Pennsylvanian and Mississippian Aquifers of the Appalachian Plateaus Completed
The Appalachian Plateaus region occupies approximately 86,000 square miles in portions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Aquifers in this region consist of alternating sequences of fractured sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone, and coal in Permian-, Pennsylvanian-, and Mississippian-age rock formations.
A regional Soil-Water-Balance model was constructed for a 160,000-square-mile study area that extended to the topographic divide of all streams originating outside but flowing into areas underlain by Appalachian Plateaus aquifers. The model incorporated soil, landscape, and climate variables to estimate the water budget for the 32-year period from 1980 to 2011.
The data files listed below are supplemental to Hydrologic budget and conditions of Permian, Pennsylvanian, and Mississippian aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5106). The report includes a description of methods used to derive the data.
Click on the links below to download files for this aquifer. For information about the available file types, see Aquifer data: Explanation of spatial data formats.
Mean-annual and mean-seasonal estimates of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and recharge: Metadata (31 KB) Geodatabase (2.8 MB) Text Files (27.3 MB)
Annual and average estimates of water-budget components (precipitation, evapotranspiration, streamflow, and six estimates of base flow, runoff, and base-flow index) also were determined for the period of 1900 to 2011 at 849 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations from Mississippi to New York using hydrograph separation and precipitation data from parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM). The data files listed below are supplemental to Annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and PRISM precipitation for gaged basins in the Appalachian Plateaus Region, 1900-2011 (USGS Data Series Report 944).
- Point Locations of 849 Continuous Record Streamflow Gages: Metadata (39 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
- Annual Estimates of Water-Budget Components: Metadata (51 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
- Average Estimates of Water-Budget Components: Metadata (45 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
Below are other science projects associated with this aquifer.
Principal Aquifers of the United States
Regional Groundwater Availability Studies
Below are publications associated with this aquifer.
Hydrologic budget and conditions of Permian, Pennsylvanian, and Mississippian aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province
Annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and PRISM precipitation for gaged basins in the Appalachian Plateaus Region, 1900-2011
Ground Water Atlas of the United States
- Overview
The Appalachian Plateaus region occupies approximately 86,000 square miles in portions of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Aquifers in this region consist of alternating sequences of fractured sandstone, siltstone, shale, limestone, and coal in Permian-, Pennsylvanian-, and Mississippian-age rock formations.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsA regional Soil-Water-Balance model was constructed for a 160,000-square-mile study area that extended to the topographic divide of all streams originating outside but flowing into areas underlain by Appalachian Plateaus aquifers. The model incorporated soil, landscape, and climate variables to estimate the water budget for the 32-year period from 1980 to 2011.
The data files listed below are supplemental to Hydrologic budget and conditions of Permian, Pennsylvanian, and Mississippian aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province (USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2015-5106). The report includes a description of methods used to derive the data.
Click on the links below to download files for this aquifer. For information about the available file types, see Aquifer data: Explanation of spatial data formats.
Mean-annual and mean-seasonal estimates of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and recharge: Metadata (31 KB) Geodatabase (2.8 MB) Text Files (27.3 MB)
Annual and average estimates of water-budget components (precipitation, evapotranspiration, streamflow, and six estimates of base flow, runoff, and base-flow index) also were determined for the period of 1900 to 2011 at 849 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations from Mississippi to New York using hydrograph separation and precipitation data from parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM). The data files listed below are supplemental to Annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and PRISM precipitation for gaged basins in the Appalachian Plateaus Region, 1900-2011 (USGS Data Series Report 944).
- Point Locations of 849 Continuous Record Streamflow Gages: Metadata (39 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
- Annual Estimates of Water-Budget Components: Metadata (51 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
- Average Estimates of Water-Budget Components: Metadata (45 KB) Geodatabase (40.5 MB)
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this aquifer.
Principal Aquifers of the United States
This website compiles USGS resources and data related to principal aquifers including Aquifer Basics, principal aquifers maps and GIS data, and the National Aquifer Code Reference List.Regional Groundwater Availability Studies
Regional groundwater availability studies enable information about groundwater to be integrated and consistent, so that this resource can be analyzed and understood on an aquifer–wide scale. These studies provide decision–makers with a better understanding of the status and trends in the Nation's groundwater availability. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this aquifer.
Hydrologic budget and conditions of Permian, Pennsylvanian, and Mississippian aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province
In response to challenges to groundwater availability posed by historic land-use practices, expanding development of hydrocarbon resources, and drought, the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program began a regional assessment of the Appalachian Plateaus aquifers in 2013 that incorporated a hydrologic landscape approach to estimate all components of the hydrologic system: surface runoffAuthorsKurt J. McCoy, Richard M. Yager, David L. Nelms, David E. Ladd, Jack Monti,, Mark D. KozarAnnual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and PRISM precipitation for gaged basins in the Appalachian Plateaus Region, 1900-2011
As part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Groundwater Resources Program study of the Appalachian Plateaus aquifers, annual and average estimates of water-budget components based on hydrograph separation and precipitation data from parameter-elevation regressions on independent slopes model (PRISM) were determined at 849 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations from Mississippi to New York and coAuthorsDavid L. Nelms, Terence Messinger, Kurt J. McCoyGround Water Atlas of the United States
PrefaceThe Ground Water Atlas of the United States presents a comprehensive summary of the Nation's ground-water resources and is a basic reference for the location, geography, geology, and hydrologic characteristics of the major aquifers in the Nation. The information was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies during the course of many years of study. Results of the Regional AAuthors