Browsing by Author "Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 33

Analysis of Natural Fractures and Borehole Ellipticity Travis Peak Formation East Texas
(1987) Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Meador, K. J.
This report summarizes petrographic studies of natural and coring-induced fractures in 7 cores from the Travis Peak Formation, a low-permeability gas sandstone in East Texas, and also presents an analysis of fracturing and wellbore elongation based on Borehole Televiewer, Formation Microscanner, and Ellipticity logs from 12 Travis Peak wells. Natural, vertical extension fractures in sandstone are open or only partly mineral-filled in the cored depth range (approximately -5,000 to -10,000 ft), and they are therefore potential gas reservoirs as well as a potentially important influence on commercial hydraulic fracture treatment. Crack-seal structure in fracture-filling quartz shows that fracturing and quartz cementation were contemporary; this result, together with evidence of timing of fracturing and the large water volumes that are inferred to have passed through the Travis Peak, suggests that natural hydraulic fracturing influenced fracture development. Healed transgranular microfractures that occur in sandstone can be used to ascertain natural fracture trends in core that lacks macrofractures, and coring-induced petal-centerline fractures can be used to infer stress orientations. Fractures trend ENE to E. In the upper Travis Peak, borehole ellipticity trends ENE, parallel to fracture trends, and in the lower Travis Peak ellipticity trends NNW, parallel to the direction of least horizontal stress.
Annotated Bibliography of Techniques for Image Enhancement and Interpretation in Remote Sensing
(1979) Finley, Robert J.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to provide the user of the Remote Sensing Information Subsystem (RSIS) with brief descriptions of recent research techniques of image enhancement and their applications to specific image interpretation problems. Table 2 of the May 1979 ASVT/RSIS Technical Report entitled "Functional Design Narrative Descriptions" listed digital image processing requirements of the RSIS. The references in this bibliography were chosen because they describe these processing requirements. The format of that table was modified slightly and used as the outline for Section One of this bibliography. The bibliography is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of all pertinent articles. Such a collection would be outdated as soon as it was printed. It does, however, contain a broad sampling of the recent remote sensing literature. We tried not to include multiple references to the same technique, but some repetition was necessary in order to fully describe some procedures of image enhancement and interpretation.
Application of Borehole-Imaging Logs to Geologic Analysis, Cotton Valley Group and Travis Peak Formation, GRI Staged Field Experiement Wells, East Texas
(1990) Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Hamlin, H. Scott; Buehring, Robert; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Monson, Eric R.
This report summarizes studies of two geophysical logging tools, the borehole televiewer and the Formation Microscanner, that were used in GRI's three Staged Field Experiment wells and in a cooperative well in East Texas. These tools can detect natural fractures and induced fractures that reflect in situ stress conditions, as well as lithologic features that can be important for geologic interpretation. Improvement in borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner technology has been rapid in the past several years, but calibration of the logs with core is needed to ensure accurate interpretations of the logs. Our study compares borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner logs with core from wells in low-permeability gas reservoir sandstone. Vertical fractures in Travis Peak and Cotton Valley sandstone usually are visible on borehole televiewer and Formation Microscanner logs, but some fractures were missed or are indistinct. Aspects of fracture shape can be determined, and fractures can generally be separated from borehole breakouts, but natural fractures are difficult to distinguish from some types of drilling-induced fractures on either log. Fracture orientation is readily obtained for inclined fractures from either borehole televiewer or Formation Microscanner logs, but the orientation of vertical fractures, the common fracture type in East Texas reservoirs, can be ambiguous locally on both logs. Formation Microscanner images can be used to help document and interpret depositional environment, and they provide images of sedimentary structures and thin beds.
Data Collection Plan For Geological Remote Sensing in the Volcanic Terrain of Trans-Pecos Texas, ASVT Test Site 5
(1980) Finley, Robert J.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
This document describes a ground and aircraft data collection plan to be carried out as part of the Texas Applications System Verification and Transfer (ASVT) Project, which is a joint effort of the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) Task Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Texas Department of Water Resources/TNRIS has contracted with the Bureau of Economic Geology for the preparation of this Data Collection Plan (DCP), to be initially implemented during the period June-August 1980 as described herein. This DCP applies to a test site in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, one of five designated test sites within the state. Previously, a ground data collection plan had been prepared for the coastal test site (Finley, 1978), and a plan is in preparation for the High Plains test site.
Data Collection Plan For Remote Sensing in the Panhandle of Texas, ASVT Test Site 2
(1980) Finley, Robert J.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
This document describes a ground and aircraft data collection plan to be carried out as part of the Texas Applications System Verification and Transfer (ASVT) Project, a joint effort of the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS) Task Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Texas Department of Water Resources/TNRIS has contracted with the Bureau of Economic Geology for the preparation of this Data Collection Plan (DCP), to be initially implemented during the period June-August 1980 as described herein. This DCP applies to a test site in the Panhandle of Texas (fig. 1), one of five designated test sites within the state. Previously, ground data collection plans were prepared for the coastal test site (Finley, 1978) and the Trans-Pecos test site (Finley and Baumgardner, 1980).
Definition of Optimum Isocls Parameters for RSIS Interactive Data Anaylsis , Texas Coastal Applications Test Site
(1980) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Finley, Robert J.
Data tapes for a specified window are processed through a program called ISOCLS (Iterative Self-Organizing Clustering). The user supplies several input parameters, including the spectral distance between clusters (DLMIN) and the maximum standard deviation for the values within a cluster (STDMAX). The purpose of this study was to vary these two parameters and analyze the differences in images produced from the same data.
Delineation of Irrigated Land Using Landsat Imagery
(1983) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
The High Plains test site (fig. 1) is one of five areas selected in the State of Texas as part of the Applications System Verification and Transfer (ASVT) Project of the Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS). This test site was chosen because the Texas Department of Water Resources (TDWR) needed timely information regarding water usage for irrigation in northwest Texas. The Test Plan for this project (Finley and Baumgardner, 1981) identified three objectives for the study of this test site: (1) identification of irrigated cropland, (2) definition of the spectral signature of drought-stressed vegetation, and (3) identification of broad crop categories. This report presents the results of work on the first objective, identification of irrigated cropland.
Formation of the Wink Sink, A Salt Dissolution and Collapse Feature, Winkler County, Texas
(University of Texas at Austin. Bureau of Economic Geology, 1982) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Hoadley, Ann D.; Goldstein, Arthur G.
The Wink Sink in Winkler County, Texas, formed on June 3, 1980. Within 24 hours it had expanded to a maximum width of 360 ft (110 m). On June 5, 1980, maximum depth of the sinkhole was 110 ft (34 m), and volume about 5.6 million ft3 (158,600 m3). Between June 3 and June 6, 1980, a large area bordering the south rim of the sink subsided about 10 ft (3 m) relative to the north side. Further subsidence of 1,456 ft (44.4 cm) occurred along the southern rim between July 19 and December 12, 1980. A probable precursor of the sinkhole was a solution cavity that migrated upward by successive roof failures, thereby producing a collapse chimney filled with brecciated rock. Dissolution of salt in the Permian Salado Formation is inferred to have produced the solution cavity. Depth of the Salado ranges from 1,300 to 2,200 ft (396 to 670 m). Data on the size and initial depth of the solution cavity are unavailable. The Salado Formation in the region contains several dissolution zones. Occurrence of dissolution in the middle of the Salado evaporite sequence may have resulted from groundwater flow along fractured anhydrite interbeds. Water may have come in contact with salt by downward movement from overlying aquifers or by upward movement from underlying aquifers under artesian pressure. The Wink Sink lies directly above the Permian Capitan Reef, which contains water that is unsaturated with respect to sodium chloride. Hydraulic head of water from the reef is higher than the elevation of the Salado Formation but lower than the head in the Triassic Santa Rosa Formation, a near-surface fresh-water aquifer. Fracture or cavernous permeability occurs above, within, and below the Salado Formation, as indicated by the loss of circulation of drilling fluid in wells drilled near the sinkhole. Consequently, a brine density-flow cycle may be operating: relatively fresh water moves upward under artesian pressure and dissolves salt; the denser brine moves downward under gravity flow in the same fracture system. Alternatively, downward flow of water from aquifers such as the Santa Rosa Formation or Quaternary sediments above the salt is also a possible explanation for dissolution. A plugged and abandoned well that was located within the circumference of the sinkhole may have provided a conduit for water movement. Composition of water in the Wink Sink resembles that of water in nearby wells producing from the Quaternary alluvium and from the Triassic Santa Rosa Formation. Hendrick well number 10-A was drilled in 1928 at a site now within the circumference of the sinkhole. The well, which initially produced about 80 percent water from the Permian Tansill Formation, was plugged with cement and abandoned in 1964. The well was not used for brine disposal. Over 12 million barrels of salt water produced from the Hendrick Field were disposed of by injection into the Permian Rustler Formation during 1961. Waterflood projects in the Hendrick Field began in 1963 and are still in progress. Sinkholes similar to the Wink Sink occur in other areas of North America. Their morphology, associated strata, and mode of formation suggest that dissolution, brecciation, and surface subsidence commonly occur during their formation.
Formation of the Wink Sink, a Salt Dissolution Collapse Feature, Winkler County, Texas
(1982) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Hoadley, Ann D.; Goldstein, Arthur G.
The Wink Sink, located in Winkler County, Texas, formed suddenly on June 3, 1980. Within 24 hours, it expanded to a maximum width of 360 feet (110 meters) and reached a maximum depth of 110 feet (34 meters) by June 5. The volume of the sinkhole is estimated to be approximately 5.6 million cubic feet (158,600 cubic meters). Over the course of June 3 to June 6, a large area along the southern rim of the sink experienced subsidence of about 10 feet (3 meters) relative to the northern side. Further subsidence of 1.456 feet (44.4 centimeters) occurred along the southern rim between July 19 and December 12, 1980. The precursor to the sinkhole was likely a solution cavity that migrated upward due to successive roof failures, resulting in a collapse chimney filled with brecciated rock. The dissolution of salt in the Permian Salado Formation is believed to have created the solution cavity, with the Salado Formation's depth ranging from 1,300 to 2,200 feet (396 to 670 meters). However, data on the size and initial depth of the solution cavity are unavailable. Several dissolution zones are present within the Salado Formation in the region. Dissolution occurring in the middle of the Salado evaporite sequence may have been caused by groundwater flow along fractured anhydrite interbeds. Water could have come into contact with salt either through downward movement from overlying aquifers or upward movement from underlying aquifers under artesian pressure.
Geologic Analysis of Primary and Secondary Tight Gas Sand Objectives, Phase C
(1984) Finley, Robert J.; Dutton, Shirley P.; Lin, Zsay-Shing; Saucier, A. E.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
Previous assessments of blanket-geometry tight gas sandstones led to the selection of the Travis Peak Formation of the East Texas and North Louisiana Basins and the Corcoran and Cozzette Sandstones of the Piceance Creek Basin as major research objectives. The anticipated outcomes of this study include increased availability of tight gas resources and advancements in technology with high transferability. The work reported here encompasses all aspects of the depositional systems and reservoir geology of these units as fundamental components of resource characterization, with an emphasis on understanding controls on reservoir facies distribution and their relevance to low-permeability reservoir development. Six lithofacies of the Travis Peak (Hosston) Formation in East Texas and North Louisiana have been identified using electric logs. These facies comprise sand-rich fluvial-deltaic, silt-rich delta-front, clay- and carbonate-rich shelf, carbonate reef, and clay-rich open marine facies. The most well-developed facies in the East Texas area are the fluvial-deltaic and delta-front facies. Travis Peak rocks from the Clayton Williams #11 Sam Hughes well, Panola County, Texas, were primarily deposited in a fluvial environment within a coastal plain setting. Porosity and permeability control in the clean sandstones are primarily attributed to quartz overgrowths, chlorite cement, and solid organic matter, with approximately half of the remaining porosity being secondary, resulting from framework grain dissolution. Studies of Travis Peak gas production at Pinehill Southeast and Percy-Wheeler fields indicate an average permeability-thickness product of about 10 md-ft, with a range of 0.7 to 35 md-ft, indicating dry gas reservoirs. Well logs, core, and mud logs from Chapel Hill field in Smith County, Texas, were examined in preparation for a complete cooperative well program in the ARCO #11 Phillips well on the western margin of that field. Field studies of Corcoran-Cozzette Sandstones near Grand Junction, Colorado, suggest that the depositional environments of the Corcoran evolved from marine upper shoreface to non-marine, while the Cozzette sequence evolved from lower to upper shoreface. Porosity and water saturation calculations have been conducted by computer for seven Corcoran and Cozzette depositional units. A comparison of calculated water saturation with core-derived porosity and permeability indicates a fair to very good correlation of reservoir properties with clay content measured by gamma-ray log.
Geologic and Hydrologic Controls on the Occurrence and Producibility of Coalbed Methane: Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin
(1991) Ayers, Jr., W. B.; Kaiser, W. R.; Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Ambrose, William A.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Scott, Andrew R.; Tyler, Roger; Yeh, Joseph S.
Coalbed methane resources in the Fruitland Formation in the San Juan Basin are estimated to be 43 to 49 trillion cubic feet at depths between 400 and 4,200 ft. The San Juan Basin leads the United States in coalbed methane production; in 1989, the basin produced approximately 65 billion cubic feet of coalbed methane. In the past 5 years, more than 1,000 coalbed methane wells have been drilled in the basin. The thickest Fruitland coal seams occur in the northern part of the basin and trend northwestward, paralleling Pictured Cliffs barrier/strandplain sandstones; in the southern part of the basin, anomalously thick coal seams trend northeastward and occur between Fruitland fluvial sandstone complexes. Fruitland coal seams commonly are extensive, overriding sandstones. Coal beds are fractured reservoirs, and commonly, permeability is greatest in the direction of the dominant fracture set (face cleat). Face cleat strikes in Fruitland coal beds delineate two principal domains. In the southern part of the basin, face cleats strike northward or northeastward, whereas in the northern part of the basin, face cleat strike is predominantly northwestward. Coal seams, major aquifers in the Fruitland Formation, are overpressured in the northern part of the basin due to artesian conditions. These overpressured coal seams commonly are water-productive. In the southern part of the basin, the Fruitland Formation is underpressured, and coalbed methane wells produce little or no water. The composition of Fruitland coalbed gas varies regionally and predictably; both dry and wet Fruitland gases are present, and carbon dioxide content ranges up to 13 percent. On the basis of geologic and hydrologic studies, the San Juan Basin was divided into regions in which Fruitland coal beds have similar reservoir characteristics.
Geology of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, East Texas: Characterization of a Tight Gas SandStone
(1990) Dutton, Shirley P.; Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Tye, Robert S.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
Since 1982, the Gas Research Institute (GRI) Tight Gas Sands Project has supported geological investigations designed to develop knowledge necessary to efficiently produce low-permeability, gas-bearing sandstones. As part of that program, the Bureau of Economic Geology has conducted research on low-permeability sandstone in the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak (Hosston) Formation in East Texas. The first phase of the study, which lasted from 1983 until 1986, involved extensive collection of core and production data in seven cooperative wells. Information gained from the cooperative wells, combined with geologic characterization of the Travis Peak throughout the study area, led to the drilling by GRI of three Staged Field Experiment (SFE) wells between 1986 and 1988. The SFE wells were drilled and completed by GRI specifically for the purpose of research on low-permeability gas reservoirs. This report summarizes the results of the geologic studies of the Travis Peak Formation, and it focuses on the contribution of geology to evaluation and completion of tight gas sandstone wells.
Geology of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, East Texas: Depositional History, Diagenesis Structure and Reservoir Engineering Implications
(1990) Dutton, Shirley P.; Laubach, Stephen E. (Stephen Ernest), 1955-; Tye, Robert S.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Herrington, Karen L.
This report summarizes stratigraphic, petrographic, and structural studies of the Lower Cretaceous Travis Peak Formation, a low-permeability gas sandstone in East Texas, and presents reservoir engineering implications. Depositional systems in this region were interpreted from logs and cores and include (1) a braided- to meandering-fluvial system that forms the majority of the Travis Peak section; (2) deltaic deposits interbedded with the distal part of the fluvial system; (3) paralic deposits that overlie and interfinger with the deltaic and fluvial deposits near the top of the Travis Peak; and (4) shelf deposits present at the downdip extent of the formation. Petrographic studies indicate the sandstones are quartzarenites and subarkoses. Cementation by quartz, dolomite, ankerite, illite, chlorite, and reservoir bitumen have reduced porosity to less than 8 percent and permeability to less than 0.1 md throughout most of the formation. Structurally deeper sandstones are more intensely quartz cemented than are shallower sandstones and contain abundant, open natural fractures. Borehole breakouts and drilling-induced fractures in core can be used to predict horizontal stress directions and the direction of hydraulic fracture propagation. Hydraulic fractures propagate in directions subparallel to the east-northeast strike of the natural fractures; thus, hydraulically induced fractures may not intersect many natural fractures.
Geomorphic Processes of the Texas Panhandle
(1983) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
Joints are fractures in a rock that exhibit no detectable displacement between one face of the fracture and the other. Previous work on the origin of joints has determined different mechanisms to explain fracturing. Some researchers have explained joints in terms of their relationship to tectonic deformation and major structural elements (Harris and others, 1960; Price, 1966; Stearns and Friedman, 1972). Others have shown that joints may develop independently from tectonic deformation and that joints may form in sedimentary rocks early in their history (Parker, 1942; Hodgson, 1961; Price, 1966; Cook and Johnson, 1970). Price (1974) investigated the development of joints and stress systems in undeformed sediments during the accumulation of a sedimentary series, its downwarping and subsequent uplift, and accompanying de-watering of the sediments. Joints can also result from unloading due to erosion (Chapman, 1958). The formation of joints in sedimentary rocks is dependent on three factors (Hobbs, 1967): (1) physical properties of both the fractured rock bed and the surrounding rock beds; (2) thickness of the rock bed; and (3) degree of tectonic deformation of the beds.
Geomorphology of the Hueco Bolson in the Vicinity of the Proposed Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Site, Hudspeth County, Texas
(1990) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
The Fort Hancock study area is located 40 mi (65 km) southeast of El Paso, Texas, in the Hueco Bolson on an alluvial slope between the Diablo Plateau and the Rio Grande. The study area spans the drainage divide between Alamo and Camp Rice Arroyos. Since deposition of bolson fill ceased, the arroyos have incised, cutting down to expose the Fort Hancock and Camp Rice Formations in their floors and valley walls. Quaternary strata younger than the Camp Rice Formation underlying the study area can be divided into four units: a basal gravel, a middle sand, a petrocalcic horizon (Stage IV), and an upper sand. The petrocalcic horizon is interpreted to be the upper surface of the Madden Gravel, and, on the basis of its dense, laminated character, took 25,000 to 75,000 years to form. These Quaternary sediments range in thickness from 20 to 60 ft (6 to 18 m), thinning to the southwest across the study area and toward the edges of arroyos.
Initial Report on the Geology of the Northeastern Part of the New Braunfels, Texas
(1991) Raney, J. A.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Collins, Edward W.; Wermund, E. G.
This brief report describes initial progress on geologic mapping and paleontologic studies that are being conducted in the vicinity of New Braunfels, Texas. The primary objective of this work is to produce an accurate geologic map that will be printed on the new 1:100,000-scale map of the New Braunfels, Texas, 30 X 60 minute quadrangle, which is in preparation by the U.S. Geological Survey. A planimetric version has been printed, but the final topographic map is not yet available. Our initial mapping has been completed on 1:24,000-scale topographic maps and is intended for compilation at 1:100,000-scale. Partial funding for the second year of the study has been approved. Work during year two will continue the mapping into quadrangles adjacent to those mapped in year one. Paleontologic work by Dr. Will Elder will continue as part of the in-kind contribution by the U.S. Geological Survey to this effort. Dr. E. G. Wermund has described this project to several groups for whom the geology of this area is of interest. Draft copies of the mapping accomplished to date have been given to the Edwards Underground Water District, potentially for entry by them into a GIS, and copies will be made available to other interested parties as requested. In addition, the South Texas Geological Society has passed a resolution commending this initiative, supporting this new mapping effort, and offering the help of their membership.
Landsat Based Lineament Analysis East Texas Basin and Structural History of the Sabine Uplift Area East Texas and North Louisiana
(1986) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Jackson, M. P. A.
Most lineaments detected in this study are stream network features. Few lineaments display a one-to-one correspondence with mapped faults or geologic contacts. High values of lineament density demarcate major fault zones. Two regional lineament orientations are significant at the 99-percent confidence level: 325 degrees and 21 degrees. The northwest regional trend is parallel to wellbore elongations at depths down to 8,000 ft in the Jurassic Schuler Formation. The East Texas Basin and the Sabine Uplift have the same significant northwest trend, but the significant northeast lineament orientations for these two subregional structural features are different. The northeast trend in the East Texas Basin is subparallel to that of elongate salt structures there. The northeast trend over the Sabine Uplift may result from stresses generated by upward movement of the uplift. The northwest lineament trend, common to the regional and subregional data sets, is thought to result from gulfward extension in the Gulf Coastal Stress Province where the least principal stress is perpendicular to the coast. Hydraulically generated fractures should propagate perpendicular to the minimum compressive stress and, consequently, perpendicular to the northwest trend of lineaments in this study area. The isopach maps generated in this study show that the Sabine Uplift was part of a large basinal area during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. The Sabine Uplift does not appear to have been a large Jurassic horst that remained in a structurally high position throughout the Cretaceous and Tertiary, as is commonly shown in the literature. Timing, orientation, and magnitude of Sabine arching indicate that the Sabine Uplift may have been produced by northeast-directed tectonic events related to orogenic activity in the southern North American Cordillera and the Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico.
Landsat Based Lineament Analysis East Texas Basin and Structural History of the Sabine Uplift Area East Texas and North Louisiana
(1987) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Jackson, M. P. A.
The relationship between subsurface structure and lineaments was examined. More than 2,200 lineaments were mapped from 1:250,000-scale Landsat images. Vector sums of greater-than-average values of length-weighted frequency define significant peaks of lineament orientation. For all lineaments, significant peaks occur at 325 degrees and 21 degrees. The northwest peak parallels mean azimuth of borehole elongations in Cotton Valley sandstone wells throughout East Texas. Within the salt structure province of the East Texas Basin, lineament azimuth is not significantly different from salt structure azimuth. Lineament density delineates major fault zones. These results suggest that lineaments and subsurface structures result from like-oriented stresses. Identification of the timing, extent, and orientation of arching episodes in the Sabine Uplift area is important in developing a structural history of the area. Estimation of movement on the Sabine Uplift was made from isopach maps of five Lower Cretaceous units. The isopach maps show that the Sabine Uplift was not a horst during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous but part of a large basinal area. Timing and magnitude of arching episodes on the uplift in the Mid-Cretaceous and Early Tertiary indicate that the Sabine Uplift may have been produced by northeast-directed tectonic events in the Mexican Cordillera.
Locating Filed Confirmation Study Areas for Isolation of Nuclear Waste in the Texas Panhandle
(1979) Gustavson, Thomas C.; Handford, C. Robertson; Presley, Mark W.; Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.; Dutton, Shirley P.; Finley, Robert J.; McGillis, Kathy A.; Simpkins, W. W.
Since early 1977, the Bureau of Economic Geology has been evaluating several salt-bearing basins within the State of Texas as part of the national nuclear repository program. The Bureau, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin and the State of Texas, is carrying out a long-term program to gather and interpret all geologic and hydrologic information necessary for description, delineation, and evaluation of salt-bearing strata in the Palo Duro and Dalhart Basins of the Texas Panhandle. The program in FY 79 has been subdivided into four broad research tasks, which are addressed by a basin analysis group, a surface studies group, a geohydrology group, and a host-rock analysis group (fig. 1). The basin analysis group has delineated the structural and stratigraphic framework of the basins, initiated natural resource assessment, and integrated data from 8,000 ft (2,400 m) of core material into salt-stratigraphy models. Salt depth and thickness have been delineated for seven salt-bearing stratigraphic units. Concurrently, the surface studies group has collected ground and remotely sensed data to describe surficial processes, including salt solution, slope retreat/erosion mechanisms, geomorphic evolution, and fracture system development. The basin geohydrology group has begun evaluating both shallow and deep fluid circulation within the basins. The newly formed host-rock analysis group has initiated the study of cores from two drilling sites for analysis of salt and the various lithologies overlying and interbedded with salt units. This paper, a summary report of progress in FY 79, presents principal conclusions and reviews methods used and types of data and maps generated. Topical reports, discussing various geological aspects of the Palo Duro and Dalhart Basins in detail, will be forthcoming as phases of the study are completed.
Morphometry of Major Arroyos in the Vicinity of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Area, Hudspeth County, Texas
(1989) Baumgardner, Jr., Robert W.
The area in Hudspeth County under consideration for disposal of low-level radioactive waste lies within the drainage divides of two watersheds: Alamo and Camp Rice Arroyos. The recent geomorphic history of these arroyos has been dominated by incision. Downcutting on the major arroyos caused upslope expansion of drainage networks and an increase in drainage density where clayey sediments of the Fort Hancock Formation crop out. However, alluvium fills the upper reaches of some tributaries and extends upslope onto the alluvial slope where drainage density values are relatively low.