Magnetotelluric Data, Rainier Mesa/Shoshone Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

Introduction:
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) at their Nevada Site Office (NSO) are addressing ground-water contamination resulting from historical underground nuclear testing through the Environmental Management (EM) program and, in particular, the Underground Test Area (UGTA) project.

During 2005, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the DOE and NNSA-NSO, collected and processed data from twenty-six magnetotelluric (MT) and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) sites at the Nevada Test Site. The 2005 data stations were located on and near Rainier Mesa and Shoshone Mountain to assist in characterizing the pre-Tertiary geology in those areas. These new stations extend the area of the hydrogeologic study previously conducted in Yucca Flat. The MT data presented in this report will help refine what is known about the character, thickness, and lateral extent of pre Tertiary confining units. Subsequent interpretation will include a three dimensional (3 D) character analysis and a two-dimensional (2 D) resistivity model. The purpose of this report is to release the MT sounding data. No interpretation of the data is included here.