Matthew Landon has been a Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1990.
He received a M.S. in Geology from the University of Minnesota in 1993 and a B.S. in Geology from the University of Kansas in 1987. He has conducted studies of groundwater hydrology and geochemistry in Minnesota, Nebraska, California, and Southeast Asia. He has been with the USGS California Water Science Center in San Diego since 2005, serving as Program Chief for the Groundwater and Geochemistry Projects Group from 2012-2016 and the California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater Projects Group since 2016.
Science and Products
Evaluation of groundwater resources of the Anza-Terwilliger area, Anza, California
Groundwater is the sole source for water use to the rural community and two Native American tribes in the Cahuilla Valley and Terwilliger Valley groundwater basins, which are located approximately 35 miles southwest of Palm Springs, California. The characteristics and sustainable yield of the basins are not well understood and are threatened by increasing water use and potential changes in water...
Relation of Groundwater Age to Herbicide Concentration Trends in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has been monitoring pesticide concentrations in about 70 domestic drinking water wells located in vulnerable areas of Fresno and Tulare Counties for approximately 15 years. A recent analysis of the monitoring data indicated that there were decreases in simazine, diuron, and bromacil concentrations in many wells during 2000-2010.
Statistical Evaluation of Factors Affecting Occurrence of Organic Constituents from Fuels in Public-Supply Wells in Southern California
Biofuels, including ethanol, are expected to provide a greater contribution to the fuel supply in the United States. Research in the past decade has shown that ethanol in gasoline can cause plumes of benzene in groundwater to be larger than they would otherwise be.
California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater (COGG) Program
The USGS California Water Science Center is working in partnership with state and federal agencies to answer the following questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources:
Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Cox/San Andreas Oasis, California
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Dos Palmas Oasis complex on the northeastern side of the Salton Sea for the maintainence of threatened and endangered species. This Oasis complex represents a rare area of riparian/wetland habitat in the midst of an extremely arid desert region. Anthropogenic development of water resources during the 1900s depleted natural groundwater supplies...
Depth-Dependent groundwater flow, age, and chemistry in relation to solvent contamination in a production well, Tulare Lake basin, California
The Tulare Lake basin in the southern Central Valley of California is heavily dependent upon groundwater for drinking water supply but groundwater in this basin is threatened by a wide array of issues. Groundwater aquifers in the alluvial fan sediments derived from the Sierra Nevada on the eastern side of the Tulare Lake basin are highly productive aquifers that are vulnerable to contamination...
Data used to estimate groundwater salinity above the Montebello oil field (California, USA)
This release contains borehole geophysical electrical log data (elogs), total dissolved solids sample data (TDS), and geostatistical program files used to estimate the salinity distribution in groundwater above and in the vicinity of the Montebello Oil Field, located near Los Angeles, California, USA. Original data are drawn from a variety of publicly available sources and are combined here for us
Filter Total Items: 85
Groundwater quality near the Montebello Oil Field, Los Angeles County, California
Groundwater quality and potential sources and migration pathways of chemical constituents associated with hydrocarbon-bearing formations were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the California State Water Resources Control Board Oil and Gas Regional Monitoring Program (RMP). Groundwater samples were collected as part of the RMP from 21 preexisting wells used for public supply, monitoring, o
Authors
Jennifer S. Stanton, Michael Land, Matthew K. Landon, David H. Shimabukuro, Peter B. McMahon, Tracy A. Davis, Andrew G. Hunt, Theron A. Sowers
Occurrence of water and thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations in groundwater near the Orcutt Oil Field, California, USA
Study regionSanta Barbara County, California, USA.Study focusTo analyze a wide array of newly collected chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas, and age dating tracers in conjunction with historical data from groundwater and oil wells to determine if water and/or thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations have mixed with groundwater in the Orcutt Oil Field and surrounding area.New hydrological insights
Authors
Robert Anders, Matthew K. Landon, Peter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew Hunt, Tracy Davis
Geostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
We present a geostatistics-based stochastic salinity estimation framework for the Montebello Oil Field that capitalizes on available total dissolved solids (TDS) data from groundwater samples as well as electrical resistivity (ER) data from borehole logging. Data from TDS samples (n = 4924) was coded into an indicator framework based on falling below four selected thresholds (500, 1000, 3000, and
Authors
Neil Terry, Frederick Day-Lewis, Matthew K. Landon, Michael Land, Jennifer S. Stanton, John W. Lane
Relative risk of groundwater-quality degradation near California (USA) oil fields estimated from 3H, 14C, and 4He
Relative risks of groundwater-quality degradation near selected California oil fields are estimated by examining spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and isotopic data in the context of groundwater-age categories defined by tritium and carbon-14. In the Coastal basins, western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), and eastern SJV; 82, 76, and 0% of samples are premodern (pre-1953 recharge), respectively;
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Tracy Davis, Michael Wright, Celia Z. Rosecrans, Robert Anders, Michael Land, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew Hunt
Groundwater quality of aquifers overlying the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
Groundwater samples collected from irrigation, monitoring, and municipal supply wells near the Oxnard Oil Field were analyzed for chemical and isotopic tracers to evaluate if thermogenic gas or water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations have mixed with surrounding groundwater. New and historical data show no evidence of water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations in groundwater overlying the field. H
Authors
Celia Z. Rosecrans, Matthew K. Landon, Katherine Marie Ransom, Janice M. Gillespie, Justin T. Kulongoski, Michael J. Stephens, Andrew G. Hunt, David H. Shimabukuro, Tracy Davis
Probabilistic categorical groundwater salinity mapping from airborne electromagnetic data adjacent to California’s Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields
Growing water stress has led to emerging interest in protecting fresh and brackish groundwater as a potential supplement to water supplies and raised questions about factors that could affect the future quality of fresh and brackish aquifers. Limited well infrastructure, particularly in regions where elevated salinity has led to limited historical groundwater development, hinders traditional mappi
Authors
Lyndsay B. Ball, Tracy Davis, Burke J. Minsley, Janice M. Gillespie, Matthew K. Landon
Groundwater salinity and the effects of produced water disposal in the Lost Hills-Belridge oilfields, Kern County, California
Increased oil and gas production in many areas has led to concerns over the effects these activities may be having on nearby groundwater quality. In this study we determine the lateral and vertical extent of groundwater with less than 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/l) total dissolved solids (TDS) near the Lost Hills-Belridge oilfields in northwestern Kern County, California and document evidence
Authors
Janice M. Gillespie, Tracy Davis, Michael J. Stephens, Lyndsay B. Ball, Matthew K. Landon
Occurrence and sources of radium in groundwater associated with oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California
Geochemical data from 40 water wells were used to examine the occurrence and sources of radium (Ra) in groundwater associated with three oil fields in California (Fruitvale, Lost Hills, South Belridge). 226Ra+228Ra activities (range=0.010-0.51 Bq/L) exceeded the 0.185 Bq/L drinking-water standard in 18% of the wells (not drinking-water wells). Radium activities were correlated with TDS concentrati
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Avner Vengosh, Tracy Davis, Matthew K. Landon, Rebecca L. Tyne, Michael Wright, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew G. Hunt, Peter H. Barry, A.J. Kondash, Z. Wang, Christopher J. Ballentine
Groundwater quality of a public supply aquifer in proximity to oil development, Fruitvale Oil Field, Bakersfield, California
Due to concerns over the effects of oil production activities on groundwater quality in California, chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas and age-dating tracers were analyzed in samples collected from public-supply wells and produced-water sites in the Fruitvale oil field (FVOF). A combination of newly collected and historical data was used to determine whether oil formation fluids have mixed with gro
Authors
Michael Wright, Peter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Justin T. Kulongoski
Regional patterns in the geochemistry of oil-field water, southern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA
Chemical and isotopic data for water co-extracted with hydrocarbons in oil and gas fields are commonly used to examine the source of the formation water and possible impacts on groundwater in areas of oil and gas development. Understanding the geochemical variability of oil-field water could help to evaluate its origin and delineate possible contamination of shallow aquifers in cases where oil-fie
Authors
Peter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Avner Vengosh, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Matthew K. Landon, Yousif K. Kharaka, Janice M. Gillespie, Tracy Davis
Preliminary groundwater salinity mapping near selected oil fields using historical water-sample data, central and southern California
The distribution of groundwater salinity was mapped for 31 oil fields and adjacent aquifers and summarized by 8 subregions across major oil-producing areas of central and southern California. The objectives of this study were to describe the distribution of groundwater near oil fields having total dissolved solids less than 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) based on available data and to document
Authors
Loren F. Metzger, Matthew K. Landon
Prioritization of oil and gas fields for regional groundwater monitoring based on a preliminary assessment of petroleum resource development and proximity to California’s groundwater resources
The California State Water Resources Control Board initiated a regional monitoring program in July 2015 to determine where and to what degree groundwater quality may be adversely impacted by oil and gas development activities. A key issue in the implementation of the regional groundwater monitoring program is that each year, detailed characterization work can be done in only a few of California’s
Authors
Tracy Davis, Matthew K. Landon, George L. Bennett V
Science and Products
- Science
Evaluation of groundwater resources of the Anza-Terwilliger area, Anza, California
Groundwater is the sole source for water use to the rural community and two Native American tribes in the Cahuilla Valley and Terwilliger Valley groundwater basins, which are located approximately 35 miles southwest of Palm Springs, California. The characteristics and sustainable yield of the basins are not well understood and are threatened by increasing water use and potential changes in water...Relation of Groundwater Age to Herbicide Concentration Trends in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has been monitoring pesticide concentrations in about 70 domestic drinking water wells located in vulnerable areas of Fresno and Tulare Counties for approximately 15 years. A recent analysis of the monitoring data indicated that there were decreases in simazine, diuron, and bromacil concentrations in many wells during 2000-2010.Statistical Evaluation of Factors Affecting Occurrence of Organic Constituents from Fuels in Public-Supply Wells in Southern California
Biofuels, including ethanol, are expected to provide a greater contribution to the fuel supply in the United States. Research in the past decade has shown that ethanol in gasoline can cause plumes of benzene in groundwater to be larger than they would otherwise be.California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater (COGG) Program
The USGS California Water Science Center is working in partnership with state and federal agencies to answer the following questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources:Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Cox/San Andreas Oasis, California
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages the Dos Palmas Oasis complex on the northeastern side of the Salton Sea for the maintainence of threatened and endangered species. This Oasis complex represents a rare area of riparian/wetland habitat in the midst of an extremely arid desert region. Anthropogenic development of water resources during the 1900s depleted natural groundwater supplies...Depth-Dependent groundwater flow, age, and chemistry in relation to solvent contamination in a production well, Tulare Lake basin, California
The Tulare Lake basin in the southern Central Valley of California is heavily dependent upon groundwater for drinking water supply but groundwater in this basin is threatened by a wide array of issues. Groundwater aquifers in the alluvial fan sediments derived from the Sierra Nevada on the eastern side of the Tulare Lake basin are highly productive aquifers that are vulnerable to contamination... - Data
Data used to estimate groundwater salinity above the Montebello oil field (California, USA)
This release contains borehole geophysical electrical log data (elogs), total dissolved solids sample data (TDS), and geostatistical program files used to estimate the salinity distribution in groundwater above and in the vicinity of the Montebello Oil Field, located near Los Angeles, California, USA. Original data are drawn from a variety of publicly available sources and are combined here for us - Publications
Filter Total Items: 85
Groundwater quality near the Montebello Oil Field, Los Angeles County, California
Groundwater quality and potential sources and migration pathways of chemical constituents associated with hydrocarbon-bearing formations were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey for the California State Water Resources Control Board Oil and Gas Regional Monitoring Program (RMP). Groundwater samples were collected as part of the RMP from 21 preexisting wells used for public supply, monitoring, oAuthorsJennifer S. Stanton, Michael Land, Matthew K. Landon, David H. Shimabukuro, Peter B. McMahon, Tracy A. Davis, Andrew G. Hunt, Theron A. SowersOccurrence of water and thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations in groundwater near the Orcutt Oil Field, California, USA
Study regionSanta Barbara County, California, USA.Study focusTo analyze a wide array of newly collected chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas, and age dating tracers in conjunction with historical data from groundwater and oil wells to determine if water and/or thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations have mixed with groundwater in the Orcutt Oil Field and surrounding area.New hydrological insightsAuthorsRobert Anders, Matthew K. Landon, Peter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew Hunt, Tracy DavisGeostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
We present a geostatistics-based stochastic salinity estimation framework for the Montebello Oil Field that capitalizes on available total dissolved solids (TDS) data from groundwater samples as well as electrical resistivity (ER) data from borehole logging. Data from TDS samples (n = 4924) was coded into an indicator framework based on falling below four selected thresholds (500, 1000, 3000, andAuthorsNeil Terry, Frederick Day-Lewis, Matthew K. Landon, Michael Land, Jennifer S. Stanton, John W. LaneRelative risk of groundwater-quality degradation near California (USA) oil fields estimated from 3H, 14C, and 4He
Relative risks of groundwater-quality degradation near selected California oil fields are estimated by examining spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and isotopic data in the context of groundwater-age categories defined by tritium and carbon-14. In the Coastal basins, western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), and eastern SJV; 82, 76, and 0% of samples are premodern (pre-1953 recharge), respectively;AuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Tracy Davis, Michael Wright, Celia Z. Rosecrans, Robert Anders, Michael Land, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew HuntGroundwater quality of aquifers overlying the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
Groundwater samples collected from irrigation, monitoring, and municipal supply wells near the Oxnard Oil Field were analyzed for chemical and isotopic tracers to evaluate if thermogenic gas or water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations have mixed with surrounding groundwater. New and historical data show no evidence of water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations in groundwater overlying the field. HAuthorsCelia Z. Rosecrans, Matthew K. Landon, Katherine Marie Ransom, Janice M. Gillespie, Justin T. Kulongoski, Michael J. Stephens, Andrew G. Hunt, David H. Shimabukuro, Tracy DavisProbabilistic categorical groundwater salinity mapping from airborne electromagnetic data adjacent to California’s Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields
Growing water stress has led to emerging interest in protecting fresh and brackish groundwater as a potential supplement to water supplies and raised questions about factors that could affect the future quality of fresh and brackish aquifers. Limited well infrastructure, particularly in regions where elevated salinity has led to limited historical groundwater development, hinders traditional mappiAuthorsLyndsay B. Ball, Tracy Davis, Burke J. Minsley, Janice M. Gillespie, Matthew K. LandonGroundwater salinity and the effects of produced water disposal in the Lost Hills-Belridge oilfields, Kern County, California
Increased oil and gas production in many areas has led to concerns over the effects these activities may be having on nearby groundwater quality. In this study we determine the lateral and vertical extent of groundwater with less than 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/l) total dissolved solids (TDS) near the Lost Hills-Belridge oilfields in northwestern Kern County, California and document evidenceAuthorsJanice M. Gillespie, Tracy Davis, Michael J. Stephens, Lyndsay B. Ball, Matthew K. LandonOccurrence and sources of radium in groundwater associated with oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California
Geochemical data from 40 water wells were used to examine the occurrence and sources of radium (Ra) in groundwater associated with three oil fields in California (Fruitvale, Lost Hills, South Belridge). 226Ra+228Ra activities (range=0.010-0.51 Bq/L) exceeded the 0.185 Bq/L drinking-water standard in 18% of the wells (not drinking-water wells). Radium activities were correlated with TDS concentratiAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Avner Vengosh, Tracy Davis, Matthew K. Landon, Rebecca L. Tyne, Michael Wright, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew G. Hunt, Peter H. Barry, A.J. Kondash, Z. Wang, Christopher J. BallentineGroundwater quality of a public supply aquifer in proximity to oil development, Fruitvale Oil Field, Bakersfield, California
Due to concerns over the effects of oil production activities on groundwater quality in California, chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas and age-dating tracers were analyzed in samples collected from public-supply wells and produced-water sites in the Fruitvale oil field (FVOF). A combination of newly collected and historical data was used to determine whether oil formation fluids have mixed with groAuthorsMichael Wright, Peter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Justin T. KulongoskiRegional patterns in the geochemistry of oil-field water, southern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA
Chemical and isotopic data for water co-extracted with hydrocarbons in oil and gas fields are commonly used to examine the source of the formation water and possible impacts on groundwater in areas of oil and gas development. Understanding the geochemical variability of oil-field water could help to evaluate its origin and delineate possible contamination of shallow aquifers in cases where oil-fieAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Avner Vengosh, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, Matthew K. Landon, Yousif K. Kharaka, Janice M. Gillespie, Tracy DavisPreliminary groundwater salinity mapping near selected oil fields using historical water-sample data, central and southern California
The distribution of groundwater salinity was mapped for 31 oil fields and adjacent aquifers and summarized by 8 subregions across major oil-producing areas of central and southern California. The objectives of this study were to describe the distribution of groundwater near oil fields having total dissolved solids less than 10,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) based on available data and to documentAuthorsLoren F. Metzger, Matthew K. LandonPrioritization of oil and gas fields for regional groundwater monitoring based on a preliminary assessment of petroleum resource development and proximity to California’s groundwater resources
The California State Water Resources Control Board initiated a regional monitoring program in July 2015 to determine where and to what degree groundwater quality may be adversely impacted by oil and gas development activities. A key issue in the implementation of the regional groundwater monitoring program is that each year, detailed characterization work can be done in only a few of California’sAuthorsTracy Davis, Matthew K. Landon, George L. Bennett V