Hydrogeology of Antietam Creek basin

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
By:

Links

Abstract

The Antictam Creek basin in the Great Valley of Maryland and Pennsylvania is underlain almost entirely by intensely folded and faulted lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks. The ground-water discharge of the basin is about 85 percent of the total discharge, in contrast with less than 70 percent of the total discharge in two small basins underlain by igneous and mctamorphic rocks in the Maryland Piedmont. Large quantities of ground water are stored in a thick residual mantle, which overlies the carbonate rocks in the valley and adjacent rnetamorphic rocks in mountain areas on the east edge of the basin. Streams that flow off the mountain areas are major sources of recharge to the carbonate-rock aquifers. Several streams lose a large part of their flow within a mile after reaching the carbonate rocks in the valley, and a few flow directly into swallow holes (sinkholes). The low density of perennial streams in the basin is a result of subsurface drainage through solution cavities along joints, faults, and bedding in the carbonate rocks. The major orientations of straight stream reaches along Antietam Creek and the strikes of major joint sets in quarries are nearly coincident, suggesting that the stream network throughout the basin is joint controlled.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Hydrogeology of Antietam Creek basin
Series title Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
Volume 2
Issue 2
Year Published 1974
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description 4 p.
First page 249
Last page 252
Country United States
State Maryland, Pennsylvania
Other Geospatial Antietam Creek basin
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details