Using Infrared Thermography and Temperature Methods to Characterize Groundwater/Surface Water Interactions
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 - 3:30 PM TO 4:30 PM IN EIT 3142 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Abstract:
Groundwater discharge and recharge patterns associated with lakes and rivers can be quite complex and spatially variable on a scale of centimeters to kilometers. However, it is important to identify and delineate these areas for studies involving the: locating of critical habitat for fish; characterizing contaminated groundwater plume discharges to surface water; and targeted geochemical sampling of water or sediments. Conventional methods of locating groundwater discharge and recharge (e.g. seepage meters and mini-piezometers) tend to be labor intensive and are not practical for obtaining fine-scale spatial resolution over large areas. Temperature-as-a-tracer techniques can provide low cost methods that can characterize heterogeneities in discharge or identify significant discharge zones over both large and small spatial scales. This presentation will present the benefits of: low-altitude or ground-based infrared surveys; lake or river bottom drag probe temperature (or water quality) surveys; lakebed bed or riverbed temperature surveys; and other temperature monitoring methods to identify and quantify fluxes. The methods can ensure large or high flux discharge areas are identified (i.e., not missed) and mean that sampling locations can be wisely chosen and put into the context of the groundwater/surface water interactions rather than relying on randomly chosen sampling locations or out-of-context grid sampling.