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GSHP Drilling on Gooch Street: Kame, Esker or Drumlin?

First Melrose HeatSmart GSHP Project

Achieve-Geothermal-drill-rig
Different views of drill rig on Gooch Street

HeatSmart Melrose is proud to announce its first drilling project. Drilling is progressing well on the first day (pun intended). There is a large area of exposed rock in the backyard that was assumed by all to be bedrock. During drilling, we discovered bedrock greater than 100 feet below grade.

Rock Layers

The exposed rock proves to be a Glacial Erratic. This is a rock (very large in this case) that was dropped by a glacier passing over the area more than 10,000 years ago. Unsurprisingly, the topography in Melrose has been modified by human activity and is not in a natural state. For this reason, the interpretation is more difficult. We can identify common types of glacial geomorphology based on topography.

Drilling rig with Glacial Erratic in Background
Glacial Erratic in background

Glacial Formations

In Eastern Massachusetts glacial formations include Kames, Eskers and Drumlins. Achieve’s Geologist viewed the topographic map for the area along with the the materials encountered during drilling. As a result, the analysis points towards this neighborhood being built on a Drumlin. When you view it on a map, a Drumlin is a roughly spoon-shaped hill that consists of layers clay, silt, sand, gravel and boulders. Drumlins can be over one hundred feet thick.

Benefits of the Ground Source Heat Pump Drilling Project

drilling underway
Drilling Underway

The GSHP project will completely replace the use of fossil fuels for heating and provide air conditioning. As a benefit, the equipment will harvest heat from the ground in the Winter and discharge heat to the ground in the Summer. This process is highly efficient. Therefore it saves on energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions while providing better comfort and reliability than a traditional system. Geothermal is a modern technology that replaces fossil fuel systems which are sooo last century. If you would like to start a conversation about geothermal, our Achieve Renewable Energy experts will be happy discuss your energy efficient possibilities.

Driller analyzing drill cuttings
Driller analyzing drill cuttings