Effects of magmatic activity could range from a small explosive eruption if magma directly penetrates the repository to form a volcano, to enhanced air flow in the unsaturated zone as a result of heat from a nearby magmatic intrusion. We are studying analog volcanoes where eruptive effects can be quantified, and modeling the rise and eruption of magma in order to understand the mechanisms which produce the observed effects. The information gained in these studies will be used as input for probabilistic risk assessments. In the near future we will begin applying these approaches in a collaborative effort with the Japanese radioactive waste disposal community. We are also initiating studies on the role of magmatism in both perturbing and maintaining the Earth's climate.
Basic research covers a wide range of aspects of magmatic systems.
This work has improved our ability to interpret observations of both modern and ancient explosive volcanoes. In parallel, field studies are being conducted on the Ito pyroclastic flow deposit in Japan, which was deposited over a vast area of extremely rugged landscape, and at two volcanoes in Italy. Figure 1 shows one of the fossil hydrothermal systems that we are using as an analog for hydrothermal processes at Yucca Mountain. The original depth of the dike was about 300m. The dike was injected into silicic tuffs, mainly ash fall and flow beds, which make up the white exposures in the foreground.