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Fault Severed Aquifers Along the Perimeters of Wyoming Artesian Basins
Author(s) -
Huntoon Peter W.
Publication year - 1985
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.1745-6584.1985.tb02790.x
Subject(s) - geology , aquifer , artesian aquifer , foreland basin , fault (geology) , paleozoic , structural basin , thrust , thrust fault , petrology , geomorphology , groundwater , geochemistry , paleontology , geotechnical engineering , physics , thermodynamics
The mountain uplifts which border the major artesian basins of Wyoming are asymmetric antiforms bounded on one flank by large displacement Laramide thrust faults. These thrusts sever the hydraulic continuity of aquifers, thereby creating separate circulation systems in the hanging wall and foot wall blocks. Fault severing of the Paleozoic aquifers can be identified by (1) potentiometric discontinuities across the faults, (2) water quality contrasts across the faults, and (3) geothermally heated waters in the foot wall blocks. Isolated but active circulation systems develop in the hanging wall blocks in which good permeabilities and good quality water prevail. In contrast the foot walls are generally characterized by poor permeabilities and poor water qualities. Fault severing of the Paleozoic aquifers in the Wyoming foreland province is a significant factor because nearly half of the basin perimeters are fault severed. The result is that exploration for large‐volume, good‐quality supplies must focus on the hanging wall blocks in the fault severed environments.