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Documentation of a Pilot Workflow for Reanalyzing the U.S. Geological Survey Principal Aquifers Datasets and Prototype Principal Aquifer Version 2 Dataset for Three Aquifer Systems

Open-File Report 2023-1078
Water Availability and Use Science Program
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231078

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Abstract

A pilot workflow to refine the principal aquifers of the United States as defined in the Ground Water Atlas of the United States and create a new version of the principal aquifers (referred to as “version 2”) is documented in this report. The workflow incorporates decision points for creating finer scale spatial data for the principal aquifers and refining the original principal aquifer definitions if warranted. This workflow was applied to four principal aquifers in the upper Midwest region of the United States that were not previously refined as part of a U.S. Geological Survey regional groundwater availability study: the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system, the Jacobsville aquifer, the Silurian-Devonian aquifer, and the upper carbonate aquifer. The refinement resulted in the consolidation of two of these aquifers (the Silurian-Devonian and upper carbonate aquifers), an expansion of the Jacobsville aquifer into a larger newly defined Midcontinent Rift sandstone aquifers unit, and a slight refinement of the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system to exclude Precambrian units. The U.S. Geological Survey State Geologic Map Compilation geodatabase provided the base data used in the refined version 2 dataset, which are published in an accompanying U.S. Geological Survey data release as a prototype version 2 shapefile and include attributes describing the aquifer, data lineage, and source of the originally defined principal aquifer.

Suggested Citation

Nielsen, M.G., 2023, Documentation of a pilot workflow for reanalyzing the U.S. Geological Survey principal aquifers datasets and prototype principal aquifer version 2 dataset for three aquifer systems: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2023–1078, 23 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20231078.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Analysis of Aquifer Boundaries in the Pilot Study Area
  • Considerations for Future Analysis of Updated Principal Aquifers
  • Prototype Version 2 Principal Aquifer Dataset
  • Summary and Conclusions
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Documentation of a pilot workflow for reanalyzing the U.S. Geological Survey principal aquifers datasets and prototype principal aquifer version 2 dataset for three aquifer systems
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2023-1078
DOI 10.3133/ofr20231078
Year Published 2023
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Upper Midwest Water Science Center
Description Report: iv, 23 p.; Data Release
Country United States
State Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details