Groundwater age categories based on tritium concentrations in samples collected from the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer and aquifers of the Mississippi embayment principal aquifer system

The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer (MRVA) overlies and is bounded by several regional aquifers that make up the Mississippi embayment aquifer system (MEAS) in the central United States. The MRVA, which consists of Quaternary alluvium, is one of the most heavily pumped aquifers in the nation and is a major source of groundwater for irrigation. Large groundwater-level declines in portions of the aquifer have raised concerns about sustainable use of this important resource. An aquifer-scale assessment of groundwater-age categories based on tritium concentrations was completed to better understand groundwater availability and susceptibility. The presence of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, in a groundwater sample [...]