Kyle Waldron
The potential impacts of mining on residential water wells
BSES Senior Research 2003

In this project a model was produced of an area surround a limestone quarry west of Bloomington. The goal was to be able to interpolate from the model where the water producing formations were. The quarry was mining for limestone and after getting into the Salem formation they had to start pumping out water. Shortly after, surrounding residents called in to say their water wells had went dry. By creating a model one could visually see what was under the surface. Bedrock formation contacts could be seen in relation to where the bottoms of the wells were. The model was made in a computer program called Environmental Visualization System (EVS). The program was able to create the model of topography, insert layers of contacts, and show the wells. Also it was possible to view the roads and the quarry. In the viewer there was the ability to rotate the 3D model in all angles. A vertical exaggeration was used in order to better see the contacts and ridges and valleys. Since the underlying aquifer is carbonates it is hard to make many any fixed assumptions. The model is a good start to understanding the area and what is underneath the surface.