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R.K. Gabrysch

Publications and source records attributed to R.K. Gabrysch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2006

The relationship between specific capacity and aquifer transmissibility in the Houston Area, Texas

Water well drillers gather information essential to recovery tests as part of normal procedure. Added effort could yield additional valuable information. More care in measurement of water levels both before and after a period of pumping can be used with ground‐water formulae to determine approximate well efficiency. A relationship exists between the ability of an aquifer to perform ( transmissibility ) and the specific capacity of a well. By means of pumping tests, both transmissibility and specific capacity may be measured. The theoretical specific capacity can be obtained based on the measured transmissibility . Well efficiency may be estimated from a comparison between measured specific capacity and theoretical specific capacity . Tests of wells owned by the City of Houston , Texas , were selected for analysis. Test results were compared with curves showing theoretical relationships. From the comparison, wells in the Houston area are not completely developed. It may not be economical to develop a well to 100 percent efficiency, but theoretical relationships should be used in well development.

Texas↗
USGS1998

Approximate land-surface subsidence in Fort Bend County, Texas, 1943-87 and 1973-87

Land-surface subsidence resulting from the lowering of water levels that accompany ground-water development in areas of the Texas Gulf Coast has been described in numerous reports, newspapers, and magazines since the 1950s. Gabrysch and Bonnet (1975), Gabrysch (1984), and Gabrysch and Coplin (1990) presented subsidence maps of the Houston-Galveston region, including Fort Bend County, for a number of time periods. Most of the subsidence has been in the Houston area. This report, prepared in cooperation with the Fort Bend Subsidence District and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents contour maps of land-surface subsidence in Fort Bend County that occurred during 1943-87 and 1973-87. Fort Bend County is underlain by a thick section of unconsolidated lenticular deposits of sand and clay. The deposits include the principal aquifers in the county – the Evangeline aquifer and the overlying Chicot aquifer. Within these aquifers, the interbedded sands and clays are saturated with water almost to the land surface. The sand layers generally are connected laterally, but the clays retard the vertical movement of water, creating confined (artesian) conditions within the aquifer. The sands are fine to medium grained, and the combined layers yield large quantities of water. The clays are principally montmorillonite, the most compressible of the clay minerals.

Texas↗
USGS1990

Land-surface subsidence resulting from ground-water withdrawals in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, through 1987

The ground-water system in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas is composed of layers of sand and compressible clay. The system has been divided into two major aquifers, the Chicot and Evangeline, and the underlying Burkeville confining unit. The Chicot aquifer overlies the Evangeline aquifer. The Chicot aquifer contains the most permeable sand layers and also the more compressible clay layers.

Texas↗
USGS1988

Approximate altitude of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston area, Texas, spring 1988

Two maps show water levels in wells in the Houston, Texas, area in the Chicot aquifer and the Evangeline aquifer, spring 1988. Both the Chicot and the Evangeline aquifers are composed of several sand layers with different potentiometric surfaces. These maps, however, show approximations of single potentiometric surfaces that represent composite hydraulic heads. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Faulting arrested by control of ground-water withdrawal in Houston, Texas

More than 86 historically active faults with an aggregate length of 150 miles have been identified within and adjacent to the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. Although scarps of these faults grow gradually and without causing damaging earthquakes, historical fault offset has cost millions of dollars in damage to houses and other buildings, utilities, and highways that were built on or across the faults. The historical fault activity results from renewed movement along preexisting faults and appears to be caused principally by withdrawal of ground water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in the Houston area. Approximately one-half of the area's water supply is obtained from local ground water. Monitoring by the US Geological Survey of heights of fault scarps indicates that many of the scarps have recently stopped increasing in height. The area where faulting has ceased coincides with the area where ground-water pumping was cut back in the mid-1970s to slow the damage caused by land subsidence along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Thus, it appears that efforts to halt land subsidence in the coastal area have provided the additional benefit of arresting damaging surface faulting. -from Authors

Texas↗
USGS1982

Development of ground-water resources in Orange County, Texas, and adjacent areas in Texas and Louisiana, 1971-80

Pumpage in Orange County from the lower unit of the Chicot aquifer averaged 21.2 million gallons per day (0.93 cubic meter per second) and pumpage from the upper unit of the Chicot averaged about 2 million gallons per day (0.088 cubic meter per second) from 1971-79. Annual pumpage increased in municipal areas and decreased in industrial areas with little net change in total annual pumpage during the report period. The major water-bearing unit in the study area is the Chicot aquifer, which overlies the Evangeline aquifer. The Evangeline aquifer is undeveloped in Orange County, but is developed at Evadale in Jasper County, Texas, and at Silsbee in Hardin County, Texas. Both aquifers consist of unconsolidated and discontinuous layers of sand and clay that gently dip toward the Gulf of Mexico. Water levels in Orange County tended to stabilize or rise in areas where ground-water withdrawals decreased. Elsewhere in Orange County, most water levels continued to decline, generally at a slower rate than before 1971. Bench-mark elevations determined during 1973 show regional land-surface subsidence from 1918-73, generally attributed to ground-water development, to be less than 0.5 foot (0.15 meter). Locally, subsidence due to production of oil, gas, saltwater, or sulfur was about 15 feet (4.6 meters) at Spindletop Dome, Jefferson County, Texas, and as much as 3 feet (1.0 meter) near Port Acres gas field, Jefferson County, Texas. Although saltwater encroachment is evident in parts of southern Orange County, the encroachment is not expected to be detrimental if the ground-water pumping remains stable and the projected increase in demands for water is met with surface-water supplies.

Louisiana, Texas↗
USGS1982

Ground-water withdrawals and land-surface subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 1906-80

The withdrawal of larqe amounts of ground water in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, has resulted in water-level declines of as much as 250 feet (76 meters) in wells completed in the Chicot aquifer and as much as 300 feet (91 meters) in wells completed in the Evangeline aquifer during 1943-77. Since late 1976, changes in pumping distribution resulting from efforts to control subsidence and the introduction of surface water from Lake Livingston have altered the pattern of water-level changes. In the Johnson Space Center and Baytown-La Porte areas (Chicot aquifer), and in the Pasadena area (Evangeline aquifer), water levels rose about 20 feet (6.1 meters) during 1973-77. However, in the western Houston area (Evangeline aquifer), water levels have continued to decline at an increasing rate through 1977. The declines in water levels have caused pronounced regional subsidence of the land surface. The center of regional subsidence is the Pasadena area, where more than 9 feet (2.7 meters) and possibly as much as 10 feet (3.0 meters) of subsidence occurred between 1906 and 1978. Almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) of subsidence occurred between 1943 and 1978. Localized centers of subsidence exist throughout the region, especially in the Baytown-La Porte and Texas City areas. Evaluation of tide records from five gages in Galveston Bay and the tidal reaches of Buffalo Bayou indicates that changes in elevations of significantly less than 0.5 foot (150 millimeters) and possibly as little as 0.1 foot (30 millimeters) can be detected. The unit measure of compressibility, specific-unit compaction, ranged from 1.0 x 10 -5 to 4.0 x 10 -5 feet -1 (3.28 x 10 -5 to 1.31 x 10 -4 m -1 ) of compaction per foot of clay thickness per foot of average water-level change for 1906-78. The greatest compressibility was at the Clear Lake site and the least compressibility was at the Lake Houston site. The data indicate that the compressibility is related to the age of the sediments and the depth of burial of the sediments.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1981

Approximate water-level changes in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-81 and 1980-81, and measured compaction, 1973-81, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report consists of: (1) Four maps that present data on water-level changes during 1977-81 and 1980-81 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers and (2) one set of graphs that present data on the compaction of subsurface materials for 1973-81. During these periods, ground-water pumping decreased in Galveston County and southern Harris County, Tex., and increased in northern and western Harris County.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1981

Approximate altitude of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston area, Texas, spring 1981

The purpose of this report, which was prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, and the Texas Department of Water Resources, is to show the altitudes of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The maps are based on water-level measurements in 1981 in about 500 wells.

Texas↗
USGS1980

Approximate water-level changes in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 1977-80 and 1979-80

This report, which was prepared in cooperation with the cities of Houston and Galveston, the Harris Galveston Coastal Subsidence Distract, and the Texas Department of Water Resources, presents data on water-level changes during 1977-80 and 1979-80 in the Chicot and Evangelina aquifers (figs. 1-4). During these periods, ground water pumping decreased in Galveston County and southern Harris County and increased in northern and western Harris County (Gabrysch, 1979). Water levels in about 550 wells were used to construct the maps showing water level changes.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Approximate altitude of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston area, Texas, spring 1979 and spring 1980

The purpose of this report, which was prepared in cooperation with the city of Houston, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, and the Texas Department of Water Resources, is to show the altitudes of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The maps are based on water-level measurements in 1979 and 1980 in about 500 wells. Both the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers are composed of several sand layers with different potentiometric surfaces. These maps, however, show approximations of single potentiometric heads. Maps showing the altitudes of water levels have been published in many reports on ground-water development in the Houston area, the most recent of which (Gabrysch, 1979) presented maps of the altitudes of potentiometric surfaces for 1977 and 1978.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Development of Ground Water in the Houston District, Texas, 1970-1974

Total withdrawals of ground water in the Houston district increased 9 percent from about 488 million gallons per day (21.4 cubic meters per second) in 1970 to about 532 million gallons per day (23.3 cubic meters per second) in 1974. The average annual rate of increase from 1960 to 1969 was about 6.3 percent. During 1970-74, increases in pumpage occurred in the Houston, Katy, and NASA areas; decreases occurred in the Pasadena and Alta Lorna areas; and the pumpage in the Baytown-La Porte and Texas City areas remained almost constant.

Texas↗
USGS1979

Approximate altitude of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston area, Texas, Spring 1977 and Spring 1978

The purpose of this report, which was prepared in cooperation with the cities of Houston and Galveston, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, and the Texas Department of Water Resources, is to show the altitudes of water levels in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The maps are based on water-level measurements in 1977 and 1978 in about 550 wells.

Texas↗
USGS1979

Approximate water-level changes in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-79, and measured compaction, 1973-79, in Harris and Galveston Counties, Texas

This report consists of: (1) Four maps that present data on water-level changes during 1977-79 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers and; (2) one set of graphs that present data on the compaction of subsurface materials for 1973-79. During 1977-79, groundwater pumping decreased in Galveston County and southern Harris County, Tex., and increased in northern and western Harris County. (Woodard-USGS)

Texas↗
USGS1978

Profiles showing potentiometric surfaces and changes in effective stress in aquifers in Harris and Galveston counties, Texas, 1977-78

These profiles were prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Counties Coastal Subsidence District and the Texas Department of Water Resources to show the changes in the altitudes of the potentiometric surfaces and, consequently, the changes in effective stress on the framework of the aquifers as a result of changes in the distribution and amount of ground-water pumping. In general, and in most areas, the profiles show for the dates indicated that water levels have increased and that the effective stress has decreased.

Texas↗