Automated Seepage Meters Research Articles

Theory of an Automatic Seepage Meter and Ramifications for Applications

AbstractA new approach for measuring fluxes across surface water—groundwater interfaces was recently proposed. The Automatic Seepage Meter (ASM) is equipped with a precise water level sensor and digital memory that analyzes water level time series in a vertical tube inserted into a streambed (Solomon et al., 2020, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR026983). The ability to infer flux values with high temporal resolution relies on an accurate interpretation of water level dynamics inside the tube. Here, we reduce the three‐dimensional hydrodynamic problem that describes the ASM water level in a variety of field conditions to a single ordinary differential equation. This novel general analytical solution for estimating ASM responses is more comprehensive and flexible than previous approaches and is applicable to the entire range of field conditions, including steady or transient stream stages, evaporation, rainfall, and noise. For example, our analysis determines the timing of the nonmonotonic ASM response to a monotonic linear stream stage variation and explains previously used empirical parabolic approximation for estimating fluxes. We present algorithms for simultaneous inference of vertical interface flux and hydraulic conductivity values together with an example code. We quantify how the accuracy of parameter estimation depends on test duration and noise amplitude and propose how our analysis can be used to optimize field test protocols. On this basis, changing the ASM geometry by increasing the radius and decreasing tube insertion depth may enable ASM field test protocols that estimate interface flux and hydraulic conductivity faster while maintaining desired accuracy. Potential applications of joint parameter estimation are suggested.

Using Automated Seepage Meters to Quantify the Spatial Variability and Net Flux of Groundwater to a Stream

AbstractWe utilized 251 measurements from a recently developed automated seepage meter (ASM) in streambeds in the Nebraska Sand Hills, USA to investigate the small‐scale spatial variability of groundwater seepage flux (q) and the ability of the ASM to estimate mean q at larger scales. Small‐scale spatial variability of q was analyzed in five dense arrays, each covering an area of 13.5–28.0 m2 (169 total point measurements). Streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity (K) was also measured. Results provided: (a) high‐resolution contour plots of q and K, (b) anisotropic semi‐variograms demonstrating greater correlation scales of q and K along the stream length than across the stream width, and (c) the number of rows of points (perpendicular to streamflow) needed to represent the groundwater flux of areas up to 28.0 m2. The findings suggest that representative streambed measurements are best conducted perpendicular to streamflow to accommodate larger seepage flux heterogeneity in this direction and minimize sampling redundancy. To investigate the ASM's ability to produce accurate mean q at larger scales, seepage meters were deployed in four stream reaches (170–890 m), arranged in three to six transects (three to eight points each) per reach across the channel. In each reach, the mean seepage flux from ASMs was compared to the seepage flux from bromide tracer dilution. Agreement between the two methods indicates the viability of a modest number of seepage meter measurements to determine the overall groundwater flux to the stream and can guide sampling for solutes and environmental tracers.

Submarine Groundwater Discharge From Sediments and Sand Boils Quantified by the Mean Residence Time of a Tracer Injection

To quantify submarine groundwater discharge, we developed an inexpensive automated seepage meter that applies a tracer injection and the computation of the mean residence time. The SGD-MRT is designed to measure a wide range of discharge rates from about 30 to 800 cm³/min and allows minimizing backpressures caused by pipe friction or flow sensors. By modifying the inner volume of the flow-through unit, the range of measurement is adjustable to lower or higher discharge rates. For process control and data acquisition, an Arduino controller board is used. In addition, components like temperature, conductivity, and pressure sensors or pumps extend the scope of the seepage meter. During field tests in the Wadden Sea, covering tidal cycles, discharge rates of more than 700 cm³/min were released from sand boils. Based on the measured discharge rates and numerical integration of the time series data, a water volume of about 400 dm3 with a seawater content of less than 12% was released from the sand boil within 7 h.

An Automated Seepage Meter for Streams and Lakes

AbstractWe describe a new automatic seepage meter for use in soft bottom streams and lakes. The meter utilizes a thin‐walled tube that is inserted into the streambed or lakebed. A hole in the side of the tube is fitted with an electric valve. Prior to the test, the valve is open and the water level inside the tube is the same as the water level outside the tube. The test starts with closure of the valve, and the water level inside the tube changes as it moves toward the equilibrium hydraulic head that exists at the bottom of the tube. The time rate of change of the water level immediately after the valve closes is a direct measure of the seepage rate (q). The meter utilizes a precision linear actuator and a conductance circuit to sense the water level to a precision of about ±0.1 mm. The meter can also provide an estimate of vertical hydraulic conductivity (K v ) if data are collected for a characteristic time. The detection limit for q depends on the vertical hydraulic head gradient. For K v = 1 m/day, q of about 2 mm/day can be measured. Results from a laboratory sand tank show excellent agreement between measured and true q, and results from a field site are similar to values from calculations based on independent measurements of K v and vertical head gradients. The meter can provide rapid (30 min) q measurements for both gaining and losing systems and complements other methods for quantifying surface water groundwater interactions.

SUBMARINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE MEASUREMENT ON THE SANDY UNCONFINED AQUIFER AT THE CARNAVAL BEACH, ANCOL (JAKARTA BAY)

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is defined as all direct discharge of subsurface fluids into coastal zone. Components of SGD consist of fresh submarine groundwater discharge and the recirculated saline seawater discharge. SGD could act as a pathway for the transport of anthropogenic contaminants and nutrients to coastal waters. Measurement SGD at Carnaval Beach, Ancol, Jakarta was focussed on unconfined groundwater system. The method of quantified used automatic seepage meter for measured of SGD and installed conductivity temperature depth. The average SGD rate was 0.21 mm/min on March 20-31, 2009 consist of 19.05% fresh water, 80.95% recirculated seawater. April 1-23, 2009, the average SGD rate was 0.81 ml/min which consisted of 16.04% fresh water, 83.96% recirculated seawater. SGD fluctuation was opposite with the tide. As a result, submarine groundwater discharge at Jakarta coastal area was defined and can be measured to quantify.

Calibration and application of an automated seepage meter for monitoring water flow across the sediment-water interface.

The advective flow of sediment pore water is an important parameter for understanding natural geochemical processes within lake, river, wetland, and marine sediments and also for properly designing permeable remedial sediment caps placed over contaminated sediments. Automated heat pulse seepage meters can be used to measure the vertical component of sediment pore water flow (i.e., vertical Darcy velocity); however, little information on meter calibration as a function of ambient water temperature exists in the literature. As a result, a method with associated equations for calibrating a heat pulse seepage meter as a function of ambient water temperature is fully described in this paper. Results of meter calibration over the temperature range 7.5 to 21.2 °C indicate that errors in accuracy are significant if proper temperature-dependence calibration is not performed. The proposed calibration method allows for temperature corrections to be made automatically in the field at any ambient water temperature. The significance of these corrections is discussed.

Isotopic, geophysical and biogeochemical investigation of submarine groundwater discharge: IAEA-UNESCO intercomparison exercise at Mauritius Island

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into a shallow lagoon on the west coast of Mauritius Island (Flic-en-Flac) was investigated using radioactive ( 3H, 222Rn, 223Ra, 224Ra, 226Ra, 228Ra) and stable ( 2H, 18O) isotopes and nutrients. SGD intercomparison exercises were carried out to validate the various approaches used to measure SGD including radium and radon measurements, seepage rate measurements using manual and automated meters, sediment bulk conductivity and salinity surveys. SGD measurements using benthic chambers placed on the floor of the Flic-en-Flac Lagoon showed discharge rates up to 500 cm/day. Large variability in SGD was observed over distances of a few meters, which were attributed to different geomorphological features. Deployments of automated seepage meters captured the spatial and temporal variability of SGD with a mean seepage rate of 10 cm/day. The stable isotopic composition of submarine waters was characterized by significant variability and heavy isotope enrichment and was used to predict the contribution of fresh terrestrially derived groundwater to SGD (range from a few % to almost 100%). The integrated SGD flux, estimated from seepage meters placed parallel to the shoreline, was 35 m 3/m day, which was in reasonable agreement with results obtained from a hydrologic water balance calculation (26 m 3/m day). SGD calculated from the radon inventory method using in situ radon measurements were between 5 and 56 m 3/m per day. Low concentrations of radium isotopes observed in the lagoon water reflected the low abundance of U and Th in the basalt that makes up the island. High SGD rates contribute to high nutrients loading to the lagoon, potentially leading to eutrophication. Each of the applied methods yielded unique information about the character and magnitude of SGD. The results of the intercomparison studies have resulted a better understanding of groundwater–seawater interactions in coastal regions. Such information is an important pre-requisite for the protection and management of coastal freshwater resources.

Submarine groundwater discharge in Lützow-Holm Bay, Antarctica

[1] We measured submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) for the first time in Antarctica, at Lützow-Holm Bay, using a newly developed automated seepage meter. Measured SGD rates ranged from 10−8 to 10−6 m s−1 are substantially greater than previously observed discharge rates at similar depth. The obtained SGD rates are accurate to within 3%–5%. Using a fast Fourier transform, we found that variations in the power spectrum density had a predominant period of 12.8 h, similar to that of the M2 tide, with peak values differing from average SGD rates by a factor of three. The high SGD rates obtained at the Antarctic marginal ice zone may reflect the contribution of significant volumes of subglacial meltwater from the rugged subglacial mountains located about 20 km inland from the coast. We discuss a possible mechanism of meltwater discharge to this coastal region.

An alternative to traditional seepage meters: Dye displacement

A new seepage meter design that increases sensitivity to the small hydraulic gradients that drive submarine groundwater discharge was developed as an inexpensive alternative to traditional seepage meters. The new design replaces seepage meter bags with open‐ended tubing through which the displacement of injected dye is a highly reproducible measure of discharge. Laboratory measurements, detailed mathematical modeling of groundwater flow around seepage meters, and parallel field tests of bag and dye displacement seepage meters demonstrated that the new design can improve the precision and temporal resolution of submarine groundwater discharge measurement. In parallel field tests, groundwater discharge to 15 cm diameter, bag‐equipped seepage meters was half of the discharge to adjacent 15 cm diameter dye displacement seepage meters. Model results confirm that similar discrepancies, caused by groundwater diversion around bag‐equipped seepage meters, may occur during the deployment of 57 cm diameter seepage meters in common field conditions. A second field deployment of 15 cm diameter dye displacement seepage meters showed saline inflow into sandy sediments at high tide and a high rate of discharge at low tide, similar to observations made with far more expensive, open flow path automated seepage meters in other studies.

Calibration and use of continuous heat-type automated seepage meters for submarine groundwater discharge measurements

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) assessments were conducted both in the laboratory and at a field site in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, using a continuous heat-type automated seepage meter (seepmeter). The functioning of the seepmeter is based on measurements of a temperature gradient in the water between downstream and upstream positions in its flow pipe. The device has the potential of providing long-term, high-resolution measurements of SGD. Using a simple inexpensive laboratory set-up, we have shown that connecting an extension cable to the seepmeter has a negligible effect on its measuring capability. Similarly, the observed influence of very low temperature (≤3 °C) on seepmeter measurements can be accounted for by conducting calibrations at such temperatures prior to field deployments. Compared to manual volumetric measurements, calibration experiments showed that at higher water flow rates (>28 cm day −1 or cm 3 cm −2 day −1) an analog flowmeter overestimated flow rates by ≥7%. This was apparently due to flow resistance, turbulence and formation of air bubbles in the seepmeter water flow tubes. Salinity had no significant effect on the performance of the seepmeter. Calibration results from fresh water and sea water showed close agreement at a 95% confidence level significance between the data sets from the two media ( R 2 = 0.98). Comparatively, the seepmeter SGD measurements provided data that are comparable to manually-operated seepage meters, the radon geochemical tracer approach, and an electromagnetic (EM) seepage meter.

Evaluation of a Warm-Thermistor Flow Sensor for Use in Automatic Seepage Meters

A warm-thermistor flow sensor is evaluated for use in an automatic seepage meter measuring very slow groundwater inflows into open water bodies. A novel control circuit allows a single self-referencing thermistor to operate with a constant heat output of 36.8 mW, while monitoring the thermistor's internal temperature T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">S</sub> and T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">F</sub> under still-water and flow conditions respectively. The resultant temperature difference T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">S</sub> -T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">F</sub> is the output signal from the instrument. This device is particularly sensitive to very slow fluid flows in the range 0.03 to 3 mm/s, where buoyancy problems have traditionally prevented the use of warm-thermistor flow meters. For flow speeds below 3 mm/s the sensor response was shown in the laboratory to be nearly linear with no offset term. Two flow-calibration setups were investigated; a precision plunging-probe apparatus and a single-step flow calibration system based upon a Hagen-Poiseuille flow regulator and a vertical standpipe. A numerical (CFD) model of the spherical thermistor agreed well with the two experimental calibration procedures over the flow range between 0 and 3 mm/s. The theoretical model - based on the Peclet number - fits the CFD model well between 3 and 100 mm/s, but does not hold true in the buoyancy range below 3 mm/s. For a seepage meter funnel having a bell-to-throat area ratio of 2964, groundwater flow velocities as low as 0.01 mum/s (0.9 mm/day) could be measured using this sensor.

Radon and radium isotope assessment of submarine groundwater discharge in the Yellow River delta, China

Naturally occurring chemical tracers were used to assess the magnitude of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) during two different sampling periods at a coastal site south of the Yellow River delta, China. We used salinity and pH as indicators of the terrestrial and recirculated seawater components of discharging groundwater and radium isotopes to quantify offshore transport rates. We then used an hourly time series of multiple radium isotopes (224Ra, 223Ra, and 226Ra) to quantify SGD rates and also used 222Rn and seepage meters to independently quantify SGD rates as a comparison to the radium results. Offshore transport rates were found to range from 3.3 to 4.7 cm s−1. Modeled time series radium activities indicated average SGD rates ranging from 4.5 to 13.9 cm d−1 in September 2006 and from 5.2 to 11.8 cm d−1 in July 2007. Temporal trends associated with the radium approach agree with SGD patterns revealed by automated seepage meters deployed nearby, but the absolute fluxes are about 70% lower than those determined by the seepage meters. Modeled SGD rates based on 222Rn (mean = 13.8 cm d−1 in 2006 and 8.4 cm d−1 in 2007) agree with those determined by the radium analysis. Differences in derived SGD rates between the different radium isotopes (226Ra highest; 224Ra lowest) are likely results of uncertainties in the background activities and our limited selection of appropriate groundwater/pore water end‐member values. Scaling our results to the entire Yellow River delta, we find SGD fluxes (and corresponding nitrate fluxes) 2–3 times that of the Yellow River.

Isotope tracing of submarine groundwater discharge offshore Ubatuba, Brazil: results of the IAEA–UNESCO SGD project

Results of groundwater and seawater analyses for radioactive ( 3H, 222Rn, 223Ra, 224Ra, 226Ra, and 228Ra) and stable (D and 18O) isotopes are presented together with in situ spatial mapping and time series 222Rn measurements in seawater, direct seepage measurements using manual and automated seepage meters, pore water investigations using different tracers and piezometric techniques, and geoelectric surveys probing the coast. This study represents first time that such a new complex arsenal of radioactive and non-radioactive tracer techniques and geophysical methods have been used for simultaneous submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) investigations. Large fluctuations of SGD fluxes were observed at sites situated only a few meters apart (from 0 cm d −1 to 360 cm d −1; the unit represents cm 3/cm 2/day), as well as during a few hours (from 0 cm d −1 to 110 cm d −1), strongly depending on the tidal fluctuations. The average SGD flux estimated from continuous 222Rn measurements is 17 ± 10 cm d −1. Integrated coastal SGD flux estimated for the Ubatuba coast using radium isotopes is about 7 × 10 3 m 3 d −1 per km of the coast. The isotopic composition ( δD and δ 18O) of submarine waters was characterised by significant variability and heavy isotope enrichment, indicating that the contribution of groundwater in submarine waters varied from a small percentage to 20%. However, this contribution with increasing offshore distance became negligible. Automated seepage meters and time series measurements of 222Rn activity concentration showed a negative correlation between the SGD rates and tidal stage. This is likely caused by sea level changes as tidal effects induce variations of hydraulic gradients. The geoelectric probing and piezometric measurements contributed to better understanding of the spatial distribution of different water masses present along the coast. The radium isotope data showed scattered distributions with offshore distance, which imply that seawater in a complex coast with many small bays and islands was influenced by local currents and groundwater/seawater mixing. This has also been confirmed by a relatively short residence time of 1–2 weeks for water within 25 km offshore, as obtained by short-lived radium isotopes. The irregular distribution of SGD seen at Ubatuba is a characteristic of fractured rock aquifers, fed by coastal groundwater and recirculated seawater with small admixtures of groundwater, which is of potential environmental concern and has implications on the management of freshwater resources in the region.

Submarine groundwater discharge from the Yellow River Delta to the Bohai Sea, China

Spatial and temporal variations of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) have been evaluated by automated seepage meters from the Yellow River delta to 7 km offshore in the Bohai Sea, China. We identified three zones from the coast to offshore based on different relationships between tidal and SGD changes. Our results indicate that the point of maximum SGD shifted 2 km offshore from September 2004 to September 2006. This spatial change is thought to be caused by sediment deposition near the coast. Integrating submarine fresh groundwater discharge (SFGD) along the coastline of the Yellow River delta using measured values of SFGD per unit length of shoreline shows that discharge of fresh groundwater along the entire delta would be equivalent to 4.5 to 7.0 % of the river discharge.

Radon and radium isotopes as tracers of submarine groundwater discharge – Results from the Ubatuba, Brazil SGD assessment intercomparison

We determined groundwater flow rates shortly after the wet season into an embayment near Ubatuba, Brazil as part of an international intercomparison experiment for submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) assessment techniques. Our estimated rates were determined by the combined use of continuous radon measurements and assessment of radium isotope patterns. The spatial distribution of the short-lived radium isotopes ( 223Ra and 224Ra) provided the means for independent evaluations of radon losses by mixing and atmospheric evasion. We were thus able to construct a well-constrained mass balance for radon that included a groundwater flux term. Our results showed that the groundwater discharge into this embayment from the fractured crystalline rock aquifer is not steady-state but varies with tidal modulation and rain-induced forcing. Tidally modulated and rain-induced flow rates were comparable during this period. The SGD rates estimated from radon ranged from 1 cm/day to 29 cm/day (cm 3/cm 2 day) with a mean and standard deviation of 13 ± 6 cm/day. These estimates were mostly similar to a dye-dilution automatic seepage meter (15 ± 19 cm/day) and were within the broad ranges estimated by manual and continuous heat seepage meters but lower than indicated by an artificial tracer test performed nearshore.

Groundwater-derived nutrient inputs to the Upper Gulf of Thailand

We report here the first direct measurements of nutrient fluxes via groundwater discharge into the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Nutrient and standard oceanographic surveys were conducted during the wet and dry seasons along the Chao Phraya River, Estuary and out into the Upper Gulf of Thailand. Additional measurements in selected near-shore regions of the Gulf included manual and automatic seepage meter deployments, as well as nutrient evaluations of seepage and coastal waters. The river transects characterized the distribution of biogeochemical parameters in this highly contaminated urban environment. Seepage flux measurements together with nutrient analyses of seepage fluids were used to estimate nutrient fluxes via groundwater pathways for comparison to riverine fluxes. Our findings show that disseminated seepage of nutrient-rich mostly saline groundwater into the Upper Gulf of Thailand is significant. Estimated fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) supplied via groundwater discharge were 40–50% of that delivered by the Chao Phraya River, inorganic phosphate was 60–70%, and silica was 15–40%. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and phosphorus (DOP) groundwater fluxes were also high at 30–40% and 30–130% of the river inputs, respectively. These observations are especially impressive since the comparison is being made to the river that is the largest source of fresh water into the Gulf of Thailand and flows directly through the megacity of Bangkok with high nutrient loadings from industrial and domestic sources.

Assessment of groundwater discharges into West Neck Bay, New York, via natural tracers

A field experiment to compare methods of assessing submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) was held on Shelter Island, NY, in May 2002. We evaluated the use of radon, radium isotopes, and methane to assess SGD rates and dynamics from a glacial aquifer in the coastal zone. Fluxes of radon across the sediment-water interface were calculated from changes in measured surface water inventories following evaluation and correction for tidal effects, atmospheric evasion, and mixing with offshore waters. These fluxes were then converted to SGD rates using the measured radon concentration in the groundwater. We used the short-lived radium isotopes to calculate a horizontal mixing coefficient to assess radon loss by mixing between nearshore and offshore waters. We also made an independent calculation of SGD using the Ra-derived mixing coefficient and the long-lived 226Ra concentration gradient in the bay. Seepage rates were calculated to range between 0 and 34 cm day −1 using the radon measurements and 15 cm day −1 as indicated by the radium isotopes. The radiotracer results were consistent and comparable to SGD rates measured directly with vented benthic chambers (seepage meters) deployed during this experiment. These meters indicated rates between 2 and 200 cm day −1 depending on their location. Both the calculated radon fluxes and rates measured directly by the automated seepage meters revealed a clear reproducible pattern of higher fluxes during low tides. Considering that the two techniques are completely independent, the agreement in the SGD dynamics is significant. Methane concentration in groundwater was very low (∼30 nM) and not suitable as SGD tracer at this study site.

Submarine groundwater discharge measured by seepage meters in sicilian coastal waters

Seepage measurements of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) were carried out in March 2002 in the Donnalucata boat basin in the southeastern Sicily. SGD rates measured by manual seepage meters ranged from 5.5 to 19.3 L/min/m (with an average of 12.1 L/min/m), which was 0.6 and 5.9 times the SGD determined in Florida and Perth, respectively. The spatial distribution of SGD was found to be highly variable along ∼300 m long coast area. Semi-diurnal SGD variations which anti-correlated with tide were found using newly developed automated seepage meters that can provide continuous SGD data with high resolution. These variations may be attributed to the tidal effect, when a greater hydraulic gradient, observed at low tide, moves groundwater from land to the ocean, and an opposite effect is observed at high tide.

Evaluation of time‐space distributions of submarine ground water discharge

Submarine ground water discharge (SGD) rates were measured continuously by automated seepage meters to evaluate the process of ground water discharge to the ocean in the coastal zone of Suruga Bay, Japan. The ratio of terrestrial fresh SGD to total SGD was estimated to be at most 9% by continuous measurements of electrical conductivity of SGD. Semidiurnal changes of SGD due to tidal effects and an inverse relation between SGD and barometric pressure were observed. Power spectrum density analyses of SGD, sea level, and ground water level show that SGD near shore correlated to ground water level changes and SGD offshore correlated to sea level changes. SGD rates near the mouth of the Abe River are smaller than those elsewhere, possibly showing the effect of the river on SGD. The ratio of terrestrial ground water discharge to the total discharge to the ocean was estimated to be 14.7% using a water balance method.

Submarine groundwater discharge in Osaka Bay, Japan

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) rates in Osaka Bay were continuously measured and analyzed to evaluate seawater–groundwater interactions. Fast Fourier transfer and power spectrum density methods were applied to analyze the dominant periods of the SGD variations. Diurnal and semidiurnal periods of SGD variation were found, and they were caused by tidal effects. According to the separation of SGD into fresh and recirculated water components using automated seepage meter measurements and terrestrial groundwater flow analyses, the fresh groundwater component in SGD was evaluated to be in the range 4%–29% at Tannowa, Osaka. Therefore, SGD rates depend mainly on the volume of recirculated seawater. Correlation analyses between SGD and sea level show that SGD is delayed by 4 h after sea level changes.