{
"@context": "http://schema.org/", "@type": "WebPage", "additionalType": "Topic", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources/science/predicting-groundwater-quality-unmonitored-areas", "headline": "Predicting Groundwater Quality in Unmonitored Areas", "datePublished": "February 27, 2019", "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paul Stackelberg", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/paul-stackelberg", "identifier": { "@type": "PropertyValue", "propertyID": "orcid", "value": "0000-0002-1818-355X" } } ], "description": [ { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "By combining data on the concentrations of chemical constituents measured in thousands of wells, locations of contaminant sources, and factors that affect how a constituent behaves in groundwater, scientists can use sophisticated statistical approaches to predict where a constituent is likely to occur in groundwater and at what concentration. These maps can be used by water resource managers to (1) anticipate water quality in unsampled areas or depth zones, (2) design targeted monitoring programs, (3) inform groundwater protection strategies, and (4) evaluate the sustainability of groundwater sources of drinking water." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Although groundwater is a safe, reliable source of drinking water for millions of people nationwide, high concentrations of some chemical constituents can pose potential human-health concerns. Some of these contaminants come from the rocks and sediments of the aquifers themselves, and others are chemicals that we use in agriculture, industry, and day-to-day life. When groundwater supplies are contaminated, millions of dollars can be required for treatment so that the supplies can be usable. Contaminants in groundwater can also affect the health of our streams and valuable coastal waters. By knowing where contaminants occur in groundwater, what factors control contaminant concentrations, and what kinds of changes in groundwater quality might be expected in the future, we can ensure the availability and quality of this vital natural resource in the future." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Just as the characteristics of an aquifer can vary greatly with depth, so can the quality of the groundwater. Domestic wells, such as those used by homeowners, typically pump groundwater from relatively shallow depths. Public-supply wells that serve many thousands of people typically pump groundwater from much greater depths\u2014sometimes hundreds of feet or more." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Three-dimensional, or 3-D, depictions of groundwater quality are being developed for four Principal Aquifers: the Glacial Aquifer system, which extends across the northernmost one-third of the United States; the Central Valley aquifer, in California; the Mississippi Embayment aquifer in south-central U.S.; and the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer, in the southeast. These depictions focus on groundwater quality at depths tapped by domestic-supply wells and public-supply wells. The information gained also will be used to assess the vulnerability of streams to contaminants derived from groundwater in these areas." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "View regional and national maps for the following chemical constituents and contaminants:" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "National Maps of Groundwater Quality" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Mapping Groundwater Quality in 3-D" }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "New 3-D models from the USGS National Water Quality Program predict where high concentrations of arsenic and manganese likely occur in the glacial aquifer system, groundwater supply for 30 million. Redox conditions and pH are controlling factors." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "At the USGS, researchers are using information from gathered from thousands of wells across the nation to determine how myriad factors, from groundwater age to pesticide use, affect which chemical constituents are dissolved in groundwater and at what concentrations. The constituents include trace elements, such as arsenic and manganese; radionuclides, such as radon and uranium; nutrients, such as nitrate and phosphorus; and manmade chemicals, such as the herbicide atrazine. At elevated concentrations, some of these constituents in drinking water can pose a threat to human health. Others are simply a nuisance, causing drinking water to have an unpleasant smell, taste, or appearance; cause skin or tooth discoloration; or cause corrosion or sedimentation of plumbing." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "A new 3-D model predicts groundwater age at all depths across the 25-state span of the glacial aquifer system, reports a new USGS study. About 80% of the groundwater is less than 65 years old, so it's vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination." }, { "@type": "TextObject", "text": "Groundwater provides nearly one-half of the Nation\u2019s drinking water, and sustains the steady flow of streams and rivers and the ecological systems that depend on that flow. Unless we drill a well, how can we know the quality of the groundwater below? Learn about how the USGS is using sophisticated techniques to predict groundwater quality and view national maps of groundwater quality." } ], "funder": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Water Resources Mission Area", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/mission-areas/water-resources" }, "about": [ { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Geology" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drinking and Household Use" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Energy" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "monitoring" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Measuring and Monitoring Water" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Water" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Science Technology" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Pollution (Chemical and Biological)" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Drinkability" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Water Quality" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "nawqa" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Groundwater, Aquifers, Wells, and Springs" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Prediction and Modeling" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agriculture, Livestock, and Aquaculture" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Environmental Health" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "How We Use Water" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Groundwater Monitoring" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common Water Issues" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Methods and Analysis" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Information Systems" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mapping Water" }, { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Types of Water" } ]
}