Geology topics

Research about Pennsylvania

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Pennsylvania.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

USGS1995

Water resources data, Pennsylvania, water year 1994. Volume 1: Delaware River Basin

Water resources data for the 1994 water year for Pennsylvania consist of records of discharge and water quality of streams; contents and elevations of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report, Volume 1, includes records from the Delaware River Basin. Specifically, Volume 1 contains (1) discharge records for 81 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and 27 partial-record stations; (2) elevation and contents records for 12 lakes and reservoirs; and (3) water-quality records for 25 gaging stations and 52 ungaged streamsites; and (4) water-level records for 17 observation wells. The location of these sites is shown in figures 6-9. Additional water data collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program are also presented. These data together with the data in Volumes 2 and 3, represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Pennsylvania.

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USGS1995

A feasibility study to estimate minimum surface-casing depths of oil and gas wells to prevent ground-water contamination in four areas of western Pennsylvania

Hydrologic data were evaluated from four areas of western Pennsylvania to estimate the minimum depth of well surface casing needed to prevent contamination of most of the fresh gr6unct-water resources by oil and gas wells. The areas are representative of the different types of oil and gas activities and of the ground-water hydrology of most sections of the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province in western Pennsylvania. Approximate delineation of the base of the fresh ground-water system was attempted by interpreting the following hydrologic data: (1) reports of freshwater and saltwater in oil and gas well-completion reports; (2) water well-completion reports, (3) geophysical logs; and (4) chemical analyses of well water. Because of the poor quality and scarcity of ground-water data, the altitude of the base of the fresh ground-water system in the four study areas cannot be accurately delineated. Consequently, minimum surface-casing depths for oil and gas wells cannot be estimated with confidence. Conscientious and reliable reporting of freshwater and saltwater during drilling of oil and gas wells would expand the existing data base. Reporting of field specific conductance of ground water would greatly enhance the value of the reports of ground water in oil and gas well-completion records. Water-bearing zones in bedrock are controlled mostly by the presence of secondary openings. The vertical and horizontal discontinuity of secondary openings may be responsible, in part, for large differences in altitudes of freshwater zones noted on completion records of adjacent oil and gas wells. In upland and hilltop topographies, maximum depths of fresh ground water are reported from several hundred feet below land surface to slightly more than 1,000 feet, but the few deep reports are not substantiated by results of laboratory analyses of dissolved-solids concentrations. Past and present drillers for shallow oil and gas wells commonly install surface casing to below the base of readily observed fresh ground water. Casing depths are selected generally to maximize drilling efficiency and to stop freshwater from entering the well and subsequently interfering with hydrocarbon recovery . The depths of surface casing generally are not selected with ground-water protection in mind. However, on the basis of existing hydrologic data, most freshwater aquifers generally are protected with current casing depths. Minimum surface-casing depths for deep gas wells are prescribed by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources regulations and appear to be adequate to prevent ground-water contamination, in most respects, for the only study area with deep gas fields examined in Crawford County.

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USGS1995

Simulation of streamflow and sediment transport in two surface-coal-mined basins in Fayette County, Pennsylvania

The Hydrological Simulation Program - Fortran (HSPF) was used to simulate streamflow and sediment transport in two surface-mined basins of Fayette County, Pa. Hydrologic data from the Stony Fork Basin (0.93 square miles) was used to calibrate HSPF parameters. The calibrated parameters were applied to an HSPF model of the Poplar Run Basin (8.83 square miles) to evaluate the transfer value of model parameters. The results of this investigation provide information to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, Bureau of Mining and Reclamation, regarding the value of the simulated hydrologic data for use in cumulative hydrologic-impact assessments of surface-mined basins. The calibration period was October 1, 1985, through September 30, 1988 (water years 1986-88). The simulated data were representative of the observed data from the Stony Fork Basin. Mean simulated streamflow was 1.64 cubic feet per second compared to measured streamflow of 1.58 cubic feet per second for the 3-year period. The difference between the observed and simulated peak stormflow ranged from 4.0 to 59.7 percent for 12 storms. The simulated sediment load for the 1987 water year was 127.14 tons (0.21 ton per acre), which compares to a measured sediment load of 147.09 tons (0.25 ton per acre). The total simulated suspended-sediment load for the 3-year period was 538.2 tons (0.30 ton per acre per year), which compares to a measured sediment load of 467.61 tons (0.26 ton per acre per year). The model was verified by comparing observed and simulated data from October 1, 1988, through September 30, 1989. The results obtained were comparable to those from the calibration period. The simulated mean daily discharge was representative of the range of data observed from the basin and of the frequency with which specific discharges were equalled or exceeded. The calibrated and verified parameters from the Stony Fork model were applied to an HSPF model of the Poplar Run Basin. The two basins are in a similar physical setting. Data from October 1, 1987, through September 30, 1989, were used to evaluate the Poplar Run model. In general, the results from the Poplar Run model were comparable to those obtained from the Stony Fork model. The difference between observed and simulated total streamflow was 1.1 percent for the 2-year period. The mean annual streamflow simulated by the Poplar Run model was 18.3 cubic feet per second. This compares to an observed streamflow of 18.15 cubic feet per second. For the 2-year period, the simulated sediment load was 2,754 tons (0.24 ton per acre per year), which compares to a measured sediment load of 3,051.2 tons (0.27 ton per acre per year) for the Poplar Run Basin. Cumulative frequency-distribution curves of the observed and simulated streamflow compared well. The comparison between observed and simulated data improved as the time span increased. Simulated annual means and totals were more representative of the observed data than hourly data used in comparing storm events. The structure and organization of the HSPF model facilitated the simulation of a wide range of hydrologic processes. The simulation results from this investigation indicate that model parameters may be transferred to ungaged basins to generate representative hydrologic data through modeling techniques.

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USGS1995

Hydrology and the effects of selected agricultural best-management practices in the Bald Eagle Creek watershed, York County, Pennsylvania, prior to and during nutrient management: Water-quality study for the Chesapeake Bay Program

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, conducted a study as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program to determine the effects of nutrient management of surface-water quality by reducing animal units in a 0.43-square-mile agricultural watershed in York County. The study was conducted primarily from October 1985 through September 1990 prior to and during the implementation of nutrient-management practices designed to reduce nutrient and sediment discharges. Intermittent sampling continued until August 1991. The Bald Eagle Creek Basin is underlain by schist and quartzite. About 87 percent of the watershed is cropland and pasture. Nearly 33 percent of the cropland was planted in corn prior to nutrient management, whereas 22 percent of the cropland was planted in corn during the nutrient-management phase. The animal population was reduced by 49 percent during nutrient management. Average annual applications of nitrogen and phosphorus from manure to cropland were reduced by 3,940 pounds (39 percent) and 910 pounds (46 percent), respectively, during nutrient management. A total of 94,560 pounds of nitrogen (538 pounds per acre) and 26,400 pounds of phosphorus (150 pounds per acre) were applied to the cropland as commercial fertilizer and manure during the 5-year study. Core samples from the top 4 feet of soil were collected prior to and during nutrient management and analyzed from concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. The average amount of nitrate nitrogen in the soil ranged from 36 to 135 pounds per acre, and soluble phosphorus ranged from 0.39 to 2.5 pounds per acre, prior to nutrient management. During nutrient management, nitrate nitrogen in the soil ranged from 21 to 291 pounds per acre and soluble phosphorus ranged from 0.73 to 1.7 pounds per acre. Precipitation was about 18 percent below normal and streamflow was about 35 percent below normal prior to nutrient management, whereas precipitation was 4 percent above normal and streamflow was 3 percent below normal during the first 2 years of nutrient management. Eighty-four percent of the 20.44 inches of streamflow was base flow prior to nutrient management and 54 percent of the 31.14 inches of streamflow was base flow during the first 2 years of the nutrient-management phase. About 31 percent of the measured precipitation during the first 4 years of the study was discharged as surface water; the remaining 69 percent was removed as evapotranspiration or remained in ground-water storage. Median concentrations of total nitrogen and dissolved nitrate plus nitrite in base flow increased from 4.9 and 4.1 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, respectively, prior to nutrient management to 5.8 and 5.0 milligrams per liter, respectively, during nutrient management. Median concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen did not change significantly in base flow. Median concentrations of total and dissolved phosphorus in base flow did not change significantly and were 0.05 and 0.03 milligrams per liter as phosphorus, respectively, prior to the management phase, and 0.05 and 0.04 milligrams per liter, respectively, during the management phase.

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USGS1995

Effects of surface mining on the hydrology and biology in the Stony Fork basin, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1978-85

The effects of surface coal mining on the water quality, sediment discharge, and aquatic biology of streams in the Stony Fork Basin in southwestern Pennsylvania were studied from 1978 through 1985. Data were collected at five stream sites and one mine discharge site. Field data included streamflow, temperature, specific conductance, pH, acidity, and alkalinity. Laboratory analyses included sulfate, aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, and selected trace elements. Annual streamflow at gaged sites was not substantially different, suggesting that mining did not affect the total volume of streamflow significantly. Comparisons of sediment yields of the upstream control site (site 5) to the downstream site (site 1) indicated that the sediment yield at site 5 was greatest in 1978, 1981-83, and 1985. The sediment yields at both sites in 1979-80 were about the same. Differences in the drainage area sizes and effective control of sediment in the mined areas may explain the lack of increased sediment yield at the downstream site. As mining became more extensive throughout the basin in 1979-80 and later, several water-quality effects were observed downstream. Generally, specific conductance, sulfate, manganese, aluminum, and zinc increased; pH and alkalinity decreased. Acidity and iron typically increased immediately downstream of mined areas. No trace-element concentrations exceeded maximum contaminant levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Surface mining in the Stony Fork Basin severely affected the stream invertebrate and fish populations. During 1977-84, the number of taxonomic groups of invertebrates at sites affected by mine drainage decreased by 45 to 71 percent; the number of fish species decreased by 81 to 88 percent.

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USGS1995

Geohydrology and vertical distribution of volatile organic compounds in ground water, Fischer and Porter Company Superfund Site, Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The Fischer and Porter Company Superfund Site is underlain by sedimentary rocks of the Upper Triassic Stockton Formation, which consists of interbedded siltstone, very-fine grained to coarse-grained sandstone, and conglomerate in crudely defined, upward fining cycles. These rocks form a complex, heterogeneous, leaky, multiaquifer system comprised of a series of gently dipping lithologic units with different hydraulic properties. Ground water is unconfined in the shallower part of the aquifer and confined or semiconfined in the deeper part of the aquifer. Water levels measured in monitor well clusters and borehole-flow measurements made in open boreholes show a downward hydraulic head gradient at the site, caused in part by the pumping of nearby, deep public-supply wells and the Fischer and Porter treatment system extraction wells. Downward borehole flow was measured at rates up to 9 gallons per minute. Aquifer-isolation tests were run in the six boreholes to obtain depth-discrete specific-capacity and water-quality data. On the basis of specific-capacity data for 27 isolated intervals, specific capacity is not related to depth. Water levels in monitor wells at the Fischer and Porter Site are greatly affected by the pumping of nearby public-supply wells, as well as the pumping of the Fischer and Porter treatment system extraction wells. Pumping of the public-supply wells causes daily water-level fluctuations in wells at the site as great as 5.3 feet. The shutdown of the Fischer and Porter treatment system extraction wells caused a rise in water level in all wells screened in the intermediate and deep zones. The rise in water level was as great as 4.3 feet in the intermediate zone and as great as 5.9 feet in the deep zone. The direction of ground-water flow is toward the north in the shallow and intermediate zones and toward the west and west-southwest in the deep zone. Ground-water discharge probably is to the unnamed tributary to Pennypack Creek north and west of the site. Volatile organic compounds (VOC's) were detected in most depth-discrete water samples. No general trend of increasing or decreasing concentrations of VOC's with depth were observed, and none of the isolated intervals had highly elevated concentrations of VOC's. Observed fairly constant concentrations of VOC's with depth are the result of the downward head gradient and the former presence of open boreholes on the site. The downward head gradient and pumping of nearby, deep public-supply wells caused the vertical migration and outward movement of VOC's into the aquifer through former supply and monitor wells of open-hole construction in the main area of contamination.

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USGS1994

Avian nesting success and diversity in conventionally and organically managed apple orchards

This study examines the effects of operational use of pesticides on avian species inhabiting apple orchards in Pennsylvania Mourning dove ( Zenaida macroura ) and American robin ( Turdus migratorius ) nests were monitored in three organic and three conventional apple orchards during 1990 and 1991 In 1991 we surveyed the avian communities of these orchards by using line transects Organophosphorus (OP) (e g, azinphos methyl, phosphamidon, parathion, dimethoate), carbamate (CA) (e g, methomyl, formetanate, oxamyl), and organochlorine (endosulfan) pesticides, known to be highly toxic to birds, were sprayed individually or in mixtures as part of routine pest management as many as 19 times during peaks in breeding activity Spray card tests revealed that OP pesticides were deposited on 86% of the nests in conventional orchards Daily survival rates (DSRs) for nests of both species were higher in the organic orchards than in the conventional orchards for 1991 and for years combined ( p < 0 05) Species diversity was greater in the organic orchards ( H = 2 43) than in the conventional orchards ( H = 1 79) Repeated applications of pesticides within the conventional orchards reduced the reproductive success of doves and robins and may have lowered avian species diversity compared with organic orchards

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USGS1994

Persistence of metals in soil and selected vertebrates in the vicinity of the Palmerton zinc smelters

Concentration of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu in soil and wildlife at the Palmerton zinc smelter site in eastern Pennsylvania were determined 6 yr after zinc smelting was terminated in 1980. Levels of the four metals were higher in litter (01 and 02 horizon) than in soil (A1 horizon), and the metals were at or near levels when the smelters were still in operation. Levels of metals in soil were highest at sites close to the smelters and decreased as distances from the smelters increased. The relation of decreasing amounts of metals in body tissues with increasing distance from the smelters also held true for amphibians and mammals. An exception to this relation was higher level of Cu in red‐backed salamanders ( Plethodon cinereus ) captured ≈17 km downwind than those captured ≈12 km downwind. Levels of Zn, Pb, and Cu in liver, kidney, and muscle tissue of white‐footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus ) were not different ( P > 0.05) which is reportedly considered an indication of environmental contamination. Levels of Cd in kidneys and liver of white‐tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) at Palmerton were five times higher than those for whitetailed deer collected 180 km southwest of Palmerton in southcentral Pennsylvania. The abnormal amounts of metals in the tissues of terrestrial vertebrates, and the absence or low abundance of wildlife at Palmerton indicated that ecological processes within 5 km of the smelters were markedly influenced 6 yr after zinc smelting was discontinued.

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USGS1994

Altitude and configuration of the potentiometric surface, May and June 1993, and change in water level 1983-93, in the carbonate rocks in part of East Whiteland and Charlestown Townships, Chester County, Pennsylvania

A map showing ground-water levels in the carbonate rocks of northern Chester County, Pa., was constructed on the basis of water levels in 51 wells measured in May and June 1993. The area studied underlies parts of East Whiteland and Charlestown Townships. Water-level altitudes range from about 413 feet above sea level on Phoenixville Pike to 130 feet above sea level along Route 29.

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USGS1994

Water resources data, Pennsylvania, water year 1993: Volume 1. Delaware River Basin

Water resources dan for the 1993 waxer year for Pennsylvania consist of records of discharge and waxer quality of streams; contents and elevations of lakes and reservoirs; and waxer levels and waxer quality of ground-water wells. This report, Volume 1, includes records from the Delaware River Basin. Specifically, Volume 1 contains (1) discharge records for 94 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations and 25 partial-record stations; (2) elevation and contents records for 12 lakes and reservoirs; and (3) waxer-quality records for 33 gaging stations and 38 ungaged streamsites; and (4) waxer-level records for 17 observation wells. The location of these sites is shown in figures 6-9. Additional water data collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program are also presented. These data together with the data in Volumes 2 and 3, represent that part of the National Waxer Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Pennsylvania.

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USGS1994

Water resources data, Pennsylvania, water year 1993. Volume 2. Susquehanna and Potomac River basins

Water resources data for the 1993 water year for Pennsylvania consist of records of discharge and water quality of streams; contents and elevations of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. This report, Volume 2, includes records from the Susquehanna and Potomac River Basins. Specifically, Volume 2 contains (1) discharge records for 97 continuous-record streamflow gaging stations and 39 partial-record stations; (2) elevation and contents records for 13 lakes and reservoirs; and (3) water-level records for 25 observation wells. The location of these sites is shown in figures 6-8. Additional water data collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program are also presented. These data together with the data in Volumes 1 and 3, represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, local, and Federal agencies in Pennsylvania.

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USGS1994

Water and sediment budgets for the stormwater-drainage channel at the Navy Ships Parts Control Center near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, water year 1993

The Navy Ships Parts Control Center near Mechanicsburg, Pa., occupies an area of 824 acres, of which 358 are covered by impervious surfaces. Most of the impervious area is drained by stormwater systems that discharge to an open channel that extends about 7,900 feet from its headwaters to its confluence with Trindle Spring Run. The channel drains an area of 992 acres, of which 435 are covered by impervious surfaces. The entire area of the Center including the stormwater-drainage channel is situated in karst terrain. Parts of the drainage channel contain large sinkholes and most of the storm runoff that enters the channel drains to the sinkholes. From 1992 to 1994, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Department of the Navy, conducted a detailed study of water and sediment flows in the stormwater-drainage channel. The purpose of this study was to quantify the discharge of stormwater and suspended sediment to the ground-water system, by way of sinkholes, and to Trindle Spring Run. From October 1, 1992, to September 30, 1993, the data-collection period for the study, discharge and suspended-sediment concentrations were measured at three sites along the drainage channel. During the period, water inflow to the channel totaled 679 acre-feet and outflow to Trindle Spring Run totaled 131 acre-feet. Water loss to sinkholes in the drainage channel totaled 548 acre-feet or 81 percent of inflow. Total sediment inflow to the drainage channel was 97 tons, outflow to Trindle Spring Run was 22 tons, sediment loss to sinkholes was 63 tons, and the residual 12 tons of sediment was deposited in the channel. The effect of filling the sinkholes on flooding was estimated through use of a step-backwater model. The model was used to simulate undampened water-surface elevations that would result from the maximum instantaneous discharge recorded during October 1992-September 1993. The model is constrained by uncertainty in the values of the channel-roughness parameter. Analysis of the model results indicates that during high flows, inflow to sinkholes results in a moderate reduction in discharge and water-surface elevations in the drainage channel. This analysis shows that filling the sinkholes will result in increased frequency and magnitude of flooding in downstream parts of the drainage channel and increased discharge of storm runoff and suspended sediment to Trindle Spring Run.

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USGS1994

Hydrogeology and ground-water quality of northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The 187-square mile study area is in the Triassic-Jurassic Newark Basin. Most of the area is underlain by sedimentary rocks of Upper Triassic age (74 percent) and intrusive diabase of Jurassic age (12 percent) and includes two southwest-northeast trending valleys underlain by carbonate and crystalline rock. Ground water in the sedimentary rocks of Triassic age moves through a network of interconnecting secondary openings fractures, bedding planes, and joints. The ground-water system consists of beds with a relatively high transmissivity separated by beds with a relatively low transmissivity that form a leaky, multiaquifer system. Ground water is unconfined in the shallower part of the aquifer and confined or semiconfined in the deeper part of the aquifer. Most deep wells are open to several water-bearing zones and are multiaquifer wells. The frequency of occurrence of water-bearing zones decreases with depth. Sixty-five percent of water-bearing zones for all hydrogeologic units are within 200 feet of land surface, and 85 percent are within 300 feet of land surface. On the basis of the median specific capacity of nondomestic wells, carbonate rocks, the Brunswick Group, and the Stockton Formation are the most productive hydrogeologic units. Carbonate rocks and the Stockton Formation have the highest median nondomestic well yields (156 and 120 gallons per minute, respectively) among the hydrogeologic units. Thirty-four percent of domestic wells drilled in diabase, 30 percent in the Lockatong Formation, and 21 percent in carbonate rock yield less than 5 gallons per minute. Average water budgets for the Cooks, Tinicum, Paunnacussing, and Mill Creek Basins weighted by drainage area were calculated for 1991-92. Average annual precipitation was 41.7 in. (inches); average annual evapotranspiration (ET) and other losses were 26.2 in. or 63 percent of precipitation; average annual streamflow was 15.9 in., or 38 percent of the average precipitation; and the average annual change in ground-water storage was a decrease of 0.3 in., or less than 1 percent of the average annual precipitation. Average estimated recharge for 1991-92 weighted by drainage area was 10.1 in. [0.485 (Mgal/d)/mi 2 (million gallons per day per square mile)]; this is equal to a recharge rate of 758 gallons per day per acre. Water budgets for the Tohickon Creek Basin were calculated for 1968-91 (prior to regulation of the stream by Lake Nockamixon). The average annual precipitation was 47.2 in.; average annual ET and other losses were 24.3 in., or 51 percent of the average annual precipitation; and annual streamflow was 22.6 in., or 48 percent of the average annual precipitation. Streamflow hydrographs for 1991-92 for Cooks, Tinicum, Paunnacussing, and Mill Creeks were separated into baseflow and surface-runoff components. Average annual ground-water discharge to streams weighted by drainage area was 8.4 in. [0.403 (Mgal/d)/mi 2 ], which was 20 percent of the average annual precipitation and 53 percent of the average annual streamflow. Average annual surface runoff weighted by drainage area was 7.4 in., which was 18 percent of the average annual precipitation and 47 percent of the average annual streamflow. Annual base flow for 1936-71 for Tohickon Creek ranged from 2.5 in. [0.12 (Mgal/d)/mi 2 ] in 1965 to 8.4 in. [0.40 (Mgal/d)/mi 2 ] in 1945. The median base flow was 5.3 in. [0.25 (Mgal/d)/mi 2 ]. Water from wells in the crystalline rocks has the lowest median pH (5.8), the lowest median specific conductance (139 microsiemens per centimeter), the lowest median alkalinity [16 mg/L (milligrams per liter) as CaCOg], and the highest dissolved oxygen concentration (9.0 mg/L) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in carbonate rocks has the highest median pH (7.8) and the highest median alkalinity (195 mg/L as CaCO3) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in the Lockatong Formation has the highest median specific conductance (428 microsiemens per centimeter) and the lowest dissolved oxygen concentration (0.8 mg/L) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from wells in crystalline rocks contains the lowest concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) of the hydrogeologic units. Water from the Lockatong Formation contains the highest concentration of TDS of the hydrogeologic units. Water from only 1 of 83 wells sampled exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) for TDS; the well is in the Lockatong Formation. Five of 86 samples (6 percent) and 6 of 75 samples (8 percent) exceed the USEPA SMCL for iron and manganese, respectively. Nitrate is the most prevalent nitrogen species in ground water. The median nitrate concentration for all hydrogeologic units is 2.3 mg/L. Of 71 water samples from wells, no concentrations of nitrate exceed the USEPA maximum contaminant level. The median dissolved radon-222 activity was highest for water samples from wells in crystalline rock [3,600 pCi/L (picocuries per liter)] and lowest for water samples from wells in the Lockatong Formation (340 pCi/L) and diabase (350 pCi/L). Water samples for analysis for volatile organic compounds (VOC's) were collected from 34 wells in areas where the potential existed for the presence of VOC's in ground water. VOC's were detected in 23 percent of the 34 wells sampled. The most commonly detected compound was trichloroethylene (13 percent of sampled wells).

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USGS1994

Geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of bedrock and spol from two methods of mining at a reclaimed surface coal mine, Clarion County, PA, USA

Two methods of mining caused subtle differences in geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of spoil at a reclaimed surface coal mine in western Pennsylvania. A dragline was used in the southern area of the mine, and bulldozers and front-end loaders were used in the northern area. Mining methods used in the intervening, middle area are uncertain. In general, overburden at the mine consisted of sideritic gray shale and siltstone. Calcareous zones were laterally discontinuous. However, a 1.2-m thick stratum of pyritic shale above the mined coal was laterally continuous and had total sulfur (S) concentrations >2.5 weight percent (wt %). Regardless of mining methods, pyritic material in backfill is inverted relative to its stratigraphic sequence in bedrock. Where bulldozers and front-end loaders were used, the pyritic shale was selectively handled and buried in compacted layers above the water table, and only low-S ( <0.2 wt%) material was buried near the pit floor. Where the dragline was used, high-S ( ≥.5 wt %) material was placed near the surface, but above intermediate-S material. In the middle area, where middle mining methods are uncertain, high-S material was randomly distributed, ear the surface and on the pit floor, within the zone of water-table fluctuation. In the northern and middle areas, mass-weighted average S in spoil was comparable to that in premining bedrock. In contrast, average neutralization potential of spoil was about one-third of that of premining bedrock, possibly because of preferential weathering of carbonates in shallow bedrock (premining) or spoil. Despite differences in mining methods, hydraulic conductivities for spoil were similar among the northern, middle, and southern areas, ranging from 10 -8.2 to 10 -3.0 meters per second (m/s), with median hydraulic conductivities from 10 -3.8 to 10 -3.6 m/s. Hydraulic conductivities for spoil were not always greater than those for underlying bedrock.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1994

Effects of selective handling of pyritic, acid-forming materials on the chemistry of pore gas and ground water at a reclaimed surface coal mine in Clarion County, PA, USA

A change from dragline to “selective handling” mining methods at a reclaimed surface coal mine in western Pennsylvania did not significantly affect concentrations of metals in ground water because oxidation of pyrite and dissolution of siderite were not abated. Throughout the mine, placement of pyritic material near the land surface facilitated the oxidation of pyrite, causing the consumption of oxygen (O 2 ) and release of acid, iron, and sulfate ions. Locally in the unsaturated zone, water sampled within or near pyritic zones was acidic, with concentrations of sulfate exceeding 3,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L). However, acidic conditions generally did not persist below the water table because of neutralization by carbonate minerals. Dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and siderite in unsaturated and saturated zones produced elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. Alkalinity concentrations of 600 to 800 mg/L as CaCO 3 were common in water samples from the unsaturated zone in spoil, and alkalinities of 100 to 400 mg/L as CaCO 3 were common in ground-water samples from the underlying saturated zone in spoil and bedrock. Saturation indices indicated that siderite could dissolve in water throughout the spoil, but that calcite dissolution or precipitation could occur locally. Calcite dissolution could be promoted as a result of pyrite oxidation, gypsum precipitation, and calcium ion exchange for sodium. Calcite precipitation could be promoted by evapotranspiration and siderite dissolution, and corresponding increases in concentrations of alkalinity and other solutes. Partial pressures of O 2 (Po 2 ) and CO 2 (Pco 2 ) in spoil pore gas indicated that oxidation of pyrite and precipitation of ferric hydroxide, coupled with dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and siderite were the primary reactions affecting water quality. Highest vertical gradients in Po 2 , particularly in the near-surface zone (0-1 m), did not correlate with concentrations of total sulfur in spoil. This lack of correlation could indicate that total sulfur concentrations in spoil do not reflect the amount of reactive pyrite or that oxidation rates can be controlled more by rates of O 2 diffusion than the amount of pyrite. Hence, if placed in O 2 -rich zones near the land surface, even small amounts of disseminated pyritic material can be relatively significant sources of acid and mineralized water.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1993

Assessment of aquatic animal communities in the vicinity of the Palmerton, Pennsylvania, zinc smelters

Emissions from zinc smelters in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, deposited large quantities of heavy metals, predominantly Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cd, on the surrounding landscape from 1898 to 1980. From 1986 to 1987 we studied four small headwater streams that were about 8 to 25 km downwind of the smelters to determine if long-term deposition of heavy metals had any pronounced effects on aquatic communities. Although metal concentrations in soils tended to decrease with increasing distance from the smelters, this trend was not particularly evident in stream sediments, insects, or fish. Diversities of macroinvertebrates and fish were similar among sites. Densities and growth of trout varied among streams, but not in relation to distance from the smelters. We concluded that long-term deposition of heavy metals has not had pronounced effects on aquatic animal communities six to seven years after cessation of primary smelting.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1993

Emplacement and differentiation of the york haven diabase sheet, Pennsylvania

Many of the high-Ti quartz-normative tholeiitic intrusive sheets in the early Mesozoic rift basins of the Eastern USA exhibit lateral differentiation from mafic cumulate units, through diabase, to relatively evolved iron-rich rock types. We have investigated a representative example in detail, the York Haven sheet in the Gettysburg basin of south-central Pennsylvania. It ranges in thickness from 330 m to 675 m, and we have sampled it from base to top along four separate stratigraphic sections evenly spaced over the extent of the intrusion. The easternmost section (York Haven) is entirely basaltic bronzite cumulate (average 15 vol. % bronzite), whereas the westernmost (Reesers Summit) consists of diabase and low-MgO diabase with a middle to upper 'sandwich zone' of ferrogabbro. The intervening sections feature rock types transitional between the two end-member sequences. Chemically, the rock series shows a gradual east to west depletion of compatible elements (Mg, Ca, Ni, and Cr), and enrichment of incompatible elements [Ti, Fe, Na, K, P, Cu, Zr, Th, Ta, Hf, Sb, Cs, As, platinum group elements (PGEs), and rare earth elements (REEs)].We suggest two main processes for the trends observed in the York Haven sheet. First, flow differentiation during ascent and lateral injection of the parental magma produced a tongue of basaltic bronzite cumulate that thins from southeast to northwest and passes laterally into diabase, and, at the distal end of the intrusion, into low-MgO diabase. Then, in the latter stages of crystallization, densitydriven hydrothermal fluids transported incompatible elements westward, into structurally higher parts of the intrusion. Reaction of this residual aqueous fluid with partly crystallized low-MgO diabase produced a zone of ferrogabbro rich in hydrothermal replacement products (e.g., Cl-amphibole, biotite, ferrohypersthene, and skeletal ilmenite) and precipitates (e.g., quartz, fayalite, Cl-apatite, sulfides, and PGE minerals). © 1993 Oxford University Press.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1993

Duck viral enteritis in domestic muscovy ducks in Pennsylvania

Duck viral enteritis (DVE) outbreaks occurred at two different locations in Pennsylvania in 1991 and 1992. In the first outbreak, four ducks died out of a group of 30 domestic ducks; in the second outbreak, 65 ducks died out of a group of 114 domestic ducks, and 15 domestic geese died as well. A variety of species of ducks were present on both premises, but only muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) died from the disease. On necropsy, gross lesions included hepatomegaly with petechial hemorrhages, petechial hemorrhages in the abdominal fat, petechial hemorrhages on the epicardial surface of the heart, and multifocal to coalescing areas of fibrinonecrotic material over the mucosal surface of the trachea, esophagus, intestine, and cloaca. Histologically, the liver had random multifocal areas of necrosis and eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in hepatocytes. DVE virus was isolated and identified using muscovy duck embryo fibroblast inoculation and virus neutralization.

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