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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

USGS1990

Effects of elevated temperatures and rising sea level on Arctic Coast

Ice is a major agent on the inner shelf, gouging the bottom, increasing hydraulic scour, transporting sediment, and influencing river flood patterns. Rapid coastal retreat is common and low barrier islands and beaches are constantly changing due to the influence of permafrost, ice‐push, waves, and currents. Coastal processes are presently a balance between the influence of ice and the action of waves and currents. Quantitative values for processes are poorly known, however our qualitative understanding is nearly complete. Climatic warming and rising sea levels would decrease the temporal and aerial extent of coastal ice thereby expanding the role of waves and currents. As a result, shoreline retreat rates would increase, producing a transgressive erosional surface on the low coastal plain. With increased wave activity, beaches and barrier islands presently nourished by ice push processes would decay and disappear. Increased sediment supply from a deeply thawed, active layer would release more sediments to rivers and coasts. Additional research should be focused on permafrost and sea ice processes active during freeze up and breakup; the two seasons of most vigorous activity and change.

Journal of Cold Regions Engineering↗

USGS1984

Seismicity at Old Faithful Geyser: an isolated source of geothermal noise and possible analogue of volcanic seismicity

Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A., is a relatively isolated source of seismic noise and exhibits seismic behavior similar to that observed at many volcanoes, including "bubblequakes" that resemble B-type "earthquakes", harmonic tremor before and during eruptions, and periods of seismic quiet prior to eruptions. Although Old Faithful differs from volcanoes in that the conduit is continuously open, that rock-fracturing is not a process responsible for seismicity, and that the erupting fluid is inviscid H2O rather than viscous magma, there are also remarkable similarities in the problems of heat and mass recharge to the system, in the eruption dynamics, and in the seismicity. Water rises irregularly into the immediate reservoir of Old Faithful as recharge occurs, a fact that suggests that there are two enlarged storage regions: one between 18 and 22 m (the base of the immediate reservoir) and one between about 10 and 12 m depth. Transport of heat from hot water or steam entering at the base of the recharging water column into cooler overlying water occurs by migration of steam bubbles upward and their collapse in the cooler water, and by episodes of convective overturn. An eruption occurs when the temperature of the near-surface water exceeds the boiling point if the entire water column is sufficiently close to the boiling curve that the propagation of pressure-release waves (rarefactions) down the column can bring the liquid water onto the boiling curve. The process of conversion of the liquid water in the conduit at the onset of an eruption into a two-phase liquid-vapor mixture takes on the order of 30 s. The seismicity is directly related to the sequence of filling and heating during the recharge cycle, and to the fluid mechanics of the eruption. Short (0.2-0.3 s), monochromatic, high-frequency events (20-60 Hz) resembling unsustained harmonic tremor and, in some instances, B-type volcanic earthquakes, occur when exploding or imploding bubbles of steam cause transient vibrations of the fluid column. The frequency of the events is determined by the length of the water column and the speed of sound of the fluid in the conduit when these events occur; damping is controlled by the characteristic and hydraulic impedances, which depend on the above parameters, as well as on the recharge rate of the fluid. Two periods of reduced seismicity (of a few tens of seconds to nearly a minute in duration) occur during the recharge cycle, apparently when the water rises rapidly through the narrow regions of the conduit, causing a sudden pressure increase that temporarily suppresses steam bubble formation. A period of decreased seismicity also precedes preplay or an eruption; this appears to be the time when rising steam bubbles move into a zone of boiling that is acoustically decoupled from the wall of the conduit because of the acoustic impedance mismatch between boiling water (??c ??? 103 g cm-2 s-1) and rock (??c ??? 3 ?? 105 g cm2 s-1). Sustained harmonic tremor occurs during the first one to one-and-a-half minutes of an eruption of Old Faithful, but is not detectable in the succeeding minutes of the eruption. The eruption tremor is caused by hydraulic transients propagating within a sublayer of unvesiculated water that underlies the erupting two-phase liquid-vapor mixture. The resonant frequencies of the fluid column decrease to about 1 Hz when all of the water in the conduit has been converted to a water-steam mixture. Surges are observed in the flow at this frequency, but the resonance has not been detected seismically, possibly because the two-phase erupting fluid is seismically decoupled from the rock on which seismometers are placed. If Old Faithful is an analogue for volcanic seismicity, this study shows that because the frequency of tremor depends on the acoustic properties of the fluid and on conduit dimensions, both properties must be considered in analysis of tremor in volcanic regions. Because magma sound

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research↗

USGS2026

Groundwater spatial variability within an atoll island: Assessing shallow aquifer heterogeneity with geophysical and physicochemical measurements

This study examines the spatial variability of shallow groundwater on Dhigelaabadhoo Island using electromagnetic induction surveys, groundwater monitoring, and sediment analyses. The research reveals how variations in island morphology—such as differences in elevation, reef flat width, and sediment composition—affect the spatial distribution of groundwater lenses and the overall aquifer dynamics. Saltwater intrusion is especially pronounced in low elevated areas, with narrow reef flat plate and areas where higher hydraulic conductivity—driven by the presence of coarser sediments—is observed, whereas regions characterized by finer sediments, higher elevation, and wider reef flat plates tend to support more symmetric and less saline groundwater lenses. The geophysical investigations reveal that tidal oscillations alter groundwater movement by markedly changing water levels and conductivity, thereby underscoring the critical need to account for temporal dynamics in atoll coastal aquifer systems and the importance of integrating tidal dynamics into the aquifer zone. The findings highlight the significant role of intrinsic morphological and external hydrodynamic factors in shaping groundwater distribution on atoll islands, offering critical insights for sustainable freshwater resource management.

Dhigelaabadhoo Island↗

USGS2022

Permeability measurement and prediction with nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of gas hydrate-bearing sediments recovered from Alaska North Slope 2018 Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well

Permeability of porous media, such as oil and gas reservoirs, is the crucial material parameter for predicting their hydraulic behavior. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyzer is widely used as a powerful tool to predict permeability of various media. NMR T 2 (transverse or spin–spin) relaxation time distribution, which is related to pore size distribution, gives the information to allow calculation of effective (initial) permeability. In this study, we investigate effective, intrinsic (absolute), and relative water and gas permeabilities of hydrate-bearing pressure core samples. These samples were recovered from the Alaska North Slope 2018 Hydrate-01 Stratigraphic Test Well by sidewall pressure coring and then analyzed in a laboratory using both fluid flow test and NMR analyzer. The peak of the NMR T 2 distribution was measured at 10–20 ms using a laboratory NMR analyzer, which compares well with in situ measurements obtained via logging while drilling NMR data for two samples with high gas hydrate saturations ( S h = 76% and 74%). Further, comparison of laboratory NMR T 2 distribution after hydrate dissociation revealed that the hydrate existed in large pore spaces. Effective permeabilities predicted by the Timur-Coates (TC) model and the Schlumberger-Doll-Research (SDR) model, with T 2 cutoff 33 ms, were about an order of magnitude less than the laboratory measured values. Alternative TC model-based calculations with the T 2 cutoff reduced to 10 ms and a newly developed hydraulic radius model better matched the laboratory data. For the analysis of the intrinsic permeabilities, the TC model with a T 2 cutoff of 33 ms and SDR model were greater than the laboratory derived values, while the hydraulic radius model more closely matched the laboratory-derived values. In addition, permeability measurements were also made relative to gas and water under constant three-phase flow (water–gas–hydrate) conditions. After hydrate dissociation, a relative permeability curve was developed for each of the analyzed core samples based on the Corey petrophysical model. The results indicate that the gas permeability changed rapidly at high water saturation around 90%. Thus, we infer that the selection of relative reservoir parameters should focus on the higher water saturation conditions.

Alaska↗

USGS1977

High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry in uranium exploration

Sedimentary-type uranium deposits accumulate at favorable sites along a migration path which may be kilometers in length. Their source is a large volume of rock from which the uranium has been leached. The geochemical mobilities and half lives of uranium and its daughter products vary widely so that they are transported from the source rocks, at different rates, along the migration path to their ultimate site. The radioactive disequilibrium resulting from this process has been well documented in the immediate vicinity of ore deposits, and disequilibrium is commonly recorded on gamma-ray logs up the hydraulic gradient from uranium ore. Little is known about the state of secular equilibrium in the leached host rocks, which often represent the only part of the migration path that is at or near the surface and is thus most accessible to the exploration geophysicist. High-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry provides a means of investigating the disequilibrium associated with uranium leaching and migration. Direct measurement of uranium can be made by this method, and the equivalent weight percents can be determined for six of the seven daughter-product decay groups that characterize the state of radioactive equilibrium. The technique has been used quantitatively in laboratory studies, where the results compare favorably with radiochemical analyses; field experiments suggest that semi-quantitative data may be obtained at the outcrop.

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey↗

USGS2014

Effects of fine sediment, hyporheic flow, and spawning site characteristics on survival and development of bull trout embryos

Successful spawning is imperative for the persistence of salmonid populations, but relatively little research has been conducted to evaluate factors affecting early life-stage survival for bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ), a threatened char. We conducted a field experiment to assess the relationship between site-specific environmental factors and bull trout embryo survival and fry emergence timing. Survival from egg to hatch was negatively related to percent fine sediment (<1 mm) in the redd and positively related to the strength of downwelling at spawning sites. Survival of eggs to fry emergence was also negatively related to fine sediment, and the best statistical models included additional variables that described the rate of downwelling and intragravel flow within the incubation environment. Fry emerged at an earlier stage in development from redds with high percentages of fine sediment. Increased hydraulic conductivity via redd construction and selection of spawning sites with strong downwelling appear to enhance hyporheic flow rates and bull trout egg survival, but early life-stage success may ultimately be limited by intrusion of fine sediment into the incubation environment.

Oregon↗

USGS2015

Coupling geophysical investigation with hydrothermal modeling to constrain the enthalpy classification of a potential geothermal resource.

An appreciable challenge in volcanology and geothermal resource development is to understand the relationships between volcanic systems and low-enthalpy geothermal resources. The enthalpy of an undeveloped geothermal resource in the Karckar region of Armenia is investigated by coupling geophysical and hydrothermal modeling. The results of 3-dimensional inversion of gravity data provide key inputs into a hydrothermal circulation model of the system and associated hot springs, which is used to evaluate possible geothermal system configurations. Hydraulic and thermal properties are specified using maximum a priori estimates. Limited constraints provided by temperature data collected from an existing down-gradient borehole indicate that the geothermal system can most likely be classified as low-enthalpy and liquid dominated. We find the heat source for the system is likely cooling quartz monzonite intrusions in the shallow subsurface and that meteoric recharge in the pull-apart basin circulates to depth, rises along basin-bounding faults and discharges at the hot springs. While other combinations of subsurface properties and geothermal system configurations may fit the temperature distribution equally well, we demonstrate that the low-enthalpy system is reasonably explained based largely on interpretation of surface geophysical data and relatively simple models.

Karckar Region↗

USGS2021

Uncertainty in remote sensing of streams using noncontact radars

Accounting for freshwater resources and monitoring floods are vital functions for societies throughout the world. Remote-sensing methods offer great prospects to expand stream monitoring in developing countries and to smaller, headwater streams that are largely ungauged worldwide. This study evaluates the potential to estimate discharge using eight radar units that have been installed over streams in diverse hydrologic and hydraulic settings across the United States. The research highlights error characteristics associated with the measurements of stage using pulsed wave radars, mean channel velocity from continuous wave Doppler radars, and their combined use to estimate discharge at sites that were collocated with conventional streamgauges. Potential stage biases caused by the thermal expansion and contraction of supporting structures due to diurnal temperature changes were examined. A dry concrete, flume showed the temperature-dependent stage variations were no more than 2 cm. Surface velocity retrievals needed to be adjusted to represent the mean channel velocity when estimating discharge. Different approaches were evaluated and application of two different, depth-dependent adjustment factors was found to yield the most accurate estimates. This study found that it is possible to get accurate discharge estimates from noncontact radar measurements, providing cost-effective solutions for remote sensing of ungauged streams. Lastly, radar measurements of the raw variables (i.e., stage and surface velocity) can be used in an early alerting context to detect flash floods in ungauged streams.

Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas↗

USGS2019

Heterogeneity in hyporheic flow, pore water chemistry, and microbial community composition in an alpine streambed

The hyporheic zone, where surface water and groundwater mix, is an important microbial habitat where biogeochemical reactions influence water quality. We show that spatial variability in hyporheic flow in the East River near Crested Butte, Colorado, drives heterogeneity in streambed geochemical conditions and microbial community assemblages, but the diversity of assemblages remains nearly constant throughout the reach. In July 2018, we collected approximately 100 pore water samples at 20 cm depth and analyzed them for anions, cations, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic matter (DOM) quality, and basic water quality parameters. Vertical hydraulic head gradients were also measured to assess the potential for upward or downward flow, and heat tracing was used to quantify vertical flux rates at a subset of locations. We found that regions of the streambed that are more groundwater-dominated contain less dissolved oxygen, higher concentrations of reduced metals, and more microbially-processed, recalcitrant DOM, while more surface water-dominated locations contain higher dissolved oxygen concentrations and terrestrially-derived, labile DOM. 16S rRNA gene sequencing of extracted DNA revealed that microbial community composition varies with geochemical gradients related to hyporheic flow. These findings provide a better understanding of hyporheic controls on streambed biogeochemistry during the baseflow season, which is expected to lengthen with climate change in alpine watersheds due to earlier snowmelt onset and reduced snowpack.

Colorado↗

USGS2016

Can pore-clogging by ash explain post-fire runoff?

Ash plays an important role in controlling runoff and erosion processes after wildfire and has frequently been hypothesised to clog soil pores and reduce infiltration. Yet evidence for clogging is incomplete, as research has focussed on identifying the presence of ash in soil; the actual flow processes remain unknown. We conducted laboratory infiltration experiments coupled with microscope observations in pure sands, saturated hydraulic conductivity analysis, and interaction energy calculations, to test whether ash can clog pores (i.e. block pores such that infiltration is hampered and ponding occurs). Although results confirmed previous observations of ash washing into pores, clogging was not observed in the pure sands tested, nor were conditions found for which this does occur. Clogging by means of strong attachment of ash to sand was deemed unlikely given the negative surface charge of the two materials. Ponding due to washing in of ash was also considered improbable given the high saturated conductivity of pure ash and ash–sand mixtures. This first mechanistic step towards analysing ash transport and attachment processes in field soils therefore suggests that pore clogging by ash is unlikely to occur in sands. Discussion is provided on other mechanisms by which ash can affect post-fire hydrology.

International Journal of Wildland Fire↗

USGS2021

Before the first meal: The elusive pre-feeding juvenile stage of the sea lamprey

Although sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been studied intensively for more than 70 years, many questions remain about their complex life cycle. One of the least understood portions is the post-metamorphic stage (hereafter pre-feeding juvenile, PFJ) that occurs prior to parasitic feeding. PFJ must emerge from stream sediments and migrate downstream into nearshore feeding areas. Key uncertainties include the internal and exogenous triggers that regulate the timing and duration of the migration, and the mechanisms the animal uses to navigate, avoid predators, and locate their first host. However, many of these factors may vary predictably among natal streams in response to stable geomorphological and hydraulic characteristics that regulate the timing of movements (e.g., flood phenology), energetic costs (e.g., stream length), and risk (e.g., predator density). An improved understanding of the PFJ stage presents two opportunities to improve the success of sea lamprey control: (1) identification of streams where natural mortality during the PFJ stage is high, allowing for the reallocation of larval control to streams more likely to produce successful parasites, and (2) removal or killing of PFJs in streams where natural mortality is low. Either approach represents an opportunity to limit parasitic damage to valuable fish stocks. Here, we review the state of knowledge of the PFJ stage and identify critical knowledge gaps that, if addressed, could facilitate sea lamprey assessment and control by exploiting the behavior of PFJ as they outmigrate from streams in search of their first meal.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS2023

Detection and quantification of preferential flow using artificial rainfall with multiple experimental approaches

Preferential flow in the unsaturated zone strongly influences important hydrologic processes, such as infiltration, contaminant transport, and aquifer recharge. Because it entails various combinations of physical processes arising from the interactions of water, air, and solid particles in a porous medium, preferential flow is highly complex. Major research is needed to improve the ability to understand, quantify, model, and predict preferential flow. Toward a solution, a combination of diverse experimental measurements at multiple scales, from laboratory scale to mesoscale, has been implemented to detect and quantify preferential paths in carbonate and karstic unsaturated zones. This involves integration of information from (1) core samples, by means of mercury intrusion porosimeter, evaporation, quasi-steady centrifuge and dewpoint potentiometer laboratory methods, to investigate the effect of pore-size distribution on hydraulic characteristics and the potential activation of preferential flow, (2) field plot experiments with artificial sprinkling, to visualize preferential pathways related to secondary porosity, through use of geophysical measurements, and (3) mesoscale evaluation of field data through episodic master recession modeling of episodic recharge. This study demonstrates that preferential flow processes operate from core scale to two different field scales and impact on the qualitative and quantitative groundwater status, by entailing fast flow with subsequent effects on recharge rate and contaminant mobilizing. The presented results represent a rare example of preferential flow detection and numerical modeling by reducing underestimation of the recharge and contamination risks.

Bari↗

USGS2020

Modeling soil porewater salinity response to drought in tidal freshwater forested wetlands

There is a growing concern about the adverse effects of saltwater intrusion via tidal rivers, streams and creeks into tidal freshwater forested wetlands (TFFW) due to sea‐level rise (SLR) and intense and extended drought events. However, the magnitude and duration of porewater salinity in exceedance of plant salinity stress threshold (2 practical salinity units, psu) and the controlling factors remain unclear. In this study, we developed a TFFW soil porewater salinity model, in which the feedback mechanisms between soil salinity and evapotranspiration and hydraulic conductivity were incorporated. We selected sites (upper, middle, lower tidal freshwater forest sites and oligohaline marsh site) along the coastal floodplains of two rivers, the Waccamaw River (SC, USA) and the Savannah River (GA and SC, USA), that represent landscape salinity gradients from tidal influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The model results agreed well with field measurements and revealed that with drought‐induced saltwater intrusion, the mean annual soil porewater salinity and duration of elevated soil porewater salinity (> 2 psu) increased significantly compared to the normal (non‐drought) condition, posing a threat to the health and ecosystem services of TFFW even in the absence of SLR. Model results also showed more severe salinity stress under drought for the lower forest sites along the two rivers, where soil salinity values have already been at or in exceedance of the 2 psu threshold.

Georgia, South Carolina↗

USGS2017

Unraveling the channel–lobe transition zone with high-resolution AUV bathymetry: Navy Fan, offshore Baja California, Mexico

Ultra-high-resolution (1 m * 1 m * 0.25 m) bathymetry was acquired with an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) over a sector of the Navy Fan offshore Baja California. The survey specifically targeted an area where the former interpretation of the fan showed a channel–lobe transition; however, the lobe and the transition were not recognized. Instead, the newly acquired bathymetry shows that the previously identified channel continues basinward changing its overall morphology and stratigraphic architecture, becoming gradually but significantly wider (650–1000 m) and of lower relief (3–4 m). Cores from the channel thalweg recovered mud-poor (< 5%) well-sorted sands, interpreted as deposited by fully turbulent flows. The cores also show several mud-rich (9–18%) poorly sorted sands, probably indicating deposition from more cohesive flows. The high-resolution bathymetry shows large sectors of the seafloor sculpted by elaborate bedforms and scours. The overbank area north of the channel exhibits the most numerous and prominent scours, interpreted to have been largely generated by flow stripping at a bend in the channel. Along high-gradient sectors (more than approximately 1¯) of this area, the scours are largest and deepest. Some of these scours show an erosional headwall and a distal upflow-dipping depositional bulge, forming repetitive bedforms interpreted as erosional cyclic steps associated with locked-in-place trains of hydraulic jumps. The scours seem to coalesce to form an incipient channel, which would likely drive the avulsion of the main channel. Further basinward, average gradients decrease (< 0.6¯ ) and scours become smaller and less deep suggesting a gradient control on erosion. The southern channel margin and adjacent overbank area exhibit a trend of scours that are elongated transverse to flow, that successively repeat themselves basinwards, and that at times merge with sediment waves. Probably these scours are genetically linked to sediment waves, and they may have been formed by cyclic-step-like processes as well. The acquired bathymetry represents a breakthrough in the imaging of the proximal sectors of deep-sea fans, which provides the basis for an accurate morphometric characterization and the understanding of sedimentary processes and morphodynamics associated with the delivery of sediment into the deep sea.

Baja California↗

USGS2005

A direct immunoassay for detecting diatoms in groundwater as an indicator of the direct influence of surface water

Groundwater under the direct influence of surface water (GWUDISW) is of concern in communities where growing public demand on groundwater resources has resulted in increased withdrawals and hydraulic stress near surface water bodies. Under these conditions, contaminants such as methyl-tert butyl ether (MTBE) and biological materials have been detected in domestic wells. Other contaminants and pathogens associated with surface water are not routinely tested for in groundwater-supplied systems. To address the need for methods to easily identify potentially vulnerable supplies, a direct immunoassay for the quantitative detection of diatoms in raw water samples was developed as a measure of surface water influence on groundwater. Cell wall preparations from Nitzschia palea Kützing, a freshwater diatom found throughout North America, were used to produce a polyclonal antibody that was applied in a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed to detect the presence of N. palea cell wall components. The direct immunoassay allows detection at 500 cells L −1 , a level similar to diatom concentrations observed in samples of groundwater collected near the test site. This investigation was the first attempt to utilize an ELISA as an indicator of surface water influence on groundwater. Further research is needed to develop more specific diatom-based monoclonal antibodies, determine cross-reactivity, and optimize sample processing and ELISA procedures for development of a standardized method.

Journal of Applied Phycology↗

USGS2005

The soil physics contributions of Edgar Buckingham

During 1902 to 1906 as a soil physicist at the USDA Bureau of Soils (BOS), Edgar Buckingham originated the concepts of matric potential, soil–water retention curves, specific water capacity, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity ( K ) as a distinct property of a soil. He applied a formula equivalent to Darcy's law (though without specific mention of Darcy's work) to unsaturated flow. He also contributed significant research on quasi-empirical formulas for K as a function of water content, water flow in capillary crevices and in thin films, and scaling. Buckingham's work on gas flow in soils produced paradigms that are consistent with our current understanding. His work on evaporation elucidated the concept of self-mulching and produced sound and sometimes paradoxical generalizations concerning conditions that favor or retard evaporation. Largely overshadowing those achievements, however, is that he launched a theory, still accepted today, that could predict transient water content as a function of time and space. Recently discovered documents reveal some of the arguments Buckingham had with BOS officials, including the text of a two-paragraph conclusion of his famous 1907 report on soil water, and the official letter documenting rejection of that text. Strained interpersonal relations motivated the departure of Buckingham and other brilliant physicists (N.E. Dorsey, F.H. King, and Lyman Briggs) from the BOS during 1903 to 1906. Given that Buckingham and his BOS colleagues had been rapidly developing the means of quantifying unsaturated flow, these strained relations probably slowed the advancement of unsaturated flow theory.

Soil Science Society of America Journal↗

USGS2018

Earthquakes induced by hydraulic fracturing are pervasive in Oklahoma

Wastewater disposal is generally accepted to be the primary cause of the increased seismicity rate in Oklahoma within the past decade, but no statewide analysis has investigated the contribution of hydraulic fracturing (HF) to the observed seismicity or the seismic hazard. Utilizing an enhanced seismicity catalog generated with multi‐station template matching from 2010‐2016 and all available hydraulic fracturing information, we identified 274 HF wells that are spatiotemporally correlated with bursts of seismicity. The majority of HF induced seismicity cases occurred in the SCOOP/STACK plays, but we also identified prominent cases in the Arkoma Basin as well as some more complex potential cases along the edge of the Anadarko Platform. For HF treatments where we have access to injection parameters, modeling suggests poroelastic stresses are likely responsible for seismicity, but we cannot rule out direct pore pressure effects as a contributing factor. In all of the 16 regions we identified, ≥75% of the seismicity correlated with reported HF wells. In some regions, >95% of seismicity correlated with HF wells and >50% of the HF wells correlated with seismicity. Overall, we found ~700 HF induced earthquakes with M ≥ 2.0, including 12 events with M 3.0‐3.5. These findings suggest state regulations implemented in 2018 that require operators in the SCOOP/STACK plays to take action if a M > 2 earthquake occurs could have a significant impact on future operations.

Oklahoma↗

USGS1973

Flow characteristics of a subsurface-controlled recharge basin on Long Island, New York

Ponding studies at the Woodbury recharge basin on Long Island, N.Y., show that the principal zones controlling infiltration are a surface-loam stratum and an intermediate gravelly, sandy loam stratum. The saturated hydraulic conductivities of these strata are 0.90 and 0.1 ft per day, respectively. The surface loam acts as the principal zone controlling infiltration until a perched ground-water mound develops above the intermediate gravelly, sandy loam and extends to the bottom of the surface loam; then the intermediate gravelly, sandy loam becomes the principal infiltration controlling zone. Infiltration rates at 15.6° Celsius are 1.4 ft per day when the surface loam is acting as the principal controlling zone and 0.5 ft per day when the intermediate gravelly, sandy loam is acting as the principal controlling zone. Projections of the probable infiltration rates associated with both the partial and the complete removal of the surface-loam stratum show that if recharge continues for several days total infiltration would not be greatly different whether or not the loam stratum is completely removed. The principal advantage of completely removing the surface-loam stratum is the resulting greater infiltration capacity during the early stages of ponding. This advantage is offset by potential problems associated with more intensive clogging of the subsurface controlling zone.

New York↗