Preliminary permeability and water-retention data for nonwelded and bedded tuff samples, Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada

Measurements of rock-matrix hydrologic properties at Yucca Mountain, a potential site for a high-level nuclear waste repository, are needed to predict rates and direction of water flow in the unsaturated zone. The objective of this study is to provide preliminary data on intrinsic and relative permeability and moisture retention on rock core samples and to present the methods used to collect these data. Four methods were used to measure intrinsic, or saturated permeability: Air, Klinkenberg, specific permeability to oil, and specific permeability to water. Two methods yielded data on relative permeability (gas-drive and centrifuge), and three methods (porous plate, centrifuge, and mercury intrusion porosimetry) were used to measure water-retention properties (matric potential compared to water-content curves). Standard measurements of grain density, bulk density, and porosity for the core samples were included. Results of this study showed a large range of intrinsic permeability values among rock types and high variability within rock types. The four methods yield intrinsic permeability values that are different but are highly correlated (coefficient of determination greater than 0.94). 27 refs., 3 figs., 11 tabs