The following tool was developed to automate the process of creating GIS layers for groundwater analysis, as well as provide a resource for generating cross-section views of geologic data in ArcGIS Pro. The implementation of the tools is as follows:
- Creates a project area from a DEM and acquires a range of Michigan specific datasets for use in maps and cross-sections (Not applicable for other states).
- Reformats water well datasets to be used in analyses (Michigan specific).
- Generates groundwater surface profiles.
- Generates cross-section views of multiple lines that display the following:
- Borehole depths and lithologies.
- Screened intervals.
- Surface topography profiles.
- Bedrock topography profiles.
- Groundwater topography profiles.
- Reference grid.
- Generate individual portions of the full cross-section tool to make adjustments.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These tools were tested with ArcGIS Pro 3.5.3. Issues may be present in other versions.
MGS_ModularTools_vX.atbx
ArcGIS Pro toolbox containing all available MGS custom tools which include:
Cross-Section Tools
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Borehole Interval Sticks Function: Creates borehole sticks with separated intervals based on an interval table for cross-sections.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Borehole Sticks Function: Creates borehole sticks for cross-sections.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Geophysical Log Placement Function: Creates geophysical log responses along a cross-section. Note: The response on the cross-section is arbitrary, but is based on data values provided by the user.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Gridline Creation Function: Creates a reference grid that extends to the boundaries of the input cross-sections.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Preliminary Cross-Section Profiles Function: Combines all cross-section tools listed below in addition to a topographic surface profile.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Profiles Function: Creates surface profiles for surficial rasters along a cross-section line.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Segmentation of Profiles Function: Creates surface profiles that are segmented by a user-provided polygon feature class.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Surficial Markers and Intersections Function: Locates features along the cross-section lines and creates seperate feature classes.
Data Formatting Tools
- Water Well Reformatting (Wellogic Specific) Function: Converts Wellogic water well data into a usable format for the cross-section tools
- Groundwater Raster Generation
Function: Creates groundwater surface rasters from water well data - Generic Project Creation Tool Function: Sets up a Wellogic water well project around a given area to be used for maps and cross-sections. Water well data only applies to Michigan projects.
UserGuide_Poster_GSA_2025.pdf
This is an instructional document that was presented at the Geological Society of America's North-Central Section Meeting. Contains helpful hints and tricks to the Cross-Section tools as of 4/1/2025.
ArcGIS_Pro_TrainingDocument_XSEC_ONLY_YYYYMMDD.pdf
This is an instructional document for creating cross-sections only. Applicable for most users.
ArcGIS_Pro_TrainingDocument_WellogicData_YYYYMMDD.pdf
This is an instructional document designed for creating projects out of data from the Wellogic water well database.
Templates
This folder incudes several formatting and symbology files for symbolizing several of the toolboxes outputs which include:
- GWL Colors
Function: Folder containing several symbologies for different well types and time periods of groundwater levels - Cross_Section_CoordinateSystem.prj
Function: Custom coordinate system for the cross-sections. This is hard-coded into the scripts and not required to run them but it may be necessary to add additional layers to the cross-section that were not created using the MGS toolbox - LithologyClasses_YYYYMMDD.xlsx
Function: MGS's system for simplifying Wellogic data into aggregated lithology classes. This file is required for running both the Project Creation tool and the Data Reformatting tool - LithSticks_UPDATE_YYYYMMDD.lyrx
Function: Symbology for borehole lines (Polylines) - LithSticks_Polygons_YYYYMMDD.lyrx
Function: Symbology for borehole lines (Polygons) - NAD_1983_Hotine_Oblique_Mercator_Azimuth_Natural_Origin.prj
Function: Custom coordinate system for the project creation tool. This is hard-coded into the scripts and not required to run them but it may be necessary to add additional layers to the project that were not created using the MGS toolbox - ScreensPolygon_YYYYMMDD.lyrx
Function: Symbology for screen lines (Polygon) - ScreensSticks_UPDATED_YYYYMMDD.lyrx
Function: Symbology for screen lines (Polyline)
CrossSection_SampleDataset (Zipped Folder)
Sample set of data for testing the cross-section tools.
- Sample_BedrockSurface
Function: Sample bedrock surface raster in feet. - Sample_CrossSectionLines Function: 5 sample cross-section lines with required "XSEC" and "DIRECTION" fields
- Sample_DEM_ft_10x10cell Function: Sample elevation data in feet (10x10 cell size)
- Sample_GroundwaterSurface Function: Sample IDW groundwater surface raster in feet.
- Sample_LithTable_JacksonCo Function: Sample lithology table for the water wells
- Sample_WaterWellPoints Function: Sample water well points
README.md
Document outlining basic information about the tools, their limitations and an End-User License Agreement (EULA).
LICENSE.txt
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license information applicable to all properties distributed through the MichiganGeoSurvey GitHub page.
We have provided a sample project created from Wellogic water well data as an example of what a completed project, the outputs, and potential layouts look like. This project was created using the Project Creation Tool and cross-section files were produced with many of the MGS Cross-Section Tools. The project can be found at the Google Drive link here (Approximate size: 63mb)
The processing time for all of the tools is directly related to the size of the project, size, and number of cross-section lines. Large projects with many cross-sections can take hours or even days to complete. Clipping both your water well points and lithology tables to only include the wells that are relevant to your cross-sections will significantly reduce processing time. This run-time issue will hopefully be reduced in the future through tool optimizations and updates.
Example (Medium):
Cross-Section All Steps Tool
Area: ~100 square miles
Cross Sections: 5 (ranging from 4 to 10 miles long)
Total Runtime: ~30 minutes to 1 hour
Example (Very Large):
Cross-Section All Steps Tool
Area: ~1500 square miles
Cross-section: 58 (ranging from 6-30+ miles long)
Total Runtime: 3 Days 16 Hours
No known issues as of 1/10/2025. Please submit bug reports in the GitHub page.
1/10/2025: All MGS tools have become modular! Each tool can work collaboratively or independently with each other. We have also introduced a new suite of tools to be used for 2D cross-sectional views:
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Borehole Interval Sticks
- Miscellaneous bug fixes to tool.
- Dependent on Borehole Sticks tool.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Borehole Sticks
- Miscellaneous bug fixes to tool
- (NEW) MGS Cross-Section Tools: Geophysical Log Placement
- Provides a profile-view of the down-hole geophysical log.
- The user must provide an Excel spreadsheet that contains the columns named DEPTH and DATA. The DATA field can be any type of geophysical data value, the chart will be plotted arbitrarily on the cross-section view.
- A Well ID must also be provided to define where the data is located along the profile. The ID can be pulled from the ID field in the defined feature class.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Gridline Creation
- Allows for user input of the maximum and minimum elevation values for the display grid.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Preliminary Cross-Section Profiles
- Allows for more integration of elevation surface rasters that is not the groundwater surface or the top of bedrock surface.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Profiles
- Changes to incorporate multiple rasters in a single run.
- MGS Cross-Section Tools: Segmentation of Profiles
- Changes to incorporate multiple rasters in a single run with their own respective polygons to split the profiles.
- (NEW) MGS Cross-Section Tools: Surficial Markers and Intersections
- Provides feature class output of locations that intersect the cross-section line.
- Takes the same fields from the identified feature classes and applies them to the located point along the cross-section line.
- This can take as many features as the user desires. It also takes any of the three feature class types (points, polylines, and polygons).
Data Formatting Tools:
- Generic Project Creation Tool
- Now incorporates inclusion of other state databases.
- If the state is Michigan, an additional parameter will appear to generate groundwater and bedrock surfaces.
- Dependent on the Water Well Reformatting tool in order to run for Michigan.
- Now incorporates inclusion of other state databases.
- Groundwater Raster Generation
- Allows for user input of the water well fields
- SWL Elevation Field
- Well Aquifer Field
- Well Construction Date Field
- Allows for users to chose the types of wells that will be generating the raster(s)
- All Well types (no differentiation)
- Bedrock Wells
- Glacial Wells
- Allows for user input of the water well fields
- Water Well Reformatting (Wellogic Specific)
- Redesigned to incorporate remaining Wellogic fields from EGLE as well as many other fields.
- (NEW) Dictionary & Utility Scripts
- New script modules that are dependent for all codes in the MGS Toolbox.
- Ties together all background tasks and repeated commands into two Python scripts.
All parameters and help indicators in the tools have been more clearly defined for the end user.
- This can be hints as to acceptable fields, acceptable field types, what each parameter has an effect on, etc.
Miscellaneous bug fixes have been corrected as well.
Special thank you to Evan Thoms and the rest of USGS for providing the base work that was used to create these tools. Evan Thom’s GitHub Page
By using this code, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:
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No Commercial Use: This software, including all associated scripts and tools, is provided solely for non-commercial, experimental, and educational purposes. It is expressly prohibited to use this software or any derived works for any commercial purposes, including but not limited to, selling, licensing, or incorporating into any commercial product or service without explicit written consent from MGS. This software is provided free of charge and may not be sold, licensed, or used for any commercial purposes without explicit written consent from MGS.
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Limited Warranty: The software is provided "as is," without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. MGS makes no warranty that the software will be error-free or that errors will be corrected. You acknowledge that your use of the software may result in unexpected or undesirable outcomes, and you assume sole responsibility and risk for your use of the software and the results obtained.
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No Guarantee of Accuracy: MGS cannot guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the output generated by the software tools. You acknowledge that the software tools may produce varying results depending on factors such as input data quality, software configuration, and environmental conditions. It is your responsibility to verify the accuracy and suitability of the output for your specific purposes.
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Limited Support: This software is a side project for MGS, and we cannot commit to providing ongoing support or maintenance. While we may provide assistance or updates at our discretion, you acknowledge that we are under no obligation to do so. You are encouraged to seek support from the open-source community or engage with MGS through public forums or channels if you encounter issues or have questions about the software.
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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License: The Software is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) license. By using the Software, User agrees to comply with the terms of this license. A copy of the CC BY-NC-SA license can be found in the accompanying LICENSE file or on the Creative Commons website.
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Indemnification: You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless MGS and its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and suppliers from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, or expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees, arising out of or in connection with your use or misuse of the software, violation of these terms and conditions, or infringement of any third-party rights.
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Governing Law: These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these terms and conditions or your use of the software shall be exclusively resolved by the state or federal courts located in Michigan, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of such courts.
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Severability: If any provision of these terms and conditions is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be affected or impaired in any way.
By using this code, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. If you do not agree to these terms and conditions, you are not authorized to use the software.