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At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources
USGS1983

Investigation of Waikele well no. 2401-01, Oahu, Hawaii: Pumping test, well logs and water quality

Field tests indicate that an abandoned well (No. 2401-01) near the confluence of Waikele and Kipapa Streams, Oahu, Hawaii, can be reactivated to produce potable water at a rate of 400-500 gallons per minute. Previous tests in 1946 and 1954 indicated that the well tapped the brackish transition zone which inderlies the Ghyben-Herzberg lens of the Pearl Harbor aquifer. Results of this study, based on geologic and geophysical logs of the wall, as well as on pumping test and water-quality data, indicate that the slightly brackish water produced by the well results from brackish irrigation return water. It does not appear that pumping from this well will cause seawater upconing or intrusion. (USGS)

Hawaii↗
USGS1984

Effects of hydraulic borehole mining on ground water at a test site in northeast St Johns County, Florida

An experimental mining project was conducted in northeast St. Johns County, Florida, to determine the feasibility of extracting deeply buried phosphate ore by hydraulic borehole mining techniques. The phosphate zone is between 232 and 250 feet below land surface and consists of approximately equal proportions of fine-grained phosphate, sand, and clay. Six wells were constructed at the test site to monitor effects of the mining operation on the ground-water resources of the area. One well penetrated the Floridan aquifer beneath the phosphate zone, another was completed in the phosphate zone, and the other four were finished in water-bearing zones above the phosphate zone. The mining project consisted of three separate tests in which different mining methods were used. Changes in water levels, other than in the mined zone, were detected only in the overlying monitored zone during the first two tests as a result of roof failures in cavities formed by the mining operation. Water-quality changes were observed only in the mined zone and resulted from the injection of water from the deeper Floridan aquifer as part of the mining operation. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1983

Hydrogeologic data from the US Geological Survey test wells near Waycross, Ware County, Georgia

Two wells were constructed near Waycross, Ware County, Georgia, from July 1980 to May 1981 to collect stratigraphic, structural, geophysical, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geochemical information for the U.S. Geological Survey Tertiary Limestone Regional Aquifer-System Analysis. Data collection included geologic sampling and coring, borehole geophysical logging, packer testing, water-level measuring, water-quality sampling, and aquifer testing. In the study area, the Tertiary limestone aquifer system is about 1,300 feet thick and is confined and overlain by about 610 feet of clastic sediments. The aquifer system consists of limestone, dolomite, and minor evaporites and has high porosity and permeability. A 4-day continuous discharge aquifer test was conducted, from which a transmissivity of about 1 million feet squared per day and a storage coefficient of 0.0001 were calculated. Water from the upper part of the aquifer is of a calcium bicarbonate type. The deeper highly mineralized zone produces a sodium bicarbonate type water in which concentrations of magnesium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, and some trace metals increase with depth. (USGS)

Georgia↗
USGS1984

Preliminary evaluation of hydrologic properties of cores of unsaturated tuff, test well USW H-1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

Analyses were made on 19 core samples of unsaturated tuff from test well USW H-1. Moisture-characteristic curves relating saturation and moisture tension were developed from results of mercury-injection tests. Ambient moisture tension estimated from these curves generally was 1 to 2 bars. Values of relative permeability ranging from about 0.002 to 0.1 were determined by fitting an analytical expression to eight of the moisture-characteristic curves, and then integrating to solve for relative permeability. These values of relative permeability were applied to values of saturated hydraulic conductivity of core from a nearby test well to obtain effective hydraulic conductivities of about 8 x 10 to the minus twelfth power to 7 x 10 to the minus tenth power centimeter per second. If a unit hydraulic-head gradient is assumed, these values convert to a vertial matrix flux of 0.003 to 0.2 millimeter per year. The validity of this assumption was not verified due to the sparseness of data and uncertainties in their reliability. Consequently, the results of this study are preliminary and need to be used principally as a guide for future studies. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1986

Flow testing of the Newberry 2 research drillhole, Newberry volcano, Oregon

A 20 hour flow test of the Newberry 2 research drillhole at Newberry Volcano produced about 33,000 kilograms of fluid. The flow rate declined from about 0.8 kilograms per sec to less than 0.3 kilograms per sec during the course of the test. The mass ratio of liquid water to vapor was about 3:2 at the separator and stayed fairly constant throughout the test. The vapor phase was about half steam and half CO2 by weight. The average enthalpy of the steam/water mixture at the separator was about 1 ,200 kilojoules per kilogram. Because of the low flow rate and the large temperature gradient into the surrounding rocks, heat loss from the wellbore was high; a simple conductive model gives overall losses of about 1,200 kilojoules per kilogram of H2O produced. The actual heat loss may have been even higher due to convective effects, and it is likely that the fluid entering the bottom of the wellbore was largely or entirely steam and CO2. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1987

Statistical analysis of aquifer-test results for nine regional aquifers in Louisiana

This report, prepared as part of the Gulf Coast Regional Aquifer-System Analysis project, presents a compilation, summarization, and statistical analysis of aquifer-test results for nine regional aquifers in Louisiana. These are from youngest to oldest: The alluvial, Pleistocene, Evangeline, Jasper, Catahoula, Cockfield, Sparta, Carrizo, and Wilcox aquifers. Approximately 1,500 aquifer tests in U.S. Geological Survey files in Louisiana were examined and 1,001 were input to a computer file. Analysis of the aquifer test results and plots that describe aquifer hydraulic characteristics were made for each regional aquifer. Results indicate that, on the average, permeability (hydraulic conductivity) generally tends to decrease from the youngest aquifers to the oldest. The most permeable aquifers in Louisiana are the alluvial and Pleistocene aquifers; whereas, the least permeable are the Carrizo and Wilcox aquifers. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1989

Estimation of hydraulic characteristics of the upper glacial and Magothy aquifers at East Meadow, New York, by use of aquifer tests

Drawdown and recovery data from two aquifer tests in central Nassau County, NY were used to calculate aquifer characteristics by several methods to aid in predicting the response of the aquifer system to stress. The first test, on May 12, 1978, entailed pumping the Magothy aquifer for 12 hours; the second on July 30-31, 1985, entailed pumping the upper glacial aquifer for 24 hours. Drawdown and recovery data from both tests were analyzed through analytical solutions and curve-matching procedures, and the resulting hydraulic values were used as initial values in a finite-element radial-flow numerical model to simulate the observed drawdowns and recoveries. Storativity values obtained by all methods were consistent with published estimates; but hydraulic conductivity values were higher than published estimates. The simple analytical solutions and curve-matching procedures gave reasonable values of most terms quickly, but the greatest confidence is in the estimates made with the finite-element model. These estimates for the Magothy aquifer were: horizontal hydraulic conductivity of 100 ft/d; ratio of horizontal to vertical conductivity, 5; and specific storage, 0.0001. Estimates for the upper glacial aquifer were: horizontal hydraulic conductivity, 380 ft/d; ratio of horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity, 2.5; and specific yield, 0.15. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1989

Aquifer-test analysis of the upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system, Union Beach Borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey

The hydraulic properties of the upper aquifer of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system and of the overlying and underlying confining units were determined from and aquifer test in the vicinity of Union Beach Borough, New Jersey, near Raritan Bay. The April 1986 test included the pumping of 2 test wells for 72 hours at a combined discharge rate of 1,375 gal/min, and the measurement of water levels in 10 observation wells. No lateral recharge boundary in Raritan Bay affected the observed water-level changes. Assuming leaky artesian conditions, the average transmissivity and storage coefficient of the upper aquifer are 7,754 sq ft/day and 0.00044 respectively. The leakance of the combined confining units ranges from 0.000030 to 0.000076/day/ft. On the basis of lithologic samples from a nearby well, the overlying and underlying confining units were assumed to have similar hydraulic properties. By using this assumption, the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the confining units ranges from 0.010 to 0.027 ft/day.

New Jersey↗
USGS1989

Hydrogeology and results of aquifer tests in the vicinity of a hazardous-waste disposal site near Byron, Illinois

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conducted an investigation of a Superfund Site near Byron, Illinois. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the hydrogeologic properties of the Galena-Platteville and St. Peter aquifers, the primary water-supply aquifers for domestic supply in the area. The Galena and Platteville Groups and older St. Peter Sandstone are separated by the Harmony Hill Shale Member of the Glenwood Formation. The Harmony Hill Shale Member is a semiconfining unit. Groundwater flow in the study area is from the site northwestward to the Rock River. Movement of groundwater in the dolomites is mainly through joints, fractures, and solution openings. Analysis of the Galena-Platteville aquifer-test data indicates that the calculated aquifer transmissivity ranges from 490 to 670 sq ft/day, and the calculated specific yield ranges from 0.017 to 0.140. Aquifer test data also indicate that the Galena-Platteville aquifer is heterogeneous and anisotropic. Analysis of the St. Peter aquifer-test data indicates that the calculated transmissivity of the aquifer ranges from 1,200 to 1 ,305 sq ft/day, storativity ranges from 0.000528 to 0.00128, horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 2.9 to 3.1 ft/day, and leakage through the Harmony Hill Shale Member ranges from .000123 to .000217 ft/day/ft.

Illinois↗
USGS1994

Hydrogeology and aquifer test of the San Andres-Glorieta aquifer on the southwest part of the Zuni Indian Reservation, Cibola County, New Mexico

A large-yield aquifer test of the confined San Andres-Glorieta aquifer was conducted in 1988 to estimate aquifer properties and evaluate the potential effects of large-scale development on the aquifer by pumping from a cave-fracture system on the southwest part of the Zuni Indian Reservation. The San Andres-Glorieta aquifer underlies the reservation and in much of the area is the only aquifer capable of yielding large volumes of water. Two observation wells were drilled 1.2 and 2.7 miles from the pumped well. Water-level responses were recorded at distances from 179 feet to about 5 miles from the pumped well at these and other wells and at Rainbow Spring. Water levels declined at all observation wells and Rainbow Spring in response to pumping for more than 10 days at about 2,580 gallons per minute. Drawdown after 9 days varied from about 4 feet at the pumped well to about 0.2 foot at the most distant observation well and Rainbow Spring. If pumping continued at the average rate as the first 9 days of the test, 2,540 gallons per minute, and aquifer response remained constant, Rainbow Spring would have nearly 2 feet of drawdown after 30 years, and probably would be accompanied by a reduction in springflow of about 65 percent, to about 210 gallons per minute. Water quality remained generally unchanged throughout the aquifer test and is practically the same as that of samples collected at well ZS-1 in 1984 and Rainbow Spring in 1979.

New Mexico↗
USGS2001

Simulation of a long-term aquifer test conducted near the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A long-term aquifer test was conducted near the Rio Grande in Albuquerque during January and February 1995 using 22 wells and piezometers at nine sites, with the City of Albuquerque Griegos 1 production well as the pumped well. Griegos 1 discharge averaged about 2,330 gallons per minute for 54.4 days. A three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water-flow model was used to estimate aquifer properties in the vicinity of the Griegos well field and the amount of infiltration induced into the aquifer system from the Rio Grande and riverside drains as a result of pumping during the test. The model was initially calibrated by trial-and-error adjustments of the aquifer properties. The model was recalibrated using a nonlinear least-squares regression technique. The aquifer system in the area includes the middle Tertiary to Quaternary Santa Fe Group and post-Santa Fe Group valley- and basin-fill deposits of the Albuquerque Basin. The Rio Grande and adjacent riverside drains are in hydraulic connection with the aquifer system. The hydraulic-conductivity values of the upper part of the Santa Fe Group resulting from the model calibrated by trial and error varied by zone in the model and ranged from 12 to 33 feet per day. The hydraulic conductivity of the inner-valley alluvium was 45 feet per day. The vertical to horizontal anisotropy ratio was 1:140. Specific storage was 4 x 10-6 per foot of aquifer thickness, and specific yield was 0.15 (dimensionless). The sum of squared errors between the observed and simulated drawdowns was 130 feet squared. Not all aquifer properties could be estimated using nonlinear regression because of model insensitivity to some aquifer properties at observation locations. Hydraulic conductivity of the inner-valley alluvium, middle part of the Santa Fe Group, and riverbed and riverside-drain bed and specific yield had low sensitivity values and therefore could not be estimated. Of the properties estimated, hydraulic conductivity of the upper part of the Santa Fe Group was estimated to be 12 feet per day, the vertical to horizontal anisotropy ratio was estimated to be 1:82, and specific storage was estimated to be 1.2 x 10-6 per foot of aquifer thickness. The overall sum of squared errors between the observed and simulated drawdowns was 87 feet squared, a significant improvement over the model calibrated by trial and error. At the end of aquifer-test pumping, induced infiltration from the Rio Grande and riverside drains was simulated to be 13 percent of the total amount of water pumped. The remainder was water removed from aquifer storage. After pumping stopped, induced infiltration continued to replenish aquifer storage. Simulations estimated that 5 years after pumping began (about 4.85 years after pumping stopped), 58 to 72 percent of the total amount of water pumped was replenished by induced infiltration from the Rio Grande surface-water system.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1967

Development of ground-water supplies at Mississippi test facility, Hancock County, Mississippi

Potable and industrial water supplies at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Mississippi Test Facility in Hancock County, Miss., are obtained from large-capacity wells that tap southward-dipping water-bearing sands of Miocene and Pliocene age. The fresh-water-bearing section is 2,000-3,000 feet thick in the area, and individual aquifers are as thick as 450 feet. Aquifer thickness is not constant over large areas, however; and 100 feet is a more common thickness. Three wells installed for potable water supply are 1,434-1,524 feet deep and have produced 1,100-2,500 gpm (gallons per minute) by natural flow. Artesian pressure is sufficient to provide a static head as high as 90 feet above land surface. Planned use rate for two of the wells is about 600 gpm each and for the third, 1,250 gpm. Water for cooling Saturn rocket test-stand deflectors is obtained from three wells 1,873, 1,695, and 672 feet deep. The production rates of these wells are 3,100, 4,500, and 5,000 gpm, respectively; the wells are capable of supplying 7.5 million gallons in a 10-hour period (18 million gallons per day). Artesian head for the aquifers tapped by these wells ranges from 104 feet above land surface for the deepest aquifer to 15 feet for the shallowest. Aquifer transmissibilities determined in pumping tests range from 81,000 to 200,000 gallons per day per foot. Specific capacities of the wells range from a 15 to 47 gpm per foot of drawdown. Water from the supply wells is soft and of good quality. Dissolved solids range from 236 to 315 parts per million. The water is a sodium bicarbonate type, with high pH. The concentration of iron is less than 0.3 part per million. Water temperatures range from 79?F in the shallowest supply well to 100?F in the deepest.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1978

Ponding-test procedure for assessing the infiltration capacity of storm-water basins, Nassau County, New York

A procedure to obtain field data for assessing performance of storm-water basins having high infiltration rates is described. The basin selected is divided into test plots, and treated municipal water from a fire hydrant is ponded to the desired depth so that infiltration rates and flow patterns in the unsaturated zone can be determined by standard methods. The study was made at a storm-water basin excavated in glacial outwash deposits in Nassau County, Long Island, N.Y. in 1971-72. The types of interpretations and evaluations that can be made from test data are described, and applications of the procedure as well as guidelines for developing a similar testing program are given. Observations of special significance were: (1) Infiltration rate of the basin at low water stage is about 1.5 feet per hour but increases with increased water level; (2) flow through the unsaturated zone is essentially vertical; (3) infiltration rate is controlled by a surface stratum --in this case a gravelly, sandy loam; and (4) the position of the water table has little effect on infiltration rate provided it is below the lower boundary of the controlling zone. These observations can be used in evaluating a storm-water basin's suitability for supplemental recharge with treated wastewater, in comparing procedures for increasing a basin's infiltration capacity, or in the design of new storm-water basin systems.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2015

Testing of candidate non-lethal sampling methods for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum in juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha

Non-lethal pathogen testing can be a useful tool for fish disease research and management. Our research objectives were to determine if (1) fin clips, gill snips, surface mucus scrapings, blood draws, or kidney biopsies could be obtained non-lethally from 3 to 15 g Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha , (2) non-lethal samples could accurately discriminate between fish exposed to the bacterial kidney disease agent Renibacterium salmoninarum and non-exposed fish, and (3) non-lethal samples could serve as proxies for lethal kidney samples to assess infection intensity. Blood draws and kidney biopsies caused ≥5% post-sampling mortality (Objective 1) and may be appropriate only for larger fish, but the other sample types were non-lethal. Sampling was performed over 21 wk following R. salmoninarum immersion challenge of fish from 2 stocks (Objectives 2 and 3), and nested PCR (nPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) results from candidate non-lethal samples were compared with kidney tissue analysis by nPCR, qPCR, bacteriological culture, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and histopathology/immunohistochemistry. R. salmoninarum was detected by PCR in >50% of fin, gill, and mucus samples from challenged fish. Mucus qPCR was the only non-lethal assay exhibiting both diagnostic sensitivity and specificity estimates >90% for distinguishing between R. salmoninarum -exposed and non-exposed fish and was the best candidate for use as an alternative to lethal kidney sample testing. Mucus qPCR R. salmoninarum quantity estimates reflected changes in kidney bacterial load estimates, as evidenced by significant positive correlations with kidney R. salmoninarum infection intensity scores at all sample times and in both fish stocks, and were not significantly impacted by environmental R. salmoninarum concentrations.

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms↗
USGS2020

Development and testing of species-specific quantitative PCR assays for environmental DNA applications

New, non-invasive methods for detecting and monitoring species presence are being developed to aid in fisheries and wildlife conservation management. The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples for detecting macrobiota is one such group of methods that is rapidly becoming popular and being implemented in national management programs. Here we focus on the development of species-specific targeted assays for probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) applications. Using probe-based qPCR offers greater specificity than is possible with primers alone. Furthermore, the ability to quantify the amount of DNA in a sample can be useful in our understanding of the ecology of eDNA and the interpretation of eDNA detection patterns in the field. Careful consideration is needed in the development and testing of these assays to ensure the sensitivity and specificity of detecting the target species from an environmental sample. In this protocol we will delineate the steps needed to design and test probe-based assays for the detection of a target species; including creation of sequence databases, assay design, assay selection and optimization, testing assay performance, and field validation. Following these steps will help achieve an efficient, sensitive, and specific assay that can be used with confidence. We demonstrate this process with our assay designed for populations of the mucket ( Actinonaias ligamentina ), a freshwater mussel species found in the Clinch River, USA.

JOVE Journal Of Visualized Experiments↗
USGS1999

Properties of samples containing natural gas hydrate from the JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well, determined using Gas Hydrate And Sediment Test Laboratory Instrument (GHASTLI)

As part of an ongoing laboratory study, preliminary acoustic, strength, and hydraulic conductivity results are presented from a suite of tests conducted on four natural-gas-hydrate-containing samples from the Mackenzie Delta JAPEX/JNOC/GSC Mallik 2L-38 gas hydrate research well. The gas hydrate samples were preserved in pressure vessels during transport from the Northwest Territories to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where multistep tests were performed using GHASTLI (Gas Hydrate And Sediment Test Laboratory Instrument), which recreates pressure and temperature conditions that are stable for gas hydrate. Properties and changes in sediment behaviour were measured before, during, and after controlled gas hydrate dissociation. Significant amounts of gas hydrate occupied the sample pores and substantially increased acoustic velocity and shear strength.

Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Canada↗
USGS1992

Relating results from earthworm toxicity tests to agricultural soil

The artificial soil tests of the European Economic Community and of the Organization for Economic Cooperation produce data relating earthworm mortality to pesticide concentrations in soil under laboratory conditions. To apply these results to agricultural soils it is necessary to relate these concentrations to amounts of pesticide applied per area. This paper reviews the relevant published literature and suggests a simple relation for regulatory use. Hazards to earthworms from pesticides are suggested to be greatest soon after application, when the pesticides may be concentrated in a soil layer a few millimeters thick. For estimating exposure of earthworms, however, a thicker soil layer should be considered, to account for their movement through soil. During favorable weather conditions, earthworms belonging to species appropriate to the artificial soil test have been reported to confine their activity to a layer about 5 cm. If a 5-cm layer is accepted as relevant for regulatory purposes, then an application of 1 kg/ha would be equivalent to 1-67 ppm (dry) in the artificial soil test.

Book chapter↗
USGS1992

Field testing the Wildlink Capture Collar on wolves

Seventeen Wildlink capture collars were tested 61 times on 18 gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) during 1989-1991 in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota. Overall success rate was 89%, and most failures were attributable to premature battery expiration. When batteries were changed ≤ every 2 months, 17 of 17 tests succeeded. With an upgraded version of the collar in which batteries lasted longer, 17 of 18 tests succeeded. Over the 2-year study, 6 of the 17 collars were lost. For serially recapturing individuals, the Wildlink collar proved useful and reliable if care was taken to replace batteries at proper intervals.

Wildlife Society Bulletin↗