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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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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2012

Effects of linking a soil-water-balance model with a groundwater-flow model

A previously published regional groundwater-flow model in north-central Nebraska was sequentially linked with the recently developed soil-water-balance (SWB) model to analyze effects to groundwater-flow model parameters and calibration results. The linked models provided a more detailed spatial and temporal distribution of simulated recharge based on hydrologic processes, improvement of simulated groundwater-level changes and base flows at specific sites in agricultural areas, and a physically based assessment of the relative magnitude of recharge for grassland, nonirrigated cropland, and irrigated cropland areas. Root-mean-squared (RMS) differences between the simulated and estimated or measured target values for the previously published model and linked models were relatively similar and did not improve for all types of calibration targets. However, without any adjustment to the SWB-generated recharge, the RMS difference between simulated and estimated base-flow target values for the groundwater-flow model was slightly smaller than for the previously published model, possibly indicating that the volume of recharge simulated by the SWB code was closer to actual hydrogeologic conditions than the previously published model provided. Groundwater-level and base-flow hydrographs showed that temporal patterns of simulated groundwater levels and base flows were more accurate for the linked models than for the previously published model at several sites, particularly in agricultural areas.

Nebraska↗
USGS2010

Viruses and bacteria in karst and fractured rock aquifers in east Tennessee, USA

A survey of enteric viruses and indicator bacteria was carried out in eight community water supply sources (four wells and four springs) in East Tennessee. Seven sites derived their water from carbonate aquifers and one from fractured sandstone. Four of the sites were deemed "low-risk" based on prior monitoring of fecal indicators and factors such as presence of thick layers of overlying sediments. The remaining sites were deemed "high-risk." Enteric viruses (enterovirus and reovirus) were detected by cell culture at least once in seven of the eight wells or springs including all but one of the four low-risk sites. Viral RNA, however, was not detected in any of the samples by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Conventional indicators of microbial contamination (Escherichia coli and total coliform bacteria) were detected together with culturable viruses in seven of nine virus positive samples. Bacteroides, an alternative fecal indicator which has not previously been used in groundwater investigations, was also detected in all but one of the samples containing E. coli or total coliform bacteria, as well as in one sample where viruses were present in the absence of other bacterial indicators. The study highlights some of the challenges involved in surveys of virus occurrence and indicates that culturable enteric viruses in East Tennessee karst aquifers may be more widespread than previously observed in studies of karst aquifers in Pennsylvania (8%), the Ozark region of Missouri (< 1%), or several other states covered in a national microbial water quality survey conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (43%). Copyright ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS2010

New insights from well responses to fluctuations in barometric pressure

Hydrologists have long recognized that changes in barometric pressure can produce changes in water levels in wells. The barometric response function (BRF) has proven to be an effective means to characterize this relationship; we show here how it can also be utilized to glean valuable insights into semi-confined aquifer systems. The form of the BRF indicates the degree of aquifer confinement, while a comparison of BRFs between wells sheds light on hydrostratigraphic continuity. A new approach for estimating hydraulic properties of aquitards from BRFs has been developed and verified. The BRF is not an invariant characteristic of a well; in unconfined or semi-confined aquifers, it can change with conditions in the vadose zone. Field data from a long-term research site demonstrate the hydrostratigraphic insights that can be gained from monitoring water levels and barometric pressure. Such insights should be of value for a wide range of practical applications. ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS2010

A new capture fraction method to map how pumpage affects surface water flow

All groundwater pumped is balanced by removal of water somewhere, initially from storage in the aquifer and later from capture in the form of increase in recharge and decrease in discharge. Capture that results in a loss of water in streams, rivers, and wetlands now is a concern in many parts of the United States. Hydrologists commonly use analytical and numerical approaches to study temporal variations in sources of water to wells for select points of interest. Much can be learned about coupled surface/groundwater systems, however, by looking at the spatial distribution of theoretical capture for select times of interest. Development of maps of capture requires (1) a reasonably well-constructed transient or steady state model of an aquifer with head-dependent flow boundaries representing surface water features or evapotranspiration and (2) an automated procedure to run the model repeatedly and extract results, each time with a well in a different location. This paper presents new methods for simulating and mapping capture using three-dimensional groundwater flow models and presents examples from Arizona, Oregon, and Michigan. Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association. No claim to original US government works.

Ground Water↗
USGS2011

Hydrogeology, Chemical and Microbial Activity Measurement Through Deep Permafrost

Little is known about hydrogeochemical conditions beneath thick permafrost, particularly in fractured crystalline rock, due to difficulty in accessing this environment. The purpose of this investigation was to develop methods to obtain physical, chemical, and microbial information about the subpermafrost environment from a surface-drilled borehole. Using a U-tube, gas and water samples were collected, along with temperature, pressure, and hydraulic conductivity measurements, 420 m below ground surface, within a 535 m long, angled borehole at High Lake, Nunavut, Canada, in an area with 460-m-thick permafrost. Piezometric head was well above the base of the permafrost, near land surface. Initial water samples were contaminated with drill fluid, with later samples <40% drill fluid. The salinity of the non-drill fluid component was <20,000 mg/L, had a Ca/Na ratio above 1, with ??18O values ???5??? lower than the local surface water. The fluid isotopic composition was affected by the permafrost-formation process. Nonbacteriogenic CH4 was present and the sample location was within methane hydrate stability field. Sampling lines froze before uncontaminated samples from the subpermafrost environment could be obtained, yet the available time to obtain water samples was extended compared to previous studies. Temperature measurements collected from a distributed temperature sensor indicated that this issue can be overcome easily in the future. The lack of methanogenic CH4 is consistent with the high sulfate concentrations observed in cores. The combined surface-drilled borehole/U-tube approach can provide a large amount of physical, chemical, and microbial data from the subpermafrost environment with few, controllable, sources of contamination. ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS2010

Simulation and analysis of conjunctive use with MODFLOW's farm process

The extension of MODFLOW onto the landscape with the Farm Process (MF-FMP) facilitates fully coupled simulation of the use and movement of water from precipitation, streamflow and runoff, groundwater flow, and consumption by natural and agricultural vegetation throughout the hydrologic system at all times. This allows for more complete analysis of conjunctive use water-resource systems than previously possible with MODFLOW by combining relevant aspects of the landscape with the groundwater and surface water components. This analysis is accomplished using distributed cell-by-cell supply-constrained and demand-driven components across the landscape within " water-balance subregions" comprised of one or more model cells that can represent a single farm, a group of farms, or other hydrologic or geopolitical entities. Simulation of micro-agriculture in the Pajaro Valley and macro-agriculture in the Central Valley are used to demonstrate the utility of MF-FMP. For Pajaro Valley, the simulation of an aquifer storage and recovery system and related coastal water distribution system to supplant coastal pumpage was analyzed subject to climate variations and additional supplemental sources such as local runoff. For the Central Valley, analysis of conjunctive use from different hydrologic settings of northern and southern subregions shows how and when precipitation, surface water, and groundwater are important to conjunctive use. The examples show that through MF-FMP's ability to simulate natural and anthropogenic components of the hydrologic cycle, the distribution and dynamics of supply and demand can be analyzed, understood, and managed. This analysis of conjunctive use would be difficult without embedding them in the simulation and are difficult to estimate a priori. Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association. No claim to original US government works.

Ground Water↗
USGS2011

Classification of Thermal Patterns at Karst Springs and Cave Streams

Thermal patterns of karst springs and cave streams provide potentially useful information concerning aquifer geometry and recharge. Temperature monitoring at 25 springs and cave streams in southeastern Minnesota has shown four distinct thermal patterns. These patterns can be divided into two types: those produced by flow paths with ineffective heat exchange, such as conduits, and those produced by flow paths with effective heat exchange, such as small fractures and pore space. Thermally ineffective patterns result when water flows through the aquifer before it can equilibrate to the rock temperature. Thermally ineffective patterns can be either event-scale, as produced by rainfall or snowmelt events, or seasonal scale, as produced by input from a perennial surface stream. Thermally effective patterns result when water equilibrates to rock temperature, and the patterns displayed depend on whether the aquifer temperature is changing over time. Shallow aquifers with seasonally varying temperatures display a phase-shifted seasonal signal, whereas deeper aquifers with constant temperatures display a stable temperature pattern. An individual aquifer may display more than one of these patterns. Since karst aquifers typically contain both thermally effective and ineffective routes, we argue that the thermal response is strongly influenced by recharge mode. ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS2010

Quantifying data worth toward reducing predictive uncertainty

The present study demonstrates a methodology for optimization of environmental data acquisition. Based on the premise that the worth of data increases in proportion to its ability to reduce the uncertainty of key model predictions, the methodology can be used to compare the worth of different data types, gathered at different locations within study areas of arbitrary complexity. The method is applied to a hypothetical nonlinear, variable density numerical model of salt and heat transport. The relative utilities of temperature and concentration measurements at different locations within the model domain are assessed in terms of their ability to reduce the uncertainty associated with predictions of movement of the salt water interface in response to a decrease in fresh water recharge. In order to test the sensitivity of the method to nonlinear model behavior, analyses were repeated for multiple realizations of system properties. Rankings of observation worth were similar for all realizations, indicating robust performance of the methodology when employed in conjunction with a highly nonlinear model. The analysis showed that while concentration and temperature measurements can both aid in the prediction of interface movement, concentration measurements, especially when taken in proximity to the interface at locations where the interface is expected to move, are of greater worth than temperature measurements. Nevertheless, it was also demonstrated that pairs of temperature measurements, taken in strategic locations with respect to the interface, can also lead to more precise predictions of interface movement. Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS2010

Linking MODFLOW with an agent-based land-use model to support decision making

The U.S. Geological Survey numerical groundwater flow model, MODFLOW, was integrated with an agent-based land-use model to yield a simulator for environmental planning studies. Ultimately, this integrated simulator will be used as a means to organize information, illustrate potential system responses, and facilitate communication within a participatory modeling framework. Initial results show the potential system response to different zoning policy scenarios in terms of the spatial patterns of development, which is referred to as urban form, and consequent impacts on groundwater levels. These results illustrate how the integrated simulator is capable of representing the complexity of the system. From a groundwater modeling perspective, the most important aspect of the integration is that the simulator generates stresses on the groundwater system within the simulation in contrast to the traditional approach that requires the user to specify the stresses through time. Copyright ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗
USGS1973

Change in potentiometric head in the Lloyd Aquifer, Long Island, N.Y

The potentiometric surface of the Lloyd aquifer in 1970 locally was as much as 40 feet lower than in 1900. During this period, withdrawal of water from wells was estimated to exceed 300 billion gallons, and the amount of water released from aquifer storage by compressive forces was estimated to be 1.6 billion gallons (about 0.5 percent of the withdrawal). The remainder of the withdrawal was derived from downward leakage through overlying aquifers and confining layers and by the displacement of fresh water in the aquifer by landward movement of salty ground water

New York↗
USGS1999

Evaluating data worth for ground-water management under uncertainty

A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models-a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programing sampling network design model-to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information-i.e., the projected reduction in management costs-with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models - a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programming sampling network design model - to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information - i.e., the projected reduction in management costs - with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.

Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management↗
USGS2008

Introduction to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) of ground-water quality trends and comparison to other national programs

Assessment of temporal trends in national ground-water quality networks are rarely published in scientific journals. This is partly due to the fact that long-term data from these types of networks are uncommon and because many national monitoring networks are not driven by hypotheses that can be easily incorporated into scientific research. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) since 1991 has to date (2006) concentrated on occurrence of contaminants because sufficient data for trend analysis is only just becoming available. This paper introduces the first set of trend assessments from NAWQA and provides an assessment of the success of the program. On a national scale, nitrate concentrations in ground water have generally increased from 1988 to 2004, but trends in pesticide concentrations are less apparent. Regionally, the studies showed high nitrate concentrations and frequent pesticide detections are linked to agricultural use of fertilizers and pesticides. Most of these areas showed increases in nitrate concentration within the last decade, and these increases are associated with oxic-geochemical conditions and well-drained soils. The current NAWQA plan for collecting data to define trends needs to be constantly reevaluated to determine if the approach fulfills the expected outcome. To assist this evaluation, a comparison of NAWQA to other national ground-water quality programs was undertaken. The design and spatial extent of each national program depend on many factors, including current and long-term budgets, purpose of the program, size of the country, and diversity of aquifer types. Comparison of NAWQA to nine other national programs shows a great diversity in program designs, but indicates that different approaches can achieve similar and equally important goals. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2006

Description, Properties, and Degradation of Selected Volatile Organic Compounds Detected in Ground Water--A Review of Selected Literature

This report provides abridged information describing the most salient properties and biodegradation of 27 chlorinated volatile organic compounds detected during ground-water studies in the United States. This information is condensed from an extensive list of reports, papers, and literature published by the U.S. Government, various State governments, and peer-reviewed journals. The list includes literature reviews, compilations, and summaries describing volatile organic compounds in ground water. This report cross-references common names and synonyms associated with volatile organic compounds with the naming conventions supported by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. In addition, the report describes basic physical characteristics of those compounds such as Henry's Law constant, water solubility, density, octanol-water partition (log Kow), and organic carbon partition (log Koc) coefficients. Descriptions and illustrations are provided for natural and laboratory biodegradation rates, chemical by-products, and degradation pathways.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2005

Bibliography of ground-water references for all 254 counties in Texas, 1886-2001

Preface This bibliography comprises more than 10,000 citations of ground-water references involving all 254 counties in Texas. The reference citations date from 1886 and extend into 2001. Publications and reports from more than 30 agencies, universities, water districts, geological societies, cities, consultants, and private publication outlets are included in the bibliography. The bibliographic listing is, first, alphabetical by county and, second, chronological by date of the report, from oldest to most recent. The passing years have seen a proliferation in both published and unpublished reports, and such proliferation continues to expand at an accelerating pace. All 254 counties have had groundwater studies, either cursory or detailed. Investigation and development of the ground-water resources of the State of Texas resulted in reports that appear in a variety of formats, including Federal, State, and local agency reports; scholarly, professional, and trade journals; conference proceedings; guidebooks; maps; and theses and dissertations. The end result for the person seeking ground-water information about specific Texas counties is the increasing difficulty in locating pertinent data among the many and diverse ground-water reports in which the information is recorded. This bibliography, covering a span of 115 years, should have considerable utility in guiding those individuals seeking ground-water information.

Texas↗
USGS2002

Analysis and detection of the herbicides dimethenamid and flufenacet and their sulfonic and oxanilic acid degradates in natural water

Dimethenamid [2-chloro-N-(2,4-dimethyl-3-thienyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] and flufenacet [N-(4-fluorophenyl)-N-(1-methylethyl)-2-(5-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3,4- thiadiazol-2-yl)oxy] were isolated by C-18 solid-phase extraction and separated from their ethanesulfonic acid (ESA) and oxanilic acid (OXA) degradates during their elution using ethyl acetate for the parent compound, followed by methanol for the polar degradates. The parent compounds were detected using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected-ion mode. The ESA and OXA degradates were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESPMS) in negative-ion mode. The method detection limits for a 123-mL sample ranged from 0.01 to 0.07 μg/L. These methods are compatible with existing methods and thus allow for analysis of 17 commonly used herbicides and 18 of their degradation compounds with one extraction. In a study of herbicide transport near the mouth of the Mississippi River during 1999 and 2000, dimethenamid and its ESA and OXA degradates were detected in surface water samples during the annual spring flushes. For flufenacet, the only detections at the study site were for the ESA degradates in samples collected at the peak of the herbicide spring flush in 2000. The low frequency of detections in surface water likely is due to dimethenamid and flufenacet being relatively new herbicides. In addition, detectable amounts of the stable degradates have not been detected in ground water.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry↗
USGS1973

Fluorite equilibria in thermal springs of the Snake River Basin, Idaho

Some thermal water sources of the Snake River basin, Idaho, are near saturation with respect to fluorite. That mineral was identified by X-ray diffraction in precipitates induced in three water samples by adding sodium fluoride. The derived solubility product (K S0 ) for zero ionic strength was close to that calculated from Latimer's thermodynamic data (10 -9.7 7 ). The relative ease of precipitation of fluorite from these water samples indicates that equilibrium with respect to fluorite may occur in some ground-water systems.

Idaho↗
USGS2005

Geochemistry and the understanding of ground-water systems

Geochemistry has contributed significantly to the understanding of ground-water systems over the last 50 years. Historic advances include development of the hydrochemical facies concept, application of equilibrium theory, investigation of redox processes, and radiocarbon dating. Other hydrochemical concepts, tools, and techniques have helped elucidate mechanisms of flow and transport in ground-water systems, and have helped unlock an archive of paleoenvironmental information. Hydrochemical and isotopic information can be used to interpret the origin and mode of ground-water recharge, refine estimates of time scales of recharge and ground-water flow, decipher reactive processes, provide paleohydrological information, and calibrate ground-water flow models. Progress needs to be made in obtaining representative samples. Improvements are needed in the interpretation of the information obtained, and in the construction and interpretation of numerical models utilizing hydrochemical data. The best approach will ensure an optimized iterative process between field data collection and analysis, interpretation, and the application of forward, inverse, and statistical modeling tools. Advances are anticipated from microbiological investigations, the characterization of natural organics, isotopic fingerprinting, applications of dissolved gas measurements, and the fields of reaction kinetics and coupled processes. A thermodynamic perspective is offered that could facilitate the comparison and understanding of the multiple physical, chemical, and biological processes affecting ground-water systems.

Hydrogeology Journal↗