Skip to main content
Log in

Use of sinkhole and specific capacity distributions to assess vertical gradients in a karst aquifer

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geology

Abstract

The carbonate-rock aquifer in the Great Valley, West Virginia, USA, was evaluated using a database of 687 sinkholes and 350 specific capacity tests to assess structural, lithologic, and topographic influences on the groundwater flow system. The enhanced permeability of the aquifer is characterized in part by the many sinkholes, springs, and solutionally enlarged fractures throughout the valley. Yet, vertical components of subsurface flow in this highly heterogeneous aquifer are currently not well understood. To address this problem, this study examines the apparent relation between geologic features of the aquifer and two spatial indices of enhanced permeability attributed to aquifer karstification: (1) the distribution of sinkholes and (2) the occurrence of wells with relatively high specific capacity. Statistical results indicate that sinkholes (funnel and collapse) occur primarily along cleavage and bedding planes parallel to subparallel to strike where lateral or downward vertical gradients are highest. Conversely, high specific capacity values are common along prominent joints perpendicular or oblique to strike. The similarity of the latter distribution to that of springs suggests these fractures are areas of upward-convergent flow. These differences between sinkhole and high specific capacity distributions suggest vertical flow components are primarily controlled by the orientation of geologic structure and associated subsurface fracturing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Banks D, Rohr-Torp E, Skarphagen H (1994) Groundwater resources in hard rock; experiences from the Hvaler study, southeastern Norway. Appl Hydrogeol 2:33–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banks D (1998) Predicting the probability distribution of yield from multiple boreholes in crystalline bedrock. Ground Water 36:269–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beiber PP (1961) Ground-water features of Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia. WV Geol Surv Bull 21:81

    Google Scholar 

  • Cardwell DH, Erwin RB, Woodward HP (1968) Geologic map of West Virginia. WV Geologic and Economic Survey, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000

  • Davies WE (1965) Caverns of West Virginia. WV Geologic Survey XIX(A). Biggs-Johnston-Withrow, Beckley

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis JC (1986) Statistics and data analysis in geology, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Dean SL, Kulander BR, Lessing P (1987) Geology of the Hedgesville, Keedysville, Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, and Williamsport quadrangles, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia. WV Geologic and Economic Survey Map WV-35, scale 1:24,000

  • Dean SL, Kulander BR, Lessing P (1990) Geology of the Berryville, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Middleway, and Round Hill quadrangles, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia. WV Geologic and Economic Survey Map WV-31, scale 1:24,000

  • Gao Y, Alexander EC, Barnes RJ (2005) Karst database implementation in Minnesota: analysis of sinkhole distribution. Environ Geol 47:1083–1098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giusti EV (1978) Hydrogeology of the karst of Puerto Rico. USGS Prof Paper 1012

  • Graeff GD (1953) Ground water conditions in a typical limestone area near Inwood, West Virginia. USGS OFR 53–78

  • Grimsley GP, White IC (1916) Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties. WV Geol Econ Surv County Reports

  • Henriksen H (2003) The role of some regional factors in the assessment of well yields from hard-rock aquifers of Fennoscandia. Hydrogeol J 11:628–645

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hobba WA (1976) Ground-water hydrology of Berkeley County, West Virginia. WV Geol Econ Surv Environ Geol Bull 13

  • Hobba WA (1981) Ground-water hydrology of Jefferson County, West Virginia. WV Geol Econ Surv Environ Geol Bull 16

  • Hobba WA, Friel EA, Chisholm JL (1972) Water resources of the Potomac River basin, West Virginia. WV Geol Econ Surv River Basin Bull 3

  • Jones WK (1973) Hydrology of limstone karst in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. WV Geol Econ Surv Bull 36

  • Jones WK (1991) The carbonate aquifer of the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia. In: Kastning EH, Kastning KM (eds) Appalachian Karst. National Speological Society, Huntsville, pp 217–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones WK, Deike GH (1981) A hydrogeologic study of the watershed of the National Fisheries Center at Leetown, West Virginia. Environmental Data, Frankford WV

  • Kozar MD, Hobba WA, Macy JA (1991) Geohydrology, water availability, and water quality of Jefferson County, West Virginia, with emphasis on the carbonate area. USGS WRIR 90–4118

  • Lattman LH, Parizek RR (1964) Relationship between fracture traces and the occurrence of groundwater in carbonate rocks. J Hydrol 2:73–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Long JCS, Remer JS, Wilson CR, Witherspoon PA (1982) Porous media equivalents for networks of discontinuous fractures. Water Resour Res 18:645–658

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mabee SB (1999) Factors influencing well productivity in glaciated metamorphic rocks. Ground Water 37:88–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCoy KJ, Podwysocki MH, Crider EA, Weary DJ (2005a) Fracture trace map and single-well aquifer test results in a carbonate aquifer in Berkeley County, West Virginia. USGS OFR 05–1040

  • McCoy KJ, Podwysocki MH, Crider EA, Weary DJ (2005b) Fracture trace map and single-well aquifer test results in a carbonate aquifer in Jefferson County, West Virginia. USGS OFR 05–1407

  • Orndorff RC, Epstein JB, Weary DJ (2001) Proposed national atlas karst map. USGS WRIR 01–4011

  • Orndorff RC, Goiggin KE (1994) Sinkholes and karst related features of the Shenandoah Valley in the Winchester 30 × 60 minute quadrangle Virginia and West Virginia. USGS Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2262, scale 1:100 000

  • Shultz RA, Hobba WA, Kozar, MD (1993) Geohydrology, water availability, and water quality of Berkeley County, West Virginia, with emphasis on the carbonate-rock area. USGS WRIR 93–4073

  • Siddiqui SH, Parizek RR (1972) Application of nonparametric statistical tests in hydrogeology. Ground Water 10:26–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui SH, Parizek RR (1974) Application of parametric statistical tests to well yield data from carbonates of central Pennsylvania. J Hydrol 21:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Southworth S, Brezinski DK, Drake AA, Burton WC, Orndorff RC, Froelich AJ (2002) Digital geologic map of the Frederick 30 × 60 minute quadrangle Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. USGS OFR 02–437, scale 1:100,000

  • Taylor LE (1974) Bedrock geology and its influence on ground-water resources in the Hedgesville and Williamsport 7½ minute quadrangles, Berkeley County, West Virginia. Unpublished Master’s thesis, University of Toledo, Toledo

  • Walton WC (1962) Selected analytical methods for well and aquifer evaluation. Il State Water Surv Bull 49

  • Weary DJ, Orndorff RC (2001) Physical controls on karst features in the Ozark Plateaus of Missouri, USA, as determined by multivariate analyses in a geographic information system (GIS). Acta Carsol 30:181–194

    Google Scholar 

  • White WB (1988) Geomorphology and hydrology of karst terrains. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zewe BT (1991) The influence of lineaments and hydrogeologic setting on well yield in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties, West Virginia. Unpublished Master’s thesis, West Virginia University, Morgantown

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Berkeley County Public Service Water District and the Jefferson County Commission, both of West Virginia. The authors would like to thank A. Shapiro, C. Taylor, D. Tepper, and Y. Gao for their reviews of this manuscript. Much of the field data presented in this work was collected by D. Wellman and J. Scott.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kurt J. McCoy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCoy, K.J., Kozar, M.D. Use of sinkhole and specific capacity distributions to assess vertical gradients in a karst aquifer. Environ Geol 54, 921–935 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0889-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0889-1

Keywords

Navigation