Uncertainty in recharge from subsidence craters at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site: Impacts of initial and boundary conditions and media properties

Abstract

Uncertainty in Recharge Potential from Subsidence Craters at Frenchman Flat, Nevada Test Site: Impacts of Initial and Boundary Conditions and Media Properties by David Matthew Ely Dr. Glenn V. Wilson, Examination Committee Chair Professor, Water Resources Center Desert Research Institute The Nevada Test Site has over 400 subsidence craters formed by the collapse of overlying rock following underground nuclear tests. Under natural conditions, infiltration and recharge would not be considered likely due to infrequent precipitation events and extreme evapotranspiration. Crater U5a in Frenchman Flat was chosen for study because it intercepts significantly more drainage than surrounding craters. Vadose zone modeling was conducted to test the sensitivity of water movement to boundary and initial conditions. The effects of ponding depth was negligible but depth of wetting front movement was highly dependent on the lateral extent of the ponds. The model was insensitive to the initial conditions tested due to the extreme dryness of the soil. Field and laboratory observations provide evidence for a 63,000 m pond occurring on the initial crater surface. Model results predict such a wetting front