Jason Pope is a hydrologist at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center.
Jason has been an employee of the USGS since 2001. He has investigated a variety of topics related to groundwater in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, including aquifer-system compaction and land subsidence, regional groundwater flow and availability, interpretation and mapping of hydrostratigraphy, estimation of water withdrawal and use, groundwater residence time, and water quality. His technical interests include the management and analysis of geospatial data, computer modeling of groundwater flow, techniques for estimating various components of water withdrawal and use, and measurement of aquifer-system compaction.
Education and Certifications
M.S. Hydrogeosciences, Geosciences, Virginia Tech. Thesis: Characterization and modeling of land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawals from the confined aquifers of the Virginia Coastal Plain.
B.S. Environmental Studies, Environmental Studies, University of North Carolina at Asheville. Undergraduate Research: Phosphorus retention in a high-elevation southeastern reservoir system.
Science and Products
Machine-learning models to map pH and redox conditions in groundwater in a layered aquifer system, Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, eastern USA
Documentation of a groundwater flow model developed to assess groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Sustainability of groundwater supplies in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system
Assessment of groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system From Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Digital elevations and extents of regional hydrogeologic units in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Estimating mean long-term hydrologic budget components for watersheds and counties: An application to the commonwealth of Virginia, USA
Land subsidence and relative sea-level rise in the southern Chesapeake Bay region
Hydrogeology and hydrologic conditions of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer System from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Quantifying groundwater’s role in delaying improvements to Chesapeake Bay water quality
Simulation of groundwater flow in the shallow aquifer system of the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware
Quantifying components of the hydrologic cycle in Virginia using chemical hydrograph separation and multiple regression analysis
Characterization of major-ion chemistry and nutrients in headwater streams along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and within adjacent watersheds, Maine to Georgia
Land Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Virginia Eastern Shore Groundwater Resources
Virginia Coastal Plain Aquifer Analysis
Data used to model and map pH and redox conditions in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern USA
Interactive Map: Monitoring Virginia Eastern Shore Groundwater Conditions
Groundwater levels in layered aquifer systems like the Virginia Eastern Shore are often monitored using wells in multiple aquifers at the same location. Colors in the simplified cross-section illustration below correspond to the circles representing wells on the map. The list of monitoring-well layers can be used to control the map display of wells for individual aquifers.
Interactive Map: Virginia and West Virginia Groundwater Levels and Trends
The Virginia and West Virginia Groundwater Levels and Trends web application provides access to groundwater level data from continuous groundwater wells across Virginia and West Virginia. Continuous wells include real time and non-real time wells. Data update daily and are compared to long-term monthly statistics.
Geonarrative: Land Motion and Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Along the coast of Virginia, the USGS and our partners are constantly monitoring our land and waters in new and innovative ways. In Virginia, scientists at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Sciences Center are drilling deep into the Earth to assess the impacts of groundwater use. By studying the impacts of groundwater use, scientists can determine associated risks, such as land subsidence.
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 19
Machine-learning models to map pH and redox conditions in groundwater in a layered aquifer system, Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain, eastern USA
Study regionThe study was conducted in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, in the eastern USA.Study focusGroundwater pH and redox conditions are fundamental chemical characteristics controlling the distribution of many contaminants of concern for drinking water or the ecological health of receiving waters. In this study, pH and redox conditions were modeled and mapped in a complex,AuthorsLeslie A. DeSimone, Jason P. Pope, Katherine Marie RansomDocumentation of a groundwater flow model developed to assess groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
The U.S. Geological Survey developed a groundwater flow model for the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to northeastern North Carolina as part of a detailed assessment of the groundwater availability of the area and included an evaluation of how these resources have changed over time from stresses related to human uses and climate trends. The assessment wasAuthorsJohn P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Michael N. Fienen, Jack Monti, Jr., Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. FinkelsteinSustainability of groundwater supplies in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system
Groundwater is the Nation’s principal reserve of freshwater. It provides about half our drinking water, is essential to food production, and facilitates business and industry in developing economic well-being. Groundwater is also an important source of water for sustaining the ecosystem health of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries throughout the country. The decreases in groundwater levels and otherAuthorsJohn P. Masterson, Jason P. PopeAssessment of groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system From Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Executive SummaryThe U.S. Geological Survey began a multiyear regional assessment of groundwater availability in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain (NACP) aquifer system in 2010 as part of its ongoing regional assessments of groundwater availability of the principal aquifers of the Nation. The goals of this national assessment are to document effects of human activities on water levels and groundAuthorsJohn P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Michael N. Fienen, Jack Monti, Jr., Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. FinkelsteinDigital elevations and extents of regional hydrogeologic units in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
Digital geospatial datasets of the extents and top elevations of the regional hydrogeologic units of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system from Long Island, New York, to northeastern North Carolina were developed to provide an updated hydrogeologic framework to support analysis of groundwater resources. The 19 regional hydrogeologic units were delineated by elevation grids and extentAuthorsJason P. Pope, David C. Andreasen, E. Randolph Mcfarland, Martha K. WattEstimating mean long-term hydrologic budget components for watersheds and counties: An application to the commonwealth of Virginia, USA
Mean long-term hydrologic budget components, such as recharge and base flow, are often difficult to estimate because they can vary substantially in space and time. Mean long-term fluxes were calculated in this study for precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration, total evapotranspiration (ET), riparian ET, recharge, base flow (or groundwater discharge) and net total outflow using long-term estimaAuthorsWard E. Sanford, David L. Nelms, Jason P. Pope, David L. SelnickLand subsidence and relative sea-level rise in the southern Chesapeake Bay region
The southern Chesapeake Bay region is experiencing land subsidence and rising water levels due to global sea-level rise; land subsidence and rising water levels combine to cause relative sea-level rise. Land subsidence has been observed since the 1940s in the southern Chesapeake Bay region at rates of 1.1 to 4.8 millimeters per year (mm/yr), and subsidence continues today. This land subsidence heAuthorsJack Eggleston, Jason PopeHydrogeology and hydrologic conditions of the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer System from Long Island, New York, to North Carolina
The seaward-dipping sedimentary wedge that underlies the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain forms a complex groundwater system. This major source of water provides for public and domestic supply and serves as a vital source of freshwater for industrial and agricultural uses throughout the region. Population increases and land-use and climate changes, however, have led to competing demands for water.AuthorsJohn P. Masterson, Jason P. Pope, Jack Monti, Mark R. Nardi, Jason S. Finkelstein, Kurt J. McCoyQuantifying groundwater’s role in delaying improvements to Chesapeake Bay water quality
A study has been undertaken to determine the time required for the effects of nitrogen-reducing best management practices (BMPs) implemented at the land surface to reach the Chesapeake Bay via groundwater transport to streams. To accomplish this, a nitrogen mass-balance regression (NMBR) model was developed and applied to seven watersheds on the Delmarva Peninsula. The model included the distributAuthorsWard E. Sanford, Jason P. PopeSimulation of groundwater flow in the shallow aquifer system of the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware
Estimating future loadings of nitrogen to the Chesapeake Bay requires knowledge about the groundwater flow system and the traveltime of water and chemicals between recharge at the water table and the discharge to streams and directly to the bay. The Delmarva Peninsula has a relatively large proportion of its land devoted to agriculture and a large associated nitrogen load in groundwater that has tAuthorsWard E. Sanford, Jason P. Pope, David L. Selnick, Ryan F. StumvollQuantifying components of the hydrologic cycle in Virginia using chemical hydrograph separation and multiple regression analysis
This study by the U.S. Geological Survey, prepared in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, quantifies the components of the hydrologic cycle across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Long-term, mean fluxes were calculated for precipitation, surface runoff, infiltration, total evapotranspiration (ET), riparian ET, recharge, base flow (or groundwater discharge) and net totalAuthorsWard E. Sanford, David L. Nelms, Jason P. Pope, David L. SelnickCharacterization of major-ion chemistry and nutrients in headwater streams along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and within adjacent watersheds, Maine to Georgia
An inventory of water-quality data on field parameters, major ions, and nutrients provided a summary of water quality in headwater (first- and second-order) streams within watersheds along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Appalachian Trail). Data from 1,817 sampling sites in 831 catchments were used for the water-quality summary. Catchment delineations from NHDPlus were used as the fundamentAuthorsDenise M. Argue, Jason P. Pope, Fred Dieffenbach - Science
Land Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Land subsidence is a loss of ground elevation, often experienced as the ground slowly sinking over the course of years. In eastern Virginia, high rates of groundwater use is a major factor in the land subsidence affecting the area. The Virginia-West Virginia Water Science Center, with the help of our partners, has been monitoring land subsidence in the Virginia Coastal Plain since 1979 using a...Virginia Eastern Shore Groundwater Resources
Informed management of groundwater resources for the Eastern Shore of Virginia depends on the availability of detailed and up-to-date scientific information. The USGS and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality are conducting a long-term cooperative study to enhance the understanding of groundwater resources in the sole-source aquifer system beneath Accomack and Northampton counties...Virginia Coastal Plain Aquifer Analysis
Groundwater is a heavily used source of water in the Virginia Coastal Plain. Long term and widespread groundwater withdrawals have resulted in regional water-level declines, and created the potential for saltwater intrusion. Sound management of this vital resource relies on continual improvement of the scientific understanding of the aquifer system. - Data
Data used to model and map pH and redox conditions in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern USA
Data used to model and map pH and redox conditions in groundwater in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern USA, are documented in this data release. The models use as input data measurements of pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations at about 3000 to 5000 wells, which were compiled primarily from U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency databases. The bo - Multimedia
- Web Tools
Interactive Map: Monitoring Virginia Eastern Shore Groundwater Conditions
Groundwater levels in layered aquifer systems like the Virginia Eastern Shore are often monitored using wells in multiple aquifers at the same location. Colors in the simplified cross-section illustration below correspond to the circles representing wells on the map. The list of monitoring-well layers can be used to control the map display of wells for individual aquifers.
Interactive Map: Virginia and West Virginia Groundwater Levels and Trends
The Virginia and West Virginia Groundwater Levels and Trends web application provides access to groundwater level data from continuous groundwater wells across Virginia and West Virginia. Continuous wells include real time and non-real time wells. Data update daily and are compared to long-term monthly statistics.
Geonarrative: Land Motion and Subsidence on the Virginia Coastal Plain
Along the coast of Virginia, the USGS and our partners are constantly monitoring our land and waters in new and innovative ways. In Virginia, scientists at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Sciences Center are drilling deep into the Earth to assess the impacts of groundwater use. By studying the impacts of groundwater use, scientists can determine associated risks, such as land subsidence.