' X* v ^ (joo) TEI-805 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER HYDROLOGY OP THE ATLANTIC AND GULP COASTAL PLAIN AS RELATED TO DISPOSAL OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES* By Harry E. LeGrand January 1962 TEI-805 This report is preliminary and has not been edited for conformity with Geological Survey format. ^Prepared on behalf of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission CONTENTS Page Introduction- -------------------- 17 Scope of work and acknowledgments ---------- 19 Development of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal General Stratigraphy -------------- 21 Summary of geologic history- ---------- 24 Structure of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain 26 Negative, or depressed, structural features 29 Positive, or uplifted, structural features- ~*>I Soils of the Coastal Plain ----------- 35 Ground-water hydrology- --------------- 36 Summary of the hydrologic cycle- -------- 36 Zone of saturation and the water table ----- 36 The artesian system- -------------- 37 Storage characteristics and permeability of the Coastal Plain sediments ---------- 42 Operation of the ground-water reservoir- - - - - 44 Chemical character of water- ---------- 48 Temperatures and artesian pressures- ------ 51 Flow of water in streams ------------ 53 Long Island --------------------- 54 Topography ------------------- 54 Cretaceous System- --------------- 55 Quaternary System- --------------- 55 General statement- --------------- 56 Geology ------------------ 56 Hydrogeology- --------------- 56 New Jersey- --------------------- 57 j. upogjX^cipiiy — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ——— \) \ Cretaceous System- --------------- 58 Tertiary System- ---------------- 59 Quaternary System- --------------- §0 General statement- --------------- 60 Geology ------------------ 60 Hydrogeology- --------------- 61 Maryland and Delaware ---------------- 63 Cretaceous System- --------------- 64 Tertiary System- ---------------- 65 Quaternary System- --------------- 66 General statement- --------------- 66 Geology ------------------ 66 Hydrogeology- --------------- 67 Virginia- ---------------------- 69 Topography ------------------- 69 Cretaceous System- --------------- 69 Tertiary System- ---------------- 70 Quaternary System- --------------- 71 General statement- --------------- 71 Geology ------------------ fl Hydrogeology- --------------- 72 JN or uzi uaro j. ma — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — ^^f Cretaceous System- --------------- 75 Tertiary System- ---------------- 77 Quaternary System- --------------- 79 General statement- --------------- 79 /"IpfilUTCWJ. r\cf\TUg,^ —__________________ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 70f---; Hydrogeology- --------------- 80 South Carolina- ------------------- 82 Topography ------------------- 82 Cretaceous System- --------------- 82 Tertiary System- ---------------- 83 Quaternary System- --------------- 84 General statement- --------------- 84 Geology ------------------ 84 Hydrogeology- --------------- 85 Georgia ----------------------- 88 Topography ------------------- 88 Cretaceous System- --------------- 89 Tertiary System- ---------------- 89 Quaternary System- --------------- 92 General statement- --------------- 92 Hydrogeology Topography ------------------- 95 Cretaceous System- --------------- 96 Tertiary System- ---------------- 97 Quaternary System- --------------- 98 General statement- --------------- Hydrogeology- --------------- 101 f*i JL c*» k/ cm id *"* *™" *" *** *** ""* **" ** *"* *"* **"* * * ** ** "** *™* ""* *" * *** ^ *"* *** **" jm \^^j- Topography ------------------- io4 Cretaceous System- --------------- io4 Tertiary System- ---------------- 105 Quaternary System- --------------- 107 General statement- --------------- 107 \Jf\3 L/JL W^j AT •*••*•**>•*»*•*********+**»•*»****•**••<"*•*••»*•*• JL»\J | Hydrogeology- --------------- 108 Page Mississippi --------------------- 110 Topography ------------------- no Cretaceous System- --------------- m Tertiary System- ---------------- 112 Quaternary System- --------------- 114 General statement- --------------- 115 Geology ------------------ 115 Hydrogeology- --------------- 116 Louisiana ---------------------- 117 Topography ------------------- 117 Jurassic and Cretaceous Systems- -------- 118 Tertiary System- ---------------- 118 Quaternary System- --------------- 119 General statement- --------------- 120 Geology ------------------ 120 Hydrogeology- --------------- 121 JT*.*.A y*lT53 *VC* >*."n^l^l^-...-...-—--.*..*..... JL k-> C& £? *~***m»m*mmm*l mmmm*mmm-*mim*i**lM*mmmm-mmmmim*»*m— — — — — — — *«.. ___ ._ , _*» J"1 O^\^ ~J Topography ------------------- 125 Jurassic System- ---------------- 124 ' Cretaceous System- --------------- 124 Tertiary System- ---------------- 125 Quaternary System- --------------- 125 General statement- --------------- 126 Geology ------------------ 126 Hydrogeology- --------------- 127 Tennessee, Kentucky, and Missouri ---------- 128 Topography ------------------- 128 Cretaceous System- --------------- 130 Tertiary System- ---------------- 131 Quaternary System- --------------- 131 General statement- --------------- 132 Geology ------------------ 132 Hydrogeology- --------------- 133 Texas — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — T_ "^li Topography ------------------- 134 Jurassic System- ---------------- 136 Cretaceous System- --------------- 136 Tertiary System- ---------------- 137 Quaternary System- --------------- 138 General statement- --------------- 138 Hydrogeology- --------------- i4o Summary of geology and hydrology- ---------- 143 Radioactive wastes- ----------------- 147 Introduction ------------------ 3.47 Deep-well disposal --------------- 149 Adsorption of radioactive ions --------- 151 Storage of wastes in impermeable beds- ----- 153 Movement of wastes in water- ---------- 154 Favorable earth considerations for management of wastes ----------------- 155 Selected References ----------------- 158 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1 Outline map of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain showing types of land- forms (Raisz, 1957)- -------- pocket Relation of structure and topography in the East Gulf Coastal Plain ----- 22 Generalized geologic map showing approximate outcrop areas of Cretaceous , Tertiary, and Quaternary sediments - - - pocket 4. Diagram showing steepening of basement floor and an increase in thickness of individual beds and in number of beds toward the coast ------------- 27 5. Sections across Gulf Coastal Plain - - - - 28 6. Major structural features of the Coastal Plain- ------------------ pocket / 7« Generalized structural map; top of pre- coastal basement rocks, in feet below sea level- ----------------- pocket 8. Generalized map showing thickness of Cenozoic (Tertiary and Quaternary) sediments- ---------------- pocket 9« ' Generalized geologic cross section through the Mississippi embayment along the 35th parallel- ------------ -30 10. Cross-section of a typical salt dome, Avery Island, south central Louisiana- - - 34 11. Map of the Gulf Coast region showing the location of salt domes and the Loann salt wc;u.l\ OMM»MM»WMMM«M»«M4M».lll»*M^«ll* *.«. — — *-««.»«,-.-«.»* —«•«•»*•*•••«•»«•» *. — «-.-.«. MM 12. Diagram showing the results of the lowering of a stream valley through a water-table aquifer and into an artesian aquifer - - - 38 13* Diagram showing the relation of the water table to streams in humid areas and in subhumid or arid areas ---------- 39 Page 14. An example of an artesian aquifer of the Coastal Plain- -------------- 4l 15» Hydrographs showing the relation of ground- water levels to stream flow and precipitation in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana- ----- 46 16* Diagrammatic cross section through a stream valley ------------------ 47 17* Hypothetical section showing three vertical zones through which water moves at different —_____ — — — — — — —__ — —_ —_ — —_ —_ — —_ —_ —_ liQ<y 18. Generalized cross section in the Houston area, 19 • Map of New Jersey showing some hydrogeologic zones- ------------------ 62 20. Map of Maryland and Delaware showing some hydrogeologic zones- ----------- 68 21. Map of Virginia showing some hydrogeologic 22. Cross section of the Coastal Plain of North Carolina -------------- 76 25» Map of North Carolina showing some hydro- geologic zones -------------- 78 24. Map of South Carolina showing some hydro - geologic zones -------------- 87 25 • Map of Georgia showing some hydrogeologic zones- ------------------ 90 26. Piezometric surface of the Tertiary lime­ stone aquifer of Florida and Georgia, 1951 99 27 • Map of Florida showing some hydrogeologic zones- ------------------ 102 28. Map of Alabama showing some hydrogeologic 29. Map of Mississippi showing some hydrogeologic zones- ------------------ 7 Page 30. Map of Louisiana showing some hydrogeologic . Approximate productive areas of the most important aquifers in the Coastal Plain of Arkansas- --------------- 129 . Map of Texas showing some hydrogeologic zones- ------------------ jij.2 • Map showing location of counties in the coastal plain- -------------- pocket 8 TABLES Table 1. Analyses of water from selected wells in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains- - - - pocket 2. Selected analyses of water from several streams of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains- ------------------ pocket 5» Data concerning streamflow on some major streams at 4 3 gaging stations in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains- ----- pocket 4* Generalized description of formations and their hydrologic characteristics in Long Island ---------------- pocket 5. Generalized description of formations and their hydrologic