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Subsurface flow measurements using passive flux meters in variably‐saturated cold‐regions landscapes
Author(s) -
Devoie Élise G.,
Con Ryan F.,
Craig James R.,
Quinton William L.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.13900
Subject(s) - permafrost , subsurface flow , flux (metallurgy) , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , wetland , groundwater , hydraulic head , groundwater flow , geology , flow (mathematics) , soil science , aquifer , geotechnical engineering , oceanography , ecology , materials science , geometry , mathematics , metallurgy , biology
To date, passive flux meters have predominantly been applied in temperate environments for tracking the movement of contaminants in groundwater. This study applies these instruments to reduce uncertainty in (typically instantaneous) flux measurements made in a low‐gradient, wetland dominated, discontinuous permafrost environment. This method supports improved estimation of unsaturated and over‐winter subsurface flows which are very difficult to quantify using hydraulic gradient‐based approaches. Improved subsurface flow estimates can play a key role in understanding the water budget of this landscape.