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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.
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Ground water for irrigation near Lake Emily, Pope County, west-central Minnesota
No abstract available.
Chemical quality of the surface waters in the Saline River Basin, Kansas, a progress report
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Annual compilation and analysis of hydrologic data for urban studies in the Austin, Texas, metropolitan area, 1970
No abstract available.
Surface-water characteristics of the North Branch Clinton River basin, Michigan
No abstract available.
Carboniferous and older carbonate rocks: Lithofacies, extent, and reservoir quality: Chapter CC in The oil and gas resource potential of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 area, Alaska
Carboniferous and older carbonate rocks are potential hydrocarbon reservoir facies for four plays in the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. These rocks include several units in the pre-Carboniferous basement and the Carboniferous Lisburne Group. Data from exploratory wells west of the 1002 area, outcrops south of the 1002 area, seismic lines, and well logs are synthesized herein to infer carbonate lithofacies, extent, and reservoir character beneath the northeastern Arctic coastal plain. A chiefly shallow-water basement carbonate succession of Late Proterozoic through Early Devonian age (Katakturuk Dolomite, Nanook Limestone, and Mount Copleston Limestone) is interpreted to be present beneath much of the south-central 1002 area; it reaches 3,700 m thick in outcrop and is the primary reservoir for the Deformed Franklinian Play. A more heterogeneous lithologic assemblage of uncertain age forms basement in the northwestern part of the 1002 area; well data define three subunits that contain carbonate intervals 5- 50 m thick. These strata are prospective reservoirs for the Undeformed Franklinian Play and could also be reservoirs for the Niguanak- Aurora Play. Regional lithologic correlations suggest a Cambrian-Late Proterozoic(?) age for subunits one and two, and a slightly younger, later Cambrian-Silurian age for subunit three. Seismic and well data indicate that subunit one overlies subunit two and is overlain by subunit three. The Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Lisburne Group, a predominantly carbonate platform succession as much as 1 km thick, is projected beneath the southernmost part of the 1002 area and is a potential reservoir for the Ellesmerian Thrust-belt and Niguanak-Aurora Plays. Carbonate rocks in the 1002 area probably retain little primary porosity but may have locally well developed secondary porosity. Measured reservoir parameters in basement carbonate strata are low (porosity generally ≤ 5%; permeability ≤ 0.2 md) but drill-stem tests found locally reasonable flow rates (4,220-4,800 bpd) and, in the Flaxman Island area, recovered gas and condensate from these rocks. The Lisburne Group has produced up to 50,000 bbl of oil/ day from the Lisburne field at Prudhoe Bay. Reservoir parameters of the Lisburne in northeastern Alaska range from low (porosities ≤ 5% in most limestones) to good (porosities average 6.5-10% in some dolostones). Reservoir quality in Carboniferous and older carbonate strata in the 1002 area should be greatest where these rocks are highly fractured and (or) truncated by the Lower Cretaceous Unconformity.
Geology of Unga Island and the northwestern part of Popof Island: Chapter 2 in A geological and geophysical study of the gold-silver vein system of Unga Island, Southwestern Alaska
The first geologic map of Unga Island was published by Atwood (1911; scale 1:250,000), who correctly inferred the middle Tertiary age of the volcanic rocks and made the important distinction between the lava flows and the intrusive domes. Although Burk's (1964) reconnaissance map of the Alaska Peninsula (scale 1:250,000) has been modified in some respects, it does correct Atwood's map by replacing the Kenai Formation on northwestern Unga Island with the Unga Conglomerate and by recognizing the older Stepovak Formation elsewhere on Unga and Popof Islands. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) field studies that were focused on the mineral-resource potential of the Alaska Peninsula began in the late 1970's. These studies led to a geologic map of the Port Moller quadrangle--including Unga Island--at 1:250,000 scale (Wilson and others, 1995), as well as summaries of mineral occurrences and geochronological studies (Wilson and others, 1988, 1994) and a formal revision of the stratigraphic units of the Alaska Peninsula (Detterman and others, 1996). As follow-up to the regional studies, a detailed study of the vein systems on Unga Island was undertaken as a collaborative effort between USGS and private industry (White and Queen, 1989). The fieldwork leading to the present report and geologic map was started in 1978 (Riehle and others, 1982) and was completed as part of the vein study. The objective was a better understanding of the geologic setting of the vein systems: the geologic history of the host rocks, the structural controls on the veins, and the types of processes that likely caused the mineralization.
Analog simulation of ground-water development of the Saginaw Formation, Lansing metropolitan area, Michigan
This report was prepared as a part of the study of the water resources of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties being made for the Tri-County Planning Commission by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey. The report describes one phase of the investigation, that is, the projections of future time-withdrawal-drawdown relationships obtained from an electric analog model study of the Saginaw Formation, the principal aquifer in the Lansing Metropolitan area. The study of the Tri-County Region is a part of the continuing program of water resources investigation conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Geological Survey Division of the Michigan Department of Conservation and other state and local agencies.
Descriptions and chemical analyses for selected wells in the Tehama-Colusa Canal Service Area, Sacramento Valley, California
The Tehama-Colusa Canal Service Area is in the northwestern part of the Sacramento Valley, in parts of Yolo, Colusa, Glenn, and Tehama Counties. The area includes 450 square miles (1,160 square kilometres). The boundaries are: West, the eastern slopes of the Coast Ranges; north, Elder Creek; northeast, the Sacramento River and the Glenn-Colusa Canal; east and southeast, the Colusa Basin Drainage Canal; and south, Oat Creek. Between April and July 1974, 393 wells were selectively canvassed and between August and October 1974, water samples were collected for chemical analysis from 222 wells of the 393 wells canvassed. Field determinations of alkalinity, conductance, pH, and temperature were made on the site at the time of sampling. The samples were then field prepared for shipment and analysis for individual constituents at the Geological Survey Central Laboratory, Salt Lake City, Utah. Descriptive data for water wells are listed in table 1, chemical data in tables 2 and 3, and the location of these wells is shown on maps 1-28.
A summary of selected chemical-quality conditions in 66 California streams 1950-72
Water from California streams has been analyzed for concentrations of selected chemical constituents since the early 1950's. This summary includes about 1,200 water years of data from 88 sampling sites on 66 streams. Results of this summary show that about 80 percent of the sites had a mean dissolved-solids concentration of 400 milligrams per litre or less. All the sites that had mean concentrations ranging from 601 to 800 milligrams per litre were in either the South Coastal or Central Coastal subregions. Results of regression analysis between specific conductance and calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, dissolved solids, and hardness usually indicated a high percentage of explained variance. Other constituents, such as potassium, sulfate, chloride, and particularly nitrate, were not as frequently highly associated with specific conductance. At sites where the water discharge was highly regulated, the variation in specific conductance that was explained as a function of discharge ranged from 0 to more than 90 percent. Whereas at the unregulated sites, the explained variance ranged from 50 to more than 90 percent.
Geology and hydrology for environmental planning in Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washteaw County is underlain by glacial deposits that range in thickness from about 50 feet to about 450 feet. Underlying the glacial deposits are sedimentary rocks of Mississippian and Devonian age. The youngest of these rocks are the sandstones of the Marshall Formation in the western part of the county; the oldest are the limestones of the Detroit River Group in the southeast corner. Sand and gravel deposits in some places in the county may yield more than 500 gallons per minute of water. Approximately 50 percent of the wells tapping the Marshall Formation, the most reliable bedrock aquifer, can yield as much as 60 gallons per minute. Washtenaw County has sand and gravel deposits that are more than 50 feet thick. The deposits are mined in several areas and are of economic importance. In addition, there may be potential for peat production in the western part of the county and for clay production in the eastern part.
An inventory of suspended sediment stations and type of data analysis for Pennsylvania streams, 1947-1970
Data concerning suspended sediment concentrations and loads, frequency of occurrence of suspended sediment concentrations, and long-term trends of annual suspended sediment loads are important tools for today's environmental manager. These data are required background for those concerned with establishing and enforcing erosion and sedimentation control regulations and sediment concentration or turbidity standards for water-quality criteria, or those concerned with designing for adequate long-term water storage in reservoirs (sediment load), for efficient municipal and industrial plant operation (sediment concentration frequency), etc. This is a compilation of the location, period of record, sampling frequency and type of data synthesis for suspended sediment carried by Pennsylvania streams. Figures 1 and 2 show the approximate locations of sediment sampling stations in Pennsylvania. All of the sediment data listed were collected by the U. S. Geological Survey mainly in cooperation with the following Federal, State, and local agencies. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources Bureau of Engineering and Construction Soil and Water Conservation Commission Pennsylvania Department of Transportation City of Philadelphia Brandywine Valley Association Delaware Geological Survey Conestoga Valley Association Lehigh County Soil and Water Conservation District Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army
Water quality of the Swatara Creek Basin, PA
The Swatara Creek of the Susquehanna River Basin is the farthest downstream sub-basin that drains acid water (pH of 4.5 or less) from anthracite coal mines. The Swatara Creek drainage area includes 567 square miles of parts of Schuylkill, Berks, Lebanon, and Dauphin Counties in Pennsylvania. To learn what environmental factors and dissolved constituents in water were influencing the quality of Swatara Creek, a reconnaissance of the basin was begun during the summer of 1958. Most of the surface streams and the wells adjacent to the principal tributaries of the Creek were sampled for chemical analysis. Effluents from aquifers underlying the basin were chemically analyzed because ground water is the basic source of supply to surface streams in the Swatara Creek basin. When there is little runoff during droughts, ground water has a dominating influence on the quality of surface water. Field tests showed that all ground water in the basin was non-acidic. However, several streams were acidic. Sources of acidity in these streams were traced to the overflow of impounded water in unworked coal mines. Acidic mine effluents and washings from coal breakers were detected downstream in Swatara Creek as far as Harper Tavern, although the pH at Harper Tavern infrequently went below 6.0. Suspended-sediment sampling at this location showed the mean daily concentration ranged from 2 to 500 ppm. The concentration of suspended sediment is influenced by runoff and land use, and at Harper Tavern it consisted of natural sediments and coal wastes. The average daily suspended-sediment discharge there during the period May 8 to September 30, 1959, was 109 tons per day, and the computed annual suspended-sediment load, 450 tons per square mile. Only moderate treatment would be required to restore the quality of Swatara Creek at Harper Tavern for many uses. Above Ravine, however, the quality of the Creek is generally acidic and, therefore, of limited usefulness to public supplies, industries and recreation. In general, the quality of Swatara Creek improves after it mixes with water from the Upper Little and Lower Little Swatara Creeks, which converge with the main stream near Pine Grove. Jonestown is the first downstream location where Swatara Creek contains bicarbonate ion most of the time, and for the remaining downstream length of the stream, the concentration of bicarbonate progressively increases. Before the stream enters the Susquehanna River, chemical and diluting processes contributed by tributaries change the acidic calcium sulfate water, which characterizes the upper Swatara, to a calcium bicarbonate water. A major tributary to Swatara Creek is Quittapahilla Creek, which drains a limestone region and has alkaline characteristics. Effluents from a sewage treatment plant are discharged into this stream west of Lebanon. Adjacent to the Creek are limestone quarries and during the recovery of limestone, ground water seeps into the mining areas. This water is pumped to upper levels and flows over the land surface into Quittapahilla Creek. As compared with the 1940's, the quality of Swatara Creek is better today, and the water is suitable for more uses. In large part, this improvement is due to curtailment of anthracite coal mining and because of the controls imposed on new mines, stripping mines, and the related coal mining operations, by the Pennsylvania Sanitary Water Board. Thus, today (1962) smaller amounts of coal mine wastes are more effectively flushed and scoured away with each successive runoff during storms that affect the drainage basin. Natural processes neutralizing acid water in the stream by infiltration of alkaline ground water through springs and through the streambed are also indicated.
Limnological data for Donner Lake, California, May 1973 through December 1973
Donner Lake is easily accessible to the metropolitan areas of Sacramento and San Francisco and is close to many recreational areas in the Sierra Nevada. The lake is used for recreation and is bordered by commercial establishments, summer vacation homes, and a large state campground. Domestic wastes around the lake have received only septic tank treatment. A sewerage system under construction and partly in use at the time of this study has been completed and now (January 1975) all domestic wastes are transported out of the basin. In September of 1969 and 1970, a brief survey of the lake was conducted (Iwatsubo and others, 1972, p. 28). The results of that study indicated a well-established thermocline between 33 and 66 ft (10 and 20 m). A subsurface maximum in the dissolved-oxygen concentration occurred between 46 and 66 ft (14 and 20 m). In the shallow littoral zone, periphyton and patches of submerged rooted plants were visible. In order to remain attractive for recreational use, Donner Lake will require sound management. A thorough understanding of the water quality in the lake and the quality of inflow and outflow is of paramount importance.