Abstract: Stratigraphy and Hydrogeology of Prairie Terrace Deposits Underlying a Hazardous Waste Facility, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Thomas L. Johnson, D. H. Easley

This investigation concerns a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility located immediately north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lithologic descriptions from over 200 soil borings in an area covering approximately 350 acres have been used to determine the stratigraphy and hydrogeology of the near-surface sediments. These Pleistocene Prairie Terrace deposits are alluvial in origin and exhibit several stratigraphic features. First, the sedimentary package consists of four upward-fining sand units which overlie a regional erosional surface. Second, the area is characterized by a high degree of lateral and vertical stratigraphic complexity. Sand bodies are often elongate and curvilinear with interbedded lithologies along the margins, and may either coalesce with or downcut into lower un ts. Lastly, the distribution of the lower sand units is largely controlled by the paleotopography of the area, while the upper sand units are narrower and more evenly distributed across the site. All of these stratigraphic characteristics must be considered in the evaluation of ground water levels and contaminant migration pathways. This revised hydrogeologic interpretation may enhance remediation efforts at this hazardous waste disposal facility.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90986©1994 AAPG Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, June 12-15, 1994