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Joanna N. Thamke

Publications and source records attributed to Joanna N. Thamke.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2014

Conceptual model of the uppermost principal aquifer systems in the Williston and Powder River structural basins, United States and Canada

The three uppermost principal aquifer systems of the Northern Great Plains—the glacial, lower Tertiary, and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems—are described in this report and provide water for irrigation, mining, public and domestic supply, livestock, and industrial uses. These aquifer systems primarily are present in two nationally important fossil-fuelproducing areas: the Williston and Powder River structural basins in the United States and Canada. The glacial aquifer system is contained within glacial deposits that overlie the lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems in the northeastern part of the Williston structural basin. Productive sand and gravel aquifers exist within this aquifer system. The Upper Cretaceous aquifer system is contained within bedrock lithostratigraphic units as deep as 2,850 and 8,500 feet below land surface in the Williston and Powder River structural basins, respectively. Petroleum extraction from much deeper formations, such as the Bakken Formation, is rapidly increasing because of recently improved hydraulic fracturing methods that require large volumes of relatively freshwater from shallow aquifers or surface water. Extraction of coalbed natural gas from within the lower Tertiary aquifer system requires removal of large volumes of groundwater to allow degasification. Recognizing the importance of understanding water resources in these energy-rich basins, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater Resources Program ( http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/ ) began a groundwater study of the Williston and Powder River structural basins in 2011 to quantify this groundwater resource, the results of which are described in this report. The overall objective of this study was to characterize, quantify, and provide an improved conceptual understanding of the three uppermost and principal aquifer systems in energy-resource areas of the Northern Great Plains to assist in groundwater-resource management for multiple uses. The study area includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming in the United States and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. The glacial aquifer system is contained within glacial drift consisting primarily of till, with smaller amounts of glacial outwash sand and gravel deposits. The lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems are contained within several formations of the Tertiary and Cretaceous geologic systems, which are hydraulically separated from underlying aquifers by a basal confining unit. The lower Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous aquifer systems each were divided into three hydrogeologic units that correspond to one or more lithostratigraphic units. The period prior to 1960 is defined as the predevelopment period when little groundwater was extracted. From 1960 through 1990, numerous flowing wells were installed near the Yellowstone, Little Missouri and Knife Rivers, resulting in local groundwater declines. Recently developed technologies for the extraction of petroleum resources, which largely have been applied in the study area since about 2005, require millions of gallons of water for construction of each well, with additional water needed for long-term operation; therefore, the potential for an increase in groundwater extraction is high. In this study, groundwater recharge and discharge components were estimated for the period 1981–2005. Groundwater recharge primarily occurs from infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt (precipitation recharge) and infiltration of streams into the ground (stream infiltration). Total estimated recharge to the Williston and Powder River control volumes is 4,560 and 1,500 cubic feet per second, respectively. Estimated precipitation recharge is 26 and 15 percent of total recharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Estimated stream infiltration is 71 and 80 percent of total recharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Groundwater discharge primarily is to streams and springs and is estimated to be about 97 and 92 percent of total discharge for the Williston and Powder River control volumes, respectively. Most of the remaining discharge results from pumped and flowing wells. Groundwater flow in the Williston structural basin generally is from the west and southwest toward the east, where discharge to streams occurs. Locally, in the uppermost hydrogeologic units, groundwater generally is unconfined and flows from topographically high to low areas, where discharge to streams occurs. Groundwater flow in the Powder River structural basin generally is toward the north, with local variations, particularly in the upper Fort Union aquifer, where flow is toward streams.

Manitoba;Montana;North Dakota;Saskatchewan;South D↗
USGS2012

Strontium isotope systematics of mixing groundwater and oil-field brine at Goose Lake in northeastern Montana, USA

Groundwater, surface water, and soil in the Goose Lake oil field in northeastern Montana have been affected by Cl − -rich oil-field brines during long-term petroleum production. Ongoing multidisciplinary geochemical and geophysical studies have identified the degree and local extent of interaction between brine and groundwater. Fourteen samples representing groundwater, surface water, and brine were collected for Sr isotope analyses to evaluate the usefulness of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr in detecting small amounts of brine. Differences in Sr concentrations and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr are optimal at this site for the experiment. Strontium concentrations range from 0.13 to 36.9 mg/L, and corresponding 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values range from 0.71097 to 0.70828. The local brine has 168 mg/L Sr and a 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value of 0.70802. Mixing relationships are evident in the data set and illustrate the sensitivity of Sr in detecting small amounts of brine in groundwater. The location of data points on a Sr isotope-concentration plot is readily explained by an evaporation-mixing model. The model is supported by the variation in concentrations of most of the other solutes.

Montana↗
USGS2011

Examination of brine contamination risk to aquatic resources from petroleum development in the Williston Basin

U.S. Geological Survey scientists and cooperating partners are examining the potential risk to aquatic resources (for example, wetlands, streams) by contamination from saline waters (brine) produced by petroleum development in the Williston Basin of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The primary goals of this study are to provide a science-based approach to assess potential risk of brine contamination to aquatic systems and to help focus limited monitoring and mitigation resources on the areas of greatest need. These goals will be accomplished through field investigations that quantify brine movement and risk assessments using remotely-sensed and other spatial datasets.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2010

Strontium isotope detection of brine contamination in the East Poplar oil field, Montana

Brine contamination of groundwater in the East Poplar oil field was first documented in the mid-1980s by the U.S. Geological Survey by using hydrochemistry, with an emphasis on chloride (Cl) and total dissolved solids concentrations. Supply wells for the City of Poplar are located downgradient from the oil field, are completed in the same shallow aquifers that are documented as contaminated, and therefore are potentially at risk of being contaminated. In cooperation with the Office of Environmental Protection of the Fort Peck Tribes, groundwater samples were collected in 2009 and 2010 from supply wells, monitor wells, and the Poplar River for analyses of major and trace elements, including strontium (Sr) concentrations and isotopic compositions. The ratio of strontium-87 to strontium-86 ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) is used extensively as a natural tracer in groundwater to detect mixing among waters from different sources and to study the effects of water/rock interaction. On a plot of the reciprocal strontium concentration against the 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio, mixtures of two end members will produce a linear array. Using this plotting method, data for samples from most of the wells, including the City of Poplar wells, define an array with reciprocal strontium values ranging from 0.08 to 4.15 and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios ranging from 0.70811 to 0.70828. This array is composed of a brine end member with an average 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of 0.70822, strontium concentrations in excess of 12.5 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and chloride concentrations exceeding 8,000 mg/L mixing with uncontaminated water similar to that in USGS06-08 with 18.0 mg/L chloride, 0.24 mg/L strontium, and a 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.70811. The position of samples from the City of Poplar public-water supply wells within this array indicates that brine contamination has reached all three wells. Outliers from this array are EPU-4G (groundwater from the Cretaceous Judith River Formation), brine samples from disposal wells (Huber 5-D and EPU 1-D), USGS92-11 (a well with water that was considerably contaminated in 1992 and becoming less saline with time), and PNR-27 (only slightly below the defined trend with an 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratio of 0.70793). Water samples from the City of Poplar wells are also enriched in anions and cations that are abundant in oil-field brine.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2006

Helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic survey maps and data, East Poplar oil field area, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, northeastern Montana, August 2004

This report is a data release for a helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic survey that was conducted during August 2004 in a 275-square-kilometer area that includes the East Poplar oil field on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The electromagnetic equipment consisted of six different coil-pair orientations that measured resistivity at separate frequencies from about 400 hertz to about 140,000 hertz. The electromagnetic resistivity data were converted to six electrical conductivity grids, each representing different approximate depths of investigation. The range of subsurface investigation is comparable to the depth of shallow aquifers. Areas of high conductivity in shallow aquifers in the East Poplar oil field area are being delineated by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, in order to map areas of saline-water plumes. Ground electromagnetic methods were first used during the early 1990s to delineate more than 31 square kilometers of high conductivity saline-water plumes in a portion of the East Poplar oil field area. In the 10 years since the first delineation, the quality of water from some wells completed in the shallow aquifers in the East Poplar oil field changed markedly. The extent of saline-water plumes in 2004 likely differs from that delineated in the early 1990s. The geophysical and hydrologic information from U.S. Geological Survey studies is being used by resource managers to develop ground-water resource plans for the area.

Montana↗
USGS2003

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data, for streams in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed, Montana, 2001

The upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed encompasses the upstream 15 miles of Prickly Pear Creek, south of Helena, Montana (fig. 1). The headwaters of Prickly Pear Creek and its tributaries (Beavertown Creek, Clancy Creek, Dutchman Creek, Golconda Creek, Lump Gulch, Spring Creek, and Warm Springs Creek) are primarily in the Helena National Forest, whereas the central part of the watershed primarily is within either Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or privately owned property. Three mining districts are present in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed: Alhambra, Clancy, and Colorado. Numerous prospects, adits, tailings piles, mills, dredge piles, and mines (mostly inactive) are located throughout the watershed. These districts contain polymetallic (Ag, Au, Cu, Pb, Zn) vein deposits and precious-metal (Au-Ag) vein and disseminated deposits that were exploited beginning in the 1860’s. Placer Au deposits in the major streams were extensively mined in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. As part of a cooperative effort with Federal land management agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently using an integrated approach to investigate two mining impacted watersheds in the western United States (the Animas River in Colorado and the Boulder River in Montana). These studies provide the USDA Forest Service and BLM scientific data for implementing informed land-management decisions regarding cleanup of abandoned mine lands within each watershed. A similar integrated-science approach will be used to characterize the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed with respect to water and streambed sediment chemistry, aquatic biota, and geologic framework. This integrated database presents data that will be used to identify important pathways of metals movement and biological impacts, thereby guiding resource management decisions of land-managers in several publications that are in preparation. Watershed-level characterization in terms of water quality, streambed sediment chemistry, and fish health will facilitate determinations of whether removal of contaminated materials or other cleanup activities are necessary, planning of short- and long-term restoration efforts, and development of a monitoring plan to document cleanup effectiveness.

Montana↗
USGS2000

Hydrology of the Helena area bedrock, west-central Montana, 1993-98

The Generalized Bedrock Geologic Map of the Helena Area, West-Central Montana (plate 1 in the report) provides an intermediate-scale overview of bedrock in the Helena area. The geologic map has been compiled at a scale of 1:100,000 from the most widely available sources of geologic map information (see index to geologic mapping on pl. 1). That information has been updated by M.W. Reynolds for this report with more recent geologic mapping and field revision of published maps. All well locations and all bedrock units penetrated during drilling have been confirmed on geologic maps at the largest scale available. Source geologic maps are all at scales larger than 1:100,000 scale. Care has been taken to ensure accurate representation of the original geology at the compilation scale. However, positional accuracy of some features might be somewhat diminished at the smaller scale of the base map when compared with the original data source. Also, line thicknesses for contacts and faults necessarily assume a greater width, relative to the real geologic feature, at the scale of the generalized map than on any original map. The map is not intended for large-scale, site-specific detailed planning. Bedrock units throughout the Helena area are generally covered by young surficial deposits such as alluvium, colluvium, glacial debris, or windblown sediment. Thickness of such deposits varies from veneers through which the underlying bedrock is clearly discernible to major thicknesses that conceal all underlying bedrock and structure. Boundaries of major accumulations of surficial deposits are attributed separately from bedrock contacts. These boundaries should not be considered precise at the map scale or at larger scales. Boundaries shown may be less accurate positionally than bedrock contacts and faults because (1) surficial deposits commonly thin to a knife edge; (2) different mappers will interpret the edge differently when drawing a boundary; or (3) the original geologic map maker was concerned principally with bedrock units and structure and thus overlooked, or did not originally map as consistently, some surficial deposits. Veneers of surficial sediment, when saturated, can be local sources of recharge to underlying bedrock. Use of the generalized map to define their distribution does not substitute for site specific mapping of such deposits. Specific knowledge is needed to determine the water-bearing properties of the geologic units at and surrounding a site because the units, including the igneous and metamorphic rocks, have internal differences in stratigraphy, composition, mineralogy and grain size or crystallinity. These differences, together with structural imprints such as faults, folds, and the spacing, orientation, degree of openness of fractures, and extent and type of mineral filling in fractures and faults, all affect the ability of rocks to store and transmit water.

Montana↗
USGS1988

Estimated water use in Iowa, 1985

Periodic assessments of water use in Iowa are needed to understand and manage the demands for the available water resources. This report summarizes where, how much, and for what purposes water was used in Iowa during 1985. The data are presented for the following categories: agricultural, self-supplied commercial, self-supplied domestic, self-supplied industrial, irrigation, mining, power generation (excluding hydroelectric plants), and public-water supply. The water-use data are further categorized by county, hydrologic unit subregion, and major aquifer system. During 1985, a total of 1,010,000 million gallons was estimated to have been withdrawn from Iowa's surface- and ground-water resources. Of this, 76 percent was withdrawn from surface-water sources and 24 percent from ground-water sources. Power generation was the largest water-use category, withdrawing 66 percent of the total withdrawals; 99 percent was from surface-water sources. Public-water supply was the second largest water-use category and accounted for 13 percent of total withdrawals; 74 percent was from ground-water sources. Self-supplied industries withdrew 7 percent of the total water use and agricultural withdrawals were 6 percent of the total water use. The remaining 8 percent was accounted for by irrigation (3 percent), self-supplied domestic (2 percent), mining (2 percent), and self-supplied commercial (1 percent) water users. The largest estimated water use occurred in Woodbury County where 201,000 million gallons was withdrawn. Pottawattamie County had the second largest water use with 182,000 million gallons. Other counties with significant withdrawals were Allamakee (74,900 million gallons), Muscatine (63,900 million gallons), and Clinton (62,300 million gallons). Power generation plants are in each of these counties. Surface-water withdrawals were most intensive along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Nearly 80 percent of the surface water used in the State was by power generation plants on the border rivers. Surficial aquifers were the source of 60 percent of the ground-water withdrawals. The remaining 40 percent was withdrawn from the following aquifers: Silurian-Devonian, 14 percent; Cambrian-Ordovician, 13 percent; Dakota, 8 percent; and Mississippian-Pennsylvanian, 5 percent. It was estimated that 17 percent of the total surface water and ground water withdrawn was consumed.

Iowa↗