Date of Graduation

Spring 2014

Degree

Master of Science in Geospatial Sciences

Department

Geography, Geology, and Planning

Committee Chair

Charles Rovey II

Abstract

Despite its potential for use as a freshwater aquifer throughout the southern half of Missouri, the St. Francois aquifer is unused in most parts of the state. Nevertheless, the aquifer has potential as both an auxiliary water source for areas experiencing excess drawdown within a primary aquifer and for storage of point-source CO2>emissions in the northern part of the state where the pore fluids are saline. The primary goal of this research is to generate a series of maps depicting areas with the highest potential for these uses. To do this, permeability has been determined for a number of sites, and these values were correlated to other more easily measured parameters that allow prediction of these values in other areas. Analyses of data from three sites from the Missouri Carbon Sequestration Project, and additional well locations provided by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources have been completed to determine hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity. These results show that hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity have a strong inverse relationship with depth, so that maps of aquifer depths provide reasonable predictions of these values. Therefore, existing data on the depth of the St. Francois aquifer have been merged into a single database and map. These depths have been used in conjunction with a regression equation between depth and transmissivity to predict transmissivity values across the state. Transmissivity maps indicate areas with the best potential for pumping or injection wells without the costs of test drilling. The maps should lower the expense of exploration for CO2>injection sites and delineate areas where the St. Francois aquifer can be tapped as an auxiliary water source.

Keywords

hydrogeology, permeability, aquifer, conductivity, transmissivity

Subject Categories

Hydrology | Water Resource Management

Copyright

© Emme Maureen Mayle

Download

Campus Only

Share

COinS