Characterization of Aquifer Heterogeneity Using Cyclostratigraphy and Geophysical Methods in the Upper Part of the Karstic Biscayne Aquifer, Southeastern Florida

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Project Investigator: Kevin Cunningham Project Personnel: Michael Wacker Project Start Date: 1998 End Date: 2002 Data Metadata Publications Related Links

Summary

The objectives of this cooperative project are to identify and characterize candidate ground-water flow zones in the upper part of the shallow, eogenetic karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer using ground-penetrating radar, cyclostratigraphy, borehole geophysical logs, continuously drilled cores, and paleontology.

This project is funded by the USGS Florida Integrated Center for Water and Restoration Studies & SFWMD.

About 60 miles of ground-penetrating radar profiles were acquired and are used to calculate the depth to shallow geologic contacts and hydrogeologic units, image karst features, and produce a qualitative perspective of the porosity distribution within the upper part of the karstic Biscayne aquifer in the Lake Belt area of north-central Miami-Dade County. Descriptions of lithology, rock fabric, cyclostratigraphy, and depositional environments of 50 test coreholes were linked to geophysical data to provide a more refined hydrogeologic framework for the upper part of the Biscayne aquifer. Interpretation of depositional environments was constrained by analysis of depositional textures and molluscan and benthic foraminiferal paleontology. Digital borehole images were used to help quantify large-scale vuggy porosity. Preliminary heat-pulse flowmeter data were coupled with the digital borehole image data to identify potential ground-water flow zones.

Data

• Geologic Data (from the data exchange pages)

Metadata

• Biscayne Aquifer geologic data (data set metadata)

Publications

Bibliographies

• Selected Bibliography

Scientific Investigations Maps

• Hydrogeology and Ground-Water Flow at Levee 31N, Miami-Dade County, Florida, July 2003 to May 2004 (Scientific Investigations Map I-2846)

Scientific Investigations Reports

• A Cyclostratigraphic and Borehole-Geophysical Approach to Development of a Three-Dimensional Conceptual Hydrogeologic Model of the Karstic Biscayne Aquifer, Southeastern Florida (SIR 2005-5235)

Special Papers

• Application of carbonate cyclostratigraphy and borehole geophysics to delineate porosity and preferential flow in the karst limestone of the Biscayne aquifer, SE Florida (chapter of Geological Society of America Special Paper 404)

Water Resources Investigations Reports

• Characterization of Aquifer Heterogeneity Using Cyclostratigraphy and Geophysical Methods in the Upper Part of the Karstic Biscayne Aquifer, Southeastern Florida (WRI 03-4208)

Related Links

• Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands Well-Site Data Acquisition
• L-31N Seepage Management Pilot