Frequency Domain Electromagnetic (FDEM) Geophysical Data Collected near Lake Placid, NY

Publication Date

2024-02-26

Start Date

2019-07-22

End Date

2022-10-20

Terry, N.C., Anderson, A., Woda, J.C., Baldwin, A.L., Lucia, I.P., and Williams, J.H., 2024, Frequency domain electromagnetic (FDEM) geophysical data collected near Lake Placid, NY, U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9QES2KJ.

Loss of traction due to road ice during the winter months leads to serious automobile accidents every year. Methods to melt road ice in below freezing conditions are necessary for driver safety in areas where ice is prone to form. Salts applied to roads are highly effective at melting dangerous ice but may have negative impacts on the surrounding environment, including waterways, and may persist in groundwater for a long time after initial application. These data are part of an assessment to identify how different road salt treatments impact the groundwater and surface water salinity of surrounding environments. FDEM is sensitive to bulk electrical conductivity changes in the subsurface and can be collected over large (e.g., 100s to 1000s of meters) spatial areas quickly and efficiently (within days). Though FDEM data can be compromised by local infrastructure and other factors controlling bulk subsurface electrical conductivity (e.g., soil type, saturation, and temperature), large changes in groundwater salinity resulting from road salt treatments may impart significant and measurable changes to bulk conductivity.

• USGS Data Release Products
• USGS New York Water Science Center