High-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the Shellmound, Mississippi area

In late February to early March 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey acquired 2,364 line-kilometers (km) of airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric data in the Shellmound, Mississippi study area. The purpose of this survey is to contribute high-resolution information about subsurface geologic structure to inform groundwater models, water resource infrastructure studies, and local decision making. The Shellmound region hosts a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) pilot project, developed by the Agricultural Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The MAR pilot project is investigating the use of bank filtration along the Tallahatchie River as a source for recharge in areas of significant groundwater decline. Direct injection into the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer (MRVA) occurs about 3 km from the extraction gallery. Understanding the structure of the aquifer, including both shallow and deep confining units, is important for the success of this pilot MAR study and may be even more important for potential future large-scale MAR projects and groundwater model development efforts.