Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture
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Abstract
The Mississippi Alluvial Plain hosts one of the most prolific shallow aquifer systems in the United States but is experiencing chronic groundwater decline. The Reelfoot rift and New Madrid seismic zone underlie the region and represent an important and poorly understood seismic hazard. Despite its societal and economic importance, the shallow subsurface architecture has not been mapped with the spatial resolution needed for effective management. Here, we present airborne electromagnetic, magnetic, and radiometric observations, measured over more than 43,000 flight-line-kilometers, which collectively provide a system-scale snapshot of the entire region. We develop detailed maps of aquifer connectivity and shallow geologic structure, infer relationships between structure and groundwater age, and identify previously unseen paleochannels and shallow fault structures. This dataset demonstrates how regional-scale airborne geophysics can close a scale gap in Earth observation by providing observational data at suitable scales and resolutions to improve our understanding of subsurface structures.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Airborne geophysical surveys of the lower Mississippi Valley demonstrate system-scale mapping of subsurface architecture |
| Series title | Communications Earth & Environment |
| DOI | 10.1038/s43247-021-00200-z |
| Volume | 2 |
| Year Published | 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| Contributing office(s) | Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry Science Center, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center |
| Description | 131, 14 p. |
| Country | United States |
| Other Geospatial | Mississippi River Valley |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |