Browsing by Author "Runkel, Anthony C."

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    C-44, Geologic Atlas of Isanti County, Minnesota
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2017) Chandler, V.W.; Bloomgren, Bruce A.; Pettus, Margeurite C.; Runkel, Anthony C.; Hougardy, Devin D.; Meyer, Gary N.; Hamilton, Jacqueline D.
    A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com. Due to errors found when work was started for the Part B, hydrogeology part of the Atlas, new sand/till rasters and unit masks have been added to this site in 2022 (Revisions to sand model data 2022).
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    Educational Series 9. The Geology of Whitewater State Park
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 1996) Runkel, Anthony C.
    Many attractions of Whitewater State Park are related to its geology. The scenic bluffs, caves, and even the cold streams that support a thriving trout population are all related to a geologic history that spans hundreds of millions of years. You can understand the geology of Whitewater State Park even if you do not have a background in geology. You need only be familiar with the processes of erosion and deposition, and the geologic time scale. Erosion is the natural process whereby water and other agents break down rocks and soil and shape the land. It can be chemical, as when mildly acid water dissolves limestone, or mechanical, as when wind blows away the soil or rainwater washes it away. Deposition is the accumulation of particles into layers, or beds, as small grains are dropped by wind or settle in water to form sandstone, or as elements dissolved in water, such as calcium, magnesium, and iron, precipitate to form limestone or dolomite.
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    The Geology of Whitewater State Park
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 1996) Runkel, Anthony C.
    Summary of the geology of Whitewater State Park, circa 1996.
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    OFR14-02, Geologic controls on groundwater and surface water flow in southeastern Minnesota and its impact on nitrate concentrations in streams
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2014) Runkel, Anthony C.; Steenberg, Julia R.; Tipping, Robert G.; Retzler, Andrew J.
    This report summarizes the results of a Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) investigation conducted for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) designed to support watershed planning efforts in southeast Minnesota. Specifically it provides better understanding of the geologic controls on nitrate transport in the region, including nitrate in groundwater that is the source of baseflow to streams. Nitrate contamination of surface water and groundwater is a long- standing issue in southeastern Minnesota. We focused much of our investigation on an evaluation of nitrate (NO3 ion) transport in the Root River watershed because of the relatively advanced understanding of the karstic conditions in that area. However, the overall scope of the project includes the entire bedrock-dominated landscape of southeast Minnesota. Our results therefore support a broader MPCA watershed planning effort that directly pertains to the Root River, as well as to other watersheds within the Lower Mississippi River Basin in Minnesota.
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    OFR14-03, Geologic Controls on Groundwater and Surface Water Flow in Southeastern Minnesota and its Impact on Nitrate Concentrations in Streams: Local Project Area Report
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2014) Steenberg, Julia R.; Tipping, Robert G.; Runkel, Anthony C.
    This report summarizes the results of part of a Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) investigation conducted for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) designed to support watershed planning efforts in southeast Minnesota. The broader project provides better understanding of the geologic controls on nitrate transport in the region, including nitrate in groundwater that is the source of baseflow to streams. This report describes a local scale subproject focused on a relatively small part of the Root River watershed in Fillmore County. We conducted new mapping that provides a more detailed depiction of the geologic conditions in a three dimensional electronic format suitable for groundwater-surface water modeling. In addition, we used existing maps and reports along with new field data collected during the course of this project to improve the hydrostratigraphic characterization of the bedrock. This led to a more comprehensive understanding of the hydrostratigraphic attributes of bedrock that forms the Upper Carbonate Plateau, which dominates the landscape in the local project area. Cross sections within the local project area are used to illustrate how nitrate is transported in the ground and surface water system.
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    OFR14-04, Hydrogeologic Properties of the St. Lawrence Aquitard, Southeastern Minnesota
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2014) Runkel, Anthony C.; Tipping, Robert R.; Green, J.A.; Jones, Perry M.; Meyer, Jessica R.; Parker, Beth L.; Steenberg, Julia R.; Retzler, Andrew J.
    To better understand the properties of bedrock aquitards, we initiated a project that utilizes widely ranging methods to gain insights into the properties of the St Lawrence Formation and adjacent strata of the upper Tunnel City Group (Mazomanie and Lone Rock Formations) and lower Jordan Sandstone. The St Lawrence Formation has been traditionally regarded as an aquitard in the Paleozoic bedrock hydrogeologic system.Our investigation addresses hydraulic properties at site-specific as well as sub-regional (square miles) scales. Specific activities included drilling, testing and instrumentation of a borehole in the eastern Twin Cities Metro area (TCMA), the Afton multilevel system (MLS) hole, that has provided us with detailed multi-level measurements of hydraulic characteristics above, below and within the St. Lawrence Formation. We also analyzed the distribution of fractures in bedrock outcrops, in an effort to understand the controls these fractures might have on borehole hydraulic conditions. Borehole and outcrop scale data are augmented with ground-water tracer experiments that provide horizontal and vertical travel times at the sub-regional scale. Compilation of existing published and unpublished hydraulic and water chemistry data provide additional insights into the properties of the St Lawrence Formation and adjacent units across a wider extent of southeastern Minnesota.
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    OFR15-01, HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY AND HYDROSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE PLATTEVILLE FORMATION, TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA, MINNESOTA
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2015) Runkel, Anthony C.; Steenberg, Julia R.; Tipping, Robert G.; Jansen, Steve; Retzler, Andrew J.
    This report synthesizes a large body of data that provide a better understanding of the hydrogeologic characteristics of the Ordovician Platteville Formation in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area (TCMA). The carbonate-dominated Platteville Formation plays an important role in the TCMA hydrogeologic system by limiting vertical infiltration of relatively recent water to the more commonly utilized aquifers beneath it. Furthermore, it has been impacted by numerous contaminant plumes, which threaten the water quality in domestic wells and the large number (dozens) of springs along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Hydraulic conductivity data are synthesized and interpreted across a range of scales, with the recognition of variable user needs. For example, generalized bulk hydraulic conductivity for parts of the Platteville Formation may be useful for modeling water budgets through relatively large areas. In contrast, more site-specific needs such as development of remediation strategies and prediction of flow paths may be facilitated by considering the large range in hydraulic conductivity, measured at a number of scales, and by recognizing the location of fast-flow secondary pore networks as well as key aquitards.
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    S-21 Geologic Map of Minnesota-Bedrock Geology
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2011) Jirsa, Mark A.; Boerboom, Terrence J.; Chandler, V.W.; Mossler, John H.; Runkel, Anthony C.; Setterholm, Dale R.
    This map is a new construct that incorporates existing geologic maps where prior mappers had adequate ground control, and new interpretations based on drill hole, geophysical, and unpublished data where they did not. The interpretation differs significantly from previous maps to reflect new data and accommodate scale. It portrays our current geologic understanding of the temporal and geographic distribution of units within major Precambrian terranes and of the Phanerozoic strata. The western part of the mapped Precambrian terrane is inferred largely from geophysical maps, anchored locally by drilling. In many places, contacts are drawn between units of the same or similar apparent rock type (and same unit label); these are recognized as geometrically distinct, though geophysically or lithologically similar. Digital files corresponding to this map allow removal of Cretaceous, Paleozoic, and some parts of Mesoproterozoic strata to reveal an interpretation of the underlying Precambrian bedrock. For additional data see: (http://hdl.handle.net/11299/98043 [select, copy and paste into browser]) which contains files associated with Bedrock Topography, Depth to Bedrock, and locations of Outcrop and Geochronologic analyses.