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Identifying spatial variability of groundwater discharge in a wetland stream using a distributed temperature sensor
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Wisconsin Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA
Wisconsin Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wisconsin, USA
Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Discrete zones of groundwater discharge in a stream within a peat-dominated wetland were identified on the basis of variations in streambed temperature using a distributed temperature sensor (DTS). The DTS gives measurements of the spatial (±1 m) and temporal (15 min) variation of streambed temperature over a much larger reach of stream (>800 m) than previous methods. Isolated temperature anomalies observed along the stream correspond to focused groundwater discharge zones likely caused by soil pipes within the peat. The DTS also recorded variations in the number of temperature anomalies, where higher numbers correlated well with a gaining reach identified by stream gauging. Focused zones of groundwater discharge showed essentially no change in position over successive measurement periods. Results suggest DTS measurements will complement other techniques (e.g., seepage meters and stream gauging) and help further improve our understanding of groundwater–surface water dynamics in wetland streams.
Received 27 April 2007; accepted 10 July 2007; published 6 October 2007.
Citation: (2007), Identifying spatial variability of groundwater discharge in a wetland stream using a distributed temperature sensor, Water Resour. Res., 43, W10408, doi:10.1029/2007WR006145.
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