Quantitative subsurface characterization illuminates the origin of the Quaternary Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) is vital to U.S. food security and global agricultural supply. However, quantitative understanding of its Quaternary origin, architecture, and hydrologic function remains incomplete. Here we develop a three-dimensional hydrostratigraphic model to characterize the deposition of clay and silt, fine-medium sands, and graveliferous sands using lithologic data from 75,000 boreholes compiled across the Lower Mississippi Valley and a geostatistical method—interval kriging. We find that cyclic glacial entrenchments, evidenced by remnants of pre-Wisconsinan postglacial sediments, alongside geodynamic activities shaped the MRVA basal configuration. Stratal weakening from faulting and salt diapirism enhanced glacial incision and thereby produced abrupt aquifer thickening. We demarcate the top of graveliferous sands as the regional marker of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. The MRVA hydrostratigraphy reveals hydrologic function and geologic controls on groundwater storage and quality, advancing the assessment of aquifer sustainability under a changing climate, with implications for alluvial aquifers globally.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Quantitative subsurface characterization illuminates the origin of the Quaternary Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer |
| Series title | Communications Earth and Environment |
| DOI | 10.1038/s43247-025-02545-1 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Publication Date | August 08, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature |
| Contributing office(s) | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center |
| Description | 646, 16 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee |
| Other Geospatial | Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer |