A groundwater model for the Spruce Hole aquifer, Durham, NH, based on a detailed seismic refraction survey

Conference · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:5789682

Kerwin, R A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States). Dept. of Earth Sciences

The town of Durham and the University of New Hampshire are interested in using the Spruce Hole aquifer as a municipal pumping well site. The goals of this project were to determine the approximate thickness and areal extent of the aquifer, to determine the hydrologic characteristics and capabilities of the aquifer (groundwater flow directions and transmissivities), and to simulate the effect that pumping of the aquifer may have on the delicate ecosystem of Spruce Hole bog. The Spruce Hole aquifer is a drift deposit composed of glacial till and stratified sand and gravel and is underlain by metasedimentary bedrock. A kettlehole bog with a unique ecosystem with rare plants and insects is located near the center of the deposit. The author conducted a 65 site seismic refraction survey of the Spruce Hole aquifer to estimate water table elevation, bedrock depth, and saturated thickness, as well as till elevations (seismic velocities between 1.9 km/s and 2.6 km/s) at many of the locations. One-dimensional (cross section) and two-dimensional (map view) transmissivity based finite-difference groundwater models were developed to simulate the groundwater flow of the system and to determine transmissivity values for the stratified drift. An average transmissivity for the aquifer at each grid point in the model was determined through data from wells, the seismic refraction survey, and by matching estimated water table values with those calculated by the model. This model has produced simulations that are plausible representations of the ground-water system of the aquifer. A better understanding of kettlehole bog/groundwater system can be gotten from this work.

• OSTI ID: 5789682
• Report Number(s): CONF-9303211-; CODEN: GAAPBC
• Journal Information: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:2; Conference: 28. annual Geological Society of America (GSA) Northeastern Section meeting, Burlington, VT (United States), 22-24 Mar 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
58 GEOSCIENCES
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUIFERS
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY
SEISMIC SURVEYS
GROUND WATER
FLOW MODELS
NEW HAMPSHIRE
HYDROLOGY
MORAINES
WATER TABLES
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SURVEYS
USA
WATER
320604* - Energy Conservation
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& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)
580000 - Geosciences
540250 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (1990-)