Oasis near Death Valley fed by ancient aquifer under Nevada Test Site

BYU geology professor Steve Nelson at Ash Meadows

BYU geology professor Steve Nelson at Ash Meadows

Groundwater from the Nevada Test Site, location of numerous nuclear test explosions, could eventually migrate 50 miles to Ash Springs, a haven for 24 unique plant and animal species. The 10,000 gpm springs were sampled and the water chemistry was anaylzed to determine the source of the water in an area that averages around 4-in of rain per year. The results indicate that the source is near the Nevada Test Site, and the water takes some 15,000 years to travel approximately 50-miles along a fault zone. The study authors are Michelle Bushman and Professor Steve Nelson. [Source: BYU via National Driller Magazine. Image: BYU]