SALINE AQUIFER MAPPING PROJECT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

P e a rl Ri ver B l a c k W arrior C h at tahoochee Ri ver R i v e r aqui fer S a l t w ater a q u i f e r a q u i f e r Recharge Atlantic Ocean Modified from Miller, 1990 Base of Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system NOT TO SCALE N 0 100 MILES 50 0 100 KILOMETERS 50 Well being used to assess saline water resources Coastal Plain aquifer system Floridan aquifer system EXPLANATION N O R T H E R N L I M I T O F S T U D Y A. Extent of Floridan aquifer system and Coastal Plain aquifer system B. Block diagram showing the Floridan and Coastal Plain aquifer systems A T L A N T I C O C E A N G U L F O F M E X I C O EXPLANATION Floridan aquifer system Freshwater-saltwater interface Aquifers in Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system Confining units in Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system General direction of regional groundwater movement Surficial aquifer system GEORGIA ALABAMA Base map from U.S. Geological Survey 1:2,000,000-scale digital data SOUTH CAROLINA F L O R ID A SALINE AQUIFER MAPPING PROJECT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES Lester J. Williams 1 and Rick M. Spechler 2 AUTHORS: 1/ Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center, Peachtree Business Center, Suite 130, 3039 Amwiler Road, Atlanta, GA 30360; 2/ Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Water Science Center, 12703 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826. REFERENCE: Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, held April 11–13, 2011, at the University of Georgia. Abstract. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study of saline aquifers in the southeastern United States to evaluate the potential use of brackish or saline water from the deeper portions of the Floridan aquifer system and the underlying Coastal Plain aquifer system (Fig. 1). The objective of this study is to improve the overall understanding of the available saline water resources for potential future develop- ment. Speciﬁc tasks are to (1) develop a digital georeferenced database of borehole geophysical data to enable analysis and characterization of saline aquifers (see locations in Fig. 1), (2) identify and map the regional extent of saline aquifer systems and describe the thickness and character of hydrologic units that compose these systems, and (3) delineate salinity variations at key well sites and along section lines to provide a regional depiction of the freshwater-saltwater interfaces. Electrical resistivity and induction logs, coupled with a variety of different porosity logs (sonic, density, and neutron), are the primary types of borehole geophysical logs being used to estimate the water quality in brackish and saline formations. The results from the geophysical log calculations are being compared to available water-quality data obtained from water wells and from drill-stem water samples collected in test wells. Overall, the saline aquifer mapping project is helping to improve the understanding of saline water resources in the area. These aquifers may be sources of large quantities of water that could be treated by using reverse osmosis or similar technologies, or they could be used for aquifer storage and recovery systems. REFERENCE Miller, J.A., 1990, Ground Water Atlas of the United States Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina: U.S. Geologi- cal Survey Hydrologic Atlas HA 730-G, 28 p. Figure 1. Location of wells being used to assess saline water resources in the Southeastern United States.

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Transcript of SALINE AQUIFER MAPPING PROJECT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Page 1: SALINE AQUIFER MAPPING PROJECT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Pearl River

Black Warrior

Chattahoochee River

R iver aquiferSaltwater

aquifer

Recharge

Atlantic Ocean

Modified from Miller, 1990

Base of SoutheasternCoastal Plain aquifer system

NOT TO SCALE

0 100 MILES50

0 100 KILOMETERS50

Well being used to assess saline water resources

Coastal Plain aquifer system

Floridan aquifer system

EXPLANATION

N O R T H E R N L I M

I T O

F S T U D Y

A. Extent of Floridan aquifer system and Coastal Plain aquifer system B. Block diagram showing the Floridan and Coastal Plain aquifer systems

ATLA

NTIC

CEAN

GULF OF MEXICO

EXPLANATION

Floridan aquifer system

Freshwater-saltwater interface

Aquifers in Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system

Confining units in Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system

General direction of regional groundwater movement

Surficial aquifer system

GEORGIAALABAMA

Base map from U.S. Geological Survey 1:2,000,000-scale digital data

SOUTH CAROLINA

FLORIDA

SALINE AQUIFER MAPPING PROJECT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES

Lester J. Williams1 and Rick M. Spechler2

AUTHORS: 1/ Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center, Peachtree Business Center, Suite 130, 3039 Amwiler Road,Atlanta, GA 30360; 2/Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Water Science Center, 12703 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826. REFERENCE: Proceedings of the 2011 Georgia Water Resources Conference, held April 11–13, 2011, at the University of Georgia.

Abstract. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey initiated a study of saline aquifers in the southeastern United States to evaluate the potential use of brackish or saline water from the deeper portions of the Floridan aquifer system and the underlying Coastal Plain aquifer system (Fig. 1). The objective of this study is to improve the overall understanding of the available saline water resources for potential future develop-ment. Specific tasks are to (1) develop a digital georeferenced database of borehole geophysical data to enable analysis and characterization of saline aquifers (see locations in Fig. 1), (2) identify and map the regional extent of saline aquifer systems and describe the thickness and character of hydrologic units that compose these systems, and (3) delineate salinity variations at key well sites and along section lines to provide a regional depiction of the freshwater-saltwater interfaces.

Electrical resistivity and induction logs, coupled with a variety of different porosity logs (sonic, density, and neutron),

are the primary types of borehole geophysical logs being used to estimate the water quality in brackish and saline formations. The results from the geophysical log calculations are being compared to available water-quality data obtained from water wells and from drill-stem water samples collected in test wells. Overall, the saline aquifer mapping project is helping to improve the understanding of saline water resources in the area. These aquifers may be sources of large quantities of water that could be treated by using reverse osmosis or similar technologies, or they could be used for aquifer storage and recovery systems.

REFERENCE

Miller, J.A., 1990, Ground Water Atlas of the United States Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina: U.S. Geologi-cal Survey Hydrologic Atlas HA 730-G, 28 p.

Figure 1. Location of wells being used to assess saline water resources in the Southeastern United States.