Figure 2 depicts the characteristic curves (saturation-pressure relationships) for the matrix (Peters et al., 1984) and the vertical fractures in the five units. As apparent from Figure 2, the fractures in all units easily desaturate with a small suction of -0.1 m to -1. m of pressure head. For the matrix, significant desatura- tion occurs only when the pressure-heads are in the order of -100 m. For the welded Tiva Canyon unit (Fig. 2a), the welded Topopah Spring unit (Fig. 2c) and the zeolitie Calico Hills unit (Fig. 2e), significant saturations (0.3 or more) can be maintained even with pressure heads in the -1,000 m range. For the nonwelded Paintbrush unit (Fig. 2b) and the vitric Calico Hills unit (Fig. 24), most of the satur ion change occurs over a relatively narrow pressure range around -100 m, indicating a nearly uniform pore-size distribution. Some of the differences in characteristic curves between the welded and nonwelded tuff may be related to deposition processes whereby well-sorted ash falls form the nonwelded units and the microscopically heterogeneous induration processes convert large ash flows into welded tuff (Sinnock, personal communication, 1985). Table 1. Matrix Properties Saturated | Permeability ky | Unit (Conductivity “)) | Porostey() Compresstbitty mt (mm/yr) 6 sy (1/Pa) Tiva Canyon on 62x10 Welded i Paintbrush 245x107 (760) | 045 [asoxie* | e872 | o1001 8.36 x 10° Nonwelded | Topopah Spring | sstxio(ia) | 045 | Se7xi0* | 1798 | oosor 836 x10" Welded Catico His — | 13ax10* (410) | 039 | 60107 | ae72 | oo1s 3.98 x 10 Vite Calico Hills 42x11) | 030 [sosxio* | 1602 | 01005 2,65 x 10° Zeoltie (1) Average values of samples, Sionock, Lin, and Brannen, 1984 (2) Peters ota, (1084), ted to van Genvehten (1980) formula (3) Nimick eta, (1984), Topopah Spring value based on depth-weighted erage