Groundwater or surface water interaction in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. Includes examples of thermal imagery used to see groundwater entering streams.
Brian R Clark
Brian Clark is the Deputy Program Coordinator for the Water Availability and Use Science Program in the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Brian has led water resource investigations of groundwater and surface water computer model simulations in 12 States and six Countries. He recently served as the Geographic Information Specialist at the USGS providing support for database construction, project management planning, and web-application design. He has also served as adjunct faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as Instructor of Hydrogeology.
Brian has authored or co-authored over a dozen USGS reports and has presented various work at over 19 professional conferences for 13 entities in 11 States with audiences ranging from students and water resource managers to an Army Colonel and Brigadier General.
Brian began his career in water resources at a water well construction company in northwest Arkansas installing submersible pumps and drilling wells for domestic and municipal use. He attended Arkansas Tech University, receiving a Bachelors of Science in Physical Science in 1998. While at Arkansas Tech, his interest in subsurface structure and processes led to a minor in geology where Dr. Steve Kline, Associate Professor of Geology, took the initiative to convince Brian to apply to graduate school.
While at Baylor, Brian served as the both lab instructor and manager of the department drill rig. Opportunities outside the classroom while at Baylor included investigations into the efficiency of municipal water transport for the City of Dallas, a gas pipeline survey on Big Sandy Creek north of Beaumont, and the application of geophysical methods within a salt dome 1,500 feet below land surface. Brian graduated from Baylor with a Masters in Geology in 2000.
Science and Products
Effects of climate and land-use change on thermal springs recharge—A system-based coupled surface-water and groundwater-flow model for Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
Water priorities for the Nation—U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessments
Groundwater availability in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system
Extraction and development of inset models in support of groundwater age calculations for glacial aquifers
The Ozark Plateaus Regional Aquifer Study—Documentation of a groundwater-flow model constructed to assess water availability in the Ozark Plateaus
Groundwater development stress: Global-scale indices compared to regional modeling
Challenges for creating a site-specific groundwater-use record for the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (central USA) from 1900 to 2010
Simulation of groundwater flow in the glacial aquifer system of northeastern Wisconsin with variable model complexity
Hydrogeology and hydrologic conditions of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system
Altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
Chemical variations in Yellowknife Bay formation sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam on board the Curiosity rover on Mars
Simulations of potential future conditions in the cache critical groundwater area, Arkansas
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Ozark Plateaus Groundwater Availability Study
Mississippi Alluvial Plain Management and Environmental Support System
Ozark Groundwater Availability Study
Principal Aquifer Susceptibility Study
Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS)
Analysis of Chloride Data in the Alluvial Aquifer of Southeastern Arkansas
National-Scale Grid to Support Regional Groundwater Availability Studies and a National Hydrogeologic Framework
Altitudes and Thicknesses of Hydrogeologic Units of the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
Groundwater withdrawal rates from the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, 1900 to 2010
Groundwater or surface water interaction in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. Includes examples of thermal imagery used to see groundwater entering streams.
In 1986, Congress directed the USGS to regularly report groundwater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer system. To comply with this directive, the USGS compares water levels measured every two years. By measuring water levels across the entire aquifer in one year, measurements made two years later enable calculation of changes over time.
In 1986, Congress directed the USGS to regularly report groundwater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer system. To comply with this directive, the USGS compares water levels measured every two years. By measuring water levels across the entire aquifer in one year, measurements made two years later enable calculation of changes over time.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a deep aquifer. Water from this deep aquifer is utilized to meet the industrial and public supply needs in the area.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a deep aquifer. Water from this deep aquifer is utilized to meet the industrial and public supply needs in the area.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a shallow aquifer. Water from this shallow aquifer is utilized by the agricultural based economy in the area.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a shallow aquifer. Water from this shallow aquifer is utilized by the agricultural based economy in the area.
A groundwater-flow model of the Mississippi embayment was used to evaluate changes in water-level altitudes after the addition of wells that simulate potential future pumping from the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas (shown within the black outline) for the 30-year period from 2007 through 2037.
A groundwater-flow model of the Mississippi embayment was used to evaluate changes in water-level altitudes after the addition of wells that simulate potential future pumping from the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas (shown within the black outline) for the 30-year period from 2007 through 2037.
As the animation begins, the land surface of the Mississippi embayment fades away to reveal underground geologic formations (shown as shades of blue, brown, and gray surfaces). A slice deep into the earth cuts off the eastern half of the embayment so we can peer into the formations (aquifers) beneath the surface.
As the animation begins, the land surface of the Mississippi embayment fades away to reveal underground geologic formations (shown as shades of blue, brown, and gray surfaces). A slice deep into the earth cuts off the eastern half of the embayment so we can peer into the formations (aquifers) beneath the surface.
Water, oil, and gas wells (shown as green lines) are drilled to hundreds or thousands of feet below land surface in an area known as the Mississippi embayment. Information gathered from these wells was used to create a 3D computer model of underground formations.
Water, oil, and gas wells (shown as green lines) are drilled to hundreds or thousands of feet below land surface in an area known as the Mississippi embayment. Information gathered from these wells was used to create a 3D computer model of underground formations.
Mississippi Embayment Aquifer System Regional Groundwater Availability Study
The US Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting large scale multidisciplinary regional studies of groundwater availability for the Nation. Studies comprise individual assessments, like the Mississippi embayment, of regional groundwater flow systems that cover a variety of hydrogeologic terrains and are used to develop a comprehensive regional and national perspective.
Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) Regional Water Availability Study
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) has become one of the most important agricultural regions in the US, and it relies heavily on a groundwater system that is poorly understood and shows signs of substantial change.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 34
Effects of climate and land-use change on thermal springs recharge—A system-based coupled surface-water and groundwater-flow model for Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
A three-dimensional hydrogeologic framework of the Hot Springs anticlinorium beneath Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, was constructed to represent the complex hydrogeology of the park and surrounding areas to depths exceeding 9,000 feet below ground surface. The framework, composed of 6 rock formations and 1 vertical fault emplaced beneath the thermal springs, was discretized into 19 layers, 4AuthorsRheannon M. Hart, Scott J. Ikard, Phillip D. Hays, Brian R. ClarkWater priorities for the Nation—U.S. Geological Survey Integrated Water Availability Assessments
The United States faces growing challenges to its water supply, infrastructure, and aquatic ecosystems because of population growth, climate change, floods and droughts, and aging water delivery systems. To help address these challenges, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Resources Mission Area has established new strategic priorities that capitalize on the operational and scientific strengthAuthorsMark P. Miller, Brian R. Clark, Sandra M. Eberts, Patrick M. Lambert, Patricia ToccalinoGroundwater availability in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system
Executive SummaryThe study described in this report, initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2014, was designed to evaluate fresh groundwater resources within the Ozark Plateaus, central United States, as an area within a broader national assessment of groundwater availability. The goals of the Ozark study were to evaluate historical effects of human activities on water levels and groundwater aAuthorsBrian R. Clark, Leslie L. Duncan, Katherine J. KnierimExtraction and development of inset models in support of groundwater age calculations for glacial aquifers
The U.S. Geological Survey developed a regional model of Lake Michigan Basin (LMB). This report describes the construction of five MODFLOW inset models extracted from the LMB regional model and their application using the particle-tracking code MODPATH to simulate the groundwater age distribution of discharge to wells pumping from glacial deposits. The five study areas of the inset model corresponAuthorsDaniel T. Feinstein, Leon J. Kauffman, Megan J. Haserodt, Brian R. Clark, Paul F. JuckemThe Ozark Plateaus Regional Aquifer Study—Documentation of a groundwater-flow model constructed to assess water availability in the Ozark Plateaus
Recent short-term drought conditions have emphasized the need to better understand the delicate balance between abundance, sustainability, and scarcity of groundwater in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey began construction of a groundwater-flow model as a tool for the assessment of groundwater availability in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. The model was devAuthorsBrian R. Clark, Joseph M. Richards, Katherine J. KnierimGroundwater development stress: Global-scale indices compared to regional modeling
The increased availability of global datasets and technologies such as global hydrologic models and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites have resulted in a growing number of global-scale assessments of water availability using simple indices of water stress. Developed initially for surface water, such indices are increasingly used to evaluate global groundwater resources.AuthorsWilliam Alley, Brian R. Clark, Matt Ely, Claudia C. FauntChallenges for creating a site-specific groundwater-use record for the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (central USA) from 1900 to 2010
Hydrologic budgets to determine groundwater availability are important tools for water-resource managers. One challenging component for developing hydrologic budgets is quantifying water use through time because historical and site-specific water-use data can be sparse or poorly documented. This research developed a groundwater-use record for the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (central USA) from 19AuthorsKatherine J. Knierim, Anna M. Nottmeier, Scott C. Worland, Drew A. Westerman, Brian R. ClarkSimulation of groundwater flow in the glacial aquifer system of northeastern Wisconsin with variable model complexity
The U.S. Geological Survey, National Water-Quality Assessment seeks to map estimated intrinsic susceptibility of the glacial aquifer system of the conterminous United States. Improved understanding of the hydrogeologic characteristics that explain spatial patterns of intrinsic susceptibility, commonly inferred from estimates of groundwater age distributions, is sought so that methods used for theAuthorsPaul F. Juckem, Brian R. Clark, Daniel T. FeinsteinHydrogeology and hydrologic conditions of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system
The hydrogeology and hydrologic characteristics of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system were characterized as part of ongoing U.S. Geological Survey efforts to assess groundwater availability across the Nation. The need for such a study in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province (Ozark Plateaus) is highlighted by increasing demand on groundwater resources by the 5.3 million people of the Ozark PlatAuthorsPhillip D. Hays, Katherine J. Knierim, Brian K. Breaker, Drew A. Westerman, Brian R. ClarkAltitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units of the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
A hydrogeologic framework was constructed to represent the altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system as part of a regional groundwater-flow model supported by the U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program. The Ozark Plateaus aquifer system study area is nearly 70,000 square miles and includes parts of Arkansas, Kansas, MissourAuthorsDrew A. Westerman, Jonathan A. Gillip, Joseph M. Richards, Phillip D. Hays, Brian R. ClarkChemical variations in Yellowknife Bay formation sedimentary rocks analyzed by ChemCam on board the Curiosity rover on Mars
The Yellowknife Bay formation represents a ~5 m thick stratigraphic section of lithified fluvial and lacustrine sediments analyzed by the Curiosity rover in Gale crater, Mars. Previous works have mainly focused on the mudstones that were drilled by the rover at two locations. The present study focuses on the sedimentary rocks stratigraphically above the mudstones by studying their chemical variatiAuthorsNicolas Mangold, Olivier Forni, G. Dromart, K.M. Stack, Roger C. Wiens, Olivier Gasnault, Dawn Y. Sumner, Marion Nachon, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Ryan B. Anderson, Bruce Barraclough, J.F. Bell, G. Berger, D.L. Blaney, J.C. Bridges, F. Calef, Brian R. Clark, Samuel M. Clegg, Agnès Cousin, L. Edgar, Kenneth S. Edgett, B.L. Ehlmann, Cecile Fabre, M. Fisk, John P. Grotzinger, S.C. Gupta, Kenneth E. Herkenhoff, J.A. Hurowitz, J. R. Johnson, Linda C. Kah, Nina L. Lanza, Jeremie Lasue, S. Le Mouélic, Eric Lewin, Michael Malin, Scott M. McLennan, S. Maurice, Noureddine Melikechi, Alissa Mezzacappa, Ralph E. Milliken, H.L. Newsome, A. Ollila, Scott K. Rowland, Violaine Sautter, M.E. Schmidt, S. Schroder, C. D'Uston, Dave Vaniman, R. A. WilliamsSimulations of potential future conditions in the cache critical groundwater area, Arkansas
A three-dimensional finite-difference model for part of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in the Cache Critical Groundwater Area of eastern Arkansas was constructed to simulate potential future conditions of groundwater flow. The objectives of this study were to test different pilot point distributions to find reasonable estimates of aquifer properties for the alluvial aquifer, to simuAuthorsHaveen M. Rashid, Brian R. Clark, Hanan H. Mahdi, Hanadi S. Rifai, Haydar J. Al-Shukri - Science
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
USGS is undertaking a 5-year study to assess groundwater availability for the aquifers proximal to the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas-Mexico border through the panhandle of Florida, known as the Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System (CLAS). This study is one of several within the Regional Groundwater Availability Studies of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program .Ozark Plateaus Groundwater Availability Study
The U.S. Geological Survey's Groundwater Resources Program (GWRP) is conducting an assessment of groundwater availability throughout the United States to gain a better understanding of the status of the Nation's groundwater resources and how changes in water use and climate may affect those resources. SEE THE FULL STUDY HEREMississippi Alluvial Plain Management and Environmental Support System
Providing reliable hydrologic understanding of a system as inherently complex as the MAP will require a numerical groundwater simulation model capable of simulating stream/aquifer interaction, updated and recalibrated over time and supported by a continuing program of data collection and evaluation. The US Geological Survey (USGS) has produced such a model for the larger Mississippi embayment...Ozark Groundwater Availability Study
The U.S. Geological Survey's Groundwater Resources Program (GWRP) is conducting an assessment of groundwater availability throughout the United States to gain a better understanding of the status of the Nation's groundwater resources and how changes in water use and climate may affect those resources. Assessments will be completed for the Nation's principal aquifer systems to help characterize how...Principal Aquifer Susceptibility Study
Short Title: Principal Aquifers Project Chief: Brian Clark Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program Project Time Frame: May 2008 - Sept 2009 The principal aquifer study will use regional ground-water MODFLOW models and particle-tracking predictions to estimate travel time from the water table to aquifer zones in selected principal aquifers. Zones may be related...Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS)
Short Title: MERAS Model Project Chief: Brian Clark Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey Office of Ground-Water Resources Program Project Time Frame: January 2006 - 2009 Fresh ground-water in the Mississippi embayment can be found in alternating formations of sand, silt and clay. Decades of pumping from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer for irrigation and from the Sparta-Memphis aquifer...Analysis of Chloride Data in the Alluvial Aquifer of Southeastern Arkansas
Short Title: Southeastern Arkansas Chloride Study Project Chief: Brian Clark Cooperator: Boeuf-Tensas Regional Irrigation Water Distribution District Project Time Frame: July 2007 - September 2008 The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer is one of the highest use aquifer systems in Arkansas. In localized areas, the chloride content has been observed to be high enough to limit the use of this... - Data
National-Scale Grid to Support Regional Groundwater Availability Studies and a National Hydrogeologic Framework
The National Hydrogeologic Grid (NHG) dataset includes a raster and vector representation of 1-km cells defining a uniform grid that encompasses the continental United States. The value of each cell of the raster dataset corresponds to the 1-km cell number defined as 'cellnum' in the attributes of the vector data. The NHG consists of 4,000 rows and 4,980 columns, numbered from the top left cornerAltitudes and Thicknesses of Hydrogeologic Units of the Ozark Plateaus Aquifer System in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma
A hydrogeologic framework was constructed to represent the altitudes and thicknesses of hydrogeologic units within the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system (hereinafter referred to as the Ozark system). The Ozark system study area is nearly 70,000 square miles and includes parts of Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Nine hydrogeologic units were selected for delineation within the Ozark system andGroundwater withdrawal rates from the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system, 1900 to 2010
Groundwater is an often overlooked freshwater resource compared to surface water, but groundwater is used widely across the United States, especially during periods of drought. If groundwater models can successfully simulate past conditions, they may be used to evaluate potential future pumping scenarios or climate conditions, thus providing a valuable planning tool for water-resource managers. Qu - Multimedia
Groundwater, A Source To Streams in the Ozark PlateausGroundwater, A Source To Streams in the Ozark PlateausGroundwater, A Source To Streams in the Ozark Plateaus
Groundwater or surface water interaction in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. Includes examples of thermal imagery used to see groundwater entering streams.
Groundwater or surface water interaction in the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system. Includes examples of thermal imagery used to see groundwater entering streams.
Water-level Change in the High Plains Aquifer SystemWater-level Change in the High Plains Aquifer SystemWater-level Change in the High Plains Aquifer SystemIn 1986, Congress directed the USGS to regularly report groundwater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer system. To comply with this directive, the USGS compares water levels measured every two years. By measuring water levels across the entire aquifer in one year, measurements made two years later enable calculation of changes over time.
In 1986, Congress directed the USGS to regularly report groundwater-level changes in the High Plains aquifer system. To comply with this directive, the USGS compares water levels measured every two years. By measuring water levels across the entire aquifer in one year, measurements made two years later enable calculation of changes over time.
The Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Deep AquiferThe Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Deep AquiferThe Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Deep AquiferThe USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a deep aquifer. Water from this deep aquifer is utilized to meet the industrial and public supply needs in the area.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a deep aquifer. Water from this deep aquifer is utilized to meet the industrial and public supply needs in the area.
The Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Shallow AquiferThe Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Shallow AquiferThe Mississippi Embayment - Declining Water Levels in a Shallow AquiferThe USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a shallow aquifer. Water from this shallow aquifer is utilized by the agricultural based economy in the area.
The USGS recently constructed a computer model of groundwater in the Mississippi embayment. This model was used to simulate the rise or decline of water level in a shallow aquifer. Water from this shallow aquifer is utilized by the agricultural based economy in the area.
Simulated groundwater declines in Central ArkansasSimulated groundwater declines in Central ArkansasSimulated groundwater declines in Central ArkansasA groundwater-flow model of the Mississippi embayment was used to evaluate changes in water-level altitudes after the addition of wells that simulate potential future pumping from the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas (shown within the black outline) for the 30-year period from 2007 through 2037.
A groundwater-flow model of the Mississippi embayment was used to evaluate changes in water-level altitudes after the addition of wells that simulate potential future pumping from the Sparta aquifer in the Bayou Meto-Grand Prairie area of eastern Arkansas (shown within the black outline) for the 30-year period from 2007 through 2037.
The Mississippi embayment — Where Does the Water Come From?The Mississippi embayment — Where Does the Water Come From?The Mississippi embayment — Where Does the Water Come From?As the animation begins, the land surface of the Mississippi embayment fades away to reveal underground geologic formations (shown as shades of blue, brown, and gray surfaces). A slice deep into the earth cuts off the eastern half of the embayment so we can peer into the formations (aquifers) beneath the surface.
As the animation begins, the land surface of the Mississippi embayment fades away to reveal underground geologic formations (shown as shades of blue, brown, and gray surfaces). A slice deep into the earth cuts off the eastern half of the embayment so we can peer into the formations (aquifers) beneath the surface.
The Mississippi embayment — a look undergroundWater, oil, and gas wells (shown as green lines) are drilled to hundreds or thousands of feet below land surface in an area known as the Mississippi embayment. Information gathered from these wells was used to create a 3D computer model of underground formations.
Water, oil, and gas wells (shown as green lines) are drilled to hundreds or thousands of feet below land surface in an area known as the Mississippi embayment. Information gathered from these wells was used to create a 3D computer model of underground formations.
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Mississippi Embayment Aquifer System Regional Groundwater Availability Study
The US Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting large scale multidisciplinary regional studies of groundwater availability for the Nation. Studies comprise individual assessments, like the Mississippi embayment, of regional groundwater flow systems that cover a variety of hydrogeologic terrains and are used to develop a comprehensive regional and national perspective.
Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) Regional Water Availability Study
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) has become one of the most important agricultural regions in the US, and it relies heavily on a groundwater system that is poorly understood and shows signs of substantial change.