U.S.-Mexico Border Geologic Framework Active

Objectives

The main objectives of the Upper Santa Cruz basin task (Fig. 1) are to carry out new geologic mapping and to compile existing geologic mapping and provide the geologic framework in the study area primarily in support of groundwater investigations. Geologic mapping is the fundamental dataset in understanding ground-water flow in the basin and in defining the geometry and thickness of the basin-fill and alluvial aquifers. The sister cities of Nogales Arizona and Nogales Sonora depend on the aquifers for safe drinking water supplies and other domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Anthropogenic and environmental stressors threaten the San Cruz aquifer, including effluent in Nogales Wash from the Nogales urban areas, and toxic metals from past mining activities in the Sonoita Creek and Patagonia areas (fig. 2). Rapid population growth and declining recharge to basin aquifers in the Nogales area has increased the demand for additional groundwater resources. this demand is predicted to escalate in the future due to higher seasonal temperatures, longer droughts, and decreased river baseflow. Geologic framework is also extremely important in studying and detecting concealed mineral deposits, and in understanding flood hazards in Nogales Wash and Santa Cruz River. Geologic framework studies contribute significantly in detecting and predicting the location of illegal tunnels beneath the international border. New mapping in the Upper Santa Cruz basin will also form the basis for evaluating landscape and habitat dynamics in this part of the Borderlands.

Our geologic mapping approach depends heavily upon existing geologic maps and reports in the region. New mapping will focus on basin-fill deposits of Quaternary and Tertiary age, which form the Santa Cruz aquifer. Studies will also focus on mapping and evaluating faults and fracture systems to better understand their control of ground-water flow, aquifer recharge and discharge, and contaminant transport.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Our project collaborates directly with Arizona Department of Water Resources, the City of Nogales Utilities Department, and the USGS Arizona Water Science Center in modelling, model calibration, assessment, and water resource evaluation in the basin. Our project was contacted by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Border Patrol who requested our geologic expertise to help detect and predict the location of illegal tunnels beneath the border, and DHS used our geologic map of the Rio Rico and Nogales quadrangles in building geologic models along the border.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Our project has developed a 3-D geologic model of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5' quadrangles to investigate groundwater resources in the upper Santa Cruz basin. Analysis of the model resulted in defining the geometry and thickness of the basin fill and alluvial aquifers, which provide water to Nogales and surrounding communities. We presented a poster at the 2016 Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, describing the  three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework model of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5' quadrangles, Upper Santa Cruz Basin, southern Arizona (Page. W.R., Bultman, M., Gray, F., Menges, C., VanSistine, P., and Pantea, M., 2016, Three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework model of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5' quadrangles, Upper Santa Cruz Basin, southern Arizona: GSA Abstracts with Programs, v. 48, no. 7).

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Completed Project Tasks: Big Bend National Park Geologic Map and U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative (Geology Component)

Big Bend National Park Geologic Map

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.

Big Bend National Park is the 8^th largest national park within the contiguous United States and hosts about 350,000 visitors annually. The Park contains a variety of world-class volcanic, structural, geomorphological, and paleontological sites. Mapping by Maxwell and others (Maxwell, R.A., Lonsdale, J.T., Hazzard, R.T., and Wilson, J.A., 1967, Geologic map of the Big Bend National Park, Brewster County, Texas: University of Texas at Austin Bureau of Economic Geology Publication 6711, scale 1:62,500) synthesized earlier work, but updated mapping was required to investigate unresolved issues related to volcanic and surficial statigraphy as well as the volcanic, plutonic, and tectonic evolution of the park.

An updated map of the park provides the National Park Service with a digital geologic map dataset to address resource management issues. These issues include land use planning, surface and ground-water quality and quantity, wildlife and plant inventories and monitoring, habitat sustainability, and ecosystem and antiquities preservation.

Mapping of Big Bend National Park was a cooperative effort between federal, state and academic agencies, including the National Park Service, Texas Bureau of Economic Geology, and numerous universities. The project was funded by the National Park Service and the USGS National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program.

U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative (Geology Component)

The vast U.S.-Mexico Borderlands are a unique and extremely fragile region extending 1,952 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The Borderlands encompass a diverse array of physical settings and habitats that include wetlands, deserts, rangeland, mountains, and forests which are unique in terms of their water, mineral, and biological resources. Rapid population growth and economic development and land-use changes are pushing the limits of environmental sustainability and the quality of human and wildlife health in the Borderlands. To allow for continued growth while protecting natural resources, habitats, and fostering a high quality of life, it is imperative for U.S. and Mexican citizens, governmental agencies, and local decision makers to focus collaboratively on systematic, interdisciplinary scientific studies, such as those carried out for the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative, to address the critical Borderlands issues. The main product of the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental Health Initiative is USGS Circular 1380, United States–Mexican Borderlands—Facing tomorrow’s challenges through USGS science. The Circular is the first comprehensive science plan for the borderlands region, highlighting current and past USGS research that has helped advance our understanding of critical border issues.

The Border Environmental Health project acquired, evaluated analyzed, and provided earth, biologic, and human health resources data for the Borderlands within a GIS framework using an Internet map service (IMS) to further our understanding of possible linkages between the physical environment and public health issues. The IMS provides information to researchers, planners, managers, and citizens to make informed decisions concerning human health issues in the Borderlands region, and IMS users may incorporate most available data layers into their own geospatial analyses.

The main Geologic Discipline compiled bi-national geologic maps and integrated data sets of the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands and investigated potential linkages between geology and human and wildlife health. The study area for the work cited in the project publication below was in southern Texas and northern Mexico (fig. 4).

Sources/Usage: Public Domain.