Joseph Fenelon is a Scientist Emeritus of the Nevada Water Science Center.
Science and Products
Database of Groundwater Levels and Hydrograph Descriptions for the Nevada Test Site Area, Nye County, Nevada (ver. 5.0, February 2022)
This data release consists of a Microsoft Access database and Microsoft Excel workbook that contain water-level data and other hydrologic information for wells in and near areas of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (currently the Nevada National Security Site). The database provides information for each well (well construction, borehole lithology, units contributing water to the
Supplemental data for Estimation of Groundwater Flow through Yucca Flat based on a Multiple-Well Aquifer Test at Well ER-6-1-2 Main, Nevada National Security Site
This data release consists of two directories: DepthToWater and WaterLevelModels. The DepthToWater directory contains five Microsoft Excel workbooks that present depth-to-groundwater data and drawdown analyses from five wells during an aquifer test at well ER-6-1-2 main (USGS site identification number 365901115593501). The WaterLevelModels directory contains 11 Microsoft Excel workbooks that pres
Supplemental data from: A Process to Estimate Net Infiltration using a Site-Scale Water-Budget Approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, 2002-05
This USGS data release represents tabular data for a process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, 2002-05. This dataset consists of the following: (1) Measured and corrected precipitation data from A12 weather station, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2005. (2) Inventory of net radia
Filter Total Items: 30
Pervasive, preferential flow through mega-thick unsaturated zones in the Southern Great Basin
Recharge from preferential flow through mega-thick (100–1,000 m) unsaturated zones is a pervasive phenomenon, as demonstrated with a case study of volcanic highland recharge areas in the Great Basin province in southern Nevada, USA. Statistically significant rising water-level trends occur for most study-area wells and resulted from a relatively wet period (1969–2005) in south-central Nevada. Wet
Authors
Tracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. Fenelon, Seth Reilly Gainey
Groundwater flow conceptualization of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin, Nevada—A synthesis of geologic, hydrologic, hydraulic-property, and tritium data
This report provides a groundwater-flow conceptualization that integrates geologic, hydrologic, hydraulic-property, and radionuclide data in the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, southern Nevada. Groundwater flow in the PMOV basin is of interest because 82 underground nuclear tests were detonated, most near or below the water table. A potentiometric map and nine sets of hydrostrat
Authors
Tracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. Fenelon, Randall L. Paylor
Conceptual framework and trend analysis of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses, Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada, 1966-2016
This report identifies water-level trends in wells and provides a conceptual framework that explains the hydrologic stresses and factors causing the trends in the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, southern Nevada. Water levels in 79 wells were analyzed for trends between 1966 and 2016. The magnitude and duration of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses were analyzed graphic
Authors
Tracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. Fenelon
A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05
This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S. Geological Survey operated two ET stations on Rainie
Authors
David W. Smith, Michael T. Moreo, C. Amanda Garcia, Keith J. Halford, Joseph M. Fenelon
Hydraulic characterization of volcanic rocks in Pahute Mesa using an integrated analysis of 16 multiple-well aquifer tests, Nevada National Security Site, 2009–14
An improved understanding of groundwater flow and radionuclide migration downgradient from underground nuclear-testing areas at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, requires accurate subsurface hydraulic characterization. To improve conceptual models of flow and transport in the complex hydrogeologic system beneath Pahute Mesa, the U.S. Geological Survey characterized bulk hydraulic propert
Authors
C. Amanda Garcia, Tracie R. Jackson, Keith J. Halford, Donald S. Sweetkind, Nancy A. Damar, Joseph M. Fenelon, Steven R. Reiner
Testing the suitability of geologic frameworks for extrapolating hydraulic properties across regional scales
The suitability of geologic frameworks for extrapolating hydraulic conductivity (K) to length scales commensurate with hydraulic data is difficult to assess. A novel method is presented for evaluating assumed relations between K and geologic interpretations for regional-scale groundwater modeling. The approach relies on simultaneous interpretation of multiple aquifer tests using alternative geolog
Authors
Benjamin B. Mirus, Keith J. Halford, Donald S. Sweetkind, Joseph M. Fenelon
Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada
This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute Mesa, an area of historical underground nuclear test
Authors
Joseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Michael T. Moreo
Detecting drawdowns masked by environmental stresses with water-level models
Detecting and quantifying small drawdown at observation wells distant from the pumping well greatly expands the characterized aquifer volume. However, this detection is often obscured by water level fluctuations such as barometric and tidal effects. A reliable analytical approach for distinguishing drawdown from nonpumping water-level fluctuations is presented and tested here. Drawdown is distingu
Authors
C.A. Garcia, K. J. Halford, J.M. Fenelon
Advanced methods for modeling water-levels and estimating drawdowns with SeriesSEE, an Excel add-in
Water-level modeling is used for multiple-well aquifer tests to reliably differentiate pumping responses from natural water-level changes in wells, or “environmental fluctuations.” Synthetic water levels are created during water-level modeling and represent the summation of multiple component fluctuations, including those caused by environmental forcing and pumping. Pumping signals are modeled by
Authors
Keith Halford, C. Amanda Garcia, Joe Fenelon, Benjamin B. Mirus
Conceptualization of the predevelopment groundwater flow system and transient water-level responses in Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada
Contaminants introduced into the subsurface of Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site, by underground nuclear testing are of concern to the U.S. Department of Energy and regulators responsible for protecting human health and safety. The potential for contaminant movement away from the underground test areas and into the accessible environment is greatest by groundwater transport. The primary hy
Authors
Joseph M. Fenelon, Donald S. Sweetkind, Peggy E. Elliott, Randell J. Laczniak
Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008
Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19 boreholes located across the Nevada National Security Sit
Authors
James B. Paces, Peggy E. Elliott, Joseph M. Fenelon, Randell J. Laczniak, Michael T. Moreo
Assessing hydraulic connections across a complex sequence of volcanic rocks - Analysis of U-20 WW multiple-well aquifer test, Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada
Groundwater beneath Pahute Mesa flows through a complexly layered sequence of volcanic rock aquifers and confining units that have been faulted into distinct structural blocks. Hydraulic property estimates of rocks and structures in this flow system are necessary to assess radionuclide migration near underground nuclear testing areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used a 12 month (October 1, 2
Authors
C. Amanda Garcia, Joseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Steven R. Reiner, Randell J. Laczniak
SeriesSEE
SeriesSEE is a spreadsheet add-in for viewing time series and modeling water levels that was developed in Microsoft Excel 2010.
Science and Products
- Data
Database of Groundwater Levels and Hydrograph Descriptions for the Nevada Test Site Area, Nye County, Nevada (ver. 5.0, February 2022)
This data release consists of a Microsoft Access database and Microsoft Excel workbook that contain water-level data and other hydrologic information for wells in and near areas of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (currently the Nevada National Security Site). The database provides information for each well (well construction, borehole lithology, units contributing water to theSupplemental data for Estimation of Groundwater Flow through Yucca Flat based on a Multiple-Well Aquifer Test at Well ER-6-1-2 Main, Nevada National Security Site
This data release consists of two directories: DepthToWater and WaterLevelModels. The DepthToWater directory contains five Microsoft Excel workbooks that present depth-to-groundwater data and drawdown analyses from five wells during an aquifer test at well ER-6-1-2 main (USGS site identification number 365901115593501). The WaterLevelModels directory contains 11 Microsoft Excel workbooks that presSupplemental data from: A Process to Estimate Net Infiltration using a Site-Scale Water-Budget Approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, 2002-05
This USGS data release represents tabular data for a process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, 2002-05. This dataset consists of the following: (1) Measured and corrected precipitation data from A12 weather station, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2005. (2) Inventory of net radia - Publications
Filter Total Items: 30
Pervasive, preferential flow through mega-thick unsaturated zones in the Southern Great Basin
Recharge from preferential flow through mega-thick (100–1,000 m) unsaturated zones is a pervasive phenomenon, as demonstrated with a case study of volcanic highland recharge areas in the Great Basin province in southern Nevada, USA. Statistically significant rising water-level trends occur for most study-area wells and resulted from a relatively wet period (1969–2005) in south-central Nevada. WetAuthorsTracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. Fenelon, Seth Reilly GaineyGroundwater flow conceptualization of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley Groundwater Basin, Nevada—A synthesis of geologic, hydrologic, hydraulic-property, and tritium data
This report provides a groundwater-flow conceptualization that integrates geologic, hydrologic, hydraulic-property, and radionuclide data in the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, southern Nevada. Groundwater flow in the PMOV basin is of interest because 82 underground nuclear tests were detonated, most near or below the water table. A potentiometric map and nine sets of hydrostratAuthorsTracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. Fenelon, Randall L. PaylorConceptual framework and trend analysis of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses, Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada, 1966-2016
This report identifies water-level trends in wells and provides a conceptual framework that explains the hydrologic stresses and factors causing the trends in the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, southern Nevada. Water levels in 79 wells were analyzed for trends between 1966 and 2016. The magnitude and duration of water-level responses to hydrologic stresses were analyzed graphicAuthorsTracie R. Jackson, Joseph M. FenelonA process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05
This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S. Geological Survey operated two ET stations on RainieAuthorsDavid W. Smith, Michael T. Moreo, C. Amanda Garcia, Keith J. Halford, Joseph M. FenelonHydraulic characterization of volcanic rocks in Pahute Mesa using an integrated analysis of 16 multiple-well aquifer tests, Nevada National Security Site, 2009–14
An improved understanding of groundwater flow and radionuclide migration downgradient from underground nuclear-testing areas at Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, requires accurate subsurface hydraulic characterization. To improve conceptual models of flow and transport in the complex hydrogeologic system beneath Pahute Mesa, the U.S. Geological Survey characterized bulk hydraulic propertAuthorsC. Amanda Garcia, Tracie R. Jackson, Keith J. Halford, Donald S. Sweetkind, Nancy A. Damar, Joseph M. Fenelon, Steven R. ReinerTesting the suitability of geologic frameworks for extrapolating hydraulic properties across regional scales
The suitability of geologic frameworks for extrapolating hydraulic conductivity (K) to length scales commensurate with hydraulic data is difficult to assess. A novel method is presented for evaluating assumed relations between K and geologic interpretations for regional-scale groundwater modeling. The approach relies on simultaneous interpretation of multiple aquifer tests using alternative geologAuthorsBenjamin B. Mirus, Keith J. Halford, Donald S. Sweetkind, Joseph M. FenelonDelineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada
This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute Mesa, an area of historical underground nuclear testAuthorsJoseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Michael T. MoreoDetecting drawdowns masked by environmental stresses with water-level models
Detecting and quantifying small drawdown at observation wells distant from the pumping well greatly expands the characterized aquifer volume. However, this detection is often obscured by water level fluctuations such as barometric and tidal effects. A reliable analytical approach for distinguishing drawdown from nonpumping water-level fluctuations is presented and tested here. Drawdown is distinguAuthorsC.A. Garcia, K. J. Halford, J.M. FenelonAdvanced methods for modeling water-levels and estimating drawdowns with SeriesSEE, an Excel add-in
Water-level modeling is used for multiple-well aquifer tests to reliably differentiate pumping responses from natural water-level changes in wells, or “environmental fluctuations.” Synthetic water levels are created during water-level modeling and represent the summation of multiple component fluctuations, including those caused by environmental forcing and pumping. Pumping signals are modeled byAuthorsKeith Halford, C. Amanda Garcia, Joe Fenelon, Benjamin B. MirusConceptualization of the predevelopment groundwater flow system and transient water-level responses in Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada
Contaminants introduced into the subsurface of Yucca Flat, Nevada National Security Site, by underground nuclear testing are of concern to the U.S. Department of Energy and regulators responsible for protecting human health and safety. The potential for contaminant movement away from the underground test areas and into the accessible environment is greatest by groundwater transport. The primary hyAuthorsJoseph M. Fenelon, Donald S. Sweetkind, Peggy E. Elliott, Randell J. LaczniakTransient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008
Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19 boreholes located across the Nevada National Security SitAuthorsJames B. Paces, Peggy E. Elliott, Joseph M. Fenelon, Randell J. Laczniak, Michael T. MoreoAssessing hydraulic connections across a complex sequence of volcanic rocks - Analysis of U-20 WW multiple-well aquifer test, Pahute Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada
Groundwater beneath Pahute Mesa flows through a complexly layered sequence of volcanic rock aquifers and confining units that have been faulted into distinct structural blocks. Hydraulic property estimates of rocks and structures in this flow system are necessary to assess radionuclide migration near underground nuclear testing areas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used a 12 month (October 1, 2AuthorsC. Amanda Garcia, Joseph M. Fenelon, Keith J. Halford, Steven R. Reiner, Randell J. Laczniak - Software
SeriesSEE
SeriesSEE is a spreadsheet add-in for viewing time series and modeling water levels that was developed in Microsoft Excel 2010.