Influence of geologic structure on alluvial sedimentation in northwestern Yucca Flat, Nye County, Nevada

Using downhole photography, alluvial sediments are described in 5 emplacement holes in northwestern Yucca Flat. The holes are located on or near the Grouse Canyon fan. The 3 most proximally located holes contain the coarsest sediments and display a general decrease in grain size in the downfan direction. The 2 most distally located holes contain fine-grained distal facies sediment in the upper parts of the holes and coarse-grained proximal facies gravels lower in the holes. The proximal gravels in the lower half of the sections were derived from the gravity high, a north-south-trending horst which was exposed early during the history of Yucca Flat basin. Alluvial sedimentation eventually exceeded uplift of the horst, which was buried by distal facies sediments, derived from the western basin margin