Geology topics
Research about Oklahoma
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Oklahoma.
Geohydrology of the Oklahoma Panhandle, Beaver, Cimarron, and Texas Counties
The Ogallala aquifer, which consists of semiconsolidated clay, sand, and gravel, is the principal source of ground water in the Oklahoma Panhandle. This aquifer commonly yields 500 to 1,000 gallons per minute (32 to 63 litres per second) and may yield as much as 2,500 gallons per minute (158 litres per second). Based on an estimated average storage coefficient of 0.1, the quantity of water stored in the Ogallala aquifer was computed at approximately 50 million acre-feet (6.17 x 101° cubic metres). Local overdevelopment of this water resource has resulted in water-level declines of more than 40 feet (12 metres) from 1966 to 1972 in some areas of concentrated well development. The amount of ground water in storage has been reduced about 2 percent during this period. Aquifer tests indicate that transmissivity ranges from 500 to 11,800 feet squared per day (46 to 1,100 metres squared per day), the storage coefficient ranges from 0.002 to 0.11, and hydraulic conductivity ranges from 2.1 to 55 feet per day (0.6 to 16.8 metres per day). In addition to these tests, 802 specific-capacity tests were used to extend transmissivity data. Recharge to the Ogallala aquifer is primarily from precipitation and may be as much as 1 inch (25 millimetres) per year in areas where catchment and percolation are most favorable. Discharge is primarily from pumping and a small amount of natural discharge. Aquifers of limited importance are the Dakota Sandstone and the Cheyenne Sandstone Member of the Purgatoire Formation which provide water to irrigation wells in the southwestern part of Cimarron County. Irrigation wells generally are completed jointly in these aquifers and yields of 300 to 500 gallons per minute (19 to 32 litres per second) are common. Water levels in these aquifers have not shown the pronounced declines that have occurred in the Ogallala aquifer. Permian red beds provide only small quantities of water to domestic and stock wells. Water in the Ogallala aquifer, Dakota Sandstone, and Cheyenne Sandstone Member generally has a dissolved-solids concentration of less than 500 milligrams per litre. The dissolved-solids concentration in water from the Permian red beds generally exceeds 500 milligrams per litre and locally exceeds 2,000 milligrams per litre.
Techniques for estimating flood depths for Oklahoma streams
Regional relations are defined for estimating the depths of floods having recurrence intervals ranging from 2 to 100 years for both natural and urban streams in Oklahoma. Contributing drainage area and the 2-year 24-hour rainfall are the only independent variables required for estimating flood depths for natural streams. For urban streams the percentage of the basin impervious and served by storm sewers is also required. The only limitations are that the stream be unregulated, that the main channels be unimproved, and that the contributing drainage area and the 2-year 24-hour rainfall be in the range of values used to derive the relations. The standard errors of estimate range from 24 percent for the 50- and 100-year floods to 33 percent for the 2-year flood for the natural streams. The estimation error for urban streams is not evaluated due to paucity of data. Although the flood depths estimated from techniques presented in this report are considered less reliable than those obtained from field surveys and hydraulic computations, the ease and simplicity of their determination are expected to make them useful for many purposes. Data on flood depths for 132 gaging stations are given in table 1.
Earthquake history of Oklahoma
The strongest and most widely felt earthquake in Oklahoma occurred on April 9, 1952. The intensity VII (Modified Mercalli Scale) tremor was felt over 362,000 sqaure kilometres. A second intensity VII earthquake, felt over a very small area, occurred in October 1956. In addition, 15 other shocks, intensity V or VI, have originated within Oklahoma.
Statistical summaries of streamflow records, Oklahoma through 1974: Compilations of flow-duration, low-flow, high-flow, monthly duration tables and statistics of annual discharge through 1974
Tables summarizing daily streamflow data by year are presented for gaging stations in Oklahoma that have at least 5 years of either unregulated or regulated stream-gaging record through September 30, 1974. Separate tables are presented for unregulated and regulated periods of record. These summary tables include: (1) the number of days in each year that the daily discharge was between selected limits (duration tables), (2) the lowest mean daily discharge (frequency tables), (3) the highest mean daily discharge (frequency tables), (4) a monthly duration table for each station with 29 years or more of essentially unregulated record, and (5) statistics of annual discharge. These summaries provide useful information about the quantity, distribution, and variability of streamflow and provide basic data for developing relations for estimating streamflow at sites other than regular stream-gaging sites. This information is also useful in designing bridges, culverts, and other hydraulic structures as well as reservoirs for water supply, flood control, and low-flow augmentation.
Water resources data for Oklahoma, water year 1974; Part 1, Surface water records
No abstract available.
Water resources data for Oklahoma, water year 1974; Part 2, Water quality records
No abstract available.
Water quality effects of seepage from earthen dams
Analyses of surface and seepage waters from selected floodwater retarding structures in west-central Oklahoma, U.S.A. show the salinity of seepage to be several times greater than that of the impounded waters. The increases in concentration of the several chemical components are not proportional. This phenomenon appears to be caused largely by simple solution, which is closely related to the chemical character of the geologic formation that provides the reservoir site and the earth fill of the dam. Concentration of certain chemical components in the seepage water progressively decreases as the structure ages. This is probably a function of depletion, which is related to the amounts and solubility of the parent materials subjected to solution. In contrast, the concentration of certain other components, such as iron and calcium, increases with time. The chemical activities within the accumulating mud on the bottom of the reservoir apparently cause these increases.
Water resources data for Oklahoma, water year 1973; Part 1, Surface water records
No abstract available.
Water resources data for Oklahoma, water year 1973; Part 2, Water quality records
No abstract available.
Flood characteristics of Oklahoma streams techniques for calculating magnitude and frequency of floods in Oklahoma, with compilations of flood data through 1971
The 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year recurrence interval floods are related to basin and climatic parameters for natural streams in Oklahoma by multiple regression techniques through the mathematical model, Q x =aA b S c P d , where Q x is peak discharge for recurrence interval x, A is contributing drainage area, S is main channel slope, P is mean annual precipitation, and a, b, c, and d are regression constants and coefficients. One equation for each recurrence interval applies statewide for all natural streams of less than 2,500 mil (6,500 km 2 ), except where manmade works, such as dams, flood-detention structures, levees, channelization, and urban development, appreciably affect flood runoff. The equations can be used to estimate flood frequency of a stream at an ungaged site if drainage area size, main channel slope, and mean annual precipitation are known. At or near gaged sites, a weighted average of the regression results and the gaging station data is recommended. Individual relations of flood magnitude to contributing drainage area are given for all or parts of the main stems of the Arkansas, Salt Fork Arkansas, Cimarron, North Canadian, Canadian, Washita, North Fork Red, and Red Rivers. Parts of some of these streams, and all of the Neosho and Verdigris Rivers are not included because the effects of. major regulation from large reservoirs cannot be evaluated within the scope of the report. Graphical relations of maximum floods of record for eastern and western Oklahoma provide a guide to maximum probable floods. A random sampling of the seasonal occurrence of floods indicated about two-thirds of all annual floods in Oklahoma occur during. April through July. Less than one-half of one percent of annual floods occur in December. A compilation of flood records at all gaging sites in Oklahoma and some selected sites in adjacent States is given in an appendix. Basin and climatic parameters and log-Pearson Type III frequency data and statistics are given for most station records. A second appendix gives a reprint of the U.S. Water Resources Council Bulletin 15 which describes procedures for fitting a log-Pearson Type III distribution to gaging station data.
An approach to estimating flood frequency for urban areas in Oklahoma
Flood-frequency studies for urban areas in several parts of the United States and flood-frequency relations for natural streams of Oklahoma were used to develop a set of flood-frequency equations for urban areas of Oklahoma. Equations are presented for estimating the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, and 100-year flood-peak discharges for basins of 0.5 to 100 mil (1.3 to 260 km 2 ).
Flood of October 1973 in Enid and vicinity, north-central Oklahoma
Heavy and intense rainfall of October 10 and 11, 1973, caused wide-spread flooding along many streams in north-central Oklahoma. This report shows the distribution and amounts of rainfall, and the magnitude and frequency of flood discharges at several sites in the area (sheet 1) and the extent of flooding in the Enid area (sheet 2).
Reconnaissance of the ground-water resources of Cimarron County, Oklahoma
No abstract available.
Reconnaissance of the water resources of Beaver County, Oklahoma
Ground water is the major source of water supply in Beaver County. Because of the rapidly increasing demand for the limited supply of water for irrigation, additional geologic and hydrologic data are needed for management of ground-water resources. This report presents general information on the availability of ground water, on the chemical quality of water, and on streamflow. The chemical quality of water generally is poorer than that of water elsewhere in the Oklahoma Panhandle, and the ability to obtain good quality water may become increasingly difficult as the water resources are developed. Further studies are needed to determine the annual change in water levels, the rate of water-level decline in heavily pumped areas, the volume of water stored in the ground-water reservoir, and the quantity of water that may be withdrawn safely in a given area.
Preliminary investigations of the hydrogeology of the Permian to Tertiary rocks of the Oklahoma Panhandle
No abstract available.
Fluvial sediment in Double Creek subwatershed No. 5, Washington County, Oklahoma
Double Creek subwatershed No. 5 in Washington County, Oklahoma, is one of six detention structures within the Double Creek watershed and includes 1,530 acres (2.39 square miles). The subwatershed receives runoff from approximately 5 percent of the total area of the watershed. Most precipitation falling on subwatershed No. 5 does not flow through the reservoir. During this study approximately three-fourths (47,000 acre-feet) of the precipitation was lost by evaporation and transpiration; a small amount is lost by deep subsurface percolation. Fifty-nine percent of the total sediment load was discharged from the reservoir during four major outflow periods representing 34 percent of the outflow days. The highest percentage of runoff and sediment yield occurs from March through June. Fifty-three percent of the water discharged and 63 percent of the sediment yield occurred during this 4-month period. The average annual yield of fluvial sediment from watershed No. 5 was 607 tons per square mile, or 0.95 ton per acre. A total of 21,370 tons of fluvial sediment was transported into reservoir No. 5 and a total of 19,930 tons was deposited. Seventy-eight percent of the total fluvial sediment was deposited during the first 9.2 years, or 63 percent of time of reservoir operation. The computed trap efficiency of reservoir No. 5 was 93 percent.
Records of selected water wells and test holes in the Oklahoma Panhandle
Since 1963 use of ground water for irrigation in the Oklahoma panhandle has increased greatly as illustrated by the rapid increase in the number of irrigation wells (fig. 1). Because of increased use of ground water, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, in 1966 began detailed study of the area's ground-water resources. As part of this study, physical data such as well depth, well yield, or water level was collected on approximately 1,500 water wells and test holes; these data are tabulated in this report. This information will be useful to those concerned with development of ground water in the panhandle. The locations of all known irrigation wells drilled before 1972 and selected domestic and stock wells in Beaver, Cimarron, and Texas Counties are shown in figures 2, 3, and 4, respectively. More wells are shown on the map than are listed in the table because for several hundred wells no information other than location is available. The generalized section of geologic formations briefly describes the character and water supply available from each unit.