Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2007DE97B

Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Potomac Aquifer, Delaware

Institute: Delaware
Year Established: 2007 Start Date: 2007-03-01 End Date: 2010-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $64,369 Total Non-Federal Funds: $128,738

Principal Investigators: Susan McGeary, Peter McLaughlin, Claudia Velez

Project Summary: The Potomac Formation of northern Delaware is one of Delawares most important natural resources. The Potomac Formation encompasses the second most used aquifer in Delaware and the most important confined aquifer, providing nearly 20% of the groundwater used each year in the state. The purpose of this study is to conduct a multidisciplinary analysis of the geologic framework of these aquifers in the area of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. This study will delineate the distribution and extent of aquifer sands, and thereby help to better understand aquifer connectivity and fluid flow pathways. The methodology will employ a novel combination of tools, combining seismic reflection imaging of subsurface geology with analysis of wireline geophysical data from boreholes, collection of core data from the subsurface geologic units, and application of the concepts of sequence stratigraphy. The resulting geologic framework will be tested against hydrological data and observations from the Potomac aquifer. The resulting understanding of aquifer architecture will have significant application to issues in water supply, notably a framework of aquifer volume and connectivity for water-use allocations, and in water quality, particularly the identification of ground-water contaminant pathways below industrial sites in the Delaware City area.