Geology topics

Garret Veloski

Publications and source records attributed to Garret Veloski.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2014

Application of near-surface geophysics as part of a hydrologic study of a subsurface drip irrigation system along the Powder River floodplain near Arvada, Wyoming

Rapid development of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) production in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming has occurred since 1997. National attention related to CBNG development has focused on produced water management, which is the single largest cost for on-shore domestic producers. Low-cost treatment technologies allow operators to reduce their disposal costs, provide treated water for beneficial use, and stimulate oil and gas production by small operators. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are one potential treatment option that allows for increased CBNG production by providing a beneficial use for the produced water in farmland irrigation. Water management practices in the development of CBNG in Wyoming have been aided by integrated geophysical, geochemical, and hydrologic studies of both the disposal and utilization of water. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have utilized multi-frequency airborne, ground, and borehole electromagnetic (EM) and ground resistivity methods to characterize the near-surface hydrogeology in areas of produced water disposal. These surveys provide near-surface EM data that can be compared with results of previous surveys to monitor changes in soils and local hydrology over time as the produced water is discharged through SDI. The focus of this investigation is the Headgate Draw SDI site, situated adjacent to the Powder River near the confluence of a major tributary, Crazy Woman Creek, in Johnson County, Wyoming. The SDI system was installed during the summer of 2008 and began operation in October of 2008. Ground, borehole, and helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) conductivity surveys were conducted at the site prior to the installation of the SDI system. After the installation of the subsurface drip irrigation system, ground EM surveys have been performed quarterly (weather permitting). The geophysical surveys map the heterogeneity of the near-surface geology and hydrology of the study area. The geophysical data are consistent between surveys using different techniques and between surveys carried out at different times from 2007 through 2011. This paper summarizes geophysical results from the 4-year monitoring study of the SDI system.

Wyoming↗

USGS2003

Evaluation of airborne thermal infrared imagery for locating mine drainage sites in the Lower Kettle Creek and Cooks Run Basins, Pennsylvania, USA

High-resolution airborne thermal infrared (TIR) imagery data were collected over 90.6 km 2 (35 mi 2 ) of remote and rugged terrain in the Kettle Creek and Cooks Run Basins, tributaries of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in north-central Pennsylvania. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of TIR for identifying sources of acid mine drainage (AMD) associated with abandoned coal mines. Coal mining from the late 1800s resulted in many AMD sources from abandoned mines in the area. However, very little detailed mine information was available, particularly on the source locations of AMD sites. Potential AMD sources were extracted from airborne TIR data employing custom image processing algorithms and GIS data analysis. Based on field reconnaissance of 103 TIR anomalies, 53 sites (51%) were classified as AMD. The AMD sources had low pH (<4) and elevated concentrations of iron and aluminum. Of the 53 sites, approximately 26 sites could be correlated with sites previously documented as AMD. The other 27 mine discharges identified in the TIR data were previously undocumented. This paper presents a summary of the procedures used to process the TIR data and extract potential mine drainage sites, methods used for field reconnaissance and verification of TIR data, and a brief summary of water-quality data.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2003

Evaluation of airborne thermal infrared imagery for locating mine drainage sites in the Lower Youghiogheny River Basin, Pennsylvania, USA

Nighttime high-resolution airborne thermal infrared imagery (TIR) data were collected in the predawn hours during Feb 5-8 and March 11-12, 1999, from a helicopter platform for 72.4 km of the Youghiogheny River, from Connellsville to McKeesport, in southwestern Pennsylvania. The TIR data were used to identify sources of mine drainage from abandoned mines that discharge directly into the Youghiogheny River. Image-processing and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques were used to identify 70 sites within the study area as possible mine drainage sources. The combination of GIS datasets and the airborne TIR data provided a fast and accurate method to target the possible sources. After field reconnaissance, it was determined that 24 of the 70 sites were mine drainage. This paper summarizes: the procedures used to process the TIR data and extract potential mine-drainage sites; methods used for verification of the TIR data; a discussion of factors affecting the TIR data; and a brief summary of water quality.

Pennsylvania↗