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Quantifying surface water–groundwater interactions using time series analysis of streambed thermal records: Method development
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, USA
We present a method for determining streambed seepage rates using time series thermal data. The new method is based on quantifying changes in phase and amplitude of temperature variations between pairs of subsurface sensors. For a reasonable range of streambed thermal properties and sensor spacings the time series method should allow reliable estimation of seepage rates for a range of at least ±10 m d−1 (±1.2 × 10−2 m s−1), with amplitude variations being most sensitive at low flow rates and phase variations retaining sensitivity out to much higher rates. Compared to forward modeling, the new method requires less observational data and less setup and data handling and is faster, particularly when interpreting many long data sets. The time series method is insensitive to streambed scour and sedimentation, which allows for application under a wide range of flow conditions and allows time series estimation of variable streambed hydraulic conductivity. This new approach should facilitate wider use of thermal methods and improve understanding of the complex spatial and temporal dynamics of surface water–groundwater interactions.
Received 3 December 2005; accepted 16 June 2006; published 11 October 2006.
Citation: (2006), Quantifying surface water–groundwater interactions using time series analysis of streambed thermal records: Method development, Water Resour. Res., 42, W10410, doi:10.1029/2005WR004787.
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