Hydrogeologic Framework data and models for the Eel River groundwater basin, Humboldt County, California

Dates

Publication Date: 2023-04-17
Time Period: 2023

Citation

Sweetkind, D.S., Cromwell, G., Fenton, N., and Marcelli, M.F., 2023, Hydrogeologic Framework data and models for the Eel River groundwater basin, Humboldt County, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90L47TI.

Summary

This data release contains a geospatial database related to a digital 3D hydrogeologic framework model (3D HFM) of the Eel River Valley groundwater basin, California. The geospatial database contains two main data elements: (1) input data to the 3D HFM; (2) interpolated elevations and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units as a cellular array, which are a spatial representation of the 3D HFM results. Three hydrogeologic framework models of the same extent and similar conceptualization but successively increasing complexity were developed to characterize the structure, thickness, and extent of the materials within the basin; data from each phase of model-building are contained in this data release. The Phase 1 3D HFM has three hydrogeologic [...]

Summary

This data release contains a geospatial database related to a digital 3D hydrogeologic framework model (3D HFM) of the Eel River Valley groundwater basin, California. The geospatial database contains two main data elements: (1) input data to the 3D HFM; (2) interpolated elevations and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units as a cellular array, which are a spatial representation of the 3D HFM results. Three hydrogeologic framework models of the same extent and similar conceptualization but successively increasing complexity were developed to characterize the structure, thickness, and extent of the materials within the basin; data from each phase of model-building are contained in this data release. The Phase 1 3D HFM has three hydrogeologic units (HGUs) and is based on a state-scale geologic map and generalized geologic cross sections, with no faults. The Phase 2 3D HFM has four HGUs and refines the elevation and thickness of the HGUs using data from detailed geologic maps and on structure contour and isopach maps that were based on formation tops picked from oil and gas well logs; the model includes faults. The Phase 3 3D HFM has seven HGUs and further refines the elevation and thickness of the HGUs using additional detailed geologic map data and stratigraphic interpretation of lithology data from water wells; the model includes faults. Each 3D HFM is a digital representation of the subsurface configuration of the HGUs that can be visualized in three dimensions and directly incorporated into numerical flow models. Input data to the 3D HFMs included in this data release include surface map data polygons of the hydrogeologic units, fault traces, and structure contour and isopach data that were used in the Phase 2 and 3 HFMs to define the extent and thickness of the deepest basin-filling hydrogeologic unit. Textural (grain size) data were compiled from driller’s lithologic logs from water wells. Well locations are included as point data within the geospatial database; the lithologic data from downhole intervals in each borehole are tabulated in spreadsheet form. The interpolated elevations and thickness of stratigraphic units are presented as a cellular array: essentially a “flattened”, two-dimensional representation of the digital 3D geologic framework, which defines the elevation and thickness of the HGUs within the 3D HFMs from each phase of model construction. The elevation and thickness of the geologic units are contained within a single polygon feature class ModelCells, which contains a mesh of polygons that represent model cells that have multiple attributes including XY location, elevation and thickness of each hydrogeologic unit. The spatial data are accompanied by non-spatial tables that describe the sources of geologic information, a glossary of terms, a description of model units, and a Data Dictionary that duplicates the Entity and Attribute information contained in the metadata file. Spatial data are also presented as shapefiles.

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Donald S Sweetkind
Originator :: Donald S Sweetkind, Geoffrey Cromwell, Nicole J Fenton, Marina F Marcelli
Metadata Contact :: Donald S Sweetkind
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
SDC Data Owner :: California Water Science Center
USGS Mission Area :: Water Resources

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Eel_RiverHFM_metadata.xml “Metadata file” Original FGDC Metadata	View	44.94 KB	application/fgdc+xml
EelRiverMap.JPG “Thumbnail graphic”		187.96 KB	image/jpeg
EelRiver_Logs_Redacted.zip “Well logs”		2.16 MB	application/zip
NonspatialTables_nonprop_CSV.zip “Nonspatial data_common format”		169.86 KB	application/zip
NonspatialTables.zip “Nonspatial tables and well data”		172.47 KB	application/zip
EelRiver_SpatialData_SHP.zip “Zipped shapefiles”		811.67 KB	application/zip
EeelRiver_SpatialData.zip “Zipped spatial data”		1.04 MB	application/zip

Related External Resources

Type: Web Link

Interactive 3D rendering of phase 3 basin model	https://skfb.ly/oGozU

Purpose

This digital dataset was created as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study investigating basin-fill aquifers in all of California’s coastal basins as part of the National Water Census. Central to the investigation are several core models, representing various hydrologic settings and conditions typical of the CCBs, that will be used to explore groundwater availability issues in detail. The framework modeling presented here serves two purposes: (1) document the construction of a “core” hydrogeologic framework model for the Eel River Valley groundwater basin, a basin that had no suitable existing model, and (2) explore the value of added hydrogeologic information through the construction of successively more detailed models of the basin in order to help extrapolate hydrogeologic information to unmodeled areas of coastal California. Elevation and thickness of selected hydrogeologic units may be used to define the geohydrologic layering of the hydrogeologic framework model, which is in turn the digital geologic input data for numerical simulation of the hydrologic system of the Eel River watershed, California. The location of faults limit the extent of certain hydrogeologic units and may be used to define the location of potential horizontal flow barriers in numerical simulation of the groundwater system. The compilation of textural data from boreholes may be of use in estimating spatial heterogeneity of hydrogeologic units in numerical simulations. The intended uses of this dataset include, but are not limited to, natural resource modeling, mapping, and visualization applications.

Hydrogeologic Framework data and models for the Eel River groundwater basin, Humboldt County, California

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