National Research Program


Borehole Geophysics as Applied to Geohydrology

A large amount of geophysical data is recorded in water wells and test holes but interpretation is subject to significant uncertainties. The data are used in ground-water models; to evaluate potential waste disposal sites; the effects of ground- water contamination, and to guide aquifer development, including geothermal reservoirs. The development of quantitative log interpretation techniques to derive more accurate data and to evaluate the statistical uncertainities in the data will reduce costs in ground-water investigations. Project objectives are to evaluate presently available logging equipment and log intrepretation techniques and develop improved instrumentation and analytical techniques for specific ground-water problems such as: site selection and monitoring for disposal of radioactive, municipal, and industrial wastes; improve log derived data such as porosity; attempt to relate the log character of fractures to their hydraulic conductivity and to refine computer techniques for plotting hydraulic conductivity proflies from logs; develop the capability of making quantitative intrepretation of borehole gamma spectra; and to make a statistical analysis of the magnitude and sources of errors in log derived data. For additional information, see project's home page.

REPORTS PUBLISHED 1999-2003

Paillet, F.L., 2004, Discussion of "Implications of Observed and Simulated Ambient Flow in Monitoring Wells, by Alper Elci, Fred J. Molz III, and W. R. Waldrop, November-December 2001 issue, v. 39, no. 6: 853-862": Ground Water, v. 42, no. 1, p. 137-138

Benson, L., Kashgarian, M.; Rye, R., Lund, S., Paillet, F., Smoot, J., Kester, C., Mensing, S., Meko, D., and Lindstrom, S., 2002, Holocene multidecadal and multicentennial droughts affecting Northern California and Nevada: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 21, p. 659-682. (on-line abstract)

Benson, L.V., Paillet, F.L., 2002, HIBAL: A hydrologic-isotopic-balance model for application to paleolake systems: Quaternary Science Reviews, v. 21, p. 1521-1539. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., Williams, J.H., Oki, D.S., Knutson, K.D., 2002, Comparison of Formation and Fluid-Column Logs in a Heterogeneous Basalt Aquifer: Ground Water, v. 40, no. 6, p. 577-585. (on-line abstract)

Williams, J.H., and Paillet, F.L., 2002, Using flowmeter pulse tests to define hydraulic connections in the subsurface: A fractured shale example: Journal of Hydrology, v. 265, p. 100-117. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., 2001, Hydraulic head applications of flow logs in the study of heterogeneous aquifers: Ground Water, v. 39, no. 5, p. 667-675. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., 2001, Borehole geophysical applications in karst hydrogeology, in Kuniansky, E.L., ed., U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings, St. Petersburg, Florida, February 13-16, 2001: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4011, p. 116-123.

Paillet, F.L., 2001, Numerical inversion of borehole flow logs: Proceedings of the Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Denver, Color., Mar. 4-7, 2001, Denver Colo., Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society, paper BHL-1.

Savage, W.Z., and Morin, R.H., 2001, Effects of Valley Topography on Principal Stress Orientations: Proceedings of the 38th US Rock Mechanics Symposium p. 1397-1400

Hearst, J.R., Nelson, P.H., and Paillet, F.L., 2000, Well logging for physical properties, second edition: New York, John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., 483 p.

Mehta, S., Fryar, A.E., , Brady, R.M., and Morin, R.H., 2000, Modeling Regional Salinization of the Ogallala Aquifer, Southern High Plains, TX, USA: Journal of Hydrology, v. 238, 44-64. (on-line abstract)

Morin, R.H., 2000, Geophysical logging techniques used in the hydrogeologic characterization of sedimentary basins: 1st Joint International Association of Hydrogeologists-Canadian National Chapter and Canadian Geotechnical Society Groundwater Specialty Conference, Montreal, Canada, 2000, [Proceedings], p. 353-358.

Morin, R.H., Descamps, G.E., and Cecil, L.D., 2000, Instruments and methods, acoustical televiewer logging in glacier boreholes: Journal of Glaciology, v. 46, no. 155, p. 695-699. (on-line abstract)

Morin, R.H., Descamps, G.E., and Cecil, L.D., 2000, Characterizing englacial structure from analysis of acoustic televiewer logs, Upper Fremont Glacier, Wyoming: Proceedings, 7th International Symposium of the Minerals and Geotechnical Logging Society, Golden, Colorado, October 24-26, 2000, p. 235-243.

Morin, R.H., and Senior, L.A., 2000, Authors' reply to discussion by A. Michalski: Ground Water, v. 38, no. 6., p. 807-808.

Morin, R.H., Senior, L.A., and Decker, E.R., 2000, Fractured-aquifer hydrogeology from geophysical logs-Brunswick Group and Lockatong Formation, Pennsylvania: Ground Water, v. 38, no. 2, p. 182-192. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., 2000, Flow logging in difficult boreholes - making the best of a bad deal: International Symposium on Borehole Geophysics for Minerals, Geotechnical, and Groundwater Applications, 7th, Denver, Colo., 2000 [Proceedings], p. 125-135.

Paillet, F. L., 2000, A field technique for estimating aquifer parameters using flow log data: Ground Water, v. 38, no. 4, p. 510-521. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F. L., 2000, Using borehole wireline methods to delineate fracture flow paths in bedrock formations, in Inyang, H.I., and Bruell, C.J., eds., Remediation in rock masses: Reston, VA, American Society of Civil Engineers, chapter 7.

Paillet, F. L., and Hanscomb, H., 2000, Borehole geophysical characterinzation of hydraulic stimulation of fractured bedrock aquifers, in Powers, M.H., Ibrahim, A-B., and Cramer, L., eds., Proceedings of the symposium on the application of geophysics to engineerng and environmental problems, Feb 20-24, 2000: Wheat Ridge, Colo., Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society, p. 567-576. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F., and Lundy, J., 2000, Using borehole flow data to characterize the hydraulics of flow pathes in operating wellfields, in Hotchkiss, E.H., and Glade, M., eds., Proceedings of the 2000 Joint Conference on Water Resources Engineering and Water REsources Planning and Management, Minneapolis, Minn., July 30-Aug 2, 2000: Reston, VA, American Society of Civil Engineers, 10 p.

Paillet, F.L., Lundy, J., Tipping, R., Runkel, A., Reeves, L. and Green, J., 2000, Hydrogeologic Characterization of Six Sites in Southeastern Minnesota Using Borehole Flowmeters and Other Geophysical Logs: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4142. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., and Reese, R.S., 2000, Integrating borehole logs and aquifer tests in aquifer characterization: Ground Water, v. 38, no. 5, p. 713-725. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., Senay, Y., Mukhopadhyay, A., and Szekely, F., 2000, Flowmetering of drainage wells in Kuwait City, Kuwait: Journal of Hydrology, v. 234, p. 208-227. (on-line abstract)

Stumm, F., Paillet, F., Williams, J.H., and Lane, J.W., 2000, Geohydrologic assessment of crystalline bedrock for the New York City Water-Tunnel Project by use of advanced borehole geophysical methods: International Symposium on Borehole Geophysics for Minerals, Geotechnical, and Groundwater Applications, 7th, Denver, Colo., 2000 [Proceedings], p. 19-27

Zhang, M., Takahashi, M., Morin, R.H., and Esaki, T., 2000, Evaluation and application of the transient-pulse technique for determining the hydraulic properties of low permeability rocks-Part 1: Theoretical evaluation: Geotechnical Testing Journal GTJHODI, v. 23, no. 1, p. 83-91. (on-line abstract)

Zhang, M., Takahashi, M., Morin, R.H., and Esaki, T., 2000, Evaluation and application of the transient-pulse technique for determining the hydraulic properties of low permeability rocks-Part 2-Experimental applications: Geotechnical Testing Journal GTJHODI, v. 23, no. 1, p. 91-99. (on-line abstract)

Morin, R.H., and Flamand, R., 1999, Analysis of stress-induced oval fractures in a borehole at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 504, eastern equatorial Pacific: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 104, n. B2, p. 2767-2775. (on-line abstract)

Morin, R.H., Senior, L.A., and Decker, E.R., 1999, Hydrogeologic structure of the Newark Basin, Pennsylvania, from borehole geophysical logs, in Amadei, B., Kranz, R.L., Scott, G.A., and Smeallie, P.H., eds., Rock Mechanics for Industry--Proceedings of the 37th U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, June 6-9, 1999: Rotterdam, Netherlands, A.A. Balkema, v. 2, p. 941-948. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L, 1999, Characterizing fractured-zone flow using numerical flow-log models, in Amadei, B., Kranz, R.L., Scott, G.A., and Smeallie, P.H., eds., Rock mechanics for industry--Proceedings of the 37th U.S. Rock Mechanics Symposium, June 6-9, 1999: Rotterdam, Netherlands, A.A., Balkema, v. 2, p. 819-826. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., 1999, Geophysical reconnaissance in bedrock boreholes-finding and characterizing the hydraulically active fractures, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program - A Proceeding of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3--Subsurface Contamination from Point Sources: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 725-733. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., Hite, L., and Carlson, M., 1999, Integrating surface and borehole geophysics in ground water studies - an example using electromagnetic soundings in south Florida: Journal of Environmental and Engineering Geophysics, v. 4, n. 1, p. 45-55.

Paillet, F.L. and Lane, J.W., Jr., 1999, Integrating surface and borehole geophysics - examples based on electromagnetic sounding, in Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program - A Proceeding of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--Volume 3--Subsurface Contamination from Point Sources: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 715-723. (on-line abstract)

Paillet, F.L., Williams, J.H., and Hess, A.E., 1999, A wireline-operated downhole packer for hydraulic measurements in boreholes: Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Oakland, California, 1999 (Proceedings), p. 841-850.

Weedman, S.D., Paillet, F.L., Edwards, L.E., Simmons, K.R., Scott, T.M., Wardlaw, B.R., Reese, R.S., and Blair, J.L., 1999, Lithostratigraphy, geophysics, biostratigraphy, and strontium-isotope stratigraphy of the surficial aquifer system of eastern Collier County and northern Monroe County, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-0432, 125 p. (on-line abstract)

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