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Hydrogeologic and Hydraulic Characterization of the Surficial Aquifer System, and Origin of High Salinity Groundwater, Palm Beach County, Florida

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Hydrogeologic and Hydraulic Characterization of the Surficial Aquifer System, and Origin of High Salinity Groundwater, Palm Beach County, Florida Hydrogeologic and Hydraulic Characterization of the Surficial Aquifer System, and Origin of High Salinity Groundwater, Palm Beach County, Florida By Ronald S. Reese and Michael A. Wacker Prepared in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5113 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Reese, R.S., and Wacker, M.A., 2009, Hydrogeologic and Hydraulic Characterization of the Surficial Aquifer System, and Origin of High Salinity Groundwater, Palm Beach County, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5113, 83 p., (appendixes on CD). ISBN 978 1 4113 2550 0 iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................2 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................3 Methods of Investigation ..............................................................................................................................4 Well Drilling and Construction and Inventory of Wells ..................................................................4 Borehole Geophysical Logging ..........................................................................................................6 Description of Lithologic Samples .....................................................................................................6 Aquifer Testing ......................................................................................................................................6 Water-Quality Data Collection ............................................................................................................6 Lithostratigraphic Framework Delineation .......................................................................................6 Hydrostratigraphic Framework Delineation .....................................................................................7 Hydrogeologic Framework ...........................................................................................................................7 Lithostratigraphic Framework ............................................................................................................7 Hydrostratigraphic Units......................................................................................................................8 Zone 1...........................................................................................................................................10 Zone 2...........................................................................................................................................14 Zone 3...........................................................................................................................................14 Hydraulic Properties and Characteristics ...............................................................................................24 Hydraulic Test Data ............................................................................................................................24 Comparison of Transmissivity Derived by Different Methods .....................................................24 Confinement above Zone 2 or 3 ........................................................................................................28 Characteristics of Flow Zones as Determined by Borehole Geophysical Logs .......................28 Distribution of Transmissivity by Zone .............................................................................................28 Zone 1...........................................................................................................................................28 Zone 2 or Zones 2 and 3 Combined .........................................................................................28 Zone 3...........................................................................................................................................33 Aquifer Nomenclature and Definition ......................................................................................................33 Origin of High Salinity Groundwater in Central and Western Parts of the Study Area ....................35 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................39 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................41 Appendix 1..............................................................................................................................................on CD Appendix 2..............................................................................................................................................on CD iv Figures 1–2. Maps showing— 1. Study area and physiographic provinces and subdivisions of the study area.......3 2. All wells used to define the litho- and hydrostratigraphic frameworks in the study, Palm Beach County, Florida ..................................................................5 3. Chart showing lithostratigraphic units recognized in the study area, their generalized geology, and relation with hydrogeologic units .............................................8 4. Hydrostratigraphic section A-A’, and location of hydrostratigraphic section lines ..........9 5. Hydrostratigraphic section B-B’ ...........................................................................................10 6. Core photographs of PB-1761 for interval from 10 to 40 feet below land surface, including zone 1 .......................................................................................................................11 7. Map showing altitude of the top of zone 1 ..........................................................................12 8. Map showing thickness of zone 1 ........................................................................................13 9. Core photograph of PB-1807 for interval from approximately 76 to 83 feet below land surface within zone 2 .....................................................................................................15 10–12. Maps showing— 10. Altitude of the top of zone 2 .......................................................................................16 11. Thickness of zone 2 .....................................................................................................17 12. Thickness of the confining unit between zones 1 and 2 .......................................18 13. Core photograph and thin-section photomicrograph from zone 3 in the gray limestone aquifer ............................................................................................................19 14–18. Maps showing— 14. Altitude of the top of zone 3 .......................................................................................20 15. Thickness of zone 3 .....................................................................................................21 16. Thickness of the confining unit above zone .........................................................3 22 17. Combined thickness of zones 2 and 3 ......................................................................23 18. Location of hydraulic test sites, production well number, and zone(s) open .......25 19–21. Plots showing— 19. Comparison of transmissivity from production well to monitoring well water-level analyses at the same site .....................................................................26 20. Comparison of transmissivity derived from drawdown data to recovery data for single-well tests ............................................................................................27 21. Two methods of analysis of monitoring well drawdown data for production well PB-1557, site 13, in the inland northeastern area .....................29 22–25. Maps showing— 22. Distribution of transmissivity for zone 1 ...................................................................31
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