Resources for Ground Source Heat Pumps in Massachusetts

• An Information Survival Kit for the prospective geothermal heat pump owner - from the GeoHeat center at the Oregon Institute of Technology
• Geothermal Heat Pump Information - from the U.S. Department of Energy

• Geothermal Well Fact sheet by Mass DCR - Describes regulatory requirements for GSHP installation in Massachusetts
• A Guide to On-Line Geological Information and Publications for Use in GSHP Site Characterization - Maintained by Outside the Loop
• Outside the Loop - A Newsletter for Geothermal Heat Pump Designers and Installers by the GeoHeat center at the Oregon Institute of technology
• Reading Maps with a Critical Eye: Becoming an Informed Map Reader - (by the Maine Geologic Survey)
• What 7.5' quadrangles are my town in?
• Click here for a map (courtesy of MassDEP)
• Click here for a list (courtesy of the USGS ESIO at U-Mass)

• Well Inventories by the OMSG
  
  A digital Arcview 3.x database of available subsurface boring information for a given 7.5' quadrangle, including scanned boring logs where available (Mostly along the I-495 corridor).  Includes Well Completion reports filed by DCR, Mass-Highway boring data, and USGS Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI)
  
• Boston Subsurface Project at Tufts University
  
  An extensive online database of subsurface borings and other data for much of Boston
  
• Well Completion Reports (WCR) filed with Mass-DCR
  
  These can be obtained by contacting Laurene Poland (see website for contact information)
  
• USGS Hydrologic Data Reports (HDRs) 
  
  These commonly contain information on subsurface groundwater conditions and other information for a given region, including subsurface boring logs.  A list of these for Massachusetts is in the Massachusetts Hydrogeologic Information Matrix (page 65).  They can be accessed online by searching for the report title in the USGS Publications Warehouse.  Many of these are catalogged by the USGS as Open File Reports or Hydrologic Atlases.
  
• USGS Water-Resources Investigation Reports
  
  Search for these using the USGS Publications Warehouse
  
• USGS Hydrologic Investigations Atlas (HAs)
  
  Commonly contain data on groundwater and may contain subsurface boring logs and information for a given area.  These can be searched via the National Geologic Map Database or USGS Publications Warehouse.
  
• Bedrock Depth Contour Maps
  
  for specific 7.5' quadrangles in Massachusetts are published by the USGS in a variety of publication series.  These can be searched via the National Geologic Map Database or USGS Publications Warehouse.

• Prototype 3D surficial geologic map of the Marlborough Quadrangle 
  A prototype 3D model of the surficial geology of the Marlborough quadrangle, containing surface grids, cross-sections, and interpreted borehole logs.  We hope to be making much more of these maps in the near future!
  
• Prototype surficial materials map of the Marlborough Quadrangle
  
  A prototype surficial geologic map that shows the vertical distribution of glacial deposits for the Marlborough quadrangle.  This was used to construct the 3D map listed above.
  
• Digital Surficial geologic maps by the OMSG
  
  These maps show the areal distribution of sediments lying on top of bedrock.  Available as GIS files and PDFS.
  
• Digital Surficial geologic map compilations from the USGS (1:24K)
  
• Digital scanned images of paper USGS 7.5' surficial geologic maps (provided by the OMSG)
  
• Published surficial geologic maps (paper and digital) from the USGS
  
  Find them using the National Geologic Map Database
  
• Digital soil survey maps for Massachusetts (maintained by MassGIS)

• Digital 7.5' bedrock geologic quadrangle maps by the OMSG 
  These maps show the areal distribution of different types of bedrock and related features.  These commonly contain interpretive cross sections.
  
• Bedrock fracture characterization maps and databases by the OMSG
  
  These maps accompany the bedrock geologic maps above and contain and display information about the fracture networks within the bedrock, and their hydrogeologic implications, of a 7.5' quadrangle.
  
• Bedrock geologic maps by the USGS
  
  Find them for your area using the National Geologic Map Database
  
• The 1:250K Bedrock Geologic Map of Massachusetts
  
  Good for a general view of the geology of the state.  This is not recommended for use at the site-specific scale.
  
• The U-Mass Geosciences publication series
  
  Topical studies on a variety of bedrock topics for select areas.

• National Geologic Map Database
  A searchable database (by location) of all USGS map products and maps by state geologic surveys, etc...  Contains published and open-file paper and digital surficial and bedrock geologic maps, hydrogeologic atlases, geophysical information, depth to bedrock, etc...
  

• USGS Publications Warehouse
  A bibliographic database of all USGS publications

Digital Hydrogeologic Data:

USGS Water Resources of Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Other Digital Information:

• Scanned and georeferenced 1:24000-scale USGS topographic maps (from the OMSG)
• MassGIS

webpage last updated 3/10/2008