Geology topics
Research about Massachusetts
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Massachusetts.
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Hudson River basin
The Hudson River basin includes streams draining the Hoosic River (205 square miles), Kinderhook Creek (20.9 square miles), and Roeliff Jansen Kill (13.3 square miles) basins in western Massachusetts, eastern New York, and southern Vermont. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, are re-computed for data-collection sites and computed for the first time for streams draining greater than 3 square miles. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for the five gaged streams in the Hoosic River basin. Streamflow characteristics, representing statistics computed using a new data base with records through 1979, include annual and monthly flow statistics , duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 21 partial-record sites. The procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics are summarized. This gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources-related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Source, movement, and effects of nitrogen and phosphorus in three ponds in the headwaters of Hop Brook, Marlborough, Massachusetts
The headwaters of Hop Brook near Marlborough, Massachusetts, contain a series of three in-line ponds--Hager Pond, Brist Millpond, and Carding Millpond--which receive over half of their surface-water inflow as effluent from the Marlborough Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant. These ponds have a history of summer algal blooms and fish kills. Water entering these ponds contains quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus far higher than the levels known to promote excessive growth of aquatic vegetation. As the water moves through the three ponds, nitrogen levels decrease. Although some nitrogen is lost to the atmosphere by denitrification, the bulk of the nitrogen probably is retained in the pond sediments. There is a net decrease in phosphorus in the water leaving Carding Millpond compared to the water entering Hager Pond. However, during most sampling periods, the phosphorus concentration of water leaving Carding Millpond is still above the level known to cause excessive growth of aquatic vegetation in lakes. During certain summer periods, there appears to be release of some phosphorus from the sediments in Carding and Grist Millponds. No improvement in water quality of the three ponds can be expected until the concentrations of nutrients entering Hager Pond are reduced to levels that will not support excessive growth of aquatic vegetation.
Ground-water resources of the Mattapoisett River aquifer, Plymouth County, Massachusetts: Summary for water-resource managers
Proposed increases in municipal pumpage in the Mattapoisett River valley will triple ground-water withdrawals in the next two decades. Because of State and local concern about the long-term effects of these withdrawals on ground-water levels and streamflow, a digital ground-water-flow model was developed to assist water-resource management. Ten development scenarios representing existing and proposed withdrawals were simulated using drought conditions. Under conditions simulating 1965, the driest year of record, predicted water levels in the aquifer are as much as 9 feet lower than average. Under severely dry conditions, simulating only enough recharge to keep the river flowing with no pumping, the predicted water levels are as much as 19 feet lower than average. During the greatest pumping demands, the predicted drawdown in five wells could cause well failure. Simulated pumping demands in six scenarios use all available ground-water discharge. Under severely dry conditions, it is predicted that the downstream half of the river will stop flowing under most pumping plans. (USGS)
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Coastal river basins of the North Shore and Massachusetts Bay
The coastal river basins of the North Shore and Boston Bay include streams draining the Parker River (60.4 square miles), Rowley River (9.9 square miles), Ipswich River (156 miles), Mystic River (66.0 square miles), Charles River (311 square miles), Neponset River (117 square miles), Weymouth Fore and Weymouth Back Rivers (about 63 square miles) and Weir River (about 20 square miles) basins. The study area in eastern and northeastern Massachusetts also includes the minor river basins draining into Massachusetts Bay, Ipswich Bay, or the Atlantic Ocean. Drainage areas using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics at 15 gaging stations were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1981. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 95 partial-record sites and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of a basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for 15 gaged streams. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities. (USGS)
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Connecticut River basin
The Connecticut River basin study area includes streams draining the Ashuelot River (6.6 square miles), Millers River (389 square miles), Deerfield River (663 square miles), Chicopee River (727 square miles), Westfield River (517 square miles), Farmington River (158 square miles), and Connecticut River lowlands (656 square miles) basin in western Massachusetts, northern Connecticut, southern Vermont, and southern New Hampshire. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were re-computed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics at 45 gaging stations, representing statistics were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1981. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 118 partial-record sites, and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of a basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for 54 sites in the Connecticut River basin. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Merrimack River basin
The Merrimack River basin in northeastern Massachusetts includes streams draining the Nashua (507 square miles), Concord (400 square miles), Shawsheen (78.0 square miles), and lower Merrimack (275 square miles) River basins. Drainage areas using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data collection sites. Streamflow characteristics at 12 gaging stations were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1981. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics , duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 79 partial-record sites and procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of a basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are presented for 12 gaged streams. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities, and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Housatonic River basin
The Housatonic River basin includes streams that drain 504 square miles in western Massachusetts and 30.5 square miles in eastern New York. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics for four gaged streams were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1981. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 52 partial-record sites, and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of the basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are provided for selected gaging stations. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Thames River basin
The Thames River basin includes streams draining the Quinebaug River (141 square miles), French River (99.5 square miles), and Middle River (about 6 square miles) basins in south central Massachusetts. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24 ,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for the first time for streams draining more than 3 square miles and were recomputed for data-collection sites. Streamflow characteristics at seven sites, were calculated using a new data base with daily flow records through 1980. These characteristics include annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10 year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 32 partial-record sites, and the procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of the basin are summarized. Basin characteristics representing 14 commonly used indices to estimate various streamflows are provided for seven gaged streams. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Gazetteer of hydrologic characteristics of streams in Massachusetts — Coastal river basins of the South Shore and Buzzards Bay
The coastal river basins include the minor river basins draining into Massachusetts Bay along the South Shore or into Buzzards Bay. The larger of these basins are the North, South, Jones, Wareham, Weweantic, Mattapoisett, Acushnet, and Slocums River basins. Drainage areas, using the latest available 1:24,000 scale topographic maps, were computed for data collection sites. Statistics on streamflow characteristics computed with a new data base are presented for six gaged streams. Daily-flow records through 1982 were used to compute annual and monthly flow statistics, duration of daily flow values, and the annual 7-day mean low flow at the 2-year and 10-year recurrence intervals. Seven-day low-flow statistics are presented for 49 partial-record sites and procedures used to determine the hydrologic characteristics of the basin are summarized. This gazetteer will aid in the planning and siting of water-resources related activities and will provide a common data base for governmental agencies and the engineering and planning communities.
Sewage plume in a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Secondarily treated domestic sewage has been disposed of on surface sand beds at the sewage treatment facility at Otis Air Force Base, Massachusetts, since 1936. Infiltration of the sewage through the sand beds into the underlying unconfined sand and gravel aquifer has resulted in a plume of sewage-contaminated ground water that is 2,500 to 3,500 feet wide, 75 feet thick, and more than 11,000 feet long. The plume extends south and southwest of the sand beds in the same direction as the regional flow of ground water, and is overlain by 20 to 50 feet of ground water derived from precipitation that recharges the aquifer. The bottom of the plume generally coincides with the contact between the permeable sand and gravel and underlying finer grained sediments. The distributions in the aquifer of specific conductance, temperature, boron, chloride, sodium, phosphorus, nitrogen (total of all species), ammonia, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, and detergents are used to delineate the plume. In ground water outside the plume, the detergent concentration is less than 0.1 milligrams per liter as MBAS (methylene blue active substances), the ammonia-nitrogen concentration is less than 0.1 milligrams per liter, the boron concentration is less than 50 micrograms per liter, and specific conductance is less than 80 mircromhos per centimeter. In the center of the plume, detergent concentrations as high as 2.6 milligrams per liter as MBAS, ammonia-nitrogen concentrations as high as 20 milligrams per liter, boron concentrations as high as 400 micrograms per liter, and specific conductance as high as 405 micromhos per centimeter were measured. Chloride, sodium, and boron are transported by the southward-flowing ground water without significant retardation, and seem to be diluted only by hydrodynamic dispersion. The movement of phosphorus is greatly restricted by sorption. Phosphorus concentrations do not exceed 0.05 milligrams per liter farther than 2,500 feet from the sand beds. Detergent concentrations in the plume are highest between 3,000 and 10,000 feet from the sand beds and reflect the introduction of nonbiodegradable detergents in 1946 and the conversion to biodegradable detergents in 1964. The center of the plume as far as 5,000 feet from the sand beds contains nitrogen as ammonia, but no nitrate and no dissolved oxygen. Ammonia is gradually oxidized to nitrate between 5,000 and 8,000 feet from the sand beds, and at distances greater than 8,000 feet oxidation of ammonia is essentially complete. Ammonia also is oxidized to nitrate along the top and sides of the plume within 5,000 of the beds where the contaminated ground water mixes with uncontaminated ground water that contains up to 11 milligrams per liter dissolved oxygen.
Discovery of a Late Triassic basin north of Boston and some implications as to post-Paleozoic tectonics in northeastern Massachusetts (USA)
As deduced from various data the Triassic-Jurassic Middleton basin-trends NE and is probably approx 5.7km in length and no >0.5km in width. Two sets of dikes which have been K/Ar dated as Late Triassic-Early Jurassic have the same NNE strikes as strike-slip faults. There are indications that a tectonic event of some importance may have occurred in Middle Mesozoic time. -from Author
Water resources in the Blackstone River basin, Massachusetts
The Blackstone River heads in brooks 6 miles northwest of Worcester and drains about 330 square miles of central Massachusetts before crossing into Rhode Island at Woonsocket. The primary source of the Worcester water supply is reservoirs, but for the remaining 23 communities in the basin, the primary source is wells. Bedrock consists of granitic and metamorphic rocks. Till mantles the uplands and extends beneath stratified drift in the valleys. Stratified glacial drift, consisting of clay, silt, and fine sand deposited in lakes and coarse-textured sand and gravel deposited by streams, is found in lowlands and valleys. The bedrock aquifer is capable of sustaining rural domestic supplies throughout the Blackstone River basin. Bedrock wells yield an average of 10 gallons per minute, but some wells, especially those in lowlands where bedrock probably contains more fractures and receives more recharge than in the upland areas, yield as much as 100 gallons per minute. Glacial sand and gravel is the principal aquifer. It is capable of sustaining municipal supplies. Average daily pumpage from this aquifer in the Blackstone River basin was 10.4 million gallons per day in 1978. The median yield of large-diameter wells in the aquifer is 325 gallons per minute. The range of yields from these wells is 45 to 3,300 gallons per minute. The median specific capacity is about 30 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown.
Estimating highest ground-water levels for construction and land use planning — A Cape Cod, Massachusetts, example
High ground water is a major cause of septic-system failures, wet basements, and other problems for suburban and rural residents. A technique for estimating the level to which groundwater can rise as a consequence of weather and seasonal factors has been developed. Water-level records from about 160 sites were used to make four maps of ranges of annual water-level change: 0-2 feet, 2-3 feet, 3-4 feet, 4-5 feet, and 5-6 feet. Nine observation wells with 16 or more years of record were used to index water-level fluctuations throughout Cape Cod. To estimate high water levels, measurements of the current depth to water at test sites are cross referenced with current depth to water in the index wells. The technique assumes good correlation between water-level fluctuations at septic-system sites and the index wells. Eighty-seven percent of the correlation coefficients determined from correlating water-level fluctuations from 146 sites with water-level fluctuations in the index wells were greater than 0.8.
Erosional channels on the shoreface of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Many channels (1 to 3 m relief)_are located offshore of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in water 4 to 18 m deep. The channels are oblique to the shoreline, are spaced approximately 260 m apart, and deepen seaward. The southern flank of each channel is rippled whereas the northern flank and interchannel areas are smooth. The origin of the channels is unknown. They probably formed by erosion of the shoreface, perhaps by rip-current circulation during storm conditions or by rip-current circulation under quiet conditions. The channels may control current flow and thereby maintain themselves even though formative conditions may no longer exist.
Stratigraphy, structure, absolute age, and paleontology of the upper Pleistocene deposits at Sankaty Head, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
The Sankaty Head cliff exposes drift of at least two glaciations and interglacial marine deposits. Radiocarbon, amino-acid- racemization, and uranium-thorium analyses were used to determine the absolute ages of the beds. The results indicate that 1) the Sankaty Sand correlates with oxygen-isotope stage 5 (Sangamonian), 2) the underlying drift is older than stage 5 (Illinoian or older) , and 3) the overlying drift is Wisconsinan in age. -from Authors
Photographs of the Upper Pleistocene section at Sankaty Head cliff, Nantucket Island, Massachusetts
The pre-Sangamonian and Wisconsinan glacial drift units and Sangamonian marine beds exposed tin the Sankaty Head cliff (fig. 1) constitute a unique and important upper Pleistocene stratigraphic section in southern New England. Many workers have studied the section over the past 130 years, paying most attention to the fossiliferous Sankaty Sand. The earliest study was by Desor and Cabot (1849) followed by Verrill (1875), Cushman (1904), Wilson (1906), and Gustavson (1976). Currently the section at the cliff is exposed as a result of erosion during a severe winter storm in 1978. The exposure allowed a detailed study of the selection and the results of the study are included in this report and three others (Oldale and others 1981; Oldale, 1981; and Oldale and others, in press). The last report discusses the stratigraphy, structure, absolute age, and paleontology of the deposits at Sankaty Head. The southern part of the Sankaty Head cliff, where the most complete marine section is, has been stable and obscured by dense vegetation over many of the past 130 years. In the future, the cliff face could again become stabilized and overgrown, or continued erosion could destroy some of the beds now exposed. These photographs provide a record of the cliff face, beds, and structures looked in 1979. Finally, the Sankaty Head section is realtively remote, and these photographs together with a geologic profile of the cliff shown by Oldale and others (1981) may substitute for field trips to the site, albeit a somewhat less satisfying experience.