Fault stress analysis for the Yucca Mountain site characterization project

An understanding of the state of stress on faults is important for pre- and post-closure performance considerations for the potential high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain. This paper presents the results of three-dimensional numerical analyses that provide estimates of the state of stress through time (10,000 years) along three major faults in the vicinity of the potential repository due to thermal stresses resulting from waste emplacement. it was found, that the safety factor for slip close to the potential repository increases with time after waste emplacement. Possible fault slip is predicted above and below the potential repository for certain loading conditions and times. In general, thermal loading reduces the potential for slip in the vicinity of the potential repository