Publications Catalog

This report presents results from a study investigating the potential for carbon dioxide sequestion in the ancient Keweenawan sedimentary formations in northern Wisconsin. Bedrock drill core from the Copper Harbor and Nonesuch formations were examined for their properties to store carbon dioxide (Copper Harbor) and seal that carbon dioxide (Nonesuch)....

The geologic map of the Dells of the Wisconsin River State Natural Area provides a detailed look at the bedrock geology present at one of Wisconsin's most cherished natural sites. The map and accompanying report present the Paleozoic bedrock stratigraphy of the visible formations, as well as an interpretation of their depositional environment. This map...

The geologic map of the Fennimore and Mount Hope quadrangles includes 1:24,000-scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. The mapping was initiated to support groundwater studies in the area. The map and accompanying report present the Paleozoic bedrock stratigraphy, including structures, as well as data from three new bedrock drill cores...

The geologic map of the Stitzer and western part of the Montfort quadrangles includes 1:24,000-scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. This area occurs at the northern margin of the historic Upper Mississippi Valley lead and zinc mining district. Paleozoic strata are folded into a regionally-significant anticline, and mapping was initiated to...

The Quaternary geologic map of Waupaca County, Wisconsin, provides details about the surficial sediment and landscapes that were formed underneath and adjacent to the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the late Wisconsin Glaciation (ca. 20,000 years before present). These landscapes include lowlands underlain by glacial and postglacial lake sediment, uplands...

The Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois got its name from the lack of glacial sediment ("drift") covering the landscape. The surficial geology and topography of the Driftless Area are thus distinct from the surrounding region where multiple phases of glaciation left their mark. This pamphlet, a collaborative effort between...

The southwest Wisconsin groundwater and geology study (SWIGG) was a cooperative effort between Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette county governments, with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, and WGNHS. Researchers tested water quality in hundreds of private water wells across the three...

The Central Sands nitrate and neonicotinoid database consists of over 100,000 measurements of nitrate and neonicotinoid concentrations in groundwater from wells across Adams, Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Waushara, and Wood counties collected between 1953 and 2021. These counties comprise the Central Sands Groundwater County Collaborative (GSGCC), which...

The portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) instrument provides fast, real-time, non-destructive, multi-element geochemical data (i.e. elemental concentrations) on rocks and minerals at a relatively low cost and with minimal sample preparation. This study quantifies the precision and accuracy of measurements collected by the WGNHS pXRF on reference materials...

Elevation contour data and an accompanying report provide an updated interpretation of the elevation of the top of Precambrian bedrock in south-central Wisconsin. The elevation surface was developed from geologic and geophysical data, and provides new detail on the entrenched bedrock valleys that were incised into the north and south ranges of the Baraboo...

The sandy uplands of the Bayfield Peninsula are primary contributors to regional groundwater recharge and provide baseflow to streams in the area. Few data exist, however, to characterize upland hydrogeology or its susceptibility to groundwater contamination. Here, data from two new cores and wells, one existing well, and a lake in the sandy uplands...

The geologic map of the Bloomington and Brodtville quadrangles includes 1:24,000 scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. There is little structural folding or faulting in this portion of the Driftless Area. Thus, it is ideal for studying the hydrostratigraphic framework of the mapped units. The accompanying report presents stratigraphic...

The Quaternary geologic map of Jefferson County, Wisconsin, provides details about the surficial sediment and landscapes that were formed largely in the footprint of the Laurentide Ice Sheet's southern Green Bay Lobe during the late Wisconsin Glaciation (ca. 20,000 years before present). These landscapes include lowlands underlain by glacial and...

This report documents work completed as part of a grant from the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN) program. It provides an overview of the Wisconsin Groundwater-Level Monitoring Network (WGLMN) and provides detailed description of well evaluation and repair activities, and drilling of new monitoring wells across the...

The geologic map of the Castle Rock and Long Hollow quadrangles includes 1:24,000 scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. The accompanying report presents new observations about bedrock folds and fracture sets in this portion of the Driftless Area that lies just north of the main Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead mineral district. The...

The City of Waupaca, Wisconsin, uses groundwater pumped from a network of seven high-capacity wells as its municipal water supply. Recent increases in the concentration of nitrate in the municipal water supply raised questions about the source of this contamination and whether it might eventually exceed standards for drinking water. This study combines...

Computerized groundwater-flow models provide scientific analysis of water resources. Since its initial development in 2014, the Columbia County groundwater-flow model has been used to respond to requests for information about specific groundwater and land use issues. This companion report to the Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in Columbia...

The WGNHS and the U.S. Geological Survey characterized the hydrogeology and developed a groundwater flow model to assess groundwater resources in Columbia County. This report describes regionally extensive aquifers and presents several extensive datasets collected from deep wells across the county. The report also documents the construction and...

The Quaternary geology of Fond du Lac County consists of glacial deposits and landforms dating to the last part of the Wisconsin Glaciation (ca. 20,000 to 12,000 yr BP) and nonglacial deposits and landforms of Holocene age (11,700 yr BP to present). Glacial till and meltwater sediment were deposited by the Green Bay and Lake Michigan Lobes of the...

If you’re thinking about donating land as a conservation easement but don’t own the subsurface (known as “severed mineral rights”), then you’ll need an assessment of the land’s mineral potential to determine whether the easement will qualify as a charitable tax deduction. Geologists at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey perform this...