Preliminary Estimates of Residence Times and Apparent Ages of Ground Water in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
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PreliminaryEstimatesofResidenceTimes andApparentAgesofGroundWaterinthe ChesapeakeBayWatershed,andWater- QualityDataFromaSurveyofSprings Water-ResourcesInvestigationsReport97-4225 U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior U.S.GeologicalSurvey U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior U.S.GeologicalSurvey PreliminaryEstimatesofResidenceTimes andApparentAgesofGroundWaterinthe ChesapeakeBayWatershed,andWater- QualityDataFromaSurveyofSprings byM.J.Focazio,L.N.Plummer,J. K. Bohlke,EurybiadesBusenberg,L.J.Bachman,andD.S.Powars Water-ResourcesInvestigationsReport97-4225 Richmond,Virginia September1998 U.S.DepartmentoftheInterior BruceBabbitt,Secretary U.S.GeologicalSurvey ThomasJ.Casadevall,ActingDirector Theuseoftrade,product,orfirmnamesinthisreportisfor descriptivepurposesonlyanddoesnotimplyendorsement bytheU.S.GeologicalSurvey. UnitedStatesGovernmentPrintingOffice:1998 Foradditionalinformationcontact: DistrictChief U.S.GeologicalSurvey,WRD 8987YellowBrickRoad Baltimore,MD21237 Copiesofthisreportcanbepurchasedfrom: U.S.GeologicalSurvey BranchofInformationServices Box25286 Denver,CO80225-0286 CONTRIBUTING U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STAFF TECHNICAL SUPPORT TECHNICAL REVIEWERS OR ADVISORS Richard J. Ahlin, Hydrologic Technician Joel E. Dysart, Hydrologist Gerolamo C. Casile, Hydrologist David L. Nelms, Hydrologist Douglas C. Chichester, Hydrologist Dennis W. Risser, Ground-Water Specialist Michael W. Doughten, Chemist Scott W. Phillips, Chesapeake Bay Coordinator Janet E. Hannon, Physical Science Technician Henry M. Johnson, Hydrologist Bruce D. Lindsey, Hydrologist Dennis J. Low, Hydrologist Mastin M. Mount, Hydrologic Technican Cody W. Reinitz, Student Trainee Andrew Stock, Student Trainee Julian E. Wayland, Hydrologist Peggy K. Widman, Physical Science Technician TEXT PREPARATION R. Brent Banks, Cartographic Trainee Judith A. McFarland, Technical Publications Editor Donna Knight, Editorial Assistant CONTENTS Abstract........................................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and scope ...............................................................................................................................3 Description of study area.....................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgments...............................................................................................................................3 Study methods ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Delineation of hydrogeomorphic regions............................................................................................3 Chlorofluorocarbon analysis ...............................................................................................................5 Nitrogen isotope analysis ....................................................................................................................8 Major ion and nutrient analyses ..........................................................................................................8 Estimation of residence time by application of a simple reservoir model. .........................................8 Water-quality data and general nitrogen chemistry of spring water from selected hydrogeomorphic regions ..............................................................................................10 Preliminary estimates of residence times and apparent ages of ground water in the Chesapeake Bay watershed..........................................................................................................11 Hydrologic conditions during sampling............................................................................................16 Coastal Plain hydrogeomorphic region .............................................................................................18 Piedmont crystalline hydrogeomorphic region .................................................................................21 Piedmont carbonate hydrogeomorphic region ..................................................................................26 Mesozoic Lowland hydrogeomorphic region ...................................................................................32 Blue Ridge hydrogeomorphic region ................................................................................................35 Valley and Ridge siliciclastic hydrogeomorphic region ...................................................................39 Valley and Ridge carbonate hydrogeomorphic region......................................................................43 Appalachian Plateau siliciclastic hydrogeomorphic region ..............................................................43 Discussion..................................................................................................................................................49 Conclusions ...............................................................................................................................................51 Selected references ....................................................................................................................................52 Appendixes................................................................................................................................................57 A. Field parameters of spring water collected in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, September and November 1996 ...............................................................................................58 B. Apparent ages of water collected from springs and ancillary data used for modeled recharge dates ...........................................................................................................61 C. Concentrations of CFC-11, 12, and 113 in all samples................................................................65 D. Concentrations of major ions in water from springs collected in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, September and November 1996 .................................................70 FIGURES 1- 2. Maps showing: 1. Chesapeake Bay watershed study area and representative geologic section..........................4 2. Locations of springs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed sampled in September and November 1996 .........................................................................................6 iii FIGURES—Continued 3- 4. Generalized sections showing: 3. Ground-water-flow path through a shallow Coastal Plain aquifer.......................................7 4. Possible ground-water-flow path associated with a tubular spring in carbonate rock.......................................................................................8 5- 6. Graphs showing relation of: 5. Nitrate and delta 15 nitrogen in water collected from springs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in September and November 1996.......................................11 6. Concentration of chlorofluorocarbon to ground-water residence time ...............................12 7. Map showing apparent ages of water collected from springs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in September and November 1996...................................14 8. Bar graph showing apparent ages of water collected from springs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in September and November 1996...................................15 9. Hydrographs of (A) ground water and (B) surface water index sites in the study area ....................................................................................................................17 10. Generalized section showing the shallow aquifer in the Coastal Plain with apparent ages of ground water......................................................................................20 11. Diagrammatic section showing the shallow aquifer in the Coastal Plain with apparent ages of ground water................................................................21 12. Graph showing ranges of aquifer properties, associated residence times, and apparent ages of water collected from springs in the Coastal Plain hydrogeomorphic region.......................................................................23 13. Conceptual ground-water-flow diagram showing the Piedmont crystalline hydrogeomorphic region.....................................................................24 14. Diagram showing the shallow aquifer in the Piedmont crystalline hydrogeomorphic region and apparent ages of ground water...............................................25 15. Graph showing ranges of aquifer properties, associated residence times, and apparent ages of water collected from springs in the Piedmont crystalline hydrogeomorphic region...........................................................28 16. Conceptual ground-water-flow diagram showing the Piedmont carbonate and Valley and Ridge carbonate hydrogeomorphic regions .....................................................................................................29 17. Graph showing ranges of aquifer properties, associated residence times, and apparent ages of water collected from springs in the Piedmont carbonate hydrogeomorphic region ...............................................................31 18. Conceptual ground-water-flow diagram