Interpretation of well hydrographs in the karstic Maynardville Limestone at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant
The Maynardville Limestone in Oak Ridge, Tennessee underlies the southern portion of Bear Creek Valley (BCV), and is considered to be the primary pathway for groundwater leaving the Y-12 Plant boundaries. Sixty-seven percent of all wells drilled into the Maynardville Limestone have intersected at least one cavity, suggesting karst features may be encountered throughout the shallow (< 200 ft) portions of the Limestone. Because waste facilities at the Y-12 Plant are located adjacent to the Maynardville Limestone, contaminants could enter the karst aquifer and be transported in the conduit system. As part of an overall hydrologic characterization effort of this karst aquifer, 41 wells in the Maynardville Limestone were instrumented with pressure transducers to monitor water level changes (hydrographs) associated with rain events. Wells at depths between approximately 20 and 750 ft were monitored over the course of at least two storms in order that variations with depth could be identified. The wells selected were not exclusively completed in cavities but were selected to include the broad range of hydrologic conditions present in the Maynardville Limestone. Cavities, fractures and diffuse flow zones were measured at a variety of depths. The water level data from the storms are used to identify areas of quickflow versus slower flowing water zones. The data are also used to estimate specific yields and continuum transmissitives in different portions of the aquifer.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant (Y-12), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-96OR22464
- OSTI ID:
- 448076
- Report Number(s):
- Y/SUB-96-SP912V/1; ON: DE97004365; TRN: 97:006522
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation of cross borehole tests at selected wells in the Maynardville Limestone and Copper Ridge Dolomite at the Oak Ridge Y- 12 Plant
Insights into quick flow in a karst aquifer: Usefulness of infrequently collected geochemical data from wells