Origin of transmissivity variations in the Culebra dolomite near the waste isolation pilot plant site, southeastern New Mexico

The Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation is the most transmissive hydrologic unit overlying the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository horizon. The WIPP is a Department of Energy facility constructed in bedded salt for the purpose of isolating defense-generated transuranic waste. The Culebra is considered a potential pathway for the transport of radionuclides should a repository breach ever occur.