USGS Open-File Report 99-310

Thickness of Cenozoic Deposits of Yucca Flat Inferred from Gravity Data, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

By G.A. Phelps¹, V.E. Langenheim¹ and R.C. Jachens¹

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report OF 99-310

1999

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Charles G. Groat, Director

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

¹Menlo Park, California 94025

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Abstract

The basin-basement contact for Yucca Flat was modeled using isostatic gravity data, a linear density-depth function for the basin deposits, and drill-hole constraints to produce a digital database of both the depth to basement and the gravitational anomaly associated with the basement rocks. The model predicts a depth of roughly 2,500 m in the deepest, southern part of the basin. The model shows offsets in the basement rocks along both the Carpetbag and Yucca faults. The basement rocks of Yucca Flat have a higher gravity anomaly west of the N-S trending Carpetbag fault, suggesting higher density rocks on the west side of the valley.

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View the written document portion of the open-file as a formatted PDF file: of99-310.pdf (5.8 MB)

Download the depth-to-basement data file as an ASCII flat file: depth200.asc (514 kB)

Download the deleted gravity stations data file as an ASCII flat file: del_data.asc (8 kB)

Download the study boundary data file as an ASCII flat file: boundary.asc (8 kB)

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To contact the senior author, email Geoffrey A. Phelps (gphelps@sierra.wr.usgs.gov).

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