Isopach and Contour Maps

Isopach maps present the percent coarseness for each hydrostratigraphic layer within the well-field study area and are generated using Surfer a Golden Software program. The percent coarseness for each layer is important to know because it indicates the potential amount of aquifer and aquatard material within each layer of the well-field. In addition, contour maps of contaminant levels can be generated and superimposed on top of the isopach maps in order to compare percent coarseness to the concentration gradient across the well-field. This relationship is significant because most groundwater contamination occurrences and distributions are influenced by thick fine-grained units such as clays and silt beds. Therefore, mapping the contaminant levels in conjunction with percent coarseness provides a broader understanding of what areas and which layers are most heavily affected by contamination and why.