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Quantifying surface water–groundwater interactions using time series analysis of streambed thermal records: Method development
Author(s) -
Hatch Christine E.,
Fisher Andrew T.,
Revenaugh Justin S.,
Constantz Jim,
Ruehl Chris
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2005wr004787
Subject(s) - series (stratigraphy) , range (aeronautics) , groundwater , amplitude , environmental science , hydraulic conductivity , surface water , time series , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , subsurface flow , geology , remote sensing , geotechnical engineering , statistics , engineering , mathematics , environmental engineering , paleontology , physics , quantum mechanics , aerospace engineering , soil water
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.