Research
Jump To Project:
- Sunshine Valley Hydrogeology Study
- Geologic Map Compilation of the East Mountains Area
- Hydrogeology of the Albuquerque Basin
- Hydrogeology of the CuatrociƩnegas Gypsum Dune Field, Coahuila, Mexico
- Uranium Transport and Sources in New Mexico: A five-year EPSCoR program
- Precursors to Supereruptions at the Valles Caldera, New Mexico
- REE in Coal and associated strata in the San Juan and Raton basins, New Mexico
- Southern Taos Valley Hydrogeology
- Overview of Fresh and Brackish Water Quality - Raton-Las Vegas Basins
- New Mexico's Volcanic Hazards
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There are 10 projects that match your criteria:
Sunshine Valley Hydrogeology Study
The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) has recently completed a study on the hydrogeology of Sunshine Valley. The aquifer beneath Sunshine Valley consists of layers of sand, gravel, and lava flows. The groundwater in the aquifer is recharged by precipitation that falls on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The precipitation becomes groundwater that moves west from the mountains into the valley aquifer. Infiltration of streamflow and irrigation water also recharges the aquifer. This study has shown that it takes at least 60 years for groundwater to move from recharge areas, through the Sunshine Valley aquifer, to the springs in the Rio Grande and Red River gorges. The results are also in agreement with previous work that estimates that 1,000 to 3,000 acre-feet of water has been removed from storage in the aquifer since the 1980s. The loss of water in storage can be seen in groundwater levels, which have trended slowly downwards since the 1980s. The most likely causes for the loss of groundwater are increased diversion of surface water for irrigation combined with decreases in precipitation and streamflow, and increases in mean annual air temperature.
Geologic Map Compilation of the East Mountains Area
The East Mountains area, east of Albuquerque NM, is geologically complex. Nine STATEMAP quadrangles are being compiled together to create a geologic map of this important area.
Hydrogeology of the Albuquerque Basin
The Albuquerque Basin is one of the largest (8,000 km2, 3,060 mi2) and deepest basins (4,407-6,592 m, 14,500-21,600 ft) of the Rio Grande rift. This basin contains the largest metropolitan area in New Mexico. Until 2008, this region relied entirely on groundwater for its water supply. This sole reliance on groundwater resulted from an earlier view that Albuquerque lay on top of the subterranean equivalent of a vast underground lake that would take centuries to exploit. Since the 1960s, the City of Albuquerque had little reason to be concerned about its water supply because wells drilled in the northeast and southeast heights yielded large quantities of potable groundwater. The view of plentiful groundwater was essentially unchallenged until the late 1980s, when water level declines near Coronado Center provoked exploration of the deeper aquifer. Results of the deep aquifer test wells led to reassessment of the regional aquifer and the Middle Rio Grande Basin Project of the late 1990s.
Hydrogeology of the CuatrociƩnegas Gypsum Dune Field, Coahuila, Mexico
The gypsum dune deposits found at Cuatrociénegas and White Sands National Monument are two of only a handful of gypsum dune fields in the world. These surreal landscapes provide beautiful views and outdoor activities for tourists and serve as natural laboratories where researchers can study a variety of topics ranging from geology to evolutionary biology. Combined, both Cuatrociénegas and White Sands National Monument are home to more than 110 endemic species, specially adapted to the unique and fragile ecosystems of these gypsum rich environments.
Uranium Transport and Sources in New Mexico: A five-year EPSCoR program
In 2013, a team of New Mexico Tech researchers began a study of uranium transport, uranium source characteristics, and uranium legacy issues in New Mexico. The effort was funded by Energize New Mexico, a five-year NSF EPSCoR program that concluded in 2018 and that encompassed five research components focused on developing non-carbon emitting energy technologies. The uranium team, which included researchers from UNM, addressed uranium deposits and mine waste mainly in the Grants Mining District, including Laguna Pueblo, and on Navajo Nation lands. These uranium studies span a range of science and engineering disciplines, and not only provide new conclusions impacting remediation, hazard management, and uranium extraction, but hold implications for human health.
Precursors to Supereruptions at the Valles Caldera, New Mexico
Despite recognition as one the most iconic volcanoes on the planet, there is still much to learn about Valles caldera in north-central NM. A new collaboration between researchers at the Bureau and from UT Austin is seeking to understand the events leading up to supereruptions. In particular, the team is studying the Cerro Toledo Formation, a group of volcanic domes and related ashes that erupted between the large caldera forming events at 1.61 and 1.23 million-years-ago.
REE in Coal and associated strata in the San Juan and Raton basins, New Mexico
The Department of Energy has awarded New Mexico Tech a contract to examine rare earth elements (REE) and other critical minerals (CM) in coal and associated strata in the San Juan and Raton basins in northern New Mexico. Critical minerals are mineral resources that are essential to our economy and whose supply may be disrupted (/publications/periodicals/earthmatters/23/n1/em_v23_n1.pdf). Most CM are 100% imported into the U.S. Many CM are found in the San Juan and Raton basins of New Mexico.
Southern Taos Valley Hydrogeology
The southern Taos Valley, located southwest of the town of Taos, has been experiencing high growth over the last few decades. In order to address growing water needs in this region, Peggy Johnson, Dr. Paul Bauer, and Brigitte Felix, completed a technical report summarizing the local geology and hydrogeology. Data gathered for this study include geologic maps, well records, new groundwater level measurements and water quality samples, which were compiled with historical data and records. This research describes the important hydrostratigraphic units and aquifers in the region along with geologic/structural controls on groundwater flow. Observations of groundwater flow directions, changes in groundwater levels, distinct water quality and groundwater ages reflect the complex network of faults in the study area and its effects on groundwater.
Overview of Fresh and Brackish Water Quality - Raton-Las Vegas Basins
Northeastern New Mexico is a geologically diverse area that includes the upper Pecos and Canadian river valleys, the eastern margin of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and the Raton and Las Vegas Basins, two north-trending assymetric structural basins formed during the late Cretaceous-Paleogene Laramide orogeny. The Raton and Las Vegas Basins are separated by igneous intrusive rocks of the Cimarron Arch, near Cimarron, NM. The gently-dipping eastern margins of these basins are defined by the Sierra Grande Arch and the Raton-Clayton volcanic field (Kelley, 2015; Broadhead, 2015).
New Mexico's Volcanic Hazards
New Mexico is home to many hundreds of volcanoes that erupted during the last several million years. However, the exact timing of these eruptions has proven difficult to determine by many previous studies. An ongoing NSF-funded project, led by NM Bureau of Geology researcher Matthew Zimmerer, examines the timing of eruptions during the last 500,000 years in order to understand the patterns of volcanism in space and time. This information provides the foundation for an assessment of volcanic hazards in New Mexico.