U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Hydrology of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Northwestern Utah, and Simulation of Ground-Water Flow and Solute Transport in the Shallow-Brine Aquifer U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1585 Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE US. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current- year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publica­ tions released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications that may be listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" may be no longer available. 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Subscriptions to Preliminary Determination of Epicenters can • RESTON, Virginia—USGS National Center, Rm. 1C402, be obtained ONLY from the 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr. • SALT LAKE CITY, Utah—2222 West 2300 South Superintendent of Documents Government Printing Office • SPOKANE, Washington—U.S. Post Office Bldg., Rm. 135, Washington, DC 20402 West 904 Riverside Ave. • WASHINGTON, D.C.—Main Interior Bldg., Rm. 2650, 18th (Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of and C Sts., NW. Documents.) Maps Only Maps Maps may be purchased over the counter at the following For maps, address mail orders to U.S. Geological Survey office: U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 • ROLLA, Missouri—1400 Independence Rd. Hydrology of the Bonneville Salt Flats, Northwestern Utah, and Simulation of Ground-Water Flow and Solute Transport in the Shallow-Brine Aquifer By JAMES L. MASON and KENNETH L. KIPP, JR. U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1585 Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management 1998 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Mark Schaefer, Acting Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publications Date Mason, James L. Hydrology of the Bonneville Salt Flats, northwestern Utah, and simulation of ground-water flow and solute transport in the shallow-brine aquifer / by James L. Mason and Kenneth L. Kipp, Jr. p. cm. — (U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper; 1585) "Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management." Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1585 1. Hydrology—Utah—Bonneville Salt Flats. 2. Ground water flow—Utah—Bonneville Salt Flats. I. Kipp, Jr., Kenneth L II. United States. Bureau of Land Management. 111. Title. IV. Series. GB1025.U8M38 1997 551.48'09792'43—dc21 97-34524 CIP ISBN 0-607-88306-5 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Absttact...................................................................._ 1 Introduction ........................................................................... 3 Purpose and scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Previous investigations................................................................................................................................................ 5 Field work..........................................................................._ 7 Acknowledgments............................................_ 10 Description of study area....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Physical setting.....................................................................................................................................................^ 10 Playamorphology...........................................................................................................................................^ 10 Climate...........................................» 11 Precipitation.....................................................................................................^ 12 Wind......................................................................._ 12 Temperature....................................................................................^ 12 Ground-water hydrology....................................................................................................................................................... 16 Description of ground-water system............................................................................................................................ 16 Principles of variable-density ground-water flow........................................................................................................ 19 Shallow-brine aquifer.................................................................................................................................................. 22 Aquifer properties.............................................................................................................................................. 23 Water-level fluctuation, potentiometric surface, and ground-water movement................................................. 24 Recharge............................................................................................................................................................ 30 Discharge ........................................................ 33 Alluvial-fan aquifer..................................................................................................................................................... 39 Aquifer properties.............................................................................................................................................. 39 Water-level fluctuation and ground-water movement........................................................................................ 40 Recharge and discharge..................................................................................................................................... 42 Basin-fill aquifer.......................................................................................................................................................... 43 Aquifer properties.............................................................................................................................................. 43 Water-level fluctuation and ground-water movement........................................................................................ 44 Recharge and discharge..................................................................................................................................... 44 Brine chemistry and implications for ground-water flow............................................................................................ 45 Major ion chemistry........................................................................................................................................... 45 Isotope chemistry............................................................................................................................................... 49 Salt-transport mechanisms and salt budget............................................................................................................................ 54 Salt transport by surface ponds.................................................................................................................................... 54 Salt transport in solution through the shallow-brine aquifer....................................................................................... 55 Simulation of variable-density ground-water flow and solute transport in the shallow-brine aquifer.................................. 58 Modeling approach...................................................................................................................................................... 58 Description of the simulator of ground-water flow and solute transport........................................................... 58 Application to study area..................................................................................................................................