ABSTRACT

Mississippi salt domes have been a part of nuclear research activities since 1960. Bruinsburg Dome, Claiborne County, was initially considered suitable as a site for underground nuclear tests in the Ripple Program. The Bruinsburg Dome is a shallow piercement dome with caprock 1629 feet below the surface. Further evaluations resulted in Tatum Dome, Lamar County, being chosen as the test site. Approximately 2700 feet below the surface two nuclear devices were detonated, one in 1964 and one in 1966. These detonations are referred to as the Salmon and Sterling events and were part of the Vela Uniform Program sponsored by the U. S. Department of Defense and the former U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. Tatum Dome is a shallow piercement dome with caprock 998 feet below the surface.

More recent investigations (1976-1987) were initiated to choose a site for the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository. These investigations, sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy, identified the Lampton (Marion County), Richton (Perry County), and Cypress Creek or Agnes (Perry County) domes as preferred sites. Lampton Dome, a shallow piercement dome with caprock at 1305 feet below the surface, was later rejected from the repository siting process. The Cypress Creek Dome is a shallow piercement dome with caprock at a depth of approximately 1172 feet. The Richton and Cypress Creek domes were considered potentially acceptable sites, although all present repository siting activities are focused on the Yucca Mountain site, Nye County, Nevada.

Nuclear research regarding Mississippi salt dome has yielded abundant geologic data and short-term economic benefits. However, timing of research and private utilization plans at Bruinsburg and Richton domes suggest that the research activities have had a detrimental effect on utilization of Mississippi salt resources. This potential conflict of salt dome uses may have influenced private industry to seek other sources of salt supply. Tatum Dome, contaminated by highly radioactive isotopes, can never be utilized for any purpose. These factors may contribute to the fact that none of Mississippi's 60 known salt domes are being commercially mined and only two are used for hydrocarbon storage.