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Million Year Old Groundwater in Maryland Water Supply
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3246#.T9904L_gJZI[font face=Serif][font size=5]Million Year Old Groundwater in Maryland Water Supply[/font]
Released: 6/18/2012 10:59:17 AM
Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communications and Publishing
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119
Reston, VA 20192
[font size=3]A portion of the groundwater in the upper Patapsco aquifer underlying Maryland is over a million years old. A new study suggests that this ancient groundwater, a vital source of freshwater supplies for the region east of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, was recharged over periods of time much greater than human timescales.
"Understanding the average age of groundwater allows scientists to estimate at what rate water is re-entering the aquifer to replace the water we are currently extracting for human use," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This is the first step in designing sustainable practices of aquifer management that take into account the added challenges of sea level rise and increased human demand for quality water supplies."
…
There are relatively few aquifers in the world in which million-year-old groundwater has been documented, including the Nubian aquifer in the Sahara Desert, Canada's Alberta Basin, and the Great Artesian Basin in Australia
Aquifer sustainability is one of several priority topics currently being addressed by the USGS Groundwater Resources Program, the USGS National Research Program, and the USGS Cooperative Water Program.
More information about the study is available online and in Hydrogeology Journal in an article titled, "Old groundwater in parts of the upper Patapsco aquifer, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Maryland, USA: evidence from radiocarbon, chlorine-36 and helium-4," by L. N. Plummer, J. R. Eggleston, D. C. Andreasen, J. P. Raffensperger, A. G. Hunt, and G. C. Casile. If you would like a copy of the report, contact Kara Capelli at kcapelli@usgs.gov.
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Released: 6/18/2012 10:59:17 AM
Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communications and Publishing
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr, MS 119
Reston, VA 20192
[font size=3]A portion of the groundwater in the upper Patapsco aquifer underlying Maryland is over a million years old. A new study suggests that this ancient groundwater, a vital source of freshwater supplies for the region east of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, was recharged over periods of time much greater than human timescales.
"Understanding the average age of groundwater allows scientists to estimate at what rate water is re-entering the aquifer to replace the water we are currently extracting for human use," explained USGS Director Marcia McNutt. "This is the first step in designing sustainable practices of aquifer management that take into account the added challenges of sea level rise and increased human demand for quality water supplies."
…
There are relatively few aquifers in the world in which million-year-old groundwater has been documented, including the Nubian aquifer in the Sahara Desert, Canada's Alberta Basin, and the Great Artesian Basin in Australia
Aquifer sustainability is one of several priority topics currently being addressed by the USGS Groundwater Resources Program, the USGS National Research Program, and the USGS Cooperative Water Program.
More information about the study is available online and in Hydrogeology Journal in an article titled, "Old groundwater in parts of the upper Patapsco aquifer, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Maryland, USA: evidence from radiocarbon, chlorine-36 and helium-4," by L. N. Plummer, J. R. Eggleston, D. C. Andreasen, J. P. Raffensperger, A. G. Hunt, and G. C. Casile. If you would like a copy of the report, contact Kara Capelli at kcapelli@usgs.gov.
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