - crystal poor; u - upper, 1 - lower; m - middle; 1 - lithophysal, n - 

nonlithophysal, v- vitric. Thermal/Mechanical Units. Sequential letter codes: TC - Tiva Canyon;.PT - Paintbrush; TS - Topopah 

Spring; CH - Calico Hills; w - welded; n - nonwelded]

Geologic Unit

(from Sawyer and 

others, 1994)

Paintbrush Group

Tiva 

Canyon 

Tuff

Yucca Mtn. Tuff

Pah Cyn. Tuff

Topopah 

Spring 

Tuff

Calico Hills 

Formation

Hydrologic zonation

(modified after 

Scott and Bonk, 1984)

Paintbrush Tuff

Tiva

Canyon 

Member

Yucca Mtn. Mbr.

Pah Cyn. Mbr.

Topopah 

Spring 

Member

Tuffaceous 

Beds of 

Calico Hills

ccr - caprock

cue upper cliff

oil - upper lithophysal

cks clinkstone

ell - lower lithophysal

ch- hackly

cc - columnar

ccs - sturdy base

not subdivided

upper nonwelded

tc - caprock

tr- rounded

tul- upper IHhophysal

tn - nonlithophysal

HI- lower lithophysal

tin- mottled

tv- basal vitrophyre

nonwelded base

not subdivided

Proposed 

zonation of 

Buesch and others

(USGS, written comm., 1994)

Tocrv

Tpcrn

Tpcrt

Tpcpul

Tpcpmn

Tpcpll

Tpcplnh

Tocolnc

Tpcpv3

Tpcpv2

Tpcpvl

or this report

Tptrv3

Tptrv2

Tptrvl

Tptm

Tptrt

Tptpul

Tptpmn

Tptpll

Tptpln

Tptpv3

Tptpv2

Tptpvl

or this report

Thermal/mechanical 

unit

(Otfe and others, 1985)

TCw

PTn

TSw1

TSw2

TSw3

CHn1

4 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
<D 

O

IT) 

-As/? flow: rhyolitic; densely t

welded to locally vitrophyric, 

devitrified upward; dark gray to co 

black with prominent black-glass | 

fiamme; prominent vertical 2 

cooling joints. o

Rapid increase in welding

Upper ash flow, rhyolitic; 

nonwelded at base to densely 

welded at top, yellow-brown; 

moderate pumice content, with 

clasts becoming flattened in upper 

part; upper part exhibits poorly 

developed blocky to subhorizontal 

fracturing.

CO

O

Lower ash flow, rhyolitic; 

nonwelded, poorly sorted, graybrown; sparse, small red-brown 

lithic clasts; 10- to 20- centimeter 

interval of 2- to 5-centimeter 

pumice clasts at base.

Pumice bed: air-fall tuff, white 

pumice clasts 3 to 6 millimeters; 

locally well laminated. Weak ironstained horizon at top

Weathered interval: red to orange, 

oxidized interval, variable in 

thickness and intensity

Older nonwelded ash-flow tuffs 

and reworked tuffaceous rocks

CO 

CO

CO 

OT

Figure 2. Schematic stratigraphic profile of part of the Paintbrush Group (Miocene) nonwelded interval in 

Solitario Canyon showing position of shardy-base lithologic interval near drill hole USW UZ-6s.

TRANSECT STRATIGRAPHY
shardy base, beginning slightly to the north of drill hole 

USW UZ-6s. The shardy-base unit is gradationally 

overlain by devitrified welded tuff to the north. The 

upper limit of the shardy-base unit, as the term is used 

in this report, occurs where the rock becomes black vitrophyre or devitrified, densely welded tuff. A distinct 

change in the style of jointing and fracturing also marks 

the contact with the overlying columnar unit. A poorly 

defined pattern of blocky, subhorizontal fractures 

within the upper part of the shardy-base unit is replaced 

at this gradational contact by the distinctive vertical 

cooling joints, from which the overlying columnar unit 

(table 1) derives its name (Scott and Bonk, 1984; these 

authors include the vitrophyre within their columnar 

unit). These flows, together with the overlying welded 

and devitrified rocks, represent products of the ongoing, if episodic, eruption and collapse of the Claim 

Canyon caldera (Carr, 1988).

STUDY METHODS

Field Sampling

Approximately 330 core samples, nominally 

2.5 cm in diameter and 4 to 10 cm in length, were collected from 26 vertical transects along the north-southtrending outcrop of the basal Tiva Canyon Tuff using a 

gasoline-powered, portable core drill and clear tap 

water [Nevada Test Site (NTS) well J-13] as a lubricant. The sample locations were measured in the field 

as the stratigraphic distance above the base of the basal 

air-fall pumice bed (fig. 2). The thickness of the 

shardy-base unit changes along the transect grid from 

7.5 to 12 m, and outcrops are variable in quality. Stratigraphic spacings between samples were measured 

using a 5-foot (about 1.5 m) Jacob's staff and an Abney 

level, supplemented by visual interpolation and a steel 

measuring tape. The (stratigraphically) vertical spacing between samples varied from 0.1 to 3.5 m and averaged 0.76 m. The number of samples per transect 

ranged from 10 to 17.

The north-south location of each transect was 

measured compared to the location of an earlier 

transect (Flint and others, 1995) in the vicinity of drill 

hole USW UZ-6s located on the crest of Yucca Mountain (fig. 1) at Nevada State Plane Coordinates (defined 

in feet) 759,909.3N, 558,050.4E (Fenix and Scisson, 

Inc., 1987) (equivalent to 231,609.1N, 170,085.5E, in 

meters). East-west locations were not recovered. Separations between transects were measured using a 

Topofil commercial string-measuring device at the 

upper terminus of each transect (at the base of the 

columnar unit). Spacings between individual transects

averaged 55 m. Transects were generally closer 

together in the southern part of the outcrop (as close as 

19m) and were more widely separated (as much as 

200 m) in the northern part, as the quality of the outcrop 

decreased because of northward convergence between 

the floor of Solitario Canyon and the outcrop trace of 

the shardy-base unit. Relative horizontal variation of 

sample locations along a specific vertical transect was 

assumed to be negligible, given the distances between 

transects. This scheme of locating samples by their 

vertical position within a transect produced an x-z 

(horizontal distance-elevation) grid approximately 

along the line indicated in figure 1. A summary of 

transect-location data and various relevant stratigraphic information is listed in table 2.

Laboratory Analyses

In the laboratory, the core plugs were trimmed 

using a small diamond saw to approximate rightcircular cylinders for material-properties testing. 

Porosity ((j), in cubic centimeters per cubic centimeter 

and expressed as a decimal fraction for simplicity), 

bulk density (p^, in grams per cubic centimeter), and 

particle density (pp, in grams per cubic centimeter) 

were determined using gravimetry and Archimedes' 

principle to determine sample volume. There are two 

major departures from the classical application 

(ASTM, 1977) of this technique. First, the samples 

were initially saturated with carbon dioxide gas by 

introducing the gas into an evacuated bell jar containing the samples; this process, which was repeated three 

times, prevents air entrapment in small internal pores 

of densely welded tuff samples because the CO2 is soluble in water. The samples then were saturated with 

degassed distilled water under a vacuum. Scoping 

studies indicated that saturated weights did not change 

meaningfully following a single iteration of this vacuum-saturation process, even with the addition of a 

pressure-saturation step. Second, samples were dried 

in a relative-humidity (RH)-controlled oven at 60°C 

and 45 percent RH (Bush and Jenkins, 1970), rather 

than at 105°C and associated ambient RH (per ASTM, 

1977). Soeder and others (1991) advocated the use of 

this lower-temperature/humidified technique, not only 

to preserve water present in the crystal structure of any 

clays and hydrated minerals (such as zeolites) present, 

but also to retain water loosely bound to grain surfaces 

that is not available to participate in unsaturated flow. 

Particle density, as used in this report, is similar to the 

more commonly reported grain density. However, 

because particle density is a property computationally

6 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
Table 2. Summary

[All distances in meters.

of transect locations and stratigraphic information, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Values may not add exactly because of unit conversions and founding.]

Transect 

identification

SB-1

SB-2

SB-3

SB-4

SB-5

SB-6

SB-7

SB-8

SB-9

SB-10

SB- 11

SB- 12

SB- 13

SB- 14

SB- 15

SB- 16

SB- 17

SB- 18

SB-19

SB-20

SB-21

SB-22

SB-23

SB-24

SB-25

SB-26

Horizontal 

distance north 

from USW 

UZ-6 transect

19.20

49.68

72.23

121.00

142.94

177.38

201.46

233.77

261.20

288.02

328.86

366.66

431.27

458.70

484.30

563.24

618.10

648.28

702.83

742.15

833.59

918.93

995.12

1,092.65

1,293.81

1,321.24

Thickness 

of basal 

pumicerich air-fall 

tuff

0.99

0.76

1.37

0.91

0.99

1.83

0.91

1.07

0.76

0.99

1.52

2.44

0.91

0.84

0.76

1.52

1.37

1.22

1.37

1.07

1.07

1.07

1.14

1.22

1.22

1.22

Thickness 

of lower 

ash flow

3.12

3.66

3.20

3.66

3.43

2.82

3.66

2.51

3.43

4.04

6.02

3.35

4.11

4.42

4.27

5.33

3.12

3.73

3.43

2.36

2.59

3.96

4.65

4.72

5.03

5.03

Thickness 

of upper 

ash flow

4.39

4.65

4.88

4.88

4.95

4.50

3.58

4.04

4.88

3.43

4.72

2.13

3.35

3.20

4.42

4.11

5.71

4.95

5.11

5.56

5.94

3.81

4.42

3.89

3.66

4.50

Total 

thickness

8.53

9.07

9.45

9.45

9.37

9.14

8.15

7.62

9.07

8.46

12.27

7.92

8.38

8.46

9.45

10.97

10.21

9.91

9.91

8.99

9.60

8.84

10.21

9.83

9.91

10.74

STUDY METHODS
derived from intact core samples, totally encapsulated 

void space, which was inaccessible to water flow, was 

not considered. Particle density is almost invariably 

lower than a grain-density determination obtained by 

crushing the rock and measuring the total volume of 

solid material. Particle density will approach grain 

density for rocks that have minimal totally encapsulated pore space.

Originally, the bulk-property measurements 

were to be repeated after more conventional drying of 

the samples at 105°C for comparison with other 

reported data (ASTM, 1977). However, physical disaggregation of the least-consolidated nonwelded samples through continued handling compromised sample 

integrity to the point that the validity of the comparison 

would have been questionable. Therefore, bulkproperty measurements corresponding to oven drying 

at 105°C have not been obtained.

Sample weights were reduced to the desired bulk 

properties as follows:

/ = Sjt + At (5)

_ dry weight 

* bulk volume

, _ saturated weight - dry weight , cp _ - , ana

bulk volume x

(1)

_ ____dry weight____ 

P bulk volume - pore volume , where (3)

pore volume = (saturated weight-dry weight)

and(4)

pw is the temperature-adjusted density of water (in 

grams per cubic centimeter). Bulk volume is simply 

the mass of the saturated sample submerged in water 

(Archimedes' principle).

Sorptivity was determined for all core samples 

that withstood the mechanical processing of the bulkproperty measurements. Sorptivity represents flow 

under unsaturated conditions, describing the rate of 

uptake of water by a porous media without gravitational effects (Philip, 1957). The relation is given by:

where / is imbibition, S is sorptivity, t is time, and A is 

a constant. For the early part of imbibition, At was 

assumed to be negligible (Talsma, 1969) and

/ = S Jt , where / is the quantity of water (in cubic 

centimeters) imbibed per unit area (in square centimeters); S is expressed in centimeters per A/time; and t is 

measured in seconds. For convenience, sorptivity is 

generally presented as log S (base 10) throughout this 

report.

For this experiment, the bottom of an acrylic box 

was lined with a towel that was kept saturated with tap 

water from NTS well J-13 using a constant-head 

Mariotte system. Relative-humidity-dried core samples were weighed, placed on the saturated surface, and 

periodically reweighed to determine the cumulative 

weight of water that imbibed as a function of time 

(Flint and others, 1994). The cross-sectional area of 

each sample was determined by measuring the diameter using a micrometer. At least three measurements 

were made in different locations on each sample and 

the results were averaged. Sorptivity was determined 

as the slope of a line fit through the data that were plotted as / versus *Jt .

Saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, in meters 

per second [generally presented as log Ks (base 10) 

throughout this report], was determined for all physically intact core samples. Saturated hydraulic conductivity values were measured using a constant-head 

method, which is described as follows. After imbibition measurements, the core samples were resaturated 

with tap water using the vacuum-evacuation/CC^- 

flooding technique. Each sample was encased inside 

heat-shrink tubing lined with a water-resistant sealant 

to preserve sample integrity during handling and measurements. Care was taken to apply the minimum 

amount of heat required to shrink the tubing and to 

obtain a water-tight seal. The encased samples were 

again resaturated with tap water with the same vacuum-evacuation/CO2-flooding technique. To measure

saturated hydraulic conductivity, an encased core sample was inserted into a length of vinyl tubing (2.5-cm 

inside diameter); hose clamps were used to secure the 

sample. One end of the tubing was attached to a reservoir that maintained a constant water level 1.5m above 

the end of the sample. The outflow end of the core 

sample was kept saturated at all times. The volume of 

tap water flowing through a core sample for 72 hours 

was collected, measured, and used to compute saturated hydraulic conductivity according to the equation:

Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
(6)

where Q is the quantity of water flowing through the 

sample per unit time (in cubic centimeters per second), 

A is the cross-sectional area of the sample core plug 

(in square centimeters), AH is the change in total head 

across the sample (in centimeters), and L is the coreplug length (in centimeters).

Those few samples for which a head in excess of 

1.5 m was needed to produce measurable flow (from 

one to three of the more-welded samples from each 

transect) were tested in a pressure permeameter to 

impose a differential hydraulic head of as much as 

60 m across the sample. These samples (and their heatshrink tubing) were encased in heavy vinyl tubing and 

placed in a chamber that produced a hydraulic confining pressure (0.41-0.55 MPa), slightly exceeding the 

gradient across the sample, and that prevented flow 

down the sides of the sample. Confining pressures of 

this magnitude did not affect the permeability of the 

rock, particularly because confining pressures were 

applied only to welded samples that had compressive 

strengths on the order of 100 MPa (Nimick and 

Schwartz, 1987). A separate system provided J-13 tap 

water under pressure for flow through the sample. 

Effluent was weighed on a top-loading balance, as the 

water left the sample, and the mass was recorded as a 

function of time. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was 

computed using Darcy's law (eq. 6) with measured 

sample lengths, cross-sectional areas and the appropriate steady-state flow measurements.

PHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGIC 

PROPERTIES

The laboratory measurements of porosity, an 

important framework hydrologic property from the 

transect samples, are presented in semiquantitative 

graphical form in figure 3. A corresponding presentation for saturated hydraulic conductivity is presented in 

figure 3. Although these graphs are only an approximate representation, they simultaneously portray the 

density and variability of sample coverage, the variation in stratigraphic thicknesses, and some of the systematic differences in material properties with spatial 

position. The visual impression is that porosity values 

(fig. 3) are markedly higher at the base of the unit (in 

excess of 60 percent), and that they decrease progressively upward. This upward decrease in porosity corresponds to progressive upward compaction and 

incipient welding, which occurs at the bottom of all 

welded-tuff sequences. A similar progressive decrease

is observed in values for saturated hydraulic conductivity (fig. 3). Values for porosity and for saturated 

hydraulic conductivity seem to be semiquantitatively 

equal at equivalent stratigraphic levels within each 

unit.

The actual, quantitative values of all bulk and 

hydrologic-flow properties measured for the transect 

samples are listed in table 4 in the appendix at the back 

of this report. A statistical summary of these data for 

samples belonging to the shardy-base unit and its subdivisions is presented in table 3. These same data are 

presented in histogram format in figure 5.

The statistical summary values from table 3 confirm the visual impressions derived from figures 3 and 

4. The mean porosity value in the basal pumice-rich 

air-fall tuff is more than 52 percent, decreasing to 

40 percent in the lower ash-flow tuff and decreasing 

again to 20 percent in the upper ash-flow tuff. Similar 

trends in the maximum and minimum measured porosity values are indicated. The differences in the complete distribution of values is emphasized in the 

histograms in figure 5, and the visual impressions of 

the histograms are confirmed by the numerical statistics in table . For example, the coefficient of variation 

for porosity is noticeably larger in the upper ash-flow 

tuff (51 percent, compared to 12 percent in the other 

units), verifying the field observation that most of the 

gradation in welding occurs within this subzone (see 

also fig. 2). Mean bulk density values increased markedly upward from 1.13 to 1.89 g/cm3 (table 3), varying 

inversely with porosity, and again indicating progressive physical compaction and welding of the tuff. For 

porosity and bulk density, the distribution of values 

changes most between the basal pumice-rich air-fall 

tuff and the two overlying ash-flow units, as is indicated by the comparative histograms (fig. 5). This contrast is attributed to differences in emplacement 

mechanics between the shower-like rain of well-sorted 

pyroclastic fragments from an airborne eruption cloud 

versus the concurrent, mass accumulation of a poorly 

sorted mix of volcanic debris from a density current 

produced by eruption-column collapse.

In contrast to the behavior of the other bulk properties, mean particle densities were almost constant

through the profile at slightly greater than 2.3 g/cm3 

(table 3). This consistency may reflect the uniformity 

of composition of the rhyolitic ash-flow material. 

Interestingly, the maximum measured particle density

o

changed the most, increasing from a low of 2.39 g/cm 

in the lower pumice-rich air-fall tuff to 2.49 g/cm3 and

o

then to 2.57 g/cm in the upper ash-flow subunit 

(table 3). This variation may indicate the expected, 

progressive upward elimination of intact gas bubbles in

PHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGIC PROPERTIES
N

O

UJ

10

15

OrP

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 

HORIZONTAL DISTANCE NORTH OF DRILL HOLE USW UZ-6S, IN METERS

Figure 3. Variations in porosity with spatial position in the shardy-base unit exposed in Solitario Canyon, 

Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Positions of dots indicate the approximate locations of samples below the 

lower contact of the columnar unit. Dots are gray-scale coded in proportion to the porosity value they 

represent. Contacts of the three subunits identified in the field are shown by lines.

10 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
o

LLJ 

CO CO

< a:

CD UJ

LLJ Z CD 

co <

Si

sg

10

15

krf> ?L6° ©

©

N

So0 Upper

O © O Ash oo

0 © O Flow ©

-1.7

-8.8

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 

HORIZONTAL DISTANCE NORTH OF DRILL HOLE USW UZ-6s, IN METERS

Figure 4. Variations in saturated hydraulic conductivity with spatial position in the shardy-base unit 

exposed in Solitario Canyon, Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Positions of dots indicate the approximate locations of samples below the lower contact of the columnar unit. Dots are gray-scale coded in proportion to 

the saturated hydraulic-conductivity value they represent. Contacts of the three subunits identified in the 

field are shown by lines.

PHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGIC PROPERTIES 11
Table 3. Summary statistics for samples belonging to the shardy-base unit of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of the Paintbrush 

Group of Miocene age, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

[C.V., coefficient of variation, a standardized measure of variability, is defined as the standard deviation divided by the mean, and generally is expressed 

in percent; N, number of samples. log(S), logarithm of sorptivity; log(Kg), logarithm of saturated hydraulic conductivity]

Statistical 

measure

Porosity 

(fraction)

Bulk density 

(g/cm3)

Particle density 

(g/cm3)

log($_ 

(cm/Vsec )

log(ig 

(m/sec)

Upper Ash-Flow Subunit

Minimum

Maximum

Mean

Variance

C.V.

N

0.056

0.445

0.195

0.0099

51

130

1.30

2.27

1.89

0.0589

13

130

2.21

2.57

2.35

0.0016

2

130

^5.896

-3.396

-5.082

0.2631

10

122

-8.839

-3.133

-6.728

1.5789

19

120

Lower Ash-Flow Subunit

Minimum

Maximum

Mean

Variance

C.V.

N

0.201

0.546

0.403

0.0023

12

140

1.13

1.87

1.38

0.0123

8

140

2.23

2.49

2.31

0.0015

2

140

-5.225

-2.907

-3.831

0.2296

13

133

-6.870

-2.154

-3.826

1.0075

26

133

Basal Pumice-Rich Air-Fall Tuff Subunit

Minimum

Maximum

Mean

Variance

C.V.

N

0.341

0.603

0.520

0.0042

12

36

0.93

1.54

1.13

0.0249

14

36

2.31

2.39

2.35

0.0005

1

36

-4.063

-2.986

-3.452

0.0699

8

35

-4.511

-1.607

-2.862

0.5030

25

33

Entire Shardy-Base Unit

Minimum

Maximum

Mean

Variance

C.V.

N

0.056

0.603

0.329

0.0202

43

306

0.93

2.27

1.56

0.1170

22

306

2.21

2.57

2.33

0.0018

2

306

-5.896

-2.907

-4.312

0.670

19

290

-8.839

-1.607

-4.933

3.6077

39

286

12 Physical and Hydroiogic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwdded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
0.8

pumice 

lower 

upper 1.5 2 

BULK DENSITY,

2.5

pumice 

lower 

upper

POROSITY, AS A FRACTION IN GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER

(c)

lower

log(S, IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND )

pumice

-1

pumice 

lower 

upper

IN METERS PER SECOND)

Figure 5. Distribution of values for (a) porosity, (b) bulk density, (c) log sorptivity, and (d) log saturated hydraulic 

conductivity for the entire shardy-base unit of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of Miocene age, Yucca Mountain, Nevada. 

"Lower" and "upper" correspond to the lower and upper ash-flow subunits.

PHYSICAL AND HYDROLOGIC PROPERTIES 13
unfragmented glass shards with increased compaction 

and welding. Because wholly enclosed bubble structures are not accessible by the saturation and waterdisplacement technique underlying Archimedes' principle (see discussion in the "Laboratory Analyses" section), elimination of these intact bubbles indicates that 

the particle density of the upper ash-flow subunit may 

be approaching the true grain density of the tuffs.

In terms of flow properties, log Ks diminished 

markedly with increasing elevation within the shardybase unit. The mean log Ks value in the basal pumicerich air-fall tuff is -2.862 (log of meters per second) 

(table 3). The mean value progressively diminished to

-3.826 (log of meters per second) in the lower ash-flow 

subunit, and nonlinearly to -6.728 (log of meters per 

second) in the upper ash-flow subunit a nearly 

3-order of magnitude decrease over what is generally a 

vertical interval of about 5 m. Above the shardy-base 

interval, saturated hydraulic conductivity values 

diminished an additional two to four orders of magnitude within the more densely welded, and ubiquitously 

devitrified, tuffs of the overlying part of the Tiva Canyon Tuff (Flint and others, 1995). Differences in saturated hydraulic conductivity between the locally 

developed lower Tiva Canyon vitrophyre and the devitrified part of the columnar microstratigraphic unit were 

not included as part of this investigation. Sorptivity 

values changed little on average from the basal pumice-rich air-fall tuff to the lower ash-flow subunit; the 

mean values of sorptivity were -3.452 and -3.831 log 

units (table 3). However, the more strongly welded 

upper ash-flow subunit had a mean sorptivity of

-5.082 log units.

These vertical changes in hydrologic properties 

are shown more precisely as a function of vertical position in figure 6. Each part of figure 6 is a composite 

scatterplot (aggregated for all transects) of the selected 

material property as a function of vertical distance 

above the base of the basal pumice-rich air-fall tuff. 

The three-fold subdivision (pumice-rich air-fall tuff, 

and lower and upper ash-flow tuffs) of the shardy-base 

unit is quite prominent. The changes in mean property 

values can be correlated with the gross variations 

shown on in figure 6. The overall spatial variability of 

these data was evaluated in greater detail by Rautman 

and others (1993) and by Istok and others (1994).

The preceding discussion indicates that the 

hydrologic properties seem to be correlated with one 

another, except for particle density. These crossvariable correlations are presented graphically in 

figure 7. The correlation was generally quite strong, as

indicated by the coefficient of determination (r2 value) 

shown in each scatterplot. The correlation of the flow

properties, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and sorptivity (a surrogate for unsaturated hydraulic conductivity) (log values) with porosity is considered excellent, 

given that permeability is generally only poorly correlated with porosity. The r2 values were 0.824 and 

0.825. Evidently, the genetic physical processes 

responsible for formation of the lowermost Tiva Canyon Tuff affected the overall pore volume (porosity) 

and the pore throats (saturated hydraulic conductivity) 

in a similar manner, which suggests that porosity can 

be used as a surrogate for the flow properties that are 

more difficult to measure, at least for rocks of this 

restricted stratigraphic interval.

SUMMARY

Laboratory measurement of bulk and fundamental hydrologic properties on samples from an intensive 

outcrop-sampling program at the base of the Tiva Canyon Tuff of the Paintbrush Group has identified an 

interval of pronounced change in material character at 

this stratigraphic level. This interval represents the first 

major lithologic and material-property change below 

the present (1994) topographic surface of Yucca Mountain.

The changes in hydrologic properties are systematic and entirely consistent with those expected for the 

nonwelded to welded transition at the base of a major 

ash-flow sequence, and they indicate the relatively 

direct effect of ash-flow consolidation. Porosity 

decreased with increasing elevation within the unit, 

indicating progressive compaction and the onset of 

welding. Conversely, the bulk density of the samples 

increased with increasing elevation. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity (a surrogate for unsaturated conductivity) decreased as the available pore 

volume, and the size of the pore throats through which 

water flows, decreased.

The quantitative values of these hydrologic properties may be useful in numerical modeling of groundwater flow and material transport through the upper 

part of the stratigraphic section at Yucca Mountain. In 

addition, these quantitative values provide the raw data 

for improved understanding of the geologic control of 

spatial variations within ash-flow sheets.

14 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
(a)

i.

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 

POROSITY, AS A FRACTION

(b)

g

E 4

01234

BULK DENSITY, 

IN GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER

(c)

5 8

Z

-7 -6-5-4-3 -2 

log(S, IN CENTIMETERS PER SECOND0 *)

I.

V V

« . &

-10-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 

log(K , IN METERS PER SECOND)

Figure 6. Selected hydrologic properties versus transect elevation, 

showing vertical control of material properties at Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada: (a) porosity; (b) bulk density; (c) log sorptivity; (d) log saturated 

hydraulic conductivity.

SUMMARY 15
oc

LU

LU

2 

H

COO

o.

CO

<

IT 

CD

(a)

0 

0.0

= 0.993

0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 

POROSITY, AS A FRACTION

CO

DC 

UJ °-

CO

DC 

LU

LU

-2

-3

-4*

-5

-6

z 

co" 

1? -7

(b)

«*? *r* 

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 

POROSITY, AS A FRACTION

O 

O LU

CO

(L 

LU 

Q.

CO

OC 

LUID

1?

-1

-2

-3

-4

-5

-6

-7

-8

-9

-10

-(C)

r2 = 0.825

0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 

POROSITY, AS A FRACTION

-2

O

aCO

oc

LU

-5

-6

i i i i i i I r 

(d)

 r2 = 0.841

OC 

LU

LU

2 

H

LU

Z

Q

CT .7

o .10 .9 .3 .7 _ 6 .5 .4 .3 .2 .

log (K s , IN METERS PER SECOND)

Figure 7. Cross-variable correlations between various hydrologic properties measured on samples from 

the shardy-base unit at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: (a) bulk density as a function of porosity; (b) log sorptivity as a function of porosity; (c) log saturated hydraulic conductivity as a function of porosity; and 

(d) log sorptivity as a function of log saturated hydraulic conductivity.

16 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
REFERENCES CITED

ASTM [American Society for Testing Materials], 1977, 

Adsorption and bulk-specific gravity of natural building stone: Annual Book of ASTM Standards, part 19, 

ANSI/ASTM R97-47.

Bush, D.C., and Jenkins, R.E., 1970, Proper hydration of 

clays for rock property determinations: Journal of 

Petroleum Technology, v. 22, July, p. 800-804. 

(NNA.921026.003)

Carr, W.J., 1988, Volcano-tectonic setting of Yucca 

Mountain and Crater Flat, southwestern Nevada, in 

Carr, M.D., and Yount, J.C., Geologic and hydrologic 

investigations of a potential nuclear waste disposal site 

at Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada: U.S. Geological 

Survey Bulletin 1790, p. 35-49. (NNA.891114.0346)

Fenix and Scisson, Inc., 1987, NNWSI [Nevada Nuclear 

Waste Storage Investigations] drilling and mining summary: U.S. Department of Energy, Nevada Operations 

Office Report DOE/NV/10322-24,45 p. 

(NNA.890922.0283)

Flint, A.L., Flint, L.E., and Richards, KA., 1994, Evaluation 

of measurement scale using imbibition experiments in 

volcanic tuffs: Soil Science Society of America Journal, v. 58, p. 94-102.

Flint, L.E., Flint, A.L., Rautman, C.A., and Istok, J.D., 1995, 

Physical and hydrologic properties of surface outcrop 

samples at Yucca Mountain, Nevada: U.S. Geological 

Survey Open-File Report 95-280.

Istok, J.D., Rautman, C.A., Flint, L.E., and Flint, A.L., 1994, 

Spatial variability of hydrologic properties in a volcanic 

tuff: Ground Water, v. 32, p. 751-760. 

(MOL. 19941128.0061)

Nimick, F.B., and Schwartz, B.M., 1987, Bulk, thermal, and 

mechanical properties of the Topopah Spring Member 

of the Paintbrush Tuff, Yucca Mountain, Nevada: 

Sandia Report SAND85-0762, Sandia National 

Laboratories, Albuquerque, N. Mex., 180 p. 

(NNA.871013.0012)

Ortiz, T. S., Williams, RX., Nimick, F.B., Whittet, B.C., and 

South, D.L., 1985, A three-dimensional model of reference thermal/mechanical and hydrological stratigraphy

at Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada: Sandia Report 

SAND84-1076, Sandia National Laboratories, 

Albuquerque, N. Mex., 76 p. (NNA.890315.0013)

Philip, J.R., 1957, Theory of infiltration 1. The infiltration 

equation and its solution: Soil Science, v. 83, 

p. 345-357. (NNA.910820.0012)

Rautman, C.A., and Flint, A.L., 1992, Deterministic geologic processes and stochastic modeling, in High-level 

radioactive waste management; proceedings of the 

third international conference: LaGrange Park, 111., 

American Nuclear Society, p. 1617 1624. 

(NNA.920505.0069)

Rautman, C.A., Istok, J.D., Flint, A.L., Flint, L.E., and 

Chornack, M.P., 1993, Influence of deterministic geologic trends on spatial variability of hydrologic properties in volcanic tuff, in High-level radioactive waste 

management, proceedings of the fourth international 

conference: LaGrange Park, 111., American Nuclear 

Society,?. 921-929. (NNA.930702.0012)

Sawyer, D.A., Fleck, R.J., Lanphere, M.A., Warren, R.G., 

Broxton, D.E., and Hudson, M.R., 1994, Episodic 

caldera volcanism in the Miocene southwest Nevada 

volcanic field, Arr Ar geochronology, and implications for magmatism and extension: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 106, no. 10, p. 1304-1318.

Scott, R.B., and Bonk, Jerry., 1984, Preliminary geologic 

map of Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, with 

geologic sections: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 

Report 84-494,10 p. (HQS.880517.1443)

Soeder, D.J., Flint, L.E., and Flint, A.L., 1991, Effects of 

sample handling and measurement methodology on the 

determination of porosity in volcanic rock samples 

[abs.]: Agronomy Abstracts, 1991 Annual Meeting, 

p. 232. (NNA.920707.0070)

Talsma.T, 1969, In-situ measurement of sorptivity: Australian Journal Soil Research, v. 7, p. 269-276. 

(NNA.930330.0088)

NOTE: Parenthesized numbers following each cited reference are for U.S. Department of Energy OCRWM 

Records Management purposes only and should not be 

used when ordering the publication.

REFERENCES CITED 17
18 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
APPENDIX

APPENDIX 19
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying

[ --, not measured because of sample condition, 

tables]

Exponential notation (E-04 indicating "x 10 ") is used to avoid superscript values in closely spaced

Sample 

Identification

SB1-1

SB 1-2

SB 1-3

SB 1-4

SB 1-5

SB 1-6

SB 1-7

SB 1-8

SB 1-9

SB1-10

SB2-1

SB2-2

SB2-3

SB2-4

SB2-5

SB2-6

SB2-7

SB2-8

SB2-9

SB2-10

SB2-11

SB3-1

SB3-2

SB3-3

SB3-4

SB3-5

SB3-6

SB3-7

SB3-8

SB3-9

SB3-10

SB3-11

SB4-1

SB4-2

SB4-3

SB4-4

SB4-5

Subunit

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

0.30

0.91

1.07

1.68

2.44

2.74

3.96

4.88

7.01

7.92

0.46

0.76

1.83

2.44

3.05

4.11

4.72

5.94

6.86

7.77

8.38

0.46

1.07

1.68

2.13

2.96

3.51

4.27

4.72

6.10

7.77

8.99

0.30

0.76

1.22

1.83

2.59

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

-8.23

-7.62

-7.47

-6.86

-6.10

-5.79

-4.57

-3.66

-1.52

-0.61

-8.61

-8.31

-7.24

-6.63

-6.02

-4.95

-4.34

-3.12

-2.21

-1.30

-0.69

-8.99

-8.38

-7.77

-7.31

-6.49

-5.94

-5.18

-4.72

-3.35

-1.68

-0.46

-9.14

-8.69

-8.23

-7.62

-6.86

Porosity 

(fraction)

Transect SB-1

0.573

0.491

0.513

0.427

0.409

0.405

0.382

0.320

0.166

0.056

Transect SB-2

0.562

0.455

0.428

0.422

0.429

0.377

0.306

0.276

0.163

0.112

0.084

Transect SB-3

0.570

0.434

0.442

0.409

0.412

0.451

0.364

0.299

0.244

0.121

0.124

Transect SB-4

0.572

0.459

0.462

0.432

0.403

Bulk 

tensity 

g/cnO

1.00

.20

.13

.33

.37

.38

.44

.60

.98

2.14

1.02

1.31

1.32

1.33

1.32

1.45

1.62

1.70

1.99

2.12

2.17

1.01

1.34

1.27

1.34

1.35

1.27

1.47

1.62

1.78

2.08

2.08

1.01

1.28

1.25

1.31

1.39

Particle 

density 

(g/cnO

2.33

2.36

2.32

2.32

2.33

2.32

2.33

2.35

2.37

2.27

2.32

2.40

2.32

2.30

2.31

2.33

2.33

2.34

2.37

2.38

2.37

2.34

2.37

2.27

2.27

2.29

2.32

2.31

2.31

2.35

2.36

2.37

2.35

2.36

2.33

2.31

2.33

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

(Vsec )

3.37E-04

1.6 IE-04

1.47E-04

2.43E-04

~

2.62E-04

5.54E-05

1.38E-05

3.80E-06

1.87E-06

4.14E-04

4.43E-04

2.63E-04

4.73E-04

-

1.72E-04

2.76E-05

1.12E-05

3.78E-06

4.46E-06

1.84E-06

6.76E-04

3. 5 IE-04

5.92E-04

4.36E-04

~

3.00E-04

1.80E-04

3.43E-05

7.55E-06

3.63E-06

6.27E-06

4.96E-04

2.34E-04

3.08E-04

2.96E-04

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

5.44E-04

--

5.75E-04

--

--

7.59E-04

5.22E-05

7.54E-05

4.9 IE-06

8.09E-07

1.07E-02

2.05E-04

2.24E-03

3.69E-04

-

2.85E-05

4.70E-06

3.06E-07

5.7 IE-09

-

9.04E-08

2.47E-02

7.57E-04

3.87E-03

2.92E-04

~

9.24E-04

2.09E-05

9.92E-06

~

~

4.13E-08

7.4 IE-04

6.20E-04

1.24E-03

4.66E-04

__

20 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

IdentificationSubunit

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

Porosity 

(fraction) .

Bulk 

[g/cm )

Particle 

density 

(g/cm5)

Sorptivity 

(cm/

( /sec )

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

Transect SB-4-Continued

SB4-6

SB4-7

SB4-8

SB4-9

SB4-10

SB4-11

SB5-1

SB5-2

SB5-3

SB5-4

SB5-5

SB5-6

SB5-7

SB5-8

SB5-9

SB5-10

SB5-11

SB5-12

SB5-13

SB6-1

SB6-2

SB6-3

SB6-4

SB6-5

SB6-6

SB6-7

SB6-8

SB6-9

SB6-10

SB6-11

SB6-12

SB7-1

SB7-2

SB7-3

SB7-4

SB7-5

SB7-6

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

3.66

4.11

5.03

7.62

8.38

9.14

0.61

0.91

1.83

2.13

2.90

3.35

4.27

4.72

5.64

6.55

7.92

8.53

9.30

0.91

1.37

1.98

2.74

3.41

3.96

5.33

5.79

6.71

7.47

8.23

8.99

0.30

0.76

1.22

1.68

2.29

2.74

-5.79

-5.33

-4.42

-1.83

-1.07

-0.30

-8.76

-8.46

-7.54

-7.24

-6.48

-6.02

-5.11

-4.65

-3.73

-2.82

-1.45

-0.84

-0.08

-8.23

-7.77

-7.16

-6.40

-5.73

-5.18

-3.81

-3.35

-2.44

-1.68

-0.91

-0.15

-7.85

-7.39

-6.93

-6.48

-5.87

-5.41

0.432

0.428

0.351

0.085

0.103

0.090

Transect SB-5

0.589

0.539

0.447

0.438

0.419

0.409

0.427

0.374

0.344

0.289

0.171

0.144

0.094

Transect SB-6

0.522

0.456

0.402

0.400

0.435

0.433

0.349

0.285

0.179

0.149

0.122

0.082

Transect SB-7

0.572

0.503

0.417

0.388

0.403

0.383

1.32

1.33

1.52

2.05

2.12

2.14

0.96

1.08

1.27

1.29

1.36

1.37

1.34

1.46

1.53

1.67

1.95

2.01

2.14

1.12

1.30

1.39

1.40

1.32

1.32

1.52

1.68

1.93

2.02

2.11

2.19

1.00

1.19

1.31

1.39

1.36

1.41

2.32

2.33

2.34

2.24

2.37

2.35

2.35

2.35

2.30

2.30

2.33

2.32

2.33

2.34

2.33

2.34

2.35

2.35

2.36

2.34

2.38

2.32

2.33

2.33

2.32

2.34

2.35

2.35

2.38

2.41

2.39

2.34

2.39

2.25

2.28

2.28

2.28

2.4 IE-04

8.85E-05

2.58E-05

1.76E-06

1.27E-06

3.86E-06

7.14E-04

4.59E-04

8.57E-05

5.83E-04

6.83E-05

3.46E-04

3.97E-04

2.79E-05

1.14E-05

1.83E-05

4.47E-06

8.30E-06

6.6 IE-06

6.9 IE-04

2.56E-04

1.54E-04

1.06E-04

1.60E-04

1.21E-04

1.34E-05

8.62E-06

2.30E-06

5.23E-06

3.67E-06

2.35E-06

5.75E-04

3.63E-04

1.52E-04

1.96E-04

3.41E-04

1.63E-04

4.00E-04

1.7 IE-04

5.39E-06

8.79E-07

2.77E-07

1.76E-07

3.49E-03

1.78E-03

3.60E-04

1.25E-03

5.61E-05

3.06E-04

1.65E-04

1.6 IE-04

7.8 IE-07

1.85E-06

3.78E-08

1.6 IE-08

1.47E-08

7.32E-04

7.34E-05

1.1 IE-04

1.02E-04

1.42E-04

2.84E-05

1.10E-06

1.50E-06

6.82E-08

4.26E-07

2.12E-08

~

5.98E-04

2.69E-04

--

1.76E-04

7.74E-05

4.59E-05

APPENDIX 21
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

IdentificationSubunit

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

Porosity 

(fraction) .

Bulk 

lensity 

g/cm )

Particle 

density 

(g/cm5)

Sorptivity 

(cm/

( -/sec )

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

Transect SB-7-Continued

SB7-7

SB7-8

SB7-9

SB7-10

SB8-1

SB8-2

SB8-3

SB8-4

SB8-5

SB8-6

SB8-7

SB8-8

SB8-9

SB8-10

SB8-11

SB9-1

SB9-2

SB9-3

SB9-4

SB9-5

SB9-6

SB9-7

SB9-8

SB9-9

SB9-9f

SB9-10

SB9-11

SB9-12

SB 10-1

SB 10-2

SB 10-3

SB 10-4

SB 10-5

SB 10-6

SB 10-7

SB 10-8

SB 10-9

lower

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

columnar

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

3.96

5.18

7.01

7.77

0.30

0.46

1.22

1.68

2.13

2.74

3.20

3.96

4.57

6.71

7.16

0.30

1.22

1.68

2.59

2.90

3.66

4.72

5.18

5.94

5.94

7.01

8.08

8.84

-0.30

1.07

1.83

2.29

2.74

3.66

4.11

4.88

5.64

-4.19

-2.97

-1.14

-0.38

-7.31

-7.16

-6.40

-5.94

-5.49

-4.88

-4.42

-3.66

-3.05

-0.91

-0.46

-8.76

-7.85

-7.39

-6.48

-6.17

-5.41

-4.34

-3.89

-3.12

-3.12

-2.06

-0.99

-0.23

-8.76

-7.39

-6.63

-6.17

-5.71

-4.80

-4.34

-3.58

-2.82

0.275

0.200

0.143

0.106

Transect SB-8

0.586

0.484

0.414

0.406

0.382

0.402

0.364

0.223

0.185

0.104

0.092

Transect SB-9

0.533

0.407

0.387

0.419

0.494

0.343

0.307

0.236

0.179

0.172

0.141

0.108

0.123

Transect SB-10

0.435

0.450

0.429

0.416

0.427

0.313

0.300

0.244

0.200

1.63

1.86

2.02

2.13

0.97

1.23

1.35

1.38

1.44

1.40

1.50

1.83

1.94

2.14

2.19

1.10

1.35

1.41

1.36

1.20

1.55

1.64

1.80

1.96

1.94

2.05

2.14

2.15

1.27

1.26

1.40

1.34

1.31

1.54

1.64

1.77

1.87

2.24

2.32

2.35

2.38

2.35

2.39

2.31

2.32

2.33

2.34

2.35

2.35

2.39

2.39

2.41

2.35

2.28

2.30

2.35

2.36

2.37

2.37

2.36

2.39

2.34

2.39

2.40

2.45

2.25

2.29

2.46

2.29

2.29

2.24

2.34

2.34

2.34

1.49E-05

7.19E-06

6.56E-06

2.70E-06

4.53E-04

7.45E-04

4.57E-04

1.49E-04

5.53E-05

8.58E-05

1.53E-05

5.96E-06

3.19E-06

3.40E-06

3.79E-06

1.63E-04

3.9 IE-04

4.27E-04

1.27E-04

7.74E-05

2.83E-05

5.44E-05

2.55E-05

2.5 IE-05

~

2.24E-06

5.44E-06

6.57E-06

1.03E-04

5.80E-04

8.03E-04

1.68E-04

1.12E-04

5.38E-05

2.98E-05

3.27E-05

2.47E-05

3.48E-07

1.83E-07

1.44E-08

2.06E-09

4.93E-04

~

2.88E-04

8.29E-04

1.26E-05

1.94E-05

1.35E-07

8.52E-08

5.15E-08

1.8 IE-08

1.45E-09

3.87E-04

1.84E-03

2.50E-04

6.39E-05

3.78E-05

9.55E-06

1.60E-07

5.98E-08

1.18E-07

8.49E-09

2.65E-08

4.80E-08

2.99E-07

5.65E-05

3.10E-04

7.35E-04

1.96E-04

4.4 IE-05

3.88E-07

8.58E-07

4.45E-07

1.06E-08

22 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

Identification

SB10-10

SB10-11

SB10-12

SB10-13

SB11-1

SB11-2

SB11-3

SB11-4

SB11-5

SB11-6

SB11-7

SB11-8

SB11-9

SB11-10

SB11-11

SB11-12

SB11-13

SB11-14

SB11-15

SB11-16

SB12-1

SB 12-2

SB 12-3

SB 12-4

SB 12-5

SB 12-6

SB 12-7

SB 12-8

SB 12-9

SB12-10

SB12-11

SB13-1

SB 13-2

SB 13-3

SB 13-4

SB 13-5

SB 13-6

Subunit

upper

upper

upper

upper

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

6.40

7.01

7.31

7.92

1.52

1.83

2.44

3.05

3.51

3.96

4.72

5.49

6.40

7.31

7.77

8.23

9.14

9.91

10.97

11.89

1.52

1.83

2.74

3.35

4.11

5.03

5.49

6.10

6.71

7.16

7.47

0.15

0.76

1.07

1.37

2.44

3.20

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

Bulk Porosity .

(fraction) ** % 1 ' (g/cm )

Transect SB-10-Continued

-2.06 0.147 2.00

-1.45

-1.14

-0.53

-10.74

-10.44

-9.83

-9.22

-8.76

-8.31

-7.54

-6.78

-5.87

-4.95

-4.50

-4.04

-3.12

-2.36

-1.30

-0.38

-6.40

-6.10

-5.18

-4.57

-3.81

-2.90

-2.44

-1.83

-1.22

-0.76

-0.46

-8.23

-7.62

-7.31

-7.01

-5.94

-5.18

0.120

0.110

0.094

Transect SB-11

0.358

0.546

0.410

0.413

0.411

0.400

0.420

0.441

0.437

0.341

0.300

0.206

0.201

0.145

0.114

0.117

Transect SB-12

0.497

0.468

0.409

0.362

0.431

0.426

0.382

0.229

0.189

0.107

0.108

Transect SB-13

0.568

0.434

0.387

0.406

0.410

0.377

2.07

2.08

2.15

1.43

1.13

1.33

1.33

1.33

1.36

1.32

1.30

1.31

1.54

1.63

1.87

1.91

2.02

2.11

2.27

1.18

1.26

1.36

1.46

1.30

1.34

1.45

1.81

1.92

2.11

2.12

1.00

1.35

1.39

1.35

1.36

1.44

Particle 

density 

(g/crrO

2.34

2.35

2.34

2.37

2.23

2.49

2.25

2.28

2.26

2.26

2.27

2.33

2.32

2.34

2.33

2.36

2.39

2.37

2.38

2.57

2.35

2.37

2.30

2.29

2.28

2.33

2.35

2.35

2.36

2.37

2.38

2.31

2.38

2.26

2.27

2.30

2.30

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

( ./sec )

_

5.19E-06

6.78E-06

5.57E-06

2.82E-05

5.69E-04

6.29E-04

2.34E-04

1.62E-04

2.7 IE-04

3.46E-04

1.32E-04

8.42E-05

1.35E-05

-

1.80E-05

1.34E-05

7.6 IE-06

4.04E-06

6.9 IE-06

5.90E-04

4.50E-04

1.24E-03

1.26E-04

3.56E-04

1.29E-04

5.37E-05

7.48E-06

5.27E-06

3.91E-06

8.03E-06

4.07E-04

1.49E-04

9.4 IE-05

3.23E-04

9.79E-05

4.57E-05

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

4.17E-08

8.73E-08

9.42E-09

9.90E-09

9.19E-06

1.77E-05

1.24E-03

1.43E-03

4.56E-05

9.30E-05

3.33E-04

1.66E-03

5.50E-06

2.20E-07

1.4 IE-07

3.50E-08

1.56E-08

1.47E-08

1.29E-07

8.90E-09

7.06E-03

1.11E-03

7.14E-04

8.45E-04

4.01E-04

1.27E-04

1.17E-05

7.62E-09

1.44E-08

1.34E-07

1.84E-08

1.94E-02

5.64E-04

4.27E-04

9.3 IE-04

2.92E-04

3.96E-05

APPENDIX 23
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

Identification

SB 13-7

SB 13-8

SB 13-9

SB13-10

SB 13-11

SB13-12

SB14-1

SB 14-2

SB 14-3

SB 14-4

SB 14-5

SB 14-6

SB 14-7

SB14-8

SB 14-9

SB14-10

SB14-11

SB14-12

SB15-1

SB 15-2

SB 15-3

SB 15-4

SB 15-5

SB 15-6

SB 15-7

SB 15-8

SB 15-9

SB15-10

SB15-11

SB16-1

SB 16-2

SB 16-3

SB 16-4

SB 16-5

SB 16-6

SB 16-7

SB 16-8

Subunit

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

columnar

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

3.96

4.72

5.33

6.86

7.31

8.08

0.61

0.91

1.52

2.13

2.90

3.35

4.11

4.57

5.94

7.62

8.08

8.84

0.61

0.91

1.68

2.13

3.05

3.81

4.27

5.79

6.55

7.01

8.38

1.37

1.98

2.59

3.66

3.81

4.42

5.18

5.64

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

-4.42

-3.66

-3.05

-1.52

-1.07

-0.30

-7.85

-7.54

-6.93

-6.32

-5.56

-5.11

-4.34

-3.89

-2.51

-0.84

-0.38

0.38

-8.84

-8.53

-7.77

-7.31

-6.40

-5.64

-5.18

-3.66

-2.90

-2.44

-1.07

-9.60

-8.99

-8.38

-7.31

-7.16

-6.55

-5.79

-5.33

Porosity Bulk 

tensity 

g/cm )

Transect SB-13-Continued

0.312 1.58

0.300

0.201

0.106

0.103

0.102

Transect SB-14

0.490

0.425

0.419

0.399

0.428

0.414

0.379

0.343

0.171

0.122

0.107

0.089

Transect SB-15

0.436

0.395

0.427

0.421

0.405

0.406

0.352

0.232

0.176

0.128

0.103

Transect SB-16

0.341

0.419

0.422

0.425

0.411

0.427

0.436

0.415

1.64

1.83

2.06

2.10

2.10

1.21

1.31

1.31

1.38

1.31

1.40

1.43

1.54

1.85

2.06

2.08

2.12

1.33

1.37

1.29

1.32

1.37

1.38

1.53

1.77

1.91

2.04

2.13

1.54

1.30

1.32

1.31

1.35

1.31

1.30

1.36

Particle 

density 

(g/cnO

2.30

2.34

2.29

2.30

2.35

2.34

2.38

2.27

2.25

2.29

2.29

2.38

2.30

2.34

2.24

2.35

2.33

2.33

2.36

2.27

2.26

2.29

2.31

2.33

2.36

2.31

2.32

2.34

2.37

2.34

2.24

2.29

2.28

2.29

2.29

2.31

2.32

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

(//sec )

1.25E-05

1.39E-05

5.10E-06

2.66E-06

5.43E-06

3.66E-06

l.OOE-04

1.3 IE-04

4.16E-04

1.49E-04

2.50E-04

2.39E-04

5.94E-05

1.06E-05

2.44E-06

5.00E-06

5.47E-06

5.47E-06

8.65E-05

1.74E-04

3.55E-04

2.33E-04

1.06E-04

9.59E-05

9.43E-06

4.78E-06

2.16E-06

1.82E-06

5.45E-06

1.17E-04

2.43E-04

1.96E-04

3.07E-04

1.09E-04

2.47E-04

3.59E-04

1.70E-04

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

1.86E-06

8.37E-07

1.2 IE-07

1.89E-08

6.50E-08

4.3 IE-09

3.08E-05

1.8 IE-03

2.63E-03

1.22E-04

1.56E-03

1.46E-03

6.63E-06

6.28E-05

»

~

5.17E-09

~

5.13E-05

2.95E-04

1.1 IE-03

4.40E-04

1.34E-04

5.58E-05

2.33E-06

2.03E-07

8.19E-08

3.49E-08

3.7 IE-08

2.42E-03

7.79E-04

3.03E-04

5.07E-04

3.56E-04

1.03E-03

1.33E-03

3.41E-04

24 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

IdentificationSubunit

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

Porosity Bulk 

density 

g/cm )

Particle 

density 

(g/cm5)

Sorptivity 

(cm/

(VsecT )

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

Transect SB-16-Continued

SB 16-9

SB 16- 10

SB16-11

SB16-12

SB16-13

SB 16- 14

SB16-15

SB17-1

SB 17-2

SB 17-3

SB 17-4

SB 17-5

SB 17-6

SB 17-7

SB17-8

SB 17-9

SB17-10

SB18-1

SB 18-2

SB 18-3

SB 18-4

SB 18-5

SB 18-6

SB 18-7

SB 18-8

SB 18-9

SB 18- 10

SB19-1

SB 19-2

SB 19-3

SB 19-4

SB 19-5

SB 19-6

SB 19-7

SB19-8

SB 19-9

SB19-10

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

6.55

7.16

7.77

8.99

9.30

10.06

10.52

0.30

0.91

1.52

2.74

3.35

4.11

4.88

5.64

7.62

9.45

0.30

2.44

3.20

3.66

3.96

4.57

5.33

6.10

7.31

9.14

0.30

0.91

1.98

2.44

3.05

3.51

4.27

5.33

6.10

6.86

-4.42

-3.81

-3.20

-1.98

-1.68

-0.91

-0.46

-9.91

-9.30

-8.69

-7.47

-6.86

-6.10

-5.33

-4.57

-2.59

-0.76

-9.60

-7.47

-6.71

-6.25

-5.94

-5.33

-4.57

-3.81

-2.59

-0.76

-9.60

-8.99

-7.92

-7.47

-6.86

-6.40

-5.64

-4.57

-3.81

-3.05

0.373

0.336

0.236

0.169

0.152

0.100

0.107

Transect SB17

0.596

0.448

0.489

0.433

0.416

0.389

0.382

0.321

0.200

0.114

Transect SB-18

0.582

0.419

0.417

0.418

0.414

0.419

0.377

0.326

0.229

0.112

Transect SB-19

0.603

0.488

0.431

0.427

0.462

0.461

0.444

0.338

0.254

0.202

1.48

1.56

1.80

1.94

1.99

2.12

2.13

0.94

1.31

1.18

1.31

1.35

1.41

1.44

1.59

1.88

2.09

0.98

1.31

1.30

1.34

1.33

1.34

1.46

1.58

1.80

2.10

0.93

1.22

1.32

1.32

1.26

1.26

1.31

1.56

1.75

1.89

2.36

2.35

2.35

2.34

2.35

2.36

2.38

2.32

2.37

2.31

2.31

2.31

2.31

2.33

2.34

2.35

2.36

2.33

2.25

2.23

2.30

2.28

2.31

2.34

2.34

2.34

2.36

2.34

2.39

2.32

2.31

2.35

2.34

2.36

2.36

2.35

2.37

5.82E-05

1.23E-05

1.01E-05

7.79E-06

6.79E-06

4.32E-06

5.47E-06

1.03E-03

2.97E-04

3.7 IE-04

3.64E-04

1.62E-04

1.88E-04

5.35E-05

4.10E-06

6.06E-06

3.28E-06

4.56E-04

2.0 IE-04

2.20E-04

2.55E-04

1.85E-04

1.45E-04

6.33E-05

9.55E-06

5.42E-06

4.68E-06

3.73E-04

2.5 IE-04

4.13E-04

1.40E-04

2.49E-04

1.04E-04

7.34E-05

1.26E-05

4.40E-06

3.47E-06

3.89E-05

1.85E-06

1.03E-06

2.86E-06

1.50E-07

1.99E-08

2.09E-07

1.08E-02

1.25E-03

5.57E-04

9.95E-04

4.96E-04

7.61E-05

6.22E-05

2.05E-06

2.0 IE-07

3.63E-08

2.30E-03

2.60E-04

2.83E-04

5.96E-04

1.15E-03

1.77E-04

1.86E-05

2.79E-07

1.12E-07

1.90E-08

5.40E-04

1.05E-03

2.4 IE-03

7.39E-04

2.22E-04

1.70E-04

2.09E-05

6.00E-07

9.45E-08

5.37E-08

APPENDIX 25
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

Identification

SB20-1

SB20-2

SB20-3

SB20-4

SB20-5

SB20-6

SB20-7

SB20-8

SB20-9

SB20-10

SB21-1

SB21-2

SB21-3

SB21-4

SB21-5

SB21-6

SB21-7

SB21-8

SB21-9

SB21-10

SB21-11

SB21-12

SB21-13

SB21-14

SB21-15

SB22-11

SB22-12

SB22-13

SB22-14

SB22-15

SB22-16

SB22-17

SB22-18

SB22-19

SB22-20

SB22-21

SB22-22

SB22-23

Subunit

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

0.30

1.37

1.98

2.74

3.20

3.66

4.11

4.88

5.49

8.38

0.30

0.91

2.13

2.74

3.35

3.96

4.27

4.72

5.64

6.40

7.16

111

8.69

8.84

9.45

0.30

1.52

1.98

2.44

3.05

3.66

4.11

4.57

5.49

5.79

6.25

6.86

7.31

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

-8.69

-7.62

-7.01

-6.25

-5.79

-5.33

-4.88

-4.11

-3.51

-0.61

-9.30

-8.69

-7.47

-6.86

-6.25

-5.64

-5.33

-4.88

-3.96

-3.20

-2.44

-1.83

-0.91

-0.76

-0.15

-8.53

-7.31

-6.86

-6.40

-5.79

-5.18

-4.72

-4.27

-3.35

-3.05

-2.59

-1.98

-1.52

Porosity 

(fraction) .

Transect SB-20

0.578

0.405

0.396

0.402

0.391

0.389

0.373

0.335

0.245

0.100

Transect SB-21

0.585

0.468

0.412

0.402

0.432

0.445

0.425

0.345

0.297

0.206

0.187

0.157

0.111

0.123

0.173

Transect SB-22

0.596

0.416

0.382

0.399

0.413

0.400

0.384

0.332

0.333

0.224

0.184

0.152

0.115

Bulk 

g/cm")

0.99

1.34

1.38

1.36

1.42

1.43

1.47

1.57

1.80

2.15

0.98

1.25

1.34

1.36

1.32

1.30

1.34

1.51

1.62

1.81

1.93

1.99

2.11

2.07

1.97

0.95

1.34

1.41

1.35

1.33

1.37

1.42

1.55

1.57

1.76

1.87

1.98

2.08

Particle 

density 

(g/cnO

2.34

2.26

2.28

2.28

2.33

2.33

2.34

2.36

2.38

2.39

2.36

2.34

2.29

2.28

2.32

2.34

2.33

2.30

2.30

2.28

2.38

2.36

2.38

2.36

2.39

2.35

2.29

2.27

2.25

2.27

2.29

2.30

2.32

2.35

2.27

2.29

2.34

2.35

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

( Vsec )

2.49E-04

5.82E-04

3.22E-04

4.33E-04

1.68E-04

1.34E-04

1.53E-04

1.37E-05

1.05E-05

3.45E-06

4.44E-04

3.69E-04

3.77E-04

3.02E-04

2.25E-04

1.37E-04

2.90E-04

7.69E-05

8.36E-06

5.86E-06

1.55E-05

5.81E-06

5.53E-06

8.86E-06

1.52E-05

-

7.38E-04

6.08E-05

--

~

1.97E-04

2.46E-05

5.95E-06

5.59E-06

-

-

~

-

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

3.55E-03

2.58E-03

2.29E-04

1.98E-03

1.25E-04

6.25E-05

2.80E-05

1.90E-06

1.50E-07

1.50E-08

8.55E-03

1.37E-03

7.78E-04

7.29E-04

6.98E-04

7.36E-04

1.19E-04

6.01 E-06

5.12E-07

1.67E-07

9.90E-08

~

2.28E-08

3.56E-07

2.23E-08

-

3.83E-04

1.35E-03

7.0 IE-03

2.87E-03

8.86E-05

1.27E-05

2.13E-06

3.80E-06

4.12E-08

1.22E-07

2.07E-08

2.61E-08

26 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

Identification

SB23-1

SB23-2

SB23-3

SB23-4

SB23-5

SB23-6

SB23-7

SB23-8

SB23-9

SB23-10

SB23-11

SB23-12

SB23-13

SB24-1

SB24-2

SB24-3

SB24-4A

SB24-4B

SB24-5

SB24-6

SB24-7

SB24-8

SB24-9

SB24-10

SB24-11

SB25-1

SB25-2

SB25-3

SB25-4

SB25-5

SB25-6

SB25-7

SB25-8

SB25-9

SB25-10

Subunit

pumice

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

columnar

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

0.30

1.07

1.22

2.29

2.74

3.66

4.27

4.88

6.71

8.08

9.14

9.91

10.67

0.30

1.83

2.59

3.20

4.11

4.57

5.18

6.71

7.31

7.92

8.84

9.75

1.98

2.74

3.51

4.27

5.03

5.64

6.86

7.77

8.99

9.30

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

-9.91

-9.14

-8.99

-7.92

-7.47

-6.55

-5.94

-5.33

-3.51

-2.13

-1.07

-0.30

0.46

-9.52

-8.00

-7.24

-6.63

-5.71

-5.26

-4.65

-3.12

-2.51

-1.90

-0.99

-0.08

-7.92

-7.16

-6.40

-5.64

-4.88

-4.27

-3.05

-2.13

-0.91

-0.61

Bulk Porosity . 

« .. \ density (fraction) , , j. 1 ' (g/cm )

Transect SB-23

0.582

0.420

0.420

0.435

0.415

0.429

0.385

0.350

0.215

0.140

0.111

0.104

0.141

Transect SB-24

0.555

0.415

0.438

0.438

0.396

0.390

0.241

0.114

0.143

0.117

0.115

0.134

Transect SB-25

0.399

0.432

0.308

0.315

0.285

0.201

0.123

0.115

0.096

0.061

0.97

1.35

1.32

1.31

1.34

1.31

1.43

1.52

1.83

2.00

2.08

2.12

2.02

1.03

1.33

1.29

1.33

1.40

1.42

1.78

1.96

1.98

2.05

2.10

2.08

1.36

1.29

1.59

1.57

1.64

1.87

2.00

2.08

2.11

2.17

Particle 

density 

(g/cm5)

2.32

2.33

2.28

2.32

2.28

2.30

2.32

2.34

2.34

2.33

2.33

2.36

2.35

2.32

2.27

2.29

2.37

2.32

2.33

2.35

2.21

2.31

2.32

2.38

2.40

2.27

2.26

2.30

2.29

2.30

2.34

2.28

2.35

2.34

2.31

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

(/sec )

7.50E-04

2.13E-04

2.86E-04

4.85E-04

4.44E-04

4.38E-04

1.07E-04

7.14E-05

6.38E-06

5.45E-06

5.28E-06

4.76E-06

1.03E-05

6.85E-04

1.75E-04

2.20E-04

1.76E-04

5.88E-05

1.46E-05

5.52E-06

3.73E-06

3.46E-06

5.74E-06

5.66E-06

2.90E-04

1.25E-04

2.40E-05

6.78E-05

9.06E-06

7.77E-06

4.33E-06

3.73E-06

1.36E-06

2.05E-06

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

1.29E-02

8.68E-04

6.48E-04

2.65E-03

9.48E-04

1.20E-03

4.32E-05

2.04E-05

2.08E-08

7.10E-08

1.01E-07

~

7.28E-08

6.87E-03

6.10E-04

2.6 IE-04

1.73E-04

~

4.05E-05

1.99E-06

~

9.43E-09

8.99E-09

~

5.98E-09

2.35E-04

4.96E-05

9.63E-06

3.58E-05

1.44E-06

3.23E-06

1.6 IE-08

5.78E-09

3.28E-08

9.43E-08

APPENDIX 27
Table 4. Physical and hydrologic properties of outcrop samples from Yucca Mountain, Nevada, determined by relativehumidity oven drying-Continued

Sample 

Identification

SB26-1

SB26-2

SB26-4

SB26-5

SB26-6

SB26-7

SB26-8

SB26-9

SB26-10

SB26-11

SB26-12

SB26-13

SB26-14

SB26-15

SB26-16

SB26-17

Subunit

pumice

lower

lower

lower

lower

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

upper

Height 

above 

base of 

pumice 

(meters)

0.30

1.37

2.13

2.59

3.35

4.11

4.57

5.18

6.10

6.40

7.01

7.62

8.08

8.69

9.75

10.67

Depth 

below 

columnar 

unit 

(meters)

-10.44

-9.37

-8.61

-8.15

-7.39

-6.63

-6.17

-5.56

-4.65

-4.34

-3.73

-3.12

-2.67

-2.06

-0.99

-0.08

Porosity 

(fraction)

Transect SB-26

0.556

0.398

0.405

0.424

0.429

0.412

0.368

0.340

0.284

0.218

0.208

0.158

0.116

0.087

0.089

0.086

Bulk 

density 

(g/cm5)

1.03

1.39

1.35

1.32

1.30

1.33

1.46

1.51

1.66

1.77

1.88

1.99

2.07

2.14

2.11

2.17

Particle 

density 

(g/cnT)

2.32

2.30

2.28

2.29

2.28

2.27

2.31

2.29

2.31

2.26

2.37

2.37

2.34

2.34

2.32

2.37

Sorptivity 

(cm/ 

( //sec )

3.89E-04

3.08E-04

3.80E-04

5.29E-04

4.84E-04

4.02E-04

5.74E-05

1.04E-04

7.07E-06

6.40E-06

1.35E-05

6.38E-06

-

4.54E-06

4.87E-06

7.03E-06

Saturated 

hydraulic 

conductivity 

(m/sec)

3.77E-03

7.90E-04

5.64E-04

2.65E-03

1.06E-03

3.08E-04

1.03E-04

3.55E-05

2.36E-06

2.3 IE-07

3.34E-07

2.70E-07

1.6 IE-07

9.47E-09

2.62E-08

3.32E-08

28 Physical and Hydrologic Properties of Outcrop Samples from a Nonwelded to Welded Tuff Transition, Yucca Mountain, 

Nevada

D.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1995 - 673-211 / 00064 REGION NO. 8