Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water

ResourcesUSGS Water Science Centers

ArkansasGeorgia

OklahomA“Sulfur” water at Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Sulphur, Oklahoma

Background and ProblemSection 9507(c) of the SECURE Water section of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) signed by the President on March 30, 2009 calls for a “brackish” groundwater assessment.“….growing competition for freshwater supplies has motivated interest in useof saline groundwaterfor water supply.”

U.S Bureau of ReclamationSandia National Laboratories

2003

Groundwater Withdrawals, 2005

Data from USGS Circular 1344Kenny and others, 2009

Saline-water Withdrawals

Data from USGS Circular 1344, Kenny and others, 2009

2005 Water Use Data

Thermoelectric-power industry is

biggest user.

Historical studies by USGS of saline groundwater are summarized in USGS Fact Sheet 075-03“Unfortunately, little is known about the hydrogeology of saline groundwater compared to freshwater aquifers.”

Background and Problem

USGS Fact Sheet 075-03 (October, 2003) summarizes historical studies by USGS

of saline groundwater.

Background and ProblemFeth and others, 1965

Background and ProblemSECURE Water section of P.L. 111-11 “…calls for an ambitious program with limited funding. We are seeking activities that would help prepare USGS to undertake such an assessment.”

USGS Internal Initiatives:• demonstration projects for geophysical or other

field assessment methods• analysis of existing data• pilot efforts to characterize basic features of the

depth to saline groundwater and the hydrologic and water-quality properties of saline groundwater on a broad regional basis

Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources - Some Issues• Impact of Saline-Water Withdrawals on

Freshwater Aquifers•Deep-Well injection Practices for

Disposal of Fluids•Prospects for Subsurface Carbon

Sequestration•Others…?

Concurrent ProjectsSouthern

MidcontinentSix-State Area

Mississippi Embayment Cretaceous Nacatoch and Tokio Fms

Southeastern US:Southeastern Coastal

Plain and Floridan Aquifer Systems

Concurrent Projects• Saline Water Aquifer Mapping in the Southeastern United

States: Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer SystemsContact: Lester Williams, Georgia WSC - lesterw@usgs.gov

• Salinity Concentration Mapping Using Geochemical, Geophysical, and Geostatistical Methods in the Cretaceous Aquifer System in the Mississippi EmbaymentContact: Jonathan Gillip, Arkansas WSC - jgillip@usgs.gov

• Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern-MidcontinentContacts: Marvin Abbott, Oklahoma WSC - mmabbott@usgs.gov

or Stan Paxton spaxton@usgs.gov

Saline Water Aquifer Mapping -Southeastern United States•Digital database of

borehole geophysical log data

•Map the regional extent of saline aquifer systems

•Delineate salinity variations at key well sites and along section lines

Salinity Concentration Mapping, Cretaceous Aquifer System -Mississippi Embayment• Identify borehole

geophysical logs in wells that penetrate the Nacatoch Sand and Tokio Formation

•Estimate TDS from geophysical logs, create concentration maps

•Repeat geophysical logging in selected wells

Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern-Midcontinent

High Plains OzarkPlateau

CoastalLowlands

MississippiEmbayment

High Plains

Edwards-Trinity

MississippiRiver Valley

CoastalUplands

MississippiEmbayment

Blaine

CentralOK

Ada-Vamoosa

RushSprings

Antlers

Dakota

Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope

• Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent(1:250,000)> Volume> Spatial Distribution

• Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water(1,000 - 35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958)

• Four Stages in Work Plan

Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Products

•Maps (1:250,000)•Cross Sections•Geodatabases•Methodologies•Scientific Investigations Reports,

Fact Sheets

Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope

• Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent(1:250,000)> Volume> Spatial Distribution

• Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water(1,000 - 35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958)

• Four Stages in Work Plan

Class Total Dissolved Solids(Milligrams per liter)

Fresh 0 - 1,000

Slightly Saline 1,000 - 3,000

Moderately Saline 3,000 - 10,000

Very Saline 10,000 - 35,000

Briny >35,000

From Robinove and others, 1958

Salinity Classification

Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope

• Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent(1:250,000)> Volume> Spatial Distribution

• Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water(1,000 - 35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958)

• Four Stages in Work Plan

Work Plan• Stage 1 - Geodatabase Construction

> Compile Extant Maps/Data; Identify Data Gaps> Map Base of Freshwater (BFW)

• Stage 2 - Mapping> Update Maps with Some New Data> Classify Origin of Salinity; Construct Cross Sections

• Stage 3 - Mapping + Validation> Map Top of Brine (TOB)> Map Saline-water Thickness> Calculate Volume of Saline Water

• Stage 4 - Document Regional Context> Incorporate Additional Data Types (Precipitation,

Topography, Faults, Bedrock Types, Rock Properties)

Available Maps

UPDATE: Number of Maps!!!Texas-38 Louisiana-11 Arkansas-11Missouri-11 Oklahoma-3 Kansas-1

Well-LogResponse

From Hart, 1966

Use of well-log resistivity to

identify fresh to saline-water

transition

Cross Sections

From Hart, 1966 Top of Brine

Shale

ShaleSandstonew/fresh water

Sandstonew/saline water

Base of freshwaterbody

Sandstone

Work Plan• Stage 1 - Geodatabase Construction

> Compile Extant Maps/Data; Identify Data Gaps> Map Base of Freshwater (BFW)

• Stage 2 - Mapping> Update Maps with Some New Data> Classify Origin of Salinity; Construct Cross Sections

• Stage 3 - Mapping + Validation> Map Top of Brine (TOB)> Map Saline-water Thickness> Calculate Volume of Saline Water

• Stage 4 - Document Regional Context> Incorporate Additional Data Types (Precipitation,

Topography, Faults, Bedrock Types, Rock Properties)

Geological Context

Gypsum bed in Best Brothers quarry, Kling, Barber County, Kansas, circa 1916. Photograph by E.F. Burchard.

From U.S. Geological Survey Photographic

Library

Human Context

Cimarron River bed operations in Cushing Oil Fieldlooking southwest, Creek County, Oklahoma.December 2, 1915. Photograph by A.E. Fath.

From U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library

Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water

Resources• Saline Water Aquifer Mapping in the Southeastern United States:

Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer SystemsContact: Lester Williams, Georgia WSC - lesterw@usgs.gov

• Salinity Concentration Mapping Using Geochemical, Geophysical, and Geostatistical Methods in the Cretaceous Aquifer System in the Mississippi EmbaymentContact: Jonathan Gillip, Arkansas WSC - jgillip@usgs.gov

• Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern-MidcontinentContacts: Marvin Abbott, Oklahoma WSC - mmabbott@usgs.gov

or Stan Paxton spaxton@usgs.govTHANKS

Tasks and CalendarTasks

Federal Fiscal Year2010 2011 2012

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4Literature searchCompile existent maps, datasetsCompile geospatial dataMerge geospatial data

- Interpolate contours- Generate edge-joined map (base FW)- Identify data gaps

Integrate USGS Produced Waters DatabaseInfill base FW map w/data as neededEvaluate data integrity (QA/QC)Identify sources of salinityGenerate top of brine mapGenerate saline-water thickness mapCalculate water volumesTabulate saline-water volumes by fm, stratEvaluate controls on salinity distribution

- Topography- Precipitation- Bed rock / fractures / faults

Write metadata for GIS layersWrite reports to accompany mapsReview maps / reportsPublish maps / reports

Stages 1 2 3 4 CompleteDocumentation

• Literature search• Compile extant maps, datasets• Compile geospatial data• Merge geospatial data

- Interpolate contours- Generate edge-joined map (target

base FW)- Identify data gaps

Tasks: Year One

• Integrate USGS Produced Waters Database• Infill base FW map w/data as needed•Evaluate data integrity (QA/QC)• Identify sources of salinity•Generate top of brine map•Generate saline-water thickness map•Calculate water volumes• Tabulate saline-water volumes by fm, strat•Evaluate controls on salinity distribution

- Topography- Precipitation- Bedrock / fractures / faults

•Begin compilation of metadata for GIS layers•Begin reports to accompany maps•Begin review of maps / reportsTa

sks:

Yea

r Tw

o

• Evaluate data integrity (QA/QC)• Evaluate controls on salinity

distribution- Topography- Precipitation- Bed rock / fractures / faults

• Write metadata for GIS layers• Write reports to accompany maps• Review maps / reports• Publish maps / reports

Tasks: Year Three

Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water

ResourcesUSGS Water Science Centers

ArkansasGeorgia

Oklahoma“Sulfur” water at Chickasaw National Recreation Area

Sulphur, Oklahoma