The purpose of this study was to conduct a unified comprehensive investigation of the hydrogeology of a basin located in a carbonate terrain. This study defines the geologic and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Lower Suwannee River Basin, Florida. This research is believed to be the first basin study that incorporates multivariate factor analysis and uranium disequilibrium methodology as an integral part of a carbonate basin study. / All of the area within the Lower Suwannee River Basin is underlain by limestones and dolomites; most of these deposits lie near the surface. Solution of the carbonates has resulted in the development of a karst plain. Examination of 222 sets of well cuttings, 67 sets of auger samples and six cores permitted the construction of geologic cross-sections that show the Ocala Group limestones and, to a lesser extent, the Suwannee Limestone as the major lithologic components of the Upper Floridan aquifer. / Utilizing R-mode factor analysis and correlation coefficient analyses, it was possible to distinguish water samples from wells completed into a surficial aquifer from those completed into the Floridan aquifer. Three water masses were delineated in the Upper Floridan aquifer utilizing the same analyses. / Analyses for uranium were performed on water samples from 62 wells, 32 springs, and 5 river sites. Factor analysis showed an inverse relationship between the U-238 concentration and the U-234/U-238 activity ratio; however, the uranium parameters were not associated with any of the other parameters measured. / The activity ratios for wells and springs ranged from .39 (+OR-) .02 to 2.57 (+OR-) .60. The uranium concentrations range from less than .02 ppb to 44.8 (+OR-) .11 ppb. Generally, high ratio-low concentration values are associated with areas of very low to moderate recharge to the Floridan aquifer, whereas the low ratio-high concentration values are usually associated with areas of high recharge. / The Lower Suwannee River is almost totally dependent on groundwater contributions for its flow. Both river hydrochemical data and the uranium disequilibrium results supported this conclusion. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-09, Section: B, page: 2685. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75180 |
| Contributors | CRANE, JAMES JOHN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 398 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
Page generated in 0.0025 seconds