Premium
Investigation of a Landfill in Granite‐Loess Terrane
Author(s) -
Seitz Harold R.,
Wallace Alfred T.,
Williams Roy E.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1972.tb02935.x
Subject(s) - piezometer , loess , leachate , groundwater , geology , aquifer , hydrogeology , hazardous waste , hydrology (agriculture) , water quality , pollution , environmental science , mining engineering , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , waste management , ecology , engineering , biology
The hydrogeologic environment adjacent to the sanitary landfill used by the City of Moscow, Idaho, was investigated in an attempt to identify the factors contributing to its alteration and to the reported alteration of ground water downgradient from the fill. The refuse disposal trenches cut through loess and penetrate weathered granite. Field observations and samples from piezometer drillholes showed the major aquifer in the area to be the weathered granite underlying the loess, particularly in the draws. Ground‐water samples collected from the piezometers and from a stream downgradient from the landfill revealed that certain aspects of surface water quality are degraded and that shallow ground water is slightly contaminated. However, serious widespread pollution of ground water by the landfill is not in evidence. Electrical resistivity was tested as a means of detecting leachate from landfills in this type of environment. Comparison of resistivity data with water quality data showed that the technique is satisfactory, provided traverses are nearly horizontal.