Abstract

The potentially detrimental impact of groundwater discharge into rivers on the ecosystem services provided by the river makes the localization of groundwater discharge areas as well as the quantification of the associated mass fluxes an issue of major interest. However, localizing groundwater discharge zones and evaluating their impact are challenging tasks because of (i) the limited number of suitable tracers and (ii) the high spatio-temporal variability of groundwater/river water interaction in general. In this study, we applied the ubiquitous naturally occurring radioactive noble gas radon (222Rn) as an aqueous tracer to localize and quantify groundwater discharge along a 60 km reach of the upper German part of the major river Elbe under drought conditions. All radon data processing was executed with the numerical implicit finite element model FINIFLUX, a radon mass balance-based approach, which has been developed specifically to quantify the groundwater flux into rivers. The model results were compared to the tritium (3H) distribution pattern in the studied river reach. The results of the study proved the applicability of both (i) the methodical approach (i.e., radon as tracer) and (ii) the application of FINIFLUX to drought conditions (with river discharge rates as low as 82 m3/s vs. a long time mean of 300 m3/s). Applying the model, the recorded dataset allowed differentiating between groundwater baseflow, on the one hand, and interflow and surface water runoff distributions to the river, on the other. Furthermore, the model results allowed assessing the location and the intensity of groundwater discharge into the river under low flow conditions. It was also shown that analysing discrete river water samples taken from distinct points in a major stream might lead to slightly incorrect results because of an incomplete mixing of river water and locally discharging groundwater. An integrating sampling approach (as applied for radon) is preferable here.

Highlights

  • Rivers provide ecosystem services, such as hydrological regulation or sediment and nutrient retention

  • Radon data processing was executed with the numerical implicit finite element model FINIFLUX, a tailor-made model approach that is based on a mass balance equation for in-stream radon allowing investigations of groundwater/river water interaction at the river reach scale ([23,24,25])

  • We have found that this equation predicts radon degassing well in mid to large rivers such as River Elbe

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Summary

Introduction

Rivers provide ecosystem services, such as hydrological regulation or sediment and nutrient retention. The related numerical flow modelling requires high quality input data describing the hydraulic properties of the aquifer and the hyporheic zone. Numerical groundwater flow modelling that is based on discrete tracer data represents an alternative that combines the advantages of integrative hydrological modelling and point-scale discharge measurements. A range of environmental tracers (i.e., naturally occurring substances that show a significant concentration gradient between hydraulically connected groundwater and river water) have proven suitable to parameterize hydrological models with the aim to disentangle surface water and groundwater components. Radon data processing was executed with the numerical implicit finite element model FINIFLUX, a tailor-made model approach that is based on a mass balance equation for in-stream radon allowing investigations of groundwater/river water interaction at the river reach scale ([23,24,25]). The radon-based model results were compared against the (completely independent) tritium distribution pattern in the investigated 60 km river reach, which was recorded simultaneously to the radon survey

Onsite Activities
Study Area and Meteorological Situation during the Time of Investigation
The Model Approach
River Depth and Width
River Discharge
Radon Profiles in River Water
(Figures
Radon Groundwater Endmember
Spring Water Measurements
Radon Groundwater Endmember Definition
Radon Mass-Balance Used by FINIFLUX
Groundwater Discharge Localization and Quantification Using FINIFLUX
Tritium Data
Conclusion
Conclusions

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