Geology of the Coastal Plain
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Progress Report ON qJ-cultt/-WilteJ J,veJ tig11tic1tJ . IN South Carolina BY G. E. SIPLE BULLETIN NO. 15 RESEARCH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey, United States Department of the I nterior Columbia 19-16 RESEARCH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA R. M. COOPER, Director Members of Boord A. STANLEY LLEWELLYN, 0 hairman. __________________________________ Camden JOHN P. CooPER ----------------------------------------------------------------Mullins WILTON E. HALL--------------------------------------------------------------Anderson HoMER M. PAcE -------------------------------------------------------------Charleston RoGER C. PEACE -------------------------------------------------------.Greenville RESEARCH, PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA October 15, 1947 R. M. COOPER BOARD MEMBERS Director A. Stanley Llewellyn, Chairman Camden Johrt P. Cooper Mullins Wilton E. Hall Anderson Homer M. Pace Charleston Roger C. Peace Greenville To His Ewoelletwy Governor J. Strom Thurmond: The Research, Planning and Development Board presents this Bulletin as a progress report on GROUND-WATER INVESTI GATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. This report, being the first published on a work of this nature, should be of much value to the agricultural and industrial econ omy of the State. Other investigations on the waters of the State are now in progress through this agency in cooperation with the United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey. They will include: (a) Chemical Character of Surface Waters; (b) Surface Water Discharge Data. These companion reports will be ready for publication after January 1, 1948. The report is submitted in the hope that it will make possible a wider and more economical use of one of our most valuable natural resources. Sincerely, R. M. CooPER, Director. 4 PROGRESS REPORT ON GROUND-WATER INVESTIGATIONS IN SOUTH CAROLINA CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................... 7 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................ 11 RELATION OF GEOLOGY TO THE OCCURRENCE OF GROUND \VATER .................................................................................. 12 GEOLOGY AND GROUND WATER IN THE PIEDMONT PROVINCE .................................................................................................. 17 Geologic history of the Piedmont............................................................ 19 Occurrence of ground water in the Piedmont...................................... 20 Quality of water in the ·Piedmont............................................................ 25 Temperature of ground water in the Piedmont.................................... 27 Observations of water levels in the Piedmont.................................... 28 GEOLOGY OF THE COASTAL PLAIN ................................................ 29 Introduction .................................................................................................... 29 Geologic history of the Coastal Plain.................................................... 36 Areal geology and structure of the Coastal Plain sediments............ 38 GROUND WATER IN THE COASTAL PLAIN .................................. 45 Introduction .................................................................................................... 45 Coastal ·Plain formations and their water-bearing characteristics.... 46 Upper Cretaceous series...................................................................... 46 Tuscaloosa formation.................................................................... 46 Black Creek formation.................................................................. 46 Peedee formation ............................... :-............................................ 48 Eocene series.......................................................................................... 50 Black Mingo formation .................................. ,............................. 50 l\fcBean formation.......................................................................... 52 Barnwell sand.................................................................................. 52 Cooper-Santee unit ........................................................................ 52 Oligocene series...................................................................................... 55 Flint River formation.................................................................... 55 Miocene series ........................................................................................ 55 Hawthorn formation.................................................................... 55 Duplin marl...................................................................................... 55 CONTENTS-( Continued l ·Page Pliocene series ---·-······----------------·-········----------··-··········-----------------····------- 56 Waccamaw formation..................................................................... 56 Pleistocene series ......... ---··--·---··------·-··-·---······----------------····-······------·-··-··· 56 Brandywine formation.................................................................. 57 Coharie formation --··-----····------------------·--·-·····-··-----·-----·······---·-----··· 57 Sunderland formation .......... ---···-···-······-····--·············-·····---···--------- 57 Wicomico formation ...... ·-···----···-·-······-·--------···-·····---------------------___ 57 Penholoway formation ... --------·------------------------------------------------------ 57 Talbot formation.--------------------------·----·------------------------------------------- 57 Pamlico formation---··-------·--------------------··--······-··---------------------------- 57 QUALITY OF WATER IN THE COASTAL PLAIN........................ 57 TEMPERATURE OF WATER IN THE COASTAL PLAIN.......... 68 OBSERVATION OF WATER LEVELS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN ····---··--···--------------------·-------··------·-··-------------·-------·····--·-··---------------------- 68 BIB LI OG RAPH Y ----------·------------------------------------------·-··------------------------------------· 70 TABLES Records of drilled wells in the PiedmonL----------------------------------------------------- 74 Records of municipal springs in the Piedmont --------------------------------------------- 88 Chemical analyses for wells in the Piedmont................................................ 89 Chemical analyses for springs in the PiedmonL------------------·--------------·----·--- 92 Records of wells in the Coastal Plain............................................................ 92 Records of municipal springs in the Coastal Plain...................................... 111 Chemical analyses for wells in the Coastal Plain ........................................ 112 Chemical analysis for a spring in the Coastal Plain ......... ·--·--------------------·-· 116 6 I LLUSTRA"riONS Page PLATE 1. (A) Tuscaloosa formation, 2 miles northeast of Mid- dendorf; .............................................................................. 47 (B) Close-up of same locality showing typical cross bedding and "local unconformity.................................... 47 2. (A) Stratified sandy clays of continental ( ?) Black Creek formation and Sunderland formation just north of Cashua Ferry road, 8 miles northeast of Darlington; (B) Lamina ted dark brown arenaceous clays of Black Creek formation at Floyd's Mill, 7 miles northeast of Darlington.................................... 49 3. (A) Laminated black shaly clay and sand of Black Creek formation in cut at new bridge over ·Pee Dee river, 11 miles east of Florence. (B) Same formation as (A) with view looking east instead of west. (C) Silicified (fossil) tree trunks removed from the Black Creek formation at location shown in (A) and (B).................................................................... 51 4. (A) Laminated, glauconitic, fossiliferous, green, brown, and red sand of McBean formation on Bellville road 4.5 miles northwest of Creston; (B) Santee formation in abandoned pit near Holly Hill, Or angeburg County................................................................ 53 5. East bank of Intercoastal Canal, 8% miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, showing the Peedee formation crop ping out at water level, overlain by the Pliocene and Pleistocene formations.............................................. 56 6. (A) Average iron content of Coastal Plain aquifers. (B) Average fluoride content of Coastal Plain aquifers 60 7. (A) Flowing well near Sumter, Sumter County; (B) Flowing well near Fairfax, Allendale County; (C) Flowing well near Conway, Harry County................ 69 8. Geologic map of South Carolina.................................... In Back Geologic map of South Carolina.................................................... 117 9. Map of South Carolina showing the location of cross- sections in the Coastal Plain and of the wells used in their construction.......................................................... 39 10. Map of South Carolina showing the hardness of ground water used by municipalities and military establish- ments ........................................................................................ 63 FIGURE 1. Sketch showing comparison between artesian