WorldWide Drilling Resource

Notes from the Groundwater Guy by Thomas E. Ballard, P.G., C.H.G. Southeast Hydrogeology, PLLC Tools of the Trade: Google Earth When siting locations for new wells, we have a variety of tools to increase our chances to drill a productive well. One of my favorites is the Google Earth Pro program. It allows you to view recent seam- less aerial photography for the entire world, zoom in and out of different locations to get a different perspective, rotate your view, and even apply a 3-D effect based on the underlying terrain. In most areas, Google Earth imagery is less than a year old, but there is also a feature which allows you to view older imagery, back 20 years or more in most areas. This can be useful in noting changes to the terrain, the effects of different seasons, and even color vs. gray scale imagery. Oftentimes, gray scale imagery can be more useful than color imagery when trying to distinguish fault and fracture zones in locating wells in bedrock environments. Looking up locations by address is as easy as typing the address into the search bar and hitting the return key. Placemarks can be used to mark locations; and these placemarks can be distinguished by different icons and colors. You can even add your own custom icons for your placemarks. Your placemarks are stored in the program, so they will be there the next time you open Google Earth. Various notes can be added to these placemarks for further reference. Each placemark will also have a latitude and longitude listed for it, making well locations for state well logs easy to do. Probably the most useful aspect of Google Earth is the ability to add overlay layers. These layers will be files with either the extension .kml or .kmz, which will open directly into Google Earth. There are many layers available which have been created by others, or you can create your own. Two of these layers I use in my work as a water resources consultant are topographic maps of the entire United States and digital state geologic maps, whic h are both extremely useful in loca ting water wells. Links to download are: Google Earth software download: https://www.google.com/earth/ Google Earth topographic maps l ayer: http://www.earthpoint.us/TopoMap.aspx Google Earth state geology maps: https://mrdata.usgs.gov/geology/state / Tom Tom Ballard may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com 35 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JUNE 2018 Acker Drill Company’s SOIL MECHANIC is designed to convert from an augering machine to a soil sampling unit capable of making standard penetration tests (SPTs). Its unique modular assembly provides a lightweight, economical drill for limited-access areas. The operator has full control of the feed system to advance the augers and produce a clean hole. A compact diesel or electric motor handles augers up to 36 inches in length, to a depth of around 24 feet; and through a special right-angle gearbox, the cathead hoist raises a 140- pound drive weight to take soil samples and carry out SPTs. Features include a centering guide, anchor pins for stabi- lizing the base, slip pin for securing the power head during transport, and a safety guide to keep augers from “walking’ when starting a hole. Acker Drill Company is a Valued WWDR Advertiser You burn more calories sleeping than watching television. In Alaska, it is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they’re moose hunting. One pound of peanut butter can contain 150 bug fragments and five rodent hairs. King Charles I ’s favorite joke was to place his 18-inch-tall dwarf between two halves of bread and pretend to eat him. Pluto is only as big as Russia . ENV