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Geophysical reconnaissance of Lemmon Valley, Washoe County, Nevada

Rapid growth in the Lemmon Valley area, Nevada, during recent years has put increasing importance on knowledge of stored ground water for the valley. Data that would fill voids left by previous studies are depth to bedrock and depth to good-quality water beneath the two playas in the valley. Depths to bedrock calculated from a gravity survey in Lemmon Valley indicate that the western part of Lemmon Valley is considerably deeper than the eastern part. Maximum depth in the western part is about 2 ,600 feet below land surface. This depression approximately underlies the Silver Lake playa. A smaller, shallower depression with a maximum depth of about 1,500 feet below land surface exists about 2.5 miles north of the playa. The eastern area is considerably shallower. The maximum calculated depth to bedrock is about 1,000 feet below land surface, but the depth throughout most the eastern area is only about 400 feet below land surface. An electrical resistivity survey in Lemmon Valley consisting of 10 Schlumberger soundings was conducted around the playas. The maximum depth of poor-quality water (characterized by a resistivity less than 20 ohm-meters) differed considerably from place to place. Maximum depths of poor-quality water beneath the playa east of Stead varied from about 120 feet to almost 570 feet below land surface. At the Silver Lake playa, the maximum depths varied from about 40 feet in the west to 490 feet in the east. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Analysis of borehole geophysical data in an evaporite sequence at Salt Valley, Utah

Interpretation of the lithology of an interbed sequence (thin-bedded sediments between thick layers of salt) is often difficult due to the presence of dolomitic sandstones and halite inclusions. The most useful well logging measurements in an evaporite sequence are gamma-ray, neutron-neutron, density, and acoustic velocity. The high resistivity of salt and the low resistivity of commonly used drilling fluids (brine muds) make it difficult to obtain measurements of electrical properties in an evaporite sequence. Tests of a single-coil induction probe at Salt Valley show good resolution of the interbed lithologies and may be useful in determining moisture in the halite. Complex structural features (faulting and folding) are difficult to interpret with individual well logs. Interpretation of complex folding can be aided by plotting the percent frequency of occurrence of well log response values for the interbeds. Limbs of a fold that intersect the drill hole at different dip angles yield similar distribution patterns on these percent-frequency plots.

Utah↗