This database contains geophysical logs collected from wells in South Carolina.

Overview

This database contains digital geophysical logs that were made of water wells in the State of South Carolina. Geophysical logs are continuous records of the electrical, nuclear, and chemical properties of the sediment, rock, and formation water penetrated by a well. Most of the logs were made by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), which owns and operates a geophysical logger, and by its predecessor, the South Carolina Water Resources Commission (SCWRC). Logs were also made by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and by several commercial logging companies.

Logs are obtained from water wells for many different reasons. The primary use of logs is to identify water-bearing zones in the subsurface that can be used as a source of groundwater for municipal, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and domestic supplies. Other uses of the logs include:

• identifying the freshwater/saltwater interface in aquifers along the coast that are being intruded by seawater
• determining well depth and well diameter
• pinpointing the depths of well screens
• locating high-radiation zones that may be contaminating groundwater
• identifying contacts between geologic formations
• quantifying flow rates in open-hole wells
• estimating lithology and ground-water salinity, and measuring ground-water temperature.

An excellent source of information detailing the principles and interpretation of geophysical logs is: Keys, W. S. and MacCary, L. M., 1981, Application of borehole geophysics to water-resources investigations: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Chapter E1, Book 2, 126 p.

Well Sites

This information is not available at this time.

Types of Geophysical Logs in the Database

Contact Information

For additional information, contact Andy Wachob (andy.wachob@des.sc.gov).