The eastern margin of the High Plains in central western Texas affords particularly good opportunity for study of late Cenozoic geology.

Studies along the southern and southeastern borders of the High Plains have demonstrated the presence of outliers of fossiliferous Ogallala Formation in Borden and Scurry counties and have documented the occurrence of Pliocene deposition as far southeast as Sterling County.

The Ogallala aquifer, which underlies the Southern High Plains, consists of the saturated sediments of the Neogene Ogallala Formation. The aquifer is the main source of water for the High Plains of Texas and New Mexico and is being severely depleted by extensive pumpage for irrigation.

More than 20,000 playa basins have formed on the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico.

The origin of thousands of playa basins on the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico has been attributed to eolian deflation, evaporite or carbonate dissolution and subsidence, piping, or animal activity.

This report documents the stratigraphy beneath playa lakes and associated lake-margin, playa-basin, and upland settings.

This report summarizes results of a study based on outcrop and subsurface data that establishes a regional stratigraphic framework for assessments of the Ogallala and related aquifers.

This study used a numerical model to examine the playa-focused recharge theory by comparing it with the spatially uniform approach and with a zonal approach.

Analysis of spatial variability in unsaturated flow is critical to evaluating contaminant transport in areas of focused or preferential flow. This study examined spatial variability at a variety of scales from focused flow through playas to preferential flow in macropores.