Relation of Hydrogeologic Characteristics to Distribution of Radioactivity in Ground Water, Newark Basin, New Jersey
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RELATION OF HYDROGEOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS TO DISTRIBUTION OF RADIOACTIVITY IN GROUND WATER, NEWARK BASIN, NEW JERSEY By Zoltan Szabo, Tide A. Taylor, Dorothy F. Payne, and Tamara Ivahnenko U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4136 Prepared in cooperation with the NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION West Trenton, New Jersey 1997 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services Mountain View Office Park Box 25286 810 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 206 Denver, Colorado 80225-0286 West Trenton, NJ 08628 CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................................................................................................................1 Introduction........................................................................._^ Purpose and scope................................................................................................................4 Geographic and hydrogeologic setting ................................................................................4 Geohydrology ..........................................................................................................5 Uranium mineralization in the Newark Basin .........................................................7 Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................^ Description of sites selected for study .............................................................................................8 Methods of investigation................................................................................................................ 14 Geologic investigations......................................................................................................14 Well construction and development....................................................................... 14 Geophysical logging.............................................................................................. 15 Use of geophysical logs............................................................................. 15 Strati graphic correlations determined from geophysical logs ...................19 Determination of lithology and fracture density....................................................21 Lithology....................................................................................................21 Fracture density..........................................................................................21 Analysis of whole-rock chemistry .........................................................................24 Analysis of water quality ...................................................................................................26 Sampling procedures..............................................................................................27 Analytical procedures ............................................................................................27 Hydrogeologic characteristics at the selected sites........................................................................29 Lithology and fracture characteristics................................................................................29 Ground-water quality.........................................................................................................35 Relation of hydrogeologic characteristics to distribution of radioactivity in ground water ..........40 Selected sites......................................................................................................................40 Site 1............................................................................................................. Site 2......................................................................................................................41 Site 3......................................................................................................................44 Site 4................................................................................................................ Site 5......................................................................................................................48 Site 6............................................................................................................ Basinwide...........................................................................................................................49 Lithology................................................................................................................50 Continuity of radioactive lithologies within formations............................50 Frequency of occurrence of radioactive lithologies within formations .....52 Orientation of fractures..........................................................................................56 Ground-water quality.............................................................................................57 Summary and conclusions .............................................................................................................61 References cited.............................................................................................................................65 Glossary .........................................................................................................................................71 in CONTENTS-Continued Page Appendix A. Records of selected wells and boreholes in the Newark Basin, New Jersey.....................................................................................................76 B-1. Major- and trace-element constituents of whole-rock samples from selected depths in three boreholes, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey.....................................................................................................77 B-2. Results of gamma-spectrometric analyses for uranium, thorium, potassium, and gross gamma, and hydrofluoric-acid digested whole-rock chemical analyses for uranium in rock samples from selected depths in three boreholes, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey ....................................80 C. Physical properties of, and concentrations of major ions, nutrients, trace elements, radioactive elements, and purgeable organic compounds in, water samples from boreholes or wells adjacent to boreholes, Newark Basin, New Jersey, 1985-91 ..........................................................................81 D. Description of lithology, fracture characteristics, and ground-water quality at the selected sites, Newark Basin, New Jersey ...........................................86 ILLUSTRATIONS Plate 1. Geologic logs and gamma logs, sites 1 and 2, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey.......................................................................................................in pocket 2. Caliper log, fracture-density histogram, fracture-surface mineralogy, borehole- televiewer log, heat-pulse-flowmeter log, spontaneous-potential log, single-point- resistance log, and gamma log, sites 1 and 2, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey............................................................................................in pocket 3. Geologic logs and gamma logs, sites 3 and 4, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey.......................................................................................................in pocket 4. Caliper log, fracture-density histogram, fracture-surface mineralogy, borehole- televiewer log, heat-pulse-flowmeter log, temperature log, spontaneous- potential log, single-point-resistance log, and gamma log, sites 3 and 4, south-central Newark Basin, New Jersey ........................................................in pocket 5. Geologic logs and gamma logs, sites 5 and 6, south-central and northeastern Newark Basin, New Jersey ..............................................................................in pocket 6. Caliper log, fracture-density histogram, fracture-surface mineralogy, borehole- televiewer log, spontaneous-potential log, single-point-resistance log, and gamma log, sites 5 and 6, south-central and northeastern Newark Basin, New Jersey.......................................................................................................in pocket Figure 1. Map showing location of Newark Basin, New Jersey, and study sites .....................3 2. Map showing locations of six study sites and associated wells and boreholes, Newark Basin, New Jersey .................................................................................10 3. Schematic diagram showing gamma-energy signatures of uranium-238, thorium-232, and potassium-40 showing energies of the major peaks identified by means of gamma-spectra logging..................................................18 IV ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued Page Figure 4. Graph showing known energy peaks used to calibrate stationary gamma- spectra logs..........................................................................................................18 5. Schematic diagram showing example interpretation of fracture orientation from a borehole-televiewer image where magnetic declination is -12 degrees..........................................................................................................20 6. Schematic diagram showing