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Frederick W. Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to Frederick W. Meyer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2006

Disposal of saltwater during well construction--Problems and solutions

The recent interest in the disposal of treated sewage effluent by deep-well injection into salt-water-filled aquifers has increased the need for proper disposal of salt water as more wells are drilled and tested each year. The effects on an unconfined aquifer of the improper disposal of salt water associated with the construction of three wells in southeastern Florida emphasize this need. In two of the wells provisions to prevent and detect salt-water contamination of the unconfined aquifer were practically nonexistent, and in one well extensive provisions were made. Of the three drilling sites the one with proper provision for detection presented no serious problem, as the ground water contaminated by the salt water was easily located and removed. The provisions consisted of drilling a brine-injection well to dispose of salt water discharged in drilling and testing operations, using a closed drilling circulation system to reduce spillage, installing shallow observation wells to map the extent and depth of any salt-water contamination of the shallow aquifer, and installing a dewatering system to remove contaminated ground water.

Groundwater↗
USGS1989

Hydrogeology, ground-water movement, and subsurface storage in the Floridan aquifer system in southern Florida

The Floridan aquifer system of southern Florida is composed chiefly of carbonate rocks that range in age from early Miocene to Paleocene. The top of the aquifer system in southern Florida generally is at depths ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet, and the average thickness is about 3,000 feet. It is divided into three general hydrogeologic units: (1) the Upper Floridan aquifer, (2) the middle confining unit, and (3) the Lower Floridan aquifer. The Upper Floridan aquifer contains brackish ground water, and the Lower Floridan aquifer contains salty ground water that compares chemically to modern seawater. Zones of high permeability are present in the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers. A thick, cavernous dolostone in the Lower Floridan aquifer, called the Boulder Zone, is one of the most permeable carbonate units in the world (transmissivity of about 2.5 x 107 feet squared per day). Ground-water movement in the Upper Floridan aquifer is generally southward from the area of highest head in central Florida, eastward to the Straits of Florida, and westward to the Gulf of Mexico. Distributions of natural isotopes of carbon and uranium generally confirm hydraulic gradients in the Lower Floridan aquifer. Groundwater movement in the Lower Floridan aquifer is inland from the Straits of Florida. The concentration gradients of the carbon and uranium isotopes indicate that the source of cold saltwater in the Lower Floridan aquifer is seawater that has entered through the karat features on the submarine Miami Terrace near Fort Lauderdale. The relative ages of the saltwater suggest that the rate of inland movement is related in part to rising sea level during the Holocene transgression. Isotope, temperature, and salinity anomalies in waters from the Upper Floridan aquifer of southern Florida suggest upwelling of saltwater from the Lower Floridan aquifer. The results of the study support the hypothesis of circulating relatively modern seawater and cast doubt on the theory that the saltwater in the Floridan aquifer system probably is connate or unflushed seawater from high stands of sea level. The principal use of the Floridan aquifer system in southern Florida is for subsurface storage of liquid waste. The Boulder Zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer is extensively used as a receptacle for injected treated municipal wastewater, oil field brine, and, to a lesser extent, industrial wastewater. Pilot studies indicate a potential for cyclic storage of freshwater in the Upper Floridan aquifer in southern Florida.

Florida↗
USGS1978

Record of wells in the Floridan aquifer in Dade and Monroe counties, Florida

The utilization of the Floridan aquifer as a source of potable water has increased. The use of the Floridan aquifer for subsurface storage of freshwater, and as an industrial water supply in Dade and Monroe Counties, is being considered by water management authorities and some industries. Information on locations, depths, casings, and year drilled for 67 wells that penetrate the Floridan aquifer in Dade and Monroe Counties is presented to assist in planning future uses of the Floridan. Chloride concentrations in water from wells ending in the Floridan aquifer in Dade County ranged from 1,200 to 9,000 milligrams per liter. In Monroe County the chloride concentrations ranged from 1,600 to 20,000 milligrams per liter. Water levels were measured in selected wells to determine the altitude of the potentiometric surface. The measurements indicate that the 40-foot potentiometric line extends from southern Dade County to the upper Florida Keys.

Florida↗
USGS1976

Ground-water quality at the site of a proposed deep-well injection system for treated wastewater, West Palm Beach, Florida

The U.S. Geological Survey collected scientific and technical information before, during, and after construction of a deep test well at the location of a future regional waste-water treatment plant to be built for the city of West Palm Beach, Florida. Data from the test well will be used by the city in the design of a proposed deep-well injection system for disposal of effluent from the treatment plant. Shallow wells in the vicinity of the drilling site were inventoried and sampled to provide a data base for detecting changes in ground water quality during construction and later operation of the deep wells. In addition, 16 small-diameter monitor wells, ranging in depth from 10 to 162 feet, were drilled at the test site. During the drilling of the deep test well, water samples were collected weekly from the 16 monitor wells for determination of chloride content and specific conductance. Evidence of small spills of salt water were found in monitor wells ranging in depth from 10 to 40 feet. Efforts to remove the salt water from the shallow unconfined aquifer by pumping were undertaken by the drilling contractor at the request of the city of West Palm Beach. The affected area is small and there has been a reduction of chloride concentration.

Florida↗
USGS1974

Evaluation of hydraulic characteristics of a deep artesian aquifer from natural water-level fluctuations, Miami, Florida

Knowledge of tho hydraulic characteristics of aquifer systems is fundamental to defining the vertical and horizontal controls on fluid movement, information which is needed for assessing the environmental impact of subsurface waste storage. To meet this objective, natural water-level fluctuations in the 2,947-foot deep Peninsula Utilities disposal well near Miami, Florida were analyzed to obtain estimates of the hydraulic diffusivity, hydraulic conductivity, specific storage, transmissivity, and the storage coefficient of the Boulder Zone. The fluctuations are caused chiefly by oceanic and earth tides, and by changes in atmospheric pressure. The oceanic tidal fluctuations probably result from loading due to tides in Biscayne Bay.

Florida↗