Bryant C Jurgens
Groundwater is an important source of drinking water in the United States. In order to assess the status and long-term sustainability of this important resource, I use environmental tracers, geochemical modeling, and statistical methods to understand the age structure, geochemical processes, and trends affecting water-quality in aquifers.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Data for Groundwater Age in the Western Principal Aquifers, 2004-2018 Data for Groundwater Age in the Western Principal Aquifers, 2004-2018
Groundwater age distribution and susceptibility to natural and anthropogenic contaminants were assessed for selected principal aquifers of the Western United States: the Central Valley aquifer system (CVAL), the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers (BNRF), the Rio Grande aquifer system (RIOG), the High Plains aquifer (HPAQ), the Columbia Plateau basaltic-rock aquifers (CLPT), and the...
Data for Assessing the Lead Solubility Potential of Untreated Groundwater of the United States Data for Assessing the Lead Solubility Potential of Untreated Groundwater of the United States
Groundwater chemistry data used for assessing the lead (Pb) solubility potential of untreated groundwater of the United States were compiled from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database for groundwater sites sampled between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2016. Two datasets were compiled: one dataset having 13,324 groundwater sites was used to assess Pb occurrence in...
Geochemical Correction of Carbon-14 in Dissolved Inorganic Carbon used for Groundwater Age Dating in the Glacial Aquifer System, Conterminous United States Geochemical Correction of Carbon-14 in Dissolved Inorganic Carbon used for Groundwater Age Dating in the Glacial Aquifer System, Conterminous United States
Data provided here describe geochemical correction of carbon-14 in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) for groundwater age dating. Datasets include major ion chemistry of groundwater samples, model parameter inputs, and final corrected carbon-14 in DIC. Geochemical correction was completed in two phases: determination of reactive phase mole transfers through an inverse geochemical model...
Interpolated Surfaces of Well Construction Characteristics for Domestic and Public-Supply Well Use in the Central Valley, California, USA Interpolated Surfaces of Well Construction Characteristics for Domestic and Public-Supply Well Use in the Central Valley, California, USA
Well construction data from domestic and public-supply wells in the Central Valley were compiled from the California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (CADDW), the Department of Water Resources (CADWR), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Additional wells in the Central Valley were compiled by recording water use and depth to the top and bottom of...
Data for Radium Mobility and the Age of Groundwater in Public-drinking-water Supplies from the Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, North-Central USA Data for Radium Mobility and the Age of Groundwater in Public-drinking-water Supplies from the Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, North-Central USA
High radium (Ra) concentrations in potable portions of the Cambrian-Ordovician (C-O) aquifer system were investigated using water-quality data and environmental tracers ( 3H, 3Hetrit, SF6 , 14C and 4Herad) of groundwater age from 80 public-supply wells (PSWs). Groundwater ages were estimated by calibration of tracers to lumped parameter models and ranged from modern (1 Myr) in the most
Well characteristics, water quality and age-date tracer data for wells along two regional flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee Well characteristics, water quality and age-date tracer data for wells along two regional flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee
In 2013, water-quality and age-date tracer samples were collected at wells located along two flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee, as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project of the National Water-Quality Program to better understand the vulnerability of the aquifer to contamination.. Each flow path began in the aquifer outcrop area (shallow well...
Classification of Chloride-to-Sulfate Mass Ratio for U.S. Groundwater With Respect to the Potential to Promote Galvanic Corrosion of Lead, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States Classification of Chloride-to-Sulfate Mass Ratio for U.S. Groundwater With Respect to the Potential to Promote Galvanic Corrosion of Lead, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States
Galvanic corrosion of lead in water distribution systems can occur when lead pipe or lead solder is in contact with a dissimilar metal such as copper. If the source water entering those systems has a relatively elevated chloride-to-sulfate mass ratio (CSMR), the potential for galvanic corrosion to occur is elevated (Gregory 1985; Edwards and Triantafyllidou, 2007), especially in water...
Langelier Saturation Indices Computed for U.S. Groundwater, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States Langelier Saturation Indices Computed for U.S. Groundwater, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States
The occurrence of metals, such as lead and copper, in household drinking supplies can often be a result of the corrosion of pipes and joints in water distribution systems. One measure of the potential for water to cause corrosion is the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) (Langelier, 1936). The LSI is a measure of the potential for water to deposit a mineral layer (scale) within a water...
Filter Total Items: 60
Groundwater residence time estimates obscured by anthropogenic carbonate Groundwater residence time estimates obscured by anthropogenic carbonate
Groundwater is an important source of drinking and irrigation water. Dating groundwater informs its vulnerability to contamination and aids in calibrating flow models. Here, we report measurements of multiple age tracers (14C, 3H, 39Ar, and 85Kr) and parameters relevant to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from 17 wells in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), an agricultural region that...
Authors
Alan Seltzer, David Bekaert, Peter Barry, Kathryn Durkin, Emily Mace, Craig Aaselth, Jake Zappala, Peter Mueller, Bryant Jurgens, Justin Kulongoski
Groundwater development leads to decreasing arsenic concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley, California Groundwater development leads to decreasing arsenic concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley, California
In the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), California, about 10% of drinking water wells since 2010 had arsenic concentrations above the US maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L. High concentrations of arsenic are often associated with high pH (greater than 7.8) or reduced geochemical conditions. Although most wells have low arsenic (
Authors
Emily Haugen, Bryant Jurgens, Jose Arroyo-Lopez, George Bennett
Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Thirty water wells were sampled in 2018 to understand the geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin and assess potential effects of shale-oil production from the Three Forks-Bakken petroleum system (TBPS) on groundwater quality. Two geochemical groups are identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Group 1 represents the younger (median 4He = 21.49 × 10−8 cm3 STP/g)...
Authors
Peter McMahon, Joel Galloway, Andrew G. Hunt, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant Jurgens, Tyler D. Johnson
Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014 Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014
Areas of improving and degrading groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California were assessed using spatial weighting of a new metric for scoring wells based on constituent concentrations and the direction and magnitude of a trend slope (Sen). Individual well scores were aggregated across 2135 equal-area grid cells covering the entire groundwater resource used for public...
Authors
Bryant Jurgens, Miranda Fram, Jeffrey Rutledge, George Bennett
Evaluation of soil zone processes and a novel radiocarbon correction approach for groundwater with mixed sources Evaluation of soil zone processes and a novel radiocarbon correction approach for groundwater with mixed sources
Estimates of groundwater age based on 14C is often limited by the uncertainty in geochemical processes that alter the 14C concentration measured in water and the composition (δ13C and 14C) of carbon sources needed to appropriately parametrize 14C adjustment models. Estimated ages for samples that contain a mixture of young and old groundwater will be particularly sensitive to model...
Authors
John Solder, Bryant Jurgens
DGMETA (version 1)—Dissolved gas modeling and environmental tracer analysis computer program DGMETA (version 1)—Dissolved gas modeling and environmental tracer analysis computer program
DGMETA (Dissolved Gas Modeling and Environmental Tracer Analysis) is a Microsoft Excel-based computer program that is used for modeling air-water equilibrium conditions from measurements of dissolved gases and for computing concentrations of environmental tracers that rely on air-water equilibrium model results. DGMETA can solve for the temperature, salinity, excess air, fractionation of...
Authors
Bryant Jurgens, J. K. Böhlke, Karl Haase, Eurybiades Busenberg, Andrew Hunt, Jeffrey A. Hansen
Environmental tracer evidence for connection between shallow and bedrock aquifers and high intrinsic susceptibility to contamination of the conterminous U.S. glacial aquifer Environmental tracer evidence for connection between shallow and bedrock aquifers and high intrinsic susceptibility to contamination of the conterminous U.S. glacial aquifer
Covering a large portion of the northern conterminous United States (1.87 x 106 km2), the glacial aquifer serves as the primary water supply for 39 million public and domestic water users. Mean groundwater age, groundwater age distribution, and susceptibility to land surface contamination, using a new metric (Susceptibility Index; SI) based on the full age distribution and less prone to...
Authors
John Solder, Bryant Jurgens, Paul Stackelberg, Christopher L. Shope
Time scales of arsenic variability and the role of high-frequency monitoring at three water-supply wells in New Hampshire, USA Time scales of arsenic variability and the role of high-frequency monitoring at three water-supply wells in New Hampshire, USA
Groundwater geochemistry, redox process classification, high-frequency physicochemical and hydrologic measurements, and climate data were analyzed to identify controls on arsenic (As) concentration changes. Groundwater was monitored in two public-supply wells (one glacial aquifer and one bedrock aquifer), and one bedrock-aquifer domestic well in New Hampshire, USA, from 2014 to 2018 to...
Authors
James Degnan, Joseph Levitt, Melinda Erickson, Bryant Jurgens, Bruce Lindsey, Joseph Ayotte
History and sources of co-occurring pesticides in an abstraction well unravelled by age distributions of depth specific groundwater samples History and sources of co-occurring pesticides in an abstraction well unravelled by age distributions of depth specific groundwater samples
When groundwater-based drinking water supply becomes contaminated, the timing and source of contamination are obvious questions. However, contaminants often have diffuse sources and different contaminants may have different sources even in a single groundwater well, making these questions complicated to answer. Age dating of groundwater has been used to reconstruct contaminant travel...
Authors
Rasmus Jakobsen, Klaus Hinsby, Jens Aamand, Peter van der Keur, Jacob Kidmose, Roland Purtschert, Bryant Jurgens, Jurgen Sultenfuss, Christian Albers
Arsenic variability and groundwater age in three water supply wells in southeast New Hampshire Arsenic variability and groundwater age in three water supply wells in southeast New Hampshire
Three wells in New Hampshire were sampled bimonthly over three years to evaluate the temporal variability of arsenic concentrations and groundwater age. All samples had measurable concentrations of arsenic throughout the entire sampling period and concentrations in individual wells varied, on average, by more than 7 µg/L. High arsenic concentrations (>10 µg/L) were measured in bedrock...
Authors
Joseph Levitt, James R. Degnan, Sarah Flanagan, Bryant Jurgens
Delineation of spatial extent, depth, thickness, and potential volume of aquifers used for domestic and public water-supply in the Central Valley, California Delineation of spatial extent, depth, thickness, and potential volume of aquifers used for domestic and public water-supply in the Central Valley, California
Identification of the groundwater resources used for drinking-water supplies is essential for the design of strategies to manage those resources. In this study, the spatial extent, depths, thicknesses, and volumes of groundwater aquifers used for domestic and public drinking-water supply were estimated from locations and well-construction data from 11,725 domestic-supply wells and 2,376...
Authors
Stefan Voss, Bryant Jurgens, Miranda Fram, George Bennett
Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age
Categorical classification of groundwater age is often used for the assessment and understanding of groundwater resources. This report presents a tritium-based age classification system for the conterminous United States based on tritium (3H) thresholds that vary in space and time: modern (recharged in 1953 or later), if the measured value is larger than an upper threshold; premodern...
Authors
Bruce Lindsey, Bryant Jurgens, Kenneth Belitz
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Data for Groundwater Age in the Western Principal Aquifers, 2004-2018 Data for Groundwater Age in the Western Principal Aquifers, 2004-2018
Groundwater age distribution and susceptibility to natural and anthropogenic contaminants were assessed for selected principal aquifers of the Western United States: the Central Valley aquifer system (CVAL), the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers (BNRF), the Rio Grande aquifer system (RIOG), the High Plains aquifer (HPAQ), the Columbia Plateau basaltic-rock aquifers (CLPT), and the...
Data for Assessing the Lead Solubility Potential of Untreated Groundwater of the United States Data for Assessing the Lead Solubility Potential of Untreated Groundwater of the United States
Groundwater chemistry data used for assessing the lead (Pb) solubility potential of untreated groundwater of the United States were compiled from the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database for groundwater sites sampled between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2016. Two datasets were compiled: one dataset having 13,324 groundwater sites was used to assess Pb occurrence in...
Geochemical Correction of Carbon-14 in Dissolved Inorganic Carbon used for Groundwater Age Dating in the Glacial Aquifer System, Conterminous United States Geochemical Correction of Carbon-14 in Dissolved Inorganic Carbon used for Groundwater Age Dating in the Glacial Aquifer System, Conterminous United States
Data provided here describe geochemical correction of carbon-14 in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) for groundwater age dating. Datasets include major ion chemistry of groundwater samples, model parameter inputs, and final corrected carbon-14 in DIC. Geochemical correction was completed in two phases: determination of reactive phase mole transfers through an inverse geochemical model...
Interpolated Surfaces of Well Construction Characteristics for Domestic and Public-Supply Well Use in the Central Valley, California, USA Interpolated Surfaces of Well Construction Characteristics for Domestic and Public-Supply Well Use in the Central Valley, California, USA
Well construction data from domestic and public-supply wells in the Central Valley were compiled from the California State Water Resources Control Board Division of Drinking Water (CADDW), the Department of Water Resources (CADWR), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Additional wells in the Central Valley were compiled by recording water use and depth to the top and bottom of...
Data for Radium Mobility and the Age of Groundwater in Public-drinking-water Supplies from the Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, North-Central USA Data for Radium Mobility and the Age of Groundwater in Public-drinking-water Supplies from the Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, North-Central USA
High radium (Ra) concentrations in potable portions of the Cambrian-Ordovician (C-O) aquifer system were investigated using water-quality data and environmental tracers ( 3H, 3Hetrit, SF6 , 14C and 4Herad) of groundwater age from 80 public-supply wells (PSWs). Groundwater ages were estimated by calibration of tracers to lumped parameter models and ranged from modern (1 Myr) in the most
Well characteristics, water quality and age-date tracer data for wells along two regional flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee Well characteristics, water quality and age-date tracer data for wells along two regional flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee
In 2013, water-quality and age-date tracer samples were collected at wells located along two flow paths in the Memphis aquifer, southwest Tennessee, as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project of the National Water-Quality Program to better understand the vulnerability of the aquifer to contamination.. Each flow path began in the aquifer outcrop area (shallow well...
Classification of Chloride-to-Sulfate Mass Ratio for U.S. Groundwater With Respect to the Potential to Promote Galvanic Corrosion of Lead, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States Classification of Chloride-to-Sulfate Mass Ratio for U.S. Groundwater With Respect to the Potential to Promote Galvanic Corrosion of Lead, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States
Galvanic corrosion of lead in water distribution systems can occur when lead pipe or lead solder is in contact with a dissimilar metal such as copper. If the source water entering those systems has a relatively elevated chloride-to-sulfate mass ratio (CSMR), the potential for galvanic corrosion to occur is elevated (Gregory 1985; Edwards and Triantafyllidou, 2007), especially in water...
Langelier Saturation Indices Computed for U.S. Groundwater, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States Langelier Saturation Indices Computed for U.S. Groundwater, 1991-2015; Water Well Data and Characteristic Values for States
The occurrence of metals, such as lead and copper, in household drinking supplies can often be a result of the corrosion of pipes and joints in water distribution systems. One measure of the potential for water to cause corrosion is the Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) (Langelier, 1936). The LSI is a measure of the potential for water to deposit a mineral layer (scale) within a water...
Filter Total Items: 60
Groundwater residence time estimates obscured by anthropogenic carbonate Groundwater residence time estimates obscured by anthropogenic carbonate
Groundwater is an important source of drinking and irrigation water. Dating groundwater informs its vulnerability to contamination and aids in calibrating flow models. Here, we report measurements of multiple age tracers (14C, 3H, 39Ar, and 85Kr) and parameters relevant to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from 17 wells in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), an agricultural region that...
Authors
Alan Seltzer, David Bekaert, Peter Barry, Kathryn Durkin, Emily Mace, Craig Aaselth, Jake Zappala, Peter Mueller, Bryant Jurgens, Justin Kulongoski
Groundwater development leads to decreasing arsenic concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley, California Groundwater development leads to decreasing arsenic concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley, California
In the San Joaquin Valley (SJV), California, about 10% of drinking water wells since 2010 had arsenic concentrations above the US maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L. High concentrations of arsenic are often associated with high pH (greater than 7.8) or reduced geochemical conditions. Although most wells have low arsenic (
Authors
Emily Haugen, Bryant Jurgens, Jose Arroyo-Lopez, George Bennett
Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Thirty water wells were sampled in 2018 to understand the geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin and assess potential effects of shale-oil production from the Three Forks-Bakken petroleum system (TBPS) on groundwater quality. Two geochemical groups are identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Group 1 represents the younger (median 4He = 21.49 × 10−8 cm3 STP/g)...
Authors
Peter McMahon, Joel Galloway, Andrew G. Hunt, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant Jurgens, Tyler D. Johnson
Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014 Identifying areas of degrading and improving groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California, USA, 1974-2014
Areas of improving and degrading groundwater-quality conditions in the State of California were assessed using spatial weighting of a new metric for scoring wells based on constituent concentrations and the direction and magnitude of a trend slope (Sen). Individual well scores were aggregated across 2135 equal-area grid cells covering the entire groundwater resource used for public...
Authors
Bryant Jurgens, Miranda Fram, Jeffrey Rutledge, George Bennett
Evaluation of soil zone processes and a novel radiocarbon correction approach for groundwater with mixed sources Evaluation of soil zone processes and a novel radiocarbon correction approach for groundwater with mixed sources
Estimates of groundwater age based on 14C is often limited by the uncertainty in geochemical processes that alter the 14C concentration measured in water and the composition (δ13C and 14C) of carbon sources needed to appropriately parametrize 14C adjustment models. Estimated ages for samples that contain a mixture of young and old groundwater will be particularly sensitive to model...
Authors
John Solder, Bryant Jurgens
DGMETA (version 1)—Dissolved gas modeling and environmental tracer analysis computer program DGMETA (version 1)—Dissolved gas modeling and environmental tracer analysis computer program
DGMETA (Dissolved Gas Modeling and Environmental Tracer Analysis) is a Microsoft Excel-based computer program that is used for modeling air-water equilibrium conditions from measurements of dissolved gases and for computing concentrations of environmental tracers that rely on air-water equilibrium model results. DGMETA can solve for the temperature, salinity, excess air, fractionation of...
Authors
Bryant Jurgens, J. K. Böhlke, Karl Haase, Eurybiades Busenberg, Andrew Hunt, Jeffrey A. Hansen
Environmental tracer evidence for connection between shallow and bedrock aquifers and high intrinsic susceptibility to contamination of the conterminous U.S. glacial aquifer Environmental tracer evidence for connection between shallow and bedrock aquifers and high intrinsic susceptibility to contamination of the conterminous U.S. glacial aquifer
Covering a large portion of the northern conterminous United States (1.87 x 106 km2), the glacial aquifer serves as the primary water supply for 39 million public and domestic water users. Mean groundwater age, groundwater age distribution, and susceptibility to land surface contamination, using a new metric (Susceptibility Index; SI) based on the full age distribution and less prone to...
Authors
John Solder, Bryant Jurgens, Paul Stackelberg, Christopher L. Shope
Time scales of arsenic variability and the role of high-frequency monitoring at three water-supply wells in New Hampshire, USA Time scales of arsenic variability and the role of high-frequency monitoring at three water-supply wells in New Hampshire, USA
Groundwater geochemistry, redox process classification, high-frequency physicochemical and hydrologic measurements, and climate data were analyzed to identify controls on arsenic (As) concentration changes. Groundwater was monitored in two public-supply wells (one glacial aquifer and one bedrock aquifer), and one bedrock-aquifer domestic well in New Hampshire, USA, from 2014 to 2018 to...
Authors
James Degnan, Joseph Levitt, Melinda Erickson, Bryant Jurgens, Bruce Lindsey, Joseph Ayotte
History and sources of co-occurring pesticides in an abstraction well unravelled by age distributions of depth specific groundwater samples History and sources of co-occurring pesticides in an abstraction well unravelled by age distributions of depth specific groundwater samples
When groundwater-based drinking water supply becomes contaminated, the timing and source of contamination are obvious questions. However, contaminants often have diffuse sources and different contaminants may have different sources even in a single groundwater well, making these questions complicated to answer. Age dating of groundwater has been used to reconstruct contaminant travel...
Authors
Rasmus Jakobsen, Klaus Hinsby, Jens Aamand, Peter van der Keur, Jacob Kidmose, Roland Purtschert, Bryant Jurgens, Jurgen Sultenfuss, Christian Albers
Arsenic variability and groundwater age in three water supply wells in southeast New Hampshire Arsenic variability and groundwater age in three water supply wells in southeast New Hampshire
Three wells in New Hampshire were sampled bimonthly over three years to evaluate the temporal variability of arsenic concentrations and groundwater age. All samples had measurable concentrations of arsenic throughout the entire sampling period and concentrations in individual wells varied, on average, by more than 7 µg/L. High arsenic concentrations (>10 µg/L) were measured in bedrock...
Authors
Joseph Levitt, James R. Degnan, Sarah Flanagan, Bryant Jurgens
Delineation of spatial extent, depth, thickness, and potential volume of aquifers used for domestic and public water-supply in the Central Valley, California Delineation of spatial extent, depth, thickness, and potential volume of aquifers used for domestic and public water-supply in the Central Valley, California
Identification of the groundwater resources used for drinking-water supplies is essential for the design of strategies to manage those resources. In this study, the spatial extent, depths, thicknesses, and volumes of groundwater aquifers used for domestic and public drinking-water supply were estimated from locations and well-construction data from 11,725 domestic-supply wells and 2,376...
Authors
Stefan Voss, Bryant Jurgens, Miranda Fram, George Bennett
Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age
Categorical classification of groundwater age is often used for the assessment and understanding of groundwater resources. This report presents a tritium-based age classification system for the conterminous United States based on tritium (3H) thresholds that vary in space and time: modern (recharged in 1953 or later), if the measured value is larger than an upper threshold; premodern...
Authors
Bruce Lindsey, Bryant Jurgens, Kenneth Belitz