Geology topics

S.V. Panno

Publications and source records attributed to S.V. Panno.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2009

Major earthquakes recorded by Speleothems in Midwestern U.S. caves

Historic earthquakes generated by the New Madrid seismic zone represent some of the largest recorded in the United States, yet prehistoric events are recognized only through deformation in late-Wisconsin to Holocene-age, near surface sediments (liquefaction, monoclinal folding, and changes in river meanders). In this article, we show that speleothems in caves of southwestern Illinois and southeastern Missouri may constitute a previously unrecognized recorder of large earthquakes in the U.S. midcontinent region. The timing of the initiation and regrowth of stalagmites in southwestern Illinois and southeastern Missouri caves is consistent with the historic and prehistoric record of several known seismic events in the U.S. midcontinent region. We conclude that dating the initiation of original stalagmite growth and later postearthquake rejuvenation constitutes a new paleoseismic method that has the potential for being applied to any region around the world in the vicinity of major seismic zones where caves exist. Use of this technique could expand the geographical distribution of paleoseimic data, document prehistoric earthquakes, and help improve interpretations of paleoearthquakes.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗

USGS2008

Sources and fate of nitrate in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois

We conducted a two-year investigation into the sources and fate of nitrate (NO3-) in the Illinois River from the Chicago area to the river's confluence with the Mississippi River. Samples from waterways in the Chicago area (Des Plaines River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal) had relatively high concentrations of nitrogen (N) species and NO3- isotopic compositions indicative of treated wastewater (TWW). Downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, NO3- in tributaries discharging to the Illinois River primarily comes from tiles draining row crops. Nitrate isotopic signatures from these tributaries as well as drain tiles were indicative of synthetic fertilizer and/or soil organic matter (SOM) at various stages of denitrification. Nitrate-N concentrations generally decreased in the Illinois River with distance from the Chicago area primarily due to dilution. The decrease in NO3-N concentrations was especially conspicuous during the summer, when there is minimal discharge from drain tiles and NO3-N concentrations in the tributaries were low. In August 2005, when conditions were very dry, NO3-N concentrations decreased from 7.4 mg/L in the Chicago area to less than 1 mg/L near where the Illinois River discharges to the Mississippi River. The isotopic composition of NO3- in water samples from the Illinois River were a mixture of three end members: (1) fertilizer and/or SOM in drain tile water, typically showing the least amount of denitrification, (2) fertilizer and/or SOM in deeper ground water, showing the highest degree of denitrification, and (3) TWW. There was seasonal variability, depending on the volume of water flowing in the Illinois River. During high flow periods, river water samples plotted closest to those of tile drain samples; during low flow periods, a greater influence of TWW was observed in the isotopic composition. A subset of summer samples from the Chicago waterways had isotopic values plotting near and within the domain that characterizes manure and sewage. Nitrate in the Chicago area is primarily derived from TWW, with its isotopic signature evident downstream at least as far as Pekin during most of the year and all the way to the Mississippi River during periods of low flow. Denitrification occurs predominantly in groundwater between and away from drain tiles, although there is evidence that in-stream denitrification and/or biological uptake of NO3- occurs in the Peoria Lake reach of the Illinois River, at least during periods of low flow in the summer. We calculated that the river was losing about half of its NO3-N load in Peoria Lake in August 2005 (a period of very low flow), at a rate of about 7500 kg/day.

Journal of Hydrology↗

USGS2006

Estimating background and threshold nitrate concentrations using probability graphs

Because of the ubiquitous nature of anthropogenic nitrate (NO 3-) in many parts of the world, determining background concentrations of NO3- in shallow ground water from natural sources is probably impossible in most environments. Present-day background must now include diffuse sources of NO3- such as disruption of soils and oxidation of organic matter, and atmospheric inputs from products of combustion and evaporation of ammonia from fertilizer and livestock waste. Anomalies can be defined as NO3- derived from nitrogen (N) inputs to the environment from anthropogenic activities, including synthetic fertilizers, livestock waste, and septic effluent. Cumulative probability graphs were used to identify threshold concentrations separating background and anomalous NO3-N concentrations and to assist in the determination of sources of N contamination for 232 spring water samples and 200 well water samples from karst aquifers. Thresholds were 0.4, 2.5, and 6.7 mg/L for spring water samples, and 0.1, 2.1, and 17 mg/L for well water samples. The 0.4 and 0.1 mg/L values are assumed to represent thresholds for present-day precipitation. Thresholds at 2.5 and 2.1 mg/L are interpreted to represent present-day background concentrations of NO3-N. The population of spring water samples with concentrations between 2.5 and 6.7 mg/L represents an amalgam of all sources of NO3- in the ground water basins that feed each spring; concentrations >6.7 mg/L were typically samples collected soon after springtime application of synthetic fertilizer. The 17 mg/L threshold (adjusted to 15 mg/L) for well water samples is interpreted as the level above which livestock wastes dominate the N sources. Copyright ?? 2006 The Author(s).

Ground Water↗

USGS2006

Isotopic evidence of nitrate sources and denitrification in the Mississippi River, Illinois

Anthropogenic nitrate (NO3-) within the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin and discharge to the Gulf of Mexico has been linked to serious environmental problems. The sources of this NO 3- have been estimated by others using mass balance methods; however, there is considerable uncertainty in these estimates. Part of the uncertainty is the degree of denitrification that the NO3- has undergone. The isotopic composition of NO3- in the Mississippi River adjacent to Illinois and tile drain (subsurface drain) discharge in agricultural areas of east-central Illinois was examined using N and O isotopes to help identify the major sources of NO 3- and assess the degree of denitrification in the samples. The isotopic evidence suggests that most of the NO3- in the river is primarily derived from synthetic fertilizers and soil organic N, which is consistent with published estimates of N inputs to the Mississippi River. The 1:2 relationship between ??18O and ??15N also indicate that, depending on sample location and season, NO3- in the river and tile drains lias undergone significant denitrification, ranging from about 0 to 55%. The majority of the denitrification appears to have occurred before discharge into the Mississippi River. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

Journal of Environmental Quality↗

USGS2005

Characterization and identification of Na-Cl sources in ground water

Elevated concentrations of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl -) in surface and ground water are common in the United States and other countries, and can serve as indicators of, or may constitute, a water quality problem. We have characterized the most prevalent natural and anthropogenic sources of Na+ and Cl- in ground water, primarily in Illinois, and explored techniques that could be used to identify their source. We considered seven potential sources that included agricultural chemicals, septic effluent, animal waste, municipal landfill leachate, sea water, basin brines, and road deicers. The halides Cl-, bromide (Br-), and iodide (I-) were useful indicators of the sources of Na+-Cl- contamination. Iodide enrichment (relative to Cl-) was greatest in precipitation, followed by uncontaminated soil water and ground water, and landfill leachate. The mass ratios of the halides among themselves, with total nitrogen (N), and with Na+ provided diagnostic methods for graphically distinguishing among sources of Na+ and Cl- in contaminated water. Cl/Br ratios relative to Cl- revealed a clear, although overlapping, separation of sample groups. Samples of landfill leachate and ground water known to be contaminated by leachate were enriched in I- and Br-; this provided an excellent fingerprint for identifying leachate contamination. In addition, total N, when plotted against Cl/Br ratios, successfully separated water contaminated by road salt from water contaminated by other sources. Copyright ?? 2005 National Ground Water Association.

Ground Water↗

USGS2005

Hydrochemistry of the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer, East-Central Illinois: Indicators of recharge and ground-water flow

A conceptual model of the ground-water flow and recharge to the Mahomet Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MVA), east-central Illinois, was developed using major ion chemistry and isotope geochemistry. The MVA is a “basal” fill in the east-west trending buried bedrock valley composed of clean, permeable sand and gravel to thicknesses of up to 61 m. It is covered by a thick sequence of glacial till containing thinner bodies of interbedded sand and gravel. Ground water from the MVA was found to be characterized by clearly defined geochemical regions with three distinct ground-water types. A fourth ground-water type was found at the confluence of the MVA and the Mackinaw Bedrock Valley Aquifer (MAK) to the west. Ground water in the Onarga Valley, a northeastern tributary of the MVA, is of two types, a mixed cation-SO 4 2- type and a mixed cation-HCO 3 type. The ground water is enriched in Na + Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and SO 4 2- which appears to be the result of an upward hydraulic gradient and interaction of deeper ground water with oxidized pyritic coals and shale. We suggest that recharge to the Onarga Valley and overlying aquifers is 100% from bedrock (leakage) and lateral flow from the MVA to the south. The central MVA (south of the Onarga Valley) is composed of relatively dilute ground water of a mixed cation-HC0 3 type, with low total dissolved solids, and very low concentrations of Cl - and SO 4 2- . Stratigraphie relationships of overlying aquifers and ground-water chemistry of these and the MVA suggest recharge to this region of the MVA (predominantly in Champaign County) is relatively rapid and primarily from the surface. Midway along the westerly flow path of the MVA (western MVA), ground water is a mixed cation-HCO 3 - type with relatively high Cl - , where Cl - increases abruptly by one to two orders of magnitude. Data suggest that the increase in Cl - is the result of leakage of saline ground water from bedrock into the MVA. Mass-balance calculations indicate that approximately 9.5% of recharge in this area is from bedrock. Concentrations of Na + , HCO 3 - , As, and TDS also increase in the western MVA. Ground water in the MAK is of a Ca 2+ -HCO 3 2- type. Mass-balance calculations, using Cl - as a natural, conservative tracer, indicate that approximately 17% of the ground water flowing from the confluence area is derived from the MVA.

Groundwater↗

USGS2004

Nitrate and herbicide loading in two groundwater basins of Illinois' sinkhole plain

This investigation was designed to estimate the mass loading of nitrate (NO3-) and herbicides in spring water discharging from groundwater basins in an agriculturally dominated, mantled karst terrain. The loading was normalized to land use and NO3- and herbicide losses were compared to estimated losses in other agricultural areas of the Midwestern USA. Our study area consisted of two large karst springs that drain two adjoining groundwater basins (total area of 37.7 km2) in southwestern Illinois' sinkhole plain, USA. The springs and stream that they form were monitored for almost 2 years. Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) concentrations at three monitoring sites were almost always above the background concentration (1.9 mg/l). NO3-N concentrations at the two springs ranged from 1.08 to 6.08 with a median concentration of 3.61 mg/l. Atrazine and alachlor concentrations ranged from <0.01 to 34 ??g/l and <0.01 to 0.98 ??g/l, respectively, with median concentrations of 0.48 and 0.12 ??g/l, respectively. Approximately 100,000 kg/yr of NO3-N, 39 kg/yr of atrazine, and 2.8 kg/yr of alachlor were discharged from the two springs. Slightly more than half of the discharged NO3- came from background sources and most of the remainder probably came from fertilizer. This represents a 21-31% loss of fertilizer N from the groundwater basins. The pesticide losses were 3.8-5.8% of the applied atrazine, and 0.05-0.08% of the applied alachlor. The loss of atrazine adsorbed to the suspended solid fraction was about 2 kg/yr, only about 5% of the total mass of atrazine discharged from the springs. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal of Hydrology↗

USGS2001

Determination of the sources of nitrate contamination in karst springs using isotopic and chemical indicators

The sources of nitrate (NO-3) in groundwater of the shallow karst aquifer in southwestern Illinois' sinkhole plain were investigated using chemical and isotopic techniques. The groundwater in this aquifer is an important source of potable water for about half of the residents of the sinkhole plain area. Previous work has shown that groundwater from approximately 18% of the wells in the sinkhole plain has NO-3 concentrations in excess of the USEPA's drinking water standard of 10 mg N/1. Relative to background levels, the NO-3 concentrations in water from 52% of the wells, and probably all of the springs in the study area, are anomalously high, suggesting that sources other than naturally occurring soil organic matter have contributed additional NO-3 to groundwater in the shallow karst aquifer. This information, and the dominance of agriculture in the study area, suggest that agrichemical contributions may be significant. To test this hypothesis, water samples from 10 relatively large karst springs were collected during four different seasons and analyzed for inorganic constituents, dissolved organic carbon, atrazine, and ??15N and ??18O of the NO-3 ions. The isotopic data were most definitive and suggested that the sources of NO-3 in spring water are dominated by N-fertilizer with some possible influence of atmospheric NO-3 and, to a much lesser extent, human and/or animal waste. Differences in the isotopic composition of NO-3 and some of the chemical characteristics were observed during the four consecutive seasons in which spring water samples were collected. Isotopic values for ??15N and ??18O of the NO-3 ranged from 3.2??? to 19.1??? and from 7.2??? to 18.7???, respectively. The trend of ??15N and ??18O data for NO-3 also indicated that a significant degree of denitrification is occurring in the shallow karst hydrologic system (within the soil zone, the epikarst and the shallow karst aquifer) prior to discharging to springs. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical Geology↗

USGS1999

Impact of urban development on the chemical composition of ground water in a fen-wetland complex

A 15-month-long hydrogeologic investigation of a fen-wetland complex in northeastern Illinois, USA indicated the encroachment of ground-water-borne anthropogenic contaminants into two of three high quality fens. Ground-water flow directions and chemical evidence indicated that plumes of ground water with anomalously large concentrations of Na − and Cl − originated from a private septic system and from rock salt spread on an adjacent road. The contamination, in turn, had an adverse effect on fen vegetation; within the plumes, diverse vegetation was replaced by the more salt-tolerant narrow-leaf cattail ( Typha angustifolia ). Ground water of the third fen contained large concentrations of SO 4 2− as high as 516 mg/L. The SO 4 2− anomaly was observed on a transient and/or seasonal basis in the fen ground water and in an adjacent marsh and pond. Isotopically light δ 34 S values in these waters indicated that the addition of SO 4 2− resulted from the oxidation of pyrite within underlying peat and/or pyritic gravel. However, the large SO 4 2− concentrations had no discernible effect on fen vegetation. The results of this investigation indicate how easily construction of houses with private septic systems and deicing agents from roadway maintenance can contaminate fen ground water with relatively large concentrations of Na + and Cl − , resulting in a significant loss of biodiversity in fens.

Illinois↗

USGS1999

Technical note: A device for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid

A device was adapted to allow for time-integrated sampling of fluid from the rumen via a cannula. The sampler consisted of a cup-shaped ceramic filter positioned in the ventral rumen of a cannulated cow and attached to a tube through which fluid entering the filter was removed continuously using a peristaltic pump. Rate of ruminal fluid removal using the device was monitored over two 36-h periods (at 6-h intervals) and was not affected ( P > .05) by time, indicating that the system was not susceptible to clogging during this period. Two cows having ad libitum access to a totally mixed ration were used in a split-block design to evaluate the utility of the system for obtaining time-integrated samples of ruminal fluid. Ruminal fluid VFA concentration and pattern in samples collected in two replicated 8-h periods by the time-integrated sampler (at 1-h intervals) were compared with composite samples collected using a conventional suction-strainer device (at 30-min intervals). Each 8-h collection period started 2 h before or 6 h after feeding. Results indicated that total VFA concentration was not affected ( P > .05) by the sampling method. Volatile fatty acid patterns were likewise unaffected ( P > .05) except that acetate was 2.5% higher ( P < .05) in samples collected 2 h before feeding and valerate was 5% higher ( P < .05) in samples collected 6 h after feeding by the suction-strainer device. Although significant, these differences were not considered physiologically important. We concluded that use of the ceramic filter improved the sampling of ruminal fluid by simplifying the technique and allowing time-integrated samples to be obtained.

Journal of Animal Science↗

USGS1998

A new device for collecting time-integrated water samples from springs and surface water bodies

A new device termed the 'seepage sampler' was developed to collect representative water samples from springs, streams, and other surface-water bodies. The sampler collects composite, time-integrated water samples over short (hours) or extended (weeks) periods without causing significant changes to the chemical composition of the samples. The water sample within the sampler remains at the ambient temperature of the water body and does not need to be cooled. Seepage samplers are inexpensive to construct and easy to use. A sampling program of numerous springs and/or streams can be designed at a relatively low cost through the use of these samplers. Transient solutes migrating through such flow systems, potentially unnoticed by periodic sampling, may be detected. In addition, the mass loading of solutes (e.g., agrichemicals) may be determined when seepage samplers are used in conjunction with discharge measurements.

Environmental & Engineering Geoscience↗

USGS1994

Formation of regolith-collapse sinkholes in southern Illinois: Interpretation and identification of associated buried cavities

Three regolith-collapse sinkholes formed near the Dongola Unit School and the Pentecostal Church in the southern Illinois village of Dongola (Union County) during the spring of 1993. The sinkholes appeared over a three-month period that coincided with development of a new municipal well. The new well was drilled through clay-rich, valley-fill sediment into karstified limestone bedrock. The piezometric surface of the limestone aquifer is above land surface, indicating the presence of an upward hydraulic gradient in the valley and that the valley fill is acting as a confining unit. Pumping during development of the well lowered the piezometric surface of the limestone aquifer to an elevation below the base of the valley fill. It is hypothesized that drainage of water from the sediments, the resulting loss of hydrostatic pressure and buoyant force in overlying sediments, increased intergranular pressure, and the initiation of groundwater flow toward the well resulted in rapid sediment transport, subsurface erosion, and collapse of the valley-fill sediment. The sinkholes follow an approximately east-west alignment, which is consistent with one of the two dominant alignments of passages of nearby joint-controlled caves. A constant electrode-separation resistivity survey of the school playground was conducted to locate areas that might contain incipient sinkholes. The survey revealed a positive resistivity anomaly trending N75E in the southern part of the study area. The anomaly is linear, between 5 and 10 m wide, and its trend either intersects or is immediately adjacent to the three sinkholes. The anomaly is interpreted to be a series of pumping-induced cavities in the valley-fill sediments that formed over a preexisting crevice in the karstified bedrock limestone. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

Environmental Geology↗

USGS1990

Water movement through an experimental soil liner

A field-scale soil liner was constructed to test whether compacted soil barriers in cover and liner systems could be built to meet the U.S. EPA saturated hydraulic conductivity requirement (⩽ 1 × 10 −7 cm s −1 ). The 8 × 15 × 0.9 m liner was constructed in 15 cm compacted lifts using a 20,037 kg pad-foot compactor and standard engineering practices. Water infiltration into the liner has been monitored for one year. Monitoring will continue until water break through at the base of the liner occurs. Estimated saturated hydraulic conductivities were 2.5 × 10 −9 , 4.0 × 10 −8 , and 5.0 × 10 −8 cm s −1 based on measurements of water infiltration into the liner by large- and small-ring infiltrometers and a water balance analysis, respectively. Also investigated in this research was the variability of the liner's hydraulic properties and estimates of the transit times for water and tracers. Small variances exhibited by small-ring flux data suggested that the liner was homogeneous with respect to infiltration fluxes. The predictions of water and tracer breakthrough at the base of the liner ranged from 2.4–12.6 y, depending on the method of calculation and assumptions made. The liner appeared to be saturated to a depth between 18 and 33 cm at the end of the first year of monitoring. Transit time calculations cannot be verified yet, since breakthrough has not occurred. The work conducted so far indicates that compacted soil barriers can be constructed to meet the saturated hydraulic conductivity requirement established by the U.S. EPA.

Waste Management and Research↗