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Geophysical Data Collected in the Des Moines River, Beaver Creek, and the Des Moines River Floodplain, Des Moines, Iowa, 2018

November 8, 2021

A suite of geophysical methods was used along the Des Moines River, Beaver Creek, and in the Des Moines River floodplain in Des Moines, Iowa to support the hydrogeologic characterization of the alluvial aquifer associated with the river. The aquifer consists of sands and gravels underlain by weathered shale bedrock. Groundwater from the aquifer along with surface water sources are used for municipal drinking water for the City of Des Moines and surrounding communities. The raw data provided in this data release are minimally processed to filter out erroneous measurements. Data provided in this data release includes continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) and continuous seismic profiling (CSP) that were collected concurrently, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles, and horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) passive seismic measurements. The CRP and ERT measure the electrical properties of the subsurface, which can be related to stratigraphic layers. The CRP, ERT, CSP, and HVSR can be used to estimate depth to bedrock. Collectively, the suite of methods can help characterize the subsurface by mapping the extent of the sand and gravel aquifer and bedrock topography.

Publication Year 2021
Title Geophysical Data Collected in the Des Moines River, Beaver Creek, and the Des Moines River Floodplain, Des Moines, Iowa, 2018
DOI 10.5066/P9B9AVKJ
Authors Lance R Gruhn, Emilia L Bristow, Eric A White
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog
USGS Organization Central Midwest Water Science Center