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Fracture Trace Analysis of the

Eastern Panhandle, West Virginiah

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Ranson

Inwood

Bunker Hill

Hedgesville

Martinsburg

Charles Town

Gerrardstown

Harpers Ferry

ShepherdstownKurt J. McCoy

USGS-WRDWV District

Charleston WV

Project Objectives

• The USGS Geologic Discipline will conduct detailed lineament analysis based on satellite imagery and aerial photographs.

• USGS WRD Hydrologists will conduct aquifer testing in the field and relate surficial mapping to aquifer properties.

Conventional Fracture Trace Analysis

Fracture traces reflect underlying zones of fracture concentration,weathering, and thus increased permeability. (Indicators: ridge

gaps, soil tonal changes, vegetation, valleys or low areas)

They are useful as a prospecting tool for locating high yieldingwells.

Wells on or adjacent to a fracture trace or fracture trace intersectioncommonly have 10-15 times higher yields.

Fracture Trace Mapping

USGS GD mapping 2003

Previous mappingFrom Hobba, 1976

Well Drawdown Tests

Transmissivity: A measure of the aquifer ability to horizontally transmit water.

Ex. T > 1000 Public Supply WellT < 10 Domestic Well

0.00 - 5.00

5.01 - 50.00

50.01 - 100.00

>100

Well LocationsSpecific Capacity

(gpm/ft)

0.1 1. 10. 100.0.1

1.

10.

100.

T ime (min)

Dra

wdo

wn

(ft)

Boundary Conditions

Imperm

eable

Recharge

Generally one of three responses

expected

(1)

(3)

(2)Ideal

Well Drawdown Tests

1

10

100

1000

10000

100000

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800Depth of well (ft)

Tran

smis

sivi

ty (f

t2/d

)Drawdown TRecovery T

Target wells

Deeper wells generally are located in less transmissive areas indicating fractures are either less dense, have smaller apertures,

or receive little recharge. Depth of zones supplying majority of water to wells is unknown. Generally high production wells are not excessively deep.

0-25 25-50 50-75 >75

Depth to Water (ft bls)

100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 37 n = 54 n = 31 n = 9

<150 150-300 >300

Well Depth

100

101

102

103

104

105T

rans

mis

sivi

ty (

ft2/d

)

n = 78 n = 70 n = 49

Cc Ce Obps Obrr Obs Om

Map Unit

100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 55

n = 38

n = 2

n = 44 n = 23

n = 25

Syn

clin

e

Ant

iclin

e

Ove

rtur

ned

Ant

iclin

e

Ove

rtur

ned

Syn

clin

e

Plu

ngin

g A

ntic

line

Plu

ngin

g S

yncl

ine

Fold Type100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 43

n = 33

n = 14

n = 6

n = 28

n = 11

0-100 100-250 250-500

Distance to Nearest Fracture (m)

100

101

102

103

104

105T

rans

mis

sivi

ty (

ft/2/

d)

n = 33 n = 79 n = 63

0-45 45-90 90-135 135-180

Azimuth of Nearest Fracture (degrees)

100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 77 n = 41 n = 69 n = 9

0-250 250-500

Distance to Thrust Fault (m)

100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 47n = 33

0-250 250-500

Distance to Cross Fault (m)

100

101

102

103

104

105

Tra

nsm

issi

vity

(ft2

/d)

n = 19 n = 31

Bottom LineDrill Now

Cross faultsComplex folds

Cross strike fracturesBeekmantown Group

Drill Later

DepthDistance from relationships

Thrust faultsTopographic Position

Cross Fault

F

M

Route 45 near Berkeley/

Jefferson County line

0.00 - 5.00

5.01 - 50.00

50.01 - 100.00

>100

Well LocationsSpecific Capacity

(gpm/ft)

F Anticline

I Overturned Anticline

F Plunging Anticline

M Syncline

Fault

0.1 1. 10. 100.0.1

1.

10.

100.

Time (min)

Dra

wdo

wn

(ft)

120103

107

215

275All 15 gpm or more

USGS GD Fracture

Mapping 2003

Rose diagramBased on Length

Direction of bedding

Direction of bedding

Conclusions• While some features appear conducive to exploratory

drilling, high yielding wells can be found in almost any setting.

• Simple fracture trace analysis, while effective, is not enough to fully characterize controls on flow.

• Features/flowpaths may not have a surface expression.

• Data in addition to surficial mapping is necessary. (i.e. surface geophysics, numerical modelling)

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