Ground-water geochemistry and radionuclide activity in the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer of Dodge and Fond du Lac counties, Wisconsin. Technical report

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6273611

Weaver, T R; Bahr, J M; Anderson, M P

Analyses of groundwater from wells in the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer of eastern Wisconsin indicate that regions of the aquifer contain elevated concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride and sulfate. Groundwater from several wells in the area also approach or exceed the current drinking water standard for combined radium activity. Significant changes in groundwater chemistry occur where the aquifer becomes confined by the Maquoketa shale. Concentrations of Cl(-), SO4(2-) and Na(+) increase in the confined region, and the highest combined radium activities are typically observed in the area. Geochemical modeling implies that the observed changes in major ion groundwater chemistry occur in response to the presence of the confining unit which may act as a source of SO4(2-), through gypsum dissolution, and Na(+), through cation exchange. A finite difference groundwater flow model was linked to a particle tracking routine to determine groundwater flow paths and residence times in the aquifer near the boundary between unconfined and confined conditions. Results suggest that the presence of the confining unit produces a vertically stratified flow regime in the confined region.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI (USA). Water Resources Center
• OSTI ID: 6273611
• Report Number(s): PB-91-111534/XAB; WIS-WRC--90-01; CNN: DI-14-08-0001-G1458
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
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Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
AQUIFERS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CONTAMINATION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION V
GROUND WATER
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ION EXCHANGE
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METALS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PROGRESS REPORT
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIUM
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
USA
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
WISCONSIN