The Hydrogeology of the Rosmhvalanes Peninsula, Iceland (10/03/2022) Kent Littlefield, P.G.

Presentation Summary: Most geologists are visual in thought and perception. Hydrogeologists’ typical visual units are gallons - per minute, per day, per foot, and per day per foot. With respect to that last unit, Kent will share some truly astounding transmissivities he encountered. In 1988, his employer was contracted to determine the possible source(s) of volatile organic compounds in groundwater which were believed to be impacting the municipal water supply of Keflavik and Njardvik, located approximately 26 miles southwest of Reyjavik, Iceland. This was the location of Naval Air Station – Keflavik and the Keflavik International Airport.

Large yields and high “Ts” are sometimes observed in Pennsylvania carbonates or the Jersey Coastal Plain. The island nation of Iceland is dominated by volcanic rocks in all their variety. The single pumping test report conducted by Iceland’s own scientists had a T value that was so out of reason, it was believed that the decimal point had been misplaced by two places. Kent’s employer was hired to confirm the transmissivity with its own pumping tests. However, the Icelandic government limited pumping to 200 gpm to prevent “up-coning” of salt water into the overlying 200-foot thick fresh water aquifer. Tidal amplitudes exceeded any pumping influence that could be accomplished at that rate. But the testing did verify the aquifer thickness.

Speaker Bio: Kent Littlefield is your HAGS president. He earned a BA in geologic sciences at Susquehanna University in 1979, took graduate hydrogeology and engineering geology courses at Millersville University and Penn State University in the 1980s. He was fortunate to have worked for R. E. Wright Associates, where he had the unique opportunity to work on this project in Iceland. Later, he worked for SAIC and Leidos and recently semi-retired from Hydro-Terra Group. He has worked on projects in 29 states and two foreign countries, the most amazing of which is the subject of this presentation.