NOTE: This program is no longer active.
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Using Geophysics to Locate Buried Faults in the El Paso Region
Team: Dr. Diane Doser & Marc Lucero
This research focuses on using geophysical techniques to determine the location of faults that control groundwater flow in the Hueco and Mesilla Bolsons, the major aquifers for the City and County of El Paso. Some of these faults are also capable of producing large (magnitude > 7) earthquakes. Thus better knowledge of the location of these faults is important to extending the life of our groundwater supply and for analysis of earthquake hazards. Geophysical techniques that would be used in this study would include measuring small changes in gravitational acceleration, electrical conductivity and velocity of sound to map changes in the density/thickness of basin deposits, as well as using geophysical measurements taken in water wells by the El Paso Water Utilities. The data collection would involve some field work around El Paso County, analysis of soil/rock samples in the laboratory, and computer modeling. The student would work as part of a team of graduate and undergraduate students studying the local geology and geophysics and would likely make a presentation on the results of their research at a regional meeting of the Geological Society of America, in addition to presentations at the UTEP Geology Department's annual student research colloquium and COURI's research symposium.
The student would be expected to develop a hands-on laboratory module that would help other students explore/understand how faults are important to the development of the landscape and water resources of the El Paso region. The module would illustrate how faults have formed the mountains and basins around us, how faults can serve as barriers or conduits to water flow, how faults are associated with earthquakes, and how geophysics is used to locate faults. The module would be presented in physical geology laboratories at UTEP and EPCC.
