Published September 4, 2023 | Version v1
Conference paper Open

Using airborne electromagnetics to improve depth to bedrock estimates in Wisconsin

  • 1. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA, bminsley@usgs.gov
  • 2. U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado, USA, jcrosbie@usgs.gov
  • 3. U.S. Geological Survey, Champaign, Illinois, USA, jduncker@usgs.gov
  • 4. U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, dtfeinst@usgs.gov
  • 5. WI Geological and Natural History Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, ldhaas@wisc.edu
  • 6. WI Geological and Natural History Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, david.hart@wisc.edu
  • 7. U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, rjhunt@usgs.gov
  • 8. U.S. Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, mjkomisk@usgs.gov

Description

Depth to bedrock is often an important factor in hydrologic systems because hydraulic properties of bedrock and overlying sediments are typically appreciably different. For example, the thickness of glacial sediments overlying bedrock in Wisconsin controls the routing of groundwater in surficial aquifers and its connection with surface water bodies such as lakes and wetlands. In fractured bedrock environments, shallow bedrock can be vulnerable to degraded water quality when contaminants at the surface infiltrate quickly through permeable formations. Here, airborne electromagnetic surveys were acquired in three different parts of Wisconsin, totalling more than 5,700 flight line-kilometers, to improve understanding of depth to bedrock, the lithologic composition of overlying sediments, and as input structure for groundwater model development.

Other

Open-Access Online Publication: November 3, 2023

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