Response of non-added solutes during nutrient addition experiments in streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Wymore, A.; Koenig, L.; Coble, A. A.; McDowell, W. H.

2015-12-01

Nutrient addition experiments, such as Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC), have become widely popular as a means to study nutrient uptake dynamics in stream ecosystems. However, the impact of these additions on ambient concentrations of non-added solutes is often overlooked. TASCC addition experiments are ideal for assessing interactions among solutes because it allows for the characterization of multiple solute concentrations across a broad range of added nutrient concentrations. TASCC additions also require the addition of a conservative tracer (NaCl) to track changes in conductivity during the experimental manipulation. Despite its use as a conservative tracer, chloride (Cl) and its associated sodium (Na) might change the concentrations of other ions and non-added nutrients through ion exchange or other processes. Similarly, additions of biologically active solutes might change the concentrations of other non-added solutes. These methodological issues in nutrient addition experiments have been poorly addressed in the literature. Here we examine the response of non-added solutes to pulse additions (i.e. TASCC) of NaCl plus nitrate (NO3-), ammonium, and phosphate across biomes including temperate and tropical forests, and arctic taiga. Preliminary results demonstrate that non-added solutes respond to changes in the concentration of these added nutrients. For example, concentrations of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in suburban headwater streams of New Hampshire both increase and decrease in response to NO3- additions, apparently due to biotic processes. Similarly, cations such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium also increase during TASCC experiments, likely due to cation exchange processes associated with Na addition. The response of non-added solutes to short-term pulses of added nutrients and tracers needs to be carefully assessed to ensure that nutrient uptake metrics are accurate, and to detect biotic interactions that may provide insights into fundamental aspects of stream nutrient cycling.

Data on the solute concentration within the subsurface flows of Little Lost Man Creek in response to a transport experiment, Redwood National Park, northwest California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zellweger, Gary W.; Kennedy, V.C.; Bencala, K.E.; Avanzino, R.J.; Jackman, A.P.; Triska, F.J.

1986-01-01

A solute transport experiment was conducted on a 327-m reach of Little Lost Man Creek, a small stream in Humboldt County, California. Solutes were injected for 20 days. Chloride was used as a conservative tracer; lithium, potassium, and strontium were used as reactive tracers. In addition, nitrate and phosphate were added as biological reactants. Eighteen shallow wells were dug along the length of the study reach, 1-10 m laterally from the edge of the stream. The wells and sites in the stream were monitored for the injected solutes during and after the injection. Solute concentrations in the wells and stream are indicative of transport properties of stream and subsurface channel flow. This report presents the results of the analyses of the well samples and chemical data relevant to the interpretation of hydrological and chemical interaction between the stream and adjacent channel subsurface flows in the streambed. Calculations of the percentage of streamwater in the wellwater were made from conservative tracer measurements. The composition of wellwater ranged from 47% to 100% streamwater with most values above 90%. The time for water to travel from the beginning of the study reach to the wells was approximately three times as great as the travel time in the stream at the same distance down the reach. The three conclusions that can be drawn are (1) water in the stream exchanges extensively with water in the rest of the channel; (2) the interstitial water in the channel gravels achieves almost the same composition as the stream; and (3) under low flow conditions the stream gravels contain a significant portion of the stream volume. Plots of normalized chloride, lithium, and strontium concentrations at three stream sites are included. (Author 's abstract)

Reach-scale isotope tracer experiment to quantify denitrification and related processes in a nitrate-rich stream, midcontinent United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Böhlke, J.K.; Harvey, J.W.; Voytek, M.A.

2004-01-01

We conducted an in-stream tracer experiment with Br and 15N-enriched NO3- to determine the rates of denitrification and related processes in a gaining NO3- -rich stream in an agricultural watershed in the upper Mississippi basin in September 2001. We determined reach-averaged rates of N fluxes and reactions from isotopic analyses of NO3-, NO2-, N2, and suspended particulate N in conjunction with other data in a 1.2-km reach by using a forward time-stepping numerical simulation that included groundwater discharge, denitrification, nitrification, assimilation, and air-water gas exchange with changing temperature. Denitrification was indicated by a systematic downstream increase in the d15N values of dissolved N2. The reach-averaged rate of denitrification of surface-water NO3- indicated by the isotope tracer was approximately 120 ± 20 µmol m-2 h-1 (corresponding to zero- and first-order rate constants of 0.63 µmol L-1 h-1 and 0.009 h-1, respectively). The overall rate of NO3- loss by processes other than denitrification (between 0 and about 200 µmol m-2 h-1) probably was less than the denitrification rate but had a large relative uncertainty because the NO3- load was large and was increasing through the reach. The rates of denitrification and other losses would have been sufficient to reduce the stream NO3- load substantially in the absence of NO3- sources, but the losses were more than offset by nitrification and groundwater NO3- inputs at a combined rate of about 500-700 µmol m-2 h-1. Despite the importance of denitrification, the overall mass fluxes of N2 were dominated by discharge of denitrified groundwater and air-water gas exchange in response to changing temperature, whereas the flux of N2 attributed to denitrification was relatively small. The in-stream isotope tracer experiment provided a sensitive direct reach-scale measurement of denitrification and related processes in a NO3- -rich stream where other mass-balance methods were not suitable because of insufficient sensitivity or offsetting sources and sinks. Despite the increasing NO3- load in the experimental reach, the isotope tracer data indicate that denitrification was a substantial permanent sink for N leaving this agricultural watershed during low-flow conditions.

Comparison of stream reach scale transport of rhodamine WT and NaCl in coupled mountain stream-hyporheic system

Treesearch

A. Bouchier; M. N. Gooseff; B. McGlynn; R. A. Payn; M. A. Briggs

2006-01-01

Rather than interpret the late-time behavior of rhodamine WT (RWT) breakthrough curves in stream tracer studies as indications of hyporheic exchanges we suggest that RWT is lost by sorption. We assessed the transport of RWT compared with NaCl during and after a 5 hour co-injection steady state drip experiment conducted in a headwater mountain stream. We hypothesize...

Assessment of electrical conductivity as a surrogate measurement for water samples in a tracer injection experiment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The transport behavior of solutes in streams depends on chemical, physical, biological, and hydrodynamic processes. Although it is a very complex system, it is known that this behavior is greatly influenced by surface and subsurface flows. For this reason, tracer injection in the water flows is one ...

Tracer-based characterization of hyporheic exchange and benthic biolayers in streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, Julia L. A.; González-Pinzón, Ricardo; Drummond, Jennifer D.; Larsen, Laurel G.; Cirpka, Olaf A.; Harvey, Judson W.

2017-02-01

Shallow benthic biolayers at the top of the streambed are believed to be places of enhanced biogeochemical turnover within the hyporheic zone. They can be investigated by reactive stream tracer tests with tracer recordings in the streambed and in the stream channel. Common in-stream measurements of such reactive tracers cannot localize where the processing primarily takes place, whereas isolated vertical depth profiles of solutes within the hyporheic zone are usually not representative of the entire stream. We present results of a tracer test where we injected the conservative tracer bromide together with the reactive tracer resazurin into a third-order stream and combined the recording of in-stream breakthrough curves with multidepth sampling of the hyporheic zone at several locations. The transformation of resazurin was used as an indicator of metabolism, and high-reactivity zones were identified from depth profiles. The results from our subsurface analysis indicate that the potential for tracer transformation (i.e., the reaction rate constant) varied with depth in the hyporheic zone. This highlights the importance of the benthic biolayer, which we found to be on average 2 cm thick in this study, ranging from one third to one half of the full depth of the hyporheic zone. The reach-scale approach integrated the effects of processes along the reach length, isolating hyporheic processes relevant for whole-stream chemistry and estimating effective reaction rates.

Tracer-based characterization of hyporheic exchange and benthic biolayers in streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knapp, Julia L.A.; González-Pinzón, Ricardo; Drummond, Jennifer D.; Larsen, Laurel G.; Cirpka, Olaf A.; Harvey, Judson W.

2017-01-01

Shallow benthic biolayers at the top of the streambed are believed to be places of enhanced biogeochemical turnover within the hyporheic zone. They can be investigated by reactive stream tracer tests with tracer recordings in the streambed and in the stream channel. Common in-stream measurements of such reactive tracers cannot localize where the processing primarily takes place, whereas isolated vertical depth profiles of solutes within the hyporheic zone are usually not representative of the entire stream. We present results of a tracer test where we injected the conservative tracer bromide together with the reactive tracer resazurin into a third-order stream and combined the recording of in-stream breakthrough curves with multidepth sampling of the hyporheic zone at several locations. The transformation of resazurin was used as an indicator of metabolism, and high-reactivity zones were identified from depth profiles. The results from our subsurface analysis indicate that the potential for tracer transformation (i.e., the reaction rate constant) varied with depth in the hyporheic zone. This highlights the importance of the benthic biolayer, which we found to be on average 2 cm thick in this study, ranging from one third to one half of the full depth of the hyporheic zone. The reach-scale approach integrated the effects of processes along the reach length, isolating hyporheic processes relevant for whole-stream chemistry and estimating effective reaction rates.

Measuring gravel transport and dispersion in a mountain river using passive radio tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bradley, D. N.; Tucker, G. E.

2012-01-01

Random walk models of fluvial sediment transport recognize that grains move intermittently, with short duration steps separated by rests that are comparatively long. These models are built upon the probability distributions of the step length and the resting time. Motivated by these models, tracer experiments have attempted to measure directly the steps and rests of sediment grains in natural streams. This paper describes results from a large tracer experiment designed to test stochastic transport models. We used passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to label 893 coarse gravel clasts and placed them in Halfmoon Creek, a small alpine stream near Leadville, Colorado, USA. The PIT tags allow us to locate and identify tracers without picking them up or digging them out of the streambed. They also enable us to find a very high percentage of our rocks, 98% after three years and 96% after the fourth year. We use the annual tracer displacement to test two stochastic transport models, the Einstein–Hubbell–Sayre (EHS) model and the Yang–Sayre gamma-exponential model (GEM). We find that the GEM is a better fit to the observations, particularly for slower moving tracers and suggest that the strength of the GEM is that the gamma distribution of step lengths approximates a compound Poisson distribution. Published in 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Protocol for quantitative tracing of surface water with synthetic DNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foppen, J. W.; Bogaard, T. A.

2012-04-01

Based on experiments we carried out in 2010 with various synthetic single stranded DNA markers with a size of 80 nucleotides (ssDNA; Foppen et al., 2011), we concluded that ssDNA can be used to carry out spatially distributed multi-tracer experiments in the environment. Main advantages are in principle unlimited amount of tracers, environmental friendly and tracer recovery at very high dilution rates (detection limit is very low). However, when ssDNA was injected in headwater streams, we found that at selected downstream locations, the total mass recovery was less than 100%. The exact reason for low mass recovery was unknown. In order to start identifying the cause of the loss of mass in these surface waters, and to increase our knowledge of the behaviour of synthetic ssDNA in the environment, we examined the effect of laboratory and field protocols working with artificial DNA by performing numerous batch experiments. Then, we carried out several field tests in different headwater streams in the Netherlands and in Luxembourg. The laboratory experiments consisted of a batch of water in a vessel with in the order of 10^10 ssDNA molecules injected into the batch. The total duration of each experiment was 10 hour, and, at regular time intervals, 100 µl samples were collected in a 1.5 ml Eppendorf vial for qPCR analyses. The waters we used ranged from milliQ water to river water with an Electrical Conductivity of around 400 μS/cm. The batch experiments were performed in different vessel types: polyethylene bottles, polypropylene copolymer bottles , and glass bottles. In addition, two filter types were tested: 1 µm pore size glass fibre filters and 0.2 µm pore size cellulose acetate filters. Lastly, stream bed sediment was added to the batch experiments to quantify interaction of the DNA with sediment. For each field experiment around 10^15 ssDNA molecules were injected, and water samples were collected 100 - 600 m downstream of the point of injection. Additionally, the field tests were performed with salt and deuterium as tracer. To study possible decay by sunlight and/or microbial activity for synthetic DNA, immediately in the field and for the duration of the entire experiment, we carried out batch experiments. All samples were stored in a 1.5 ml Eppendorf vial in a cool-box in dry ice (-80°C). Quantitative PCR on a Mini Opticon (Bio Rad, Hercules, CA, USA) was carried out to determine DNA concentrations in the samples. Results showed the importance of a strict protocol for working with ssDNA as a tracer for quantitative tracing, since ssDNA interacts with surface areas of glass and plastic, depending on water quality and ionic strength. Interaction with the sediment and decay due to sunlight and/or microbial activity was negligible in most cases. The ssDNA protocol was then tested in natural streams. Promising results were obtained using ssDNA as quantitative tracer. The breakthrough curves using ssDNA were similar to the ones of salt or deuterium. We will present the revised protocol to use ssDNA for multi-tracing experiments in natural streams and discuss the opportunities and limitations.

Estimating the gas and dye quantities for modified tracer technique measurements of stream reaeration coefficients

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rathbun, R.E.

1979-01-01

Measuring the reaeration coefficient of a stream with a modified tracer technique has been accomplished by injecting either ethylene or ethylene and propane together and a rhodamine-WT dye solution into the stream. The movement of the tracers through the stream reach after injection is described by a one-dimensional diffusion equation. The peak concentrations of the tracers at the downstream end of the reach depend on the concentrations of the tracers in the stream at the injection site, the longitudinal dispersion coefficient, the mean water velocity, the length of the reach, and the duration of the injection period. The downstream gas concentrations also depend on the gas desorption coefficients of the reach. The concentrations of the tracer gases in the stream at the injection site depend on the flow rates of the gases through the injection diffusers, the efficiency of the gas absorption process, and the stream discharge. The concentration of dye in the stream at the injection site depends on the flow rate of the dye solution, the concentration of the dye solution, and the stream discharge. Equations for estimating the gas flow rates, the quantities of the gases, the dye concentration, and the quantity of dye together with procedures for determining the variables in these equations are presented. (Woodard-USGS)

A stable isotope tracer study of the influences of adjacent land use and riparian condition on fates of nitrate in streams

Treesearch

Daniel J. Sobota; Sherri L. Johnson; Stan V. Gregory; Linda R. Ashkenas

2012-01-01

The influence of land use on potential fates of nitrate in stream ecosystems, ranging from denitrification to storage in organic matter, has not been documented extensively. Here, we describe the Pacific Northwest component of Lotic Intersite Nitrogen eXperiment, phase II (LINX II) to examine how land-use setting influences fates of nitrate in streams.

An experimental application of the Periodic Tracer Hierarchy (PERTH) method to quantify time-variable water and solute transport in a sloping soil lysimeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pangle, L. A.; Cardoso, C.; Kim, M.; Lora, M.; Wang, Y.; Troch, P. A. A.; Harman, C. J.

2014-12-01

Water molecules traverse myriad flow paths and spend different lengths of time on or within the landscape before they are discharged into a stream channel. The transit-time distribution (TTD) is a probability distribution that represents the range and likelihood of transit times for water and conservative solutes within soils and catchments, and is useful for comparative analysis and prediction of solute transport into streams. The TTD has customarily been assumed to be time-invariant in practical applications, but is understood to vary due to unsteady flow rates, changes in water-balance partitioning, and shifting flow pathways. Recent theoretical advances have clarified how the distribution of transit times experienced by water and solutes within a stream channel at any moment in time is conditional on the specific series of precipitation events preceding that time. Observations resolving how TTDs vary during a specific sequence of precipitation events could be obtained by introducing unique and conservative tracers during each event and quantifying their distinct breakthrough curves in the stream. At present, the number of distinct and conservative tracers available for this purpose is insufficient. Harman and Kim [Harman, C.J. and Kim, M., 2014, Geophysical Research Letters, 41, 1567-1575] proposed a new experimental method—based on the establishment of periodic steady-state conditions—that allows multiple overlapping breakthrough curves of non-unique tracers to be decomposed, thus enabling analysis of the distinct TTDs associated with their specific times of introduction through precipitation. We present results from one of the first physical experiments to test this methodology. Our experiment involves a sloping lysimeter (10° slope) that contains one cubic meter of crushed basalt rock (loamy sand texture), an irrigation system adaptable to controlled tracer introductions, and instruments that enable total water balance monitoring. We imposed a repeated sequence of rainfall pulses and achieved periodic-steady-state conditions over 24 days. Using systematic introductions of deuterium- and chloride-enriched water, and the PERTH method, we resolve the time-conditional TTDs associated with tracer injections that occurred during specific intervals of the overall rainfall sequence.

A MULTI-STREAM MODEL FOR VERTICAL MIXING OF A PASSIVE TRACER IN THE CONVECTIVE BOUNDARY LAYER

EPA Science Inventory

We study a multi-stream model (MSM) for vertical mixing of a passive tracer in the convective boundary layer, in which the tracer is advected by many vertical streams with different probabilities and diffused by small scale turbulence. We test the MSM algorithm for investigatin...

Quantifying stream nutrient uptake from ambient to saturation with instantaneous tracer additions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covino, T. P.; McGlynn, B. L.; McNamara, R.

2009-12-01

Stream nutrient tracer additions and spiraling metrics are frequently used to quantify stream ecosystem behavior. However, standard approaches limit our understanding of aquatic biogeochemistry. Specifically, the relationship between in-stream nutrient concentration and stream nutrient spiraling has not been characterized. The standard constant rate (steady-state) approach to stream spiraling parameter estimation, either through elevating nutrient concentration or adding isotopically labeled tracers (e.g. 15N), provides little information regarding the stream kinetic curve that represents the uptake-concentration relationship analogous to the Michaelis-Menten curve. These standard approaches provide single or a few data points and often focus on estimating ambient uptake under the conditions at the time of the experiment. Here we outline and demonstrate a new method using instantaneous nutrient additions and dynamic analyses of breakthrough curve (BTC) data to characterize the full relationship between spiraling metrics and nutrient concentration. We compare the results from these dynamic analyses to BTC-integrated, and standard steady-state approaches. Our results indicate good agreement between these three approaches but we highlight the advantages of our dynamic method. Specifically, our new dynamic method provides a cost-effective and efficient approach to: 1) characterize full concentration-spiraling metric curves; 2) estimate ambient spiraling metrics; 3) estimate Michaelis-Menten parameters maximum uptake (Umax) and the half-saturation constant (Km) from developed uptake-concentration kinetic curves, and; 4) measure dynamic nutrient spiraling in larger rivers where steady-state approaches are impractical.

Phosphorous retention in a remediated stream - evaluation of a 32P tracer experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riml, Joakim; Morén, Ida; Wörman, Anders

2017-04-01

The increased attention to surface water quality problems together with the revealed importance of the stream water -hyporheic zone system for solute retention has highlighted the potential for surface water systems to mitigate solute export to downstream recipients. As a consequence, the number of stream restoration projects during the last decades has increased significantly. However, to be able to design remediation measures as well as to assess the effectiveness of implemented measures, quantitative knowledge of the hydrodynamic (substance independent) and the biogeochemical processes (substance dependent) retaining the solute along the transport pathway is needed. In this work, we present the findings from a simultaneous injection of tritiated water (3H20) and phosphate (32PO4-) with the overall aim to evaluate the effectiveness of remediation actions implemented along a 6 km stretch of a small agricultural stream in Sweden. In contrast to many other tracer tests where different types of proxy substances are used, a key advantage of the study is the use of the substance of environmental interest (in this case phosphorous), which enhances the significance of the results. In addition, the unique radioactive signal from the injected tracer allowed us to distinguish the added phosphorous from other diffuse sources of phosphorous from the surrounding landscape. By using a physically based transport model to evaluate the tracer breakthrough curves at a number of subsequent sampling stations, we were able to contrast the response of different stream reaches both with respect to hydrodynamic and biogeochemical retention. In particular, we found a substantial importance of vegetation on the retention of 32P, when comparing established reaches with dense in-stream vegetation with newly implemented reaches where vegetation was completely absent.

Solute transport in streams of varying morphology inferred from a high resolution network of potentiometric wireless chloride sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaus, Julian; Smettem, Keith; Pfister, Laurent; Harris, Nick

2017-04-01

There is ongoing interest in understanding and quantifying the travel times and dispersion of solutes moving through stream environments, including the hyporheic zone and/or in-channel dead zones where retention affects biogeochemical cycling processes that are critical to stream ecosystem functioning. Modelling these transport and retention processes requires acquisition of tracer data from injection experiments where the concentrations are recorded downstream. Such experiments are often time consuming and costly, which may be the reason many modelling studies of chemical transport have tended to rely on relatively few well documented field case studies. This leads to the need of fast and cheap distributed sensor arrays that respond instantly and record chemical transport at points of interest on timescales of seconds at various locations in the stream environment. To tackle this challenge we present data from several tracer experiments carried out in the Attert river catchment in Luxembourg employing low-cost (in the order of a euro per sensor) potentiometric chloride sensors in a distributed array. We injected NaCl under various baseflow conditions in streams of different morphologies and observed solute transport at various distances and locations. This data is used to benchmark the sensors to data obtained from more expensive electrical conductivity meters. Furthermore, the data allowed spatial resolution of hydrodynamic mixing processes and identification of chemical 'dead zones' in the study reaches.

Predicting changes in hydrologic retention in an evolving semi-arid alluvial stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, J.W.; Conklin, M.H.; Koelsch, R.S.

2003-01-01

Hydrologic retention of solutes in hyporheic zones or other slowly moving waters of natural channels is thought to be a significant control on biogeochemical cycling and ecology of streams. To learn more about factors affecting hydrologic retention, we repeated stream-tracer injections for 5 years in a semi-arid alluvial stream (Pinal Creek, Ariz.) during a period when streamflow was decreasing, channel width increasing, and coverage of aquatic macrophytes expanding. Average stream velocity at Pinal Creek decreased from 0.8 to 0.2 m/s, average stream depth decreased from 0.09 to 0.04 m, and average channel width expanded from 3 to 13 m. Modeling of tracer experiments indicated that the hydrologic retention factor (Rh), a measure of the average time that solute spends in storage per unit length of downstream transport, increased from 0.02 to 8 s/m. At the same time the ratio of cross-sectional area of storage zones to main channel cross-sectional area (As/A) increased from 0.2 to 0.8 m2/m2, and average water residence time in storage zones (ts) increased from 5 to 24 min. Compared with published data from four other streams in the US, Pinal Creek experienced the greatest change in hydrologic retention for a given change in streamflow. The other streams differed from Pinal Creek in that they experienced a change in streamflow between tracer experiments without substantial geomorphic or vegetative adjustments. As a result, a regression of hydrologic retention on streamflow developed for the other streams underpredicted the measured increases in hydrologic retention at Pinal Creek. The increase in hydrologic retention at Pinal Creek was more accurately predicted when measurements of the Darcy-Weisbach friction factor were used (either alone or in addition to streamflow) as a predictor variable. We conclude that relatively simple measurements of channel friction are useful for predicting the response of hydrologic retention in streams to major adjustments in channel morphology as well as changes in streamflow. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Multiple-Tracer Approach for Identifying Sewage Sources to an Urban Stream System

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hyer, Kenneth Edward

2007-01-01

The presence of human-derived fecal coliform bacteria (sewage) in streams and rivers is recognized as a human health hazard. The source of these human-derived bacteria, however, is often difficult to identify and eliminate, because sewage can be delivered to streams through a variety of mechanisms, such as leaking sanitary sewers or private lateral lines, cross-connected pipes, straight pipes, sewer-line overflows, illicit dumping of septic waste, and vagrancy. A multiple-tracer study was conducted to identify site-specific sources of sewage in Accotink Creek, an urban stream in Fairfax County, Virginia, that is listed on the Commonwealth's priority list of impaired streams for violations of the fecal coliform bacteria standard. Beyond developing this multiple-tracer approach for locating sources of sewage inputs to Accotink Creek, the second objective of the study was to demonstrate how the multiple-tracer approach can be applied to other streams affected by sewage sources. The tracers used in this study were separated into indicator tracers, which are relatively simple and inexpensive to apply, and confirmatory tracers, which are relatively difficult and expensive to analyze. Indicator tracers include fecal coliform bacteria, surfactants, boron, chloride, chloride/bromide ratio, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and water temperature. Confirmatory tracers include 13 organic compounds that are associated with human waste, including caffeine, cotinine, triclosan, a number of detergent metabolites, several fragrances, and several plasticizers. To identify sources of sewage to Accotink Creek, a detailed investigation of the Accotink Creek main channel, tributaries, and flowing storm drains was undertaken from 2001 to 2004. Sampling was conducted in a series of eight synoptic sampling events, each of which began at the most downstream site and extended upstream through the watershed and into the headwaters of each tributary. Using the synoptic sampling approach, 149 sites were sampled at least one time for indicator tracers; 52 of these sites also were sampled for confirmatory tracers at least one time. Through the analysis of multiple-tracer levels in the synoptic samples, three major sewage sources to the Accotink Creek stream network were identified, and several other minor sewage sources to the Accotink Creek system likely deserve additional investigation. Near the end of the synoptic sampling activities, three additional sampling methods were used to gain better understanding of the potential for sewage sources to the watershed. These additional sampling methods included optical brightener monitoring, intensive stream sampling using automated samplers, and additional sampling of several storm-drain networks. The samples obtained by these methods provided further understanding of possible sewage sources to the streams and a better understanding of the variability in the tracer concentrations at a given sampling site. Collectively, these additional sampling methods were a valuable complement to the synoptic sampling approach that was used for the bulk of this study. The study results provide an approach for local authorities to use in applying a relatively simple and inexpensive collection of tracers to locate sewage sources to streams. Although this multiple-tracer approach is effective in detecting sewage sources to streams, additional research is needed to better detect extremely low-volume sewage sources and better enable local authorities to identify the specific sources of the sewage once it is detected in a stream reach.

Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Groundwater Age Using Synoptic Surveys of Environmental Tracers in Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, W. P.

2017-12-01

A model which simulates tracer concentration in surface water as a function the age distribution of groundwater discharge is used to characterize groundwater flow systems at a variety of spatial scales. We develop the theory behind the model and demonstrate its application in several groundwater systems of local to regional scale. A 1-D stream transport model, which includes: advection, dispersion, gas exchange, first-order decay and groundwater inflow is coupled a lumped parameter model that calculates the concentration of environmental tracers in discharging groundwater as a function of the groundwater residence time distribution. The lumped parameters, which describe the residence time distribution, are allowed to vary spatially, and multiple environmental tracers can be simulated. This model allows us to calculate the longitudinal profile of tracer concentration in streams as a function of the spatially variable groundwater age distribution. By fitting model results to observations of stream chemistry and discharge, we can then estimate the spatial distribution of groundwater age. The volume of groundwater discharge to streams can be estimated using a subset of environmental tracers, applied tracers, synoptic stream gauging or other methods, and the age of groundwater then estimated using the previously calculated groundwater discharge and observed environmental tracer concentrations. Synoptic surveys of SF6, CFC's, 3H and 222Rn, along with measured stream discharge are used to estimate the groundwater inflow distribution and mean age for regional scale surveys of the Berland River in west-central Alberta. We find that groundwater entering the Berland has observable age, and that the age estimated using our stream survey is of similar order to limited samples from groundwater wells in the region. Our results show that the stream can be used as an easily accessible location to constrain the regional scale spatial distribution of groundwater age.

Estimation of time-variable fast flow path chemical concentrations for application in tracer-based hydrograph separation analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kronholm, Scott C.; Capel, Paul D.

2016-01-01

Mixing models are a commonly used method for hydrograph separation, but can be hindered by the subjective choice of the end-member tracer concentrations. This work tests a new variant of mixing model that uses high-frequency measures of two tracers and streamflow to separate total streamflow into water from slowflow and fastflow sources. The ratio between the concentrations of the two tracers is used to create a time-variable estimate of the concentration of each tracer in the fastflow end-member. Multiple synthetic data sets, and data from two hydrologically diverse streams, are used to test the performance and limitations of the new model (two-tracer ratio-based mixing model: TRaMM). When applied to the synthetic streams under many different scenarios, the TRaMM produces results that were reasonable approximations of the actual values of fastflow discharge (±0.1% of maximum fastflow) and fastflow tracer concentrations (±9.5% and ±16% of maximum fastflow nitrate concentration and specific conductance, respectively). With real stream data, the TRaMM produces high-frequency estimates of slowflow and fastflow discharge that align with expectations for each stream based on their respective hydrologic settings. The use of two tracers with the TRaMM provides an innovative and objective approach for estimating high-frequency fastflow concentrations and contributions of fastflow water to the stream. This provides useful information for tracking chemical movement to streams and allows for better selection and implementation of water quality management strategies.

Hydrogeological characterization of a bank filtration experiment site at the Rio Grande, El Paso, Texas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langford, R.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Pillai, S.; Abdel-Fattah, A.; Widmer, K.

2003-04-01

An experiment site was constructed along an artificial channel of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The experiment was funded by the EPA and is designed to measure the effectiveness of bank filtration in an arid environment. Regionally, the experiment is important because of the hundreds of thousands of people drinking water from shallow wells drilled in close proximity to septic systems. A pumping well was drilled 17 meters from the stream bank and screened from 3.5 to 8 m depth. A cruciform array of observation wells with several multilevel completions allows detection of downstream and vertical movement of water as well as flow from the stream to the well. All of the wells were continuously cored during drilling. Analysis of the cores reveals that the site consists of two stacked channels filled with sand deposited from the meandering Rio Grande. A grid of ground-penetrating radar lines provided three-dimensional coverage between wells and showed bedding to 6.5 m depth. Constant head hydraulic conductivities show that the aquifer consists of two more permeable units separated by the less permeable upper fill of the lower channel complex, with vertical hydraulic conductivities of (1x10-6 to 2x10-6 m/s?). The intervals above and below this interval have the highest vertical conductivities (up to 3.5x10-5 m/s). A multiple pumping and tracer test was conducted using the cruciform array of the field site that consisted of a pumping well, 16 observation wells, and a stream sampling point. The average hydraulic conductivity of the geological media at the field site was about 2 x 10-3 m/s based on pumping test analysis. However, the type curve responses revealed significant heterogeneity of hydraulic conductivity throughout the field site. For the tracer test, bromide and microspheres were used as tracers. Microspheres were used to mimic the behavior of Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The tracers (bromide and microspheres of different sizes and colors) were injected in one observation wells screened into the riverbank, one observation wells screened into the geological medium at the field site, and into one piezometer pushed into the stream sediments within the stream. The bromide recovery in the pumping well and in the deeper observation wells showed an early and a late peak with a long tail indicating the possibility that the geological medium at the field site behaves like a double-porosity medium allowing the tracer to move relatively quickly through the higher conductivity units while being significantly retarded in the low hydraulic conductivity units. The analysis of the microspheres in the laboratory, which is not yet complete, will shed more light on the transport behavior of pathogens at the field site.

Size-sensitive particle trajectories in three-dimensional micro-bubble acoustic streaming flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volk, Andreas; Rossi, Massimiliano; Hilgenfeldt, Sascha; Rallabandi, Bhargav; Kähler, Christian; Marin, Alvaro

2015-11-01

Oscillating microbubbles generate steady streaming flows with interesting features and promising applications for microparticle manipulation. The flow around oscillating semi-cylindrical bubbles has been typically assumed to be independent of the axial coordinate. However, it has been recently revealed that particle motion is strongly three-dimensional: Small tracer particles follow vortical trajectories with pronounced axial displacements near the bubble, weaving a toroidal stream-surface. A well-known consequence of bubble streaming flows is size-dependent particle migration, which can be exploited for sorting and trapping of microparticles in microfluidic devices. In this talk, we will show how the three-dimensional toroidal topology found for small tracer particles is modified as the particle size increases up to 1/3 of the bubble radius. Our results show size-sensitive particle positioning along the axis of the semi-cylindrical bubble. In order to analyze the three-dimensional sorting and trapping capabilities of the system, experiments with an imposed flow and polydisperse particle solutions are also shown.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payn, R.A.; Gooseff, M.N.; McGlynn, B.L.; Bencala, K.E.; Wondzell, S.M.

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6 km valley segment. For each reach, we estimated net change in discharge, gross hydrologic loss, and gross hydrologic gain from tracer dilution and mass recovery. Four series of tracer tests were performed during relatively high, intermediate, and low base flow conditions. The relative distribution of channel water along the stream was strongly related to a transition in valley structure, with a general increase in gross losses through the recession. During tracer tests at intermediate and low flows, there were frequent substantial losses of tracer mass (>10%) that could not be explained by net loss in flow over the reach, indicating that many of the study reaches were concurrently losing and gaining water. For example, one reach with little net change in discharge exchanged nearly 20% of upstream flow with gains and losses along the reach. These substantial bidirectional exchanges suggest that some channel interactions with subsurface flow paths were not measurable by net change in flow or transient storage of recovered tracer. Understanding bidirectional channel water balances in stream reaches along valleys is critical to an accurate assessment of stream solute fate and transport and to a full assessment of exchanges between the stream channel and surrounding subsurface. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Quantifying and Predicting Three-Dimensional Heterogeneity in Transient Storage Using Roving Profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, D. A.; Reaver, N.; Hensley, R. T.; Cohen, M. J.

2017-12-01

Hydraulic transport is an important component of nutrient spiraling in streams. Quantifying conservative solute transport is a prerequisite for understanding the cycling and fate of reactive solutes, such as nutrients. Numerous studies have modeled solute transport within streams using the one-dimensional advection, dispersion and storage (ADS) equation calibrated to experimental data from tracer experiments. However, there are limitations to the information about in-stream transient storage that can be derived from calibrated ADS model parameters. Transient storage (TS) in the ADS model is most often modeled as a single process, and calibrated model parameters are "lumped" values that are the best-fit representation of multiple real-world TS processes. In this study, we developed a roving profiling method to assess and predict spatial heterogeneity of in-stream TS. We performed five tracer experiments on three spring-fed rivers in Florida (USA) using Rhodamine WT. During each tracer release, stationary fluorometers were deployed to measure breakthrough curves for multiple reaches within the river. Teams of roving samplers moved along the rivers measuring tracer concentrations at various locations and depths within the reaches. A Bayesian statistical method was used to calibrate the ADS model to the stationary breakthrough curves, resulting in probability distributions for both the advective and TS zone as a function of river distance and time. Rover samples were then assigned a probability of being from either the advective or TS zone by comparing measured concentrations to the probability distributions of concentrations in the ADS advective and TS zones. A regression model was used to predict the probability of any in-stream position being located within the advective versus TS zone based on spatiotemporal predictors (time, river position, depth, and distance from bank) and eco-geomorphological feature (eddies, woody debris, benthic depressions, and aquatic vegetation). Results confirm that TS is spatially variable as a function of spatiotemporal and eco-geomorphological features. A substantial number of samples with nearly equivalent chances of being from the advective or TS zones suggests that the distinction between zones is often poorly defined.

Application of Tracer-Injection Techniques to Demonstrate Surface-Water and Ground-Water Interactions Between an Alpine Stream and the North Star Mine, Upper Animas River Watershed, Southwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Winfield G.; Moore, Bryan

2003-01-01

Tracer-injection studies were done in Belcher Gulch in the upper Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado, to determine whether the alpine stream infiltrates into underground mine workings of the North Star Mine and other nearby mines in the area. The tracer-injection studies were designed to determine if and where along Belcher Gulch the stream infiltrates into the mine. Four separate tracer-injec-tion tests were done using lithium bromide (LiBr), optical brightener dye, and sodium chloride (NaCl) as tracer solu-tions. Two of the tracers (LiBr and dye) were injected con-tinuously for 24 hours, one of the NaCl tracers was injected continuously for 12 hours, and one of the NaCl tracers was injected over a period of 1 hour. Concentration increases of tracer constituents were detected in water discharging from the North Star Mine, substantiating a surface-water and ground-water connection between Belcher Gulch and the North Star Mine. Different timing and magnitude of tracer breakthroughs indicated multiple flow paths with different residence times from the stream to the mine. The Pittsburgh and Sultan Mines were thought to physically connect to the North Star Mine, but tracer breakthroughs were inconclusive in water from these mines. From the tracer-injection tests and synoptic measure-ments of streamflow discharge, a conceptual model was devel-oped for surface-water and ground-water interactions between Belcher Gulch and the North Star Mine. This information, combined with previous surface geophysical surveys indicat-ing the presence of subsurface voids, may assist with decision-making process for preventing infiltration and for the remedia-tion of mine drainage from these mines.

Contrasting food web linkages for the grazing pathway in three temperate forested streams using 15N as a tracer

Treesearch

J.L. Tank; P.J. Mulholland; J.L. Meyer; W.B. Bowden; J.R. Webster; B.J. Peterson

2000-01-01

Nitrogen is a critical element controlling the productivity and dynamics of stream ecosystems and many streams are limited by the supply of biologically available nitrogen (e.g. Grimm & Fisher 1986, Lohman et al. 1991). We are learning more about the fate of inorganic nitrogen entering streams through 15N tracer additions (Peterson et al....

Drivers of Microbial Metabolic Activity, Biogeochemical Cycling and Associated Greenhouse Gas Production in Streambed Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comer-Warner, S.; Krause, S.; Gooddy, D.; Blaen, P.; Brekenfeld, N.; Wexler, S.; Kaiser, J.

2017-12-01

Hotspots of enhanced biogeochemical reactivity are produced where groundwater and surface water mixes in streambed sediments. This enhanced reactivity is due to elevated residence times and nutrient concentrations found in these areas, leading to increased rates of microbial metabolic activity. Streambed sediments, therefore, may be important in reducing catchment-wide nutrient concentrations through increased cycling. However, they also have the potential to produce high concentrations of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O), as end-products of respiration and intermediate products of denitrification. The hydrological and biogeochemical drivers of streambed C and N cycling, are still insufficiently understood. Here we present results from biogeochemical sampling and tracer experiments in an agricultural sandstone stream in the UK. Nutrient, DOC and greenhouse gas concentrations, as well as d13CCO2, were measured in the streambed sediment in multilevel piezometers, and nutrient concentrations, as well as d15NNO3 and d18ONO3, were measured in Diffusive Equilibrium in Thin-film Gels. Tracer experiments using both conservative (Fluorescein and NaCl) and smart (Resazurin-Resorufin) tracers were performed to determine in-stream metabolism, transient storage and solute transport times in sub-reaches of the stream. Our results show large differences in nutrient and greenhouse gas concentrations between sub-reaches dominated by gravel sediments and those dominated by sandy sediments, as well as seasonally. This suggests temperature, sediment type and residence time are key controls on streambed nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas production. The results of this study have important implications for future greenhouse gas estimates from streams and rivers, particularly as the contribution of sediment greenhouse gas production is recognised as increasingly significant.

18,000 displacement vectors and 44 positions surveys of RFID tracers show a normal diffusion of the bedload in a proglacial stream (Bossons glacier, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillon, Hervé; Mugnier, Jean-Louis; Buoncristiani, Jean-François

2016-04-01

Bedload transport is a stochastic process during which each particle hops for a random length then rests for a random duration. In recent years, this probabilistic approach was investigated by theoretical models, numerical simulations and laboratory experiments. These experiments are generally carried out on short time scales with sand, but underline the diffusive behaviour of the bedload. Conversely, marked pebbles in natural streams have mainly be used to infer about transport processes and transport time of the bedload. In this study, the stochastic characteristics of bedload transport are inferred from the radio-frequency identification (RFID) of pebbles. In particular, we provide insights for answering the following question : is the bedload transport sub-diffusive, normally diffusive or super-diffusive at the long time scale (i.e. global range)? Experiments designed to investigate the phenomenology of bedload transport have been carried out in the proglacial area of Bossons glacier. This 350 m long alluvial plain exhibits daily flood from the glacial system and is still redistributing material from catastrophic events pre-dating our investigations. From 2011 to 2014, the position of the ˜ 1000 RFID tracers have been measured by a mobile antenna and a differential GPS during 44 surveys providing ˜ 2500 tracer positions. Additionnaly, in 2014, 650 new tracers were seeded upstream from a static RFID antenna located at the outlet of the study area. For the 1 to 32 cm fraction surveyed, both mobile and static antenna results show no evidence for a significant export outside of the surveyed zone. Initial data have been maximized by using each possible campaign pairs leading to ˜700 campaign pairs and more than 18,000 displacement vectors. To our knowledge, this is one of the most extensive dataset of tracers positions measured in a natural stream using the RFID methodology. Using 152 campaigns pairs with at least 20 retrieved tracers,r standard probability distributions were tested against the observed travel distances. Regardless of the time scale, heavy- and light-tailed distributions provide a convincing statistical description of measured data. No single distribution is significantly better than the others. Conversely, the distribution of tracers positions in the system and its time evolution is best described by the normal distribution. Its standard deviation scales with time as σ ∝ t0.45±0.12 which suggests a nearly normal diffusive behaviour. The measured virtual velocities and a simple probabilistic model using the time evolution of the mean (i.e. drift) and standard deviation (i.e diffusion) show that the mean bedload transfer time is greater than 5 years. RFID tracers appear as a promising tool to investigate stochastic characteristics of bedload transport.

Using the tracer-dilution discharge method to develop streamflow records for ice-affected streams in Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Capesius, Joseph P.; Sullivan, Joseph R.; O'Neill, Gregory B.; Williams, Cory A.

2005-01-01

Accurate ice-affected streamflow records are difficult to obtain for several reasons, which makes the management of instream-flow water rights in the wintertime a challenging endeavor. This report documents a method to improve ice-affected streamflow records for two gaging stations in Colorado. In January and February 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board, conducted an experiment using a sodium chloride tracer to measure streamflow under ice cover by the tracer-dilution discharge method. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of obtaining accurate ice-affected streamflow records by using a sodium chloride tracer that was injected into the stream. The tracer was injected at two gaging stations once per day for approximately 20 minutes for 25 days. Multiple-parameter water-quality sensors at the two gaging stations monitored background and peak chloride concentrations. These data were used to determine discharge at each site. A comparison of the current-meter streamflow record to the tracer-dilution streamflow record shows different levels of accuracy and precision of the tracer-dilution streamflow record at the two sites. At the lower elevation and warmer site, Brandon Ditch near Whitewater, the tracer-dilution method overestimated flow by an average of 14 percent, but this average is strongly biased by outliers. At the higher elevation and colder site, Keystone Gulch near Dillon, the tracer-dilution method experienced problems with the tracer solution partially freezing in the injection line. The partial freezing of the tracer contributed to the tracer-dilution method underestimating flow by 52 percent at Keystone Gulch. In addition, a tracer-pump-reliability test was conducted to test how accurately the tracer pumps can discharge the tracer solution in conditions similar to those used at the gaging stations. Although the pumps were reliable and consistent throughout the 25-day study period, the pumps underdischarged the tracer by 5.8-15.9 percent as compared to the initial pumping rate setting, which may explain some of the error in the tracer-dilution streamflow record as compared to current-meter streamflow record.

Quantifying nutrient sources in an upland catchment using multiple chemical and isotopic tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.; Boyer, E. W.; Shanley, J. B.; Doctor, D. H.; Kendall, C.; Aiken, G. R.

2006-12-01

To explore processes that control the temporal variation of nutrients in surface waters, we measured multiple environmental tracers at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, an upland catchment in northeastern Vermont, USA. Using a set of high-frequency stream water samples, we quantified the variation of nutrients over a range of stream flow conditions with chemical and isotopic tracers of water, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Stream water concentrations of nitrogen (predominantly in the forms of nitrate and dissolved organic nitrogen) and DOC reflected mixing of water contributed from distinct sources in the forested landscape. Water isotopic signatures and end-member mixing analysis revealed when solutes entered the stream from these sources and that the sources were linked to the stream by preferential shallow subsurface and overland flow paths. Results from the tracers indicated that freshly-leached, terrestrial organic matter was the overwhelming source of high DOC concentrations in stream water. In contrast, in this region where atmospheric nitrogen deposition is chronically elevated, the highest concentrations of stream nitrate were attributable to atmospheric sources that were transported via melting snow and rain fall. These findings are consistent with a conceptual model of the landscape in which coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes interact to control stream solute variability over time.

Tracer gauge: An automated dye dilution gauging system for ice‐affected streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, David W.; Fleming, Andrea C.

2008-01-01

In‐stream flow protection programs require accurate, real‐time streamflow data to aid in the protection of aquatic ecosystems during winter base flow periods. In cold regions, however, winter streamflow often can only be estimated because in‐channel ice causes variable backwater conditions and alters the stage‐discharge relation. In this study, an automated dye dilution gauging system, a tracer gauge, was developed for measuring discharge in ice‐affected streams. Rhodamine WT is injected into the stream at a constant rate, and downstream concentrations are measured with a submersible fluorometer. Data loggers control system operations, monitor key variables, and perform discharge calculations. Comparison of discharge from the tracer gauge and from a Cipoletti weir during periods of extensive ice cover indicated that the root‐mean‐square error of the tracer gauge was 0.029 m3 s−1, or 6.3% of average discharge for the study period. The tracer gauge system can provide much more accurate data than is currently available for streams that are strongly ice affected and, thus, could substantially improve management of in‐stream flow protection programs during winter in cold regions. Care must be taken, however, to test for the validity of key assumptions, including complete mixing and conservative behavior of dye, no changes in storage, and no gains or losses of water to or from the stream along the study reach. These assumptions may be tested by measuring flow‐weighted dye concentrations across the stream, performing dye mass balance analyses, and evaluating breakthrough curve behavior.

Wildfire Effects on In-stream Nutrient Processing and Hydrologic Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rhea, A.; Covino, T. P.; Rhoades, C.; Fegel, T.

2017-12-01

In many forests throughout the Western U.S., drought, climate change, and growing fuel loads are contributing to increased fire frequency and severity. Wildfires can influence watershed nutrient retention as they fundamentally alter the biological composition and physical structure in upland landscapes, riparian corridors, and stream channels. While numerous studies have documented substantial short-term increases in stream nutrient concentrations and export (particularly reactive nitrogen, N) following forest fires, the long-term implications for watershed nutrient cycling remain unclear. For example, recent work indicates that nitrate concentrations and export can remain elevated for a decade or more following wildfire, yet the controls on these processes are unknown. In this research, we use empirical observations from nutrient tracer injections, nutrient diffusing substrates, and continuous water quality monitoring to isolate biological and physical controls on nutrient export across a burn-severity gradient. Tracer results demonstrate substantial stream-groundwater exchange, but little biological nutrient uptake in burned streams. This in part explains patterns of elevated nutrient export. Paired nutrient diffusing substrate experiments allow us to further investigate shifts in N, phosphorus, and carbon limitation that may suppress post-fire stream nutrient uptake. By isolating the mechanisms that reduce the capacity of fire-affected streams to retain and transform nutrient inputs, we can better predict dynamics in post-fire water quality and help prioritize upland and riparian restoration.

Quantifying hyporheic exchange at high spatial resolution using natural temperature variations along a first-order stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westhoff, M. C.; Gooseff, M. N.; Bogaard, T. A.; Savenije, H. H. G.

2011-10-01

Hyporheic exchange is an important process that underpins stream ecosystem function, and there have been numerous ways to characterize and quantify exchange flow rates and hyporheic zone size. The most common approach, using conservative stream tracer experiments and 1-D solute transport modeling, results in oversimplified representations of the system. Here we present a new approach to quantify hyporheic exchange and the size of the hyporheic zone (HZ) using high-resolution temperature measurements and a coupled 1-D transient storage and energy balance model to simulate in-stream water temperatures. Distributed temperature sensing was used to observe in-stream water temperatures with a spatial and temporal resolution of 2 and 3 min, respectively. The hyporheic exchange coefficient (which describes the rate of exchange) and the volume of the HZ were determined to range between 0 and 2.7 × 10-3 s-1 and 0 and 0.032 m3 m-1, respectively, at a spatial resolution of 1-10 m, by simulating a time series of in-stream water temperatures along a 565 m long stretch of a small first-order stream in central Luxembourg. As opposed to conventional stream tracer tests, two advantages of this approach are that exchange parameters can be determined for any stream segment over which data have been collected and that the depth of the HZ can be estimated as well. Although the presented method was tested on a small stream, it has potential for any stream where rapid (in regard to time) temperature change of a few degrees can be obtained.

Traveltime and reaeration characteristics for a reach of the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waltemeyer, S.D.

1994-01-01

Traveltime characteristics were determined using stream-velocity data and tracer-dye data for a reach of the Rio Grande. Traveltimes determined by the stream-velocity method were virtually the same as those determined by the tracer-dye and tracer-gas technique. The mean velocity of the stream was 1.12 miles per hour at a flow of about 300 cubic feet per second. Reaeration characteristics were determined using a propane tracer gas and a tracer-dye (rhodamine WT). Reaeration coefficients were adjusted for water temperature and the effects of wind movement on the water surface. The peak method-adjusted reaeration-coefficient mean value for the reach was 7.0 per day and ranged from 4.6 to 8.3 per day. The area method-adjusted reaeration- coefficient mean value for the reach was 7.7 per day and ranged from 5.5 to 10.4 per day.

How does subsurface retain and release stored water? An explicit estimation of young water fraction and mean transit time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameli, Ali; McDonnell, Jeffrey; Laudon, Hjalmar; Bishop, Kevin

2017-04-01

The stable isotopes of water have served science well as hydrological tracers which have demonstrated that there is often a large component of "old" water in stream runoff. It has been more problematic to define the full transit time distribution of that stream water. Non-linear mixing of previous precipitation signals that is stored for extended periods and slowly travel through the subsurface before reaching the stream results in a large range of possible transit times. It difficult to find tracers can represent this, especially if all that one has is data on the precipitation input and the stream runoff. In this paper, we explicitly characterize this "old water" displacement using a novel quasi-steady physically-based flow and transport model in the well-studied S-Transect hillslope in Sweden where the concentration of hydrological tracers in the subsurface and stream has been measured. We explore how subsurface conductivity profile impacts the characteristics of old water displacement, and then test these scenarios against the observed dynamics of conservative hydrological tracers in both the stream and subsurface. This work explores the efficiency of convolution-based approaches in the estimation of stream "young water" fraction and time-variant mean transit times. We also suggest how celerity and velocity differ with landscape structure

Transport and concentration controls for chloride, strontium, potassium and lead in Uvas Creek, a small cobble-bed stream in Santa Clara County, California, U.S.A. 1. Conceptual model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, V.C.; Jackman, A.P.; Zand, S.M.; Zellweger, G.W.; Avanzino, R.J.

1984-01-01

Stream sediments adsorb certain solutes from streams, thereby significantly changing the solute composition; but little is known about the details and rates of these adsorptive processes. To investigate such processes, a 24-hr. injection of a solution containing chloride, strontium, potassium, sodium and lead was made at the head of a 640-m reach of Uvas Creek in west-central Santa Clara County, California. Uvas Creek is a cobble-bed pool-and-riffle stream draining the eastern slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. By September 12, 1973, after a long dry season, Uvas Creek had a low (0.0215 m3s-1 average) flow which varied diurnally, from 0.018 to 0.025 m3s-1. Because stream discharge varied while the injection rate was constant, the concentration of tracers (injected solutes), after mixing in the stream, varied inversely with discharge. Chloride, a nonreactive solute, served as a tracer of water movement. Analysis of extensive chloride concentration data at five sites below the injection point during and after the injection demonstrated that there was considerable underflow of water through the stream gravels; however, the extent of underflow varied greatly within the study reach. Pre-injection water, displaced by tracer-laden water percolating through the gravels, diluted tracers in the stream channel, giving the mistaken impression of groundwater inflow at some points. Accurate measurement of total discharge in such streams requires prolonged tracer injection unless a reach can be found where underflow is negligible. Strontium and potassium were adsorbed by the bed sediments to a moderate extent and lead was strongly adsorbed. A high proportion of these metals could be removed by adsorption from percolating underflow because of extensive and intimate contact with bed sediments. After channel clearing following injection cutoff, 51% of the added strontium and 96% of the lead remained in the study reach, whereas only 19% of the chloride remained. Packets of sized sediment, placed in the stream before the experiment and withdrawn during and after the injection, indicated that the strontium absorbed on the 0.42-0.50-mm size sediment appeared to achieve near equilibrium with dissolved strontium within less than 2 hr. whereas 3.4-4.0-mm grains had not reached that stage after 24 hr. The cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of the sediments shows a "bimodal" distribution with grain size. Largest values are in the finest sizes, lower values in the fine-to-medium sand-size range, intermediate values in the coarse- to very coarse-grained sand, and decreasing values with size above very coarse-grained sand. This considerable exchange capacity in coarse-sand to granule-size particles means that a streambed, that has not been infilled with fines to reduce permeability, can be highly reactive and accessible throughout a rather thick sediment layer and hence have a large and available reactive capacity. As stream discharge increases from low flow, the ratio of underflow to channel flow should decrease rapidly with resultant diminution in percent of solutes sorbed within a particular stream reach. ?? 1984.

The suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gleeson, Tom; Manning, Andrew H.; Popp, Andrea; Zane, Mathew; Clark, Jordan F.

2018-01-01

Determining groundwater discharge to streams using dissolved gases is known to be useful over a wide range of streamflow rates but the suitability of dissolved gas methods to determine discharge rates in high gradient mountain streams has not been sufficiently tested, even though headwater streams are critical as ecological habitats and water resources. The aim of this study is to test the suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge rates to high gradient streams by field experiments in a well-characterized, high gradient mountain stream and a literature review. At a reach scale (550 m) we combined stream and groundwater radon activity measurements with an in-stream SF6 tracer test. By means of numerical modeling we determined gas exchange velocities and derived very low groundwater discharge rates (∼15% of streamflow). These groundwater discharge rates are below the uncertainty range of physical streamflow measurements and consistent with temperature, specific conductance and streamflow measured at multiple locations along the reach. At a watershed-scale (4 km), we measured CFC-12 and δ18O concentrations and determined gas exchange velocities and groundwater discharge rates with the same numerical model. The groundwater discharge rates along the 4 km stream reach were highly variable, but were consistent with the values derived in the detailed study reach. Additionally, we synthesized literature values of gas exchange velocities for different stream gradients which show an empirical relationship that will be valuable in planning future dissolved gas studies on streams with various gradients. In sum, we show that multiple dissolved gas tracers can be used to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient mountain streams from reach to watershed scales.

The suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleeson, Tom; Manning, Andrew H.; Popp, Andrea; Zane, Matthew; Clark, Jordan F.

2018-02-01

Determining groundwater discharge to streams using dissolved gases is known to be useful over a wide range of streamflow rates but the suitability of dissolved gas methods to determine discharge rates in high gradient mountain streams has not been sufficiently tested, even though headwater streams are critical as ecological habitats and water resources. The aim of this study is to test the suitability of using dissolved gases to determine groundwater discharge rates to high gradient streams by field experiments in a well-characterized, high gradient mountain stream and a literature review. At a reach scale (550 m) we combined stream and groundwater radon activity measurements with an in-stream SF6 tracer test. By means of numerical modeling we determined gas exchange velocities and derived very low groundwater discharge rates (∼15% of streamflow). These groundwater discharge rates are below the uncertainty range of physical streamflow measurements and consistent with temperature, specific conductance and streamflow measured at multiple locations along the reach. At a watershed-scale (4 km), we measured CFC-12 and δ18O concentrations and determined gas exchange velocities and groundwater discharge rates with the same numerical model. The groundwater discharge rates along the 4 km stream reach were highly variable, but were consistent with the values derived in the detailed study reach. Additionally, we synthesized literature values of gas exchange velocities for different stream gradients which show an empirical relationship that will be valuable in planning future dissolved gas studies on streams with various gradients. In sum, we show that multiple dissolved gas tracers can be used to determine groundwater discharge to high gradient mountain streams from reach to watershed scales.

Effect of morphology and discharge on hyporheic exchange flows in two small streams in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA.

Treesearch

Steven M. Wondzell

2006-01-01

Stream-tracer injections were used to examine the effect of channel morphology and changing stream discharge on hyporheic exchange flows. Direct observations were made from well networks to follow tracer movement through the hyporheic zone. The reach-integrated influence of hyporheic exchange was evaluated using the transient storage model (TSM) OTIS-P. Transient...

A field comparison of multiple techniques to quantify groundwater - surface-water interactions

USGS Publications Warehouse

González-Pinzón, Ricardo; Ward, Adam S; Hatch, Christine E; Wlostowski, Adam N; Singha, Kamini; Gooseff, Michael N.; Haggerty, Roy; Harvey, Judson; Cirpka, Olaf A; Brock, James T

2015-01-01

Groundwater–surface-water (GW-SW) interactions in streams are difficult to quantify because of heterogeneity in hydraulic and reactive processes across a range of spatial and temporal scales. The challenge of quantifying these interactions has led to the development of several techniques, from centimeter-scale probes to whole-system tracers, including chemical, thermal, and electrical methods. We co-applied conservative and smart reactive solute-tracer tests, measurement of hydraulic heads, distributed temperature sensing, vertical profiles of solute tracer and temperature in the stream bed, and electrical resistivity imaging in a 450-m reach of a 3rd-order stream. GW-SW interactions were not spatially expansive, but were high in flux through a shallow hyporheic zone surrounding the reach. NaCl and resazurin tracers suggested different surface–subsurface exchange patterns in the upper ⅔ and lower ⅓ of the reach. Subsurface sampling of tracers and vertical thermal profiles quantified relatively high fluxes through a 10- to 20-cm deep hyporheic zone with chemical reactivity of the resazurin tracer indicated at 3-, 6-, and 9-cm sampling depths. Monitoring of hydraulic gradients along transects with MINIPOINT streambed samplers starting ∼40 m from the stream indicated that groundwater discharge prevented development of a larger hyporheic zone, which progressively decreased from the stream thalweg toward the banks. Distributed temperature sensing did not detect extensive inflow of ground water to the stream, and electrical resistivity imaging showed limited large-scale hyporheic exchange. We recommend choosing technique(s) based on: 1) clear definition of the questions to be addressed (physical, biological, or chemical processes), 2) explicit identification of the spatial and temporal scales to be covered and those required to provide an appropriate context for interpretation, and 3) maximizing generation of mechanistic understanding and reducing costs of implementing multiple techniques through collaborative research.

Potential tracers for tracking septic tank effluent discharges in watercourses.

PubMed

Richards, Samia; Withers, Paul J A; Paterson, Eric; McRoberts, Colin W; Stutter, Marc

2017-09-01

Septic tank effluent (STE) contributes to catchment nutrient and pollutant loads. To assess the role of STE discharges in impairment of surface water, it is essential to identify the sources of pollution by tracing contaminants in watercourses. We examined tracers that were present in STE to establish their potential for identifying STE contamination in two stream systems (low and high dilution levels) against the background of upstream sources. The studied tracers were microbial, organic matter fluorescence, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and effluent chemical concentrations. The results revealed that tracer concentration ratios Cl/EC, Cl/NH 4 -N, Cl/TN, Cl/TSS, Cl/turbidity, Cl/total coliforms, Cl/sucralose, Cl/saccharin and Cl/Zn had potential as tracers in the stream with low dilution level (P < 0.05). Fluorescence spectroscopy could detect STE inputs through the presence of the tryptophan-like peak, but was limited to water courses with low level of dilution and was positively correlated with stream Escherichia coli (E. coli) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). The results also suggested that caffeine and artificial sweeteners can be suitable tracers for effluent discharge in streams with low and high level of dilution. Caffeine and saccharin were positively correlated with faecal coliforms, E. coli, total P and SRP, indicating their potential to trace discharge of a faecal origin and to be a marker for effluent P. Caffeine and SRP had similar attenuation behaviour in the receiving stream waters suggesting caffeine's potential role as a surrogate indicator for the behaviour of P downstream of effluent inputs. Taken together, results suggest that a single tracer alone was not sufficient to evaluate STE contamination of watercourses, but rather a combination of multiple chemical and physical tracing approaches should be employed. A multiple tracing approach would help to identify individual and cumulative STE inputs that pose risks to stream waters in order to prioritise and target effective mitigation measures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controls on Hyporheic Nitrate Removal: Assessing Transport and Substrate Limitations with 15N Tracer Studies (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarnetske, J. P.; Haggerty, R.; Wondzell, S. M.; Baker, M. A.

2010-12-01

We examined transport time and substrate controls on hyporheic (HZ) nitrification and denitrification in an upland agricultural stream with a series of 15N tracer studies - whole-stream and in situ well-to-well steady-state 15NO3- and conservative tracer (Cl-) addition experiments. For the whole-stream experiment, we measured relevant solute, 15N isotope, and hydraulic transport conditions of the reach and along HZ flowpaths of an instrumented gravel bar. HZ exchange was observed across the entire gravel bar with flowpath lengths up to 4.2m and corresponding median residence times greater than 28.5h. The HZ transitioned from a net nitrification environment at its head (small residence times, <6.9h) to a net denitrification environment at its tail (large residence times, 6.9-28.5h). HZ denitrification was confirmed as 15N2 was produced across the entire gravel bar. Production of 15N2 across all observed flowpaths and residence times indicated that denitrification microsites are present even where net nitrification occurred. At large residence times, the rate of denitrification decreased despite persistent anoxic conditions, indicating substrate (NO3- and carbon) limitations. Consequently, we conducted in situ 15NO3-, conservative tracers (Cl- and Br), and acetate injection experiments to determine how the availability of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as acetate influences microbial denitrification in the HZ, especially along anoxic flowpaths with large residence times. The acetate addition to the HZ stimulated significant increases in 15N2 production by factors of 2.7 to 26.1 in all receiving wells, and significant decreases of NO3- and DOC aromaticity in the wells most hydrologically connected to the injection. Further, 100% of acetate was retained in the HZ, a portion of which is due to biological consumption. These studies demonstrate that: 1. the HZ is an active nitrogen sink in this study system, 2. the distinction between net nitrification and denitrification in the HZ is a function of residence time and exhibits threshold behavior, and 3. microbial denitrification in anaerobic portions of the HZ can be limited by labile DOC supply.

Hydrologic control of nitrogen removal, storage, and export in a mountain stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hall, R.O.; Baker, M.A.; Arp, C.D.; Kocha, B.J.

2009-01-01

Nutrient cycling and export in streams and rivers should vary with flow regime, yet most studies of stream nutrient transformation do not include hydrologic variability. We used a stable isotope tracer of nitrogen (15N) to measure nitrate (NO3) uptake, storage, and export in a mountain stream, Spring Creek, Idaho, U.S.A. We conducted two tracer tests of 2-week duration during snowmelt and baseflow. Dissolved and particulate forms of 15N were monitored over three seasons to test the hypothesis that stream N cycling would be dominated by export during floods, and storage during low flow. Floods exported more N than during baseflow conditions; however, snowmelt floods had higher than expected demand for NO{3 because of hyporheic exchange. Residence times of benthic N during both tracer tests were longer than 100 d for ephemeral pools such as benthic algae and wood biofilms. Residence times were much longer in fine detritus, insects, and the particulate N from the hyporheic zone, showing that assimilation and hydrologic storage can be important mechanisms for retaining particulate N. Of the tracer N stored in the stream, the primary form of export was via seston during periods of high flows, produced by summer rainstorms or spring snowmelt the following year. Spring Creek is not necessarily a conduit for nutrients during high flow; hydrologic exchange between the stream and its valley represents an important storage mechanism.

Physical controls and predictability of stream hyporheic flow evaluated with a multiscale model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonedahl, Susa H.; Harvey, Judson W.; Detty, Joel; Aubeneau, Antoine; Packman, Aaron I.

2012-01-01

Improved predictions of hyporheic exchange based on easily measured physical variables are needed to improve assessment of solute transport and reaction processes in watersheds. Here we compare physically based model predictions for an Indiana stream with stream tracer results interpreted using the Transient Storage Model (TSM). We parameterized the physically based, Multiscale Model (MSM) of stream-groundwater interactions with measured stream planform and discharge, stream velocity, streambed hydraulic conductivity and porosity, and topography of the streambed at distinct spatial scales (i.e., ripple, bar, and reach scales). We predicted hyporheic exchange fluxes and hyporheic residence times using the MSM. A Continuous Time Random Walk (CTRW) model was used to convert the MSM output into predictions of in stream solute transport, which we compared with field observations and TSM parameters obtained by fitting solute transport data. MSM simulations indicated that surface-subsurface exchange through smaller topographic features such as ripples was much faster than exchange through larger topographic features such as bars. However, hyporheic exchange varies nonlinearly with groundwater discharge owing to interactions between flows induced at different topographic scales. MSM simulations showed that groundwater discharge significantly decreased both the volume of water entering the subsurface and the time it spent in the subsurface. The MSM also characterized longer timescales of exchange than were observed by the tracer-injection approach. The tracer data, and corresponding TSM fits, were limited by tracer measurement sensitivity and uncertainty in estimates of background tracer concentrations. Our results indicate that rates and patterns of hyporheic exchange are strongly influenced by a continuum of surface-subsurface hydrologic interactions over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales rather than discrete processes.

Tracking tracer breakthrough in the hyporheic zone using time‐lapse DC resistivity, Crabby Creek, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nyquist, Jonathan E.; Toran, Laura; Fang, Allison C.; Ryan, Robert J.; Rosenberry, Donald O.

2010-01-01

Characterization of the hyporheic zone is of critical importance for understanding stream ecology, contaminant transport, and groundwater‐surface water interaction. A salt water tracer test was used to probe the hyporheic zone of a recently re‐engineered portion of Crabby Creek, a stream located near Philadelphia, PA. The tracer solution was tracked through a 13.5 meter segment of the stream using both a network of 25 wells sampled every 5–15 minutes and time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomographs collected every 11 minutes for six hours, with additional tomographs collected every 100 minutes for an additional 16 hours. The comparison of tracer monitoring methods is of keen interest because tracer tests are one of the few techniques available for characterizing this dynamic zone, and logistically it is far easier to collect resistivity tomographs than to install and monitor a dense network of wells. Our results show that resistivity monitoring captured the essential shape of the breakthrough curve and may indicate portions of the stream where the tracer lingered in the hyporheic zone. Time‐lapse resistivity measurements, however, represent time averages over the period required to collect a tomographic data set, and spatial averages over a volume larger than captured by a well sample. Smoothing by the resistivity data inversion algorithm further blurs the resulting tomograph; consequently resistivity monitoring underestimates the degree of fine‐scale heterogeneity in the hyporheic zone.

Transport of a conservative and "smart" tracers' in a first-order creek: role of transient storage type

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantification of microbial fate and transport in streams has become one of most important topics in studying biogeochemical properties and behavior of stream ecosystems. Using "smart" tracer such as resazurin (Raz) allows assessment of sediment-water interactions and associated biological activity ...

"Submesoscale Soup" Vorticity and Tracer Statistics During the Lateral Mixing Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shcherbina, A.; D'Asaro, E. A.; Lee, C. M.; Molemaker, J.; McWilliams, J. C.

2012-12-01

A detailed view of upper-ocean velocity, vorticity, and tracer statistics was obtained by a unique synchronized two-vessel survey in the North Atlantic in winter 2012. In winter, North Atlantic Mode water region south of the Gulf Stream is filled with an energetic, homogeneous, and well-developed submesoscale turbulence field - the "submesoscale soup". Turbulence in the soup is produced by frontogenesis and the surface layer instability of mesoscale eddy flows in the vicinity of the Gulf Stream. This region is a convenient representation of the inertial range of the geophysical turbulence forward cascade spanning scales of o(1-100km). During the Lateral Mixing Experiment in February-March 2012, R/Vs Atlantis and Knorr were run on parallel tracks 1 km apart for 500 km in the submesoscale soup region. Synchronous ADCP sampling provided the first in-situ estimates of full 3-D vorticity and divergence without the usual mix of spatial and temporal aliasing. Tracer distributions were also simultaneously sampled by both vessels using the underway and towed instrumentation. Observed vorticity distribution in the mixed layer was markedly asymmetric, with sparse strands of strong anticyclonic vorticity embedded in a weak, predominantly cyclonic background. While the mean vorticity was close to zero, distribution skewness exceeded 2. These observations confirm theoretical and numerical model predictions for an active submesoscale turbulence field. Submesoscale vorticity spectra also agreed well with the model prediction.

Bioturbation, advection, and diffusion of a conserved tracer in a laboratory flume

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Work, P. A.; Moore, P. R.; Reible, D. D.

2002-06-01

Laboratory experiments indicating the relative influences of advection, diffusion, and bioturbation on transport of NaCl tracer between a stream and streambed are described. Data were collected in a recirculating flume housing a box filled with test sediments. Peclet numbers ranged from 0 to 1.5. Sediment components included a medium sand (d50 = 0.31 mm), kaolinite, and topsoil. Lumbriculus variegatus were introduced as bioturbators. Conductivity probes were employed to document the flux of the tracer solution out of the bed. Measurements are compared to one-dimensional effective diffusion models assuming one or two horizontal sediment layers. These simple models provide a good indication of tracer half-life in the bed if a suitable effective diffusion coefficient is chosen but underpredict initial flux and overpredict flux at long times. Organism activity was limited to the upper reaches of the sediment test box but eventually exerts a secondary influence on flux from deeper regions.

Combining Empirical Relationships with Data Based Mechanistic Modeling to Inform Solute Tracer Investigations across Stream Orders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrington, C.; Gonzalez-Pinzon, R.; Covino, T. P.; Mortensen, J.

2015-12-01

Solute transport studies in streams and rivers often begin with the introduction of conservative and reactive tracers into the water column. Information on the transport of these substances is then captured within tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs) and used to estimate, for instance, travel times and dissolved nutrient and carbon dynamics. Traditionally, these investigations have been limited to systems with small discharges (< 200 L/s) and with small reach lengths (< 500 m), partly due to the need for a priori information of the reach's hydraulic characteristics (e.g., channel geometry, resistance and dispersion coefficients) to predict arrival times, times to peak concentrations of the solute and mean travel times. Current techniques to acquire these channel characteristics through preliminary tracer injections become cost prohibitive at higher stream orders and the use of semi-continuous water quality sensors for collecting real-time information may be affected from erroneous readings that are masked by high turbidity (e.g., nitrate signals with SUNA instruments or fluorescence measures) and/or high total dissolved solids (e.g., making prohibitively expensive the use of salt tracers such as NaCl) in larger systems. Additionally, a successful time-of-travel study is valuable for only a single discharge and river stage. We have developed a method to predict tracer BTCs to inform sampling frequencies at small and large stream orders using empirical relationships developed from multiple tracer injections spanning several orders of magnitude in discharge and reach length. This method was successfully tested in 1st to 8th order systems along the Middle Rio Grande River Basin in New Mexico, USA.

THE HYDRAULIC CHARACTERISTICS AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF HYPORHEIC AND PARAFLUVIAL ZONES IN ARCTIC TUNDRA STREAMS, NORTH SLOPE, ALASKA

EPA Science Inventory

Sodium bromide and Rhodamine WT were used as conservative tracers to examine the hydrologic characteristics of seven tundra streams in Arctic Alaska, during the summers of 1994-1996. Continuous tracer additions were conducted in seven rivers ranging from 1st to 5th order with sam...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Constantz, Jim; Su, Grace; Hatch, Christine

Both the measurement of temperature and the simulation of heat and water transport have benefited from significant recent advances in data acquisition and computer resources. This has afforded the opportunity for routine use of heat as a tracer in a variety of hydrological regimes. Heat is particularly well suited for investigations of stream/groundwater exchanges. Dynamic temperature patterns between the stream and underlying sediments are typical, due to large stream surface area to volume ratios relative to other surface water bodies. Heat is a naturally occurring tracer, free from (real or perceived) issues of contamination associated with use of chemical tracersmore » in stream environments. The use of heat as a tracer relies on the measurement of temperature gradients, and temperature is an extremely robust parameter to monitor. Temperature data is immediately available as opposed to chemical tracers, which often require significant laboratory analysis. In this work, we report on the progress in the use of heat as a tracer to determine the hydraulic conductance of the streambed along the middle reaches of the Russian River, located west of Santa Rosa, CA. The general hydrological setting is described and the unique matter in which the water resources are managed in an environment of increasing population, a rapid shift to agricultural crops requiring more irrigation, and a series of fishery related mandates.« less

Investigating Stream Metabolism and Nutrient Dynamics in Contrasting Ecosystems: The Role of Hydrologic Compartments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Pinzon, R.; Riveros-Iregui, D. A.; Covino, T. P.

2015-12-01

The interactions between mobile and less mobile hydrologic compartments affect the quality and quantity of water in streams and aquifers, and the cycling of dissolved carbon and nutrients. As new laboratory and field techniques become available, new questions and challenges emerge, including: What do we measure, where, and for how long to fully characterize a system? and, What is the ideal cost-maintenance-benefit relationship that we should strive for to maximize knowledge gained in different field settings? We recently performed a series of field experiments to measure aquatic metabolism and nutrient dynamics in two highly contrasting hydrologic systems, i.e., 1) a wetland-stream alpine, tropical system in Colombia (South America) and 2) a dryland river continuum (1st - 5th stream orders) in New Mexico. In this presentation we discuss how multiple lines of evidence can support the analysis of key aquatic processes and how co-interpretation provides a more complete picture of stream complexity. For this analysis, we deployed YSI EXO2 and 6920 sondes, Turner Designs C-sense and C6 sensors, and Onset HOBO water quality data loggers. Parameters measured by these instruments include conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, pCO2, chlorophyll-a, phycocyanin, fluorescein, CDOM, brighteners and water depth. We also injected conservative tracers (i.e., NaCl and NaBr) and the bioreactive tracer resazurin in both experimental sites, and NO3 in the dryland river continuum. NO3 was measured in-situ with Satlantic Submersible Ultraviolet Nitrate Analyzers (SUNA) sensors and in the laboratory using Ion Chromatograph techniques using stream grab samples. Our results highlight the role of both residence times and chemical fluxes in regulating the effective processing of carbon and nutrients. Our results also demonstrate that stream stimuli from controlled experiments are ideal for maximizing the information content derived from short (hours to days) and mid-term (weeks) sensor deployment campaigns.

Characterizing coarse bedload transport during floods with RFID and accelerometer tracers, in-stream RFID antennas and HEC-RAS modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olinde, L.; Johnson, J. P.

2013-12-01

By monitoring the transport timing and distances of tracer grains in a steep mountains stream, we collected data that can constrain numerical bedload transport models considered for these systems. We captured bedload activity during a weeks-spanning snowmelt period in Reynolds Creek, Idaho by deploying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and accelerometer embedded tracers with in-stream stationary RFID antennas. During transport events, RFID dataloggers recorded the times when tracers passed over stationary antennas. The accelerometer tracers also logged x, y, z-axis accelerations every 10 minutes to identify times of motion and rest. After snowmelt flows receded, we found tracers with mobile antennas and surveyed their positions. We know the timing and tracer locations when accelerometer tracers were initially entrained, passed stationary antennas, and were finally deposited at the surveyed locations. The fraction of moving accelerometers over time correlates well with discharge. Comparisons of the transported tracer fraction between rising and falling limbs over multiple flood peaks suggest that some degree of clockwise hysteresis persisted during the snowmelt period. Additionally, we apply accelerometer transport durations and displacement distances to calculate virtual velocities over full tracer path lengths and over lengths between initial locations to stationary antennas as well as between stationary antennas to final positions. The accelerometer-based virtual velocities are significantly faster than those estimated from traditional tracer methods that estimate bedload transport durations by assuming threshold flow conditions. We also subsample the motion data to calculate how virtual velocities change over the measurement intervals. Regressions of these relations are in turn used to extrapolate virtual velocities at smaller sampling timescales. Minimum hop lengths are also evaluated for each accelerometer tracer. Finally, flow conditions during the snowmelt hydrograph are modeled over the 11 kilometers of surveyed stream by utilizing 1m airborne LiDAR and HEC-GeoRAS. Cross-sectional HEC-RAS results are used to estimate the spatial distribution of longitudinal shear velocities over the observed discharges. At final accelerometer tracer positions, we analyze the HEC-RAS generated flow conditions for each disentrainment discharge magnitude. The techniques developed here have the potential to link individual grain characteristics during floods to a range of time and length scales.

A gas-tracer injection for evaluating the fate of methane in a coastal plain stream: Degassing versus in-stream oxidation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, Victor M.; Solomon, D. Kip; Darrah, Thomas H.; Gilmore, Troy E.; Genereux, David P.

2016-01-01

Methane emissions from streams and rivers have recently been recognized as an important component of global greenhouse budgets. Stream methane is lost as evasion to the atmosphere or in-stream methane oxidation. Previous studies have quantified evasion and oxidation with point-scale measurements. In this study, dissolved gases (methane, krypton) were injected into a coastal plain stream in North Carolina to quantify stream CH4 losses at the watershed scale. Stream-reach modeling yielded gas transfer and oxidation rate constants of 3.2 ± 0.5 and 0.5 ± 1.5 d–1, respectively, indicating a ratio of about 6:1. The resulting evasion and oxidation rates of 2.9 mmol m–2 d–1 and 1,140 nmol L–1 d–1, respectively, lie within ranges of published values. Similarly, the gas transfer velocity (K600) of 2.1 m d–1 is consistent with other gas tracer studies. This study illustrates the utility of dissolved-gas tracers for evaluating stream methane fluxes. In contrast to point measurements, this approach provides a larger watershed-scale perspective. Further work is needed to quantify the magnitude of these fluxes under varying conditions (e.g., stream temperature, nutrient load, gradient, flow rate) at regional and global scales before reliable bottom-up estimates of methane evasion can be determined at global scales.

Using high resolution measurements of gas tracers to determine metabolic rates in streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, J. L.; Osenbrück, K.; Brennwald, M. S.; Cirpka, O. A.

2017-12-01

Hyporheic exchange and other hyporheic processes are strongly linked to stream respiration, as the majority of a streams' microorganisms are located within the streambed. Directly estimating these respiration rates on the reach scale is usually not possible, but they can indirectly be inferred from measurements of dissolved oxygen. This, however, requires determining stream reaeration rates with high precision. Conducting gas-tracer tests has been found to be the most reliable method to estimate stream reaeration, but the majority of field-based sampling techniques for tracer gases are either costly in time and materials, or imprecise. By contrast, on-site gas analysis using gas-equilibrium membrane-inlet mass spectrometers (miniRUEDI, Gasometrix GmbH [1]) avoid the errors caused by sampling, storage, and analysis in the standard sampling techniques. Furthermore, the high analytical frequency of the on-site mass-spectrometer provides concentration data exhibiting a low uncertainty. We present results from gas-tracer tests with a continuous injection of propane and noble gases as tracers in a number of small streams. The concentrations of the tracer gases are recorded continuously over time at the first measurement station to account for fluctuations of the input signal, whereas shorter sample sets are collected at all further measurement stations. Reaeration rate constants are calculated from gas measurements for individual stream sections. These rates are then used to estimate metabolic rates of respiration and primary production based on time series of oxygen measurements. To demonstrate the advancement of the method provided by the on-site analysis, results from measurements performed by on-site mass spectroscopy are compared to those from traditional headspace sampling with gas chromatography analysis. Additionally, differences in magnitude and uncertainty of the obtained reaeration rates of oxygen and calculated metabolic rates from both methods highlight the usefulness of the high-frequency on-site analysis. [1] Brennwald, M. S., Schmidt, M., Oser, J., and Kipfer, R. (2016). A portable and autonomous mass spectrometric system for on-site environmental gas analysis. Environ. Sci. Technol., 50(24):13455-13463. Doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03669

Nitrogen cycling in a forest stream determined by a 15N tracer addition

Treesearch

Patrick J. Mullholland; Jennifer L. Tank; Diane M. Sanzone; Wilfred M. Wollheim; Bruce J. Peterson; Jackson R. Webster; Judy L. Meyer

2000-01-01

Nitrogen uptake and cycling was examined using a six-week tracer addition of 15N-labeled ammonium in early spring in Waer Branch, a first-order deciduous forest stream in eastern Tennessee. Prior to the 15N addition, standing stocks of N were determined for the major biomass compartments. During and after the addition,

Can we estimate biogeochemical uptake rates in sediments from reach-scale data or vice versa?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Pinzon, R.; Garayburu-Caruso, V. A.

2017-12-01

Hydrologists and stream ecologists want to understand how reactive transport processes from sub-meter to reach scales aggregate to determine nutrient and carbon export across watersheds. Mesocosm (sub-meter) scale experiments offer the advantage of being tractable and affordable but may be spatially and temporally irrelevant for describing watershed-scale processes. While reach scale experiments sample larger heterogeneities, they provide aggregated information that does not allow for easy detection of hot-spots and hot-moments, and might still be irrelevant for describing watershed processes if they are not conducted under varying flow conditions. We conducted mesocosm (column) and reach-scale experiments along a first-to-eight stream order continuum using nutrient and resazurin tracers to investigate how information collected at the sub-meter scale (mesocosom experiments) compares to that collected at the reach scale, and vice versa. Our work highlights the difficulty of finding useful patterns not only across stream orders (i.e., for the same type of experiment) but also across experiments. Our results offer quantitative perspective on why hydrologists and stream ecologists must depart from the status quo of conducting solute-specific (e.g., only N), site-specific (primarily headwaters) and single-season (mainly summer) experiments to understand controls on nutrient retention.

Freeze core sampling to validate time-lapse resistivity monitoring of the hyporheic zone.

PubMed

Toran, Laura; Hughes, Brian; Nyquist, Jonathan; Ryan, Robert

2013-01-01

A freeze core sampler was used to characterize hyporheic zone storage during a stream tracer test. The pore water from the frozen core showed tracer lingered in the hyporheic zone after the tracer had returned to background concentration in collocated well samples. These results confirmed evidence of lingering subsurface tracer seen in time-lapse electrical resistivity tomographs. The pore water exhibited brine exclusion (ion concentrations in ice lower than source water) in a sediment matrix, despite the fast freezing time. Although freeze core sampling provided qualitative evidence of lingering tracer, it proved difficult to quantify tracer concentration because the amount of brine exclusion during freezing could not be accurately determined. Nonetheless, the additional evidence for lingering tracer supports using time-lapse resistivity to detect regions of low fluid mobility within the hyporheic zone that can act as chemically reactive zones of importance in stream health. © 2012, The Author(s). GroundWater © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

Vaporizing particle velocimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinstein, Leonard M. (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A velocimeter measures flow characteristics of a flow traveling through a chamber in a given direction. Tracer particles are entrained in the flow and a source of radiant energy produces an output stream directed transversely to the chamber, having a sufficient intensity to vaporize the particles as they pass through the output stream. Each of the vaporized particles explodes to produce a shock wave and a hot core, and a flow visualization system tracks the motion of the hot cores and shock waves to measure the velocity of each tracer particle and the temperature of the flow around the tracer.

Inferring Groundwater Age in an Alluvial Aquifer from Tracer Concentrations in the Stream - Little Wind River, Wyoming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goble, D.; Gardner, W. P.; Naftz, D. L.; Solder, J. E.

2017-12-01

We use environmental tracers: CFC's, SF6, and 222Rn measured in stream water to determine volume and mean age of groundwater discharging to the Little Wind River, near Riverton, Wyoming. Samples of 222Rn were collected every 200 m along a 2 km reach, surrounding a known groundwater discharge zone. Nearby groundwater wells, in-stream piezometers and seepage meters were sampled for 222Rn, CFC's and SF6. Tracer concentrations measured in groundwater and in-stream piezometers were used to estimate the mean age of the subsurface system. High resolution 222Rn samples were used to determine the location and volume of groundwater inflow using a model of instream transport that includes radioactive decay and gas exchange with the atmosphere. The age of groundwater entering the stream was then estimated from in-stream measured CFC and SF6 concentrations using a new coupled stream transport and lumped-parameter groundwater age model. Ages derived from in-stream measurements were then compared to the age of subsurface water measured in piezometers, seepage meters, and groundwater wells. We then asses the ability of groundwater age inferred from in-stream samples to provide constraint on the age of the subsurface discharge to the stream. The ability to asses groundwater age from in-stream samples can provide a convenient method to constrain the regional distribution of groundwater circulation rates when groundwater sampling is challenging or wells are not in place.

Modelling the fate of six common pharmaceuticals in a small stream: quantification of attenuation and retention in different stream-specific environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riml, Joakim; Wörman, Anders; Kunkel, Uwe; Radke, Michael

2013-04-01

Detection of pharmaceutical residues in streaming waters is common in urbanized areas. Although the occurrence and source of these micropollutants is known, their behavior in these aquatic ecosystems is still only partly understood. Specifically, quantitative information of biogeochemical processes in stream-specific environments where predominant reactions occur is often missing. In an attempt to address this knowledge gap, we performed simultaneous tracer tests in Säva Brook, Sweden, with bezafibrate, clofibric acid, diclofenac, ibuprofen, metoprolol and naproxen, as well as with the more inert solutes uranine and Rhodamine WT. The breakthrough curves at five successive sampling stations along a 16 km long stream reach were evaluated using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model framework containing surface water transport together with a representation of transient storage in slow/immobile zones of the stream. The multi-tracer experiment opens for decoupling of hydrological and biogeochemical contribution to the fate, and by linking impact and sensitivity analyses to relative significance of model parameters the most important processes for each contaminant were elucidated. Specifically for Säva Brook, the proposed methodology revealed that the pharmaceutical-contaminated stream water remained in the storage zones for times corresponding to 5-25% of the flow time of the stream. Furthermore, the results indicate a great variability in terms of predominant biogeochemical processes between the different contaminants. Rapid reactions occurring in the transient storage zone attenuated both ibuprofen and clofibric acid, and we conclude that a major degradation pathway for these contaminants was biodegradation in the hyporheic zone. In contrast, bezafibrate, metoprolol, and naproxen were mainly affected by sorption both in the storage zone and the main channel, while diclofenac displayed negligible effects of biogeochemical reactions.

Determining long time-scale hyporheic zone flow paths in Antarctic streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gooseff, M.N.; McKnight, Diane M.; Runkel, R.L.; Vaughn, B.H.

2003-01-01

In the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, glaciers are the source of meltwater during the austral summer, and the streams and adjacent hyporheic zones constitute the entire physical watershed; there are no hillslope processes in these systems. Hyporheic zones can extend several metres from each side of the stream, and are up to 70 cm deep, corresponding to a lateral cross-section as large as 12 m2, and water resides in the subsurface year around. In this study, we differentiate between the near-stream hyporheic zone, which can be characterized with stream tracer experiments, and the extended hyporheic zone, which has a longer time-scale of exchange. We sampled stream water from Green Creek and from the adjacent saturated alluvium for stable isotopes of D and 18O to assess the significance and extent of stream-water exchange between the streams and extended hyporheic zones over long time-scales (days to weeks). Our results show that water residing in the extended hyporheic zone is much more isotopically enriched (up to 11??? D and 2.2??? 18O) than stream water. This result suggests a long residence time within the extended hyporheic zone, during which fractionation has occured owing to summer evaporation and winter sublimation of hyporheic water. We found less enriched water in the extended hyporheic zone later in the flow season, suggesting that stream water may be exchanged into and out of this zone, on the time-scale of weeks to months. The transient storage model OTIS was used to characterize the exchange of stream water with the extended hyporheic zone. Model results yield exchange rates (??) generally an order magnitude lower (10-5 s-1) than those determined using stream-tracer techniques on the same stream. In light of previous studies in these streams, these results suggest that the hyporheic zones in Antarctic streams have near-stream zones of rapid stream-water exchange, where 'fast' biogeochemical reactions may influence water chemistry, and extended hyporheic zones, in which slower biogeochemical reaction rates may affect stream-water chemistry at longer time-scales. Copyright ?? 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variations in surface water-ground water interactions along a headwater mountain stream : comparisons between transient storage and water balance analyses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, Adam S.; Payn, Robert A.; Gooseff, Michael N.; McGlynn, Brian L.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; Kelleher, Christa A.; Wondzell, Steven M.; Wagener, Thorsten

2013-01-01

The accumulation of discharge along a stream valley is frequently assumed to be the primary control on solute transport processes. Relationships of both increasing and decreasing transient storage, and decreased gross losses of stream water have been reported with increasing discharge; however, we have yet to validate these relationships with extensive field study. We conducted transient storage and mass recovery analyses of artificial tracer studies completed for 28 contiguous 100 m reaches along a stream valley, repeated under four base-flow conditions. We calculated net and gross gains and losses, temporal moments of tracer breakthrough curves, and best fit transient storage model parameters (with uncertainty estimates) for 106 individual tracer injections. Results supported predictions that gross loss of channel water would decrease with increased discharge. However, results showed no clear relationship between discharge and transient storage, and further analysis of solute tracer methods demonstrated that the lack of this relation may be explained by uncertainty and equifinality in the transient storage model framework. Furthermore, comparison of water balance and transient storage approaches reveals complications in clear interpretation of either method due to changes in advective transport time, which sets a the temporal boundary separating transient storage and channel water balance. We have little ability to parse this limitation of solute tracer methods from the physical processes we seek to study. We suggest the combined analysis of both transient storage and channel water balance more completely characterizes transport of solutes in stream networks than can be inferred from either method alone.

Measurement of discharge using tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilpatrick, Frederick A.; Cobb, Ernest D.

1984-01-01

The development of fluorescent dyes and fluorometers that can measure these dyes at very low concentrations has made dye-dilution methods practical for measuring discharge. These methods are particularly useful for determining discharge under certain flow conditions that are unfavorable for current meter measurements. These include small streams, canals, and pipes where:Turbulence is excessive for current meter measurement but conducive to good mixing.Moving rocks and debris are damaging to any instruments placed in the flow.Cross-sectional areas or velocities are indeterminant or changing.There are some unsteady flows such as exist with storm-runoff events on small streams.The flow is physically inaccessible or unsafe.From a practical standpoint, such measurements are limited primarily to small streams due to excessively long channel mixing lengths required of larger streams. Very good accuracy can be obtained provided:Adequate mixing length and time are allowed.Careful field and laboratory techniques are employed.Dye losses are not significant.This manual describes the slug-injection and constant-rate injection methods of performing tracer-dilution measurements. Emphasis is on the use of fluorescent dyes as tracers and the equipment, field methods, and Laboratory procedures for performing such measurements. The tracer-velocity method is also briefly discussed.

Implications of a Multi-well Tracer Test in the Transport of Pathogens at a Riverbank Filtration Experiment Site.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langford, R. P.; Pillai, S.; Schulze-Makuch, D.; Widmer, K.; Abdel-Fattah, A.; Lerhner, T.

2003-12-01

This study tracks the transport of bromide and microspheres mimicking pathogens in an arid environment. The study site uses the Rio Grande that experiences significant annual fluctuations in both water quantity and quality. The pumping well is 17 m from the stream bank and the water table was 2 m below the stream surface. The aquifer is medium and fine-grained sand comprising two flow units. Observation wells are screened over 1 or 1.5 m intervals. The average hydraulic conductivity was about 2 x 10-3 m/s based on a test analysis, however, the responses indicated that sediment heterogeneities affected the hydraulic behavior. A 427 hour tracer test using bromide and fluorescent microspheres provides initial results that are relevant to the transport of pathogens through the subsurface under riverbank filtration conditions. Bromide was injected into an observation well at the channel margin. Differently colored fluorescent microspheres (0.25nm, 1?m, 6?m and 10?m) were injected into the stream bottom and into two observation wells. Conclusions from the tracer test are: 1) Both bromide and microspheres continued to be observed throughout the 18 days of the experiment. 2) The bromide recovery in the pumping well and in the deeper observation wells showed early and late peaks with a long tails indicating that the geological medium at the field site behaves like a double-porosity medium allowing the tracer to move relatively quickly through the higher conductivity units while being significantly retarded in the low hydraulic conductivity units. 3) Some wells showed consistently higher concentrations of bromide. 4) The 1? micospheres were abundant in the observation wells and allowed tracing of flowpaths. These showed multiple peaks similar to the bromide results. This indicates highly preferential transport paths in the sediment. 5) Microspheres from the three injection sites had distinctly different transport paths and rates. 6) Both bromide and microspheres appeared in the stream soon after injection, moving apparently against an 2-m head difference. 7) The 6 ? and 10 ? microspheres were observed in low concentrations and were episodically detected in the stream and in two widely spaced observation wells. The significance of these results is that: 1) Inorganic microspheres may mimic the episodic occurrence of microorganisms in wells. 2) Even in this relatively homogeneous aquifer, preferential transport within the aquifer results in highly divergent transport paths and rates. Microspheres from one of the injection sites traveled essentially perpendicular to the expected transport direction. 3) Even small variations in the sand grain size can effectively compartmentalize the aquifer. The next steps of this project will include field studies to observe the migration and persistence of selected organisms (E.coli, enterococci, coliphages, cysts, oocysts and enteroviruses) in the pumping well and observation wells under different pumping rates. Continued combined chemical sampling along with the microbial sampling will document the whether changes in water chemistry alter the behavior of the organisms.

Reactive solute transport in acidic streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Broshears, R.E.

1996-01-01

Spatial and temporal profiles of Ph and concentrations of toxic metals in streams affected by acid mine drainage are the result of the interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes. This paper describes a reactive solute transport model that provides a physically and thermodynamically quantitative interpretation of these profiles. The model combines a transport module that includes advection-dispersion and transient storage with a geochemical speciation module based on MINTEQA2. Input to the model includes stream hydrologic properties derived from tracer-dilution experiments, headwater and lateral inflow concentrations analyzed in field samples, and a thermodynamic database. Simulations reproduced the general features of steady-state patterns of observed pH and concentrations of aluminum and sulfate in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream near Leadville, Colorado. These patterns were altered temporarily by injection of sodium carbonate into the stream. A transient simulation reproduced the observed effects of the base injection.

Spatial and seasonal variations in stream water delta34S-dissolved organic matter in northern Sweden.

PubMed

Giesler, Reiner; Björkvald, Louise; Laudon, Hoalmar; Mörth, Carl-Magnus

2009-01-15

The discharge of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) by streams is an important cross-system linkage that strongly influences downstream aquatic ecosystems. Isotopic tracers are important tools that can help to unravel the source of DOM from different terrestrial compartments in the landscape. Here we demonstrate the spatial and seasonal variation of delta34S of DOM in 10 boreal streams to test if the tracer could provide new insights into the origin of DOM. We found large spatial and seasonal variations in stream water delta34S-DOM values ranging from -5.2 per thousand to +9.6 per thousand with an average of +4.0 +/- 0.6 (N = 62; average and 95% confidence interval). Large seasonal variations were found in stream water delta34S-DOM values: for example, a shift of more than 10 per thousand during the spring snowmelt in a wetland-dominated stream. Spatial differences were also observed during the winter base flow with higher delta34S-DOM values in the fourth-order Krycklan stream at the outlet of the 68 km2 catchment compared to the small (< 1 km2) headwater streams. Our data clearly show that the delta34S-DOM values have the potential to be used as a tracer to identify and generate new insights about terrestrial DOM sources in the boreal landscape.

USE OF TRACER INJECTION EXPERIMENTS TO QUANTIFY NITRATE LOSS IN TWO ADJACENT WETLAND STREAMS DRAINING AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD IN THE GEORGIA PIEDMONT

EPA Science Inventory

This study investigated the extent to which nitrate was removed from and/or stored in a small wetland depression downgradient of a 10-ha cattle rotational grazing pasture and a 2.5-ha cropped catchment at the USDA-ARS J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center in W...

Stream-groundwater exchange and hydrologic turnover at the network scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covino, Tim; McGlynn, Brian; Mallard, John

2011-12-01

The exchange of water between streams and groundwater can influence stream water quality, hydrologic mass balances, and attenuate solute export from watersheds. We used conservative tracer injections (chloride, Cl-) across 10 stream reaches to investigate stream water gains and losses from and to groundwater at larger spatial and temporal scales than typically associated with hyporheic exchanges. We found strong relationships between reach discharge, median tracer velocity, and gross hydrologic loss across a range of stream morphologies and sizes in the 11.4 km2 Bull Trout Watershed of central ID. We implemented these empirical relationships in a numerical network model and simulated stream water gains and losses and subsequent fractional hydrologic turnover across the stream network. We found that stream gains and losses from and to groundwater can influence source water contributions and stream water compositions across stream networks. Quantifying proportional influences of source water contributions from runoff generation locations across the network on stream water composition can provide insight into the internal mechanisms that partially control the hydrologic and biogeochemical signatures observed along networks and at watershed outlets.

Use of natural and applied tracers to guide targeted remediation efforts in an acid mine drainage system, Colorado Rockies, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cowie, Rory; Williams, Mark W.; Wireman, Mike; Runkel, Robert L.

2014-01-01

Stream water quality in areas of the western United States continues to be degraded by acid mine drainage (AMD), a legacy of hard-rock mining. The Rico-Argentine Mine in southwestern Colorado consists of complex multiple-level mine workings connected to a drainage tunnel discharging AMD to passive treatment ponds that discharge to the Dolores River. The mine workings are excavated into the hillslope on either side of a tributary stream with workings passing directly under the stream channel. There is a need to define hydrologic connections between surface water, groundwater, and mine workings to understand the source of both water and contaminants in the drainage tunnel discharge. Source identification will allow targeted remediation strategies to be developed. To identify hydrologic connections we employed a combination of natural and applied tracers including isotopes, ionic tracers, and fluorescent dyes. Stable water isotopes (δ18O/δD) show a well-mixed hydrological system, while tritium levels in mine waters indicate a fast flow-through system with mean residence times of years not decades or longer. Addition of multiple independent tracers indicated that water is traveling through mine workings with minimal obstructions. The results from a simultaneous salt and dye tracer application demonstrated that both tracer types can be successfully used in acidic mine water conditions.

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norman, Beth C.; Whiles, Matt R.; Collins, Sarah M.

Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen 15N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean: 11.5%, range: <1%-43%) than N transfer efficiencies from primary consumers to predators (mean:more » 80%, range: 5%- >100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and % canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Here, our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels.« less

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents

DOE PAGES

Norman, Beth C.; Whiles, Matt R.; Collins, Sarah M.; ...

2017-10-25

Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen 15N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean: 11.5%, range: <1%-43%) than N transfer efficiencies from primary consumers to predators (mean:more » 80%, range: 5%- >100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and % canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Here, our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels.« less

Drivers of nitrogen transfer in stream food webs across continents.

PubMed

Norman, Beth C; Whiles, Matt R; Collins, Sarah M; Flecker, Alexander S; Hamilton, Steve K; Johnson, Sherri L; Rosi, Emma J; Ashkenas, Linda R; Bowden, William B; Crenshaw, Chelsea L; Crowl, Todd; Dodds, Walter K; Hall, Robert O; El-Sabaawi, Rana; Griffiths, Natalie A; Marti, Eugènia; McDowell, William H; Peterson, Scot D; Rantala, Heidi M; Riis, Tenna; Simon, Kevin S; Tank, Jennifer L; Thomas, Steven A; von Schiller, Daniel; Webster, Jackson R

2017-12-01

Studies of trophic-level material and energy transfers are central to ecology. The use of isotopic tracers has now made it possible to measure trophic transfer efficiencies of important nutrients and to better understand how these materials move through food webs. We analyzed data from thirteen 15 N-ammonium tracer addition experiments to quantify N transfer from basal resources to animals in headwater streams with varying physical, chemical, and biological features. N transfer efficiencies from primary uptake compartments (PUCs; heterotrophic microorganisms and primary producers) to primary consumers was lower (mean 11.5%, range <1% to 43%) than N transfer efficiencies from primary consumers to predators (mean 80%, range 5% to >100%). Total N transferred (as a rate) was greater in streams with open compared to closed canopies and overall N transfer efficiency generally followed a similar pattern, although was not statistically significant. We used principal component analysis to condense a suite of site characteristics into two environmental components. Total N uptake rates among trophic levels were best predicted by the component that was correlated with latitude, DIN:SRP, GPP:ER, and percent canopy cover. N transfer efficiency did not respond consistently to environmental variables. Our results suggest that canopy cover influences N movement through stream food webs because light availability and primary production facilitate N transfer to higher trophic levels. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Measurement of discharge using tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilpatrick, F.A.; Cobb, Ernest D.

1985-01-01

The development of fluorescent dyes and fluorometers that can measure these dyes at very low concentrations has made dye-dilution methods practical for measuring discharge. These methods are particularly useful for determining discharge under certain flow conditions that are unfavorable for current meter measurements. These include small streams, canals, and pipes where 1. Turbulence is excessive for current-meter measurement but conducive to good mixing. 2. Moving rocks and debris may damage instruments placed in the flow. 3. Cross-sectional areas or velocities are indeterminate or changing. 4. The flow is unsteady, such as the flow that exists with storm-runoff events on small streams and urban storm-sewer systems. 5. The flow is physically inaccessible or unsafe. From a practical standpoint, such methods are limited primarily to small streams, because of the excessively long channel-mixing lengths required for larger streams. Very good accuracy can be obtained provided that 1. Adequate mixing length and time are allowed. 2. Careful field and laboratory techniques are used. 3. Dye losses are not significant. This manual describes the slug-injection and constant-rate injection methods of performing tracer-dilution measurements. Emphasis is on the use of fluorescent dyes as tracers and the equipment, field methods, and laboratory procedures for performing such measurements. The tracer-velocity method is also briefly discussed.

Transverse mixing of simulated piscicides in small montane streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Peter J.; Ard, Jenifer L.; Zale, Alexander V.

2012-01-01

Thorough mixing of piscicides into receiving waters is important for efficient and effective fish eradication. However, no guidance exists for the placement of drip stations with respect to mixing. Salt (NaCl) was used as a tracer to measure the mixing rates of center versus edge applications in riffle–pool, straight, and meandering sections of montane streams. The tracer was applied at either the center or the edge of a channel and measured with a conductivity meter across a downstream grid to determine the distances at which transverse mixing was complete. No advantage was accrued by applying piscicides in different types of channels because transverse mixing distance did not differ among them. However, mixing distance was significantly shorter at center applications. Chemicals entering a stream at the center of the channel mixed thoroughly within 10 stream widths, whereas chemicals entering a stream channel at the edge mixed thoroughly within 20 stream widths.

Multi-Scale Observation of Time-Variable Interactions of a Stream and its Valley Bottom During a Storm Event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hixson, J.; Ward, A. S.; Schmadel, N.

2015-12-01

The exchange of water and solutes across the stream-hyporheic-riparian-hillslope continuum is controlled by the interaction of dynamic hydrological processes with the underlying geological setting. Our current understanding of exchange processes is primarily based on field observations collected during baseflow conditions, with few studies considering time-variable stream-aquifer interactions during storm events. We completed ten sets of four in-stream tracer slug injections during and after a large storm event in a headwater catchment at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon. The injections were performed in three adjacent 50-meter study reaches, enabling comparison of spatial heterogeneity in transport processes. Reach-scale data demonstrate apparent trends with discharge in both transient storage and long-term storage (commonly "channel water balance"). Comparison of flowpath-scale observations from a network of monitoring wells to reach-scale observations showed that the advective timescale changed with discharge making it difficult to infer process from simple, reach-scale tracer studies. Overall, our results highlight the opportunities and challenges for interpretation of multi-scale solute tracer data along the stream-hyporheic-riparian-hillslope continuum.

Transport of Bacteria and Virus-Sized Particles and Bacteriophage from Ground Surface to Depth in a Bedrock Aquifer - A Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakowski, K. S.; Trimper, S.; Praamsma, T.; Springthorpe, S.

2010-12-01

Shallow, unprotected bedrock aquifers are common sources of drinking water supply in eastern North America. The vulnerability of these aquifers to contamination from pathogens is widely recognised, although little is actually known about the transport processes involved, particularly where the source is located near to or on ground surface (i.e. a septic system). In this experiment we explore the transport of fluorescent microspheres having diameters of 1.75 and 0.3 µm and the bacteriophage Φ-X174 in a sparsely-fractured gneissic terrain having minimal overburden cover. The experiment was conducted by ponding water in a 7 m2 area on the edge of an outcrop having observable vertical fractures and measuring the arrival of particles in two nearby monitoring wells. A conservative solute tracer (Lissamine FF) was also used to follow the solute front. In order to encourage transport to the wells and to provide a discharge stream to sample, pumping was conducted at a rate of 7.7 L/min from the lower half of the 15-m deep well farthest from the pond (approximately 7 m away). Sampling was conducted from the pumping stream, the upper 5 m of that well and the upper 5 m of an additional well located about 5 m from the surface pond. The experiment was conducted over a 48 hr period and samples were obtained every 15 min initially declining to once every 2 hrs towards the end of the experiment. Analysis of the bacteriophage was conducted using the Double Agar Layer method and the concentration of microspheres was determined using epi-fluorescent microscopy. As the latter is very time consuming, only preliminary results are available for the microsphere transport. The results show widespread migration of both the microspheres and the bacteriophage, as arrival in all sampling locations was detected. Mass recovery was low but similar for both the bacteriophage and the solute tracer, although the majority of the bacteriophage arrived much earlier than the majority of the solute tracer particularly for the deeper sample. The degree of longitudinal dispersion experienced by the bacteriophage transport was also significantly less than that for the solute tracer.

The Effect of Beaver Activity on the Ammonium Uptake and Water Residence Time Characteristics of a Third-Order Stream Reach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briggs, M.; Gooseff, M. N.; Wollheim, W. M.; Peterson, B. J.; Morkeski, K.

2009-12-01

Increasing beaver populations within low gradient basins in the northeastern United States are fundamentally changing the way water and dissolved nutrients are exported through these stream networks to the coast. Beaver dams can increase water residence time and contact with organic material, promote anoxic conditions and enhance both surface and hyporheic transient storage; all of these may have an impact on biogeochemical reactivity and nutrient retention. To quantitatively assess some of these effects we co-injected NaCl and NH4+ into the same 3rd-order stream reach in Massachusetts, USA under pre- and post-dam conditions. These experiments were done at similar discharge rates to isolate the impacts of a large natural beaver dam (7 m X 1.3 m) on the low-gradient (0.002) system where variable discharge also imparts a strong control on residence time. During the post-dam experiment there was an estimated 2300 m3 of water impounded behind the structure, which influenced more than 300 m of the 650 m stream reach. Our results showed that median transport time through the reach increased by 160% after dam construction. Additionally the tracer tailing time normalized to the corresponding median transport time increased from 1.08 to 1.51, indicating a pronounced tailing of the tracer signal in the post-dam condition. Data collected within the beaver pond just upstream of the dam indicated poor mixing and the presence of preferential flow paths through the generally stagnant zone. The uptake length (Sw) for NH4+ was 1250 m under the pre-dam condition, and may have changed for the post-dam reach in part because of the observed changes in residence time. As beaver population growth continues within these basins the consequences may be a smoothing of the outlet hydrograph and increased nutrient and organic matter removal and storage along the stream network.

The application of electrical conductivity as a tracer for hydrograph separation in urban catchments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pellerin, B.A.; Wollheim, W.M.; Feng, X.; Vororsmarty, C.J.

2008-01-01

Two-component hydrograph separation was performed on 19 low-to-moderate intensity rainfall events in a 4.1-km2 urban watershed to infer the relative and absolute contribution of surface runoff (e.g. new water) to stormflow generation between 2001 and 2003. The electrical conductivity (EC) of water was used as a continuous and inexpensive tracer, with order of magnitude differences in precipitation (12-46 ??S/cm) and pre-event streamwater EC values (520-1297 ??S/cm). While new water accounted for most of the increased discharge during storms (61-117%), the contribution of new water to total discharge during events was typically lower (18-78%) and negatively correlated with antecedent stream discharge (r2 = 0??55, p < 0??01). The amount of new water was positively correlated with total rainfall (r2 = 0??77), but hydrograph separation results suggest that less than half (9-46%) of the total rainfall on impervious surfaces is rapidly routed to the stream channel as new water. Comparison of hydrograph separation results using non-conservative tracers (EC and Si) and a conservative isotopic tracer (??D) for two events showed similar results and highlighted the potential application of EC as an inexpensive, high frequency tracer for hydrograph separation studies in urban catchments. The use of a simple tracer-based approach may help hydrologists and watershed managers to better understand impervious surface runoff, stormflow generation and non-point-source pollutant loading to urban streams. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determination of hyporheic travel time distributions and other parameters from concurrent conservative and reactive tracer tests by local-in-global optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapp, Julia L. A.; Cirpka, Olaf A.

2017-06-01

The complexity of hyporheic flow paths requires reach-scale models of solute transport in streams that are flexible in their representation of the hyporheic passage. We use a model that couples advective-dispersive in-stream transport to hyporheic exchange with a shape-free distribution of hyporheic travel times. The model also accounts for two-site sorption and transformation of reactive solutes. The coefficients of the model are determined by fitting concurrent stream-tracer tests of conservative (fluorescein) and reactive (resazurin/resorufin) compounds. The flexibility of the shape-free models give rise to multiple local minima of the objective function in parameter estimation, thus requiring global-search algorithms, which is hindered by the large number of parameter values to be estimated. We present a local-in-global optimization approach, in which we use a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo method as global-search method to estimate a set of in-stream and hyporheic parameters. Nested therein, we infer the shape-free distribution of hyporheic travel times by a local Gauss-Newton method. The overall approach is independent of the initial guess and provides the joint posterior distribution of all parameters. We apply the described local-in-global optimization method to recorded tracer breakthrough curves of three consecutive stream sections, and infer section-wise hydraulic parameter distributions to analyze how hyporheic exchange processes differ between the stream sections.

Vertical diffusivity in the benthic boundary layer of the Oregon shelf from a deliberate tracer release experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrón, S.; Ho, D. T.; Hales, B. R.

2010-12-01

A Fluorescein/SF6 deliberate tracer release experiment was conducted in benthic boundary layer (BBL) waters of the outer shelf of Oregon, as part of a multi-disciplinary research project that aims to study cross-shelf carbon transport and biogeochemical reaction rates within the BBL. The purpose of the tracers release was to examine physical transport processes, the rate of turbulent mixing and to provide a Lagrangian frame of reference for tracking other chemical species (pCO2, O2, CH4, DIC, DOC, POC, NO3-, NH4+, Fe). The tracers were injected on May 2009 during moderate upwelling favorable conditions with weak near-bottom currents, along a 4-km N-S line near the shelf streak at the 150 m isobath. Tracers distribution in the patch were tracked for over 5 days by tow-yo surveys using a winch-controlled pumping profiling vehicle that incorporated several in situ instruments such as CTD sensors, a 1200 kHz ADCP and a dye fluorometer for Fluorescein. Dissolved SF6 concentrations were analyzed on board from the underway water stream pumped from the towed vehicle by using an automated high-resolution chromatographic system equipped with an electron capture detector (ECD). The work presented here focuses on the estimation of the effective vertical diffusivity (Kz) in the BBL of the Oregon Shelf from the change in moment of the tracers’ vertical distribution, calculated using a 1D advection-diffusion model.

Sediment motion and velocity in a glacier-fed stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, L.; Dell'Agnese, A.; Comiti, F.

2017-08-01

Current understanding of coarse sediment transport (e.g. threshold for motion, travel length and virtual velocity) in mountain rivers is still quite limited, and even less is known about glacial streams. However, the hydrological characteristics of these systems (strong daily discharge fluctuations, high water turbidity) pose challenges to the use of tracers to monitor bed sediment dynamics, as tagged clasts are usually located after bedload events when flow stage has receded, e.g. by means of portable antennas in the case of Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT). The use of stationary antennas, still scarcely in use worldwide, to detect PIT-tagged particles has potential advantages in glacier-fed streams. If water discharge is monitored continuously, a stationary antenna provides real time data on the actual discharge at the moment of tracer particles passage. This study focuses on incipient motion and virtual velocity of bed particles measured by a stationary antennas system in a steep mountain channel (Saldur River, drainage area 18.6 km2, Italian Alps) where significant daily discharge fluctuations and bedload transport occur as a result of a nivo-glacial regime. Four stationary antennas were installed 50-m apart in the study reach. A total of 629 PIT-tagged clasts were inserted in the studied reach between 2011 and 2014, ranging in size from 35 mm to 580 mm, with an overall recovery rate of around 44%. Critical discharge for sediment entrainment was obtained by detecting the movement of tracers placed immediately upstream of antennas. Virtual velocity was derived by knowing distances between the antennas and travel time of tracers. Results on initiation of motion show that the relationship between the size of transported tracers and the discharge measured at the time clasts were passing the stationary antenna is very weak. The influence of antecedent flows on incipient motion was thus investigated by dividing the highest discharge recorded between each PIT deployment and the subsequent entrainment by the actual critical discharge at the time of movement (ratio Qmax/Qc). Results show that approximately 50% of tracers moved at Qmax/Qc ≤ 1.2, and that 73% of tracers moved at Qmax/Qc < 1.5. Therefore, about 30% of tracers had to previously experience a discharge substantially greater than the one that actually mobilized them. Also, coarser particles moved at higher Qmax/Qc ratios, suggesting that higher antecedent flows may be needed to destabilize bed clustering. Results on the virtual velocity of the PIT-tagged clasts employed in the field show that the virtual velocity turned out to be highly variable (ranging from 101 to 10- 5 m min- 1) and weakly related to either particle size or flow discharge. However, virtual velocity was well correlated with the highest flow discharge experienced by each tracer normalized by a percentile of the flow duration curve. This evidence further stresses the importance of flow history on sediment entrainment and transport. Finally, the pros and cons of the deployed monitoring technology are discussed.

Dating base flow in streams using dissolved gases and diurnal temperature changes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, Ward E.; Casile, Gerolamo C.; Haase, Karl B.

2015-01-01

A method is presented for using dissolved CFCs or SF6 to estimate the apparent age of stream base flow by indirectly estimating the mean concentration of the tracer in the inflowing groundwater. The mean value is estimated simultaneously with the mean residence times of the gas and water in the stream by sampling the stream for one or both age tracers, along with dissolved nitrogen and argon at a single location over a period of approximately 12–14 h. The data are fitted to an equation representing the temporal in-stream gas exchange as it responds to the diurnal temperature fluctuation. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated by collecting and analyzing samples at six different stream locations across parts of northern Virginia, USA. The studied streams drain watersheds with areas of between 2 and 122 km2 during periods when the diurnal stream temperature ranged between 2 and 5°C. The method has the advantage of estimating the mean groundwater residence time of discharge from the watershed to the stream without the need for the collection of groundwater infiltrating to streambeds or local groundwater sampled from shallow observation wells near the stream.

Measuring aerobic respiration in stream ecosystems using the resazurin-resorufin system

Treesearch

R. González-Pinzón; R. Haggerty; D.D. Myrold

2012-01-01

The use of smart tracers to study hydrologic systems is becoming more widespread. Smart tracers are compounds that irreversibly react in the presence of a process or condition under investigation. Resazurin (Raz) is a smart tracer that undergoes an irreversible reduction to resorufin (Rru) in the presence of cellular metabolic activity. We quantified the relationship...

Using A New Model for Main Sequence Turnoff Absolute Magnitudes to Measure Stellar Streams in the Milky Way Halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, Jake; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Arsenault, Matthew; Bechtel, Torrin; Desell, Travis; Newby, Matthew; Thompson, Jeffery M.

2016-01-01

Statistical photometric parallax is a method for using the distribution of absolute magnitudes of stellar tracers to statistically recover the underlying density distribution of these tracers. In previous work, statistical photometric parallax was used to trace the Sagittarius Dwarf tidal stream, the so-called bifurcated piece of the Sagittaritus stream, and the Virgo Overdensity through the Milky Way. We use an improved knowledge of this distribution in a new algorithm that accounts for the changes in the stellar population of color-selected stars near the photometric limit of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Although we select bluer main sequence turnoff stars (MSTO) as tracers, large color errors near the survey limit cause many stars to be scattered out of our selection box and many fainter, redder stars to be scattered into our selection box. We show that we are able to recover parameters for analogues of these streams in simulated data using a maximum likelihood optimization on MilkyWay@home. We also present the preliminary results of fitting the density distribution of major Milky Way tidal streams in SDSS data. This research is supported by generous gifts from the Marvin Clan, Babette Josephs, Manit Limlamai, and the MilkyWay@home volunteers.

Coupling Solute and Fine Particle Transport with Sand Bed Morphodynamics within a Field Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, C. B.; Ortiz, C. P.; Schumer, R.; Jerolmack, D. J.; Packman, A. I.

2017-12-01

Fine suspended particles are typically considered to pass through streams and rivers as wash load without interacting with the bed, however experiments have demonstrated that hyporheic flow causes advective exchange of fine particles with the stream bed, yielding accumulation of fine particle deposits within the bed. Ultimately, understanding river morphodynamics and ecosystem dynamics requires coupling both fine particle and solute transport with bed morphodynamics. To better understand the coupling between these processes we analyze a novel dataset from a controlled field experiment conducted on Clear Run, a 2nd order sand bed stream located within the North Carolina coastal plain. Data include concentrations of continuously injected conservative solutes and fine particulate tracers measured at various depths within the stream bed, overhead time lapse images of bed forms, stream discharge, and geomorphological surveys of the stream. We use image analysis of bed morphodynamics to assess exchange, retention, and remobilization of solutes and fine particles during constant discharge and a short duration experimental flood. From the images, we extract a time series of bedform elevations and scour depths for the duration of the experiment. The high-resolution timeseries of bed elevation enables us to assess coupling of bed morphodynamics with both the solute and fine particle flux during steady state mobile bedforms prior to the flood and to changing bedforms during the flood. These data allow the application of a stochastic modeling framework relating bed elevation fluctuations to fine particle residence times. This combined experimental and modeling approach ultimately informs our ability to predict not only the fate of fine particulate matter but also associated nutrient and carbon dynamics within streams and rivers.

Reactive iron transport in an acidic mountain stream in Summit County, Colorado: A hydrologic perspective

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKnight, Diane M.; Bencala, K.E.

1989-01-01

A pH perturbation experiment was conducted in an acidic, metal-enriched, mountain stream to identify relative rates of chemical and hydrologic processes as they influence iron transport. During the experiment the pH was lowered from 4.2 to 3.2 for three hours by injection of sulfuric acid. Amorphous iron oxides are abundant on the streambed, and dissolution and photoreduction reactions resulted in a rapid increase in the dissolved iron concentration. The increase occurred simultaneously with the decrease in pH. Ferrous iron was the major aqueous iron species. The changes in the iron concentration during the experiment indicate that variation exists in the solubility properties of the hydrous iron oxides on the streambed with dissolution of at least two compartments of hydrous iron oxides contributing to the iron pulse. Spatial variations of the hydrologic properties along the stream were quantified by simulating the transport of a coinjected tracer, lithium. A simulation of iron transport, as a conservative solute, indicated that hydrologie transport had a significant role in determining downstream changes in the iron pulse. The rapidity of the changes in iron concentration indicates that a model based on dynamic equilibrium may be adequate for simulating iron transport in acid streams. A major challenge for predictive solute transport models of geochemical processes may be due to substantial spatial and seasonal variations in chemical properties of the reactive hydrous oxides in such streams, and in the physical and hydrologic properties of the stream. ?? 1989.

Flow pathways in the Slapton Wood catchment using temperature as a tracer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkinshaw, Stephen J.; Webb, Bruce

2010-03-01

SummaryThis study investigates the potential of temperature as a tracer to provide insights into flow pathways. The approach couples fieldwork and modelling experiments for the Eastergrounds Hollow within the Slapton Wood catchment, South Devon, UK. Measurements in the Eastergrounds Hollow were carried out for soil temperature, spring temperature, and the stream temperature and use was made of an existing 1989-1991 data set for the entire Slapton Wood catchment. The predominant flow in this hollow is a result of subsurface stormflow, and previous work has suggested that the water flows vertically down through the soil and then subsurface stormflow occurs at the soil/bedrock interface where the water is deflected laterally. The depth of the subsurface stormflow was previously thought to be around 2.2 m. However, analysis of the new spring, stream and soil temperature data suggests a deeper pathway for the subsurface stormflow. Modelling of water flow and heat transport was carried out using SHETRAN and this was calibrated to reproduce the water flow in the entire Slapton Wood catchment and soil temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. The model was tested for the entire Eastergrounds Hollow with two different soil depths. A depth of 2.2 m, based on previous knowledge, was unable to reproduce the Eastergrounds spring temperature. A depth of 3.7 m produced an excellent comparison between measured and simulated stream and spring temperatures in the Eastergrounds Hollow. This work suggests that the depth of the flow pathways that produce the subsurface stormflow are deeper than previously thought. It also provides a demonstration on the use of temperature as a tracer to understand flow pathways.

3D Electrical resistivity tomography monitoring of an artificial tracer injected within the hyporheic zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houzé, Clémence; Pessel, Marc; Durand, Veronique

2016-04-01

Due to the high complexity level of hyporheic flow paths, hydrological and biogeochemical processes which occur in this mixing place are not fully understood yet. Some previous studies made in flumes show that hyporheic flow is strongly connected to the streambed morphology and sediment heterogeneity . There is still a lack of practical field experiment considering a natural environment and representation of natural streambed heterogeneities will be always limited in laboratories. The purpose of this project is to propose an innovative method using 3D Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) monitoring of an artificial tracer injection directly within the streambed sediments in order to visualize the water pathways within the hyporheic zone. Field experiment on a small stream was conducted using a plastic tube as an injection piezometer and home-made electrodes strips arranged in a rectangular form made of 180 electrodes (15 strips of 12 electrodes each). The injection of tracer (NaCl) lasted approximatively 90 minutes, and 24h monitoring with increasing step times was performed. The physical properties of the water are controlled by CTD probes installed upstream and downstream within the river. Inverse time-lapse tomographs show development and persistence of a conductive water plume around the injection point. Due to the low hydraulic conductivity of streambed sediments (clay and overlying loess), the tracer movement is barely visible, as it dilutes gradually in the pore water. Impact of boundary conditions on inversion results can lead to significant differences on images, especially in the shallow part of the profiles. Preferential paths of transport are not highlighted here, but this experiment allows to follow spatially and temporarily the evolution of the tracer in a complex natural environment .

Hyporheic exchange and fulvic acid redox reactions in an alpine stream/wetland ecosystem, Colorado front range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Matthew P.; McKnight, Diane M.; Cory, R.M.; Williams, Mark W.; Runkel, Robert L.

2006-01-01

The influence of hyporheic zone interactions on the redox state of fulvic acids and other redox active species was investigated in an alpine stream and adjacent wetland, which is a more reducing environment. A tracer injection experiment using bromide (Br-) was conducted in the stream system. Simulations with a transport model showed that rates of exchange between the stream and hyporheic zone were rapid (?? ??? 10-3 s -1). Parallel factor analysis of fluorescence spectra was used to quantify the redox state of dissolved fulvic acids. The rate coefficient for oxidation of reduced fulvic acids (?? = 6.5 ?? 10-3 s -1) in the stream indicates that electron-transfer reactions occur over short time scales. The rate coefficients for decay of ammonium (?? = 1.2 ?? 10-3 s-1) and production of nitrate (?? = -1.0 ?? 10-3 s-1) were opposite in sign but almost equal in magnitude. Our results suggest that fulvic acids are involved in rapid electron-transfer processes in and near the stream channel and may be important in determining ecological energy flow at the catchment scale. ?? 2006 American Chemical Society.

Comparison of Four Mixed Layer Mesoscale Parameterizations and the Equation for an Arbitrary Tracer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canuto, V. M.; Dubovikov, M. S.

2011-01-01

In this paper we discuss two issues, the inter-comparison of four mixed layer mesoscale parameterizations and the search for the eddy induced velocity for an arbitrary tracer. It must be stressed that our analysis is limited to mixed layer mesoscales since we do not treat sub-mesoscales and small turbulent mixing. As for the first item, since three of the four parameterizations are expressed in terms of a stream function and a residual flux of the RMT formalism (residual mean theory), while the fourth is expressed in terms of vertical and horizontal fluxes, we needed a formalism to connect the two formulations. The standard RMT representation developed for the deep ocean cannot be extended to the mixed layer since its stream function does not vanish at the ocean's surface. We develop a new RMT representation that satisfies the surface boundary condition. As for the general form of the eddy induced velocity for an arbitrary tracer, thus far, it has been assumed that there is only the one that originates from the curl of the stream function. This is because it was assumed that the tracer residual flux is purely diffusive. On the other hand, we show that in the case of an arbitrary tracer, the residual flux has also a skew component that gives rise to an additional bolus velocity. Therefore, instead of only one bolus velocity, there are now two, one coming from the curl of the stream function and other from the skew part of the residual flux. In the buoyancy case, only one bolus velocity contributes to the mean buoyancy equation since the residual flux is indeed only diffusive.

A stream-based methane monitoring approach for evaluating groundwater impacts associated with unconventional gas development.

PubMed

Heilweil, Victor M; Stolp, Bert J; Kimball, Briant A; Susong, David D; Marston, Thomas M; Gardner, Philip M

2013-01-01

Gaining streams can provide an integrated signal of relatively large groundwater capture areas. In contrast to the point-specific nature of monitoring wells, gaining streams coalesce multiple flow paths. Impacts on groundwater quality from unconventional gas development may be evaluated at the watershed scale by the sampling of dissolved methane (CH4 ) along such streams. This paper describes a method for using stream CH4 concentrations, along with measurements of groundwater inflow and gas transfer velocity interpreted by 1-D stream transport modeling, to determine groundwater methane fluxes. While dissolved ionic tracers remain in the stream for long distances, the persistence of methane is not well documented. To test this method and evaluate CH4 persistence in a stream, a combined bromide (Br) and CH4 tracer injection was conducted on Nine-Mile Creek, a gaining stream in a gas development area in central Utah. A 35% gain in streamflow was determined from dilution of the Br tracer. The injected CH4 resulted in a fivefold increase in stream CH4 immediately below the injection site. CH4 and δ(13) CCH4 sampling showed it was not immediately lost to the atmosphere, but remained in the stream for more than 2000 m. A 1-D stream transport model simulating the decline in CH4 yielded an apparent gas transfer velocity of 4.5 m/d, describing the rate of loss to the atmosphere (possibly including some microbial consumption). The transport model was then calibrated to background stream CH4 in Nine-Mile Creek (prior to CH4 injection) in order to evaluate groundwater CH4 contributions. The total estimated CH4 load discharging to the stream along the study reach was 190 g/d, although using geochemical fingerprinting to determine its source was beyond the scope of the current study. This demonstrates the utility of stream-gas sampling as a reconnaissance tool for evaluating both natural and anthropogenic CH4 leakage from gas reservoirs into groundwater and surface water. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Comparison of Heat and Bromide as Ground Water Tracers Near Streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Constantz, J.; Cox, M.H.; Su, G.W.

2003-01-01

Heat and bromide were compared as tracers for examining stream/ground water exchanges along the middle reaches of the Santa Clara River, California, during a 10-hour surface water sodium bromide injection test. Three cross sections that comprise six shallow (<1 m) piezometers were installed at the upper, middle, and lower sections of a 17 km long study reach, to monitor temperatures and bromide concentrations in the shallow ground water beneath the stream. A heat and ground water transport simulation model and a closely related solute and ground water transport simulation model were matched up for comparison of simulated and observed temperatures and bromide concentrations in the streambed. Vertical, one-dimensional simulations of sediment temperature were fitted to observed temperature results, to yield apparent streambed hydraulic conductivities in each cross section. The temperature-based hydraulic conductivities were assigned to a solute and ground water transport model to predict sediment bromide concentrations, during the sodium bromide injection test. Vertical, one-dimensional simulations of bromide concentrations in the sediments yielded a good match to the observed bromide concentrations, without adjustment of any model parameters except solute dispersivities. This indicates that, for the spatial and temporal scales examined on the Santa Clara River, the use of heat and bromide as tracers provide comparable information with respect to apparent hydraulic conductivities and fluxes for sediments near streams. In other settings, caution should be used due to differences in the nature of conservative (bromide) versus nonconservative (heat) tracers, particularly when preferential flowpaths are present.

Estimation of snow and glacier melt contribution to Liddar stream in a mountainous catchment, western Himalaya: an isotopic approach.

PubMed

Jeelani, Gh; Shah, Rouf A; Jacob, Noble; Deshpande, Rajendrakumar D

2017-03-01

Snow- and glacier-dominated catchments in the Himalayas are important sources of fresh water to more than one billion people. However, the contribution of snowmelt and glacier melt to stream flow remains largely unquantified in most parts of the Himalayas. We used environmental isotopes and geochemical tracers to determine the source water and flow paths of stream flow draining the snow- and glacier-dominated mountainous catchment of the western Himalaya. The study suggested that the stream flow in the spring season is dominated by the snowmelt released from low altitudes and becomes isotopically depleted as the melt season progressed. The tracer-based mixing models suggested that snowmelt contributed a significant proportion (5-66 %) to stream flow throughout the year with the maximum contribution in spring and summer seasons (from March to July). In 2013 a large and persistent snowpack contributed significantly (∼51 %) to stream flow in autumn (September and October) as well. The average annual contribution of glacier melt to stream flow is little (5 %). However, the monthly contribution of glacier melt to stream flow reaches up to 19 % in September during years of less persistent snow pack.

Assessment of bedload equations using data obtained with tracers in two coarse-bed mountain streams (Narcea River basin, NW Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez-Tarrío, Daniel; Menéndez-Duarte, Rosana

2015-06-01

This paper evaluates the predictive power of nine bedload equations, comparing the results provided by the equations with the bedload rates obtained in a previous field-based tracer experiment accomplished in River Pigüeña and River Coto, two coarse bed streams from NW Spain. Rivers from NW Spain draining the northern watershed of the Cantabrian Mountain range flow into the Bay of Biscay in a short path (50-60 km). In this region, they are developed forested catchments featured by fluvial networks with relatively steep slopes, single-thread sinuous channels, and where bed sediment is typically coarse (cobble and gravel). Tagged stones were used to trace bed sediment movement during flood events in River Pigüeña and River Coto, the two main tributaries of the Narcea River basin. With the tracer results, bedload transport rates between 0.2 and 4.0 kg/s were estimated for six flood episodes. The tracer-based bedload discharges were compared with the bedload rates estimated with the bedload formulae (DuBoys-Straub, Schoklitsch, Meyer Peter-Müller, Bagbold, Einstein, Parker-Klingeman-McLean, Parker-Klingeman, Parker and Wilcock-Crowe). Our assessment shows that all of the bedload equations tend to overestimate when compared with the tracer-based results, with the Wilcock and Crowe (2003) equation the only exception in River Pigüeña. We linked these results to the particular geomorphology of coarse-bed rivers in humid and forested mountain environments. Within these rivers, armored textures and structural arrangements in the bed are ubiquitous; these features, together with a low sediment supply coming from upstream forested reaches, define a supply-limited condition for these channels limiting the potential use of bedload equations. The Wilcock and Crowe (2003) equation introduces complex corrections into the 'hiding function', and this could explain why it performs better.

Evaluating the fate of six common pharmaceuticals using a reactive transport model: insights from a stream tracer test.

PubMed

Riml, Joakim; Wörman, Anders; Kunkel, Uwe; Radke, Michael

2013-08-01

Quantitative information regarding the capacity of rivers to self-purify pharmaceutical residues is limited. To bridge this knowledge gap, we present a methodology for quantifying the governing processes affecting the fate of pharmaceuticals in streaming waters and, especially, to evaluate their relative significance for tracer observations. A tracer test in Säva Brook, Sweden was evaluated using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model framework containing surface water transport together with a representation of transient storage in slow/immobile zones of the stream, which are presumably important for the retention and attenuation of pharmaceuticals. To assess the key processes affecting the environmental fate of the compounds, we linked the uncertainty estimates of the reaction rate coefficients to the relative influence of transformation and sorption that occurred in different stream environments. The hydrological and biogeochemical contributions to the fate of the pharmaceuticals were decoupled, and the results indicate a moderate hydrological retention in the hyporheic zone as well as in the densely vegetated parts of the stream. Biogeochemical reactions in these transient storage zones further affected the fate of the pharmaceuticals, and we found that sorption was the key process for bezafibrate, metoprolol, and naproxen, while primary transformation was the most important process for clofibric acid and ibuprofen. Conversely, diclofenac was not affected by sorption or transformation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heat tracer methods

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, Richard W.; Scanlon, Bridget R.

2010-01-01

The flow of heat in the subsurface is closely linked to the movement of water (Ingebritsen et al., 2006). As such, heat has been used as a tracer in groundwater studies for more than 100 years (Anderson, 2005). As with chemical and isotopic tracers (Chapter 7), spatial or temporal trends in surface and subsurface temperatures can be used to infer rates of water movement. Temperature can be measured accurately, economically, at high frequencies, and without the need to obtain water samples, facts that make heat an attractive tracer. Temperature measurements made over space and time can be used to infer rates of recharge from a stream or other surface water body (Lapham, 1989; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003); measurements can also be used to estimate rates of steady drainage through depth intervals within thick unsaturated zones (Constantz et al., 2003; Shan and Bodvarsson, 2004). Several thorough reviews of heat as a tracer in hydrologic studies have recently been published (Constantz et al., 2003; Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003; Anderson, 2005; Blasch et al., 2007; Constantz et al., 2008). This chapter summarizes heat-tracer approaches that have been used to estimate recharge.Some clarification in terminology is presented here to avoid confusion in descriptions of the various approaches that follow. Diffuse recharge is that which occurs more or less uniformly across large areas in response to precipitation, infiltration, and drainage through the unsaturated zone. Estimates of diffuse recharge determined using measured temperatures in the unsaturated zone are referred to as potential recharge because it is possible that not all of the water moving through the unsaturated zone will recharge the aquifer; some may be lost to the atmosphere by evaporation or plant transpiration. Estimated fluxes across confining units in the saturated zone are referred to as interaquifer flow (Chapter 1). Focused recharge is that which occurs directly from a point or line source, such as a stream, on land surface. Focused recharge may vary widely in space and time. If the water table intersects a stream channel, estimates of stream loss are called actual recharge, or just recharge. If the water table lies below the stream channel, estimates are referred to as potential recharge. For simplicity, all vertical water fluxes are referred to as drainage throughout this chapter. Whether the estimated quantity represents actual or potential recharge or drainage depends on the circumstances of each individual study.

Quantifying trail erosion and stream sedimentation with sediment tracers

Treesearch

Mark S. Riedel

2006-01-01

Abstract--The impacts of forest disturbance and roads on stream sedimentation have been rigorously investigated and documented. While historical research on turbidity and suspended sediments has been thorough, studies of stream bed sedimentation have typically relied on semi-quantitative measures such as embeddedness or marginal pool depth. To directly quantify the...

A nutrient’s downstream spiral

EPA Science Inventory

Indicators of a stream’s ability to remove nutrients provide insights on watershed integrity and stream habitat characteristics that are needed to help managers to restore stream ecosystem services. We used the Tracer Additon Spiraling Characterization Curve (TASCC) to mea...

Impact of debris dams on hyporheic interaction along a semi-arid stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lautz, Laura K.; Siegel, Donald I.; Bauer, Robert L.

2006-01-01

Hyporheic exchange increases the potential for solute retention in streams by slowing downstream transport and increasing solute contact with the substrate. Hyporheic exchange may be a major mechanism to remove nutrients in semi-arid watersheds, where livestock have damaged stream riparian zones and contributed nutrients to stream channels. Debris dams, such as beaver dams and anthropogenic log dams, may increase hyporheic interactions by slowing stream water velocity, increasing flow complexity and diverting water to the subsurface.Here, we report the results of chloride tracer injection experiments done to evaluate hyporheic interaction along a 320 m reach of Red Canyon Creek, a second order stream in the semi-arid Wind River Range of Wyoming. The study site is part of a rangeland watershed managed by The Nature Conservancy of Wyoming, and used as a hydrologic field site by the University of Missouri Branson Geologic Field Station. The creek reach we investigated has debris dams and tight meanders that hypothetically should enhance hyporheic interaction. Breakthrough curves of chloride measured during the field experiment were modelled with OTIS-P, a one-dimensional, surface-water, solute-transport model from which we extracted the storage exchange rate and cross-sectional area of the storage zone As for hyporheic exchange. Along gaining reaches of the stream reach, short-term hyporheic interactions associated with debris dams were comparable to those associated with severe meanders. In contrast, along the non-gaining reach, stream water was diverted to the subsurface by debris dams and captured by large-scale near-stream flow paths. Overall, hyporheic exchange rates along Red Canyon Creek during snowmelt recession equal or exceed exchange rates observed during baseflow at other streams.

A Dye-Tracer Technique for Experimentally Obtaining Impingement Characteristics of Arbitrary Bodies and a Method for Determining Droplet Size Distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VonGlahn, Uwe H.; Gelder, Thomas F.; Smyers, William H., Jr.

1955-01-01

A dye-tracer technique has been developed whereby the quantity of dyed water collected on a blotter-wrapped body exposed to an air stream containing a dyed-water spray cloud can be colorimetrically determined in order to obtain local collection efficiencies, total collection efficiency, and rearward extent of impingement on the body. In addition, a method has been developed whereby the impingement characteristics obtained experimentally for a body can be related to theoretical impingement data for the same body in order to determine the droplet size distribution of the impinging cloud. Several cylinders, a ribbon, and an aspirating device to measure cloud liquid-water content were used in the studies presented herein for the purpose of evaluating the dye-tracer technique. Although the experimental techniques used in the dye-tracer technique require careful control, the methods presented herein should be applicable for any wind tunnel provided the humidity of the air stream can be maintained near saturation.

Channel water balance and exchange with subsurface flow along a mountain headwater stream in Montana, United States

Treesearch

R.A. Payn; M.N. Gooseff; B.L. McGlynn; K.E. Bencala; S.M. Wondzell

2009-01-01

Channel water balances of contiguous reaches along streams represent a poorly understood scale of stream-subsurface interaction. We measured reach water balances along a headwater stream in Montana, United States, during summer base flow recessions. Reach water balances were estimated from series of tracer tests in 13 consecutive reaches delineated evenly along a 2.6-...

Using Chemical Tracers to Estimate Pesticide Mass Discharge in an Agricultural Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simmons, A. N.; Allen-King, R. M.; Van Biersel, T. P.; Keller, C. K.; Smith, J. L.

2001-12-01

The goal of this research is to use environmental tracers to quantify the contributions of subsurface and surface runoff to predict the mass discharge of non-point source agricultural pollutants to rivers at multiple scales of study. Easily measured chemical tracers, such as electrical conductivity (EC), are used to distinguish ground and surface water contributions to the river system. The study area is the Missouri Flat Creek watershed, a 14,400 ha semi-arid dryland agricultural setting located near Pullman, WA. Ground and surface water samples are collected at approximately two-week intervals from an ephemeral stream and a tile drain located in actively farmed and topographically constrained fields ( ~20 ha), and from seven stream-gaging stations. Surface water discharge is monitored continuously. Samples are routinely analyzed for two pesticides (the insecticide lindane or gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and the herbicide triallate, S-(2,3,3-trichloroallyl) diisopropylthiocarbamate), a nutrient (nitrate), and the tracers EC and silica. Lindane is applied as a seed coating on most spring and fall crops in the region. Observed lindane concentrations in the different hydrologic reservoirs ranged over approximately two orders of magnitude, from typically less than the detection limit ( ~0.005 μ g/L) in most soil pore water and groundwater samples to a weighted mean of 0.25 μ g/L in field (ephemeral stream) surface runoff. A two-component, ground and surface water, hydrograph separation was performed using tile drain and ephemeral stream tracer concentrations from field plots to represent groundwater and surface runoff end-members. The hydrograph separation was used to predict lindane discharge. Reasonable agreement between model and observed lindane discharge timing and trend supports the hypothesis that in-stream pesticide is derived from annual surface runoff. During the high flow winter months, the model predictions are two to five times greater than observed. The differences between the model and observed mass discharges are likely attributable to dilution (from fields to which the chemical was not applied) or attenuation by biological processes. These are the subjects of continued work.

Demonstration and Validation of a Fractured Rock Passive Flux Meter

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

Thick continuous lines are stream lines and thin dashed lines are potential lines. Green lines are isochrones, i.e., dye , tracer or contaminant...layer of cloth material impregnated with a visible dye . The core inflates separately from the two end packers to provide a mechanism for holding the one...leaches visible dyes and tracers from the internal and external sorbent layers and produces residual dye and tracer distributions. Visual

Heat as a tool for studying the movement of ground water near streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim

2003-01-01

Stream temperature has long been recognized as an important water quality parameter. Temperature plays a key role in the health of a stream?s aquatic life, both in the water column and in the benthic habitat of streambed sediments. Many fish are sensitive to temperature. For example, anadromous salmon require specific temperature ranges to successfully develop, migrate, and spawn [see Halupka and others, 2000]. Metabolic rates, oxygen requirements and availability, predation patterns, and susceptibility of organisms to contaminants are but a few of the many environmental responses regulated by temperature. Hydrologists traditionally treated streams and ground water as distinct, independent resources to be utilized and managed separately. With increasing demands on water supplies, however, hydrologists realized that streams and ground water are parts of a single, interconnected resource [see Winter and others, 1998]. Attempts to distinguish these resources for analytical or regulatory purposes are fraught with difficulty because each domain can supply (or drain) the other, with attendant possibilities for contamination exchange. Sustained depletion of one resource usually results in depletion of the other, propagating adverse effects within the watershed. An understanding of the interconnections between surface water and ground water is therefore essential. This understanding is still incomplete, but receiving growing attention from the research community. Exchanges between streams and shallow ground-water systems play a key role in controlling temperatures not only in streams, but also in their underlying sediments. As a result, analyses of subsurface temperature patterns provide information about surface-water/ground-water interactions. Chemical tracers are commonly used for tracing flow between streams and ground water. Introduction of chemical tracers in near-stream environments is, however, limited by real and perceived issues regarding introduced contamination and practical constraints. As an alternative, naturally occurring variations in temperature can be used to track (or trace) the heat carried by flowing water. The hydraulic transport of heat enables its use as a tracer. Differences between temperatures in the stream and surrounding sediments are now being analyzed to trace the movement of ground water to and from streams. As shown in the subsequent chapters of this circular, tracing the transport of heat leads to a better understanding of the magnitudes and mechanisms of stream/ground-water exchanges, and helps quantify the resulting effects on stream and streambed temperatures. Chapter 1 describes the general principals and procedures by which the natural transport of heat can be utilized to infer the movement of subsurface water near streams. This information sets the foundation for understanding the advanced applications in chapters 2 through 8. Each of these chapters provides a case study, using heat tracing as a tool, of interactions between surface water and ground water for a different location in the western United States. Technical details of the use of heat as an environmental tracer appear in appendices.

Performance Testing of Tracer Gas and Tracer Aerosol Detectors for use in Radionuclide NESHAP Compliance Testing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuehne, David Patrick; Lattin, Rebecca Renee

The Rad-NESHAP program, part of the Air Quality Compliance team of LANL’s Compliance Programs group (EPC-CP), and the Radiation Instrumentation & Calibration team, part of the Radiation Protection Services group (RP-SVS), frequently partner on issues relating to characterizing air flow streams. This memo documents the most recent example of this partnership, involving performance testing of sulfur hexafluoride detectors for use in stack gas mixing tests. Additionally, members of the Rad-NESHAP program performed a functional trending test on a pair of optical particle counters, comparing results from a non-calibrated instrument to a calibrated instrument. Prior to commissioning a new stack samplingmore » system, the ANSI Standard for stack sampling requires that the stack sample location must meet several criteria, including uniformity of tracer gas and aerosol mixing in the air stream. For these mix tests, tracer media (sulfur hexafluoride gas or liquid oil aerosol particles) are injected into the stack air stream and the resulting air concentrations are measured across the plane of the stack at the proposed sampling location. The coefficient of variation of these media concentrations must be under 20% when evaluated over the central 2/3 area of the stack or duct. The instruments which measure these air concentrations must be tested prior to the stack tests in order to ensure their linear response to varying air concentrations of either tracer gas or tracer aerosol. The instruments used in tracer gas and aerosol mix testing cannot be calibrated by the LANL Standards and Calibration Laboratory, so they would normally be sent off-site for factory calibration by the vendor. Operational requirements can prevent formal factory calibration of some instruments after they have been used in hazardous settings, e.g., within a radiological facility with potential airborne contamination. The performance tests described in this document are intended to demonstrate the reliable performance of the test instruments for the specific tests used in stack flow characterization.« less

Interactions of solutes and streambed sediment: 2. A dynamic analysis of coupled hydrologic and chemical processes that determine solute transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bencala, Kenneth E.

1984-01-01

Solute transport in streams is determined by the interaction of physical and chemical processes. Data from an injection experiment for chloride and several cations indicate significant influence of solutestreambed processes on transport in a mountain stream. These data are interpreted in terms of transient storage processes for all tracers and sorption processes for the cations. Process parameter values are estimated with simulations based on coupled quasi-two-dimensional transport and first-order mass transfer sorption. Comparative simulations demonstrate the relative roles of the physical and chemical processes in determining solute transport. During the first 24 hours of the experiment, chloride concentrations were attenuated relative to expected plateau levels. Additional attenuation occurred for the sorbing cation strontium. The simulations account for these storage processes. Parameter values determined by calibration compare favorably with estimates from other studies in mountain streams. Without further calibration, the transport of potassium and lithium is adequately simulated using parameters determined in the chloride-strontium simulation and with measured cation distribution coefficients.

Monitoring an artificial tracer test within streambed sediments with time lapse underwater 3D ERT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clémence, Houzé; Marc, Pessel; Véronique, Durand; Toihir, Ali

2017-04-01

The stream-aquifer interface is considered a hotspot for environmental and ecological issues. Due to their complexity, the exchange mechanisms occurring between groundwater and surface water at this interface are not yet fully understood. Many studies have focused on the characterization of the two-dimensional distribution of an artificial tracer (generally injected into the stream) within and outside the streambed, but there is insufficient information about the 3D spatial distribution of the tracer fluxes and their temporal variations. We monitored the transport of an artificial solute tracer transport with 3D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in order to improve the 3D spatial resolution in the imaging of the first tens of centimeters of streambed sediments and propose an innovative approach of the three-dimensional and temporal observation of the water fluxes. The hydro-geophysical field measurements were made on a small stream located within the Orgeval watershed (Seine et Marne, France). Using a resistivimeter connected to 180 electrodes, 3D electrical resistivity tomograms were made on a riverbed section, as a brine tracer was injected directly into the hyporheic zone. Before the tracer monitoring, the static 3D resistivity tomograms were consistent with the lithological heterogeneities identified at the site. However, this study defines some prerequisites to high-resolution 3D underwater resistivity measurements: for instance, a precise knowledge of an eventual weak electrode contact and a spatial resolution identical in every spatial direction. First results show a rapid development and persistence of a conductive plume around the injection point which disappears progressively after the injection. Within the sediments top layer, preferential flowpaths were highlighted due to the highly heterogeneous medium and hydraulic conductivity. The riverbed topography showed some pool-riffle sequences which conduct the formation of local entering and exiting zones. It seems clear that riverbed heterogeneities drive some local exchanges between surface water and pore water, despite the gaining condition of the stream. Moreover, inversion and data processing appear very sensitive to the boundary condition variations, such as the thickness and the resistivity of the water layer. This makes a quantitative interpretation of tracer fluxes within the hyporheic zone difficult. We demonstrate that for this type of study, knowledge of these conditions and precise monitoring of their fluctuations in time are required.

Nested Tracer Studies In Catchment Hydrology: Towards A Multiscale Understanding of Runoff Generation and Catchment Funtioning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulsby, C.; Rodgers, P.; Malcolm, I. A.; Dunn, S.

Geochemical and isotopic tracers have been shown to have widespread utility in catch- ment hydrology in terms of identifying hydrological source areas and characterising residence time distributions. In many cases application of tracer techniques has pro- vided insights into catchment functioning that could not be obtained from hydromet- ric and/or modelling studies alone. This paper will show how the use of tracers has contributed to an evolving perceptual model of hydrological pathways and runoff gen- eration processes in catchments in the Scottish highlands. In particular the paper will focus on the different insights that are gained at three different scales of analysis; (a) nested sub-catchments within a mesoscale (ca. 200 square kilometers) experimen- tal catchment; (b) hillslope-riparian interactions and (c) stream bed fluxes. Nested hydrometric and hydrochemical monitoring within the mesoscale Feugh catchment identified three main hydrological response units: (i) plateau peatlands which gener- ated saturation overland flow in the catchment headwaters, (ii) steep valley hillslopes which drain from the plateaux into (iii) alluvial and drift aquifers in the valley bottoms. End Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA) in 8 nested sub-catchments indicated that that stream water tracer concentrations can be modelled in terms of 2 dominant runoff pro- cesses; overland flow from the peat and groundwater from the drift aquifers. Ground- water contributions generally increased with catchment size, though this was moder- ated by the characteristics of individual sub-basins, with drift cover being particularly important. Hillslope riparian interactions were also examined using tracers, hydromet- ric data and a semi-distributed hydrological model. This revealed that in the glaciated, drift covered terrain of the Scottish highlands, extensive valley bottom aquifers effec- tively de-couple hillslope waters from the river channel. Thus, riparian groundwater appears to significantly contribute to storm runoff as well as sustain base flows. Water from steeper hillslopes appears to primarily recharge valley bottom aquifers. Fluxes from the drift aquifers into the stream bed were investigated using hydrometric and tracer techniques. Groundwater fluxes through the stream bed appear to be relatively localized relating to geological boundaries or changes in drift characteristics. How- ever, these fluxes are also controlled by morphological features in the river channel which exert a strong control on localized groundwater U surface water interactions. 1 If catchment hydrology is to contribute to a functional understanding of freshwater ecosystems it is argued that integrated tracer studies, at different scales and incorpo- rating both observations from field work and modelling applications, have a key role to play. 2

Scaling of transient storage parameter estimates with increasing reach length in a mountain headwater stream

Treesearch

M. Briggs; M. N. Gooseff; B. McGlynn

2006-01-01

We performed two conservative tracer injections in a mountain stream in order to access the relationship between storage parameters on the short subreach scale to the longer reach which they comprise.

Comparison of the radioactive and modified techniques for measurement of stream reaeration coefficients

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rathbun, R.E.; Grant, R. Stephen

1978-01-01

There are advantages and disadvantages to both the radioactive and modified tracer techniques. The main advantage of the radioactive technique is that the tracer gas is chemically inert; the main disadvantage is that a radioactive isotope of the gas must be used to obtain the necessary analytical sensitivity. The main advantage of the modified technique is that radioactive tracers are not necessary; the main disadvantage is that the hydrocarbon tracer gases may be subject to biological degradation and sorption losses. Results of this comparison study suggest that the modified technique is a promising alternative to the use of radioactive tracers.

Suitability and potential of environmental tracers for base-flow determination in streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerber, C.; Purtschert, R.; Darling, G.; Gooddy, D.; Kralik, M.; Humer, F.; Sültenfuss, J.

2012-04-01

The temporal and spatial distribution of the proportion of groundwater discharge into gaining rivers can be estimated with conventional geochemical parameters and 222Rn measurements (COOK et al., 2006). However, the quantification of the age of the discharging groundwater requires either groundwater sampling from boreholes in the vicinity of the river e.g. (FETTE et al., 2005) or tracer measurements in the river water itself. A promising tracer for age dating of base flow in streams is 85Kr. Its chemically inertness and the relatively low diffusion coefficient (long exchange time with the atmosphere) favours 85Kr in comparison to e.g. 3H/3He (STOLP et al., 2010). In this paper, measurements of 85Kr, 3H/3Hetrit and SF6 from a small scale system in the southern Vienna basin (STOLP et al., 2010) are presented and discussed. In combination with completing parameters (stable isotopes, geochemistry, flux measurements) and model calculations the gas exchange dynamic between stream water and the atmosphere is estimated. This is a key factor for the age characterization of the discharging groundwater. The sensitivity of the individual methods to origin and amount of excess air is also discussed. Cook P. G., Lamontagne S., Berhane D., and Clark J. F. (2006) Quantifying groundwater discharge to Cockburn River, southeastern Australia, using dissolved gas tracers 222Rn and SF6. WRR 42.doi:10.1029/2006WR004921 Fette M., Kipfer R., Schubert C. J., Hoehn E., and Wehrli.B. (2005) Assessing river-groundwater exchange in the regulated Rhone River (Switzerland) using stable isotopes and geochemical tracers. Appl. Geochemistry 20, 701-712 Stolp B., Solomon D. K., Vitvar T., Rank D., Aggarwal P. K., and Han L. F. (2010) Age dating base flow at springs and gaining streams using helium-3 and tritium: Fischa-Dagnitz system, southern Vienna Basin, Austria. Water Resour. Res. 46, 13.doi:10.1029/2009WR008006

A comparative modeling study of a dual tracer experiment in a large lysimeter under atmospheric conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stumpp, C.; Nützmann, G.; Maciejewski, S.; Maloszewski, P.

2009-09-01

SummaryIn this paper, five model approaches with different physical and mathematical concepts varying in their model complexity and requirements were applied to identify the transport processes in the unsaturated zone. The applicability of these model approaches were compared and evaluated investigating two tracer breakthrough curves (bromide, deuterium) in a cropped, free-draining lysimeter experiment under natural atmospheric boundary conditions. The data set consisted of time series of water balance, depth resolved water contents, pressure heads and resident concentrations measured during 800 days. The tracer transport parameters were determined using a simple stochastic (stream tube model), three lumped parameter (constant water content model, multi-flow dispersion model, variable flow dispersion model) and a transient model approach. All of them were able to fit the tracer breakthrough curves. The identified transport parameters of each model approach were compared. Despite the differing physical and mathematical concepts the resulting parameters (mean water contents, mean water flux, dispersivities) of the five model approaches were all in the same range. The results indicate that the flow processes are also describable assuming steady state conditions. Homogeneous matrix flow is dominant and a small pore volume with enhanced flow velocities near saturation was identified with variable saturation flow and transport approach. The multi-flow dispersion model also identified preferential flow and additionally suggested a third less mobile flow component. Due to high fitting accuracy and parameter similarity all model approaches indicated reliable results.

Inferring glacial flow pathways with DNA-labelled microparticle tracers at the Wolverine Glacier in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNew, Coy; Dahlke, Helen; O'Neel, Shad; McLaughlin, Seanna

2017-04-01

Though recent advances have been made in the understanding of glacial hydrologic pathways, accurate predictions and descriptions of glacial hydrologic processes remain a challenge. The most common method to investigate subglacial pathways tends to be dye tracing. Due to the limited number of unique dye tracers, the photodegradability of some, and the typically long breakthrough times associated with such pathways, dye tracing experiments tend to be restricted to only a few injections, and therefore the contribution of only a few pathways can be investigated at a time. Five uniquely DNA-labelled microparticle tracers were injected in five different locations throughout the Wolverine Glacier ablation zone, one of two "benchmark glaciers" in Alaska and the subject of long term study by the United States Geological Survey. Stream water was sampled several hundred meters downstream at regular intervals and later analyzed for the presence of each tracer. Since each tracer was tagged with a unique sequence of DNA, the contribution of each to the total outflow can be quantified independently. Preliminary results indicate relatively short transit times, suggesting that the ablation zone is characterized by a high-volume (low pressure) subglacial hydrologic network (i.e. conduits). Here we present the results of the study, the challenges faced, and a discussion on the potential of the DNA-labelled microtracer technology.

Transient storage assessments of dye-tracer injections in rivers of the Willamette Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laenen, A.; Bencala, K.E.

2001-01-01

Rhodamine WT dye-tracer injections in rivers of the Willamette Basin yield concentration-time curves with characteristically long recession times suggestive of active transient storage processes. The scale of drainage areas contributing to the stream reaches studied in the Willamette Basin ranges from 10 to 12,000 km2. A transient storage assessment of the tracer studies has been completed using the U.S. Geological Survey's One-dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS) model, which incorporates storage exchange and decay functions along with the traditional dispersion and advection transport equation. The analysis estimates solute transport of the dye. It identifies first-order decay coefficients to be on the order of 10-5/sec for the nonconservative Rhodamine WT. On an individual subreach basis, the first-order decay is slower (typically by an order of magnitude) than the transient storage process, indicating that nonconservative tracers may be used to evaluate transient storage in rivers. In the transient storage analysis, a dimensionless parameter (As/A) expresses the spatial extent of storage zone area relative to stream cross section. In certain reaches of Willamette Basin pool-and-riffle, gravel-bed rivers, this parameter was as large as 0.5. A measure of the storage exchange flux was calculated for each stream subreach in the simulation analysis. This storage exchange is shown subjectively to be higher at higher stream discharges. Hyporheic linkage between streams and subsurface flows is the probable physical mechanism contributing to a significant part of this inferred active transient storage. Hyporheic linkages are further suggested by detailed measurements of river discharge with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler system delineating zones in two large rivers where water alternately enters and leaves the surface channels through graveland-cobble riverbeds. Measurements show patterns of hyporheic exchange that are highly variable in time and space.

Nitrification and denitrification in a midwestern stream containing high nitrate: In situ assessment using tracers in dome-shaped incubation chambers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, R.L.; Böhlke, J.K.; Repert, D.A.; Hart, C.P.

2009-01-01

The extent to which in-stream processes alter or remove nutrient loads in agriculturally impacted streams is critically important to watershed function and the delivery of those loads to coastal waters. In this study, patch-scale rates of in-stream benthic processes were determined using large volume, open-bottom benthic incubation chambers in a nitrate-rich, first to third order stream draining an area dominated by tile-drained row-crop fields. The chambers were fitted with sampling/mixing ports, a volume compensation bladder, and porewater samplers. Incubations were conducted with added tracers (NaBr and either 15N[NO3-], 15N[NO2-], or 15N[NH4+]) for 24-44 h intervals and reaction rates were determined from changes in concentrations and isotopic compositions of nitrate, nitrite, ammonium and nitrogen gas. Overall, nitrate loss rates (220-3,560 ??mol N m-2 h-1) greatly exceeded corresponding denitrification rates (34-212 ??mol N m-2 h-1) and both of these rates were correlated with nitrate concentrations (90-1,330 ??M), which could be readily manipulated with addition experiments. Chamber estimates closely matched whole-stream rates of denitrification and nitrate loss using 15N. Chamber incubations with acetylene indicated that coupled nitrification/denitrification was not a major source of N2 production at ambient nitrate concentrations (175 ??M), but acetylene was not effective for assessing denitrification at higher nitrate concentrations (1,330 ??M). Ammonium uptake rates greatly exceeded nitrification rates, which were relatively low even with added ammonium (3.5 ??mol N m-2 h-1), though incubations with nitrite demonstrated that oxidation to nitrate exceeded reduction to nitrogen gas in the surface sediments by fivefold to tenfold. The chamber results confirmed earlier studies that denitrification was a substantial nitrate sink in this stream, but they also indicated that dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) turnover rates greatly exceeded the rates of permanent nitrogen removal via denitrification. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

Hydrologic and geomorphic controls on hyporheic exchange during base flow recession in a headwater mountain stream

Treesearch

A.S. Ward; M. Fitzgerald; M.N. Gooseff; A.M. Binley; K. Singha

2012-01-01

Hyporheic hydrodynamics are a control on stream ecosystems, yet we lack a thorough understanding of catchment controls on these flow paths, including valley constraint and hydraulic gradients in the valley bottom. We performed four whole-stream solute tracer injections under steady state flow conditions at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (Oregon, United States)...

Turnover Time in the Hyporheic Zone as Assessed by 3D Geophysical Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, B.; Hall, R. O., Jr.; Carr, B.

2017-12-01

The hyporheic zone (HZ) is a region of interest in stream hydrology and ecology, however, its heterogeneity across small spatial scales and difficulty to directly measure has hampered researchers' efforts to understand its specific contribution to processes such as solute transport and nutrient retention and removal. In recent years researchers have combined geophysical imaging, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), with tracer additions to directly measure exchange between surface waters and the HZ without physically disrupting natural subsurface flow paths. We conducted constant-rate tracer additions in two small headwater mountain streams while collecting 3D ERT images downstream before, during, after each tracer addition to yield spatially comprehensive models of solute exchange with the HZ through time. From our 3D HZ models, we calculated the active volume of the HZ, normalized to the maximum measured size, for each time step giving a breakthrough curve of tracer abundance in the HZ through time. We then described the tracer's turnover time in the HZ by applying exponential and power decay models to the breakthrough curve of HZ volume in a similar manner that one would for a tracer breakthrough curve in surface waters. Our models suggest that the flushing of solutes from the HZ exhibit multi-domain behavior, where advective and diffusive exchange between HZ and surface waters occur simultaneously and operate at distinctly different rates.

Assessment of Lead and Beryllium deposition and adsorption to exposed stream channel sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlowski, E.; Karwan, D. L.

2016-12-01

The fallout radionuclides Beryllium-7 and Lead-210 have been shown to be effective sediment tracers that readily bind to particles. The adsorption capacity has primarily been assessed in marine and coastal environments with an important assumption being the radionuclides' uniform spatial distribution as fallout from the atmosphere. This neglects localized storm events that may mine stratospheric reserves creating variable distributions. To test this assumption atmospheric deposition is collected at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus weather station during individual storm events and subsequently analyzed for Beryllium-7 and Lead-210. This provides further insight into continental effects on radionuclide deposition. The study of Beryllium-7 and Lead-210 adsorption in marine and coastal environments has provided valuable insights into the processes that influence the element's binding to particles but research has been limited in freshwater river environments. These environments have greater variation in pH, iron oxide content, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels which have been shown to influence the adsorption of Beryllium and Lead in marine settings. This research assesses the adsorption of Beryllium and Lead to river sediments collected from in-channel deposits by utilizing batch experiments that mimic the stream conditions from which the deposits were collected. Soils were collected from Difficult Run, VA, and the West Swan River, MN. Agitating the soils in a controlled solution of known background electrolyte and pH while varying the level of iron oxides and DOC in step provides a better understanding of the sorption of Lead and Beryllium under the conditions found within freshwater streams. Pairing the partitioning of Lead and Beryllium with their inputs to streams via depositional processes, from this study and others, allows for their assessment as possible sediment tracers and age-dating tools within the respective watersheds.

Influence of Beaver Dams on Channel Complexity, Hydrology, and Temperature Regime in a Mountainous Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

2013-12-01

Beaver dams and beaver activity affect hydrologic processes, sediment transport, channel complexity and water quality of streams. Beaver ponds, which form behind beaver dams, increase in-channel water storage affecting the timing and volume of flow and resulting in the attenuation and flattening of the hydrograph. Channel complexity also increases the potential for transient storage (both surface and subsurface) and influences stream temperature. Impacts of beaver dams and beaver activity on stream responses are difficult to quantify because responses are dynamic and spatially variable. Few studies have focused on the reach scale temporal influences on stream responses and further research is needed particularly in quantifying the influence of beaver dams and their role in shaping the stream habitat. This study explores the changing hydrology and temperature regime of Curtis Creek, a mountainous stream located in Northern Utah, in a 560 m long reach where groundwater exchanges and temperature differences were observed over a three-year period. We have collected continuous stream discharge, stream temperature data and performed tracer experiments. During the first year, we were able to capture the pre-beaver activity. In the second year, we captured the impacts of some beaver activity with only a few dams built in the reach, while the third year included the effects of an entire active beaver colony. By the end of the study period, a single thread channel had been transformed into a channel with side channels and backwaters at multiple locations therefore increasing channel complexity. The cumulative influence of beaver dams on reach scale discharge resulted in a slightly losing reach that developed into a gaining reach. At the smaller sub-reach scale, both losing to gaining and gaining to losing transformations were observed. Temperature differences showed a warming effect of beaver dams at the reach scale. The reach stream temperature difference increased on average 0.3°C when comparing the first to the third year of our study period. This warming trend was more pronounced in summer stream temperatures where differences were about 0.7°C. During winter months cooling was observed and temperatures decreased about -0.2°C over the reach. Annual tracer studies also captured an 81min (238%) increase in residence times due primarily to the increased channel complexity and storage over the three-year period. Our study provides reach scale understanding regarding the temporal influence of beavers to not only change physical template of the channel, but also influence the hydrology and temperature regime of streams.

Reach-scale predictions of the transport and fate of contaminants of emerging concern using a multi-tracer injection at Fourmile Creek (Ankeny, Iowa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cullin, J. A.; Ward, A. S.; Cwiertny, D. M.; Barber, L. B.; Kolpin, D. W.; Bradley, P. M.; Keefe, S. H.; Hubbard, L. E.

2013-12-01

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are an unregulated suite of constituents possessing the potential to cause a host of reproductive and developmental problems in humans and wildlife. CECs are frequently detected in environmental waters. Degradation pathways of several CECs are well-characterized in idealized laboratory settings, but CEC fate and transport in complex field settings is poorly understood. In the present study we used a multi-tracer solute injection study to quantify physical transport, photodegradation, and sorption in a wastewater effluent-impacted stream. Conservative tracers were used to quantify physical transport processes in the stream. Use of reactive fluorescent tracers allows for isolation of the relative contribution of photodegradation and sorption within the system. Field data was used to calibrate a one-dimensional transport model allowing us to use forward modeling to predict the transport of sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic documented to be present in the wastewater effluent and in Fourmile Creek which is susceptible to both sorption and photolysis. Forward modeling will predict both temporal persistence and spatial extent of sulfamethoxazole in Fourmile Creek

Hydrogeomorphic controls on hyporheic and riparian transport in two headwater mountain streams during base flow recession

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Adam S.; Schmadel, Noah M.; Wondzell, Steven M.; Harman, Ciaran; Gooseff, Michael N.; Singha, Kamini

2016-02-01

Solute transport along riparian and hyporheic flow paths is broadly expected to respond to dynamic hydrologic forcing by streams, aquifers, and hillslopes. However, direct observation of these dynamic responses is lacking, as is the relative control of geologic setting as a control on responses to dynamic hydrologic forcing. We conducted a series of four stream solute tracer injections through base flow recession in each of two watersheds with contrasting valley morphology in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, monitoring tracer concentrations in the stream and in a network of shallow riparian wells in each watershed. We found hyporheic mean arrival time, temporal variance, and fraction of stream water in the bedrock-constrained valley bottom and near large roughness elements in the wider valley bottom were not variable with discharge, suggesting minimal control by hydrologic forcing. Conversely, we observed increases in mean arrival time and temporal variance and decreasing fraction stream water with decreasing discharge near the hillslopes in the wider valley bottom. This may indicate changes in stream discharge and valley bottom hydrology control transport in less constrained locations. We detail five hydrogeomorphic responses to base flow recession to explain observed spatial and temporal patterns in the interactions between streams and their valley bottoms. Models able to account for the transition from geologically dominated processes in the near-stream subsurface to hydrologically dominated processes near the hillslope will be required to predict solute transport and fate in valley bottoms of headwater mountain streams.

Heat, chloride, and specific conductance as ground water tracers near streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cox, M.H.; Su, G.W.; Constantz, J.

2007-01-01

Commonly measured water quality parameters were compared to heat as tracers of stream water exchange with ground water. Temperature, specific conductance, and chloride were sampled at various frequencies in the stream and adjacent wells over a 2-year period. Strong seasonal variations in stream water were observed for temperature and specific conductance. In observation wells where the temperature response correlated to stream water, chloride and specific conductance values were similar to stream water values as well, indicating significant stream water exchange with ground water. At sites where ground water temperature fluctuations were negligible, chloride and/or specific conductance values did not correlate to stream water values, indicating that ground water was not significantly influenced by exchange with stream water. Best-fit simulation modeling was performed at two sites to derive temperature-based estimates of hydraulic conductivities of the alluvial sediments between the stream and wells. These estimates were used in solute transport simulations for a comparison of measured and simulated values for chloride and specific conductance. Simulation results showed that hydraulic conductivities vary seasonally and annually. This variability was a result of seasonal changes in temperature-dependent hydraulic conductivity and scouring or clogging of the streambed. Specific conductance fits were good, while chloride data were difficult to fit due to the infrequent (quarterly) stream water chloride measurements during the study period. Combined analyses of temperature, chloride, and specific conductance led to improved quantification of the spatial and temporal variability of stream water exchange with shallow ground water in an alluvial system. ?? 2007 National Ground Water Association.

Stream denitrification across biomes and its response to anthropogenic nitrate loading

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mulholland, P.J.; Helton, A.M.; Poole, G.C.; Hall, R.O.; Hamilton, S.K.; Peterson, B.J.; Tank, J.L.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Cooper, L.W.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Dodds, W.K.; Findlay, S.E.G.; Gregory, S.V.; Grimm, N. B.; Johnson, S.L.; McDowell, W.H.; Meyer, J.L.; Valett, H.M.; Webster, J.R.; Arango, C.P.; Beaulieu, J.J.; Bernot, M.J.; Burgin, A.J.; Crenshaw, C.L.; Johnson, L.T.; Niederlehner, B.R.; O'Brien, J. M.; Potter, J.D.; Sheibley, R.W.; Sobota, D.J.; Thomas, S.M.

2008-01-01

Anthropogenic addition of bioavailable nitrogen to the biosphere is increasing and terrestrial ecosystems are becoming increasingly nitrogen-saturated, causing more bioavailable nitrogen to enter groundwater and surface waters. Large-scale nitrogen budgets show that an average of about 20-25 per cent of the nitrogen added to the biosphere is exported from rivers to the ocean or inland basins, indicating that substantial sinks for nitrogen must exist in the landscape. Streams and rivers may themselves be important sinks for bioavailable nitrogen owing to their hydrological connections with terrestrial systems, high rates of biological activity, and streambed sediment environments that favour microbial denitrification. Here we present data from nitrogen stable isotope tracer experiments across 72 streams and 8 regions representing several biomes. We show that total biotic uptake and denitrification of nitrate increase with stream nitrate concentration, but that the efficiency of biotic uptake and denitrification declines as concentration increases, reducing the proportion of in-stream nitrate that is removed from transport. Our data suggest that the total uptake of nitrate is related to ecosystem photosynthesis and that denitrification is related to ecosystem respiration. In addition, we use a stream network model to demonstrate that excess nitrate in streams elicits a disproportionate increase in the fraction of nitrate that is exported to receiving waters and reduces the relative role of small versus large streams as nitrate sinks. ??2008 Nature Publishing Group.

Reconnaissance of Pharmaceutical Chemicals in Urban Streams of the Tualatin River Basin, Oregon, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rounds, Stewart A.; Doyle, Micelis C.; Edwards, Patrick M.; Furlong, Edward T.

2009-01-01

A reconnaissance of pharmaceutical chemicals in urban streams of the Tualatin River basin was conducted in July 2002 in an effort to better understand the occurrence and distribution of such compounds, and to determine whether they might be useful indicators of human-related stream contamination. Of the 21 pharmaceutical chemicals and metabolites tested, only 6 (acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazepine, codeine, cotinine, and sulfamethoxazole) were detected in filtered stream samples from 10 sites. The concentrations of most of the detected compounds were relatively low (less than 0.05 microgram per liter). The most frequently detected compounds were cotinine (a nicotine metabolite, 8 of 10 samples) and caffeine (a stimulant, 7 of 10 samples). More compounds were detected in urban stream samples than in samples from forested or agricultural drainages. Filtered water samples also were collected from four locations within an advanced wastewater treatment facility to quantify the relative amounts of these chemicals in a municipal waste stream and to determine the degree to which those chemicals are removed by treatment processes. Fifteen pharmaceutical chemicals or metabolites were detected in wastewater treatment facility influent, with concentrations far exceeding those measured in streams. Only five of those compounds, however, were detected in the treated effluent (carbamazepine, cotinine, ibuprofen, metformin, and sulfamethoxazole) and most of those were at concentrations less than 0.2 microgram per liter. The target pharmaceutical chemicals and metabolites showed limited potential for use as tracers of specific types of human-related contamination in Tualatin River basin streams because of widespread sources (caffeine, for example) or extremely low concentrations. Caffeine and cotinine are likely to be good indicators of sources that can occur in urban areas, such as sewage spills or leaks or the widespread use and careless disposal of tobacco products and caffeine-containing beverages. Neither compound, however, is likely to be a good tracer for a specific source unless that source is large. The presence of 1,7-dimethylxanthine (a caffeine metabolite) concurrently with caffeine might indicate the presence of untreated wastewater; in contrast, the absence of the metabolite might help rule out that source. Acetaminophen might make a good tracer for untreated wastewater because of its common usage, high concentration in raw wastewater, and effective removal via treatment. Carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole have the potential to be good indicators of treated wastewater because of their incomplete removal in treatment facilities. Some of these pharmaceutical chemicals, either singly or in combination, might prove useful as tracers of contamination after further study.

Use of argon to measure gas exchange in turbulent mountain streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Robert O., Jr.; Madinger, Hilary L.

2018-05-01

Gas exchange is a parameter needed in stream metabolism and trace gas emissions models. One way to estimate gas exchange is via measuring the decline of added tracer gases such as sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Estimates of oxygen (O2) gas exchange derived from SF6 additions require scaling via Schmidt number (Sc) ratio, but this scaling is uncertain under conditions of high gas exchange via bubbles because scaling depends on gas solubility as well as Sc. Because argon (Ar) and O2 have nearly identical Schmidt numbers and solubility, Ar may be a useful tracer gas for estimating stream O2 exchange. Here we compared rates of gas exchange measured via Ar and SF6 for turbulent mountain streams in Wyoming, USA. We measured Ar as the ratio of Ar : N2 using a membrane inlet mass spectrometer (MIMS). Normalizing to N2 confers higher precision than simply measuring [Ar] alone. We consistently enriched streams with Ar from 1 to 18 % of ambient Ar concentration and could estimate gas exchange rate using an exponential decline model. The mean ratio of gas exchange of Ar relative to SF6 was 1.8 (credible interval 1.1 to 2.5) compared to the theoretical estimate 1.35, showing that using SF6 would have underestimated exchange of Ar. Steep streams (slopes 11-12 %) had high rates of gas exchange velocity normalized to Sc = 600 (k600, 57-210 m d-1), and slope strongly predicted variation in k600 among all streams. We suggest that Ar is a useful tracer because it is easily measured, requires no scaling assumptions to estimate rates of O2 exchange, and is not an intense greenhouse gas as is SF6. We caution that scaling from rates of either Ar or SF6 gas exchange to CO2 is uncertain due to solubility effects in conditions of bubble-mediated gas transfer.

On the use of rhodamine WT for the characterization of stream hydrodynamics and transient storage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, Robert L.

2015-01-01

Recent advances in fluorometry have led to increased use of rhodamine WT as a tracer in streams and rivers. In light of this increased use, a review of the dye's behavior in freshwater systems is presented. Studies in the groundwater literature indicate that rhodamine WT is transported nonconservatively, with sorption removing substantial amounts of tracer mass. Column studies document a two-step breakthrough curve in which two structural isomers are chromatographically separated. Although the potential for nonconservative transport is acknowledged in the surface water literature, many studies assume that sorptive losses will not affect the characterization of physical transport processes. A literature review and modeling analysis indicates that this assumption is valid for quantification of physical properties that are based on the bulk of the tracer mass (traveltime), and invalid for the characterization of processes represented by the tracer tail (transient storage attributable to hyporheic exchange). Rhodamine WT should be considered nonconservative in the hyporheic zone due to nonconservative behavior demonstrated for similar conditions in groundwater. As such, rhodamine WT should not be used as a quantitative tracer in hyporheic zone investigations, including the study of long flow paths and the development of models describing hyporheic zone processes. Rhodamine WT may be used to qualitatively characterize storage in large systems, where there are few practical alternatives. Qualitative investigations should rely on early portions of the tracer profile, making use of the temporal resolution afforded by in situ fluorometry, while discarding later parts of the tracer profile that are adversely affected by sorption.

Coupling of hydrologic transport and chemical reactions in a stream affected by acid mine drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimball, B.A.; Broshears, R.E.; Bencala, K.E.; McKnight, Diane M.

1994-01-01

Experiments in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream, examined the coupling of hydrologic transport to chemical reactions affecting metal concentrations. Injection of LiCl as a conservative tracer was used to determine discharge and residence time along a 1497-m reach. Transport of metals downstream from inflows of acidic, metal-rich water was evaluated based on synoptic samples of metal concentrations and the hydrologic characteristics of the stream. Transport of SO4 and Mn was generally conservative, but in the subreaches most affected by acidic inflows, transport was reactive. Both 0.1-??m filtered and particulate Fe were reactive over most of the stream reach. Filtered Al partitioned to the particulate phase in response to high instream concentrations. Simulations that accounted for the removal of SO4, Mn, Fe, and Al with first-order reactions reproduced the steady-state profiles. The calculated rate constants for net removal used in the simulations embody several processes that occur on a stream-reach scale. The comparison between rates of hydrologie transport and chemical reactions indicates that reactions are only important over short distances in the stream near the acidic inflows, where reactions occur on a comparable time scale with hydrologic transport and thus affect metal concentrations.

New method for measuring water seepage through salmon spawning gravel.

Treesearch

Richard D. Orchard

1988-01-01

A new method, with heat as a tracer, was developed for measuring rate and direction of intragravel waterflow through salmon spawning gravel. A commercial flowmeter was calibrated in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions. Flow measurements comparing the flowmeter with a dye-tracer method were made in an artificial stream channel at Young Bay and in...

Consequences of variation in stream-landscape connections for stream nitrate retention and export

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handler, A. M.; Helton, A. M.; Grimm, N. B.

2017-12-01

Hydrologic and material connections among streams, the surrounding terrestrial landscape, and groundwater systems fluctuate between extremes in dryland watersheds, yet the consequences of this variation for stream nutrient retention and export remain uncertain. We explored how seasonal variation in hydrologic connection among streams, landscapes, and groundwater affect nitrate and ammonium concentrations across a dryland stream network and how this variation mediates in-stream nitrate uptake and watershed export. We conducted spatial surveys of stream nitrate and ammonium concentration across the 1200 km2 Oak Creek watershed in central Arizona (USA). In addition, we conducted pulse releases of a solution containing biologically reactive sodium nitrate, with sodium chloride as a conservative hydrologic tracer, to estimate nitrate uptake rates in the mainstem (Q>1000 L/s) and two tributaries. Nitrate and ammonium concentrations generally increased from headwaters to mouth in the mainstem. Locally elevated concentrations occurred in spring-fed tributaries draining fish hatcheries and larger irrigation ditches, but did not have a substantial effect on the mainstem nitrogen load. Ambient nitrate concentration (as N) ranged from below the analytical detection limit of 0.005 mg/L to 0.43 mg/L across all uptake experiments. Uptake length—average stream distance traveled for a nutrient atom from the point of release to its uptake—at ambient concentration ranged from 250 to 704 m and increased significantly with higher discharge, both across streams and within the same stream on different experiment dates. Vertical uptake velocity and aerial uptake rate ranged from 6.6-10.6 mm min-1 and 0.03 to 1.4 mg N m-2 min-1, respectively. Preliminary analyses indicate potentially elevated nitrogen loading to the lower portion of the watershed during seasonal precipitation events, but overall, the capacity for nitrate uptake is high in the mainstem and tributaries. Ongoing work focuses on how seasonal variability in connections between the stream and sources of nitrogen affect in-stream nitrate and ammonium uptake rates and watershed export. Episodic connections between dryland streams and the surrounding landscape can have a strong effect on stream nitrogen loads, uptake, and export.

Pesticide and nitrate transport in an agriculturally influenced stream in Indiana.

PubMed

Elias, Daniel; Bernot, Melody J

2017-04-01

Agrochemicals can be transported from agricultural fields into streams where they might have adverse effects on water quality and ecosystems. Three enrichment experiments were conducted in a central Indiana stream to quantify pesticide and nitrogen transport dynamics. In an enrichment experiment, a compound solution is added at a constant rate into a stream to increase compound background concentration. A conservative tracer (e.g., bromide) is added to determine discharge. Water and sediment samples are taken at several locations downstream to measure uptake metrics. We assessed transport of nitrate, atrazine, metolachlor, and carbaryl through direct measurement of uptake length (S w ), uptake velocity (V f ), and areal uptake (U). S w measures the distance traveled by a nutrient along the stream reach. V f measures the velocity a nutrient moves from the water column to immobilization sites. U represents the amount of nutrient immobilized in an area of streambed per unit of time. S w varied less than one order of magnitude across pesticides. The highest S w for atrazine suggests greater transport to downstream ecosystems. Across compounds, pesticide S w was longest in August relative to October and July. V f varied less than one order of magnitude across pesticides with the highest V f for metolachlor. U varied three orders of magnitude across pesticides with the highest U associate with sediment-bound carbaryl. Increasing nitrate S w suggests a lower nitrate demand of biota in this stream. Overall, pesticide transport was best predicted by compound solubility which can complement and improve models of pesticide abundance used by water quality programs and risk assessments.

Simulation of soluble waste transport and buildup in surface waters using tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilpatrick, F.A.

1993-01-01

Soluble tracers can be used to simulate the transport and dispersion of soluble wastes that might have been introduced or are planned for introduction into surface waters. Measured tracer-response curves produced from the injection of a known quantity of soluble tracer can be used in conjunction with the superposition principle to simulate potential waste buildup in streams, lakes, and estuaries. Such information is particularly valuable to environmental and water-resource planners in determining the effects of proposed waste discharges. The theory, techniques, analysis, and presentation of results of tracer-waste simulation tests in rivers, lakes, and estuaries are described. This manual builds on other manuals dealing with dye tracing by emphasizing the expanded use of data from time-of-travel studies.

Simulation of soluble waste transport and buildup in surface waters using tracers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilpatrick, Frederick A.

1992-01-01

Soluble tracers can be used to simulate the transport and dispersion of soluble wastes that might have been introduced or are planned for introduction into surface waters. Measured tracer-response curves produced from the injection of a known quantity of soluble tracer can be used in conjunction with the superposition principle to simulate potential waste buildup in streams, lakes, and estuaries. Such information is particularly valuable to environmental and water-resource planners in determining the effects of proposed waste discharges.The theory, techniques, analysis, and presentation of results of tracer-waste simulation tests in rivers, lakes, and estuaries are described. This manual builds on other manuals on dye tracing with emphasis on the expanded use of time-of-travel type data.

Comparison of tracer methods and predictive equations for determination of stream-reaeration coefficients on three small streams in Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grant, R. Stephen; Skavroneck, Steven

1980-01-01

The top five ranking predictive equations were as follows: Tsivoglou-Neal with 18 percent mean error, Negulescu-Rojanski with 21 percent, Padden-Gloyna with 23 percent, Thackston-Krenkel with 29 percent, and Bansal with 32 percent. (USGS).

One-Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS): A Solute Transport Model for Streams and Rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, Robert L.

1998-01-01

OTIS is a mathematical simulation model used to characterize the fate and transport of water-borne solutes in streams and rivers. The governing equation underlying the model is the advection-dispersion equation with additional terms to account for transient storage, lateral inflow, first-order decay, and sorption. This equation and the associated equations describing transient storage and sorption are solved using a Crank-Nicolson finite-difference solution. OTIS may be used in conjunction with data from field-scale tracer experiments to quantify the hydrologic parameters affecting solute transport. This application typically involves a trial-and-error approach wherein parameter estimates are adjusted to obtain an acceptable match between simulated and observed tracer concentrations. Additional applications include analyses of nonconservative solutes that are subject to sorption processes or first-order decay. OTIS-P, a modified version of OTIS, couples the solution of the governing equation with a nonlinear regression package. OTIS-P determines an optimal set of parameter estimates that minimize the squared differences between the simulated and observed concentrations, thereby automating the parameter estimation process. This report details the development and application of OTIS and OTIS-P. Sections of the report describe model theory, input/output specifications, sample applications, and installation instructions.

Analysis of nitrogen cycling in a forest stream during autumn using a 15N-tracer addition

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Tank; Judy L. Meyer; Diane M. Sanzone; Patrick J. Mulholland; Jackson R. Webster; Bruce J. Peterson; Wilfred M. Wollheim; Norman E. Leonard

2000-01-01

We added l5NH4Cl over 6 weeks to Upper Ball Creek, a second-order deciduous forest stream in the Appalachian Mountains, to follow the uptake, spiraling, and fate of nitrogen in a stream food web during autumn. A priori predictions of N flow and retention were made using a simple food web mass balance model. Values of ...

Dating the Tidal Disruption of Globular Clusters with GAIA Data on Their Stellar Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bose, Sownak; Ginsburg, Idan; Loeb, Abraham

2018-05-01

The Gaia mission promises to deliver precision astrometry at an unprecedented level, heralding a new era for discerning the kinematic and spatial coordinates of stars in our Galaxy. Here, we present a new technique for estimating the age of tidally disrupted globular cluster streams using the proper motions and parallaxes of tracer stars. We evolve the collisional dynamics of globular clusters within the evolving potential of a Milky Way-like halo extracted from a cosmological ΛCDM simulation and analyze the resultant streams as they would be observed by Gaia. The simulations sample a variety of globular cluster orbits, and account for stellar evolution and the gravitational influence of the disk of the Milky Way. We show that a characteristic timescale, obtained from the dispersion of the proper motions and parallaxes of stars within the stream, is a good indicator for the time elapsed since the stream has been freely expanding away due to the tidal disruption of the globular cluster. This timescale, in turn, places a lower limit on the age of the cluster. The age can be deduced from astrometry using a modest number of stars, with the error on this estimate depending on the proximity of the stream and the number of tracer stars used.

Changes in the character of DOC in streams during storms in two Midwestern watersheds with contrasting land uses

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vidon, P.; Wagner, L.E.; Soyeux, E.

2008-01-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics in streams is important, yet few studies focus on DOC dynamics in Midwestern streams during storms. In this study, stream DOC dynamics during storms in two Midwestern watersheds with contrasting land uses, the change in character of stream DOC during storms, and the usability of DOC as a hydrologic tracer in artificially drained landscapes of the Midwest are investigated. Major cation/DOC concentrations, and DOC specific UV absorbance (SUVA) and fluorescence index (FI) were monitored at 2-4 h intervals during three spring storms. Although DOC is less aromatic in the mixed land use watershed than in the agricultural watershed, land use has little impact on stream DOC concentration during storms. For both watersheds, DOC concentration follows discharge, and SUVA and FI values indicate an increase in stream DOC aromaticity and lignin content during storms. The comparison of DOC/major cation flushing dynamics indicates that DOC is mainly exported via overland flow/macropore flow. In both watersheds, the increase in DOC concentration in the streams during storms corresponds to a shift in the source of DOC from DOC originating from mineral soil layers of the soil profile at baseflow, to DOC originating from surficial soil layers richer in aromatic substances and lignin during storms. Results also suggest that DOC, SUVA and FI could be used as hydrologic tracers in artificially drained landscapes of the Midwest. These results underscore the importance of sampling streams for DOC during high flow periods in order to understand the fate of DOC in streams. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Effects of Atmospheric Nitrate on an Upland Stream of the Northeastern USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.; Shanley, J. B.; Boyer, E. W.; Kendall, C.

2009-05-01

Excess nitrogen cascades through terrestrial biogeochemical cycles and affects stream nitrate concentrations in upland forests where atmospheric deposition is an important source of anthropogenic nitrogen. We will discuss approaches including high-frequency sampling, isotopic tracers, and end-member mixing analysis that can be used to decipher the sources, transformations, and hydrological processes that affect nitrate transport through forested upland catchments to streams. We present results of studies at the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont, USA, a site where we have intensively measured stream nitrate concentrations during baseflow and stormflow. Stream nitrate concentrations are typically low and nearly 75% of annual inorganic N inputs from atmospheric deposition are retained within the catchment. However, high concentrations and stream loadings of nitrate occur during storm events due to source variation and hydrological flushing of nitrate from catchment soils. Using isotopic tracers and end-member mixing analysis, we have quantified source inputs of unprocessed atmospheric nitrate and show that this stream is directly affected by nitrogen pollution. Using a long-term record of stream hydrochemistry and our findings on event- scale nitrate flushing dynamics, we then explore how stream nitrate loading may respond to anthropogenic climate forcing during the next century. Results suggest that stream runoff and nitrate loadings will change during future emission scenarios (i.e. longer growing seasons and higher winter precipitation rates). Understanding the timing and magnitude of hydrological and hydrochemical responses is important because climate change effects on catchment hydrology may alter how nitrate is retained, produced, and hydrologically flushed in headwater ecosystems with implications for aquatic metabolism, nutrient export from catchments, and downstream eutrophication.

Time-of-travel data for Nebraska streams, 1968 to 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petri, L.R.

1984-01-01

This report documents the results of 10 time-of-travel studies, using ' dye-tracer ' methods, conducted on five streams in Nebraska during the period 1968 to 1977. Streams involved in the studies were the North Platte, North Loup, Elkhorn, and Big Blue Rivers and Salt Creek. Rhodamine WT dye in a 20 percent solution was used as the tracer for all 10 time-of-travel studies. Water samples were collected at several points below each injection site. Concentrations of dye in the samples were measured by determining fluorescence of the sample and comparing that value to fluorescence-concentration curves. Stream discharges were measured before and during each study. Results of each time-by-travel study are shown on two tables and on graph. The first table shows water discharge at injection and sampling sites, distance between sites, and time and rate of travel of the dye between sites. The second table provides descriptions of study sites, amounts of dye injected in the streams, actual sampling times, and actual concentrations of dye detected. The graphs for each time-of-travel study provide indications of changing travel rates between sampling sites, information on length of dye clouds, and times for dye passage past given points. (USGS)

Hydrogeomorphology of the hyporheic zone: stream solute and fine particle interactions with a dynamic streambed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, J.W.; Drummond, J.D.; Martin, R.L.; McPhillips, L.E.; Packman, A.I.; Jerolmack, D.J.; Stonedahl, S.H.; Aubeneau, A.F.; Sawyer, A.H.; Larsen, L.G.; Tobias, C.R.

2012-01-01

Hyporheic flow in streams has typically been studied separately from geomorphic processes. We investigated interactions between bed mobility and dynamic hyporheic storage of solutes and fine particles in a sand-bed stream before, during, and after a flood. A conservatively transported solute tracer (bromide) and a fine particles tracer (5 μm latex particles), a surrogate for fine particulate organic matter, were co-injected during base flow. The tracers were differentially stored, with fine particles penetrating more shallowly in hyporheic flow and retained more efficiently due to the high rate of particle filtration in bed sediment compared to solute. Tracer injections lasted 3.5 h after which we released a small flood from an upstream dam one hour later. Due to shallower storage in the bed, fine particles were rapidly entrained during the rising limb of the flood hydrograph. Rather than being flushed by the flood, we observed that solutes were stored longer due to expansion of hyporheic flow paths beneath the temporarily enlarged bedforms. Three important timescales determined the fate of solutes and fine particles: (1) flood duration, (2) relaxation time of flood-enlarged bedforms back to base flow dimensions, and (3) resulting adjustments and lag times of hyporheic flow. Recurrent transitions between these timescales explain why we observed a peak accumulation of natural particulate organic matter between 2 and 4 cm deep in the bed, i.e., below the scour layer of mobile bedforms but above the maximum depth of particle filtration in hyporheic flow paths. Thus, physical interactions between bed mobility and hyporheic transport influence how organic matter is stored in the bed and how long it is retained, which affects decomposition rate and metabolism of this southeastern Coastal Plain stream. In summary we found that dynamic interactions between hyporheic flow, bed mobility, and flow variation had strong but differential influences on base flow retention and flood mobilization of solutes and fine particulates. These hydrogeomorphic relationships have implications for microbial respiration of organic matter, carbon and nutrient cycling, and fate of contaminants in streams.

Quantifying the production of dissolved organic nitrogen in headwater streams using 15N tracer additions

Treesearch

Laura T. Johnson; Jennifer L. Tank; Robert O. Hall; Patrick J. Mullholland; Stephen K. Hamilton; H. Maurice Valett; Jackson R. Webster; Melody J. Bernot; William H. McDowell; Bruce J. Peterson; Suzanne M. Thomas

2013-01-01

Most nitrogen (N) assimilation in lake and marine ecosystems is often subsequently released via autochthonous dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) production, but autochthonous DON production has yet to be quantified in flowing waters. We measured in-stream DON production following 24 h 15N-nitrate (NO3-...

Dye Tracer Tests to Determine Time-of-Travel in Iowa Streams, 1990-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Daniel E.

2009-01-01

Dye-tracing tests have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Water Science Center to determine the time-of-travel in selected Iowa streams from 1990-2006. Time-of-travel data are tabulated for 309 miles of stream reaches in four Iowa drainage basins: the Des Moines, Raccoon, Cedar, and Turkey Rivers. Time-of-travel was estimated in the Des Moines River, Fourmile Creek, North Raccoon River, Raccoon River, Cedar River, and Roberts Creek. Estimation of time-of-travel is important for environmental studies and in determining fate of agricultural constituents and chemical movement through a waterway. The stream reaches range in length from slightly more than 5 miles on Fourmile Creek, to more than 137 miles on the North Raccoon River. The travel times during the dye-tracer tests ranged from 7.5 hours on Fourmile Creek to as long as 200 hours on Roberts Creek; velocities ranged from less than 4.50 feet per minute on Roberts Creek to more than 113 feet per minute on the Cedar River.

Hyporheic zone influences on concentration-discharge relationships in a headwater sandstone stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoagland, Beth; Russo, Tess A.; Gu, Xin; Hill, Lillian; Kaye, Jason; Forsythe, Brandon; Brantley, Susan L.

2017-06-01

Complex subsurface flow dynamics impact the storage, routing, and transport of water and solutes to streams in headwater catchments. Many of these hydrogeologic processes are indirectly reflected in observations of stream chemistry responses to rain events, also known as concentration-discharge (CQ) relations. Identifying the relative importance of subsurface flows to stream CQ relationships is often challenging in headwater environments due to spatial and temporal variability. Therefore, this study combines a diverse set of methods, including tracer injection tests, cation exchange experiments, geochemical analyses, and numerical modeling, to map groundwater-surface water interactions along a first-order, sandstone stream (Garner Run) in the Appalachian Mountains of central Pennsylvania. The primary flow paths to the stream include preferential flow through the unsaturated zone ("interflow"), flow discharging from a spring, and groundwater discharge. Garner Run stream inherits geochemical signatures from geochemical reactions occurring along each of these flow paths. In addition to end-member mixing effects on CQ, we find that the exchange of solutes, nutrients, and water between the hyporheic zone and the main stream channel is a relevant control on the chemistry of Garner Run. CQ relationships for Garner Run were compared to prior results from a nearby headwater catchment overlying shale bedrock (Shale Hills). At the sandstone site, solutes associated with organo-mineral associations in the hyporheic zone influence CQ, while CQ trends in the shale catchment are affected by preferential flow through hillslope swales. The difference in CQ trends document how the lithology and catchment hydrology control CQ relationships.

Stellar streams as gravitational experiments. II. Asymmetric tails of globular cluster streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, G. F.; Famaey, B.; Ibata, R.; Renaud, F.; Martin, N. F.; Kroupa, P.

2018-01-01

Kinematically cold tidal streams of globular clusters (GC) are excellent tracers of the Galactic gravitational potential at moderate Galactocentric distances, and can also be used as probes of the law of gravity on Galactic scales. Here, we compare for the first time the generation of such streams in Newtonian and Milgromian gravity (MOND). We first computed analytical results to investigate the expected shape of the GC gravitational potential in both frameworks, and we then ran N-body simulations with the Phantom of Ramses code. We find that the GCs tend to become lopsided in MOND. This is a consequence of the external field effect which breaks the strong equivalence principle. When the GC is filling its tidal radius the lopsidedness generates a strongly asymmetric tidal stream. In Newtonian dynamics, such markedly asymmetric streams can in general only be the consequence of interactions with dark matter subhalos, giant molecular clouds, or interaction with the Galactic bar. In these Newtonian cases, the asymmetry is the consequence of a very large gap in the stream, whilst in MOND it is a true asymmetry. This should thus allow us in the future to distinguish these different scenarios by making deep observations of the environment of the asymmetric stellar stream of Palomar 5. Moreover, our simulations indicate that the high internal velocity dispersion of Palomar 5 for its small stellar mass would be natural in MOND. The movie is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Predictive modeling of transient storage and nutrient uptake: Implications for stream restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Connor, Ben L.; Hondzo, Miki; Harvey, Judson W.

2010-01-01

This study examined two key aspects of reactive transport modeling for stream restoration purposes: the accuracy of the nutrient spiraling and transient storage models for quantifying reach-scale nutrient uptake, and the ability to quantify transport parameters using measurements and scaling techniques in order to improve upon traditional conservative tracer fitting methods. Nitrate (NO3–) uptake rates inferred using the nutrient spiraling model underestimated the total NO3– mass loss by 82%, which was attributed to the exclusion of dispersion and transient storage. The transient storage model was more accurate with respect to the NO3– mass loss (±20%) and also demonstrated that uptake in the main channel was more significant than in storage zones. Conservative tracer fitting was unable to produce transport parameter estimates for a riffle-pool transition of the study reach, while forward modeling of solute transport using measured/scaled transport parameters matched conservative tracer breakthrough curves for all reaches. Additionally, solute exchange between the main channel and embayment surface storage zones was quantified using first-order theory. These results demonstrate that it is vital to account for transient storage in quantifying nutrient uptake, and the continued development of measurement/scaling techniques is needed for reactive transport modeling of streams with complex hydraulic and geomorphic conditions.

Resazurin as a Proxy for Estimating Stream Respiration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez Pinzon, R. A.; Haggerty, R.; Argerich, A.; Briggs, M.; Lautz, L. K.; Lemke, D.; Hare, D. K.

2010-12-01

Hydrologic retention in stream ecosystems favors the reactions of solutes and nutrients in metabolically active transient storage (MATS) zones. These zones are hot spots where metabolic activity is expected to contribute significantly to ecosystem respiration. We compare the results of a series of coinjections of resazurin (Raz) as a redox sensitive tracer, and NaCl as a conservative tracer to investigate the function of MATS zones. Raz is a dye that undergoes an irreversible reduction to resorufin (Rru) when exposed to aerobic respiration. To characterize the transformation of Raz we measured the BTC of the tracers at the boundary conditions, and during plateau concentrations we sampled the longitudinal profile of surface water. We also used the two-station diel technique to quantify gross primary production (GPP) and community respiration (CR) within the reaches. Injections have been performed in streams with different morphology, streambed composition, and riparian vegetation in Oregon-USA (WS 1 and WS 3 in the HJ Andrews Forest LTER, and Drift Creek), Spain (Riera de Santa Fe del Montseny, Catalonia) and Wyoming-USA (Cherry Creek). The results support the idea that under different ranges of community respiration, the transformation of Raz to Rru is a proxy for quantifying MATS, characterizing spatial heterogeneity in respiration rates, and ultimately, could be used to estimate ecosystem respiration in environments where direct measurement is challenging.

Quantitative measurement of binary liquid distributions using multiple-tracer x-ray fluorescence and radiography

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Halls, Benjamin R.; Meyer, Terrence R.; Kastengren, Alan L.

2015-01-01

The complex geometry and large index-of-refraction gradients that occur near the point of impingement of binary liquid jets present a challenging environment for optical interrogation. A simultaneous quadruple-tracer x-ray fluorescence and line-of-sight radiography technique is proposed as a means of distinguishing and quantifying individual liquid component distributions prior to, during, and after jet impact. Two different pairs of fluorescence tracers are seeded into each liquid stream to maximize their attenuation ratio for reabsorption correction and differentiation of the two fluids during mixing. This approach for instantaneous correction of x-ray fluorescence reabsorption is compared with a more time-intensive approach of usingmore » stereographic reconstruction of x-ray attenuation along multiple lines of sight. The proposed methodology addresses the need for a quantitative measurement technique capable of interrogating optically complex, near-field liquid distributions in many mixing systems of practical interest involving two or more liquid streams.« less

Quantitative measurement of binary liquid distributions using multiple-tracer x-ray fluorescence and radiography

DOE PAGES

Halls, Benjamin R.; Meyer, Terrence R.; Kastengren, Alan L.

2015-01-23

The complex geometry and large index-of-refraction gradients that occur near the point of impingement of binary liquid jets present a challenging environment for optical interrogation. A simultaneous quadruple-tracer x-ray fluorescence and line-of-sight radiography technique is proposed as a means of distinguishing and quantifying individual liquid component distributions prior to, during, and after jet impact. Two different pairs of fluorescence tracers are seeded into each liquid stream to maximize their attenuation ratio for reabsorption correction and differentiation of the two fluids during mixing. This approach for instantaneous correction of x-ray fluorescence reabsorption is compared with a more time-intensive approach of usingmore » stereographic reconstruction of x-ray attenuation along multiple lines of sight. The proposed methodology addresses the need for a quantitative measurement technique capable of interrogating optically complex, near-field liquid distributions in many mixing systems of practical interest involving two or more liquid streams.« less

Predicting dense nonaqueous phase liquid dissolution using a simplified source depletion model parameterized with partitioning tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basu, Nandita B.; Fure, Adrian D.; Jawitz, James W.

2008-07-01

Simulations of nonpartitioning and partitioning tracer tests were used to parameterize the equilibrium stream tube model (ESM) that predicts the dissolution dynamics of dense nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) as a function of the Lagrangian properties of DNAPL source zones. Lagrangian, or stream-tube-based, approaches characterize source zones with as few as two trajectory-integrated parameters, in contrast to the potentially thousands of parameters required to describe the point-by-point variability in permeability and DNAPL in traditional Eulerian modeling approaches. The spill and subsequent dissolution of DNAPLs were simulated in two-dimensional domains having different hydrologic characteristics (variance of the log conductivity field = 0.2, 1, and 3) using the multiphase flow and transport simulator UTCHEM. Nonpartitioning and partitioning tracers were used to characterize the Lagrangian properties (travel time and trajectory-integrated DNAPL content statistics) of DNAPL source zones, which were in turn shown to be sufficient for accurate prediction of source dissolution behavior using the ESM throughout the relatively broad range of hydraulic conductivity variances tested here. The results were found to be relatively insensitive to travel time variability, suggesting that dissolution could be accurately predicted even if the travel time variance was only coarsely estimated. Estimation of the ESM parameters was also demonstrated using an approximate technique based on Eulerian data in the absence of tracer data; however, determining the minimum amount of such data required remains for future work. Finally, the stream tube model was shown to be a more unique predictor of dissolution behavior than approaches based on the ganglia-to-pool model for source zone characterization.

Quantification of changes in metal loading from storm runoff, Merse River (Tuscany, Italy)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimball, B.A.; Bianchi, F.; Walton-Day, K.; Runkel, R.L.; Nannucci, M.; Salvadori, A.

2007-01-01

The Merse River in Tuscany is affected by mine drainage and the weathering of mine wastes along several kilometres of its catchment. The metal loading to the stream was quantified by defining detailed profiles of discharge and concentration, using tracer-dilution and synoptic-sampling techniques. During the course of a field experiment to evaluate metal loading to the Merse, such data were obtained for both storm and pre-storm conditions, providing a unique opportunity for comparison. Iron, Cu, and Mn were chosen to illustrate changes resulting from the storm. The total-recoverable load of Fe increased 21-fold, while loads of Cu and Mn increased by 8- and 7-fold, respectively, during the storm runoff. The increases most likely resulted from flushing particulates from near the stream, resuspension of colloidal material from the streambed, and increased ground-water inflow to the stream. The increases in Cu and Mn loads results from their association with colloids. It is possible that in-stream colloids had relatively more Cu than Mn, while near-stream colloids had relatively more Mn. Each of the metals also increased as a result of increased ground-water discharge during the storm. Despite great increases in load, the filterable concentrations of these metals did not increase substantially, remaining below chronic levels of toxicity. ?? 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Pharmaceuticals as Groundwater Tracers - Applications and Limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheytt, T. J.; Mersmann, P.; Heberer, T.

2003-12-01

Pharmaceutically active substances and metabolites are found at concentrations up to the microgram/L-level in groundwater samples from the Berlin (Germany) area and from several other places world wide. Among the compounds detected in groundwater are clofibric acid, propyphenazone, diclofenac, ibuprofen, and carbamazepine. Clofibric acid, the active metabolite of clofibrate and etofibrate (blood lipid regulators) is detected in groundwater at maximum concentrations of 7300 ng/L. Among the most important input paths of drugs are excretion and disposal into the sewage system. Groundwater contamination is likely to be due to leaky sewage systems, influent streams, bank filtration, and irrigation with effluent water from sewage treatment plants. There are no known natural sources of the above mentioned pharmaceuticals. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers may include: (a) Quantification of infiltration from underground septic tanks (b) Detection of leaky sewage systems / leaky sewage pipes (c) Estimation of the effectiveness of sewage treatment plants (d) Identification of transport pathways of other organic compounds (e) Quantification of surface water / groundwater interaction (f) Characterization of the biodegradation potential. The use of pharmaceuticals as tracers is limited by variations in input. These variations depend on the amount of drugs prescribed and used in the study area, the social structure of the community, the amount of hospital discharge, and temporal concentration variations. Furthermore, the analysis of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals is sophisticated and expensive and may therefore limit the applicability of pharmaceuticals as tracers. Finally, the transport and degradation behavior of pharmaceuticals is not fully understood. Preliminary experiments in the laboratory were conducted using sediment material and groundwater from the Berlin area to evaluate the transport and sorption behavior of selected drugs. Results of the column experiments show that clofibric acid exhibits no degradation and almost no retardation (Rf = 1.1) whereas ibuprofen is biodegraded (> 90 %) under aerobic conditions. Carbamazepine shows no degradation in the soil column experiments but significant retardation under the prevailing conditions. We conclude that clofibric acid will show the transport behavior of a conservative tracer, whereas ibuprofen may be used to characterize the biodegradation potential in the aerobic zone.

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 2. Low-flow (2001) and snowmelt (2002) synoptic/tracer water chemistry for the Red River, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Steiger, Judy I.; Kimball, Briant A.; Verplanck, Philip L.

2003-01-01

Water analyses are reported for 259 samples collected from the Red River, New Mexico, and its tributaries during low-flow(2001) and spring snowmelt (2002) tracer studies. Water samples were collected along a 20-kilometer reach of the Red River beginning just east of the town of Red River and ending at the U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging station located east of Questa, New Mexico. The study area was divided into three sections where separate injections and synoptic sampling events were performed during the low-flow tracer study. During the spring snowmelt tracer study, three tracer injections and synoptic sampling events were performed bracketing the areas with the greatest metal loading into the Red River as determined from the low-flow tracer study. The lowflow tracer synoptic sampling events were August 17, 20, and 24, 2001. The synoptic sampling events for the spring snowmelt tracer were March 30, 31, and April 1, 2002. Stream and large inflow water samples were sampled using equal-width and depth-integrated sampling methods and composited into half-gallon bottles. Grab water samples were collected from smaller inflows. Stream temperatures were measured at the time of sample collection. Samples were transported to a nearby central processing location where pH and specific conductance were measured and the samples processed for chemical analyses. Cations, trace metals, iron redox species, and fluoride were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. Cations and trace metal concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Arsenic concentrations were determined using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry, iron redox species were measured using ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, and fluoride concentrations were determined using an ion-selective electrode. Alkalinity was measured by automated titration, and sulfate, chloride, and bromide were analyzed by ion chromatography at the U.S. Geological Survey laboratory in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Carbon isotope fractionation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) due to outgassing of carbon dioxide from a headwater stream

Treesearch

Daniel H. Doctor; Carol Kendall; Stephen D. Sebestyen; James B. Shanley; Nobuhito Ohte; Elizabeth W. Boyer

2008-01-01

The stable isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C-DIC) was investigated as a potential tracer of streamflow generation processes at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, USA. Downstream sampling showed δ13C-DIC increased between 3-5% from the stream source to the outlet weir...

Dynamics of nitrate production and removal as a function of residence time in the hyporheic zone

Treesearch

Jay P. Zarnetske; Roy Haggerty; Steven M. Wondzell; Michelle A. Baker

2011-01-01

Biogeochemical reactions associated with stream nitrogen cycling, such as nitrification and denitrification, can be strongly controlled by water and solute residence times in the hyporheic zone (HZ). We used a whole-stream steady state 15N-Iabeled nitrate and conservative tracer addition to investigate the spatial and temporal physiochemical...

Scaling relationships between bed load volumes, transport distances, and stream power in steep mountain channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Johannes M.; Turowski, Jens M.; Rickenmann, Dieter; Hegglin, Ramon; Arrigo, Sabrina; Mao, Luca; Kirchner, James W.

2014-03-01

Bed load transport during storm events is both an agent of geomorphic change and a significant natural hazard in mountain regions. Thus, predicting bed load transport is a central challenge in fluvial geomorphology and natural hazard risk assessment. Bed load transport during storm events depends on the width and depth of bed scour, as well as the transport distances of individual sediment grains. We traced individual gravels in two steep mountain streams, the Erlenbach (Switzerland) and Rio Cordon (Italy), using magnetic and radio frequency identification tags, and measured their bed load transport rates using calibrated geophone bed load sensors in the Erlenbach and a bed load trap in the Rio Cordon. Tracer transport distances and bed load volumes exhibited approximate power law scaling with both the peak stream power and the cumulative stream energy of individual hydrologic events. Bed load volumes scaled much more steeply with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy than tracer transport distances did, and bed load volumes scaled as roughly the third power of transport distances. These observations imply that large bed load transport events become large primarily by scouring the bed deeper and wider, and only secondarily by transporting the mobilized sediment farther. Using the sediment continuity equation, we can estimate the mean effective thickness of the actively transported layer, averaged over the entire channel width and the duration of individual flow events. This active layer thickness also followed approximate power law scaling with peak stream power and cumulative stream energy and ranged up to 0.57 m in the Erlenbach, broadly consistent with independent measurements.

Sources, transformations, and hydrological processes that control stream nitrate and dissolved organic matter concentrations during snowmelt in an upland forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sebestyen, Stephen D.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.; Shanley, James B.; Kendall, Carol; Doctor, Daniel H.; Aiken, George R.; Ohte, Nobuhito

2008-01-01

We explored catchment processes that control stream nutrient concentrations at an upland forest in northeastern Vermont, USA, where inputs of nitrogen via atmospheric deposition are among the highest in the nation and affect ecosystem functioning. We traced sources of water, nitrate, and dissolved organic matter (DOM) using stream water samples collected at high frequency during spring snowmelt. Hydrochemistry, isotopic tracers, and end‐member mixing analyses suggested the timing, sources, and source areas from which water and nutrients entered the stream. Although stream‐dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) both originated from leaching of soluble organic matter, flushing responses between these two DOM components varied because of dynamic shifts of hydrological flow paths and sources that supply the highest concentrations of DOC and DON. High concentrations of stream water nitrate originated from atmospheric sources as well as nitrified sources from catchment soils. We detected nitrification in surficial soils during late snowmelt which affected the nitrate supply that was available to be transported to streams. However, isotopic tracers showed that the majority of nitrate in upslope surficial soil waters after the onset of snowmelt originated from atmospheric sources. A fraction of the atmospheric nitrogen was directly delivered to the stream, and this finding highlights the importance of quick flow pathways during snowmelt events. These findings indicate that interactions among sources, transformations, and hydrologic transport processes must be deciphered to understand why concentrations vary over time and over space as well as to elucidate the direct effects of human activities on nutrient dynamics in upland forest streams.

Rethinking hyporheic flow and transient storage to advance understanding of stream-catchment connections

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bencala, K.E.; Gooseff, M.N.; Kimball, B.A.

2011-01-01

Although surface water and groundwater are increasingly referred to as one resource, there remain environmental and ecosystem needs to study the 10 m to 1 km reach scale as one hydrologic system. Streams gain and lose water over a range of spatial and temporal scales. Large spatial scales (kilometers) have traditionally been recognized and studied as river-aquifer connections. Over the last 25 years hyporheic exchange flows (1-10 m) have been studied extensively. Often a transient storage model has been used to quantify the physical solute transport setting in which biogeochemical processes occur. At the longer 10 m to 1 km scale of stream reaches it is now clear that streams which gain water overall can coincidentally lose water to the subsurface. At this scale, the amounts of water transferred are not necessarily significant but the exchanges can, however, influence solute transport. The interpretation of seemingly straightforward questions about water, contaminant, and nutrient fluxes into and along a stream can be confounded by flow losses which are too small to be apparent in stream gauging and along flow paths too long to be detected in tracer experiments. We suggest basic hydrologic approaches, e.g., measurement of flow along the channel, surface and subsurface solute sampling, and routine measurements of the water table that, in our opinion, can be used to extend simple exchange concepts from the hyporheic exchange scale to a scale of stream-catchment connection. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes in a mountain stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

2015-01-01

Beaver dams affect hydrologic processes, channel complexity, and stream temperature by increasing inundated areas and influencing groundwater-surface water interactions. We explored the impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes at different spatial and temporal scales within a mountain stream in northern Utah over a three-year period spanning pre- and post-beaver colonization. Using continuous stream discharge, stream temperature, synoptic tracer experiments, and groundwater elevation measurements we documented pre-beaver conditions in the first year of the study. In the second year, we captured the initial effects of three beaver dams, while the third year included the effects of ten dams. After beaver colonization, reach scale discharge observations showed a shift from slightly losing to gaining. However, at the smaller sub-reach scale, the discharge gains and losses increased in variability due to more complex flow pathways with beaver dams forcing overland flow and increasing surface and subsurface storage. At the reach scale, temperatures were found to increase by 0.38 °C (3.8%), which in part is explained by a 230% increase in mean reach residence time. At the smallest, beaver dam scale, there were notable increases in the thermal heterogeneity where warmer and cooler niches were created. Through the quantification of hydrologic and thermal changes at different spatial and temporal scales, we document increased variability during post-beaver colonization and highlight the need to understand the impacts of beaver dams on stream ecosystems and their potential role in stream restoration.

Hyporheic transport in headwater mountain streams is time-invariant in locations where geologic controls dominate hydrologic forcin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, A. S.; Schmadel, N.; Wondzell, S. M.; Harman, C. J.; Gooseff, M. N.; Singha, K.

2015-12-01

Transport along riparian and hyporheic flowpaths is generally believed to integrate the responses of streams and aquifers to dynamic hydrological forcing. Although it is generally expected transport along these flow paths is time-variable, such dynamic responses have seldom been demonstrated. Further, we do not understand how hydrological forcing interacts with local geologic setting (i.e., valley and streambed morphology) We conducted a series of four stream solute tracer injections in each of two watersheds with contrasting valley morphology in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest, monitoring tracer concentrations in the stream and in a network of shallow wells in each watershed. Time series analyses were used to deconvolve transport along subsurface flowpaths from transport in the stream channel. We found time-invariant hyporheic transport in the narrow, bedrock-constrained valley and near large roughness elements (e.g., steps, logs) in the wider valley bottom despite order of magnitude changes in discharge, suggesting geologic controls dominate hyporheic transport in these locations. In contrast, we observed increases in mean arrival time and temporal variance with decreasing discharge at the riparian-hillslope transition, suggesting hydrological dynamics control transport in these locations. We pose several mechanisms by which dynamic hydrology and geologic setting interact that may explain the observed behavior. We interpret time-invariant transport as an indication that discharge in the surface stream is a poor predictor of exchange along the stream-hyporheic-riparian-hillslope continuum in headwater valleys. As such, models able to account for the transition from geologically-dominated processes in the near-stream subsurface to hydrologically-dominated processes near the hillslope are required to predict transport and fate in valley bottoms of headwater mountain streams.

Reaeration equations derived from U.S. geological survey database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Melching, C.S.; Flores, H.E.

1999-01-01

Accurate estimation of the reaeration-rate coefficient (K2) is extremely important for waste-load allocation. Currently, available K2 estimation equations generally yield poor estimates when applied to stream conditions different from those for which the equations were derived because they were derived from small databases composed of potentially highly inaccurate measurements. A large data set of K2 measurements made with tracer-gas methods was compiled from U.S. Geological Survey studies. This compilation included 493 reaches on 166 streams in 23 states. Careful screening to detect and eliminate erroneous measurements reduced the date set to 371 measurements. These measurements were divided into four subgroups on the basis of flow regime (channel control or pool and riffle) and stream scale (discharge greater than or less than 0.556 m3/s). Multiple linear regression in logarithms was applied to relate K2 to 12 stream hydraulic and water-quality characteristics. The resulting best-estimation equations had the form of semiempirical equations that included the rate of energy dissipation and discharge or depth and width as variables. For equation verification, a data set of K2 measurements made with tracer-gas procedures by other agencies was compiled from the literature. This compilation included 127 reaches on at least 24 streams in at least seven states. The standard error of estimate obtained when applying the developed equations to the U.S. Geological Survey data set ranged from 44 to 61%, whereas the standard error of estimate was 78% when applied to the verification data set.Accurate estimation of the reaeration-rate coefficient (K2) is extremely important for waste-load allocation. Currently, available K2 estimation equations generally yield poor estimates when applied to stream conditions different from those for which the equations were derived because they were derived from small databases composed of potentially highly inaccurate measurements. A large data set of K2 measurements made with tracer-gas methods was compiled from U.S. Geological Survey studies. This compilation included 493 reaches on 166 streams in 23 states. Careful screening to detect and eliminate erroneous measurements reduced the data set to 371 measurements. These measurements were divided into four subgroups on the basis of flow regime (channel control or pool and riffle) and stream scale (discharge greater than or less than 0.556 m3/s). Multiple linear regression in logarithms was applied to relate K2 to 12 stream hydraulic and water-quality characteristics. The resulting best-estimation equations had the form of semiempirical equations that included the rate of energy dissipation and discharge or depth and width as variables. For equation verification, a data set of K2 measurements made with tracer-gas procedures by other agencies was compiled from the literature. This compilation included 127 reaches on at least 24 streams in at least seven states. The standard error of estimate obtained when applying the developed equations to the U.S. Geological Survey data set ranged from 44 to 61%, whereas the standard error of estimate was 78% when applied to the verification data set.

Analysis of Nitrogen Cycling in a Forest Stream During Autumn Using a 15N Tracer Addition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tank, J.L.

2000-01-01

We added {sup 15}NH{sub 4}Cl over 6 weeks to Upper Ball Creek, a second-order deciduous forest stream in the Appalachian Mountains, to follow the uptake, spiraling, and fate of nitrogen in a stream food web during autumn. A priori predictions of N flow and retention were made using a simple food web mass balance model. Values of d{sup 15}N were determined for stream water ammonium, nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen, and various compartments of the food web over time and distance and then compared to model predictions.

A temporal stable isotopic (d18O, dD, d-excess) comparison in glacier meltwater streams, Taylor Valley, Antarctica

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this paper, we describe the importance of hyporheic dynamics within Andersen Creek and Von Guerard Stream, Taylor Valley, Antarctica, from the 2010-11 melt season using natural tracers. Water collection started at flow onset and continued, with weekly hyporheic zone sampling. The water d18O and d...

Conceptualisation of Snowpack Isotope Dynamics in Spatially Distributed Tracer-Aided Runoff Models in Snow Influenced Northern Cathments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ala-aho, P. O. A.; Tetzlaff, D.; Laudon, H.; McNamara, J. P.; Soulsby, C.

2016-12-01

We use the Spatially distributed Tracer-Aided Rainfall-Runoff (STARR) modelling framework to explore non-stationary flow and isotope response in three northern headwater catchments. The model simulates dynamic, spatially variable tracer concentration in different water stores and fluxes within a catchment, which can constrain internal catchment mixing processes, flow paths and associated water ages. To date, a major limitation in using such models in snow-dominated catchments has been the difficulties in paramaterising the isotopic transformations in snowpack accumulation and melt. We use high quality long term datasets for hydrometrics and stable water isotopes collected in three northern study catchments for model calibration and testing. The three catchments exhibit different hydroclimatic conditions, soil and vegetation types, and topographic relief, which brings about variable degree of snow dominance across the catchments. To account for the snow influence we develop novel formulations to estimate the isotope evolution in the snowpack and melt. Algorithms for the isotopic evolution parameterize an isotopic offset between snow evaporation and melt fluxes and the remaining snow storage. The model for each catchment is calibrated to match both streamflow and tracer concentration at the stream outlet to ensure internal consistency of the system behaviour. The model is able to reproduce the streamflow along with the spatio-temporal differences in tracer concentrations across the three studies catchments reasonably well. Incorporating the spatially distributed snowmelt processes and associated isotope transformations proved essential in capturing the stream tracer reponse for strongly snow-influenced cathments. This provides a transferrable tool which can be used to understand spatio-temporal variability of mixing and water ages for different storages and flow paths in other snow influenced, environments.

Reach-scale cation exchange controls on major ion chemistry of an Antarctic glacial meltwater stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gooseff, Michael N.; McKnight, Diane M.; Runkel, Robert L.

2004-01-01

McMurdo dry valleys of Antarctica represent the largest of the ice-free areas on the Antarctic continent, containing glaciers, meltwater streams, and closed basin lakes. Previous geochemical studies of dry valley streams and lakes have addressed chemical weathering reactions of hyporheic substrate and geochemical evolution of dry valley surface waters. We examine cation transport and exchange reactions during a stream tracer experiment in a dry valley glacial meltwater stream. The injection solution was composed of dissolved Li+, Na+, K+, and Cl-. Chloride behaved conservatively in this stream, but Li+, Na+, and K+ were reactive to varying degrees. Mass balance analysis indicates that relative to Cl-, Li+ and K+ were taken up in downstream transport and Na+ was released. Simulations of conservative and reactive (first-order uptake or generation) solute transport were made with the OTIS (one-dimensional solute transport with inflow and storage) model. Among the four experimental reaches of Green Creek, solute transport simulations reveal that Li+ was removed from stream water in all four reaches, K+ was released in two reaches, taken up in one reach, and Na+ was released in all four reaches. Hyporheic sediments appear to be variable with uptake of Li+ in two reaches, uptake of K+ in one reach, release of K+ in two reaches, and uptake of Na+ in one reach. Mass balances of the conservative and reactive simulations show that from 1.05 to 2.19 moles of Li+ was adsorbed per reach, but less than 0.3 moles of K+ and less than 0.9 moles of Na+ were released per reach. This suggests that either (1) exchange of another ion which was not analyzed in this experiment or (2) that both ion exchange and sorption control inorganic solute transport. The elevated cation concentrations introduced during the experiment are typical of initial flows in each flow season, which flush accumulated dry salts from the streambed. We propose that the bed sediments (which compose the hyporheic zone) modulate the flushing of these salts during initial flows each season, due to ion exchange and sorption reactions.

Partitioning Hydrologic and Biological Drivers of Discharge Loss in Arctic Headwater Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, J. C.; Carey, M.; O'Donnell, J. A.; Records, M. K.; Sjoberg, Y.; Zimmerman, C. E.

2017-12-01

The Arctic-Boreal transition (ABT) zone of Alaska is experiencing unprecedented warming, leading to permafrost thaw and vegetation change. Both of these processes are likely to affect streams and stream ecosystems, but there is little direct empirical evidence regarding the magnitude of these effects and their relative importance. To understand how permafrost thaw and vegetation are affecting streams at the ABT, we monitored 8 first-order streams that drain catchments varying in elevation, aspect, and vegetation cover. Data were obtained from meteorological stations, continuous stream discharge, seepage runs, and stream tracer experiments. Hydrograph analysis indicated that runoff ratios in south-facing catchments were lower than north-facing catchments and decreased over the season. Seepage runs indicated that south-facing catchments lost a large portion of water (up to 50% per km stream reach) in the late summer, while north-facing catchments were gaining water. All streams displayed diel variability in discharge, but with different daily and seasonal trends related to aspect and elevation. South-facing, forested catchment streams showed diel discharge timing consistent with cycles in evapotranspiration rates, while the signal in north-facing catchments and those dominated by tundra was more consistent with thermal controls on water viscosity and groundwater discharge to streams. Together, these signals indicate that the warmer, south-facing catchments are losing a large portion of water to a combination of infiltration and evapotranspiration. The seasonal trends are consistent with higher infiltration rates beneath south-facing streams as the ground thaws over the summer. The magnitude and seasonal dynamics of the diel signatures help separate biological (i.e. evapotranspiration) vs. physical controls (i.e. frozen ground hydrology) on stream-catchment interactions, which vary depending on aspect, elevation, and vegetation cover. Warming, and subsequent increases in infiltration and evapotranspiration rates may cause some south-facing streams to become ephemeral in the near future. This infiltration feeds aquifers and ultimately larger rivers, potentially explaining hydrograph shifts observed on the larger, river scale in permafrost environments.

Determination of time-of-travel, dispersion characteristics, and oxygen reaeration coefficients during low streamflows--Lower Tacony/Frankford Creek, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senior, Lisa A.; Gyves, Matthew C.

2010-01-01

Time-of-travel, dispersion characteristics, and oxygen reaeration coefficients were determined by use of dye and gas tracing for a 2-mile reach of Tacony/Frankford Creek in Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania. The reach frequently has concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) below the water-quality standard of 4 milligrams per liter during warm months. Several large combined sewer overflows (CSOs), including one of the largest in Philadelphia (former Wingohocking Creek), discharge to the study reach in this urbanized watershed, affecting water quality and the timing and magnitude of storm peaks. In addition, a dam that commonly results in backwater conditions and reduced natural reaeration is present a few hundred feet from the end of the study reach. Time-of-travel and reaeration data were collected under base-flow conditions in August and September 2009 for three sub-reaches from Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. Route 1) to Castor Avenue. Determination of traveltimes to the centroid of the dye cloud were needed for calculation of the reaeration coefficients. Results of the dye study in Tacony/Frankford Creek indicate that traveltimes were affected by the presence of man-made structures, such as the large scour hole and pool developed at the outfall of the T14 CSO and the dam, both of which reduce stream velocities. Mean stream velocities during the dye-tracer tests ranged from a maximum of 0.44 to 0.04 foot per second through a large pool. The dispersion efficiency of the stream was determined from relations between normalized unit concentrations to time to peak for use in water-quality modeling. Oxygen reaeration coefficients determined by a constant rate-injection method using propane as the tracer gas were as low as 0.04 unit per hour in a long pool affected by backwater conditions behind a dam. The highest reaeration coefficient was 2.29 units per hour for a steep-gradient reach with multiple winding channels through gravel deposits, just downstream of a large scour pool developed at the outlet of the T14 CSO. Reaeration coefficients determined from the field tracer-gas method were compared to values calculated by two other methods, one that is based on theoretical equations using physical properties of the stream as variables and the other that is based on equations using the timing of measured daily maximum DO concentrations in the stream. Reaeration coefficients from the two alternate methods were most similar to values determined from the field tracer-gas method for the upstream portion of the study reach, characterized by free-flowing riffle and pools. Values of reaeration coefficients determined by the tracer-gas method were 2 to 10 times higher than values determined by 2 alternate methods for most subreaches hydraulically affected by man-made structures. In addition to the tracer gas, propane, the gas analysis also included methane, ethane, and ethene, of which only methane was measured in concentrations above a few micrograms per liter. Methane, thought to occur naturally or because of ongoing processes in the stream, was measured in concentrations ranging from 6.6 to 78 micrograms per liter; the concentrations were greatest in sub-reaches dominated by pools.

Bed load tracer mobility in a mixed bedrock/alluvial channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferguson, R. I.; Sharma, B. P.; Hodge, R. A.; Hardy, R. J.; Warburton, J.

2017-04-01

The presence of bare or partially covered rock in an otherwise alluvial river implies a downstream change in transport capacity relative to supply. Field investigations of this change and what causes it are lacking. We used two sets of magnet-tagged tracer clasts to investigate bed load transport during the same sequence of floods in fully alluvial, bare rock, and partial-cover reaches of an upland stream. High-flow shear stresses in different reaches were calculated by using stage loggers. Tracers seeded in the upstream alluvial channel moved more slowly than elsewhere until the frontrunners reached bare rock and sped up. Tracers seeded on bare rock moved rapidly off it and accumulated just upstream from, and later in, a partial-cover zone with many boulders. The backwater effect of the boulder-rich zone is significant in reducing tracer mobility. Tracer movement over full or partial sediment cover was size selective but dispersion over bare rock was not. Along-channel changes in tracer mobility are interpreted in terms of measured differences in shear stress and estimated differences in threshold stress.

Characterisation and quantification of groundwater-surface water interactions along an alluvial stream using geophysical, hydraulic and tracer methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumph Frederiksen, R.; Rasmussen, K. R.; Christensen, S.

2015-12-01

Qualifying and quantifying water, nutrient and contaminant exchange at the groundwater-surface water interface are becoming increasingly important for water resources management. The objectives of this study are to characterise an alluvial stream using geophysics in addition to traditional geological and geomorphological data and quantify the groundwater seepage to the stream on point-to-reach scale using both hydraulic and tracer methods. We mapped the very shallow subsurface along an alluvial stream using a GCM system (DUALEM421S, an electromagnetic system that can be operated behind a boat or towed behind a motorized vehicle) as well as using geological logs from a large number of old wells. Furthermore we made geomorphological observations through digital maps (old topographical maps and aerial photos) and field observations. We measured stream discharge (quasi-) simultaneously at several positions along the stream using both an Ott-C31 propeller instrument and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler instrument. The measurements were made during dry summer periods when baseflow is expected to be the dominating contribution to streamflow. Preliminary findings show that the GCM system reveals small-scale structures not seen with other data types. Furthermore, based on the GCM results and stream discharge results we have identified gaining, losing and zero exchange sections of the stream. During late summer 2015 we will collect additional hydrological data in order to support or modify our preliminary findings. To further investigate the spatial and temporal variations of the groundwater-surface water interactions along the stream we will measure groundwater seepage to the stream using: seepage meter (point-scale) DTS (reach-scale) temperature stick measurements (point-in-space-and-time-scale) temperature loggers installed in the streambed (month-scale) The measurement sites are chosen based on our geophysical, geological, and geomorphological mapping as well as our stream discharge measurements.

Heat as a tracer to determine streambed water exchanges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Constantz, J.

2010-01-01

This work reviews the use of heat as a tracer of shallow groundwater movement and describes current temperature-based approaches for estimating streambed water exchanges. Four common hydrologic conditions in stream channels are graphically depicted with the expected underlying streambed thermal responses, and techniques are discussed for installing and monitoring temperature and stage equipment for a range of hydrological environments. These techniques are divided into direct-measurement techniques in streams and streambeds, groundwater techniques relying on traditional observation wells, and remote sensing and other large-scale advanced temperatureacquisition techniques. A review of relevant literature suggests researchers often graphically visualize temperature data to enhance conceptual models of heat and water flow in the near-stream environment and to determine site-specific approaches of data analysis. Common visualizations of stream and streambed temperature patterns include thermographs, temperature envelopes, and one-, two-, and three-dimensional temperature contour plots. Heat and water transport governing equations are presented for the case of transport in streambeds, followed by methods of streambed data analysis, including simple heat-pulse arrival time and heat-loss procedures, analytical and time series solutions, and heat and water transport simulation models. A series of applications of these methods are presented for a variety of stream settings ranging from arid to continental climates. Progressive successes to quantify both streambed fluxes and the spatial extent of streambeds indicate heat-tracing tools help define the streambed as a spatially distinct field (analogous to soil science), rather than simply the lower boundary in stream research or an amorphous zone beneath the stream channel.

In‐stream sorption of fulvic acid in an acidic stream: A stream‐scale transport experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKnight, Diane M.; Hornberger, George M.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; Boyer, Elizabeth W.

2002-01-01

The variation of concentration and composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in stream waters cannot be explained solely on the basis of soil processes in contributing subcatchments. To investigate in‐stream processes that control DOC, we injected DOC‐enriched water into a reach of the Snake River (Summit County, Colorado) that has abundant iron oxyhydroxides coating the streambed. The injected water was obtained from the Suwannee River (Georgia), which is highly enriched in fulvic acid. The fulvic acid from this water is the standard reference for aquatic fulvic acid for the International Humic Substances Society and has been well characterized. During the experimental injection, significant removal of sorbable fulvic acid occurred within the first 141 m of stream reach. We coinjected a conservative tracer (lithium chloride) and analyzed the results with the one‐dimensional transport with inflow and storage (OTIS) stream solute transport model to quantify the physical transport mechanisms. The downstream transport of fulvic acid as indicated by absorbance was then simulated using OTIS with a first‐order kinetic sorption rate constant applied to the sorbable fulvic acid. The “sorbable” fraction of injected fulvic acid was irreversibly sorbed by streambed sediments at rates (kinetic rate constants) of the order of 10−4–10−3 s−1. In the injected Suwannee River water, sorbable and nonsorbable fulvic acid had distinct chemical characteristics identified in 13C‐NMR spectra. The 13C‐NMR spectra indicate that during the experiment, the sorbable “signal” of greater aromaticity and carboxyl content decreased downstream; that is, these components were preferentially removed. This study illustrates that interactions between the water and the reactive surfaces will modify significantly the concentration and composition of DOC observed in streams with abundant chemically reactive surfaces on the streambed and in the hyporheic zone.

qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) for the quantification of bacteriophages in stream water samples to investigate hydrological processes: a proof-of-concept study in the Huewelerbach experimental catchment (Luxembourg)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antonelli, Marta; Narayanan Balasubramanian, Mukundh; Ogorzaly, Leslie; Pfister, Laurent

2016-04-01

Albeit recent technological developments (e.g. field deployable instruments operating at high temporal frequencies), experimental hydrology is a discipline that remains measurement limited. From this perspective, trans-disciplinary approaches may create valuable opportunities to enlarge the amount of tools available for investigating hydrological processes. Bacteriophages have been widely used in hydrology as biological tracer for investigating colloid transport and contamination of ground water systems. However, there are only a few studies focusing on the employability of bacteriophages as surface water tracers (i.e. phage transport, system functioning). Here, we present a proof-of-concept study carried out in the Huewelerbach catchment in Luxembourg in December 2015. The aim of this study was to investigate how viral particles can be used to detect hydrological connectivity between the riparian zone/river bank and the stream during rainfall events. Moreover, this study is one of the first attempts for applying the qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technique for the quantification of bacteriophages in stream water samples to investigate hydrological processes. This technique is very sensitive and has a large dynamic range - enhancing ease and speed of phage detection. We used two different male-specific coliphages (GA phage, genogroup II and SP phage, genogroup IV). Two litres of GA phage were injected directly in the stream as a slug injection and two litres of SP phage were poured next to the river bank (alluvial deposition) close to the injection point. We also added NaCl (200 g) to both phage suspensions. We collected stream water samples 100 m and 500 m downstream (i.e. catchment outlet) of the injection point for one week. Phages were concentrated through ultracentrifugation of 100 ml of water sample followed by quantification via qPCR. Conductivity in stream water was monitored for the entire duration of the experiment. Discharge was monitored both immediately upstream of the injection point and at the catchment outlet. Preliminary results show that at the catchment outlet, the GA-phage injected in stream displayed almost complete mass recovery (~93 %), in contrast to the partial recovery (~12%) of the SP phage that was introduced on the river bank. Additionally, the amount of GA phages detected 100 m downstream of the injection point evolved back to its background level after six days. We could not observe a similar evolution for the SP phage. At the outlet, the amount of both phages did not return to background levels after six days. This can be due to a combined action of the occurrence of preferential flowpaths and the behaviour of colloids. During the monitored rain event we observed a dilution effect on both phages and a slight increase of the quantity of SP phage right after the peak of discharge. This finding suggests a release of viral particles from the river bank. Overall, we have demonstrated with this proof-of-concept study the value of phages as eco-hydrological tracer.

Hyporheic zone denitrification: controls on effective reaction depth and contribution to whole-stream mass balance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Judson W.; Böhlke, John Karl; Voytek, Mary A.; Scott, Durelle; Tobias, Craig R.

2013-01-01

Stream denitrification is thought to be enhanced by hyporheic transport but there is little direct evidence from the field. To demonstrate at a field site, we injected 15NO3−, Br (conservative tracer), and SF6 (gas exchange tracer) and compared measured whole-stream denitrification with in situ hyporheic denitrification in shallow and deeper flow paths of contrasting geomorphic units. Hyporheic denitrification accounted for between 1 and 200% of whole-stream denitrification. The reaction rate constant was positively related to hyporheic exchange rate (greater substrate delivery), concentrations of substrates DOC and nitrate, microbial denitrifier abundance (nirS), and measures of granular surface area and presence of anoxic microzones. The dimensionless product of the reaction rate constant and hyporheic residence time, λhzτhz define a Damköhler number, Daden-hz that was optimal in the subset of hyporheic flow paths where Daden-hz ≈ 1. Optimal conditions exclude inefficient deep pathways transport where substrates are used up and also exclude inefficient shallow pathways that require repeated hyporheic entries and exits to complete the reaction. The whole-stream reaction significance, Rs (dimensionless), was quantified by multiplying Daden-hz by the proportion of stream discharge passing through the hyporheic zone. Together these two dimensionless metrics, one flow-path scale and the other reach-scale, quantify the whole-stream significance of hyporheic denitrification. One consequence is that the effective zone of significant denitrification often differs from the full depth of the hyporheic zone, which is one reason why whole-stream denitrification rates have not previously been explained based on total hyporheic-zone metrics such as hyporheic-zone size or residence time.

Exploring landscapes and ecosystems by studying their streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchner, J. W.

2016-12-01

Streams integrate fluxes of water, solutes, and sediment from their catchments, and thus they act as mirrors of the surrounding landscape. Patterns of streamflow, chemistry, and sediment flux can therefore shed light on physical, chemical, and biological processes at the scale of whole ecosystems. However, landscapes also exhibit preferential flow and pervasive heterogeneity on all scales, and therefore store waters over a wide spectrum of time scales, complicating efforts to interpret hydrological and geochemical signals in streamwaters. Here I review current and recent research exploring how landscapes store, mix, and release water and solutes to streams. Groundwater levels and stream flows exhibit diurnal cycles in response to snowmelt in springtime and transpiration during the growing season. These cycles vividly illustrate how aquifers and streams mirror ecological processes in their surrounding landscapes. Stream networks extend and retract, both seasonally and in response to individual rainfall events, dynamically mapping out variations in subsurface transmissivity and in the balance between precipitation and transpiration. Water quality time series spanning the periodic table, from H+ to U, exhibit universal fractal scaling on time scales from hours to decades. This scaling behavior is a temporal expression of the spatial heterogeneity that pervades the subsurface, and it confounds efforts to identify water quality trends. Isotope tracers such as 18O, 2H, 3H, and 14C can used to quantify water ages over seven orders of magnitude, from hours to thousands of years. These tracers show that substantial fractions of streamflow are hours, days, and months old, even in streams fed by aquifers with significant proportions of pre-Holocene groundwater. Examples such as these will be presented to illustrate the close coupling between landscapes and the waters that drain them, and to demonstrate how streams can be used as windows into landscape processes.

Accuracy of time-domain and frequency-domain methods used to characterize catchment transit time distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godsey, S. E.; Kirchner, J. W.

2008-12-01

The mean residence time - the average time that it takes rainfall to reach the stream - is a basic parameter used to characterize catchment processes. Heterogeneities in these processes lead to a distribution of travel times around the mean residence time. By examining this travel time distribution, we can better predict catchment response to contamination events. A catchment system with shorter residence times or narrower distributions will respond quickly to contamination events, whereas systems with longer residence times or longer-tailed distributions will respond more slowly to those same contamination events. The travel time distribution of a catchment is typically inferred from time series of passive tracers (e.g., water isotopes or chloride) in precipitation and streamflow. Variations in the tracer concentration in streamflow are usually damped compared to those in precipitation, because precipitation inputs from different storms (with different tracer signatures) are mixed within the catchment. Mathematically, this mixing process is represented by the convolution of the travel time distribution and the precipitation tracer inputs to generate the stream tracer outputs. Because convolution in the time domain is equivalent to multiplication in the frequency domain, it is relatively straightforward to estimate the parameters of the travel time distribution in either domain. In the time domain, the parameters describing the travel time distribution are typically estimated by maximizing the goodness of fit between the modeled and measured tracer outputs. In the frequency domain, the travel time distribution parameters can be estimated by fitting a power-law curve to the ratio of precipitation spectral power to stream spectral power. Differences between the methods of parameter estimation in the time and frequency domain mean that these two methods may respond differently to variations in data quality, record length and sampling frequency. Here we evaluate how well these two methods of travel time parameter estimation respond to different sources of uncertainty and compare the methods to one another. We do this by generating synthetic tracer input time series of different lengths, and convolve these with specified travel-time distributions to generate synthetic output time series. We then sample both the input and output time series at various sampling intervals and corrupt the time series with realistic error structures. Using these 'corrupted' time series, we infer the apparent travel time distribution, and compare it to the known distribution that was used to generate the synthetic data in the first place. This analysis allows us to quantify how different record lengths, sampling intervals, and error structures in the tracer measurements affect the apparent mean residence time and the apparent shape of the travel time distribution.

Hillslope response to sprinkling and natural rainfall using velocity and celerity estimates in a slate-bedrock catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaini, Anna; Hissler, Christophe; Fenicia, Fabrizio; Juilleret, Jérôme; Iffly, Jean François; Pfister, Laurent; Beven, Keith

2018-03-01

Subsurface flow is often recognized as a dominant runoff generation process. However, observing subsurface properties, and understanding how they control flow pathways, remains challenging. This paper investigates how surface slope and bedrock cleavage control subsurface flow pathways in a slate bedrock headwater catchment in Luxembourg, characterised by a double-peak streamflow response. We use a range of experimental techniques, including field observations of soil and bedrock characteristics, and a sprinkling experiment at a site located 40 m upslope from the stream channel. The sprinkling experiment uses Br- as a tracer, which is measured at a well downslope from the plot and at various locations along the stream, together with well and stream hydrometric responses. The sprinkling experiment is used to estimate velocities and celerities, which in turn are used to infer flow pathways. Our results indicate that the single or first peak of double-peak events is rainfall-driven (controlled by rainfall) while the second peak is storage-driven (controlled by storage). The comparison between velocity and celerity estimates suggests a fast flowpath component connecting the hillslope to the stream, but velocity information was too scarce to fully support such a hypothesis. In addition, different estimates of celerities suggest a seasonal influence of both rainfall intensity rate and residual water storage on the celerity responses at the hillslope scale. At the catchment outlet, the estimated of the total mass of Br- recovered in the stream was about 2.5% of the application. Further downstream, the estimate mass of Br- was about 4.0% of the application. This demonstrates that flowpaths do not appear to align with the slope gradient. In contrast, they appear to follow the strike of the bedrock cleavage. Our results have expanded our understanding of the importance of the subsurface, in particular the underlying bedrock systems, and the importance of cleavage orientation, as well as topography, in controlling subsurface flow direction in this catchment.

Lagrangian mass-flow investigations of inorganic contaminants in wastewater-impacted streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barber, L.B.; Antweiler, Ronald C.; Flynn, J.L.; Keefe, S.H.; Kolpin, D.W.; Roth, D.A.; Schnoebelen, D.J.; Taylor, Howard E.; Verplanck, P.L.

2011-01-01

Understanding the potential effects of increased reliance on wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents to meet municipal, agricultural, and environmental flow requires an understanding of the complex chemical loading characteristics of the WWTPs and the assimilative capacity of receiving waters. Stream ecosystem effects are linked to proportions of WWTP effluent under low-flow conditions as well as the nature of the effluent chemical mixtures. This study quantifies the loading of 58 inorganic constituents (nutrients to rare earth elements) from WWTP discharges relative to upstream landscape-based sources. Stream assimilation capacity was evaluated by Lagrangian sampling, using flow velocities determined from tracer experiments to track the same parcel of water as it moved downstream. Boulder Creek, Colorado and Fourmile Creek, Iowa, representing two different geologic and hydrologic landscapes, were sampled under low-flow conditions in the summer and spring. One-half of the constituents had greater loads from the WWTP effluents than the upstream drainages, and once introduced into the streams, dilution was the predominant assimilation mechanism. Only ammonium and bismuth had significant decreases in mass load downstream from the WWTPs during all samplings. The link between hydrology and water chemistry inherent in Lagrangian sampling allows quantitative assessment of chemical fate across different landscapes. ?? 2011 American Chemical Society.

The Influence of Leaf Fall and Organic Carbon Availability on Nitrogen Cycling in a Headwater Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, S. A.; Kristin, A.; Doyle, B.; Goodale, C. L.; Gurwick, N. P.; Lepak, J.; Kulkari, M.; McIntyre, P.; McCalley, C.; Raciti, S.; Simkin, S.; Warren, D.; Weiss, M.

2005-05-01

The study of allochthonous carbon has a long and distinguished history in stream ecology. Despite this legacy, relatively little is known regarding the influence of leaf litter on nutrient dynamics. We conducted 15N-NO3 tracer additions to a headwater stream in upstate New York before and after autumn leaf fall to assess the influence of leaf litter on nitrogen spiraling. In addition, we amended the stream with labile dissolved organic carbon (as acetate) midway through each experiment to examine whether organic carbon availability differentially stimulated nitrogen cycling. Leaf standing stocks increased from 53 to 175 g dry mass m-2 and discharge more than tripled (6 to 20 L s-1) between the pre- and post-leaf fall period. In contrast, nitrate concentration fell from approximately 50 to less then 10 ug L-1. Despite higher discharge, uptake length was shorter following leaf fall under both ambient (250 and 72 m, respectively) and DOC amended (125 and 45 m) conditions. Uptake velocity increased dramatically following leaf fall, despite a slight decline in the areal uptake rate. Dissolved N2 gas samples were also collected to estimate denitrification rates under each experimental condition. The temporal extent of increased nitrogen retention will also be explored.

Geochemical Data for Upper Mineral Creek, Colorado, Under Existing Ambient Conditions and During an Experimental pH Modification, August 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.; Steiger, Judy I.; Walton-Day, Katherine

2009-01-01

Mineral Creek, an acid mine drainage stream in south-western Colorado, was the subject of a water-quality study that employed a paired synoptic approach. Under the paired synoptic approach, two synoptic sampling campaigns were conducted on the same study reach. The initial synoptic campaign, conducted August 22, 2005, documented stream-water quality under existing ambient conditions. A second synoptic campaign, conducted August 24, 2005, documented stream-water quality during a pH-modification experiment that elevated the pH of Mineral Creek. The experimental pH modification was designed to determine the potential reductions in dissolved constituent concentrations that would result from the implementation of an active treatment system for acid mine drainage. During both synoptic sampling campaigns, a solution containing lithium bromide was injected continuously to allow for the calculation of streamflow using the tracer-dilution method. Synoptic water-quality samples were collected from 30 stream sites and 11 inflow locations along the 2-kilometer study reach. Data from the study provide spatial profiles of pH, concentration, and streamflow under both existing and experimentally-altered conditions. This report presents the data obtained August 21-24, 2005, as well as the methods used for sample collection and data analysis.

Chemical Tracer Methods: Chapter 7

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healy, Richard W.

2017-01-01

Tracers have a wide variety of uses in hydrologic studies: providing quantitative or qualitative estimates of recharge, identifying sources of recharge, providing information on velocities and travel times of water movement, assessing the importance of preferential flow paths, providing information on hydrodynamic dispersion, and providing data for calibration of water flow and solute-transport models (Walker, 1998; Cook and Herczeg, 2000; Scanlon et al., 2002b). Tracers generally are ions, isotopes, or gases that move with water and that can be detected in the atmosphere, in surface waters, and in the subsurface. Heat also is transported by water; therefore, temperatures can be used to trace water movement. This chapter focuses on the use of chemical and isotopic tracers in the subsurface to estimate recharge. Tracer use in surface-water studies to determine groundwater discharge to streams is addressed in Chapter 4; the use of temperature as a tracer is described in Chapter 8.Following the nomenclature of Scanlon et al. (2002b), tracers are grouped into three categories: natural environmental tracers, historical tracers, and applied tracers. Natural environmental tracers are those that are transported to or created within the atmosphere under natural processes; these tracers are carried to the Earth’s surface as wet or dry atmospheric deposition. The most commonly used natural environmental tracer is chloride (Cl) (Allison and Hughes, 1978). Ocean water, through the process of evaporation, is the primary source of atmospheric Cl. Other tracers in this category include chlorine-36 (36Cl) and tritium (3H); these two isotopes are produced naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere; however, there are additional anthropogenic sources of them.

Experimental and numerical study of the relation between flow paths and fate of a pesticide in a riparian wetland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kidmose, Jacob; Dahl, Mette; Engesgaard, Peter; Nilsson, Bertel; Christensen, Britt S. B.; Andersen, Stine; Hoffmann, Carl Christian

2010-05-01

SummaryA field-scale pulse-injection experiment with the herbicide Isoproturon was conducted in a Danish riparian wetland. A non-reactive tracer (bromide) experiment was also carried out to characterize the physical transport system. Groundwater flow and reactive transport modelling was used to simulate flow paths, residence times, as well as bromide and Isoproturon distributions. The wetland can be characterized by two distinct riparian flow paths; one flow path discharges 2/3 of the incoming groundwater directly to the free water surface of the wetland near the foot of the hillslope with an average residence time of 205 days, and another flow path diffusively discharging the remaining 1/3 of the incoming groundwater to the stream with an average residence time of 425 days. The reactive transport simulations reveal that Isoproturon is retarded by a factor of 2-4, which is explained by the high organic content in the peat layer of the wetland. Isoproturon was found to be aerobically degraded with a half-life in the order of 12-80 days. Based on the quantification of flow paths, residence times and half-lives it is estimated that about 2/3 of the injected Isoproturon is removed in the wetland. Thus, close to 1/3 may find its way to the stream through overland flow. It is also possible that high concentrations of metabolites will reach the stream.

Nitrate removal in stream ecosystems measured by 15N addition experiments: Denitrification

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mulholland, P.J.; Hall, R.O.; Sobota, D.J.; Dodds, W.K.; Findlay, S.E.G.; Grimm, N. B.; Hamilton, S.K.; McDowell, W.H.; O'Brien, J. M.; Tank, J.L.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Cooper, L.W.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Gregory, S.V.; Johnson, S.L.; Meyer, J.L.; Peterson, B.J.; Poole, G.C.; Valett, H.M.; Webster, J.R.; Arango, C.P.; Beaulieu, J.J.; Bernot, M.J.; Burgin, A.J.; Crenshaw, C.L.; Helton, A.M.; Johnson, L.T.; Niederlehner, B.R.; Potter, J.D.; Sheibley, R.W.; Thomasn, S.M.

2009-01-01

We measured denitrification rates using a field 15N-NO- 3 tracer-addition approach in a large, cross-site study of nitrate uptake in reference, agricultural, and suburban-urban streams. We measured denitrification rates in 49 of 72 streams studied. Uptake length due to denitrification (SWden) ranged from 89 m to 184 km (median of 9050 m) and there were no significant differences among regions or land-use categories, likely because of the wide range of conditions within each region and land use. N2 production rates far exceeded N2O production rates in all streams. The fraction of total NO-3 removal from water due to denitrification ranged from 0.5% to 100% among streams (median of 16%), and was related to NHz 4 concentration and ecosystem respiration rate (ER). Multivariate approaches showed that the most important factors controlling SWden were specific discharge (discharge / width) and NO-3 concentration (positive effects), and ER and transient storage zones (negative effects). The relationship between areal denitrification rate (Uden) and NO- 3 concentration indicated a partial saturation effect. A power function with an exponent of 0.5 described this relationship better than a Michaelis-Menten equation. Although Uden increased with increasing NO- 3 concentration, the efficiency of NO-3 removal from water via denitrification declined, resulting in a smaller proportion of streamwater NO-3 load removed over a given length of stream. Regional differences in stream denitrification rates were small relative to the proximate factors of NO-3 concentration and ecosystem respiration rate, and land use was an important but indirect control on denitrification in streams, primarily via its effect on NO-3 concentration. ?? 2009.

Impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes in a mountain stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majerova, M.; Neilson, B. T.; Schmadel, N. M.; Wheaton, J. M.; Snow, C. J.

2015-08-01

Beaver dams affect hydrologic processes, channel complexity, and stream temperature in part by inundating riparian areas, influencing groundwater-surface water interactions, and changing fluvial processes within stream systems. We explored the impacts of beaver dams on hydrologic and temperature regimes at different spatial and temporal scales within a mountain stream in northern Utah over a 3-year period spanning pre- and post-beaver colonization. Using continuous stream discharge, stream temperature, synoptic tracer experiments, and groundwater elevation measurements, we documented pre-beaver conditions in the first year of the study. In the second year, we captured the initial effects of three beaver dams, while the third year included the effects of ten dams. After beaver colonization, reach-scale (~ 750 m in length) discharge observations showed a shift from slightly losing to gaining. However, at the smaller sub-reach scale (ranging from 56 to 185 m in length), the discharge gains and losses increased in variability due to more complex flow pathways with beaver dams forcing overland flow, increasing surface and subsurface storage, and increasing groundwater elevations. At the reach scale, temperatures were found to increase by 0.38 °C (3.8 %), which in part is explained by a 230 % increase in mean reach residence time. At the smallest, beaver dam scale (including upstream ponded area, beaver dam structure, and immediate downstream section), there were notable increases in the thermal heterogeneity where warmer and cooler niches were created. Through the quantification of hydrologic and thermal changes at different spatial and temporal scales, we document increased variability during post-beaver colonization and highlight the need to understand the impacts of beaver dams on stream ecosystems and their potential role in stream restoration.

NMED Correspondence Related to Notice of Intent for Chromium Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martinez, Ellena Isabel

Two methods of injection using a solution containing 50 kilograms (kg) of tracer are proposed for each well. Half of the tracer (25 kg) may be mixed with 3,000 gallons of potable water and delivered into a scheduled injection stream of treated groundwater as permitted in OP-1835 over a five to seven-hour period. This procedure would then be repeated on a consecutive second day. Alternatively, 5 kg of tracer may be added to each of ten 3,000-gallon tanks for a total of 30,000 gallons of tracer solution that may be injected independently of other injection flow over a period ofmore » up to five days. The permittees request that the types and masses of tracers that may be utilized per each injection well remain flexible enough to allow for one or more of the naphthalene sulfonate tracers to be substituted with a different naphthalene sulfonate. This need for flexibility is due to the availability of the tracers and any tracer listed that is designated for a given CrIN well may be interchanged with a tracer that is designated for another CrIN well, pending final NMED approval. The permittees are not allowed to introduce any new tracers and will submit a final work plan prior to each injection for each CrIN well.« less

Traveltime and reaeration of selected streams in the North Platte and Yampa River basins, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruddy, B.C.; Britton, L.J.

1989-01-01

Traveltime characteristics were measured using rhodamine WT dye as a tracer in the Canadian and Michigan Rivers in the North Platte river basin and in the Yampa, Elk, and Williams Fork Rivers, and Trout and Fish Creeks in the Yampa River basin of Colorado. Reaeration coefficients were determined by use of the modified-tracer techniques using ethylene and propane gas for selected stream reaches during low-flow conditions. Stream reach velocities determined during traveltime and reaeration measurements ranged from 0.09 mi/hour at 5.1 cu ft/sec on the Canadian River to 4.04 mi/hour at 746 cu ft/sec on the Williams Fork. A modified longitudinal dispersion model or results from cumulative traveltime curves were used to estimate traveltimes in the measured streams for streamflow conditions other than those measured. Traveltime-discharge curves were developed by using the estimated and measured traveltimes. Reaeration coefficients were determined for 20 different subreaches in the study area. Rearation coefficients were determined for 20 different subreaches in the study area. Reaeration coefficients ranged from 1.6/day in a pooled subreach of the Yampa River Craig, Colorado, to 98/day in a turbulent subreach of Trout Creek near Oak Creek, Colorado. (USGS)

Carbon isotope fractionation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) due to outgassing of carbon dioxide from a headwater stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doctor, D.H.; Kendall, C.; Sebestyen, S.D.; Shanley, J.B.; Ohte, N.; Boyer, E.W.

2008-01-01

The stable isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (??13C-DIC) was investigated as a potential tracer of streamflow generation processes at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, USA. Downstream sampling showed ?? 13C-DIC increased between 3-5??? from the stream source to the outlet weir approximately 0??5 km downstream, concomitant with increasing pH and decreasing PCO2. An increase in ??13C-DIC of 2.4 ?? 0??1??? per log unit decrease of excess PCO2 (stream PCO2 normalized to atmospheric PCO2) was observed from downstream transect data collected during snowmelt. Isotopic fractionation of DIC due to CO2 outgassing rather than exchange with atmospheric CO2 may be the primary cause of increased ?? 13C-DIC values downstream when PCO2 of surface freshwater exceeds twice the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Although CO2 outgassing caused a general increase in stream ??13C-DIC values, points of localized groundwater seepage into the stream were identified by decreases in ??13C-DIC and increases in DIC concentration of the stream water superimposed upon the general downstream trend. In addition, comparison between snowmelt, early spring and summer seasons showed that DIC is flushed from shallow groundwater flowpaths during snowmelt and is replaced by a greater proportion of DIC derived from soil CO2 during the early spring growing season. Thus, in spite of effects from CO2 outgassing, ??13C of DIC can be a useful indicator of groundwater additions to headwater streams and a tracer of carbon dynamics in catchments. Copyright ?? 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Recovery and Determination of Adsorbed Technetium on Savannah River Site Charcoal Stack Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lahoda, Kristy G.; Engelmann, Mark D.; Farmer, Orville T.

2008-03-01

Experimental results are provided for the sample analyses for technetium (Tc) in charcoal samples placed in-line with a Savannah River Site (SRS) processing stack effluent stream as a part of an environmental surveillance program. The method for Tc removal from charcoal was based on that originally developed with high purity charcoal. Presented is the process that allowed for the quantitative analysis of 99Tc in SRS charcoal stack samples with and without 97Tc as a tracer. The results obtained with the method using the 97Tc tracer quantitatively confirm the results obtained with no tracer added. All samples contain 99Tc at themore » pg g-1 level.« less

Automatic tracer-dilution method used for stage-discharge ratings and streamflow hydrographs on small Iowa streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soenksen, P.J.

1990-01-01

Tracer-dilution discharge measurements were made during 14 flow periods at six stations from 1986 through 1988 water years. Ratings were developed at three stations with the aid of these measurements. A loop rating was identified at one station during rapidly-changing flow conditions. Incomplete mixing and dye loss to sediment apparently were problems at some stations. Stage hydrographs were recorded for 38 flows at seven stations. Limited data on background fluorescence during high flows were also obtained.

Hyporheic less-mobile porosity and solute transport in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MahmoodPoorDehkordy, F.; Briggs, M. A.; Day-Lewis, F. D.; Scruggs, C.; Singha, K.; Zarnetske, J. P.; Lane, J. W., Jr.; Bagtzoglou, A. C.

2017-12-01

Solute transport and reactive processes are strongly influenced by hydrodynamic exchange with the hyporheic zone. Contaminant transport and redox zonation in the hyporheic zone and near-stream aquifer can be impacted by the exchange between mobile and less-mobile porosity zones in heterogeneous porous media. Less-mobile porosity zones can be created by fine materials with tight pore throats (e.g. clay, organics) and in larger, well-connected pores down gradient of flow obstructions (e.g. sand behind cobbles). Whereas fluid sampling is primarily responsive to the more-mobile domain, tracking solute tracer dynamics by geoelectrical methods provides direct information about both more- and less-mobile zones. During tracer injection through porous media of varied pore connectivity, a lag between fluid and bulk electrical conductivity is observed, creating a hysteresis loop when plotted in conductivity space. Thus, the combination of simultaneous fluid and bulk electrical conductivity measurements enables a much improved quantification of less-mobile solute dynamics compared to traditional fluid-only sampling approaches. We have demonstrated the less-mobile porosity exchange in laboratory-scale column experiments verified by simulation models. The experimental approach has also been applied to streambed sediments in column and reach-scale field experiments and verified using numerical simulation. Properties of the resultant hysteresis loops can be used to estimate exchange parameters of less-mobile porosity. Our integrated approach combining field experiments, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling provides new insights into the effect of less-mobile porosity on solute transport in the hyporheic zone.

Flow in the Proximity of the Pin-Tool in Friction Stir Welding and Its Relation to Weld Homogeneity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.

2000-01-01

In the Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process a rotating pin inserted into a seam literally stirs the metal from each side of the seam together. It is proposed that the flow in the vicinity of the pin-tool comprises a primary rapid shear over a cylindrical envelope covering the pin-tool and a relatively slow secondary flow taking the form of a ring vortex about the tool circumference. This model is consistent with a plastic characterization of metal flow, where discontinuities in shear flow are allowed but not viscous effects. It is consistent with experiments employing several different kinds of tracer: atomic markers, shot, and wire. If a rotating disc with angular velocity w is superposed on a translating continuum with linear velocity omega, the trajectories of tracer points become circular arcs centered upon a point displaced laterally a distance v/omega from the center of rotation of the disc in the direction of the advancing side of the disc. In the present model a stream of metal approaching the tool (taken as the coordinate system of observation) is sheared at the slip surface, rapidly rotated around the tool, sheared again on the opposite side of the tool, and deposited in the wake of the tool. Local shearing rates are high, comparable to metal cutting in this model. The flow patterns in the vicinity of the pin-tool determine the level of homogenization and dispersal of contaminants that occurs in the FSW process. The approaching metal streams enfold one another as they are rotated around the tool. Neglecting mixing they return to the same lateral position in the wake of the tool preserving lateral tracer positions as if the metal had flowed past the tool like an extrusion instead of being rotated around it. (The seam is, however, obliterated.) The metal stream of thickness approximately that of the tool diameter D is wiped past the tool at elevated temperatures drawn out to a thickness of v/2(omega) in the wiping zone. Mixing distances in the wiping zone are multiplied in the unfolded metal. Inhomogeneities on a smaller scale than the mixing length are obliterated, but structure on a larger scale may be transmitted to the wake of a FSW weld.

Hydrologic response of catchments to precipitation: Quantification of mechanical carriers and origins of water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Y.-J.; Sudicky, E. A.; Brookfield, A. E.; Jones, J. P.

2011-12-01

Precipitation-induced overland and groundwater flow and mixing processes are quantified to analyze the temporal (event and pre-event water) and spatial (groundwater discharge and overland runoff) origins of water entering a stream. Using a distributed-parameter control volume finite-element simulator that can simultaneously solve the fully coupled partial differential equations describing 2-D Manning and 3-D Darcian flow and advective-dispersive transport, mechanical flow (driven by hydraulic potential) and tracer-based hydrograph separation (driven by dispersive mixing as well as mechanical flow) are simulated in response to precipitation events in two cross sections oriented parallel and perpendicular to a stream. The results indicate that as precipitation becomes more intense, the subsurface mechanical flow contributions tend to become less significant relative to the total pre-event stream discharge. Hydrodynamic mixing can play an important role in enhancing pre-event tracer signals in the stream. This implies that temporally tagged chemical signals introduced into surface-subsurface flow systems from precipitation may not be strong enough to detect the changes in the subsurface flow system. It is concluded that diffusive/dispersive mixing, capillary fringe groundwater ridging, and macropore flow can influence the temporal sources of water in the stream, but any sole mechanism may not fully explain the strong pre-event water discharge. Further investigations of the influence of heterogeneity, residence time, geomorphology, and root zone processes are required to confirm the conclusions of this study.

Hydrologic response of catchments to precipitation: Quantification of mechanical carriers and origins of water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Park, Y.-J.; Sudicky, E.A.; Brookfield, A.E.; Jones, J.P.

2011-01-01

Precipitation-induced overland and groundwater flow and mixing processes are quantified to analyze the temporal (event and pre-event water) and spatial (groundwater discharge and overland runoff) origins of water entering a stream. Using a distributed-parameter control volume finite-element simulator that can simultaneously solve the fully coupled partial differential equations describing 2-D Manning and 3-D Darcian flow and advective-dispersive transport, mechanical flow (driven by hydraulic potential) and tracer-based hydrograph separation (driven by dispersive mixing as well as mechanical flow) are simulated in response to precipitation events in two cross sections oriented parallel and perpendicular to a stream. The results indicate that as precipitation becomes more intense, the subsurface mechanical flow contributions tend to become less significant relative to the total pre-event stream discharge. Hydrodynamic mixing can play an important role in enhancing pre-event tracer signals in the stream. This implies that temporally tagged chemical signals introduced into surface-subsurface flow systems from precipitation may not be strong enough to detect the changes in the subsurface flow system. It is concluded that diffusive/dispersive mixing, capillary fringe groundwater ridging, and macropore flow can influence the temporal sources of water in the stream, but any sole mechanism may not fully explain the strong pre-event water discharge. Further investigations of the influence of heterogeneity, residence time, geomorphology, and root zone processes are required to confirm the conclusions of this study. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Can nanotechnology help advance glaciological research?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlke, H. E.; McNew, C.; Wang, C.; McLaughlin, S.; Kocis, T. N.

2017-12-01

In a rapidly changing cryosphere, identifying sources, pathways, and residence times of snow and glacier meltwater is critical to developing improved understanding of watershed-stream connections and hydrological/glaciological melt models. Traditionally, glaciologists have used a variety of tracers, including chloride, microparticles, and dyes, to identify the structure and morphology of subglacial drainage systems. However, minimum detection limits, tracer expense, and the ability of watersheds to retain a memory of past tracer inputs have restricted both the scale of tracer application and the repeated or simultaneous use of most known tracers, thus limiting our ability to study complex glacial systems. These shortcomings in hydrologic tracers can be overcome by utilizing a tracer that allows for the unique identification between spatial and temporal inputs while maintaining identical transport characteristics. Here, we present the use of DNA-labeled nanoparticles, developed for nano-medicine and drug delivery, as environmental tracers. The DNA-labeled particle tracers consist of short DNA strands encapsulated within biodegradable polymer microspheres, which allow for repeatable production of numerous uniquely labelled tracers of pre-determined size and physical transport properties. Each batch of tracers are independently quantifiable; even a single DNA molecule can be detected with cost-effective quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). We have tested our tracer technology in complex systems such as valley glaciers in Sweden and Alaska and in both laboratory and field studies of channel flow, overland flow, and flow in porous media; these proof-of-concept studies indicate that nanotechnology allows for powerful characterization, description, and, ultimately, prediction of flow pathways in glacial systems and the environment.

Soil processes drive seasonal variation in retention of 15N tracers in a deciduous forest catchment.

PubMed

Goodale, Christine L; Fredriksen, Guinevere; Weiss, Marissa S; McCalley, K; Sparks, Jed P; Thomas, Steven A

2015-10-01

Seasonal patterns of stream nitrate concentration have long been interpreted as demonstrating the central role of plant uptake in regulating stream nitrogen loss from forested catchments. Soil processes are rarely considered as important drivers of these patterns. We examined seasonal variation in N retention in a deciduous forest using three whole-ecosystem 15N tracer additions: in late April (post-snowmelt, pre-leaf-out), late July (mid-growing- season), and late October (end of leaf-fall). We expected that plant 15N uptake would peak in late spring and midsummer, that immobilization in surface litter and soil would peak the following autumn leaf-fall, and that leaching losses would vary inversely with 15N retention. Similar to most other 15N tracer studies, we found that litter and soils dominated ecosystem retention of added 15N. However, 15N recovery in detrital pools varied tremendously by season, with > 90% retention in spring and autumn and sharply reduced 15N retention in late summer. During spring, over half of the 15N retained in soil occurred within one day in the heavy (mineral-associated) soil fraction. During summer, a large decrease in 15N retention one week after addition coincided with increased losses of 15NO3- to soil leachate and seasonal increases in soil and stream NO3- concentrations, although leaching accounted for only a small fraction of the lost 15N (< 0.2%). Uptake of 15N into roots did not vary by season and accounted for < 4% of each tracer addition. Denitrification or other processes that lead to N gas loss may have consumed the rest. These measurements of 15N movement provide strong evidence for the dominant role of soil processes in regulating seasonal N retention and losses in this catchment and perhaps others with similar soils.

Experiments to Evaluate and Implement Passive Tracer Gas Methods to Measure Ventilation Rates in Homes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lunden, Melissa; Faulkner, David; Heredia, Elizabeth

2012-10-01

This report documents experiments performed in three homes to assess the methodology used to determine air exchange rates using passive tracer techniques. The experiments used four different tracer gases emitted simultaneously but implemented with different spatial coverage in the home. Two different tracer gas sampling methods were used. The results characterize the factors of the execution and analysis of the passive tracer technique that affect the uncertainty in the calculated air exchange rates. These factors include uncertainties in tracer gas emission rates, differences in measured concentrations for different tracer gases, temporal and spatial variability of the concentrations, the comparison betweenmore » different gas sampling methods, and the effect of different ventilation conditions.« less

A nutrient’s travel through time

EPA Science Inventory

Indicators of a stream’s ability to remove nutrients provide insights on watershed integrity and managers’ ability to restore ecosystem services based on specific characteristics of stream habitat. We used the Tracer Additon Spiraling Characterization Curve (TASCC) t...

A revised velocity-reversal and sediment-sorting model for a high-gradient, pool-riffle stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, D.M.; Wohl, E.E.; Jarrett, R.D.

1996-01-01

Sediment-sorting processes related to varying channel-bed morphology were investigated from April to November 1993 along a 1-km pool-riffle and step-pool reach of North Saint Vrain Creek, a small mountain stream in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado. Measured cross-sectional areas of flow were used to suggest higher velocities in pools than in riffles at high flow. Three hundred and sixteen tracer particles, ranging in size from 16 mm to 256 mm, were placed in two separate pool-riffle-pool sequences and used to assess sediment-sorting patterns and sediment-transport competence variations. Tracer-particle depositional evidence indicated higher sediment-transport competence in pools than in riffles at high flow. Pool-riffle sediment sorting may be created by velocity reversals, and more localized sorting results from gravitational forces along the upstream sloping portion of the channel bed located at the downstream end of pools.

The field campaigns of the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX). overview and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nodop, K.; Connolly, R.; Girardi, F.

As part of the European Tracer Experiment (ETEX) two successful atmospheric experiments were carried out in October and November, 1994. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracers were released into the atmosphere in Monterfil, Brittany, and air samples were taken at 168 stations in 17 European countries for 72 h after the release. Upper air tracer measurements were made from three aircraft. During the first experiment a westerly air flow transported the tracer plume north-eastwards across Europe. During the second release the flow was eastwards. The results from the ground sampling network allowed the determination of the cloud evolution as far as Sweden, Poland and Bulgaria. This demonstrated that the PFT technique can be successfully applied in long-range tracer experiments up to 2000 km. Typical background concentrations of the tracer used are around 5-7 fl ℓ -1 in ambient air. Concentrations in the plume ranged from 10 to above 200 fl/ℓ -1. The tracer release characteristics, the tracer concentrations at the ground and in upper air, the routine and additional meteorological observations at the ground level and in upper air, trajectories derived from constant-level balloons and the meteorological input fields for long-range transport models are assembled in the ETEX database. The ETEX database is accessible via the Internet. Here, an overview is given of the design of the experiment, the methods used and the data obtained.

Modeling E. coli Release And Transport In A Creek During Artificial High-Flow Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakirevich, A.; Pachepsky, Y. A.; Gish, T. J.; Cho, K.; Shelton, D. R.; Kuznetsov, M. Y.

2012-12-01

In-stream fate and transport of E. coli, is a leading indicator of microbial contamination of natural waters, and so needs to be understood to eventually minimize surface water contamination by microbial organisms. The objective of this work was to simulate E. coli release and transport from soil sediment in a creek bed both during and after high water flow events. The artificial high-water flow events were created by releasing 60-80 m3 of city water on a tarp-covered stream bank at a rate of 60 L/s in four equal allotments in July of 2008, 2009 and 2010. The small first-order creek used in this study is part of the Beaver Dam Creek Tributary and is located at the USDA Optimizing Production inputs for Economic and Environmental Enhancement (OPE3) research site, in Beltsville, Maryland. In 2009 and 2010 a conservative tracer difluorobenzoic acid (DFBA) was added to the released water. Specifically, water flow rates, E. coli and DFBA concentrations as well as water turbidity were monitored with automated samplers at the ends of the three in-stream weirs reaching a total length of 630 m. Sediment particle size distributions and the streambed E. coli concentrations were measured along a creek before and after experiment. The observed DFBA breakthrough curves (BTCs) exhibited long tails after the water pulse and tracer peaks indicating that transient storage might be an important element of the in-stream transport process. Turbidity and E. coli BTCs also exhibited long tails indicative of transient storage and low rates of settling caused by re-entrainment. Typically, turbidity peaked prior to E. coli and returned to lower base-line levels more rapidly. A one-dimensional model was applied to simulate water flow, E. coli and DFBA transport during these experiments. The Saint-Venant equations were used to calculate water depth and discharge while a stream solute transport model accounted for advection-dispersion, lateral inflow/outflow, exchange with the transient storage, and resuspension of bacteria by shear stress from stream bottom sediments. Reach-specific model parameters were estimated by using observed time series of flow rates and concentrations at three weir stations. Transient storage and dispersion parameters were obtained with DFBA BTCs, then critical shear stress and resuspension rate were assessed by fitting computed E. coli BTCs to observations. To obtain a good model fit for E. coli, we generally had to make the transient storage for E. coli larger than for DFBA. Comparison of simulated and measured E. coli concentrations indicated that significant resuspension of E. coli continued when water flow returned to the base level after the water pulse passed and bottom shear stress was small. The hypothetical mechanism of this extended release could be the enhanced boundary layer (water-streambed) exchange due to changes in biofilm properties by erosion and sloughing detachment.

Hydrometric, Hydrochemical, and Hydrogeophysical Runoff Characterization Across Multiple Land Covers in the Agua Salud Project, Panama

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Litt, Guy Finley

As the Panama Canal Authority faces sensitivity to water shortages, managing water resources becomes crucial for the global shipping industry's security. These studies address knowledge gaps in tropical water resources to aid hydrological model development and validation. Field-based hydrological investigations in the Agua Salud Project within the Panama Canal Watershed employed multiple tools across a variety of land covers to investigate hydrological processes. Geochemical tracers informed where storm runoff in a stream comes from and identified electrical conductivity (EC) as an economical, high sample frequency tracer during small storms. EC-based hydrograph separation coupled with hydrograph recession rate analyses identified shallow and deep groundwater storage-discharge relationships that varied by season and land cover. A series of plot-scale electrical resistivity imaging geophysical experiments coupled with rainfall simulation characterized subsurface flow pathway behavior and quantified respectively increasing infiltration rates across pasture, 10 year old secondary succession forest, teak (tectona grandis), and 30 year old secondary succession forest land covers. Additional soil water, groundwater, and geochemical studies informed conceptual model development in subsurface flow pathways and groundwater, and identified future research needs.

Asian Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project: Draft Field Work Plan for the Asian Long-Range Tracer Experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Allwine, K Jerry; Flaherty, Julia E.

2007-08-01

This report provides an experimental plan for a proposed Asian long-range tracer study as part of the international Tracer Experiment and Atmospheric Modeling (TEAM) Project. The TEAM partners are China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. Optimal times of year to conduct the study, meteorological measurements needed, proposed tracer release locations, proposed tracer sampling locations and the proposed durations of tracer releases and subsequent sampling are given. Also given are the activities necessary to prepare for the study and the schedule for completing the preparation activities leading to conducting the actual field operations. This report is intended to providemore » the TEAM members with the information necessary for planning and conducting the Asian long-range tracer study. The experimental plan is proposed, at this time, to describe the efforts necessary to conduct the Asian long-range tracer study, and the plan will undoubtedly be revised and refined as the planning goes forward over the next year.« less

Edgeworth streaming model for redshift space distortions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uhlemann, Cora; Kopp, Michael; Haugg, Thomas

2015-09-01

We derive the Edgeworth streaming model (ESM) for the redshift space correlation function starting from an arbitrary distribution function for biased tracers of dark matter by considering its two-point statistics and show that it reduces to the Gaussian streaming model (GSM) when neglecting non-Gaussianities. We test the accuracy of the GSM and ESM independent of perturbation theory using the Horizon Run 2 N -body halo catalog. While the monopole of the redshift space halo correlation function is well described by the GSM, higher multipoles improve upon including the leading order non-Gaussian correction in the ESM: the GSM quadrupole breaks down on scales below 30 Mpc /h whereas the ESM stays accurate to 2% within statistical errors down to 10 Mpc /h . To predict the scale-dependent functions entering the streaming model we employ convolution Lagrangian perturbation theory (CLPT) based on the dust model and local Lagrangian bias. Since dark matter halos carry an intrinsic length scale given by their Lagrangian radius, we extend CLPT to the coarse-grained dust model and consider two different smoothing approaches operating in Eulerian and Lagrangian space, respectively. The coarse graining in Eulerian space features modified fluid dynamics different from dust while the coarse graining in Lagrangian space is performed in the initial conditions with subsequent single-streaming dust dynamics, implemented by smoothing the initial power spectrum in the spirit of the truncated Zel'dovich approximation. Finally, we compare the predictions of the different coarse-grained models for the streaming model ingredients to N -body measurements and comment on the proper choice of both the tracer distribution function and the smoothing scale. Since the perturbative methods we considered are not yet accurate enough on small scales, the GSM is sufficient when applied to perturbation theory.

Coupled Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Solute Transport, Metabolism and Nutrient Uptake in Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurz, M. J.; Schmidt, C.

2017-12-01

Slower flow velocities and longer residence times within stream transient storage (TS) zones facilitate interaction between solutes and microbial communities, potentially increasing local rates of metabolic activity. Multiple factors, including channel morphology and substrate, variable hydrology, and seasonal changes in biological and physical parameters, result in changes in the solute transport dynamics and reactivity of TS zones over time and space. These changes would be expected to, in turn, influence rates of whole-stream ecosystem functions such as metabolism and nutrient uptake. However, the linkages between solute transport and ecosystem functioning within TS zones, and the contribution of TS zones to whole-stream functioning, are not always so straight forward. This may be due, in part, to methodological challenges. In this study we investigated the influence of stream channel hydro-morphology and substrate type on reach (103 m) and sub-reach (102 m) scale TS and ecosystem functioning. Patterns in solute transport, metabolism and nitrate uptake were tracked from April through October in two contrasting upland streams using several methods. The two streams, located in the Harz Mountains, Germany, are characterized by differing size (0.02 vs. 0.3 m3/s), dominant stream channel substrate (bedrock vs. alluvium) and sub-reach morphology (predominance of pools, riffles and glides). Solute transport parameters and respiration rates at the reach and sub-reach scale were estimated monthly from coupled pulse injections of the reactive tracer resazurin (Raz) and conservative tracers uranine and salt. Raz, a weakly fluorescent dye, irreversibly transforms to resorufin (Rru) under mildly reducing conditions, providing a proxy for aerobic respiration. Daily rates of primary productivity, respiration and nitrate retention at the reach scale were estimated using the diel cycles in dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations measured by in-situ sensors. Preliminary results indicate distinct differences in common metrics of TS and Raz transformation rates within and between the two streams. However, transformation rates and TS metrics are not well correlated, indicating complexities in the relationship between solute transport dynamics and metabolism in streams.

Attrition of Tyee Formation Sandstone in a Natural Fluvial System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

brandes, J. B.; Sanfilippo, J. D.; Lancaster, S. T.

2013-12-01

The data from this study will provide a rate of attrition with respect to change in volume, time and distance in a natural stream setting. Sandstone gravel attrition has been observed in previous studies with the use of rock tumblers, but measurements in natural systems are rare or absent. This study will use rocks with implanted passive integrated transponders (PIT) tags to track sediment movement. The study area is a natural mountain stream of approximately 4m width and 1m depth. This study is part of larger study of sediment transport. The rock volumes will be recorded prior to placement in an active channel using water displacement, the specific location along the channel will be recorded, and each tracer rock will be tracked using its individual radio frequency identification (RFID) number. Tracer rock deployment will occur before the annual high-water season. After one rainy season, the rocks will be located and removed from the stream using a radio frequency mobile radio frequency tracker. Their travel distances will be recorded and final volumes determined. Differences between initial and final volumes and travel distances will yield a distribution of attrition rates and, therefore, a mean gravel attrition rate.

Interpreting tracer breakthrough tailing from different forced-gradient tracer experiment configurations in fractured bedrock

USGS Publications Warehouse

Becker, M.W.; Shapiro, A.M.

2003-01-01

Conceptual and mathematical models are presented that explain tracer breakthrough tailing in the absence of significant matrix diffusion. Model predictions are compared to field results from radially convergent, weak-dipole, and push-pull tracer experiments conducted in a saturated crystalline bedrock. The models are based upon the assumption that flow is highly channelized, that the mass of tracer in a channel is proportional to the cube of the mean channel aperture, and the mean transport time in the channel is related to the square of the mean channel aperture. These models predict the consistent -2 straight line power law slope observed in breakthrough from radially convergent and weak-dipole tracer experiments and the variable straight line power law slope observed in push-pull tracer experiments with varying injection volumes. The power law breakthrough slope is predicted in the absence of matrix diffusion. A comparison of tracer experiments in which the flow field was reversed to those in which it was not indicates that the apparent dispersion in the breakthrough curve is partially reversible. We hypothesize that the observed breakthrough tailing is due to a combination of local hydrodynamic dispersion, which always increases in the direction of fluid velocity, and heterogeneous advection, which is partially reversed when the flow field is reversed. In spite of our attempt to account for heterogeneous advection using a multipath approach, a much smaller estimate of hydrodynamic dispersivity was obtained from push-pull experiments than from radially convergent or weak dipole experiments. These results suggest that although we can explain breakthrough tailing as an advective phenomenon, we cannot ignore the relationship between hydrodynamic dispersion and flow field geometry at this site. The design of the tracer experiment can severely impact the estimation of hydrodynamic dispersion and matrix diffusion in highly heterogeneous geologic media.

Nutrient dynamics across a dissolved organic carbon and burn gradient in central Siberia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez-Cardona, B.; Coble, A. A.; Prokishkin, A. S.; Kolosov, R.; Spencer, R. G.; Wymore, A.; McDowell, W. H.

2016-12-01

In stream ecosystems, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (N) processing are tightly linked. In temperate streams, greater DOC concentrations and higher DOC:NO3- ratios promote the greatest nitrate (NO3-) uptake. However, less is known about this relationship in other biomes including the arctic which is undergoing changes due to climate change contributing to thawing of permafrost and alterations in biogeochemical cycles in soils and streams. Headwater streams draining into the N. Tunguska River in the central Siberian plateau are affected by forest fires but little is known about the aquatic biogeochemical implications in both a thawing and burning landscape. There are clear patterns between carbon concentration and fire history where generally DOC concentration in streams decrease after fires and older burn sites have shown greater DOC concentrations and more bioavailable DOC that could promote greater heterotrophic uptake of NO3-. However, the relationship between nutrient dynamics, organic matter composition, and fire history in streams is not very clear. In order to assess the influence of organic matter composition and DOC concentration on nutrient uptake in arctic streams, we conducted a series of short-term nutrient addition experiments following the tracer addition for spiraling curve characterization (TASCC) method, consisting of NO3- and NH4++PO43- additions, across 4 streams that comprise a fire gradient that spans 3- >100 years since the last burn with DOC concentrations ranging between 12-23 mg C/L. We hypothesized that nutrient uptake would be greatest in older burn sites due to greater DOC concentrations and availability. We will specifically examine how nutrient uptake relates to DOC concentration and OM composition (analyzed via FTICR-MS) across the burn gradient. Across the four sites DOC concentration and DOC:NO3- ratios decreased from old burn sites to recently burned sites. Results presented here can elucidate on the potential impacts of permafrost thawing and forest fires on nutrient dynamics in arctic streams.

True Airspeed Measurement by Ionization-Tracer Technique

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyd, B.; Dorsch, R. G.; Brodie, G. H.

1952-01-01

Ion bundles produced in a pulse-excited corona discharge are used as tracers with a radar-like pulse transit-time measuring instrument in order to provide a measurement of airspeed that is independent of all variables except time and distance. The resulting instrumentation need not project into the air stream and, therefore, will not cause any interference in supersonic flow. The instrument was tested at Mach numbers ranging from 0.3 to 3.8. Use of the proper instrumentation and technique results in accuracy of the order of 1 percent.

Low-pass filtered continuum streambed and bedload sediment mass balance laws for an alluvial, gravel-bed stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeTemple, B.; Wilcock, P.

2011-12-01

In an alluvial, gravel-bed stream governed by a plane-bed bedload transport regime, the physicochemical properties, size distribution, and granular architecture of the sediment grains that constitute the streambed surface influence many hydrodynamic, geomorphic, chemical, and ecological processes. Consequently, the abilities to accurately characterize the morphology and model the morphodynamics of the streambed surface and its interaction with the bedload above and subsurface below are necessary for a more complete understanding of how sediment, flow, organisms, and biogeochemistry interact. We report on our progress in the bottom-up development of low-pass filtered continuum streambed and bedload sediment mass balance laws for an alluvial, gravel-bed stream. These balance laws are assembled in a four stage process. First, the stream sediment-water system is conceptually abstracted as a nested, multi-phase, multi-species, structured continuum. Second, the granular surface of an aggregate of sediment grains is mathematically defined. Third, an integral approach to mass balance, founded in the continuum theory of multiphase flow, is used to formulate primordial, differential, instantaneous, local, continuum, mass balance laws applicable at any material point within a gravel-bed stream. Fourth, area averaging and time-after-area averaging, employing planform, low-pass filtering expressed as correlation or convolution integrals and based on the spatial and temporal filtering techniques found in the fields of multiphase flow, porous media flow, and large eddy simulation of turbulent fluid flow, are applied to smooth the primordial equations while maximizing stratigraphic resolution and preserving the definitions of relevant morphodynamic surfaces. Our approach unifies, corrects, contextualizes, and generalizes prior efforts at developing stream sediment continuity equations, including the top-down derivations of the surface layer (or "active layer") approach of Hirano [1971a,b] and probabilistic approach of Parker et al. [2000], as well as the bottom-up, low-pass filtered continuum approach of Coleman & Nikora [2009] which employed volume and volume-after-time averaging. It accommodates partial transport (e.g., Wilcock & McArdell [1997], Wilcock [1997a,b]). Additionally, it provides: (1) precise definitions of the geometry and kinematics of sediment in a gravel-bed stream required to collect and analyze the high resolution spatial and temporal datasets that are becoming ever more present in both laboratory and field investigations, (2) a mathematical framework for the use of tracer grains in gravel-bed streams, including the fate of streambed-emplaced tracers as well as the dispersion of tracers in the bedload, (3) spatial and temporal averaging uncompromised by the Reynolds rules necessary to assess the nature of scale separation, and (4) a kinematic foundation for hybrid Langrangian-Eulerian models of sediment morphodynamics.

Environmental tracers as indicators of karst conduits in groundwater in South Dakota, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, Andrew J.; Sawyer, J.F.; Putnam, L.D.

2008-01-01

Environmental tracers sampled from the carbonate Madison aquifer on the eastern flank of the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA indicated the approximate locations of four major karst conduits. Contamination issues are a major concern because these conduits are characterized by direct connections to sinking streams, high groundwater velocities, and proximity to public water supplies. Objectives of the study were to estimate approximate conduit locations and assess possible anthropogenic influences associated with conduits. Anomalies of young groundwater based on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), tritium, and electrical conductivity (EC) indicated fast moving, focused flow and thus the likely presence of conduits. ??18O was useful for determining sources of recharge for each conduit, and nitrate was a useful tracer for assessing flow paths for anthropogenic influences. Two of the four conduits terminate at or near a large spring complex. CFC apparent ages ranged from 15 years near conduits to >50 years in other areas. Nitrate-N concentrations >0.4 mg/L in groundwater were associated with each of the four conduits compared with concentrations ranging from <0.1 to 0.4 mg/L in other areas. These higher nitrate-N concentrations probably do not result from sinking streams but rather from other areas of infiltration. ?? Springer-Verlag 2007.

Time-of-travel and reaeration data for seven small streams in Alabama, June 1983 to August 1984

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gardner, R.A.

1986-01-01

Time-of-travel and reaeration data were collected between June 1983 and August 1984 for seven small streams in Alabama. Rhodamine WT was used as a tracer for all the studies and propane was used in the reaeration studies. Mean velocities through the study reaches ranged from 0.06 to 0.67 ft/sec. Computed reaeration coefficients, corrected to 20 C, ranged from 1.7 to 45.8 days-1. (USGS)

Sediment routing through channel confluences: RFID tracer experiments from a gravel-bed river headwaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imhoff, K.; Wilcox, A. C.

2014-12-01

Tributary confluences may significantly impact large-scale patterns of sediment transport because of their role in connecting individual streams in a network. These unique locations feature complex flow structures and geomorphic features, and may represent ecological hotspots. Sediment transport across confluences is poorly understood, however. We present research on coarse sediment transport and dispersion through confluences using sediment tracers in the East Fork Bitterroot River, Montana, USA. We tagged a range of gravel (>40 mm) and cobble particles with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and painted smaller (10-40 mm) gravels, and then we traced them through confluences in a montane river's headwaters. We measured the effects of confluences on dispersion, path length, and depositional location and compare properties of sediment routing with a non-confluence control reach. We also measured topographic change through repeat bed surveys and combined topography, hydraulics, and tracer measurements to calculate basal shear and critical Shields stresses for different grain sizes. Field observations suggest that tagged particles in confluences routed along flanks of scour holes in confluences, with sediment depositing further downstream along bank-lateral bars than within the channel thalweg. Travel distances of RFID-tagged particles ranged up to 35 meters from original seeding points, with initial recovery rates of RFID-tagged tracers ranging between 84-89%. In both confluence and control reaches only partial mobility was observed within the entire tracer population, suggesting a hiding effect imposed by the roughness of the bed. Particles seeded in the channel thalweg experienced further travel distances than those seeded towards the banks and on bars. Differences in dispersion between confluence and control reaches are implied by field observation. This study quantified patterns of sediment routing within confluences and provided insight to the importance of confluences in large-scale sediment transport through gravel-bed rivers.

Multiple injected and natural conservative tracers quantify mixing in a stream confluence affected by acid mine drainage near Silverton, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schemel, Laurence E.; Cox, Marisa H.; Runkel, Robert L.; Kimball, Briant A.

2006-08-01

The acidic discharge from Cement Creek, containing elevated concentrations of dissolved metals and sulphate, mixed with the circumneutral-pH Animas River over a several hundred metre reach (mixing zone) near Silverton, CO, during this study. Differences in concentrations of Ca, Mg, Si, Sr, and SO42- between the creek and the river were sufficiently large for these analytes to be used as natural tracers in the mixing zone. In addition, a sodium chloride (NaCl) tracer was injected into Cement Creek, which provided a Cl- reference tracer in the mixing zone. Conservative transport of the dissolved metals and sulphate through the mixing zone was verified by mass balances and by linear mixing plots relative to the injected reference tracer. At each of seven sites in the mixing zone, five samples were collected at evenly spaced increments of the observed across-channel gradients, as determined by specific conductance. This created sets of samples that adequately covered the ranges of mixtures (mixing ratios, in terms of the fraction of Animas River water, %AR). Concentratis measured in each mixing zone sample and in the upstream Animas River and Cement Creek were used to compute %AR for the reference and natural tracers. Values of %AR from natural tracers generally showed good agreement with values from the reference tracer, but variability in discharge and end-member concentrations and analytical errors contributed to unexpected outlier values for both injected and natural tracers. The median value (MV) %AR (calculated from all of the tracers) reduced scatter in the mixing plots for the dissolved metals, indicating that the MV estimate reduced the effects of various potential errors that could affect any tracer.

Labile Dissolved Organic Carbon Availability Controls Hyporheic Denitrification: a 15N Tracer Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarnetske, J. P.; Haggerty, R.; Wondzell, S. M.; Baker, M. A.

2009-12-01

We used an in situ 15N-labeled nitrate (15NO3-) and acetate injection experiment to determine how the availability of labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as acetate influences microbial denitrification in the hyporheic zone (HZ) of an upland (3rd-order) agricultural stream. A 48 h steady-state injection of a conservative tracer, chloride, and 15NO3- was used to quantify ambient HZ denitrification via 15N2 production. Following ambient plateau measurements of denitrification during the first 24 h, a second conservative tracer, bromide, and labile DOC source, acetate, were co-injected for an additional 24 h to measure HZ denitrification under increased DOC supply. Conservative tracers were observed at 4 of the 6 down gradient wells. Receiving wells represented HZ median residence times of 7.0 to 13.1 h, nominal flowpath lengths of 0.7 to 3.7 m, and hypoxic conditions (7.5 to 9.3 mg-O2 L-1 deficit). All 4 receiving wells demonstrated 15N2 production during ambient conditions indicating that the HZ was an active denitrification environment. Acetate addition stimulated significant increases in 15N2 production by factors of 2.7 to 26.1 in all receiving wells, and significant decreases of NO3- and DOC aromaticity (via SUVA254) in the two wells most hydrologically connected to the injection. In all receiving wells, increases of bromide and 15N2 production occurred without concurrent increases in acetate indicating that 100% of acetate was retained in the HZ, a portion of which is due to biological consumption. These results support our hypothesis that microbial denitrification in anaerobic portions of the hyporheic zone is limited by labile DOC supply.

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 12. Geochemical and reactive-transport modeling based on tracer injection-synoptic sampling studies for the Red River, New Mexico, 2001-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ball, James W.; Runkel, Robert L.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk

2005-01-01

Reactive-transport processes in the Red River, downstream from the town of Red River in north-central New Mexico, were simulated using the OTEQ reactive-transport model. The simulations were calibrated using physical and chemical data from synoptic studies conducted during low-flow conditions in August 2001 and during March/April 2002. Discharge over the 20-km reach from the town of Red River to the USGS streamflow-gaging station near the town of Questa ranged from 395 to 1,180 L/s during the 2001 tracer and from 234 to 421 L/s during the 2002 tracer. The pH of the Red River ranged from 7.4 to 8.5 during the 2001 tracer and from 7.1 to 8.7 during the 2002 tracer, and seep and tributary samples had pH values of 2.8 to 9.0 during the 2001 tracer and 3.8 to 7.2 during the 2002 tracer. Mass-loading calculations allowed identification of several specific locations where elevated concentrations of potential contaminants entered the Red River . These locations, characterized by features on the north side of the Red River that are known to be sources of low-pH water containing elevated metal and sulfate concentrations, are: the initial 2.4 km of the study reach, including Bitter Creek, the stream section from 6.2 to 7.8 km, encompassing La Bobita well and the Hansen debris fan, Sulphur Gulch, at about 10.5 km, the area near Portal Springs, from 12.2 to 12.6 km, and the largest contributors of mass loading, the 13.7 to 13.9 km stream section near Cabin Springs and the 14.7 to 17.5 km stream section from Shaft Spring to Thunder Bridge, Goathill Gulch, and Capulin Canyon. Speciation and saturation index calculations indicated that although solubility limits the concentration of aluminum above pH 5.0, at pH values above 7 and aluminum concentrations below 0.3 mg/L inorganic speciation and mineral solubility controls no longer dominate and aluminum-organic complexing may occur. The August 2001 reactive-transport simulations included dissolved iron(II) oxidation, constrained using measured concentrations of dissolved iron(II) and dissolved iron(total). Both simulations included precipitation of amorphous Al(OH)3 and hydrous ferric oxide as Fe(OH)3, and sorption of copper and zinc to the precipitated hydrous ferric oxide. Simulations revealed that hydrogen, iron, aluminum, copper, and zinc were non-conservative and that mineral precipitation can account for iron and aluminum concentrations. Copper and zinc concentrations can be accounted for by simulating their sorption to hydrous ferric oxide forming in the water column of the Red River , although hydrous manganese oxides also may be important sorption substrates.

Simultaneous Analyses and Applications of Multiple Fluorobenzoate and Halide Tracers in Hydrologic Studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hu, Q; Moran, J E

2004-01-22

An analytical method that employs ion chromatography has been developed to more fully exploit the use of fluorobenzoic acids (FBAs) and halides as hydrologic tracers. In a single run, this reliable, sensitive, and robust method can simultaneously separate and quantify halides (fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide) and up to seven FBAs from other common groundwater constituents (e.g., nitrate and sulfate). The usefulness of this ion chromatographic (IC) analytical method is demonstrated in both field and laboratory tracer experiments. Field experiments in unsaturated tuff featuring fractures or a fault show that this efficient and cost-effective method helps achieve the objectives ofmore » tracer studies that use multiple FBAs and/or diffusivity tracers (simultaneous use of one or more FBA and halide). The field study examines the hydrologic response of fractures and the matrix to different flow rates and the contribution of matrix diffusion in chemical transport. Laboratory tracer experiments with eight geologic media from across the United States--mostly from Department of Energy facilities where groundwater contamination is prevalent and where subsurface characterization employing tracers has been ongoing or is in need--reveal several insights about tracer transport behavior: (1) Bromide and FBAs are not always transported conservatively. (2) The delayed transport of these anionic tracers is likely related to geologic media characteristics, such as organic matter, pH, iron oxide content, and clay mineralogy. (3) Any use of iodine as a hydrologic tracer should take into account the different sorption behaviors of iodide and iodate and the possible conversion of iodine's initial chemical form. (4) The transport behavior of potential FBA and halide tracers under relevant geochemical conditions should be evaluated before beginning ambitious, large-scale field tracer experiments.« less

Optimal tracers for parallel labeling experiments and 13C metabolic flux analysis: A new precision and synergy scoring system.

PubMed

Crown, Scott B; Long, Christopher P; Antoniewicz, Maciek R

2016-11-01

13 C-Metabolic flux analysis ( 13 C-MFA) is a widely used approach in metabolic engineering for quantifying intracellular metabolic fluxes. The precision of fluxes determined by 13 C-MFA depends largely on the choice of isotopic tracers and the specific set of labeling measurements. A recent advance in the field is the use of parallel labeling experiments for improved flux precision and accuracy. However, as of today, no systemic methods exist for identifying optimal tracers for parallel labeling experiments. In this contribution, we have addressed this problem by introducing a new scoring system and evaluating thousands of different isotopic tracer schemes. Based on this extensive analysis we have identified optimal tracers for 13 C-MFA. The best single tracers were doubly 13 C-labeled glucose tracers, including [1,6- 13 C]glucose, [5,6- 13 C]glucose and [1,2- 13 C]glucose, which consistently produced the highest flux precision independent of the metabolic flux map (here, 100 random flux maps were evaluated). Moreover, we demonstrate that pure glucose tracers perform better overall than mixtures of glucose tracers. For parallel labeling experiments the optimal isotopic tracers were [1,6- 13 C]glucose and [1,2- 13 C]glucose. Combined analysis of [1,6- 13 C]glucose and [1,2- 13 C]glucose labeling data improved the flux precision score by nearly 20-fold compared to widely use tracer mixture 80% [1- 13 C]glucose +20% [U- 13 C]glucose. Copyright © 2016 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of two-phase flow regimes in horizontal tubes using 81mKr tracer experiments.

PubMed

Oriol, Jean; Leclerc, Jean Pierre; Berne, Philippe; Gousseau, Georges; Jallut, Christian; Tochon, Patrice; Clement, Patrice

2008-10-01

The diagnosis of heat exchangers on duty with respect to flow mal-distributions needs the development of non-intrusive inlet-outlet experimental techniques in order to perform an online fault diagnosis. Tracer experiments are an example of such techniques. They can be applied to mono-phase heat exchangers but also to multi-phase ones. In this case, the tracer experiments are more difficult to perform. In order to check for the capabilities of tracer experiments to be used for the flow mal-distribution diagnosis in the case of multi-phase heat exchangers, we present here a preliminary study on the simplest possible system: two-phase flows in a horizontal tube. (81m)Kr is used as gas tracer and properly collimated NaI (TI) crystal scintillators as detectors. The specific shape of the tracer response allows two-phase flow regimes to be characterized. Signal analysis allows the estimation of the gas phase real average velocity and consequently of the liquid phase real average velocity as well as of the volumetric void fraction. These results are compared successfully to those obtained with liquid phase tracer experiments previously presented by Oriol et al. 2007. Characterization of the two-phase flow regimes and liquid dispersion in horizontal and vertical tubes using coloured tracer and no intrusive optical detector. Chem. Eng. Sci. 63(1), 24-34, as well as to those given by correlations from literature.

Geochemistry of manganese, iron, uranium, lead-210 and major ions in the Susquehanna River

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lewis, D.M.

1976-01-01

The change in water composition accompanying a change in discharge of large streams and the Susquehanna River results from the change in the proportions of the total flow composed of type waters of constant composition. This change in the flow proportions is due to the different hydrologic responses to precipitation inputs of basins underlain by different single rock types. The in-river precipitation of mine-drainage-injected Mn and Fe was studied at a pH of approximately 7. For Mn the removal from solution appears to be first order. The rate constant is 10/sup 3/ times greater than the extrapolated autocatalytic rate constantmore » of previous laboratory experiments. The study of the removal of Fe from solution yields a first order rate constant consistent with previous laboratory experiments. Lead-210 was used as a natural tracer to study the fate of trace metals.« less

A software tool to assess uncertainty in transient-storage model parameters using Monte Carlo simulations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, Adam S.; Kelleher, Christa A.; Mason, Seth J. K.; Wagener, Thorsten; McIntyre, Neil; McGlynn, Brian L.; Runkel, Robert L.; Payn, Robert A.

2017-01-01

Researchers and practitioners alike often need to understand and characterize how water and solutes move through a stream in terms of the relative importance of in-stream and near-stream storage and transport processes. In-channel and subsurface storage processes are highly variable in space and time and difficult to measure. Storage estimates are commonly obtained using transient-storage models (TSMs) of the experimentally obtained solute-tracer test data. The TSM equations represent key transport and storage processes with a suite of numerical parameters. Parameter values are estimated via inverse modeling, in which parameter values are iteratively changed until model simulations closely match observed solute-tracer data. Several investigators have shown that TSM parameter estimates can be highly uncertain. When this is the case, parameter values cannot be used reliably to interpret stream-reach functioning. However, authors of most TSM studies do not evaluate or report parameter certainty. Here, we present a software tool linked to the One-dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS) model that enables researchers to conduct uncertainty analyses via Monte-Carlo parameter sampling and to visualize uncertainty and sensitivity results. We demonstrate application of our tool to 2 case studies and compare our results to output obtained from more traditional implementation of the OTIS model. We conclude by suggesting best practices for transient-storage modeling and recommend that future applications of TSMs include assessments of parameter certainty to support comparisons and more reliable interpretations of transport processes.

Using Heat as a Tracer to Estimate Streambed Water Exchanges beneath the Losing Disconnected Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Yung-Chia; Lee, Tsung-Yu; Hsu, Shao-Yu; Liao, Lin-Yan

2017-04-01

Streambed water exchanges is the movement of water from a river into the beneath sediments and then back into the river. This interaction between river and streambed is considered as a fundamental role in the functioning of riparian ecosystems. Chichiawan Watershed located in central Taiwan is the only habitat for the endangered species of formosan land-locked salmon and such dynamics of downwelling/upwelling flow within the streambed can affect the survival of salmon. In order to investigate the interaction between river and streambed, heat is used as an environmental tracer to determine the water exchanges within the streambed and estimate the hydraulic conductivity of sediments. The detailed hydrographs, thermographs, and vertical temperature profiles obtained along the Yusheng Creek, a tributary at the upstream of Chichiawan Creek, were presented and used to estimate the streambed water exchanges. Results showed that the Yusheng Creek along the monitoring section is a losing stream and its downwelling flux increases from up- to down-stream. Partial monitoring sections changed from perennial to intermittence when the consecutive dry days over a period of time increase significantly and an unsaturated zone between the creek and the groundwater existed. According to the measured temperature and water level data, the numerical model of VS2DH was used to quantify the vertical fluxes and hydraulic conductivities of streamed. The potential mechanisms causing the creek transited from perennial to intermittence and becoming a losing disconnected system need further study.

Interactions between Channel Morphology and the Propagation of Coarse Sediment Augmentations Downstream from Dams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaeuman, D. A.; Dickenson, S.; Pyles, M.

2009-12-01

Gravel augmentations are being implemented in a number of streams where natural recruitment of gravel is impeded by dams. Uncertainties relevant to the management of gravel augmentations include the quantities of gravel needed to achieve habitat benefits at downstream locations and the temporal and spatial scales over which those benefits that will be realized. The solution to such questions depends to a large extent on how gravel slugs evolve as the material is transported downstream, i.e., whether the gravel translates downstream as a coherent wave or whether it tends to disperse. A number of recent studies conducted in laboratory flumes or by numerical simulation that gravels slugs tend to disperse rather than translate. However, these studies do not consider the influence of channel morphology on slug behavior. Initial monitoring results based from 2 California streams suggest that natural channel morphology suppresses slug dispersion because the gravel tends to accumulate in discrete deposition zones. Field mapping and about 200 tracer stones implanted with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags show that gravel recruitment piles of about 80 tons each placed in Grass Valley Creek in 2007 and 2008 were deposited as 2 new bars immediately downstream. The more upstream of the 2 bars formed during the 2007 winter and spring flood season, whereas the more downstream bar did not appear until the following year. A sharp deposition front and an absence of tracers in the reaches downstream strongly suggest that none of the added gravel was transported downstream beyond the area of bar formation in either year. A relatively small proportion of the mobilized tracer particles (59%) were located following the 2007 flood season, probably due to deep burial in the newly deposited bar and to radio interference caused by the high concentration of tracers in a small area. The proportion of newly introduced or previously-located tracers that were relocated in 2009 was considerably higher (88%), suggesting that average burial depths decrease as the deposition front moves downstream. In addition, about one quarter of the tracers that were missing in 2008 were recovered in 2009, indicating that some of the particles buried during the first flood season were exhumed the following year. Changes in bed topography downstream from a gravel augmentation in the Trinity River provide additional evidence that the presence of discrete deposition zones in stream channels tends to suppress gravel dispersion. Repeat bathymetric surveys conducted in the Trinity River before and after placement of 1000 tons of gravel during a 2008 high-flow event show that a quantity of gravel equivalent to the augmentation volume was deposited on the first bar downstream from the augmentation point.

Prediction uncertainty and data worth assessment for groundwater transport times in an agricultural catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zell, Wesley O.; Culver, Teresa B.; Sanford, Ward E.

2018-06-01

Uncertainties about the age of base-flow discharge can have serious implications for the management of degraded environmental systems where subsurface pathways, and the ongoing release of pollutants that accumulated in the subsurface during past decades, dominate the water quality signal. Numerical groundwater models may be used to estimate groundwater return times and base-flow ages and thus predict the time required for stakeholders to see the results of improved agricultural management practices. However, the uncertainty inherent in the relationship between (i) the observations of atmospherically-derived tracers that are required to calibrate such models and (ii) the predictions of system age that the observations inform have not been investigated. For example, few if any studies have assessed the uncertainty of numerically-simulated system ages or evaluated the uncertainty reductions that may result from the expense of collecting additional subsurface tracer data. In this study we combine numerical flow and transport modeling of atmospherically-derived tracers with prediction uncertainty methods to accomplish four objectives. First, we show the relative importance of head, discharge, and tracer information for characterizing response times in a uniquely data rich catchment that includes 266 age-tracer measurements (SF6, CFCs, and 3H) in addition to long term monitoring of water levels and stream discharge. Second, we calculate uncertainty intervals for model-simulated base-flow ages using both linear and non-linear methods, and find that the prediction sensitivity vector used by linear first-order second-moment methods results in much larger uncertainties than non-linear Monte Carlo methods operating on the same parameter uncertainty. Third, by combining prediction uncertainty analysis with multiple models of the system, we show that data-worth calculations and monitoring network design are sensitive to variations in the amount of water leaving the system via stream discharge and irrigation withdrawals. Finally, we demonstrate a novel model-averaged computation of potential data worth that can account for these uncertainties in model structure.

Do diatoms percolate through soil and can they be used for tracing the origin of runoff?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Graaf, Lenka; Cammeraat, Erik; Pfister, Laurent; Wetzel, Carlos; Klaus, Julian; Hissler, Christophe

2015-04-01

Tracers are widely used to study the movement of water in a catchment. Because of depletion of scientific possibilities with most common tracer types, we proposed the use of diatoms as a natural tracer. Paradoxical results on the contribution of surface runoff to the storm hydrograph were obtained in pioneer research on this idea. Diatom transport via the subsurface flow to the stream would explain this paradox. Prerequisite for this is vertical transport of diatoms through soils, which is the topic of this study. Emphasis is on percolation behavior (speed of percolation, speed of percolation over time, and species distribution) of Pseudostaurosira sp. and Melosira sp. (Bacillariophyceae) through undisturbed soil columns of contrasting substrates. Co-objective is to study the flowpaths of water through the soil columns. Natural undisturbed soil columns were sampled in the Attert basin (Luxembourg) on schist, marl and sandstone substrates. Rain simulation experiments were performed to study vertical diatom transport. Rhodamine dye experiments were carried out to gain insight in the active flowpaths of water, and breakthrough experiments were performed to study the responses of the soil columns to applied water. Diatoms were transported through the soil columns of the three substrates. A vast majority of diatom percolation took place within the first 15 minutes, percolation hereafter was marginal but nevertheless present. Peaks in diatom percolation corresponded with a high flux caused by the addition of the diatom culture, but seepage of diatoms along the sides is unlikely according to the species distribution and the rhodamine dye experiment. Pseudostaurosira sp. percolated significantly better than Melosira sp. Significantly more diatoms percolated through the marl columns compared to the schist columns and variance within the sandstone group was very high. Absolute differences between substrates however, were marginal. Most preferential flowpaths were observed in the marl columns, indicating highest active macroporosity in these columns. Although the sample size of this study was small, it is suspected that the highest diatom percolation percentages of the marl columns is linked to its greater macroporosity and most importantly, diatoms can percolate through soil (macro-) pores.

Horizontal mixing in the Southern Ocean from Argo float trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roach, Christopher J.; Balwada, Dhruv; Speer, Kevin

2016-08-01

We provide the first observational estimate of the circumpolar distribution of cross-stream eddy diffusivity at 1000 m in the Southern Ocean using Argo float trajectories. We show that Argo float trajectories, from the float surfacing positions, can be used to estimate lateral eddy diffusivities in the ocean and that these estimates are comparable to those obtained from RAFOS floats, where they overlap. Using the Southern Ocean State Estimate (SOSE) velocity fields to advect synthetic particles with imposed behavior that is "Argo-like" and "RAFOS-like" diffusivity estimates from both sets of synthetic particles agreed closely at the three dynamically very different test sites, the Kerguelen Island region, the Southeast Pacific Ocean, and the Scotia Sea, and support our approach. Observed cross-stream diffusivities at 1000 m, calculated from Argo float trajectories, ranged between 300 and 2500 m2 s-1, with peaks corresponding to topographic features associated with the Scotia Sea, the Kerguelen Plateau, the Campbell Plateau, and the Southeast Pacific Ridge. These observational estimates agree with previous regional estimates from the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES) near the Drake Passage, and other estimates from natural tracers (helium), inverse modeling studies, and current meter measurements. These estimates are also compared to the suppressed eddy diffusivity in the presence of mean flows. The comparison suggests that away from regions of strong topographic steering suppression explains both the structure and magnitude of eddy diffusivity but that eddy diffusivities in the regions of topographic steering are greater than what would be theoretically expected and the ACC experiences localized enhanced cross-stream mixing in these regions.

Determining temperature and thermal properties for heat-based studies of surface-water ground-water interactions: Appendix A of Heat as a tool for studying the movement of ground water near streams (Cir1260)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stonestrom, David A.; Blasch, Kyle W.; Stonestrom, David A.; Constantz, Jim

2003-01-01

Advances in electronics leading to improved sensor technologies, large-scale circuit integration, and attendant miniaturization have created new opportunities to use heat as a tracer of subsurface flow. Because nature provides abundant thermal forcing at the land surface, heat is particularly useful in studying stream-groundwater interactions. This appendix describes methods for obtaining the thermal data needed in heat-based investigations of shallow subsurface flow.

Tracer-aided modelling to explore non-linearities in flow paths, hydrological connectivity and faecal contamination risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neill, A. J.; Tetzlaff, D.; Strachan, N.; Soulsby, C.

2016-12-01

The non-linearities of runoff generation processes are strongly influenced by the connectivity of hillslopes and channel networks, particularly where overland flow is an important runoff mechanism. Despite major advances in understanding hydrological connectivity and runoff generation, the role of connectivity in the contamination of potable water supplies by faecal pathogens from grazing animals remains unclear. This is a water quality issue with serious implications for public health. Here, we sought to understand the dynamics of hydrological connectivity, flow paths and linked faecal pathogen transport in a montane catchment in Scotland with high deer populations. We firstly calibrated, within an uncertainty framework, a parsimonious tracer-aided hydrological model to daily discharge and stream isotope data. The model, developed on the basis of past empirical and tracer studies, conceptualises the catchment as three interacting hydrological source areas (dynamic saturation zone, dynamic hillslope, and groundwater) for which water fluxes, water ages and storage-based connectivity can be simulated. We next coupled several faecal indicator organism (FIO; a common indicator of faecal pathogen contamination) behaviour and transport schemes to the robust hydrological models. A further calibration was then undertaken based on the ability of each coupled model to simulate daily FIO concentrations. This gave us a final set of coupled behavioural models from which we explored how in-stream FIO dynamics could be related to the changing connectivity between the three hydrological source areas, flow paths, water ages and consequent dominant runoff generation processes. We found that high levels of FIOs were transient and episodic, and strongly correlated with periods of high connectivity through overland flow. This non-linearity in connectivity and FIO flux was successfully captured within our dynamic, tracer-aided hydrological model.

Transport and Fate of Nutrients Along the U.S. East Coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, E. E.; Narvaez, D.; Friedrichs, M. A. M.; Najjar, R.; Tian, H.; Hyde, K.; Mannino, A.; Signorini, S. R.; Wilkin, J.; St-Laurent, P.

2017-12-01

As part of a NASA-funded multi-investigator project, a land-estuarine-ocean biogeochemical modeling system was implemented and verified with remote sensing and in situ data to examine processes controlling fluxes on land, their coupling to riverine systems, the delivery of materials to estuaries and the coastal ocean, and marine ecosystem responses to these changing riverine inputs and changing climate forcing. This modeling system is being used to develop nutrient budgets for the U.S. east coast continental shelf and to examine seasonal and interannual variability in nutrient fluxes. An important aspect of these nutrient budgets is the transport and fate of nutrients released along the inner shelf. Results from a five-year simulation (2004 to 2008) that used tracer releases from the main rivers along the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) and South Atlantic Bight (SAB) provide insights into transport pathways that connect the inner and outer continental shelf. Tracers released along the inner MAB spread along the shelf with a general southward and offshore transport. Inner shelf inputs from the large estuarine systems are transported to the mid and outer MAB shelf. Tracers that reach the mid to outer shelf can be entrained in the Gulf Stream. Export from the MAB to the SAB occurs during periods of southerly winds. Transport processes along the SAB are similar, but Gulf Stream entrainment is a larger component of tracer transport. Superimposed on the MAB and SAB transport patterns is considerable seasonal and interannual variability. The results from these retrospective simulations improve understanding of the coupling at the land-water interface and shelf-wide transport patterns that advance the ability to predict the effects of localized human impacts and broader-scale climate-related impacts on the U.S. east coast continental shelf system.

Freshwater Ecology. LC Science Tracer Bullet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niskern, Diana, Comp.

Freshwater ecosystems include lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, and certain types of wetlands. This literature and resources guide is not intended to be a comprehensive bibliography on freshwater ecology; the guide is designed--as the name of the series implies--to put the reader or student "on target." Other literature guides related to…

Dual streams of auditory afferents target multiple domains in the primate prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Romanski, L. M.; Tian, B.; Fritz, J.; Mishkin, M.; Goldman-Rakic, P. S.; Rauschecker, J. P.

2009-01-01

‘What’ and ‘where’ visual streams define ventrolateral object and dorsolateral spatial processing domains in the prefrontal cortex of nonhuman primates. We looked for similar streams for auditory–prefrontal connections in rhesus macaques by combining microelectrode recording with anatomical tract-tracing. Injection of multiple tracers into physiologically mapped regions AL, ML and CL of the auditory belt cortex revealed that anterior belt cortex was reciprocally connected with the frontal pole (area 10), rostral principal sulcus (area 46) and ventral prefrontal regions (areas 12 and 45), whereas the caudal belt was mainly connected with the caudal principal sulcus (area 46) and frontal eye fields (area 8a). Thus separate auditory streams originate in caudal and rostral auditory cortex and target spatial and non-spatial domains of the frontal lobe, respectively. PMID:10570492

On the use of helium-filled soap bubbles for large-scale tomographic PIV in wind tunnel experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarano, Fulvio; Ghaemi, Sina; Caridi, Giuseppe Carlo Alp; Bosbach, Johannes; Dierksheide, Uwe; Sciacchitano, Andrea

2015-02-01

The flow-tracing fidelity of sub-millimetre diameter helium-filled soap bubbles (HFSB) for low-speed aerodynamics is studied. The main interest of using HFSB in relation to micron-size droplets is the large amount of scattered light, enabling larger-scale three-dimensional experiments by tomographic PIV. The assessment of aerodynamic behaviour closely follows the method proposed in the early work of Kerho and Bragg (Exp Fluids 50:929-948, 1994) who evaluated the tracer trajectories around the stagnation region at the leading edge of an airfoil. The conclusions of the latter investigation differ from the present work, which concludes sub-millimetre HFSB do represent a valid alternative for quantitative velocimetry in wind tunnel aerodynamic experiments. The flow stagnating ahead of a circular cylinder of 25 mm diameter is considered at speeds up to 30 m/s. The tracers are injected in the free-stream and high-speed PIV, and PTV are used to obtain the velocity field distribution. A qualitative assessment based on streamlines is followed by acceleration and slip velocity measurements using PIV experiments with fog droplets as a term of reference. The tracing fidelity is controlled by the flow rates of helium, liquid soap and air in HFSB production. A characteristic time response, defined as the ratio of slip velocity and the fluid acceleration, is obtained. The feasibility of performing time-resolved tomographic PIV measurements over large volumes in aerodynamic wind tunnels is also studied. The flow past a 5-cm-diameter cylinder is measured over a volume of 20 × 20 × 12 cm3 at a rate of 2 kHz. The achieved seeding density of <0.01 ppp enables resolving the Kármán vortices, whereas turbulent sub-structures cannot be captured.

The chemistry of iron, aluminum, and dissolved organic material in three acidic, metal-enriched, mountain streams, as controlled by watershed and in-stream processes

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKnight, Diane M.; Bencala, Kenneth E.

1990-01-01

Several studies were conducted in three acidic, metal-enriched, mountain streams, and the results are discussed together in this paper to provide a synthesis of watershed and in-stream processes controlling Fe, Al, and DOC (dissolved organic carbon) concentrations. One of the streams, the Snake River, is naturally acidic; the other two, Peru Creek and St. Kevin Gulch, receive acid mine drainage. Analysis of stream water chemistry data for the acidic headwaters of the Snake River shows that some trace metal solutes (Al, Mn, Zn) are correlated with major ions, indicating that watershed processes control their concentrations. Once in the stream, biogeochemical processes can control transport if they occur over time scales comparable to those for hydrologic transport. Examples of the following in-stream reactions are presented: (1) photoreduction and dissolution of hydrous iron oxides in response to an experimental decrease in stream pH, (2) precipitation of Al at three stream confluences, and (3) sorption of dissolved organic material by hydrous iron and aluminum oxides in a stream confluence. The extent of these reactions is evaluated using conservative tracers and a transport model that includes storage in the substream zone.

Keeping the secret: Insights from repeated catchment-scale tracer experiments under transient conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogner, Christina; Hauhs, Michael; Lange, Holger

2016-04-01

Catchment-level tracer experiments are generally performed to identify site-specific hydrological response functions of the catchment. The existence and uniqueness of these response functions are hardly ever questioned. Here, we report on a series of replicated tracer experiments in two small first-order catchments, G1 (0.6 ha, roofed) and F4 (2.3 ha, without roof) at Gårdsjön in SW Sweden. The soils in both catchments are shallow (< 50 cm) with the bedrock partly visible at the surface. In G1 (irrigated area approximately 1000 m2), tracer experiments were conducted under a roof between 1993 and 2003 during steady state flow conditions. In contrast, in F4 (irrigated area approximately 500 m2) the experiments were done without a roof mostly at transient conditions. The catchment F4 was equipped with a sprinkler system with a watering capacity of around 38-45 m3 day-1. Natural rainfall comes in addition. A bromide tracer solution was injected to groundwater at a single location about 40 m upstream the weir over a period of less than an hour, and was monitored using a set of groundwater tubes and the weir at the outlet over the following 4 days. In addition, discharge was measured. The experiments were repeated each summer from 2007 to 2015. While steady state conditions were guaranteed in G1, steady runoff has been achieved only four times in F4. We investigated tracer recovery rates against cumulated runoff since tracer application. Substantially different transit times and qualitatively different behaviour of the breakthrough curves were observed, even under steady state conditions. In G1, no single system response function could be identified in 5 replicates. Similarly, the catchment response functions in F4 under steady state differed between experiments. However, they remained in a similar range as in G1. Based on these results, we question the identifiability of flow paths and system properties, such as saturated water content or hydrologic transmissivity, at the catchment scale using tracer experiments. Rather, the series demonstrate the utter importance of the initial and boundary conditions which largely determine the response of the system to inert tracer pulses.

Evaluation of groundwater residence time in a high mountain aquifer system (Sacramento Mountains, USA): insights gained from use of multiple environmental tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Land, Lewis; Timmons, Stacy

2016-06-01

The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (USA) has conducted a regional investigation of groundwater residence time within the southern Sacramento Mountains aquifer system using multiple environmental tracers. Results of the tracer surveys indicate that groundwater in the southern Sacramento Mountains ranges in age from less than 1 year to greater than 50 years, although the calculated ages contain uncertainties and vary significantly depending on which tracer is used. A distinctive feature of the results is discordance among the methods used to date groundwater in the study area. This apparent ambiguity results from the effects of a thick unsaturated zone, which produces non-conservative behavior among the dissolved gas tracers, and the heterogeneous character and semi-karstic nature of the aquifer system, which may yield water from matrix porosity, fractures, solution-enlarged conduits, or a combination of the three. The data also indicate mixing of groundwater from two or more sources, including recent recharge originating from precipitation at high elevations, old groundwater stored in the matrix, and pre-modern groundwater upwelling along fault zones. The tracer data have also been influenced by surface-water/groundwater exchange via losing streams and lower elevation springs (groundwater recycling). This study highlights the importance of using multiple tracers when conducting large-scale investigations of a heterogeneous aquifer system, and sheds light on characteristics of groundwater flow systems that can produce discrepancies in calculations of groundwater age.

Effects of urban stream burial on nitrogen uptake and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Urbanization has resulted in extensive burial and channelization of headwater streams, yet little is known about impacts on stream ecosystem functions critical for reducing downstream nitrogen pollution. To characterize the biogeochemical impact of stream burial, we measured NO3- uptake, using 15N-NO3- isotope tracer releases, and whole stream metabolism, during four seasons in three paired buried and open streams reaches within the Baltimore Ecosystem Study Long-term Ecological Research Network. Stream burial increased NO3- uptake lengths, by a factor of 7.5 (p < 0.01) and decreased nitrate uptake velocity and areal nitrate uptake rate by factors of 8.2 (p = 0.01) and 9.6 (p < 0.001), respectively. Stream burial decreased gross primary productivity by a factor of 9.2 (p < 0.05) and decreased ecosystem respiration by a factor of 4.2 (p = 0.06). From statistical analysis of Excitation Emissions Matrices (EEMs), buried streams were also found to have significantly less labile dissolved organic matter. Furthermore, buried streams had significantly lower transient storage and water temperatures. Overall, differences in NO3- uptake and metabolism were primarily explained by decreased transient storage and light availability in buried streams. We estimate that stream burial increases daily watershed nitrate export by as much as 500% due to decreased in-stream retention and may considerably decrease carbon export via decreased primary production. These results

IMAGE Project: Results of Laboratory Tests on Tracers for Supercritical Conditions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandvoll, Øyvind; Opsahl Viig, Sissel; Nardini, Isabella; Muller, Jiri

2016-04-01

The use of tracers is a well-established technique for monitoring dynamic behaviour of water and gas through a reservoir. In geothermal reservoirs special challenges are encountered due to high temperatures and pressures. In this work, tracer candidates for monitoring water at supercritical conditions (temperature > 374°C, pressure ca 218 bar), are tested in laboratory experiments. Testing of tracers at supercritical water conditions requires experimental set-ups which tolerate harsh conditions with respect to high temperature and pressure. In addition stringent HES (health, environment and safety) factors have to be taken into consideration when designing and performing the experiments. The setup constructed in this project consists of a pressure vessel, high pressure pump, instrumentation for pressure and temperature control and instrumentation required for accurate sampling of tracers. In order to achieve accurate results, a special focus has been paid to the development of the tracer sampling technique. Perfluorinated cyclic hydrocarbons (PFCs) have been selected as tracer candidates. This group of compounds is today commonly used as gas tracers in oil reservoirs. According to the literature they are stable at temperatures up to 400°C. To start with, five PFCs have been tested for thermal stability in static experiments at 375°C and 108 bar in the experimental setup described above. The tracer candidates will be further tested for several months at the relevant conditions. Preliminary results indicate that some of the PFC compounds show stability after three months. However, in order to arrive at conclusive results, the experiments have to be repeated over a longer period and paying special attention to more accurate sampling procedures.

Hydrologic controls on the transport and cycling of carbon and nitrogen in a boreal catchment underlain by continuous permafrost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koch, J. C.; Runkel, R. L.; Striegl, R.; McKnight, D. M.

2013-06-01

ecosystems represent a large carbon (C) reservoir and a substantial source of greenhouse gases. Hydrologic conditions dictate whether C leached from boreal soils is processed in catchments or flushed to less productive environments via the stream. This study quantified hydrologic and biogeochemical C loss from a boreal catchment underlain by frozen silt, where flowpaths may deepen as the active layer thaws over the summer. We hypothesized a decrease in the magnitude of C mineralization over the summer associated with changing flowpaths and decreasing hydrologic connectivity, organic matter lability, and nitrogen (N) availability. Conservative tracers were used to partition C and N loss between catchment export and biogeochemical processing. Coupling tracers with tributary and porewater chemistry indicated C and N cycling in soil flowpaths, with an exponential decrease over the summer. Nitrate was primarily reduced in hillslope flowpaths and the lack of N reaching the stream appeared to limit C mineralization. Stream export accounted for the greatest loss of C, removing 247 and 113 mol hr-1 in the early and late summer, respectively. Reactivity was related to hydrologic connectivity between the soils and stream, which was greatest early in the summer and following a large flood. While a warming climate may increase storage potential in thawed soils, the early-season flush of labile material and late-season runoff through mineral flowpaths may maintain high C export rates. Therefore, we highlight physical export as a dominant cause of aqueous C loss from silty catchments as the Arctic continues to thaw.

Evaluation of metal loading to streams near Creede, Colorado, August and September 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimball, B.A.; Runkel, R.L.; Walton-Day, K.; Stover, B.K.

2006-01-01

Decisions about remediation of mine drainage on the watershed scale require an understanding of metal contributions from all sources to be able to choose the best sites for remediation. A hydrologic framework to study metal loading in the Willow Creek watershed, a tributary to the Rio Grande River, was established by conducting a series of tracer-injection studies. Each study used the tracer-dilution method in conjunction with synoptic sampling to determine the spatial distribution of discharge and concentration. Discharge and concentration data were then used to develop mass-loading curves for the metals of interest. The discharge and load profiles (1) identify the principal sources of load to the streams; (2) demonstrate the scale of unsampled, dispersed subsurface inflows; and (3) estimate the amount of natural attenuation. The greatest source of metal loads was from the Nelson Tunnel on West Willow Creek, which contributed 158 kilograms per day of zinc to the stream. Additional loading from other dispersed, subsurface inflows along West Willow Creek added substantial loads, but these were small in comparison to the loads from the Nelson Tunnel. No significant contributions of metal load from potential sources occurred along East Willow Creek. The lack of measurable loading may be a result of previous remedial actions along that stream. The lower Willow Creek section had relatively small contributions of load compared to what had been contributed upstream. This watershed approach provides a detailed snapshot of metal load for the watershed to support remediation decisions and quantifies processes that affect metal transport.

Regional Groundwater Discharge Drives High Carbon Dioxide Emissions from a Lowland Tropical Rainforest Stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oviedo-Vargas, D.; Dierick, D.; Genereux, D. P.; Oberbauer, S. F.; Osburn, C. L.

2015-12-01

Field measurements of carbon (C) fluxes are fundamental for understanding global C cycling, and the C source/sink status of ecosystems. In the tropical rainforest at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, old regional bedrock groundwater (gw) high in dissolved inorganic C discharges into some streams and wetlands with possible impacts on ecosystem C pools and fluxes. We investigated carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) degassing from two streams at La Selva: the Arboleda, where ~1/3 of the streamflow is from regional gw, and the Taconazo, fed exclusively by much younger local gw recharged within the catchment. In two reaches (upper and lower) of the Arboleda and Taconazo streams, emissions were determined from tracer injections. In the lower Arboleda (the only reach receiving regional gw) CO2 fluxes (fCO2) averaged 5.5 mol C per m2 of stream surface per day, ~7.5x higher than the average (0.7 mol C m-2 d-1) from the stream reaches with no regional gw inflow (the Taconazo and upper Arboleda). The regional gw inflow had no measurable effect on CH4 emissions. To further understand the dynamics of enhanced CO2 degassing from the lower Arboleda, we examined spatiotemporal patterns in fCO2 using floating chambers. Both static and drifting chambers revealed high spatial heterogeneity in fCO2 at the scale of 5 to 30 m reaches. Temporal trends were highly localized; in two of three subreaches surveyed repeatedly, fCO2 increased with stream discharge and did not differ between wet and dry seasons, but the third subreach showed the opposite behavior. Results from static and drifting chambers deviated 31% and -36%, respectively, from tracer injection results. CO2 degassing from the Arboleda is a large C flux; when averaged over the watershed area it is similar in magnitude to the net ecosystem exchange measured by eddy covariance. Elevated CO2 emissions from the Arboleda stream are consistent with measurements of higher CO2 concentration in the air above the Arboleda stream, and low 14C in plants growing near the Arboleda weir, a zone of high stream gas exchange where geological CO2 low in 14C is degassed from the stream and taken up by riparian plants. The outcomes of this research contribute to the understanding of how catchment connections to underlying hydrogeological systems can affect terrestrial ecosystem C budgets.

Fungal functioning in a pine forest: evidence from a 15N-labeled global change experiment

Treesearch

Erik A. Hobbie; Linda T.A. van Diepen; Erik A. Lilleskov; Andrew P. Oiumette; Adrien C. Finzi; Kirsten S. Hofmockel

2014-01-01

We used natural and tracer nitrogen (N) isotopes in a Pinus taeda free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment to investigate functioning of ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in N cycling. Fungal sporocarps were sampled in 2004 (natural abundance and 15N tracer) and 2010 (tracer) and δ15...

LARGE-SCALE NATURAL GRADIENT TRACER TEST IN SAND AND GRAVEL, CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS - 1. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND OBSERVED TRACER MOVEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

A large-scale natural gradient tracer experiment was conducted on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to examine the transport and dispersion of solutes in a sand and gravel aquifer. The nonreactive tracer, bromide, and the reactive tracers, lithium and molybdate, were injected as a pulse i...

Denitrification in nitrate-rich streams: Application of N2:Ar and 15N-tracer methods in intact cores

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Lesley K.; Voytek, M.A.; Böhlke, J.K.; Harvey, J.W.

2006-01-01

Rates of benthic denitrification were measured using two techniques, membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), applied to sediment cores from two NO3--rich streams draining agricultural land in the upper Mississippi River Basin. Denitrification was estimated simultaneously from measurements of N 2:Ar (MIMS) and 15N[N2] (IRMS) after the addition of low-level 15NO3- tracer ( 15N:N = 0.03-0.08) in stream water overlying intact sediment cores. Denitrification rates ranged from about 0 to 4400 lmol N??m -2??h-1 in Sugar Creek and from 0 to 1300 ??mol N??m-2??h-1 in Iroquois River, the latter of which possesses greater streamflow discharge and a more homogeneous streambed and water column. Within the uncertainties of the two techniques, there is good agreement between the MIMS and IRMS results, which indicates that the production of N2 by the coupled process of nitrification/denitrification was relatively unimportant and surface-water NO3- was the dominant source of NO3- for benthic denitrification in these streams. Variation in stream NO3- concentration (from about 20 ??mol/L during low discharge to 1000 ??mol/L during high discharge) was a significant control of benthic denitrification rates, judging from the more abundant MIMS data. The interpretation that NO3- concentration directly affects denitrification rate was corroborated by increased rates of denitrification in cores amended with NO 3-. Denitrification in Sugar Creek removed ???11% per day of the instream NO3- in late spring and removed roughly 15-20% in late summer. The fraction of NO3- removed in Iroquois River was less than that of Sugar Creek. Although benthic denitrification rates were relatively high during periods of high stream flow, when NO3 concentrations were also high, the increase in benthic denitrification could not compensate for the much larger increase in stream NO3- fluxes during high flow. Consequently, fractional NO3- losses were relatively low during high flow. ?? 2006 by the Ecological Society of America.

River-spring connectivity and hydrogeochemical interactions in a shallow fractured rock formation. The case study of Fuensanta river valley (Southern Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barberá, J. A.; Andreo, B.

2017-04-01

In upland catchments, the hydrology and hydrochemistry of streams are largely influenced by groundwater inflows, at both regional and local scale. However, reverse conditions (groundwater dynamics conditioned by surface water interferences), although less described, may also occur. In this research, the local river-spring connectivity and induced hydrogeochemical interactions in intensely folded, fractured and layered Cretaceous marls and marly-limestones (Fuensanta river valley, S Spain) are discussed based on field observations, tracer tests and hydrodynamic and hydrochemical data. The differential flow measurements and tracing experiments performed in the Fuensanta river permitted us to quantify the surface water losses and to verify its direct hydraulic connection with the Fuensanta spring. The numerical simulations of tracer breakthrough curves suggest the existence of a groundwater flow system through well-connected master and tributary fractures, with fast and multi-source flow components. Furthermore, the multivariate statistical analysis conducted using chemical data from the sampled waters, the geochemical study of water-rock interactions and the proposed water mixing approach allowed the spatial characterization of the chemistry of the springs and river/stream waters draining low permeable Cretaceous formations. Results corroborated that the mixing of surface waters, as well as calcite dissolution and CO2 dissolution/exsolution, are the main geochemical processes constraining Fuensanta spring hydrochemistry. The estimated contribution of the tributary surface waters to the spring flow during the research period was approximately 26-53% (Fuensanta river) and 47-74% (Convento stream), being predominant the first component during high flow and the second one during the dry season. The identification of secondary geochemical processes (dolomite and gypsum dissolution and dedolomitization) in Fuensanta spring waters evidences the induced hydrogeochemical changes resulting from the allogenic recharge. This research highlights the usefulness of an integrated approach based on river and spring flow examination, dye tracing interpretation and regression and multivariate statistical analysis using hydrochemical data for surface water-groundwater interaction assessment in fractured complex environments worldwide, whose implementation becomes critical for an appropriate groundwater policy.

A Case Study on Nitrogen Uptake and Denitrification in a ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Restoring urban infrastructure and managing the nitrogen cycle represent emerging challenges for urban water quality. We investigated whether stormwater control measures (SCMs), a form of green infrastructure, integrated into restored and degraded urban stream networks can influence watershed nitrogen loads. We hypothesized that hydrologically connected floodplains and SCMs are “hot spots” for nitrogen removal through denitrification because they have ample organic carbon, low dissolved oxygen levels, and extended hydrologic residence times. We tested this hypothesis by comparing nitrogen retention metrics in two urban stream networks (one restored and one urban degraded) that each contain SCMs, and a forested reference watershed at the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research site. We used an urban watershed continuum approach which included sampling over both space and time with a combination of: (1) longitudinal reach-scale mass balances of nitrogen and carbon conducted over 2 years during baseflow and storms (n = 24 sampling dates × 15 stream reaches = 360) and (2) 15N push–pull tracer experiments to measure in situ denitrification in SCMs and floodplain features (n = 72). The SCMs consisted of inline wetlands installed below a storm drain outfall at one urban site (restored Spring Branch) and a wetland/wet pond configured in an oxbow design to receive water during high flow events at another highly urbanized site (Gwynns Run). The SCMs significantly d

Neutrally buoyant tracers in hydrogeophysics: Field demonstration in fractured rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakas, Alexis; Linde, Niklas; Baron, Ludovic; Selker, John; Gerard, Marie-Françoise; Lavenant, Nicolas; Bour, Olivier; Le Borgne, Tanguy

2017-04-01

Electrical and electromagnetic methods are extensively used to map electrically conductive tracers within hydrogeologic systems. Often, the tracers used consist of dissolved salt in water, leading to a denser mixture than the ambient formation water. Density effects are often ignored and rarely modeled but can dramatically affect transport behavior and introduce dynamics that are unrepresentative of the response obtained with classical tracers (e.g., uranine). We introduce a neutrally buoyant tracer consisting of a mixture of salt, water, and ethanol and monitor its movement during push-pull experiments in a fractured rock aquifer using ground-penetrating radar. Our results indicate a largely reversible transport process and agree with uranine-based push-pull experiments at the site, which is in contrast to results obtained using dense saline tracers. We argue that a shift toward neutrally buoyant tracers in both porous and fractured media would advance hydrogeophysical research and enhance its utility in hydrogeology.

Inorganic N and P dynamics of Antarctic glacial meltwater streams as controlled by hyporheic exchange and benthic autotrophic communities

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKnight, Diane M.; Runkel, R.L.; Tate, C.M.; Duff, J.H.; Moorhead, D.L.

2004-01-01

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of South Victoria Land, Antarctica, contain numerous glacial meltwater streams that drain into lakes on the valley floors. Many of the streams have abundant perennial mats of filamentous cyanobacteria. The algal mats grow during streamflow in the austral summer and are in a dormant freeze-dried state during the rest of the year. NO3 and soluble reactive P (SRP) concentrations were lower in streams with abundant algal mats than in streams with sparse algal mats. NO3 and SRP concentrations were higher in the hyporheic zone of a stream with abundant algal mats than in the stream itself. An experimental injection of LiCl, NaNO3, and K3PO4 was conducted in Green Creek, which has abundant algal mats. Substantial hyporheic exchange occurred. The NO3 and PO4 concentrations at 50 m below the injection were 55 ??M and 18 ??M, respectively, during the experiment. NO3 and PO4 concentrations were below the detection limit of 1 to 2 ??M at a site 497 m below the injection during the Cl tracer arrival, indicating a high capacity for nutrient uptake by algal communities. NO2 and NH4 were present at sites 226 and 327 m below the injection, indicating that, in addition to denitrification and algal uptake, dissimilatory NO3 reduction to NO2 and NH4 may be a NO3 sink during transport. Transport modelling with nutrient uptake represented as a 1st-order process yielded reach-scale parameters of 4.3 ?? 10-5 to 3.9 ?? 10-4/s and 1.4 ?? 10-4 to 3.8 ?? 10 -4/s for uptake of NO3 and PO4, respectively. The best match with the observed data was a model in which PO4 uptake occurred only in the main channel and NO3 uptake occurred in the main channel and in the hyporheic zone. Hyporheic NO3 uptake was 7 to 16% of the total uptake for the different stream reaches. These results demonstrate that nutrient flux to the lakes is controlled by hyporheic exchange and nutrient uptake by algal mats in dry valley streams. Streams without algal mats contribute more nutrients to the lakes than streams with algal mats.

Effects of channel constriction on upstream steering of flow around Locke Island, Columbia River, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loy, G. E.; Furbish, D. J.; Covey, A.

2010-12-01

Landsliding of the White Bluffs along the Columbia River in Washington State has constricted the width of the river on one side of Locke Island, a two-kilometer long island positioned in the middle of the channel. Associated changes in flow are thought to be causing relatively rapid erosion of Locke Island on the constricted side. This island is of cultural significance to Native American tribes of south-central Washington, so there are social as well as scientific reasons to understand how the alteration of stream channel processes resulting from the landsliding might be influencing observed erosion rates. Simple hydrodynamic calculations suggest that the constriction on one side of the island creates an upstream backwater effect. As a consequence a cross-stream pressure gradient upstream of the island results in steering of flow around the island into the unobstructed thread. This diversion of water decreases the discharge through the constriction. Therefore, flow velocities within the constriction are not necessarily expected to be higher than those in the unobstructed thread, contrary to initial reports suggesting that higher velocities within the constriction are the main cause of erosion. We set up streamtable experiments with lapse rate imaging to illustrate the backwater effects of the channel constriction and the associated cross-stream steering of flow around a model island. Our experiments are scaled by channel roughness and slope rather than geometrically, as the main focus is to understand the mechanical behavior of flow in this type of island-landslide system. In addition, we studied the stream velocities and flow steering as well as the magnitude of the backwater effect in both the constricted and unobstructed channels using tracer particles in the time-lapse images. These experimental data are compared with calculated upstream backwater distances determined from the known water-surface slope, flow depth, total discharge, and bed roughness. Furthermore, this experimental work will inform subsequent numerical modeling of flow and field-based measurements at Locke Island.

Nitrate Removal in Two Relict Oxbow Urban Wetlands: A 15N Mass-balance Approach

EPA Science Inventory

A 15N-tracer method was used to quantify nitrogen (N) removal processes in two relict oxbow wetlands located adjacent to the Minebank Run restored stream reach in Baltimore County (Maryland, USA) during summer 2009 and early spring 2010. A mass-balance approach was used to determ...

Determination of microstickies in recycled whitewater by headspace gas chromatography

Treesearch

X.-S. Chai; J.C. Samp; Q.F. Yang; H.N. Song; J.Y. Zhu

2007-01-01

This study proposed a novel headspace gas chromatographic (HS-GC) method for determination of adhesive contaminants (microstickies) in recycled whitewater, a fiber containing process stream, in the paper mill. It is based on the adsorption behavior of toluene (as a tracer) on the hydrophobic surface of microstickies, which affects the apparent vapor-liquid...

Quantification of mine-drainage inflows to Little Cottonwood Creek, Utah, using a tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimball, B.; Runkel, R.; Gerner, L.

2001-01-01

Historic mining in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah has left behind many mine drainage tunnels that discharge water to Little Cottonwood Creek. To quantify the major sources of mine drainage to the stream, synoptic sampling was conducted during a tracer injection under low flow conditions (September 1998). There were distinct increases in discharge downstream from mine drainage and major tributary inflows that represented the total surface and subsurface contributions. The chemistry of stream water determined from synoptic sampling was controlled by the weathering of carbonate rocks and mine drainage inflows. Buffering by carbonate rocks maintained a high pH throughout the study reach. Most of the metal loading was from four surface-water inflows and three subsurface inflows. The main subsurface inflow was from a mine pool in the Wasatch Tunnel. Natural attenuation of all the metals resulted in the formation of colloidal solids, sorption of some metals, and accumulation onto the streambed. The deposition on the streambed could contribute to chronic toxicity for aquatic organisms. Information from the study will help to make decisions about environmental restoration.

Use of heat to estimate streambed fluxes during extreme hydrologic events

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barlow, Jeannie R.B.; Coupe, Richard H.

2009-01-01

Using heat as a tracer, quantitative estimates of streambed fluxes and the critical stage for flow reversal were calculated for high‐flow events that occurred on the Bogue Phalia (a tributary of the Mississippi River) following the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In June 2005, piezometers were installed in the Bogue Phalia upstream from the stream gage near Leland, Mississippi, to monitor temperature. Even with the hurricanes, precipitation in the Bogue Phalia Basin for the months of June to October 2005 was below normal, and consequently, streamflow was below the long‐term average. Temperature profiles from the piezometers indicate that the Bogue Phalia was a gaining stream during most of this time, but relatively static streambed temperatures suggested long‐term data was warranted for heat‐based estimates of flux. However, the hurricanes caused a pair of sharp rises in stream stage over short periods of time, increasing the potential for rapid heat‐based modeling and for identification of the critical stage for flow reversal into the streambed. Heat‐based modeling fits of simulated‐to‐measured sediment temperatures show that once a critical stage was surpassed, flow direction reversed into the streambed. Results of this study demonstrate the ability to constrain estimates of streambed water flux and the critical stage of flow reversal, with little available groundwater head data, by using heat as a tracer during extreme stage events.

Design and utilisation of protocols to characterise dynamic PET uptake of two tracers using basis pursuit.

PubMed

Bell, Christopher; Puttick, Simon; Rose, Stephen; Smith, Jye; Thomas, Paul; Dowson, Nicholas

2017-06-21

Imaging using more than one biological process using PET could be of great utility, but despite previously proposed approaches to dual-tracer imaging, it is seldom performed. The alternative of performing multiple scans is often infeasible for clinical practice or even in research studies. Dual-tracer PET scanning allows for multiple PET radiotracers to be imaged within the same imaging session. In this paper we describe our approach to utilise the basis pursuit method to aid in the design of dual-tracer PET imaging experiments, and later in separation of the signals. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require a compartment model architecture to be specified or even that both signals are distinguishable in all cases. This means the method for separating dual-tracer signals can be used for many feasible and useful combinations of biology or radiotracer, once an appropriate scanning protocol has been decided upon. Following a demonstration in separating the signals from two consecutively injected radionuclides in a controlled experiment, phantom and list-mode mouse experiments demonstrated the ability to test the feasibility of dual-tracer imaging protocols for multiple injection delays. Increases in variances predicted for kinetic macro-parameters V D and K I in brain and tumoral tissue were obtained when separating the synthetically combined data. These experiments confirmed previous work using other approaches that injections delays of 10-20 min ensured increases in variance were kept minimal for the test tracers used. On this basis, an actual dual-tracer experiment using a 20 min delay was performed using these radio tracers, with the kinetic parameters (V D and K I ) extracted for each tracer in agreement with the literature. This study supports previous work that dual-tracer PET imaging can be accomplished provided certain constraints are adhered to. The utilisation of basis pursuit techniques, with its removed need to specify a model architecture, allows the feasibility of a range of imaging protocols to be investigated via simulation in a straight-forward manner for a wide range of possible scenarios. The hope is that the ease of utilising this approach during feasibility studies and in practice removes any perceived technical barrier to performing dual-tracer imaging.

Design and utilisation of protocols to characterise dynamic PET uptake of two tracers using basis pursuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Christopher; Puttick, Simon; Rose, Stephen; Smith, Jye; Thomas, Paul; Dowson, Nicholas

2017-06-01

Imaging using more than one biological process using PET could be of great utility, but despite previously proposed approaches to dual-tracer imaging, it is seldom performed. The alternative of performing multiple scans is often infeasible for clinical practice or even in research studies. Dual-tracer PET scanning allows for multiple PET radiotracers to be imaged within the same imaging session. In this paper we describe our approach to utilise the basis pursuit method to aid in the design of dual-tracer PET imaging experiments, and later in separation of the signals. The advantage of this approach is that it does not require a compartment model architecture to be specified or even that both signals are distinguishable in all cases. This means the method for separating dual-tracer signals can be used for many feasible and useful combinations of biology or radiotracer, once an appropriate scanning protocol has been decided upon. Following a demonstration in separating the signals from two consecutively injected radionuclides in a controlled experiment, phantom and list-mode mouse experiments demonstrated the ability to test the feasibility of dual-tracer imaging protocols for multiple injection delays. Increases in variances predicted for kinetic macro-parameters V D and K I in brain and tumoral tissue were obtained when separating the synthetically combined data. These experiments confirmed previous work using other approaches that injections delays of 10-20 min ensured increases in variance were kept minimal for the test tracers used. On this basis, an actual dual-tracer experiment using a 20 min delay was performed using these radio tracers, with the kinetic parameters (V D and K I) extracted for each tracer in agreement with the literature. This study supports previous work that dual-tracer PET imaging can be accomplished provided certain constraints are adhered to. The utilisation of basis pursuit techniques, with its removed need to specify a model architecture, allows the feasibility of a range of imaging protocols to be investigated via simulation in a straight-forward manner for a wide range of possible scenarios. The hope is that the ease of utilising this approach during feasibility studies and in practice removes any perceived technical barrier to performing dual-tracer imaging.

Ptaquiloside from bracken in stream water at base flow and during storm events.

PubMed

Clauson-Kaas, Frederik; Ramwell, Carmel; Hansen, Hans Chr B; Strobel, Bjarne W

2016-12-01

The bracken fern (Pteridium spp.) densely populates both open and woodland vegetation types around the globe. Bracken is toxic to livestock when consumed, and a group of potent illudane-type carcinogens have been identified, of which the compound ptaquiloside (PTA) is the most abundant. The highly water soluble PTA has been shown to be leachable from bracken fronds, and present in the soil and water below bracken stands. This has raised concerns over whether the compound might pose a risk to drinking water sources. We investigated PTA concentrations in a small stream draining a bracken-infested catchment at base flow and in response to storm events during a growth season, and included sampling of the bracken canopy throughfall. Streams in other bracken-dominated areas were also sampled at base flow for comparison, and a controlled pulse experiment was conducted in the field to study the in-stream dynamics of PTA. Ptaquiloside concentrations in the stream never exceeded 61 ng L -1 in the base flow samples, but peaked at 2.2 μg L -1 during the studied storm events. The mass of PTA in the stream, per storm event, was 7.5-93 mg from this catchment. A clear temporal connection was observed between rainfall and PTA concentration in the stream, with a reproducible time lag of approx. 1 h from onset of rain to elevated concentrations, and returning rather quickly (about 2 h) to base flow concentration levels. The concentration of PTA behaved similar to an inert tracer (Cl - ) in the pulse experiment over a relative short time scale (minutes-hours) reflecting no PTA sorption, and dispersion and dilution considerably lowered the observed PTA concentrations downstream. Bracken throughfall revealed a potent and lasting source of PTA during rainfall, with concentrations up to 169 μg L -1 , that did not decrease over the course of the event. In the stream, the throughfall contribution to PTA cannot be separated from a possible below-ground input from litter, rhizomes and soil. Catchment-specific factors such as the soil pH, topography, hydrology, and bracken coverage will evidently affect the level of PTA observed in the receiving stream, as well as the distance from bracken, but time since precipitation seems most important. Studying PTA loads and transport in surface streams fed by bracken-infested catchments, simply taking occasional grab samples will not capture the precipitation-linked pulses. The place and time of sampling governs the findings, and including event-based sampling is essential to provide a more complete picture of PTA loads to surface water. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracer tomography: design concepts and field experiments using heat as a tracer.

PubMed

Doro, Kennedy O; Cirpka, Olaf A; Leven, Carsten

2015-04-01

Numerical and laboratory studies have provided evidence that combining hydraulic tomography with tomographic tracer tests could improve the estimation of hydraulic conductivity compared with using hydraulic data alone. Field demonstrations, however, have been lacking so far, which we attribute to experimental difficulties. In this study, we present a conceptual design and experimental applications of tracer tomography at the field scale using heat as a tracer. In our experimental design, we improve active heat tracer testing by minimizing possible effects of heat losses, buoyancy, viscosity, and changing boundary conditions. We also utilize a cost-effective approach of measuring temperature changes in situ at high resolution. We apply the presented method to the 8 m thick heterogeneous, sandy gravel, alluvial aquifer at the Lauswiesen Hydrogeological Research Site in Tübingen, Germany. Results of our tomographic heat-tracer experiments are in line with earlier work on characterizing the aquifer at the test site. We demonstrate from the experimental perspective that tracer tomography is applicable and suitable at the field scale using heat as a tracer. The experimental results also demonstrate the potential of heat-tracer tomography as a cost-effective means for characterizing aquifer heterogeneity. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Vortex ventilation in the laboratory environment.

PubMed

Meisenzahl, Lawrence R

2014-01-01

Assured containment at low airflow has long eluded the users of ventilated enclosures including chemical fume hoods used throughout industry. It is proposed that containment will be enhanced in a hood that has a particular interior shape that causes a natural vortex to occur. The sustained vortex improves the containment of contaminants within the enclosure at low airflow. This hypothesis was tested using the ASHRAE 110 tracer gas test. A known volume of tracer gas was emitted in the hood. A MIRAN SapphIRe infrared spectrometer was used to measure the concentration of tracer gas that escapes the enclosure. The design of the experiment included a written operating procedure, data collection plan, and statistical analysis of the data. A chemical fume hood of traditional design was tested. The hood interior was then reconstructed to enhance the development of a vortex inside the enclosure. The hood was retested using the same method to compare the performance of the traditional interior shape with the enhanced vortex shape. In every aspect, the vortex hood showed significant improvement over the traditional hood design. Use of the Hood Index characterizing the dilution of gas in an air stream as a logarithmic function indicates a causal relationship between containment and volumetric airflow through an enclosure. Use of the vortex effect for ventilated enclosures can provide better protection for the user and lower operating cost for the owner. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: a data collection spreadsheet, data analysis, and data collection procedure.].

Tracer and hydrometric techniques to determine the contribution of glacier melt to a proglacial stream in the Ötztal Alps (Tyrol, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmieder, Jan; Marke, Thomas; Strasser, Ulrich

2016-04-01

Glaciers are important seasonal water contributors in many mountainous landscapes. For water resources management it is important to know about the timing and amount of released glacier melt water, especially in downstream regions where the water is needed (hydropower, drinking water) or where it represents a potential risk (drought, flood). Seasonal availability of melt water is strongly dependent on boundary layer atmospheric processes and becomes even more relevant in a changing climate. Environmental tracers are a useful tool in the assessment of snow and ice water resources, because they provide information about the sources, flow paths and traveling times of water contributing to streamflow at the catchment scale. Previously, high-elevation tracer studies throughout the Alps have been scarce as they require intense field work in remote areas. However, hydrometric and meteorological measurements combined with tracer analyses help to unravel streamflow composition and improve the understanding of hydroclimatological processes. On top of that, empirical studies are necessary to parameterize and validate hydrological models in more process-oriented ways, rather than comparing total measured and simulated runoff only. In the present study three approaches are applied to derive glacier melt contributions to a proglacial stream at the seasonal scale and to identify their individual advances and limitations. Tracers used for each approach are (1) electrical conductivity, (2) stable isotopes of water and (3) heavy metals. The field work was conducted during the summer of 2015 in the glaciated (35%) high-elevation catchment of the Hochjochbach, a small sub-basin (17 km²) of the Ötztaler Ache river in the Austrian Alps, ranging from 2400 to 3500 m.a.s.l. in elevation. Hydroclimatological data was provided by an automatic weather station and a gauging station equipped with a pressure transducer. Water samples from shallow groundwater, streamflow, glacier and snow melt, as well as rain were collected throughout the ablation season and analysed for electrical conductivity, stable isotopes and heavy metals. Hydrograph separation is applied with tracer signatures of potential end-members identified by principal component analysis. The proposed contribution describes the experimental setup and discusses preliminary results of the three approaches of hydrograph separation.

Hydrological and glaciological balances on Antizana Volcano, Ecuador

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favier, V.; Cadier, E.; Coudrain, A.; Francou, B.; Maisincho, L.; Praderio, E.; Villacis, M.; Wagnon, P.

2006-12-01

Water supply for Quito, the capital of Ecuador, is partly fed by the water collected at the piedmont of Antizana ice covered stratovolcano. In order to assess the contribution of glaciers to the local water resources, a comparison of hydrological and glaciological datasets collected over the 1995-2005 period on Antizana Glacier 15 watershed was realized. Over the study period, Antizana glacier 15 retreated quickly, inducing an important water contribution to lower altitude discharges. However, comparison of hydrological and glaciological balances allowed observation of important missing runoffs due to underground circulations. Subsuperficial circulations were initially questioned due to the total disappearance of surface streams at the level of the frontal moraine, a surface stream being observed again downstream the moraine. Brine injections were performed upstream the moraine and in a small lake located on the moraine and restitution rates of salt were computed. Tracer experiments demonstrated a complete restitution of discharges implying that missing runoff were not involved in subsuperficial circulations but in deeper ones that may have flown through the fractured rock environment of the stratovlocano. Experiments also demonstrated that infiltrations occurred directly at the bedrock of the glaciers. Then, taking into account the weak discharges observed at the glacier front would induce computation of a strongly underestimated value of the actual water contribution from glaciers to lower altitude discharges. Finally, assessing water contribution from glaciers of Ecuador requires a comparison of glaciological and hydrological data.

An Assessment of Aquifer/Well Flow Dynamics: Identification of Parameters Key to Passive Sampling and Application of Downhole Sensor Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

Simulated Solute Transport in a Numerical Replication of Britt’s 2005 Experiment Figure 44 In-Well Flow Inhibitor Figure 45 Results of a Preliminary Dye ...Tracer Experiment Conducted at INL Figure 46 Results Horizontally-Oriented Dye Tracer Experiment Conducted at INL ER-1704 Final Report 2014 vii...possible sources of well convection and mixing. Specifically, the modeling explored: • 2D and 3D physical tank models. Dye tracer testing was conducted

Estimating gas exchange of CO2 and CH4 between headwater systems and the atmosphere in Southwest Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Somlai, Celia; Natchimuthu, Sivakiruthika; Bastviken, David; Lorke, Andreas

2015-04-01

Quantifying the role of inland water systems in terms of carbon sinks and sources and their connection to the terrestrial ecosystems and landscapes is fundamental for improving the balance approach of regional and global carbon budgets. Recent research showed that freshwater bodies emit significant amounts of CO2 and CH4 into the atmosphere. The extent of the emissions from small streams and headwaters, however, remains uncertain due to a limited availability of data. Studies have shown that headwater systems receive most of the terrestrial organic carbon, have the highest dissolved CO2 concentration and the highest gas exchange velocities and cover the largest fractional surface area within fluvial networks. The gas exchange between inland waters and the atmosphere is controlled by two factors: the difference between the dissolved gas concentration and its atmospheric equilibrium concentration, and the gas exchange velocity. The direct measurement of the dissolved gas concentration of greenhouse gases can be measured straightforwardly, for example, by gas chromatography from headspace extraction of water sample. In contrast, direct measurement of gas exchange velocity is more complex and time consuming, as simultaneous measurements with a volatile and nonvolatile inert tracer gas are needed. Here we analyze measurements of gas exchange velocities, concentrations and fluxes of dissolved CO2 and CH4, as well as loads of total organic and inorganic carbon in 10 reaches in headwater streams in Southwest Sweden. We compare the gas exchange velocities measured directly through tracer injections with those estimated through various empirical approaches, which are based on modelled and measured current velocity, stream depth and slope. Furthermore, we estimate the resulting uncertainties of the flux estimates. We also present different time series of dissolved CO2, CH4 and O2 concentration, water temperature, barometric pressure, electro conductivity, and pH values measured during the period of tracer injection.

Tracing the spatial and temporal variability of different water sources in a glacierized Alpine catchment (Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engel, Michael; Penna, Daniele; Comiti, Francesco; Vignoli, Gianluca; Simoni, Silvia; Dinale, Roberto

2016-04-01

Glacierized catchments are important sources of fresh water. Although recent tracer-based studies have been carried out in these environments, more investigations are needed to understand more in detail the complex dynamics of snowmelt, glacier melt and groundwater contributions to stream water, the spatial and temporal variability of these sources of runoff and suspended sediment. In this study we used stable isotopes of water and electrical conductivity (EC) as tracers to identify the origin of different waters in the glacierized Sulden/Solda catchment (130 km², Eastern Italian Alps). The site ranges in elevation between 1112 and 3905 m a.s.l. and includes two major sub-catchments. Rainfall samples were taken from bulk collectors placed along an elevation gradient (905-2585 m a.s.l.). Winter-integrated snowmelt samples were collected from passive capillary samplers installed at different elevations (1600-2825 m a.s.l.), whereas snowmelt was sampled from dripping snow patches. Glacier melt samples were taken in summer from small rivulets on the glacier surface. Samples from the two main streams were collected monthly in 2014 and 2015 at different stream sections, major tributaries and springs. At the outlet, stream water was sampled daily by an automatic sampler, and EC, turbidity and water stage were measured every 5 minutes. Meteorological data were measured by two weather stations at 1600 and 2825 m a.s.l.. Manual samples were taken from February 2014 to November 2015 while the automatic sampling at the outlet was carried out from May to October 2014 and 2015. Results indicate that precipitation originated from air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean, with limited influence of Mediterrean air masses. Snowmelt showed a pronounced isotopic enrichment during summer, which was also found for glacier melt, but less strong. Spring water from both sub-catchments seemed to be affected by infiltrating snowmelt during summer and represented the major stream component during winter baseflow. The tracer-based comparison of stream locations in both sub-catchments showed similar isotopic and EC dynamics during summer, highlighting that meltwater dynamics may hide the hydrochemical impact of different geology in both sub-catchments. However, EC dynamics in the left sub-catchment during winter indicated a spatial gradient of increasing solute concentrations along the stream. In contrast, an inverse spatial gradient of solute concentrations was found in the right sub-catchment, revealing a different geological setting and highlighting the impact of intensive subglacial weathering. At the outlet, EC and isotopic composition could identify clear seasonal melt water dynamics with periods of pronounced snowmelt contributions in early summer followed by dominant glacier melt contributions. Rainfall events seemed to play a major role on stream water composition in autumn. Also the impact of early snowfall and its melting in autumn 2015 could be traced and well distinguished from early summer snowmelt water. Turbidity showed strong oscillations at the daily scale during summer melt periods and markedly responded to rainfall events, which could be attributed to rapid mobilization of fine sediments and suspended sediment transport in the study catchment.

The effect of entrapped nonaqueous phase liquids on tracer transport in heterogeneous porous media: Laboratory experiments at the intermediate scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barth, Gilbert R.; Illangasekare, T.H.; Rajaram, H.

2003-01-01

This work considers the applicability of conservative tracers for detecting high-saturation nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) entrapment in heterogeneous systems. For this purpose, a series of experiments and simulations was performed using a two-dimensional heterogeneous system (10??1.2 m), which represents an intermediate scale between laboratory and field scales. Tracer tests performed prior to injecting the NAPL provide the baseline response of the heterogeneous porous medium. Two NAPL spill experiments were performed and the entrapped-NAPL saturation distribution measured in detail using a gamma-ray attenuation system. Tracer tests following each of the NAPL spills produced breakthrough curves (BTCs) reflecting the impact of entrapped NAPL on conservative transport. To evaluate significance, the impact of NAPL entrapment on the conservative-tracer breakthrough curves was compared to simulated breakthrough curve variability for different realizations of the heterogeneous distribution. Analysis of the results reveals that the NAPL entrapment has a significant impact on the temporal moments of conservative-tracer breakthrough curves. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Streakline flow visualization of discrete hole film cooling with holes inclined 30 deg to surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colladay, R. S.; Russell, L. M.; Lane, J. M.

1976-01-01

Film injection from three rows of discrete holes angled 30 deg to the surface in line with mainstream flow and spaced 5 diameters apart in a staggered array was visualized by using helium bubbles as tracer particles. Both the main stream and the film injectant were ambient air. Detailed streaklines showing the turbulent motion of the film mixing with the main stream were obtained by photographing small, neutrally buoyant helium-filled soap bubbles which followed the flow field. The ratio of boundary layer thickness to hole diameter and the Reynolds number were typical of gas turbine film cooling applications. The results showed the behavior of the film and its interaction with the main stream for a range of blowing rates and two initial boundary layer thicknesses.

The significance of GW-SW interactions for biogeochemical processes in sandy streambeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnon, Shai; De Falco, Natalie; Fox, Aryeh; Laube, Gerrit; Schmidt, Christian; Fleckenstein, Jan; Boano, Fulvio

2015-04-01

Stream-groundwater interactions have a major impact on hyporheic exchange fluxes in sandy streambeds. However, the physical complexity of natural streams has limited our ability to study these types of interactions systematically, and to evaluate their importance to biogeochemical processes and nutrient cycling. In this work we were able to quantify the effect of losing and gaining fluxes on hyporheic exchange and nutrient cycling in homogeneous and heterogeneous streambeds by combining experiments in laboratory flumes and modeling. Tracer experiments for measuring hyporheic exchange were done using dyes and NaCl under various combinations of overlying water velocity and losing or gaining fluxes. Nutrient cycling experiments were conducted after growing a benthic biofilm by spiking with Sodium Benzoate (as a source of labile dissolved organic carbon, DOC) and measuring DOC and oxygen dynamics. The combination of experimental observations and modeling revealed that interfacial transport increases with the streambed hydraulic conductivity and proportional to the square of the overlying water velocity. Hyporheic exchange fluxes under losing and gaining flow conditions were similar, and became smaller when the losing or gaining flux increases. Increasing in streambed hydraulic conductivity led to higher hyporheic fluxes and reduction in the effects of losing and gaining flow conditions to constrain exchange. Despite the evident effect of flow conditions on hyporheic exchange, labile DOC uptake was positively linked to increasing overlying water velocity but was not affected by losing and gaining fluxes. This is because microbial aerobic activity was taking place at the upper few millimeters of the streambed as shown by local oxygen consumption rates, which was measured using microelectrodes. Based on modeling work, it is expected that GW-SW interaction will be more significant for less labile DOC and anaerobic processes. Our results enable us to study systematically the coupling between flow conditions and biogeochemical processes under highly controlled physical and chemical conditions and are expected to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling in streams.

Modeling Hydrologic Transport through the Critical Zone: Lessons from Catchment-Scale and Lysimeter Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benettin, P.; Queloz, P.; Bailey, S. W.; McGuire, K. J.; Rinaldo, A.; Botter, G.

2015-12-01

Water age distributions can be used to address a number of environmental challenges, such as modeling the dynamics of river water quality, quantifying the interactions between shallow and deep flow systems and understanding nutrient loading persistence. Moreover, as the travel time of a water particle is the time available for biogeochemical reactions, it can be explicitly used to predict the concentration of non-conservative solutes, as e.g. those derived by mineral weathering. In recent years, many studies acknowledged the dynamic nature of streamflow age and linked it to observed variations in stream water quality. In this new framework, water stored within a catchment can be seen as a pool that is selectively "sampled" by streams and vegetation, determining the chemical composition of discharge and evapotranspiration. We present results from a controlled lysimeter experiment and real-world catchments, where the theoretical framework has been used to reproduce water quality datasets including conservative tracers (e.g. chloride and water stable isotopes) and weathering-derived solutes (like silicon and sodium). The approach proves useful to estimate the catchment water storage involved in solute mixing and sheds light on how solutes and water of different ages are selectively removed by vegetation and soil drainage.

Using heat to characterize streambed water flux variability in four stream reaches

USGS Publications Warehouse

Essaid, H.I.; Zamora, C.M.; McCarthy, K.A.; Vogel, J.R.; Wilson, J.T.

2008-01-01

Estimates of streambed water flux are needed for the interpretation of streambed chemistry and reactions. Continuous temperature and head monitoring in stream reaches within four agricultural watersheds (Leary Weber Ditch, IN; Maple Creek, NE; DR2 Drain, WA; and Merced River, CA) allowed heat to be used as a tracer to study the temporal and spatial variability of fluxes through the streambed. Synoptic methods (seepage meter and differential discharge measurements) were compared with estimates obtained by using heat as a tracer. Water flux was estimated by modeling one-dimensional vertical flow of water and heat using the model VS2DH. Flux was influenced by physical heterogeneity of the stream channel and temporal variability in stream and ground-water levels. During most of the study period (April-December 2004), flux was upward through the streambeds. At the IN, NE, and CA sites, high-stage events resulted in rapid reversal of flow direction inducing short-term surface-water flow into the streambed. During late summer at the IN site, regional ground-water levels dropped, leading to surface-water loss to ground water that resulted in drying of the ditch. Synoptic measurements of flux generally supported the model flux estimates. Water flow through the streambed was roughly an order of magnitude larger in the humid basins (IN and NE) than in the arid basins (WA and CA). Downward flux, in response to sudden high streamflows, and seasonal variability in flux was most pronounced in the humid basins and in high conductivity zones in the streambed. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Floodplains as a source of fine sediment in grazed landscapes: Tracing the source of suspended sediment in the headwaters of an intensively managed agricultural landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Mingjing; Rhoads, Bruce L.

2018-05-01

The flux of fine sediment within agricultural watersheds is an important factor determining the environmental quality of streams and rivers. Despite this importance, the contributions of sediment sources to suspended sediment loads within intensively managed agricultural watersheds remain poorly understood. This study assesses the provenance of fine suspended sediment in the headwater portion of a river flowing through an agricultural landscape in Illinois. Sediment source samples were collected from five sources: croplands, forested floodplains, grasslands, upper grazed floodplains, and lower grazed floodplains. Event-based and aggregated suspended sediment samples were collected from the stream at the watershed outlet. Quantitative geochemical fingerprinting techniques and a mixing model were employed to estimate the relative contributions of sediment from the five sources to the suspended sediment loads. To account for possible effects of small sample sizes, the analysis was repeated with only two sources: grazed floodplains and croplands/grasslands/forested floodplains. Results based on mean values of tracers indicate that the vast majority of suspended sediment within the stream (>95%) is derived from erosion of channel banks and the soil surface within areas of grazed floodplains. Uncertainty analysis based on Monte Carlo simulations indicates that mean values of tracer properties, which do not account for sampling variability in these properties, probably overestimate contributions from the two major sources. Nevertheless, this analysis still supports the conclusion that floodplain erosion accounts for the largest percentage of instream sediment (≈55-75%). Although grazing occurs over only a small portion of the total watershed area, grazed floodplains, which lie in close proximity to the stream channel, are an important source of sediment in this headwater steam system. Efforts to reduce fluxes of fine sediment in this intensively managed landscape should focus on eroding floodplain surfaces and channel banks within heavily grazed reaches of the stream.

Use of tracer injections and synoptic sampling to measure metal loading from acid mine drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kimball, Briant A.

1997-01-01

Thousands of abandoned and inactive mines are located in environmentally sensitive mountain watersheds. Cost-effective remediation of the effects of metals from mining in these watersheds requires knowledge of the most significant sources of metals. The significance of a given source depends on the toxicity of a particular metal, how much of the metal enters the stream, and whether or not the metal remains in the stream in a toxic form. This discussion deals with accounting for how much metal enters the stream and whether it stays in the stream. The amount of metal entering the stream is called the mass loading and is calculated as the product of metal concentration and stream discharge. The overall effect of high metal concentrations on streams and aquatic organisms is unclear without discharge measurements.A traditional discharge measurement is obtained by dividing a stream into small sections and measuring the cross-sectional area and the average water velocity in each section. Summing the measurements of all the sections gives the discharge of the entire stream. This method works well where the channel bottom and banks are smooth. In mountain streams, however, the stream bottom typically is covered with cobbles, allowing much of the water to flow through the cobbles of the streambed where it cannot be measured by a flow meter (fig. 1). Thus, accurate discharge measurements are difficult to obtain in mountain streams, even under the best of conditions.

Regional-scale, fully coupled modelling of stream aquifer interaction in a tropical catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Adrian D.; Gallagher, Mark R.; Weeks, Scott W.

2006-09-01

SummaryThe planning and management of water resources in the Pioneer Valley, north-eastern Australia requires a tool for assessing the impact of groundwater and stream abstractions on water supply reliabilities and environmental flows in Sandy Creek (the main surface water system studied). Consequently, a fully coupled stream-aquifer model has been constructed using the code MODHMS, calibrated to near-stream observations of watertable behaviour and multiple components of gauged stream flow. This model has been tested using other methods of estimation, including stream depletion analysis and radon isotope tracer sampling. The coarseness of spatial discretisation, which is required for practical reasons of computational efficiency, limits the model's capacity to simulate small-scale processes (e.g., near-stream groundwater pumping, bank storage effects), and alternative approaches are required to complement the model's range of applicability. Model predictions of groundwater influx to Sandy Creek are compared with baseflow estimates from three different hydrograph separation techniques, which were found to be unable to reflect the dynamics of Sandy Creek stream-aquifer interactions. The model was also used to infer changes in the water balance of the system caused by historical land use change. This led to constraints on the recharge distribution which can be implemented to improve model calibration performance.

Memory of the Lake Rotorua catchment - time lag of the water in the catchment and delayed arrival of contaminants from past land use activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenstern, Uwe; Daughney, Christopher J.; Stewart, Michael K.; McDonnell, Jeffrey J.

2013-04-01

The transit time distribution of streamflow is a fundamental descriptor of the flowpaths of water through a catchment and the storage of water within it, controlling its response to landuse change, pollution, ecological degradation, and climate change. Significant time lags (catchment memory) in the responses of streams to these stressors and their amelioration or restoration have been observed. Lag time can be quantified via water transit time of the catchment discharge. Mean transit times can be in the order of years and decades (Stewart et al 2012, Morgenstern et al., 2010). If the water passes through large groundwater reservoirs, it is difficult to quantify and predict the lag time. A pulse shaped tracer that moves with the water can allow quantification of the mean transit time. Environmental tritium is the ideal tracer of the water cycle. Tritium is part of the water molecule, is not affected by chemical reactions in the aquifer, and the bomb tritium from the atmospheric nuclear weapons testing represents a pulse shaped tracer input that allows for very accurate measurement of the age distribution parameters of the water in the catchment discharge. Tritium time series data from all catchment discharges (streams and springs) into Lake Rotorua, New Zealand, allow for accurate determination of the age distribution parameters. The Lake Rotorua catchment tritium data from streams and springs are unique, with high-quality tritium data available over more than four decades, encompassing the time when the bomb-tritium moved through the groundwater system, and from a very high number of streams and springs. Together with the well-defined tritium input into the Rotorua catchment, this data set allows for the best understanding of the water dynamics through a large scale catchment, including validation of complicated water mixing models. Mean transit times of the main streams into the lake range between 27 and 170 years. With such old water discharging into the lake, most of the water inflows into the lake are not yet fully representing the nitrate loading in their sub-catchments from current land use practises. These water inflows are still 'diluted' by pristine old water, but over time, the full amount of nitrate load will arrive at the lake. With the age distribution parameters, it is possible to predict the increase in nitrate load to the lake via the groundwater discharges. All sub-catchments have different mean transit times. The mean transit times are not necessarily correlated with observable hydrogeologic properties like hydraulic conductivity and catchment size. Without such age tracer data, it is therefore difficult to predict mean transit times (lag times, memory) of water transfer through catchments. References: Stewart, M.K., Morgenstern, U., McDonnell, J.J., Pfister, L. (2012). The 'hidden streamflow' challenge in catchment hydrology: A call to action for streamwater transit time analysis. Hydrol. Process. 26,2061-2066, Invited commentary. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.9262 Morgenstern, U., Stewart, M.K., and Stenger, R. (2010) Dating of streamwater using tritium in a post nuclear bomb pulse world: continuous variation of mean transit time with streamflow, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci, 14, 2289-2301

A Review of Multidimensional, Multifluid Intermediate-scale Experiments: Flow Behavior, Saturation Imaging, and Tracer Detection and Quantification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oostrom, Mart; Dane, J. H.; Wietsma, Thomas W.

2007-08-01

A review is presented of original multidimensional, intermediate-scale experiments involving non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) flow behavior, imaging, and detection/quantification with solute tracers. In a companion paper (Oostrom, M., J.H. Dane, and T.W. Wietsma. 2006. A review of multidimensional, multifluid intermediate-scale experiments: Nonaqueous phase dissolution and enhanced remediation. Vadose Zone Journal 5:570-598) experiments related to aqueous dissolution and enhanced remediation were discussed. The experiments investigating flow behavior include infiltration and redistribution experiments with both light and dense NAPLs in homogeneous and heterogeneous porous medium systems. The techniques used for NAPL saturation mapping for intermediate-scale experiments include photon-attenuation methods such as gammamore » and X-ray techniques, and photographic methods such as the light reflection, light transmission, and multispectral image analysis techniques. Solute tracer methods used for detection and quantification of NAPL in the subsurface are primarily limited to variations of techniques comparing the behavior of conservative and partitioning tracers. Besides a discussion of the experimental efforts, recommendations for future research at this laboratory scale are provided.« less

An innovative experimental setup for Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry measurements in riverine environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tauro, Flavia; Olivieri, Giorgio; Porfiri, Maurizio; Grimaldi, Salvatore

2014-05-01

Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV) is a powerful methodology to nonintrusively monitor surface flows. Its use has been beneficial to the development of rating curves in riverine environments and to map geomorphic features in natural waterways. Typical LSPIV experimental setups rely on the use of mast-mounted cameras for the acquisition of natural stream reaches. Such cameras are installed on stream banks and are angled with respect to the water surface to capture large scale fields of view. Despite its promise and the simplicity of the setup, the practical implementation of LSPIV is affected by several challenges, including the acquisition of ground reference points for image calibration and time-consuming and highly user-assisted procedures to orthorectify images. In this work, we perform LSPIV studies on stream sections in the Aniene and Tiber basins, Italy. To alleviate the limitations of traditional LSPIV implementations, we propose an improved video acquisition setup comprising a telescopic, an inexpensive GoPro Hero 3 video camera, and a system of two lasers. The setup allows for maintaining the camera axis perpendicular to the water surface, thus mitigating uncertainties related to image orthorectification. Further, the mast encases a laser system for remote image calibration, thus allowing for nonintrusively calibrating videos without acquiring ground reference points. We conduct measurements on two different water bodies to outline the performance of the methodology in case of varying flow regimes, illumination conditions, and distribution of surface tracers. Specifically, the Aniene river is characterized by high surface flow velocity, the presence of abundant, homogeneously distributed ripples and water reflections, and a meagre number of buoyant tracers. On the other hand, the Tiber river presents lower surface flows, isolated reflections, and several floating objects. Videos are processed through image-based analyses to correct for lens distortions and analyzed with a commercially available PIV software. Surface flow velocity estimates are compared to supervised measurements performed by visually tracking objects floating on the stream surface and to rating curves developed by the Ufficio Idrografico e Mareografico (UIM) at Regione Lazio, Italy. Experimental findings demonstrate that the presence of tracers is crucial for surface flow velocity estimates. Further, considering surface ripples and patterns may lead to underestimations in LSPIV analyses.

Anomalous transport in fracture networks: field scale experiments and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, P. K.; Le Borgne, T.; Bour, O.; Dentz, M.; Juanes, R.

2012-12-01

Anomalous transport is widely observed in different settings and scales of transport through porous and fractured geologic media. A common signature of anomalous transport is the late-time power law tailing in breakthrough curves (BTCs) during tracer tests. Various conceptual models of anomalous transport have been proposed, including multirate mass transfer, continuous time random walk, and stream tube models. Since different conceptual models can produce equally good fits to a single BTC, tracer test interpretation has been plagued with ambiguity. Here, we propose to resolve such ambiguity by analyzing BTCs obtained from both convergent and push-pull flow configurations at two different fracture planes. We conducted field tracer tests in a fractured granite formation close to Ploemeur, France. We observe that BTC tailing depends on the flow configuration and the injection fracture. Specifically the tailing disappears under push-pull geometry, and when we injected at a fracture with high flux (Figure 1). This indicates that for this fractured granite, BTC tailing is controlled by heterogeneous advection and not by matrix diffusion. To explain the change in tailing behavior for different flow configurations, we employ a simple lattice network model with heterogeneous conductivity distribution. The model assigns random conductivities to the fractures and solves the Darcy equation for an incompressible fluid, enforcing mass conservation at fracture intersections. The mass conservation constraint yields a correlated random flow through the fracture system. We investigate whether BTC tailing can be explained by the spatial distribution of preferential flow paths and stagnation zones, which is controlled by the conductivity variance and correlation length. By combining the results from the field tests and numerical modeling, we show that the reversibility of spreading is a key mechanism that needs to be captured. We also demonstrate the dominant role of the injection fracture on the tailing behavior: where we inject makes the difference in the tailing. Blue line is a BTC with injection into a slow velocity zone under convergent flow configuration. The late-time tailing observed for the convergent test diminished for push-pull experiment performed in the same zone(red line). Black line is a BTC with injection into a high velocity zone under convergent flow configuration. Insets: illustration of convergent and push-pull tracer tests using a double packer system.

Reactive solute transport in streams: 2. Simulation of a pH modification experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Runkel, Robert L.; McKnight, Diane M.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; Chapra, Steven C.

1996-01-01

We present an application of an equilibrium-based solute transport model to a pH-modification experiment conducted on the Snake River, an acidic, metal-rich stream located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. During the experiment, instream pH decreased from 4.2 to 3.2, causing a marked increase in dissolved iron concentrations. Model application requires specification of several parameters that are estimated using tracer techniques, mass balance calculations, and geochemical data. Two basic questions are addressed through model application: (1) What are the processes responsible for the observed increase in dissolved iron concentrations? (2) Can the identified processes be represented within the equilibrium-based transport model? Simulation results indicate that the increase in iron was due to the dissolution of hydrous iron oxides and the photoreduction of ferric iron. Dissolution from the streambed is represented by considering a trace compartment consisting of freshly precipitated hydrous iron oxide and an abundant compartment consisting of aged precipitates that are less soluble. Spatial variability in the solubility of hydrous iron oxide is attributed to heterogeneity in the streambed sediments, temperature effects, and/or variability in the effects of photoreduction. Solubility products estimated via simulation fall within a narrow range (pKsp from 40.2 to 40.8) relative to the 6 order of magnitude variation reported for laboratory experiments (pKsp from 37.3 to 43.3). Results also support the use of an equilibrium-based transport model as the predominate features of the iron and pH profiles are reproduced. The model provides a valuable tool for quantifying the nature and extent of pH-dependent processes within the context of hydrologic transport.

Reactive Solute Transport in Streams: 2. Simulation of a pH Modification Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runkel, Robert L.; McKnight, Diane M.; Bencala, Kenneth E.; Chapra, Steven C.

1996-02-01

We present an application of an equilibrium-based solute transport model to a pH-modification experiment conducted on the Snake River, an acidic, metal-rich stream located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. During the experiment, instream pH decreased from 4.2 to 3.2, causing a marked increase in dissolved iron concentrations. Model application requires specification of several parameters that are estimated using tracer techniques, mass balance calculations, and geochemical data. Two basic questions are addressed through model application: (1) What are the processes responsible for the observed increase in dissolved iron concentrations? (2) Can the identified processes be represented within the equilibrium-based transport model? Simulation results indicate that the increase in iron was due to the dissolution of hydrous iron oxides and the photoreduction of ferric iron. Dissolution from the streambed is represented by considering a trace compartment consisting of freshly precipitated hydrous iron oxide and an abundant compartment consisting of aged precipitates that are less soluble. Spatial variability in the solubility of hydrous iron oxide is attributed to heterogeneity in the streambed sediments, temperature effects, and/or variability in the effects of photoreduction. Solubility products estimated via simulation fall within a narrow range (pKsp from 40.2 to 40.8) relative to the 6 order of magnitude variation reported for laboratory experiments (pKsp from 37.3 to 43.3). Results also support the use of an equilibrium-based transport model as the predominate features of the iron and pH profiles are reproduced. The model provides a valuable tool for quantifying the nature and extent of pH-dependent processes within the context of hydrologic transport.

Measurements of condensation nuclei above the jet stream - Evidence for cross jet transport by waves and new particle formation at high altitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. C.; Lai, W. T.; Smith, S. D.

1991-01-01

Condensation nuclei were used as a tracer in midlatitude NASA Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange Project (STEP) experiments in April and May 1984 in order to study transport in the stratosphere. The very large scale, mean CN distribution was distorted by waves which had the effect of transporting air with anticyclonic properties several degrees to the cyclonic side of the jet and created a strongly layered structure in the CN distribution. Unfiltered CN data revealed short-wavelength oscillations in the CN distribution at the interface between the transported anticyclonic air parcel and the adjacent cyclonic air mass. These oscillations were also seen in the ozone data and increase the potential for mixing along that interface. If the mixing does occur, a wave mechanism for cross-jet transport has been observed.

Artificial sweeteners as potential tracers of municipal landfill leachate.

PubMed

Roy, James W; Van Stempvoort, Dale R; Bickerton, Greg

2014-01-01

Artificial sweeteners are gaining acceptance as tracers of human wastewater in the environment. The 3 artificial sweeteners analyzed in this study were detected in leachate or leachate-impacted groundwater at levels comparable to those of untreated wastewater at 14 of 15 municipal landfill sites tested, including several closed for >50 years. Saccharin was the dominant sweetener in old (pre-1990) landfills, while newer landfills were dominated by saccharin and acesulfame (introduced 2 decades ago; dominant in wastewater). Cyclamate was also detected, but less frequently. A case study at one site illustrates the use of artificial sweeteners to identify a landfill-impacted groundwater plume discharging to a stream. The study results suggest that artificial sweeteners can be useful tracers for current and legacy landfill contamination, with relative abundances of the sweeteners potentially providing diagnostic ability to distinguish different landfills or landfill cells, including crude age-dating, and to distinguish landfill and wastewater sources. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical Tool Peer Review Summary.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cashion, Avery Ted; Cieslewski, Grzegorz

Chemical tracers are commonly used to characterize fracture networks and to determine the connectivity between the injection and production wells. Currently, most tracer experiments involve injecting the tracer at the injection well, manually collecting liquid samples at the wellhead of the production well, and sending the samples off for laboratory analysis. While this method provides accurate tracer concentration data, it does not provide information regarding the location of the fractures conducting the tracer between wellbores. The goal of this project is to develop chemical sensors and design a prototype tool to help understand the fracture properties of a geothermal reservoirmore » by monitoring tracer concentrations along the depth of the well. The sensors will be able to detect certain species of the ionic tracers (mainly iodide) and pH in-situ during the tracer experiment. The proposed high-temperature (HT) tool will house the chemical sensors as well as a standard logging sensor package of pressure, temperature, and flow sensors in order to provide additional information on the state of the geothermal reservoir. The sensors and the tool will be able to survive extended deployments at temperatures up to 225 °C and high pressures to provide real-time temporal and spatial feedback of tracer concentration. Data collected from this tool will allow for the real-time identification of the fractures conducting chemical tracers between wellbores along with the pH of the reservoir fluid at various depths.« less

MULTISPECIES REACTIVE TRACER TEST IN A SAND AND GRAVEL AQUIFER, CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS: PART 2: TRANSPORT OF CHROMIUM (VI) AND LEAD-, COPPER-, AND ZINC-EDTA TRACERS

EPA Science Inventory

This report discusses the transport of a group of reactive tracers over the course of a large-scale, natural gradient tracer test conducted at the USGS Cape Cod Toxic Substances Hydrology Research site, near Falmouth, Massachusetts. The overall objectives of the experiment were ...

Formation of transformation products from wastewater-derived pharmaceuticals in an urban lowland stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jäger, A.; Posselt, M.; Schaper, J. L.; Lewandowski, J.

2017-12-01

Not only transport, but especially transformation of polar organic micropollutants in urban streams is of increasing concern for urban water management. While concentrations of pharmaceuticals might decrease down the river, concentrations of their more persistent metabolites potentially increase due to microbial transformation. The river Erpe, an urban lowland stream located in Berlin, Germany, receives high loads of treated waste water. A Lagrangian sampling scheme was applied to follow water parcels 4.7 km down the river using the diurnal fluctuations of electrical conductivity as an intrinsic conservative tracer. Each experiment comprised of hourly sample collection for two days, accompanied by discharge measurements and continuous data logging of electrical conductivity. The fate of pharmaceuticals and their transformation products was compared between seasons (April and June) and before and after a stretch of the river has been cleared of macrophytes. The set of micropollutants was analysed by a newly developed direct injection-UHPLC-MS/MS method. The behaviour of individual micropollutants was compound-specific. Valsartan and metoprolol were attenuated by up to 18% of their original concentration. At the same time the transformation products valsartan acid and metoprolol acid increased in concentration by up to 24%. Their formation along the reach varied between seasons and was influenced by macrophyte removal. The findings indicate that the self-purification capacity of urban rivers is variable in time and sensitive to changes in the river's hydrological regime and emphasize the relevance of formation of transformation products in urban rivers.

The STREGA survey - II. Globular cluster Palomar 12

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musella, I.; Di Criscienzo, M.; Marconi, M.; Raimondo, G.; Ripepi, V.; Cignoni, M.; Bono, G.; Brocato, E.; Dall'Ora, M.; Ferraro, I.; Grado, A.; Iannicola, G.; Limatola, L.; Molinaro, R.; Moretti, M. I.; Stetson, P. B.; Capaccioli, M.; Cioni, M.-R. L.; Getman, F.; Schipani, P.

2018-01-01

In the framework of the STREGA (STRucture and Evolution of the GAlaxy) survey, two fields around the globular cluster Pal 12 were observed with the aim of detecting the possible presence of streams and/or an extended halo. The adopted stellar tracers are the main sequence, turn-off and red giant branch stars. We discuss the luminosity function and the star counts in the observed region covering about 2 tidal radii, confirming that Pal 12 appears to be embedded in the Sagittarius Stream. Adopting an original approach to separate cluster and field stars, we do not find any evidence of significant extra-tidal Pal 12 stellar populations. The presence of the Sagittarius stream seems to have mimicked a larger tidal radius in previous studies. Indeed, adopting a King model, a redetermination of this value gives rT = 0.22 ± 0.1 deg.

Spatially distributed characterization of hyporheic solute transport during baseflow recession in a headwater mountain stream using electrical geophysical imaging

Treesearch

Adam S. Ward; Michael N. Gooseff; Michael Fitzgerald; Thomas J. Voltz; Kamini Singha

2014-01-01

The transport of solutes along hyporheic flowpaths is recognized as central to numerous biogeochemical cycles, yet our understanding of how this transport changes with baseflow recession, particularly in a spatially distributed manner, is limited. We conducted four steady-state solute tracer injections and collected electrical resistivity data to characterize hyporheic...

ERTS-1 observations of sea surface circulation and sediment transport, Cook Inlet, Alaska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, F. F.; Sharma, G. D.; Burbank, D. C.

1973-01-01

Cook Inlet is a large tide-dominated estuary in southern Alaska. Highly turbid streams enter the upper inlet, providing an excellent tracer for circulation in the lower inlet. MSS 4 and 5 images both can be used in this area to plot sediment and pollutant trajectories, areas of (probable) commercial fish concentration, and the entire circulation regime.

The Fischa-Dagnitz spring, Southern Vienna Basin: a multi tracer time series study re-assessing earlier conceptual assumptions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suckow, Axel; Gerber, Christoph; Kralik, Martin; Sültenfuss, Jürgen; Purtschert, Roland

2013-04-01

The gravel aquifer of the Southern Vienna Basin is a very important backup drinking water resource for the city of Vienna. A discharge location, the Fischa-Dagnitz spring in the Southern Vienna Basin, Austria, was re-investigated in 2011, five years after the gas exchange tracer test published in (Stolp et al., 2010), and sampled for stable isotopes 18O/2H, tritium, 3He, SF6 and 85Kr (Gerber et al., 2012). Additionally, new tritium time series data (Davis et al., 1967), previously not considered in Stolp et al. (2010), were included. These show a higher and earlier tritium peak of >300 TU in 1965 in the discharge of the Fischa-Dagnitz spring as compared to 221 TU in 1972 considered in Stolp et al. (2010). The new 3He, SF6 and 85Kr gas tracer data from 2011 confirm the earlier finding for 3He of Stolp et al. (2010) and indicate a more recent equilibration with the atmosphere than the water bound tracers 18O, 2H and tritium. A new modelling attempt using the Lumpy code (Suckow, 2012) confirmed the discrepancy between the tritium data and the gaseous tracers 3He, SF6 and 85Kr. No steady-state combination of local recharge (represented by an exponential model) and Schwarza river infiltration flowing through the gravel aquifer (represented by a parallel dispersion model) can equally well explain both the tritium time series and the gas tracer results. A revised conceptual model proposes that a pinching of the aquifer at unconformities in the gravel body or a fault zone known in the gravel body forces groundwater along the flow path closer to the surface and exposes it to the atmosphere. This would tend to reset the "dating" clock for the gaseous tracers 3He, SF6 and 85Kr, which can equilibrate quickly with the atmosphere, but not for tritium, which marks the transport behaviour of the water itself. These findings are of importance also for other multi-tracer assessments of groundwater movement in phreatic aquifer systems. References: Davis, G.H., Payne, B.R., Dincer, T., Florkowski, T., Gattinger, T., 1967. Seasonal Variations in the Tritium Content of Groundwaters of the Vienna Basin, Austria, Isotope Hydrology 1967. IAEA, Vienna, Austria, IAEA, Vienna, Austria, pp. 451-473. Gerber, C., Purtschert, R., Kralik, M., Humer, F., Sültenfuss, J., Darling, G.W., Gooddy, D., 2012. Suitability and potential of environmental tracers for base-flow determination in streams: EGU2012-14066, EGU 12. European Geosciences Union, Vienna Stolp, B.J., Solomon, D.K., Suckow, A., Vitvar, T., Rank, D., Aggarwal, P.K., Han, L.-F., 2010. Age dating base flow at springs and gaining streams using helium-3 and tritium: Fischa-Dagnitz system, southern Vienna Basin, Austria. Water Resources Research 46. Suckow, A., 2012. Lumpy - an interactive Lumped Parameter Modeling code based on MS Access and MS Excel., EGU 12. European Geosciences Union, Vienna

Measurement of reaeration coefficients for selected Florida streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hampson, P.S.; Coffin, J.E.

1989-01-01

A total of 29 separate reaeration coefficient determinations were performed on 27 subreaches of 12 selected Florida streams between October 1981 and May 1985. Measurements performed prior to June 1984 were made using the peak and area methods with ethylene and propane as the tracer gases. Later measurements utilized the steady-state method with propane as the only tracer gas. The reaeration coefficients ranged from 1.07 to 45.9 days with a mean estimated probable error of +/16.7%. Ten predictive equations (compiled from the literature) were also evaluated using the measured coefficients. The most representative equation was one of the energy dissipation type with a standard error of 60.3%. Seven of the 10 predictive additional equations were modified using the measured coefficients and nonlinear regression techniques. The most accurate of the developed equations was also of the energy dissipation form and had a standard error of 54.9%. For 5 of the 13 subreaches in which both ethylene and propane were used, the ethylene data resulted in substantially larger reaeration coefficient values which were rejected. In these reaches, ethylene concentrations were probably significantly affected by one or more electrophilic addition reactions known to occur in aqueous media. (Author 's abstract)

How Far is Far Enough? Invertebrate Responses to Physical Constraints on Drift Distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoover, T. M.; Yonemitsu, N.; Richardson, J. S.

2005-05-01

Many stream insects enter the drift and disperse downstream. Once entrained, however, the probability of settling in a patch of suitable habitat is a function of the physical properties and behavior of the drifting insect, as well as the hydrodynamic characteristics of the habitat through which the insect is drifting. The roles that taxa-specific morphology and behavior play in determining drift distance were examined for four mayflies with different habitat requirements; two rheophilous taxa (Baetis and Epeorus) and two pool-dwelling taxa (Ameletus and Paraleptophlebia). Larvae were released in an experimental channel in low and high water velocities. The total distances traveled by live mayfly larvae (+ behavior, + morphology) were compared to heat-killed larvae (- behavior, + morphology), and a series of low-density tracer particles (- behavior, - morphology). Live Baetis and Epeorus drifted similar distances, whereas the drift distances of the two pool taxa differed substantially (Ameletus < Epeorus, Baetis < Paraleptophlebia). The settlement distributions of dead larvae and passive tracer particles show that settlement behaviors allow drifting larvae to avoid becoming entrained in large-scale turbulent flow structures. These results suggest that stream insects have evolved strategies that facilitate dispersal between patches of suitable habitat.

Spatial distribution of solute leaching with snowmelt and irrigation: measurements and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schotanus, D.; van der Ploeg, M. J.; van der Zee, S. E. A. T. M.

2013-04-01

Transport of a tracer and a degradable solute in a heterogeneous soil was measured in the field, and simulated with several transient and steady state infiltration rates. Leaching surfaces were used to investigate the solute leaching in space and time simultaneously. In the simulations, a random field for the scaling factor in the retention curve was used for the heterogeneous soil, which was based on the spatial distribution of drainage in an experiment with a multi-compartment sampler. As a criterion to compare the results from simulations and observations, the sorted and cumulative total drainage in a cell was used. The effect of the ratio of the infiltration rate over the degradation rate on leaching of degradable solutes was investigated. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the leaching of degradable and non-degradable solutes was compared. The infiltration rate determines the amount of leaching of the degradable solute. This can be partly explained by a decreasing travel time with an increasing infiltration rate. The spatial distribution of the leaching also depends on the infiltration rate. When the infiltration rate is high compared to the degradation rate, the leaching of the degradable solute is similar as for the tracer. The fraction of the pore space of the soil that contributes to solute leaching increases with an increasing infiltration rate. This fraction is similar for a tracer and a degradable solute. With increasing depth, the leaching becomes more homogeneous, as a result of dispersion. The spatial distribution of the solute leaching is different under different transient infiltration rates, therefore, also the amount of leaching is different. With independent stream tube approaches, this effect would be ignored.

Spatial distribution of solute leaching with snowmelt and irrigation: measurements and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schotanus, D.; van der Ploeg, M. J.; van der Zee, S. E. A. T. M.

2012-12-01

Transport of a tracer and a degradable solute in a heterogeneous soil was measured in the field, and simulated with several transient and steady state infiltration rates. Leaching surfaces were used to investigate the solute leaching in space and time simultaneously. In the simulations, a random field for the scaling factor in the retention curve was used for the heterogeneous soil, which was based on the spatial distribution of drainage in an experiment with a multi-compartment sampler. As a criterion to compare the results from simulations and observations, the sorted and cumulative total drainage in a cell was used. The effect of the ratio of the infiltration rate over the degradation rate on leaching of degradable solutes was investigated. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of the leaching of degradable and non-degradable solutes was compared. The infiltration rate determines the amount of leaching of the degradable solute. This can be partly explained by a decreasing travel time with an increasing infiltration rate. The spatial distribution of the leaching also depends on the infiltration rate. When the infiltration rate is high compared to the degradation rate, the leaching of the degradable solute is similar as for the tracer. The fraction of the soil that contributes to solute leaching increases with an increasing infiltration rate. This fraction is similar for a tracer and a degradable solute. With increasing depth, the leaching becomes more homogeneous, as a result of dispersion. The spatial distribution of the solute leaching is different under different transient infiltration rates, therefore also the amount of leaching is different. With independent stream tube approaches, this effect would be ignored.

Isotope dilution technique for quantitative analysis of endogenous trace element species in biological systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaumlöffel, Dirk; Lobinski, Ryszard

2005-04-01

The aim of this study was to develop an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) method for the determination of enriched species-specific mercury tracers at ng L-1 levels (ppt) in zooplankton and aquatic samples from biological tracer experiments. Applying a cold vapor sector field ICPMS method a high sensitivity was obtained, i.e., 106 cps for 1 [mu]g L-1 of natural mercury measured on 202Hg+, which in turn enabled the measurement of mercury isotope ratios with a 0.6-1.4%R.S.D. precision for a 50 ng L-1 standard. This method was used to quantify CH3201Hg+ and 200Hg2+ tracers in zooplankton from a biological tracer experiment with the aim of investigating the effects of algal density and zooplankton density on mercury bioaccumulation in zooplankton in a fresh water system. For quantification purposes a known amount of 199Hg+ was added to the zooplankton samples before digestion. The digested samples were analyzed and the resulting ICPMS spectra split into four spectra one for each of the four sources of mercury present in the sample (CH3201Hg+, 200Hg2+, 199Hg2+ and natural mercury) using algebraic de-convoluting. The CH3201Hg+ and 200Hg2+ tracers were quantified using an isotope dilution approach with the added 199Hg+. Detection limits were 0.6 and 0.2 ng L-1 for 200Hg+ and CH3201Hg+, respectively. The coefficient of variation on the tracer determinations was approximately 18% CV estimated from the analysis of real samples with tracer concentrations in the <0.1-100 ng L-1 range. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of species-specific mercury tracers in zooplankton samples from a biological tracer experiment.

From one plot to many and from hillslopes to streams: Improving our understanding of catchment hydrology with a multi-scale experimental approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blume, Theresa; Weiler, Markus; Angermann, Lisa; Beiter, Daniel; Hassler, Sibylle; Kaplan, Nils; Lieder, Ernestine; Sprenger, Matthias

2017-04-01

Sustainable water resources management needs to be based on sound process understanding. This is especially true in a changing world, where boundary conditions change and models calibrated to the status quo are no longer helpful. There is a general agreement in the hydrologic community that we are in need of a better process understanding and that one of the most promising ways to achieve this is by using nested experimental designs that cover a range of scales. In the here presented study we argue that while we might be able to investigate a certain process at a plot or hillslope in detail, the real power of advancing our understanding lies in site intercomparison and if possible knowledge transfer and generalization. The experimental design of the CAOS observatory is based on sensor clusters measuring ground-, soil and stream water, sap flow and climate variables in 45 hydrological functional units which were chosen from a matrix of site characteristics (geology, land use, hillslope aspect, and topographic positions). This design allows for site intercomparisons that are based on more than one member per class and thus does not only characterize between class differences but also attempts to identify within-class variability. These distributed plot scale investigations offer a large amount of information on plot scale processes and their variability in space and time (e.g. water storage dynamics and patterns, vertical flow processes and vadose zone transit times, transpiration dynamics and patterns). However, if we want to improve our understanding of runoff generation (and thus also of nutrient and contaminant transport and export to the stream) we need to also understand how these plots link up within hillslopes and how and when these hillslopes are connected to the stream. And certainly, this is again most helpful if we do not focus on single sites but attempt experimental designs that aim at intercomparison and generalization. At the same time, the investigation of hillslope-stream connectivity is extremely challenging due to the fact that there is a high 4-dimensional variability of the involved processes and most of them are hidden from view in the subsurface. To tackle this challenge we employed a number of different field methods ranging from hillslope scale irrigation and flow-through experiments, to in depth analyses of near stream piezometer responses and stream reach tracer experiments, and then moving on to the mesoscale catchment with network wide investigations of spatial patterns of stream temperature and electric conductivity as well as of the expansion and shrinkage of the network itself. In this presentation we will provide an overview of the rationale, approach, experimental design and ongoing work, the challenges we encountered and a synthesis of exemplary results.

Complex Catchment Processes that Control Stream Nitrogen and Organic Matter Concentrations in a Northeastern USA Upland Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.; Shanley, J. B.; Pellerin, B.; Saraceno, J.; Aiken, G. R.; Boyer, E. W.; Doctor, D. H.; Kendall, C.

2009-05-01

There is a need to understand the coupled biogeochemical and hydrological processes that control stream hydrochemistry in upland forested catchments. At watershed 9 (W-9) of the Sleepers River Research Watershed in the northeastern USA, we use high-frequency sampling, environmental tracers, end-member mixing analysis, and stream reach mass balances to understand dynamic factors affect forms and concentrations of nitrogen and organic matter in streamflow. We found that rates of stream nitrate processing changed during autumn baseflow and that up to 70% of nitrate inputs to a stream reach were retained. At the same time, the stream reach was a net source of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fractions of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The in-stream nitrate loss and DOM gains are examples of hot moments of biogeochemical transformations during autumn when deciduous litter fall increases DOM availability. As hydrological flowpaths changed during rainfall events, the sources and transformations of nitrate and DOM differed from baseflow. For example, during storm flow we measured direct inputs of unprocessed atmospheric nitrate to streams that were as large as 30% of the stream nitrate loading. At the same time, stream DOM composition shifted to reflect inputs of reactive organic matter from surficial upland soils. The transport of atmospheric nitrate and reactive DOM to streams underscores the importance of quantifying source variation during short-duration stormflow events. Building upon these findings we present a conceptual model of interacting ecosystem processes that control the flow of water and nutrients to streams in a temperate upland catchment.

A lab in the field: high-frequency analysis of water quality and stable isotopes in stream water and precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Freyberg, Jana; Studer, Bjørn; Kirchner, James W.

2017-03-01

High-frequency measurements of solutes and isotopes (18O and 2H) in rainfall and streamflow can shed important light on catchment flow pathways and travel times, but the workload and sample storage artifacts involved in collecting, transporting, and analyzing thousands of bottled samples severely constrain catchment studies in which conventional sampling methods are employed. However, recent developments towards more compact and robust analyzers have now made it possible to measure chemistry and water isotopes in the field at sub-hourly frequencies over extended periods. Here, we present laboratory and field tests of a membrane-vaporization continuous water sampler coupled to a cavity ring-down spectrometer for real-time measurements of δ18O and δ2H combined with a dual-channel ion chromatograph (IC) for the synchronous analysis of major cations and anions. The precision of the isotope analyzer was typically better than 0.03 ‰ for δ18O and 0.17 ‰ for δ2H in 10 min average readings taken at intervals of 30 min. Carryover effects were less than 1.2 % between isotopically contrasting water samples for 30 min sampling intervals, and instrument drift could be corrected through periodic analysis of secondary reference standards. The precision of the ion chromatograph was typically ˜ 0.1-1 ppm or better, with relative standard deviations of ˜ 1 % or better for most major ions in stream water, which is sufficient to detect subtle biogeochemical signals in catchment runoff. We installed the coupled isotope analyzer/IC system in an uninsulated hut next to a stream of a small catchment and analyzed stream water and precipitation samples every 30 min over 28 days. These high-frequency measurements facilitated a detailed comparison of event-water fractions via endmember mixing analysis with both chemical and isotope tracers. For two events with relatively dry antecedent moisture conditions, the event-water fractions were < 21 % based on isotope tracers but were significantly overestimated (40 to 82 %) by the chemical tracers. These observations, coupled with the storm-to-storm patterns in precipitation isotope inputs and the associated stream water isotope response, led to a conceptual hypothesis for runoff generation in the catchment. Under this hypothesis, the pre-event water that is mobilized by precipitation events may, depending on antecedent moisture conditions, be significantly shallower, younger, and less mineralized than the deeper, older water that feeds baseflow and thus defines the pre-event endmember used in hydrograph separation. This proof-of-concept study illustrates the potential advantages of capturing isotopic and hydrochemical behavior at a high frequency over extended periods that span multiple hydrologic events.

FLORIDA TOWER FOOTPRINT EXPERIMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

WATSON,T.B.; DIETZ, R.N.; WILKE, R.

2007-01-01

The Florida Footprint experiments were a series of field programs in which perfluorocarbon tracers were released in different configurations centered on a flux tower to generate a data set that can be used to test transport and dispersion models. These models are used to determine the sources of the CO{sub 2} that cause the fluxes measured at eddy covariance towers. Experiments were conducted in a managed slash pine forest, 10 km northeast of Gainesville, Florida, in 2002, 2004, and 2006 and in atmospheric conditions that ranged from well mixed, to very stable, including the transition period between convective conditions atmore » midday to stable conditions after sun set. There were a total of 15 experiments. The characteristics of the PFTs, details of sampling and analysis methods, quality control measures, and analytical statistics including confidence limits are presented. Details of the field programs including tracer release rates, tracer source configurations, and configuration of the samplers are discussed. The result of this experiment is a high quality, well documented tracer and meteorological data set that can be used to improve and validate canopy dispersion models.« less

Ground water pollution by roof runoff infiltration evidenced with multi-tracer experiments.

PubMed

Ammann, Adrian A; Hoehn, Eduard; Koch, Sabine

2003-03-01

The infiltration of urban roof runoff into well permeable subsurface material may have adverse effects on the ground water quality and endanger drinking water resources. Precipitation water from three different roofs of an industrial complex was channelled to a pit and infiltrated into a perialpine glaciofluvial gravel-and-sand aquifer. A shaft was constructed at the bottom of the pit and equipped with an array of TDR probes, lysimeters and suction cups that allowed measuring and sampling soil water at different depths. A fast infiltration flow was observed during natural rainfall events and during artificial infiltration experiments. For a better understanding of the behaviour of contaminants, experiments were conducted with cocktails of compounds of different reactivity (ammonium, strontium, atratone) and of non-reactive tracers (uranine, bromide, naphthionate), which represent different classes of pollutants. The experiment identified cation exchange reactions influencing the composition of the infiltrating water. These processes occurred under preferential flow conditions in macropores of the material. Measuring concentration changes under the controlled inflow of tracer experiments, the pollution potential was found to be high. Non-reactive tracers exhibited fast breakthrough and little sorption.

An airborne perfluorocarbon tracer system and its first application for a Lagrangian experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Y.; Baumann, R.; Schlager, H.

2015-01-01

A perfluorocarbon tracer system (PERTRAS), specifically designed for Lagrangian aircraft experiments, has been developed by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center, DLR). It consists of three main parts: a tracer release unit (RU), an adsorption tube sampler (ATS), and a tracer analytical system. The RU was designed for airborne tracer release experiments; meanwhile, it can be used on various platforms for different experimental purposes (here research vessel). PERTRAS was for the first time applied in the field campaign Stratospheric ozone: Halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere (SHIVA) in November 2011. An amount of 8.8 kg perfluoromethylcyclopentane (PMCP) was released aboard the research vessel Sonne (RV Sonne) near the operational site of this campaign, Miri, Malaysia, on 21 November. The tracer samples collected using the ATS onboard the DLR research aircraft Falcon were analyzed in the laboratory using a thermal desorber-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) system. Guided by forecasts calculated with the Lagrangian model Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT), 64 tracer samples were collected onboard the Falcon approximately 5 and 25 h after the release, mostly with a time resolution of 1 min. Enhanced PMCP concentrations relative to ambient PMCP background values (mean: 6.62 fmol mol-1) were detected during three intersects of the fresh tracer plume (age 5 h), with a maximum value of 301.33 fmol mol-1. This indicates that the fresh tracer plume was successfully intercepted at the forecast position. During the second flight, 25 h after the release, the center of tracer plume was not detected by the sampling system due to a faster advection of the plume than forecast. The newly developed PERTRAS system has been successfully deployed for the first time. The instrumental setup and comparisons between the measurements and HYSPLIT simulations are presented in this study.

An airborne perfluorocarbon tracer system and its first application for a Lagrangian experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Y.; Baumann, R.; Schlager, H.

2014-07-01

A perfluorocarbon tracer system (PERTRAS), specifically designed for Lagrangian aircraft experiments, has been developed by the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (German Aerospace Center, DLR). It consists of three main parts: a tracer release unit (RU), an adsorption tube sampler (ATS) and a tracer analytical system. The RU was designed for airborne tracer release experiments; meanwhile, it can be used on various platforms for different experimental purpose (here research vessel). PERTRAS was for the first time applied in the field campaign Stratospheric ozone: halogen Impacts in a Varying Atmosphere (SHIVA) in November 2011. An amount of 8.8 kg perfluoromethylcyclopentane (PMCP) was released aboard the research vessel Sonne (RV Sonne) near the operational site of this campaign, Miri, Malaysia, on 21 November. The tracer samples collected using the ATS on board the DLR research aircraft Falcon were analyzed in the laboratory using a thermal desorber/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD/GC/MS) system. Guided by forecasts calculated with the Lagrangian model, Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT), 64 tracer samples were collected onboard the Falcon approximately 5 and 25 h after the release, respectively, mostly with a time resolution of 1 min. Enhanced PMCP concentrations relative to ambient PMCP background values (mean: 6.62 fmol mol-1) were detected during three intersects of the fresh tracer plume (age 5 h), with a maximum value of 301.33 fmol mol-1. This indicates that the fresh tracer plume was successfully intercepted at the forecasted position. During the second flight, 25 h after the release, the center of tracer plume was not detected by the sampling system due to a faster advection of the plume than forecasted. The newly developed PERTRAS system has been successfully deployed for the first time. The instrumental set-up and comparisons between the measurements and HYSPLIT simulations are presented in this study.

Biodegradation of the surfactant linear alkylbenzenesulfonate in sewage- contaminated groundwater: A comparison of column experiments and field tracer tests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krueger, C.J.; Radakovich, K.M.; Sawyer, T.E.; Barber, L.B.; Smith, R.L.; Field, J.A.

1998-01-01

Transport and biodegradation of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) in sewage-contaminated groundwater were investigated for a range of dissolved oxygen concentrations. Both laboratory column and an 80-day continuous injection tracer test field experiments were conducted. The rates of LAS biodegradation increased with increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and indicated the preferential biodegradation of the longer alkyl chain LAS homologues (i.e., C12 and C13) and external isomers (i.e., 2-and 3- phenyl). However, for similar dissolved oxygen concentrations, mass removal rates for LAS generally were 2-3 times greater in laboratory column experiments than in the field tracer test. Under low oxygen conditions (<1 mg/L) only a fraction of the LAS mixture biodegraded in both laboratory and field experiments. Biodegradation rate constants for the continuous injection field test (0.002-0.08 day-1) were comparable to those estimated for a 3-h injection (pulsed) tracer test conducted under similar biogeochemical conditions, indicating that increasing the exposure time of aquifer sediments to LAS did not increase biodegradation rates.Transport and biodegradation of linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) in sewage-contaminated groundwater were investigated for a range of dissolved oxygen concentrations. Both laboratory column and an 80-day continuous injection tracer test field experiments were conducted. The rates of LAS biodegradation increased with increasing dissolved oxygen concentrations and indicated the preferential biodegradation of the longer alkyl chain LAS homologues (i.e., C12 and C13) and external isomers (i.e., 2- and 3-phenyl). However, for similar dissolved oxygen concentrations, mass removal rates for LAS generally were 2-3 times greater in laboratory column experiments than in the field tracer test. Under low oxygen conditions (<1 mg/L) only a fraction of the LAS mixture biodegraded in both laboratory and field experiments. Biodegradation rate constants for the continuous injection field test (0.002-0.08 day-1) were comparable to those estimated for a 3-h injection (pulsed) tracer test conducted under similar biogeochemical conditions, indicating that increasing the exposure time of aquifer sediments to LAS did not increase biodegradation rates.

Deuterium used as artificial tracer in column studies under saturated water flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koeniger, P.; Geiges, M.; Leibundgut, Ch.

2003-04-01

In contrast to numerous investigations using deuterium as an environmental tracer, hydrological investigations with deuterium-labelled water are rather rare. Currently applications in groundwater studies are restricted due to increasing costs of spiking large water quantities but an application as intelligent tracer might be of advantage especially in combination with other tracers and under distinct environmental conditions. Therefore deuterium was applied as artificial tracer in column experiments that are well proved as a tool to characterise tracer behaviour in recent studies. Deuterium was tested in comparison to the more familiar conservative tracer fluorescein. Varying experimental conditions, e.g. column length (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 m), initial tracer concentration (0.01, 0.02, 0.2 mg) and flow velocity (1.5 to 6.0 m/d) were used to investigate tracer behaviour under saturated water flow conditions. Deuterium was analysed using an H/Device with chrome reduction connected to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and expressed in relative concentrations [per mill V-SMOW]. Theoretical tracer breakthrough curves were calculated using a one dimensional dispersion model. The results indicate higher mean transport velocities and smaller dispersion for deuterium in all experiments. Due to different molecule properties that also determine the interaction of soil substrate and tracer, deuterium indicates a more conservative transport behaviour. Deuterium is non-toxic, completely soluble, chemically and biologically stable and not subject to light-influenced decay. Furthermore, it shows promise for investigations of water flow in the unsaturated zone, and of interactions of water in soil-plant-atmosphere systems. A further discussion of problems, together with possibilities for applying deuterium as an artificial tracer, will be presented.

Flow visualization in superfluid helium-4 using He2 molecular tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Wei

Flow visualization in superfluid helium is challenging, yet crucial for attaining a detailed understanding of quantum turbulence. Two problems have impeded progress: finding and introducing suitable tracers that are small yet visible; and unambiguous interpretation of the tracer motion. We show that metastable He2 triplet molecules are outstanding tracers compared with other particles used in helium. These molecular tracers have small size and relatively simple behavior in superfluid helium: they follow the normal fluid motion at above 1 K and will bind to quantized vortex lines below about 0.6 K. A laser-induced fluorescence technique has been developed for imaging the He2 tracers. We will present our recent experimental work on studying the normal-fluid motion by tracking thin lines of He2 tracers created via femtosecond laser-field ionization in helium. We will also discuss a newly launched experiment on visualizing vortex lines in a magnetically levitated superfluid helium drop by imaging the He2 tracers trapped on the vortex cores. This experiment will enable unprecedented insight into the behavior of a rotating superfluid drop and will untangle several key issues in quantum turbulence research. We acknowledge the support from the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DMR-1507386 and the US Department of Energy under Grant No. DE-FG02 96ER40952.

A new tracer‐density criterion for heterogeneous porous media

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barth, Gilbert R.; Illangasekare, Tissa H.; Hill, Mary C.; Rajaram, Harihar

2001-01-01

Tracer experiments provide information about aquifer material properties vital for accurate site characterization. Unfortunately, density‐induced sinking can distort tracer movement, leading to an inaccurate assessment of material properties. Yet existing criteria for selecting appropriate tracer concentrations are based on analysis of homogeneous media instead of media with heterogeneities typical of field sites. This work introduces a hydraulic‐gradient correction for heterogeneous media and applies it to a criterion previously used to indicate density‐induced instabilities in homogeneous media. The modified criterion was tested using a series of two‐dimensional heterogeneous intermediate‐scale tracer experiments and data from several detailed field tracer tests. The intermediate‐scale experimental facility (10.0×1.2×0.06 m) included both homogeneous and heterogeneous (σln k2 = 1.22) zones. The field tracer tests were less heterogeneous (0.24 < σln k2 < 0.37), but measurements were sufficient to detect density‐induced sinking. Evaluation of the modified criterion using the experiments and field tests demonstrates that the new criterion appears to account for the change in density‐induced sinking due to heterogeneity. The criterion demonstrates the importance of accounting for heterogeneity to predict density‐induced sinking and differences in the onset of density‐induced sinking in two‐ and three‐dimensional systems.

Metal loading in Soda Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National Park, Montana and Wyoming; a retrospective analysis of previous research; and quantification of metal loading, August 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boughton, G.K.

2001-01-01

Acid drainage from historic mining activities has affected the water quality and aquatic biota of Soda Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National Park. Numerous investigations focusing on metals contamination have been conducted in the Soda Butte Creek basin, but interpretations of how metals contamination is currently impacting Soda Butte Creek differ greatly. A retrospective analysis of previous research on metal loading in Soda Butte Creek was completed to provide summaries of studies pertinent to metal loading in Soda Butte Creek and to identify data gaps warranting further investigation. Identification and quantification of the sources of metal loading to Soda Butte Creek was recognized as a significant data gap. The McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and mill site has long been identified as a source of metals but its contribution relative to the total metal load entering Yellowstone National Park was unknown. A tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study was designed to determine metal loads upstream of Yellowstone National Park.A tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study was conducted on an 8,511-meter reach of Soda Butte Creek from upstream of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment and mill site downstream to the Yellowstone National Park boundary in August 1999. Synoptic-sampling sites were selected to divide the creek into discrete segments. A lithium bromide tracer was injected continuously into Soda Butte Creek for 24.5 hours. Downstream dilution of the tracer and current-meter measurements were used to calculate the stream discharge. Stream discharge values, combined with constituent concentrations obtained by synoptic sampling, were used to quantify constituent loading in each segment of Soda Butte Creek.Loads were calculated for dissolved calcium, silica, and sulfate, as well as for dissolved and total-recoverable iron, aluminum, and manganese. Loads were not calculated for cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc because these elements were infrequently detected in mainstem synoptic samples. All of these elements were detected at high concentrations in the seeps draining the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment. The lack of detection of these elements in the downstream mainstem synoptic samples is probably because of sorption (coprecipitation and adsorption) to metal colloids in the stream.Most of the metal load that entered Soda Butte Creek was contributed by the inflows draining the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment (between 505 meters and 760 meters downstream from the tracer-injection site), Republic Creek (1,859 meters), and Unnamed Tributary (8,267 meters). Results indicate that treatment or removal of the McLaren Mine tailings impoundment would greatly reduce metal loading in Soda Butte Creek upstream of Yellowstone National Park. However, removing only that single source may not reduce metal loads to acceptable levels. The sources of metal loading in Republic Creek and Unnamed Tributary merit further investigation.

ATMOSPHERIC TRACER EXPERIMENTS IN A DEEP NARROW VALLEY

EPA Science Inventory

A set of three atmospheric tracer experiments was conducted in the Brush Creek Valley of western Colorado in the summer of 1982 as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Green River Ambient Model Assessment (GRAMA) program in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Ener...

Batch-Versuche zur Bestimmung der Sorption und Reaktionskinetik von fluoreszierenden Tracern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaitl, Tobias; Wohnlich, Stefan

2018-06-01

For many tracer experiments, prior determination of interaction between solid medium and used tracers is of major interest in order to achieve efficient, economic and successful field experiments. In the present study, three different types of batch experiments were performed with three fluorescent dyes (Na-Fluorescein, Amidorhodamin G and Tinopal CBS-X) and three different rock types (sandstone, claystone and limestone), to determine distribution coefficients and reaction kinetics. All three rock types were analysed for organic carbon content, specific surface area and mineralogical composition to identify the main sorption mechanisms. For all tracers, different sorption properties were found depending on the type of rock. The strongest sorption was observed for Tinopal CBS-X in contact with claystone. Only Na-Fluorescein showed sorption (albeit limited) in contact with the sandstones. The investigated limestones indicated a high sorption for the tracer Tinopal CBS-X. Regarding reaction kinetics, in most cases, thermodynamic equilibrium conditions were reached after two weeks.

Estimates of tracer-based piston-flow ages of groundwater from selected sites: National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 2006-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shapiro, Stephanie D.; Plummer, Niel; Busenberg, Eurybiades; Widman, Peggy K.; Casile, Gerolamo C.; Wayland, Julian E.; Runkle, Donna L.

2012-01-01

Piston-flow age dates were interpreted from measured concentrations of environmental tracers from 812 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program groundwater sites from 27 Study Units across the United States. The tracers of interest include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and tritium/helium-3 (3H/3He). Tracer data compiled for this analysis were collected from 2006 to 2010 from groundwater wells in NAWQA studies, including: * Land-Use Studies (LUS, shallow wells, usually monitoring wells, located in recharge areas under dominant land-use settings), * Major-Aquifer Studies (MAS, wells, usually domestic supply wells, located in principal aquifers and representing the shallow drinking water supply), * Flow System Studies (FSS, networks of clustered wells located along a flowpath extending from a recharge zone to a discharge zone, preferably a shallow stream) associated with Land-Use Studies, and * Reference wells (wells representing groundwater minimally impacted by anthropogenic activities) also associated with Land-Use Studies. Tracer data were evaluated using documented methods and are presented as aqueous concentrations, equivalent atmospheric concentrations (for CFCs and SF6), and tracer-based piston-flow ages. Selected ancillary data, such as redox data, well-construction data, and major dissolved-gas (N2, O2, Ar, CH4, and CO2) data, also are presented. Recharge temperature was inferred using climate data (approximated by mean annual air temperature plus 1°C [MAAT +1°C]) as well as major dissolved-gas data (N2-Ar-based) where available. The N2-Ar-based temperatures showed significantly more variation than the climate-based data, as well as the effects of denitrification and degassing resulting from reducing conditions. The N2-Ar-based temperatures were colder than the climate-based temperatures in networks where recharge was limited to the winter months when evapotranspiration was reduced. The tracer-based piston-flow ages compiled in this report are provided as a consistent means of reporting the tracer data. The tracer-based piston-flow ages may provide an initial interpretation of age in cases in which mixing is minimal and may aid in developing a basic conceptualization of groundwater age in an aquifer. These interpretations are based on the assumption that tracer transport is by advection only and that no mixing occurs. In addition, it is assumed that other uncertainties are minimized, including tracer degradation, sorption, contamination, or fractionation, and that terrigenic (natural) sources of tracers, and spatially variable atmospheric tracer concentrations are constrained.

Sorption and Transport of Diphenhydramine in Natural Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutherford, C. J.; Vulava, V. M.

2013-12-01

Pharmaceutical and related chemicals have been detected in streams and ground water sources throughout the world, as a result of sewage overflows, runoff, or sewage treatment facilities unequipped to remove trace levels of pharmaceuticals. Diphenhydramine- an antihistamine that is used to treat allergy and common cold symptoms, induce sleep, suppress cough, and treat motion sickness- is prominent among them. Diphenhydramine has a complex, highly polar organic structure including two benzene rings and an amine functional group. It has a solubility of 3.06 g/L and a pKa of 8.98. Recent studies have shown that diphenhydramine in streams disrupts the ecology by affecting the algal and bacterial biofilms present on the streambed. In streams, photosynthesis has been found to decrease by up to 99% and plant respiration has been inhibited. Diphenhydramine has also altered the types and numbers of bacteria found in streams. Its presence in contaminated stream bodies can result in contact with soils and sediment in the stream floodplain. The objective of this study is to measure sorption and transport behavior of diphenhydramine in natural soils and determine reactivity of soil components. These studies were conducted in the laboratory using natural soil collected from the Francis Marion National Forrest. Soil samples from A and B horizons of several soil series were characterized for physical and chemical properties: organic matter content ranged between 0.6-7.6%, clay content between 6-20%, and soil pH between 3.7-4.9. The B-horizon soils contain a higher amount of clay than the organic-rich A-horizon soils. Equilibrium sorption isotherms and reaction kinetic rates were measured using batch reactor experiments and chromatographic column experiments were conducted to measure transport behavior. Kinetic experiments showed that diphenhydramine sorbed more strongly to the clay-rich soils and reached equilibrium after seven days, compared to ten days in organic-rich soils. The reaction rates for A-horizon soils were -0.20/day, and for B-horizon soils were -0.60/day. The sorption isotherms measured from batch reactor experiments were nonlinear and were fit using the Freundlich model (q=KfCn, where q is sorbed concentration and C is concentration in solution, Kf and n are fitting parameters). Chromatography glass columns were uniformly packed with soils, saturated with 5 mM CaCl2, then spiked with tracer solution containing 50 mg/L diphenhydramine. The concentrations in the effluent solutions were plotted as a function of time to create breakthrough curves. Shape of the breakthrough curves and the retardation factors reflected nonlinear sorption processes observed during batch sorption experiments. Data show that diphenhydramine sorbs more strongly into clay-rich soils than organic-rich soils that have less clay. This could be partly attributed to ionic bonding between the amine functional groups present in the compound with the negatively charged clay surfaces. The benzene rings in the compound can also partition into the soil organic matter. The results have implications for how diphenhydramine sorbs into different soil environments, and eventually affect a much larger ecosystem.

Evaluation of a Mesoscale Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling System with Observations from the 1980 Great Plains Mesoscale Tracer Field Experiment. Part I: Datasets and Meteorological Simulations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, Michael D.; Pielke, Roger A.

1996-03-01

The Colorado State University mesoscale atmospheric dispersion (MAD) numerical modeling system, which consists of a prognostic mesoscale meteorological model coupled to a mesoscale Lagrangian particle dispersion model, has been used to simulate the transport and diffusion of a perfluorocarbon tracer-gas cloud for one afternoon surface release during the July 1980 Great Plains mesoscale tracer field experiment. Ground-level concentration (GLC) measurements taken along arcs of samplers 100 and 600 km downwind of the release site at Norman, Oklahoma, up to three days after the tracer release were available for comparison. Quantitative measures of a number of significant dispersion characteristics obtained from analysis of the observed tracer cloud's moving GLC `footprint' have been used to evaluate the modeling system's skill in simulating this MAD case.MAD is more dependent upon the spatial and temporal structure of the transport wind field than is short-range atmospheric dispersion. For the Great Plains mesoscale tracer experiment, the observations suggest that the Great Plains nocturnal low-level jet played an important role in transporting and deforming the tracer cloud. A suite of ten two- and three-dimensional numerical meteorological experiments was devised to investigate the relative contributions of topography, other surface inhomogeneities, atmospheric baroclinicity, synoptic-scale flow evolution, and meteorological model initialization time to the structure and evolution of the low-level mesoscale flow field and thus to MAD. Results from the ten mesoscale meteorological simulations are compared in this part of the paper. The predicted wind fields display significant differences, which give rise in turn to significant differences in predicted low-level transport. The presence of an oscillatory ageostrophic component in the observed synoptic low-level winds for this case is shown to complicate initialization of the meteorological model considerably and is the likely cause of directional errors in the predicted mean tracer transport. A companion paper describes the results from the associated dispersion simulations.

Validation of methodology for determination of the mercury methylation potential in sediments using radiotracers.

PubMed

Zizek, Suzana; Ribeiro Guevara, Sergio; Horvat, Milena

2008-04-01

Experiments to determine the mercury methylation potential were performed on sediments from two locations on the river Idrijca (Slovenia), differing in ambient mercury concentrations. The tracer used was the radioactive isotope (197)Hg. The benefit of using this tracer is its high specific activity, which enables spikes as low as 0.02 ng Hg(2+) g(-1) of sample to be used. It was therefore possible to compare the efficiency of the methylation potential experiments over a range of spike concentrations from picogram to microgram levels. The first part of the work aimed to validate the experimental blanks and the second part consisted of several series of incubation experiments on two different river sediments using a range of tracer additions. The results showed high variability in the obtained methylation potentials. Increasing Hg(2+) additions gave a decrease in the percentage of the tracer methylated during incubation; in absolute terms, the spikes that spanned four orders of magnitude (0.019-190 pg g(-1) of sediment slurry) resulted in MeHg formation between 0.01 and 0.1 ng MeHg g(-1) in Podroteja and Kozarska Grapa. Higher spikes resulted in slightly elevated MeHg production (up to a maximum of 0.27 ng g(-1)). The values of methylation potential were similar in both sediments. The results imply that the experimental determination of mercury methylation potential strongly depends on the experimental setup itself and the amount of tracer added to the system under study. It is therefore recommended to use different concentrations of tracer and perform the experiments in several replicates. The amount of mercury available for methylation in nature is usually very small. Therefore, adding very low amounts of tracer in the methylation potential studies probably gives results that have a higher environmental relevance. It is also suggested to express the results obtained in absolute amounts of MeHg produced and not just as the percentage of the added tracer.

Test of synthetic DNA tracers in a periodic hydrodynamic system for time-variable transit time distribution assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahlke, H. E.; Wang, C.; McNew, C.; McLaughlin, S.; Lyon, S. W.

2016-12-01

Recent research on time-varying transport through hydrologic systems proposed using decomposed over-printed tracer breakthrough curves to directly observe transport through complex flow systems. This method, also known as the PERTH (Periodic Tracer Hierarchy) method requires periodic flow and multiple tracer injections to reveal changes in flow pathways and transport behavior. Time-variable transit time distributions (TTD) estimated from tracer breakthrough curves often vary with the storage state of the system, which in turn is influenced by internal and external variabilities, such as the arrangement of flow pathways and fluctuations in system inputs. Deciphering internal from external variabilities in TTDs might help to advance the use of TTDs for estimating the physical state of a system; however, thus far the finite number of unique conservative tracers available for tracing has limited deeper insights. Synthetic DNA tracers consisting of short strands of synthetic DNA encapsulated by polylactic acid (PLA) microspheres could potentially provide multiple unique tracers with identical transport properties needed to explore time varying transport through hydrologic systems in more detail. An experiment was conducted on the miniLeo hillslope, a 1 m3 sloping lysimeter, within the Biosphere 2 Landscape Evolution Observatory near Tucson, AZ to investigate transit time variability. The goal of the experiment was to 1) test the suitability of using synthetic DNA tracers for estimating TTDs in a hydrologic system and 2) to determine the TTDs of individual tracer pulses under periodic steady-state conditions. Five DNA tracers, consisting of four unique, encapsulated DNA sequences and one free/non-encapsulated DNA sequence, were applied as reference and probe tracers together with deuterium, using the PERTH method. The lysimeter received three 2-hour pulses of rainfall at a rate of 30 mm/hr for 10 days. Initial results show that both the encapsulated and free DNA tracers were successfully transported in a pulsed manner through the system, but had overall longer breakthrough times than the reference deuterium tracer. Comparison of the DNA probe tracers indicate differences in transit times, likely related to differences in tracer mobilization in response to the time-variant rainfall input.

Tracing Cationic Nutrients from Xylem into Stem Tissue of French Bean by Stable Isotope Tracers and Cryo-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry[W][OA

PubMed Central

Metzner, Ralf; Schneider, Heike Ursula; Breuer, Uwe; Thorpe, Michael Robert; Schurr, Ulrich; Schroeder, Walter Heinz

2010-01-01

Fluxes of mineral nutrients in the xylem are strongly influenced by interactions with the surrounding stem tissues and are probably regulated by them. Toward a mechanistic understanding of these interactions, we applied stable isotope tracers of magnesium, potassium, and calcium continuously to the transpiration stream of cut bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) shoots to study their radial exchange at the cell and tissue level with stem tissues between pith and phloem. For isotope localization, we combined sample preparation with secondary ion mass spectrometry in a completely cryogenic workflow. After 20 min of application, tracers were readily detectable to various degrees in all tissues. The xylem parenchyma near the vessels exchanged freely with the vessels, its nutrient elements reaching a steady state of strong exchange with elements in the vessels within 20 min, mainly via apoplastic pathways. A slow exchange between vessels and cambium and phloem suggested that they are separated from the xylem, parenchyma, and pith, possibly by an apoplastic barrier to diffusion for nutrients (as for carbohydrates). There was little difference in these distributions when tracers were applied directly to intact xylem via a microcapillary, suggesting that xylem tension had little effect on radial exchange of these nutrients and that their movement was mainly diffusive. PMID:19965970

Locating Groundwater Pathways of Anthropogenic Contaminants Using a Novel Approach in Kānéohe Watershed, Óahu, Hawaíi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenzie, T.; Dulai, H.; Popp, B. N.; Whittier, R. B.

2017-12-01

We have applied a novel approach using radon, δ15N and δ18O values of nitrate, and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) to identify groundwater pathways of anthropogenic contaminants. This approach was applied in Kānéohe watershed, located on the windward side of Óahu, which has been subject to persistent near shore water pollution. Previous research has indicated that there are strong seasonal differences between surface runoff and groundwater discharge into Kānéohe Bay. Three sub-watersheds of varying land-use (e.g. cesspool density, agriculture, urbanization) bordering Kānéohe Bay were studied. Seasonality, as well as spatial and temporal variations of groundwater discharge into streams and the bay were captured by a series of snapshot studies using a natural isotope of radon as a tracer for groundwater inflow. δ15N and δ18O values of nitrate were used as source tracking tools to determine the potential origin (e.g. wastewater, agriculture) of nitrate. These results were paired with spatial analysis of land-use and further coupled with CEC concentrations in order to evaluate how land-use relates to stream and groundwater contaminant distribution. Previously unrecognized groundwater pathways for contaminant transport were identified using radon in conjunction with CEC and stable isotopic techniques. We present results for stream and coastal water quality, focusing on nutrient and CEC fluxes across the land-ocean interface, as well as discuss the application of CECs as novel wastewater tracers.

Groundwater Recharge and Flow Regime revealed by multi-tracers approach in a headwater, North China Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakakibara, Koichi; Tsujimura, Maki; Song, Xianfang; Zhang, Jie

2014-05-01

Groundwater recharge is a crucial hydrological process for effective water management especially in arid/ semi-arid regions. However, the insufficient number of specific research regarding groundwater recharge process has been reported previously. Intensive field surveys were conducted during rainy season, mid dry season, and end of dry season, in order to clarify comprehensive groundwater recharge and flow regime of Wangkuai watershed in a headwater, which is a main recharge zone of North China Plain. The groundwater, spring, stream water and lake water were sampled, and inorganic solute constituents and stable isotopes of oxygen 18 and deuterium were determined on all water samples. Also the stream flow rate was observed. The solute ion concentrations and stable isotopic compositions show that the most water of this region can be characterized by Ca-HCO3 type and the main water source is precipitation which is affected by altitude effect of stable isotopes. In addition, the river and reservoir of the area seem to recharge the groundwater during rainy season, whereas interaction between surface water and groundwater does not become dominant gradually after the rainy season. The inversion analysis applied in Wangkuai watershed using simple mixing model represents an existing multi-flow systems which shows a distinctive tracer signal and flow rate. In summary, the groundwater recharged at different locations in the upper stream of Wangkuai reservoir flows downward to alluvial fan with a certain amount of mixing together, also the surface water recharges certainly the groundwater in alluvial plain in the rainy season.

Constraining Glacial Runoff Contributions to Water Resources in the Cordillera Real, Bolivia using Environmental Tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guido, Z.; McIntosh, J. C.; Papuga, S. A.

2013-12-01

Warming temperatures in recent decades have contributed to substantial reductions in glaciers in many mountain regions around the globe, including the South American Andes. Melting of these glaciers taps water resources accumulated in past climates, and the diminishing ice marks a decrease in a nonrenewable water source that begs the question: how will future water supplies be impacted by climate change. Water resource management and climate adaptation efforts can be informed by knowledge of the extent to which glaciers contribute to seasonal streamflows, but remote locations and scant monitoring often limit this quantification. In Bolivia, more than two million people draw water from watersheds fed, in part, by glaciers. The amount to which these glaciers contribute to the water supply, however, is not well constrained. We apply elemental and isotopic tracers in an end-member mixing model to quantify glacial runoff contributions to local water supplies. We present oxygen and deuterium isotopes and major anion concentrations (sulfate and chloride) of shallow groundwater, streams, reservoirs, small arroyos, and glacial runoff. Isotopic and anion mixing models suggest between 45-67% of the water measured in high altitude streams originated from within the glacial footprint during the 2011 wet season, while glacial runoff contributed about 42-53% of the water in reservoirs in the 2012 dry season. Data also show that shallow groundwater is connected to glacial-fed streams. Any future decrease in glacial runoff may contribute to a reduction in surface water supplies and lower groundwater levels downstream, perhaps below the depth of hand-dug wells common in rural communities.

Hydrological tracers using nanobiotechnology: proof of concept.

PubMed

Sharma, Asha N; Luo, Dan; Walter, M Todd

2012-08-21

In order to answer questions that involve differentiating among multiple and potentially interacting hydrological flowpaths, it would be ideal to use multiple tracers with identical transport properties that can nonetheless be distinguished from each other. This paper describes the development and proof of concept of a new kind of engineered tracer system that allows a large number of individual tracers to be simultaneously distinguished from one another. This new tracer is composed of polylactic acid (PLA) microspheres into which short strands of synthetic DNA and paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are incorporated. The synthetic DNA serves as the "label" or "tag" in our tracers that allow us to distinguish one tracer from another, and paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are included in the tracer to facilitate magnetic concentration of the tracers in potentially dilute water samples. Some potential advantages of this tracer concept include: virtually limitless uniquely labeled tracers, highly sensitive detection, and relatively moderate expense. Three proof-of-concept experiments at scales ranging from orders of 10 cm to 100 m demonstrated the use of the tracer system.

Tracing the Fate of Atmospheric Nitrate in a Subalpine Watershed Using Δ17O.

PubMed

Bourgeois, Ilann; Savarino, Joël; Caillon, Nicolas; Angot, Hélène; Barbero, Albane; Delbart, Franck; Voisin, Didier; Clément, Jean-Christophe

2018-05-15

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for life on Earth, but in excess, it can lead to environmental issues (e.g., N saturation, loss of biodiversity, acidification of lakes, etc.). Understanding the nitrogen budget (i.e., inputs and outputs) is essential to evaluate the prospective decay of the ecosystem services (e.g., freshwater quality, erosion control, loss of high patrimonial-value plant species, etc.) that subalpine headwater catchments provide, especially as these ecosystems experience high atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Here, we use a multi-isotopic tracer (Δ 17 O, δ 15 N and δ 18 O) of nitrate in aerosols, snow, and streams to assess the fate of atmospherically deposited nitrate in the subalpine watershed of the Lautaret Pass (French Alps). We show that atmospheric N deposition contributes significantly to stream nitrate pool year-round, either by direct inputs (up to 35%) or by in situ nitrification of atmospheric ammonium (up to 35%). Snowmelt in particular leads to high exports of atmospheric nitrate, most likely fast enough to impede assimilation by surrounding ecosystems. Yet, in a context of climate change, with shorter snow seasons, and increasing nitrogen emissions, our results hint at possibly stronger ecological consequences of nitrogen atmospheric deposition in the close future.

A tracer experiment to study flow paths of water in a forest soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feyen, H.; Wunderli, H.; Wydler, H.; Papritz, A.

1999-12-01

This contribution discusses a tracer experiment, which was performed to study the flow paths of water in a macroporous forest soil. The experiment was performed in the framework of a study on the cycling of nitrogen in forested Prealpine catchments, in which losses of nitrate from virtually pristine areas were observed. Two soil plots with distinct micro-topography and top-soil were investigated: a well drained mor humus on a mound and a wet muck humus in a small depression. To reveal the effect of the soil horizons on the flow regime, tracers were applied both onto the soil surface and injected into the sub-soil. Tracers injected directly into the gleyic sub-soil reached the outlet (at a distance of 3.3 m) about 1000 times faster than could be expected from the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the soil matrix. Peak concentrations were observed after 18 (muck humus, tracer recovery 31%) to 70 min (mor humus, tracer recovery 40%). The peak concentration was 10 times smaller on the drier mor humus plot as compared to the muck humus. The mobile water content of the sub-soil varied between 0.5 (muck humus) and 1.3% (mor humus) of the total available soil water. The discrepancy in residence time, peak concentration and volume of mobile water between both sub-soils can be attributed to the differently structured sub-soil (longer travel distance and mixing volume in the drier mor humus). Tracers applied onto the soil surface resulted in a much slower breakthrough (tracer peaks after 400-700 min). Thus, in contrast to the sub-soil, flow through the matrix was the predominating transport process in the upper humus layers of both plots.

Heat tracer test in an alluvial aquifer: Field experiment and inverse modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klepikova, Maria; Wildemeersch, Samuel; Hermans, Thomas; Jamin, Pierre; Orban, Philippe; Nguyen, Frédéric; Brouyère, Serge; Dassargues, Alain

2016-09-01

Using heat as an active tracer for aquifer characterization is a topic of increasing interest. In this study, we investigate the potential of using heat tracer tests for characterization of a shallow alluvial aquifer. A thermal tracer test was conducted in the alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River, Belgium. The tracing experiment consisted in simultaneously injecting heated water and a dye tracer in an injection well and monitoring the evolution of groundwater temperature and tracer concentration in the pumping well and in measurement intervals. To get insights in the 3D characteristics of the heat transport mechanisms, temperature data from a large number of observation wells closely spaced along three transects were used. Temperature breakthrough curves in observation wells are contrasted with what would be expected in an ideal layered aquifer. They reveal strongly unequal lateral and vertical components of the transport mechanisms. The observed complex behavior of the heat plume is explained by the groundwater flow gradient on the site and heterogeneities in the hydraulic conductivity field. Moreover, due to high injection temperatures during the field experiment a temperature-induced fluid density effect on heat transport occurred. By using a flow and heat transport numerical model with variable density coupled with a pilot point approach for inversion of the hydraulic conductivity field, the main preferential flow paths were delineated. The successful application of a field heat tracer test at this site suggests that heat tracer tests is a promising approach to image hydraulic conductivity field. This methodology could be applied in aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) projects for assessing future efficiency that is strongly linked to the hydraulic conductivity variability in the considered aquifer.

Tracer element for indoor PM2.5 in China migrated from outdoor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ji, Wenjing; Li, Hongyu; Zhao, Bin; Deng, Furong

2018-03-01

Sulfur and nickel have been widely used as tracers of outdoor PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) in the United States and Europe; however, their feasibility as tracers has not been verified yet in China. We aim to verify whether sulfur or nickel could be used as a tracer element and, if not, to identify a suitable tracer element for outdoor PM2.5 in China. We conduct two types of experiments, namely, preliminary and main-study experiments. We analyze 102 pairs of indoor and outdoor PM2.5 samples in Beijing. The correlation between the I/O (indoor/outdoor) ratio of an element and the I/O ratio of total PM2.5 is one of the criteria used to test whether this element can be used as a tracer element. The average concentrations of nickel are found to be below the detection limits in both preliminary and main-study tests. Thus, nickel cannot be used as a tracer element in China. Based on the correlations of elemental I/O ratios and the I/O ratio of total PM2.5 in the preliminary and main-study tests, sulfur also cannot be used as a tracer element; however, it should be feasible to use iron as a tracer element in Beijing according to the test results. The estimated infiltration factor obtained by using iron as tracer is extremely consistent with the calculations based on the mass balance model. In summary, iron is found to be more suitable as a tracer for outdoor PM2.5 in Beijing than sulfur or nickel.

Tracer diffusion in a sea of polymers with binding zones: mobile vs. frozen traps.

PubMed

Samanta, Nairhita; Chakrabarti, Rajarshi

2016-10-19

We use molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the tracer diffusion in a sea of polymers with specific binding zones for the tracer. These binding zones act as traps. Our simulations show that the tracer can undergo normal yet non-Gaussian diffusion under certain circumstances, e.g., when the polymers with traps are frozen in space and the volume fraction and the binding strength of the traps are moderate. In this case, as the tracer moves, it experiences a heterogeneous environment and exhibits confined continuous time random walk (CTRW) like motion resulting in a non-Gaussian behavior. Also the long time dynamics becomes subdiffusive as the number or the binding strength of the traps increases. However, if the polymers are mobile then the tracer dynamics is Gaussian but could be normal or subdiffusive depending on the number and the binding strength of the traps. In addition, with increasing binding strength and number of polymer traps, the probability of the tracer being trapped increases. On the other hand, removing the binding zones does not result in trapping, even at comparatively high crowding. Our simulations also show that the trapping probability increases with the increasing size of the tracer and for a bigger tracer with the frozen polymer background the dynamics is only weakly non-Gaussian but highly subdiffusive. Our observations are in the same spirit as found in many recent experiments on tracer diffusion in polymeric materials and question the validity of using Gaussian theory to describe diffusion in a crowded environment in general.

Characterization of Buoyant Fluorescent Particles for Field Observations of Water Flows

PubMed Central

Tauro, Flavia; Aureli, Matteo; Porfiri, Maurizio; Grimaldi, Salvatore

2010-01-01

In this paper, the feasibility of off-the-shelf buoyant fluorescent microspheres as particle tracers in turbid water flows is investigated. Microspheres’ fluorescence intensity is experimentally measured and detected in placid aqueous suspensions of increasing concentrations of clay to simulate typical conditions occurring in natural drainage networks. Experiments are conducted in a broad range of clay concentrations and particle immersion depths by using photoconductive cells and image-based sensing technologies. Results obtained with both methodologies exhibit comparable trends and show that the considered particles are fairly detectable in critically turbid water flows. Further information on performance and integration of the studied microspheres in low-cost measurement instrumentation for field observations is obtained through experiments conducted in a custom built miniature water channel. This experimental characterization provides a first assessment of the feasibility of commercially available buoyant fluorescent beads in the analysis of high turbidity surface water flows. The proposed technology may serve as a minimally invasive sensing system for hazardous events, such as pollutant diffusion in natural streams and flash flooding due to extreme rainfall. PMID:22163540

Characterization of buoyant fluorescent particles for field observations of water flows.

PubMed

Tauro, Flavia; Aureli, Matteo; Porfiri, Maurizio; Grimaldi, Salvatore

2010-01-01

In this paper, the feasibility of off-the-shelf buoyant fluorescent microspheres as particle tracers in turbid water flows is investigated. Microspheres' fluorescence intensity is experimentally measured and detected in placid aqueous suspensions of increasing concentrations of clay to simulate typical conditions occurring in natural drainage networks. Experiments are conducted in a broad range of clay concentrations and particle immersion depths by using photoconductive cells and image-based sensing technologies. Results obtained with both methodologies exhibit comparable trends and show that the considered particles are fairly detectable in critically turbid water flows. Further information on performance and integration of the studied microspheres in low-cost measurement instrumentation for field observations is obtained through experiments conducted in a custom built miniature water channel. This experimental characterization provides a first assessment of the feasibility of commercially available buoyant fluorescent beads in the analysis of high turbidity surface water flows. The proposed technology may serve as a minimally invasive sensing system for hazardous events, such as pollutant diffusion in natural streams and flash flooding due to extreme rainfall.

Anatomy of the Orphan Stream using RR Lyrae Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendel, David; Johnston, Kathryn; Scowcroft, Victoria; SMHASH

2018-01-01

Stellar tidal streams provide an opportunity to study the motion and structure of the disrupting galaxy as well as the gravitational potential of its host. Streams around the Milky Way are especially promising as new datasets make additional phase space dimensions available as constraints. We present observations of 32 stars thought to be RR Lyrae in the Orphan tidal stream as part of the {\\it Spitzer} Merger History and Shape of the Galactic Halo (SMHASH) program. The extremely tight correlation between the periods, luminosities, and metallicities of RR Lyrae variable stars in the {\\it Spitzer} IRAC $3.6\\mu$m band allows the determination of precise distances to individual stars; the median statistical distance uncertainty in this sample is $2.5\\%$. By fitting orbits in an example potential we obtain an upper limit on the mass of the Milky Way interior to 60 kpc of $\\mathrm{3.9_{-0.8}^{+1.2}\\times 10^{11} M_\\odot}$, bringing estimates based on the Orphan stream in line with those using other tracers. The SMHASH data also resolves the stream in line-of-sight depth, allowing unprecedented access its internal structure. Comparing this structure with n-body models we find that Orphan had an initial dark halo mass $\\sim \\mathrm{3 \\times 10^{9} M_\\odot}$, placing the progenitor amongst the classical dwarf spheriodals.

Seasonal Stream Partitioning and Critical Zone Feedbacks within a Colorado River Headwater Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, R. W. H.; Bearup, L. A.; Williams, K. H.; Brown, W. S.; Dong, W.; Bill, M.

2017-12-01

Groundwater contribution to streams can modulate discharge response to climate extremes, thereby protecting ecosystem health and water supply for downstream users. However, much uncertainty exists on the role of groundwater contribution in snow-dominated, mountainous systems. To better understand seasonal stream source, we employ the empirical approach of end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) using a suite of natural chemical and isotopic observations within the East River; a headwater catchment of the Colorado River and recently designated as a Science Focus Area with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. EMMA relies on principal component analysis to reduce the number of dimensions of variability (U-space) for use in hydrograph separation. The mixing model was constructed for the furthest downstream and most heavily characterized stream gauge in the study site (PH; 84.7 km2). Potential tracers were identified from PH discharge as near linear (Mg, Ca, Sr, U, SO4, DIC, δ2H and δ18O) with alternative groupings evaluated. The best model was able to describe 97% of the tracer variance in 2-dimensions with low error and lack of residual structure. U-space positioning resulted in seasonal stream water source contributions of rain (8-16%), snow (48-74%) and groundwater (18-42%). EMMA developed for PH did not scale across 10 nested sub-basins (ranging from 0.38 km2 to 69.9 km2). Differences in mixing ratios are attributable to feedbacks in the critical zone with a focus on (1) source rock contributions of SO4 and U; (2) biogeochemical processes of enhanced SO4 reduction in the floodplain sediments, (3) flow path length as expressed by carbonate weathering, and (4) enhanced groundwater contributions as related to snow distribution and ecosystem structure. EMMA is an initial step to elucidate source contributions to streamflow and address scalability and applicability of mixing processes in a complex, highly heterogeneous, snow-dominated catchment. Work will aid hydrologic conceptualization of the East River, guide future observation, and inform numerical model development over a range of scales and across key system subcomponents, such as hillslopes, floodplains, and deep groundwater.

Highly enriched multiply-labeled stable isotopic compounds as atmospheric tracers

DOEpatents

Goldblatt, M.; McInteer, B.B.

1974-01-29

Compounds multiply-labeled with stable isotopes and highly enriched in these isotopes are readily capable of detection in tracer experiments involving high dilutions. Thus, for example, /sup 13/C/sup 18/O/sub 2/ provides a useful tracer for following atmospheric pol lution produced as a result of fossil fuel burning. (Official Gazette)

Changes in the isotopic and chemical composition of ground water resulting from a recharge pulse from a sinking stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; Catches, J.S.; Bullen, T.D.; Michel, R.L.

1998-01-01

The Little River, an ephemeral stream that drains a watershed of approximately 88 km2 in northern Florida, disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer, the source of water supply in northern Florida. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer in areas near the sinks where numerous subterranean karst solution features were identified using ground penetrating radar. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Rapid recharge of river water into some parts of the aquifer during high-flow conditions was indicated by enriched values of delta 18O and delta deuterium (-1.67 to -3.17 per mil and -9.2 to -15.6 per mil, respectively), elevated concentrations of tannic acid, higher (more radiogenic) 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and lower concentrations of 222Rn, silica, and alkalinity compared to low-flow conditions. The proportion of river water that mixed with ground water ranged from 0.10 to 0.67 based on binary mixing models using the tracers 18O, deuterium, tannic acid, silica, 222Rn, and 87Sr/86Sr. On the basis of mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.The Little River of northern Florida disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Based on mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, it was found that the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.

Automatable Measurement of Gas Exchange Rate in Streams: Oxygen-Carbon Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, R.; Haggerty, R.; Argerich, A.; Wondzell, S. M.

2015-12-01

Gas exchange rates between streams and the atmosphere are critically important to measurement of in-stream ecologic processes, as well as fate and transport of hazardous pollutants such as mercury and PCBs. Methods to estimate gas exchange rates include empirical relations to hydraulics, and direct injection of a tracer gas such as propane or SF6. Empirical relations are inconsistent and inaccurate, particularly for lower order, high-roughness streams. Gas injections are labor-intensive, and measured gas exchange rates are difficult to extrapolate in time since they change with discharge and stream geometry. We propose a novel method for calculation of gas exchange rates utilizing O2, pCO2, pH, and temperature data. Measurements, which can be automated using data loggers and probes, are made on the upstream and downstream end of the study reach. Gas exchange rates are then calculated from a solution to the transport equations for oxygen and dissolved inorganic carbon. Field tests in steep, low order, high roughness streams of the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest indicate the method to be viable along stream reaches with high downstream gas concentration gradients and high rates of gas transfer velocity. Automated and continuous collection of oxygen and carbonate chemistry data is increasingly common, thus the method may be used to estimate gas exchange rates through time, and is well suited for interactivity with databases.

NATURAL GRADIENT EXPERIMENT ON SOLUTE TRANSPORT IN A SAND AQUIFER. 2. SPATIAL MOMENTS AND THE ADVECTION AND DISPERSION OF NONREACTIVE TRACERS

EPA Science Inventory

The three-dimensional movement of a tracer plume containing bromide and chloride is investigated using the data base from a large-scale natural gradient field experiment on groundwater solute transport. The analysis focuses on the zeroth-, first-, and second-order spatial moments...

A deliberate tracer experiment in Santa Monica Basin. [for ocean density strata diffusion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ledwell, J. R.; Broecker, W. S.; Watson, A. J.

1986-01-01

A tracer technique was developed for measurements of diffusion across oceanic density strata using SF6 and perfluorodecalin (PFD) tracers in the Santa Monica Basin. Fifty days after injection, the tracers were found to have mixed along the isopycnal surface to nearly every part of the basin. The diapycnal spreading of the tracer distributions yielded an apparent eddy diffusivity of 0.33 + or - 0.08 sq cm/s at the ambient density gradient of 4.0 + or - 0.5 x 10 to the -9th g/cm to the 4th.

A tracer test to determine a hydraulic connection between the Lauchert and Danube karst catchments (Swabian Alb, Germany)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knöll, Paul; Scheytt, Traugott

2018-03-01

A dye tracer experiment was conducted between the rivers Lauchert and Danube near Sigmaringen (Swabian Alb, southern Germany). After a flood event in the River Lauchert, it was suspected that flood water infiltrated into the karst system and drained towards springs in the Danube Valley. A potential connection of the two rivers is provided by the margin of a tectonic graben crossing the valleys. The aim of the tracer experiment was to gain insight into the dominant groundwater flow direction as well as to study a possible preferential connection between the Lauchert surface catchment area and springs in the Danube Valley. After introducing sodium-fluorescein into the unsaturated zone, six springs in the Danube Valley and the River Lauchert itself were observed. Tracer breakthrough at three springs showed that these springs are fed by groundwater originating in the Lauchert surface catchment. Adjacent springs were not affected by the experiment, indicating a rather sharp divide between separate spring catchments. Analyses of tracer breakthrough curves suggest that springs with a tracer occurrence are fed by the same conduit system. It was possible to show that spring catchments in Sigmaringen reach significantly into the Lauchert surface catchment. As a consequence, a drinking-water supplier has changed its supply strategy. The results also help to explain significant differences between flood damage in the central and lower courses of the River Lauchert.

Design of Remediation Actions for Nutrient Mitigation in the Hyporheic Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morén, I.; Wörman, A.; Riml, J.

2017-11-01

Although hyporheic exchange has been shown to be of great importance for the overall water quality of streams, it is rarely considered quantitatively in stream remediation projects. A main driver of hyporheic exchange is the hydraulic head fluctuation along the streambed, which can be enhanced by modifications of the streambed topography. Here we present an analytical 2-D spectral subsurface flow model to estimate the hyporheic exchange associated with streambed topographies over a wide range of spatial scales; a model that was validated using tracer-test-results and measurements of hydraulic conductivity. Specifically, engineered steps in the stream were shown to induce a larger hyporheic exchange velocity and shorter hyporheic residence times compared to the observed topography in Tullstorps Brook, Sweden. Hyporheic properties were used to parameterize a longitudinal transport model that accounted for reactions in terms of first-order decay and instantaneous adsorption. Theoretical analyses of the mitigation effect for nitrate due to denitrification in the hyporheic zone show that there is a Damköhler number of the hyporheic zone, associated with several different stream geomorphologies, that optimizes nitrate mass removal on stream reach scale. This optimum can be limited by the available hydraulic head gradient given by the slope of the stream and the geological constraints of the streambed. The model illustrates the complex interactions between design strategies for nutrient mitigation, hyporheic flow patterns, and stream biogeochemistry and highlights the importance to diagnose a stream prior remediation, specifically to evaluate if remediation targets are transport or reaction controlled.

NBC Hazard Prediction Model Capability Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-09-01

tactical units surveyed, only the 82nd Airborne Division indicated any real experience with either model. The tactical units surveyed did use some form...Tracer Experiment (1987) and ETEX =European Tracer Experiment (1994). 22 These data sets include Phase I Dugway data, the Prairie Grass data set...I 8 hr) HPAC Different scales shown swru. Doll ~ (1.ean) Tolll GD 111:3-Stp-88 2J:OOL (I.DOin) ... 1 .... .... ... ..... ,l

Repeated tracer tests in a karst system with concentrated allogenic recharge (Johnsbachtal, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birk, Steffen; Wagner, Thomas; Pauritsch, Marcus; Winkler, Gerfried

2015-04-01

The Johnsbachtal (Austria) is a high Alpine headwater catchment covering an area of approximately 65 km², which is equipped with a hydrometeorological monitoring network (Strasser at al. 2013). The catchment is composed of carbonate rocks and crystalline rocks belonging to the Northern Calceraous Alps and the Greywacke Zone. The largest spring within the catchment, the Etzbach spring, is bound on karstified carbonate rocks of the Greywacke Zone. A stream sink located at a distance of approximately 1 km from the spring was used as injection point for repeated tracer tests in the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. In each case the tracer was recovered at the spring indicating an allogenic recharge component from the crystalline parts of the catchment. The spring discharge at the times of the three tracer tests varied between approximately 0.3 and 0.6 m³/s. Likewise the tracer travel times and thus the flow velocities were found to be different. Surprisingly, the largest tracer travel time (and thus lowest flow velocity) was obtained in 2013 when the spring discharge was highest (0.6 m³/s). In addition, the flow velocities in 2012 and 2014 were found to be clearly different, although the spring discharge was similar (roughly 0.3 m³/s) in both tests. Thus, the tracer velocity appears to be not correlated with the spring discharge. Field observations indicate that this finding can potentially be attributed to complexities at both the injection location (e.g., plugging of injection points and thus different flow paths) and the sampling point (i.e., the spring, which is composed of several outlet points representing different subcatchments). References: Strasser, U., Marke, T., Sass, O., Birk, S., Winkler, G. (2013): John's creek valley: a mountainous catchment for long-term interdisciplinary human-environment system research in Upper Styria (Austria). Environmental Earth Sciences, doi: 10.1007/s12665-013-2318-y

Tracermodel1- Excel workbook for calculation and presentation of environmental tracer data for simple groundwater mixtures: Use of chlorofluorocarbons in hydrology - a guidebook; Section III.10.3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Böhlke, John Karl

2006-01-01

Atmospheric environmental tracers commonly used to date groundwater on timescales of years to decades include CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, SF6, 85Kr, 3 H and 3 H/3 H0 , where 3 H0 refers to initial tritium (3 H + tritiogenic 3 He) (Cook and Herczeg, 2000). Interpretation of age from environmental tracer data may be relatively simple for a water sample with a single age, but the interpretation is more complex for a sample that is a mixture of waters of varying ages. A mixture can be a natural result of convergence of flow lines to a discharge area such as a spring or stream, or it can be an artefact of sampling a long-screen well. TRACERMODEL1 contains a worksheet that can be used to determine hypothetical concentrations of atmospheric environmental tracers in water samples with several different age distributions. It is designed to permit plotting of ages and tracer concentrations in a variety of different combinations to facilitate interpretation of measurements. TRACERMODEL1 includes several different types of graphs that are linked to the calculations. The spreadsheet and accompanying graphs can be modified for specific applications. For example, the selection of atmospheric environmental tracers can be changed to reflect analytes of interest, the input tracer data can be modified to reflect local conditions or different timescales, and the analytes of interest can include other types of non-point-source contaminants, such as nitrate (Böhlke, 2002). Previous versions of this workbook have been used to evaluate field data in studies of groundwater residence time and agricultural contamination (Böhlke and Denver, 1995; Focazio et al., 1998; Katz et al., 1999; Katz et al., 2001; Plummer et al., 2001; Böhlke and Krantz, 2003; Lindsey et al., 2003).

Mapping Milky Way Halo Structure with Blue Horizontal Branch Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Charles; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Carlin, Jeffrey L.

2017-01-01

The use of blue horizontal brach (BHB) and red giant branch stars as tracers of stellar debris streams is a common practice and has been useful in the confirmation of kinematic properties of previously identified streams. This work explores less common ways of untangling the velocity signatures of streams traveling radially to our line of sight, and to peer toward the higher density region of the Galactic Center using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Using spectra of BHB stars, we are able to kinematically distinguish moving groups in the Milky Way halo. The results of this thesis advance our knowledge of the following stellar halo substructures: the Pisces Stellar Stream, the Hercules-Aquila Cloud, the Hercules Halo Stream, and the Hermus Stream. A study of red giant stars led to the kinematic discovery of the Pisces Stellar Stream. Red giant stars were also examined to determine that the previously identified velocity signature that was suggested for the Hercules-Aquila Cloud was due to disk star contamination and errors in preliminary SDSS velocities. The Hercules Halo Stream is a previously unidentified structure that could be related to the Hercules-Aquila Cloud, and was discovered as a velocity excess of SDSS BHB stars. We identify a group of 10 stars with similar velocities that are spatially coincident with the Hermus Stream. An orbit is fit to the Hermus Stream that rules out a connection with the Phoenix Stream.This work was supported by NSF grants AST 09-37523, 14-09421, 16-15688, the NASA/NY Space Grant fellowship, and contributions made by The Marvin Clan, Babette Josephs, Manit Limlamai, and the 2015 Crowd Funding Campaign to Support Milky Way Research.

Sensitivity analysis of tracer transport in variably saturated soils at USDA-ARS OPE3 field site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of uncertainties in hydrologic and geochemical parameters on the results of simulations of the tracer transport in variably saturated soils at the USDA-ARS OPE3 field site. A tracer experiment with a pulse of KCL solution applied to an irrigatio...

TRACING THE ORPHAN STREAM TO 55 kpc WITH RR LYRAE STARS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sesar, Branimir; Cohen, Judith G.; Bellm, Eric C.

2013-10-10

We report positions, velocities, and metallicities of 50 ab-type RR Lyrae (RRab) stars observed in the vicinity of the Orphan stellar stream. Using about 30 RRab stars classified as being likely members of the Orphan stream, we study the metallicity and the spatial extent of the stream. We find that RRab stars in the Orphan stream have a wide range of metallicities, from –1.5 dex to –2.7 dex. The average metallicity of the stream is –2.1 dex, identical to the value obtained by Newberg et al. using blue horizontal branch stars. We find that the most distant parts of themore » stream (40-50 kpc from the Sun) are about 0.3 dex more metal-poor than the closer parts (within ∼30 kpc), suggesting a possible metallicity gradient along the stream's length. We have extended the previous studies and have mapped the stream up to 55 kpc from the Sun. Even after a careful search, we did not identify any more distant RRab stars that could plausibly be members of the Orphan stream. If confirmed with other tracers, this result would indicate a detection of the end of the leading arm of the stream. We have compared the distances of Orphan stream RRab stars with the best-fit orbits obtained by Newberg et al. We find that model 6 of Newberg et al. cannot explain the distances of the most remote Orphan stream RRab stars, and conclude that the best fit to distances of Orphan stream RRab stars and to the local circular velocity is provided by potentials where the total mass of the Galaxy within 60 kpc is M{sub 60} ∼ 2.7 × 10{sup 11} M{sub ☉}, or about 60% of the mass found by previous studies. More extensive modeling that would consider non-spherical potentials and the possibility of misalignment between the stream and the orbit is highly encouraged.« less

The fluorescent tracer experiment on Holiday Beach near Mugu Canyon, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinsman, Nicole; Xu, J. P.

2012-01-01

After revisiting sand tracer techniques originally developed in the 1960s, a range of fluorescent coating formulations were tested in the laboratory. Explicit steps are presented for the preparation of the formulation evaluated to have superior attributes, a thermoplastic pigment/dye in a colloidal mixture with a vinyl chloride/vinyl acetate copolymer. In September 2010, 0.59 cubic meters of fluorescent tracer material was injected into the littoral zone about 4 kilometers upcoast of Mugu submarine canyon in California. The movement of tracer was monitored in three dimensions over the course of 4 days using manual and automated techniques. Detailed observations of the tracer's behavior in the coastal zone indicate that this tracer successfully mimicked the native beach sand and similar methods could be used to validate models of tracer movement in this type of environment. Recommendations including how to time successful tracer studies and how to scale the field of view of automated camera systems are presented along with the advantages and disadvantages of the described tracer methodology.

Transport Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Timothy M.; Wuebbles, Donald J.; Boering, Kristie A.; Eckman, Richard S.; Lerner, Jean; Plumb, R. Alan; Rind, David H.; Rinsland, Curtis P.; Waugh, Darryn W.; Wei, Chu-Feng

1999-01-01

MM II defined a series of experiments to better understand and characterize model transport and to assess the realism of this transport by comparison to observations. Measurements from aircraft, balloon, and satellite, not yet available at the time of MM I [Prather and Remsberg, 1993], provide new and stringent constraints on model transport, and address the limits of our transport modeling abilities. Simulations of the idealized tracers the age spectrum, and propagating boundary conditions, and conserved HSCT-like emissions probe the relative roles of different model transport mechanisms, while simulations of SF6 and C02 make the connection to observations. Some of the tracers are related, and transport diagnostics such as the mean age can be derived from more than one of the experiments for comparison to observations. The goals of the transport experiments are: (1) To isolate the effects of transport in models from other processes; (2) To assess model transport for realistic tracers (such as SF6 and C02) for comparison to observations; (3) To use certain idealized tracers to isolate model mechanisms and relationships to atmospheric chemical perturbations; (4) To identify strengths and weaknesses of the treatment of transport processes in the models; (5) To relate evaluated shortcomings to aspects of model formulation. The following section are included:Executive Summary, Introduction, Age Spectrum, Observation, Tropical Transport in Models, Global Mean Age in Models, Source-Transport Covariance, HSCT "ANOY" Tracer Distributions, and Summary and Conclusions.

System Validation Experiments for Obtaining Tracer Laser-Induced Fluorescence Data at Elevated Pressure and Temperature.

PubMed

Hartwig, Jason; Mittal, Gaurav; Kumar, Kamal; Sung, Chih-Jen

2018-04-01

This paper presents a set of system validation experiments that can be used to qualify either static or flow experimental systems for gathering tracer photophysical data or conducting laser diagnostics at high pressure and temperature in order to establish design and operation limits and reduce uncertainty in data interpretation. Tests demonstrated here quantify the effect of tracer absorption at the test cell walls, stratification, photolysis, pyrolysis, adequacy of mixing and seeding, and reabsorption of laser light using acetone as the tracer and 282 nm excitation. Results show that acetone exhibits a 10% decrease in fluorescence signal over 36 000 shots at 127.4 mJ/cm 2 , and photolysis is negligible below 1000 shots collected. Meanwhile, appropriately chosen gas residence times can mitigate risks due to pyrolysis and inadequate mixing and seeding; for the current work 100 ms residence time ensured <0.5% alteration of tracer number density due to thermal destruction. Experimental results here are compared to theoretical values from the literature.

Interpretation of environmental tracers in groundwater systems with stagnant water zones.

PubMed

Maloszewski, Piotr; Stichler, Willibald; Zuber, Andrzej

2004-03-01

Lumped-parameter models are commonly applied for determining the age of water from time records of transient environmental tracers. The simplest models (e.g. piston flow or exponential) are also applicable for dating based on the decay or accumulation of tracers in groundwater systems. The models are based on the assumption that the transit time distribution function (exit age distribution function) of the tracer particles in the investigated system adequately represents the distribution of flow lines and is described by a simple function. A chosen or fitted function (called the response function) describes the transit time distribution of a tracer which would be observed at the output (discharge area, spring, stream, or pumping wells) in the case of an instantaneous injection at the entrance (recharge area). Due to large space and time scales, response functions are not measurable in groundwater systems, therefore, functions known from other fields of science, mainly from chemical engineering, are usually used. The type of response function and the values of its parameters define the lumped-parameter model of a system. The main parameter is the mean transit time of tracer through the system, which under favourable conditions may represent the mean age of mobile water. The parameters of the model are found by fitting calculated concentrations to the experimental records of concentrations measured at the outlet. The mean transit time of tracer (often called the tracer age), whether equal to the mean age of water or not, serves in adequate combinations with other data for determining other useful parameters, e.g. the recharge rate or the content of water in the system. The transit time distribution and its mean value serve for confirmation or determination of the conceptual model of the system and/or estimation of its potential vulnerability to anthropogenic pollution. In the interpretation of environmental tracer data with the aid of the lumped-parameter models, the influence of diffusion exchange between mobile water and stagnant or quasi-stagnant water is seldom considered, though it leads to large differences between tracer and water ages. Therefore, the article is focused on the transit time distribution functions of the most common lumped-parameter models, particularly those applicable for the interpretation of environmental tracer data in double-porosity aquifers, or aquifers in which aquitard diffusion may play an important role. A case study is recalled for a confined aquifer in which the diffusion exchange with aquitard most probably strongly influenced the transport of environmental tracers. Another case study presented is related to the interpretation of environmental tracer data obtained from lysimeters installed in the unsaturated zone with a fraction of stagnant water.

Engaging students in research learning experiences through hydrology field excursions and projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewen, T.; Seibert, J.

2014-12-01

One of the best ways to engage students and instill enthusiasm for hydrology is to expose them to hands-on learning. A focus on hydrology field research can be used to develop context-rich and active learning, and help solidify idealized learning where students are introduced to individual processes through textbook examples, often neglecting process interactions and an appreciation for the complexity of the system. We introduced a field course where hydrological measurement techniques are used to study processes such as snow hydrology and runoff generation, while also introducing students to field research and design of their own field project. In the field projects, students design a low-budget experiment with the aim of going through the different steps of a 'real' scientific project, from formulating the research question to presenting their results. In one of the field excursions, students make discharge measurements in several alpine streams with a salt tracer to better understand the spatial characteristics of an alpine catchment, where source waters originate and how they contribute to runoff generation. Soil moisture measurements taken by students in this field excursion were used to analyze spatial soil moisture patterns in the alpine catchment and subsequently used in a publication. Another field excursion repeats a published experiment, where preferential soil flow paths are studied using a tracer and compared to previously collected data. For each field excursion, observational data collected by the students is uploaded to an online database we developed, which also allows students to retrieve data from past excursions to further analyze and compare their data. At each of the field sites, weather stations were installed and a webviewer allows access to realtime data from data loggers, allowing students to explore how processes relate to climatic conditions. With in-house film expertise, these field excursions were also filmed and short virtual excursions were produced, which we plan to use in a large introductory course, exposing students to field research at an early stage.

Lanthanide-labeled clay: A new method for tracing sediment transport in Karst

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mahler, B.J.; Bennett, P.C.; Zimmerman, M.

1998-01-01

Mobile sediment is a fundamental yet poorly characterized aspect of mass transport through karst aquifers. Here the development and field testing of an extremely sensitive particle tracer that may be used to characterize sediment transport in karst aquifers is described. The tracer consists of micron-size montmorillonite particles homoionized to the lanthanide form; after injection and retrieval from a ground water system, the lanthanide ions are chemically stripped from the clay and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The tracer meets the following desired criteria: low detection limit; a number of differentiable signatures; inexpensive production and quantification using standard methods; no environmental risks; and hydrodynamic properties similar to the in situ sediment it is designed to trace. The tracer was tested in laboratory batch experiments and field tested in both surface water and ground water systems. In surface water, arrival times of the tracer were similar to those of a conservative water tracer, although a significant amount of material was lost due to settling. Two tracer tests were undertaken in a karst aquifer under different flow conditions. Under normal flow conditions, the time of arrival and peak concentration of the tracer were similar to or preceded that of a conservative water tracer. Under low flow conditions, the particle tracer was not detected, suggesting that in low flow the sediment settles out of suspension and goes into storage.Mobile sediment is a fundamental yet poorly characterized aspect of mass transport through karst aquifers. Here the development and field testing of an extremely sensitive particle tracer that may be used to characterize sediment transport in karst aquifers is described. The tracer consists of micron-size montmorillonite particles homoionized to the lanthanide form; after injection and retrieval from a ground water system, the lanthanide ions are chemically stripped from the clay and quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. The tracer meets the following desired criteria: low detection limit; a number of differentiable signatures; inexpensive production and quantification using standard methods; no environmental risks; and hydrodynamic properties similar to the in situ sediment it is designed to trace. The tracer was tested in laboratory batch experiments and field tested in both surface water and ground water systems. In surface water, arrival times of the tracer were similar to those of a conservative water tracer, although a significant amount of material was lost due to settling. Two tracer tests were undertaken in a karst aquifer under different flow conditions. Under normal flow conditions, the time of arrival and peak concentration of the tracer were similar to or preceded that of a conservative water tracer. Under low flow conditions, the particle tracer was not detected, suggesting that in low flow the sediment settles out of suspension and goes into storage.

Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beaulieu, J.J.; Tank, J.L.; Hamilton, S.K.; Wollheim, W.M.; Hall, R.O.; Mulholland, P.J.; Peterson, B.J.; Ashkenas, L.R.; Cooper, L.W.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Dodds, W.K.; Grimm, N. B.; Johnson, S.L.; McDowell, W.H.; Poole, G.C.; Maurice, Valett H.; Arango, C.P.; Bernot, M.J.; Burgin, A.J.; Crenshaw, C.L.; Helton, A.M.; Johnson, L.T.; O'Brien, J. M.; Potter, J.D.; Sheibley, R.W.; Sobota, D.J.; Thomas, S.M.

2011-01-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N 2O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N2O and dinitrogen (N2). The fraction of denitrified N that escapes as N2O rather than N2 (i.e., the N2O yield) is an important determinant of how much N2O is produced by river networks, but little is known about the N2O yield in flowing waters. Here, we present the results of whole-stream 15N-tracer additions conducted in 72 headwater streams draining multiple land-use types across the United States. We found that stream denitrification produces N2O at rates that increase with stream water nitrate (NO3-) concentrations, but that <1% of denitrified N is converted to N2O. Unlike some previous studies, we found no relationship between the N2O yield and stream water NO3-. We suggest that increased stream NO3- loading stimulates denitrification and concomitant N2O production, but does not increase the N2O yield. In our study, most streams were sources of N2O to the atmosphere and the highest emission rates were observed in streams draining urban basins. Using a global river network model, we estimate that microbial N transformations (e.g., denitrification and nitrification) convert at least 0.68 Tg??y -1 of anthropogenic N inputs to N2O in river networks, equivalent to 10% of the global anthropogenic N2O emission rate. This estimate of stream and river N2O emissions is three times greater than estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Sources of fine sediment stored in agricultural lowland streams, Midwest, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamba, Jasmeet; Thompson, A. M.; Karthikeyan, K. G.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2015-05-01

Agricultural activities can accelerate the offsite transport of productive soil from fields leading to stream water quality degradation. Identification of the nature and relative contribution of different sources to fine-grained sediment (e.g., silts, clays) in streams is important to effectively focus agricultural best management practices in watersheds. Sediment fingerprinting techniques through the use of geochemical tracers are commonly used to differentiate relative contribution from various sources. Research was conducted in lowland streams in the Pleasant Valley watershed in South Central Wisconsin (USA) to identify provenance of fine-grained sediment deposits and evaluate the impact of land use on relative contributions from the following potential sources: cropland, pasture, woodland, and eroding stream banks. Results show that both agriculture (croplands and pastures) and eroding stream banks are primary sources to fine sediment deposits on the stream bed with contributions ranging from 19 to 100% and 0 to 81%, respectively. The increase in area under agricultural land use within a subwatershed results in greater contribution from agriculture (R2 = 0.846, p = 0.0034). Relative contributions from eroding stream banks increased with increasing area under grasslands and woodlands within a subwatershed (R2 = 0.814, p = 0.0055). Subwatersheds with greater mass of fine sediment deposited on the stream bed per unit area should be prioritized for best management practices. The conservation practices should be targeted to stream banks or croplands depending on the dominant source of fine sediment within a subwatershed. Site specific changes in relative contributions from different sources to fine-grained sediment in this watershed highlights the complexities involved in sediment transport dynamics. The nested sampling sites helped determine that sediment dynamics at the subwatershed scale need to be considered for application of targeted conservation techniques.

Sources of fine sediment stored in agricultural lowland streams, Midwest, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamba, Jasmeet; Thompson, Anita M.; Karthikeyan, K.G.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2015-01-01

Agricultural activities can accelerate the offsite transport of productive soil from fields leading to stream water quality degradation. Identification of the nature and relative contribution of different sources to fine-grained sediment (e.g., silts, clays) in streams is important to effectively focus agricultural best management practices in watersheds. Sediment fingerprinting techniques through the use of geochemical tracers are commonly used to differentiate relative contribution from various sources. Research was conducted in lowland streams in the Pleasant Valley watershed in South Central Wisconsin (USA) to identify provenance of fine-grained sediment deposits and evaluate the impact of land use on relative contributions from the following potential sources: cropland, pasture, woodland, and eroding stream banks. Results show that both agriculture (croplands and pastures) and eroding stream banks are primary sources to fine sediment deposits on the stream bed with contributions ranging from 19 to 100% and 0 to 81%, respectively. The increase in area under agricultural land use within a subwatershed results in greater contribution from agriculture (R2 = 0.846, p = 0.0034). Relative contributions from eroding stream banks increased with increasing area under grasslands and woodlands within a subwatershed (R2 = 0.814, p = 0.0055). Subwatersheds with greater mass of fine sediment deposited on the stream bed per unit area should be prioritized for best management practices. The conservation practices should be targeted to stream banks or croplands depending on the dominant source of fine sediment within a subwatershed. Site specific changes in relative contributions from different sources to fine-grained sediment in this watershed highlights the complexities involved in sediment transport dynamics. The nested sampling sites helped determine that sediment dynamics at the subwatershed scale need to be considered for application of targeted conservation techniques.

Transport of Indole-3-Acetic Acid during Gravitropism in Intact Maize Coleoptiles 1

PubMed Central

Parker, Karen E.; Briggs, Winslow R.

1990-01-01

We have investigated the transport of tritiated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in intact, red light-grown maize (Zea mays) coleoptiles during gravitropic induction and the subsequent development of curvature. This auxin is transported down the length of gravistimulated coleoptiles at a rate comparable to that in normal, upright plants. Transport is initially symmetrical across the coleoptile, but between 30 and 40 minutes after plants are turned horizontal a lateral redistribution of the IAA already present in the transport stream occurs. By 60 minutes after the beginning of the gravitropic stimulus, the ratio of tritiated tracer auxin in the lower half with respect to the upper half is approximately 2:1. The redistribution of growth that causes gravitropic curvature follows the IAA redistribution by 5 or 10 minutes at the minimum in most regions of the coleoptile. Immobilization of tracer auxin from the transport stream during gravitropism was not detectable in the most apical 10 millimeters. Previous reports have shown that in intact, red light-grown maize coleoptiles, endogenous auxin is limiting for growth, the tissue is linearly responsive to linearly increasing concentrations of small amounts of added auxin, and the lag time for the stimulation of straight growth by added IAA is approximately 8 or 9 minutes (TI Baskin, M Iino, PB Green, WR Briggs [1985] Plant Cell Environ 8: 595-603; TI Baskin, WR Briggs, M Iino [1986] Plant Physiol 81: 306-309). We conclude that redistribution of IAA in the transport stream occurs in maize coleoptiles during gravitropism, and is sufficient in degree and timing to be the immediate cause of gravitropic curvature. PMID:16667914

Using combinations of metal isotopes as tracers of tailings pond discharges to subsurface aquifers in the Athabasca Oil Sands area, Canada.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gammon, P. R.; Savard, M. M.; Ahad, J. M.; Girard, I.

2016-12-01

The Athabasca Oil Sands (AOS) industry in Alberta, Canada deposits voluminous waste streams in Earth's largest tailings ponds (TPs). Detecting and tracing contaminant discharge from TPs to subsurface aquifers has proven difficult because tailings have the same composition as the surrounding environment of unmined oil sand. To trace pond discharge to the subsurface therefore relies on the waste stream hosting additions or alterations induced by mining or industrial processes. Inorganic element or contaminant concentration data have proven ineffective at tracing because there is insufficient alteration of the chemical constituents or their ratios. Metal isotopes have not generally been applied to tracing emissions even though isotopic fractionation is likely induced via the high temperature and pH industrial process. We have generated Mg, Li, Pb and Zn isotopic data for a range of groundwater wells and TPs. Mg isotopes are excellent for distinguishing deep saline brines that are pumped into the waste stream during mine dewatering. Li isotopes appear to be heavily fractionated during processing, which produces a heavy isotopic signature that is an excellent tracer of production water. Pb isotopes discriminate Pb derived from oil-sand versus bedrock carbonate. Juxtapositions of TPs, carbonates and near-surface aquifers are common and of significant regulatory concern, making Pb isotopes particularly useful. Zn isotopic data indicates similarities to Pb isotopes, but are difficult to obtain due to low concentrations. Combining the isotopic data with concentration data and hydrologic models will assist in determining the fluxes of discharges from the TPs to near-surface aquifers. The range of environmental contexts of AOS TPs is limited and thus monitoring discharges to nearby aquifers from TPs could feasibly be accomplished using tailored suites of metal isotopes.

Changes in the isotopic and chemical composition of ground water resulting from a recharge pulse from a sinking stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Brian G.; Catches, John S.; Bullen, Thomas D.; Michel, Robert L.

1998-11-01

The Little River, an ephemeral stream that drains a watershed of approximately 88 km 2 in northern Florida, disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer, the source of water supply in northern Florida. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer in areas near the sinks where numerous subterranean karst solution features were identified using ground penetrating radar. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Rapid recharge of river water into some parts of the aquifer during high-flow conditions was indicated by enriched values of delta 18O and delta deuterium (-1.67 to -3.17 per mil and -9.2 to -15.6 per mil, respectively), elevated concentrations of tannic acid, higher (more radiogenic) 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios, and lower concentrations of 222Rn, silica, and alkalinity compared to low-flow conditions. The proportion of river water that mixed with ground water ranged from 0.10 to 0.67 based on binary mixing models using the tracers 18O, deuterium, tannic acid, silica, 222Rn, and 87Sr/ 86Sr. On the basis of mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.

Characterization of the intragranular water regime within subsurface sediments: Pore volume, surface area, and mass transfer limitations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hay, M.B.; Stoliker, D.L.; Davis, J.A.; Zachara, J.M.

2011-01-01

Although "intragranular" pore space within grain aggregates, grain fractures, and mineral surface coatings may contain a relatively small fraction of the total porosity within a porous medium, it often contains a significant fraction of the reactive surface area, and can thus strongly affect the transport of sorbing solutes. In this work, we demonstrate a batch experiment procedure using tritiated water as a high-resolution diffusive tracer to characterize the intragranular pore space. The method was tested using uranium-contaminated sediments from the vadose and capillary fringe zones beneath the former 300A process ponds at the Hanford site (Washington). Sediments were contacted with tracers in artificial groundwater, followed by a replacement of bulk solution with tracer-free groundwater and the monitoring of tracer release. From these data, intragranular pore volumes were calculated and mass transfer rates were quantified using a multirate first-order mass transfer model. Tritium-hydrogen exchange on surface hydroxyls was accounted for by conducting additional tracer experiments on sediment that was vacuum dried after reaction. The complementary ("wet" and "dry") techniques allowed for the simultaneous determination of intragranular porosity and surface area using tritium. The Hanford 300A samples exhibited intragranular pore volumes of ???1% of the solid volume and intragranular surface areas of ???20%-35% of the total surface area. Analogous experiments using bromide ion as a tracer yielded very different results, suggesting very little penetration of bromide into the intragranular porosity. Copyright 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.

Characterization of the intragranular water regime within subsurface sediments: pore volume, surface area, and mass transfer limitations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hay, Michael B.; Stoliker, Deborah L.; Davis, James A.; Zachara, John M.

2011-01-01

Although "intragranular" pore space within grain aggregates, grain fractures, and mineral surface coatings may contain a relatively small fraction of the total porosity within a porous medium, it often contains a significant fraction of the reactive surface area, and can thus strongly affect the transport of sorbing solutes. In this work, we demonstrate a batch experiment procedure using tritiated water as a high-resolution diffusive tracer to characterize the intragranular pore space. The method was tested using uranium-contaminated sediments from the vadose and capillary fringe zones beneath the former 300A process ponds at the Hanford site (Washington). Sediments were contacted with tracers in artificial groundwater, followed by a replacement of bulk solution with tracer-free groundwater and the monitoring of tracer release. From these data, intragranular pore volumes were calculated and mass transfer rates were quantified using a multirate first-order mass transfer model. Tritium-hydrogen exchange on surface hydroxyls was accounted for by conducting additional tracer experiments on sediment that was vacuum dried after reaction. The complementary ("wet" and "dry") techniques allowed for the simultaneous determination of intragranular porosity and surface area using tritium. The Hanford 300A samples exhibited intragranular pore volumes of ~1% of the solid volume and intragranular surface areas of ~20%–35% of the total surface area. Analogous experiments using bromide ion as a tracer yielded very different results, suggesting very little penetration of bromide into the intragranular porosity.

Effect of different transport observations on inverse modeling results: case study of a long-term groundwater tracer test monitored at high resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasa, Ehsan; Foglia, Laura; Mackay, Douglas M.; Scow, Kate M.

2013-11-01

Conservative tracer experiments can provide information useful for characterizing various subsurface transport properties. This study examines the effectiveness of three different types of transport observations for sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation of a three-dimensional site-specific groundwater flow and transport model: conservative tracer breakthrough curves (BTCs), first temporal moments of BTCs ( m 1), and tracer cumulative mass discharge ( M d) through control planes combined with hydraulic head observations ( h). High-resolution data obtained from a 410-day controlled field experiment at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (USA), have been used. In this experiment, bromide was injected to create two adjacent plumes monitored at six different transects (perpendicular to groundwater flow) with a total of 162 monitoring wells. A total of 133 different observations of transient hydraulic head, 1,158 of BTC concentration, 23 of first moment, and 36 of mass discharge were used for sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation of nine flow and transport parameters. The importance of each group of transport observations in estimating these parameters was evaluated using sensitivity analysis, and five out of nine parameters were calibrated against these data. Results showed the advantages of using temporal moment of conservative tracer BTCs and mass discharge as observations for inverse modeling.

Removal of microbial pathogens in a sandy gravel aquifer under forced-gradient subsurface flow conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oudega, Thomas James; Derx, Julia; van Driezum, Inge; Cisneros, Anibal; Sommer, Regina; Kirschner, Alexander; Farnleitner, Andreas; Blaschke, Alfred Paul

2017-04-01

Subsurface media are being used around the world as a means to mitigate microbial contamination, but vary widely in their ability to remove pathogens. To help to provide accurate risk assessments of microbial contamination of groundwaters, and establish safe setback distances between receiving waters and disposal fields, this study aims to use aquifer tracer tests to evaluate the ability of subsurface media to attenuate these pathogens. The novelty of this work is the use of a variety of different tracer substances (e.g. phages, spores, microspheres, conservative tracers) together in field experiments. This will be done by means of injecting these substances under a forced gradient in a sandy gravel aquifer in Lobau, Austria. The extraction of the tracers will be monitored in a pumping well at a distrance of 50m downgradient. This will be able to provide us with insight to the characteristics of microbial transport and how the microorganisms react to the subsurface in the study site. Subsequent numerical modelling of the experiments can tell us more about quantification of subsurface processes such as attachment/detachment, inactivation and die-off of these substances. The first field experiment with conservative tracers (NaCl) has been carried out in December 2016, and subsequent tests are being planned for the next months.

Exploring Microbial Processes with Thermal-Hydrological Models of the Eastern Flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weathers, T. S.; Fisher, A. T.; Winslow, D. M.; Stauffer, P. H.; Gable, C. W.

2017-12-01

The flanks of mid-ocean ridges experience coupled flows of fluid, heat, and solutes that are critical for a wide range of global processes, including the cycling of carbon and nutrients, which supports a vast crustal biosphere. Only a few ridge-flank sites have been studied in detail; hydrogeologic conditions and processes in the volcanic crust are best understood on the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. This area has been extensively explored with decades of drilling, submersible, observatory, and survey expeditions and experiments, including the first hole-to-hole tracer injection experiment in the ocean crust. This study describes the development of reactive transport simulations for this ridge-flank setting using three-dimensional coupled (thermal-hydrological) models of crustal-scale circulation, beginning with the exploration of tracer transport. The prevailing flow direction is roughly south to north as a result of outcrop-to-outcrop flow, with a bulk flow rate in the range of meters/year. However, tracer was detected 500 m south ("upstream") from the injection borehole during the first year following injection. This may be explained by local mixing and/or formation fluid discharge from the southern borehole during and after injection. The constraints and parameters required to fit the observed tracer behavior can be used as a basis for modeling reactive transport processes such as nutrient delivery or microbial community evolution as a function of fluid flow. For example, the sulfate concentration in fluid samples from Baby Bare outcrop ( 8 km south of the tracer transport experiment) was 17.8 mmol/kg, whereas at Mama Bare outcrop ( 8 km to north of the tracer transport experiment) the sulfate concentration was 16.3 mmol/mg. By integrating laboratory-derived sulfate reduction rates from microbial samples originating from Juan de Fuca borehole observatories into reactive transport models, we can explore the range of microbial activity that supports the observed concentration gradients of sulfate and other solutes in the volcanic ocean crust.

Effect of enhanced manganese oxidation in the hyporheic zone on basin-scale geochemical mass balance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Judson W.; Fuller, Christopher C.

1998-01-01

We determined the role of the hyporheic zone (the subsurface zone where stream water and shallow groundwater mix) in enhancing microbially mediated oxidation of dissolved manganese (to form manganese precipitates) in a drainage basin contaminated by copper mining. The fate of manganese is of overall importance to water quality in Pinal Creek Basin, Arizona, because manganese reactions affect the transport of trace metals. The basin-scale role of the hyporheic zone is difficult to quantify because stream-tracer studies do not always reliably characterize the cumulative effects of the hyporheic zone. This study determined cumulative effects of hyporheic reactions in Pinal Creek basin by characterizing manganese uptake at several spatial scales (stream-reach scale, hyporheic-flow-path scale, and sediment-grain scale). At the stream-reach scale a one-dimensional stream-transport model (including storage zones to represent hyporheic flow paths) was used to determine a reach-averaged time constant for manganese uptake in hyporheic zones, 1/λs, of 1.3 hours, which was somewhat faster but still similar to manganese uptake time constants that were measured directly in centimeter-scale hyporheic flow paths (1/λh= 2.6 hours), and in laboratory batch experiments using streambed sediment (1/λ = 2.7 hours). The modeled depths of subsurface storage zones (ds = 4–17 cm) and modeled residence times of water in storage zones (ts = 3–12 min) were both consistent with direct measurements in hyporheic flow paths (dh = 0–15 cm, th = 1–25 min). There was also good agreement between reach-scale modeling and direct measurements of the percentage removal of dissolved manganese in hyporheic flow paths (fs = 8.9%, andfh = 9.3%rpar;. Manganese uptake experiments in the laboratory using sediment from Pinal Creek demonstrated (through comparison of poisoned and unpoisoned treatments) that the manganese removal process was enhanced by microbially mediated oxidation. The cumulative effect of hyporheic exchange in Pinal Creek basin was to remove approximately 20% of the dissolved manganese flowing out of the drainage basin. Our results illustrate that the cumulative significance of reactive uptake in the hyporheic zone depends on the balance between chemical reaction rates, hyporheic porewater residence time, and turnover of streamflow through hyporheic flow paths. The similarity between the hyporheic reaction timescale (1/λs ≈ 1.3 hours), and the hyporheic porewater residence timescale (ts ≈ 8 min) ensured that there was adequate time for the reaction to progress. Furthermore, it was the similarity between the turnover length for stream water flow through hyporheic flow paths (Ls = stream velocity/storage-zone exchange coefficient ≈ 1.3 km) and the length of Pinal Creek (L ≈ 7 km), which ensured that all stream water passed through hyporheic flow paths several times. As a means to generalize our findings to other sites where similar types of hydrologic and chemical information are available, we suggest a cumulative significance index for hyporheic reactions, Rs = λstsL/Ls (dimensionless); higher values indicate a greater potential for hyporheic reactions to influence geochemical mass balance. Our experience in Pinal Creek basin suggests that values of Rs > 0.2 characterize systems where hyporheic reactions are likely to influence geochemical mass balance at the drainage-basin scale.

A simple technique for continuous measurement of time-variable gas transfer in surface waters

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tobias, Craig R.; Bohlke, John Karl; Harvey, Judson W.; Busenberg, Eurybiades

2009-01-01

Mass balance models of dissolved gases in streams, lakes, and rivers serve as the basis for estimating wholeecosystem rates for various biogeochemical processes. Rates of gas exchange between water and the atmosphere are important and error-prone components of these models. Here we present a simple and efficient modification of the SF6 gas tracer approach that can be used concurrently while collecting other dissolved gas samples for dissolved gas mass balance studies in streams. It consists of continuously metering SF6-saturated water directly into the stream at a low rate of flow. This approach has advantages over pulse injection of aqueous solutions or bubbling large amounts of SF6 into the stream. By adding the SF6 as a saturated solution, we minimize the possibility that other dissolved gas measurements are affected by sparging and/or bubble injecta. Because the SF6 is added continuously we have a record of changing gas transfer velocity (GTV) that is contemporaneous with the sampling of other nonconservative ambient dissolved gases. Over a single diel period, a 30% variation in GTV was observed in a second-order stream (Sugar Creek, Indiana, USA). The changing GTV could be attributed in part to changes in temperature and windspeed that occurred on hourly to diel timescales.

Tracing Nitrate Contributions to Streams During Varying Flow Regimes at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sebestyen, S. D.; Shanley, J. B.; Boyer, E. W.; Ohte, N.; Doctor, D. H.; Kendall, C.

2003-12-01

Quantifying sources and transformations of nitrate in headwater catchments is fundamental to understanding the movement of nitrogen to streams. At the Sleepers River Research Watershed in northeastern Vermont (USA), we are using multiple chemical tracer and mixing model approaches to quantify sources and transport of nitrate to streams under varying flow regimes. We sampled streams, lysimeters, and wells at nested locations from the headwaters to the outlet of the 41 ha W-9 watershed under the entire range of flow regimes observed throughout 2002-2003, including baseflow and multiple events (stormflow and snowmelt). Our results suggest that nitrogen sources, and consequently stream nitrate concentrations, are rapidly regenerated during several weeks of baseflow and nitrogen is flushed from the watershed by stormflow events that follow baseflow periods. Both basic chemistry data (anions, cations, & dissolved organic carbon) and isotopic data (nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved inorganic carbon) indicate that nitrogen source contributions vary depending upon the extent of saturation in the watershed, the initiation of shallow subsurface water inputs, and other hydrological processes. Stream nitrate concentrations typically peak with discharge and are higher on the falling than the rising limb of the hydrograph. Our data also indicate the importance of terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemical processes, in addition to hydrological connectivity in controlling how nitrate moves from the terrestrial landscape to streams. Our detailed sampling data from multiple flow regimes are helping to identify and quantify the "hot spots" and "hot moments" of biogeochemical and hydrological processes that control nitrogen fluxes in streams.

Characteristics of low-slope streams that affect O2 transfer rates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, Gene W.; Desimone, Leslie A.

1991-01-01

Multiple-regression techniques were used to derive the reaeration coefficients estimating equation for low sloped streams: K2 = 3.83 MBAS-0.41 SL0.20 H-0.76, where K2 is the reaeration coefficient in base e units per day; MBAS is the methylene blue active substances concentration in milligrams per liter; SL is the water-surface slope in foot per foot; and H is the mean-flow depth in feet. Fourteen hydraulic, physical, and water-quality characteristics were regressed against 29 measured-reaeration coefficients for low-sloped (water surface slopes less than 0.002 foot per foot) streams in Massachusetts and New York. Reaeration coefficients measured from May 1985 to October 1988 ranged from 0.2 to 11.0 base e units per day for 29 low-sloped tracer studies. Concentration of methylene blue active substances is significant because it is thought to be an indicator of concentration of surfactants which could change the surface tension at the air-water interface.

Water-quality characteristics indicative of wastewater in selected streams in the upper Neuse River Basin, Durham and Orange Counties, North Carolina, from 2004 to 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrell, Gloria M.; Yearout, Matthew S.; Grimes, Barbara H.; Graves, Alexandria K.; Fitzgerald, Sharon A.; Meyer, Michael T.

2014-01-01

During the third phase of data collection, May 2012 to January 2013, data were collected to address the suitability of optical brighteners as tracers of wastewater in small streams during streamflow recession. Samples were collected at five small streams following periods of rainfall and analyzed for optical brighteners, specific conductance nutrients, and selected hormones. Optical brighteners were absent in the undeveloped catchment but were present in the recession period after rainfall events in catchments with centralized though possibly leaky sewage treatment and areas with onsite treatment. Sand filter systems in areas with onsite treatment appear to change the effluent flow and retention characteristics such that optical brighteners were present both before and after rainfall events. Nitrate plus nitrite, as nitrogen concentrations in samples from this last study phase generally were larger than those collected during baseflow conditions in the previous phases of this study.

Isopycnal diffusivity in the tropical North Atlantic oxygen minimum zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köllner, Manuela; Visbeck, Martin; Tanhua, Toste; Fischer, Tim

2017-04-01

Isopycnal diffusivity plays an important role in the ventilation of the Eastern Tropical North Atlantic (ETNA) Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ). Lateral tracer transport is described by isopycnal diffusivity and mean advection of the tracer (e.g. oxygen), together they account for up to 70% of the oxygen supply for the OMZ. One of the big challenges is to separate diffusivity from advection. Isopycnal diffusivity was estimated to be Ky=(500 ± 200) m2 s-1 and Kx=(1200 ± 600) m2 s-1 by Banyte et. al (2013) from a Tracer Release Experiment (TRE). Hahn et al. (2014) estimated a meridional eddy diffusivity of 1350 m2 s-1 at 100 m depth decaying to less than 300 m2 s-1 below 800 m depth from repeated ship sections of CTD and ADCP data in addition with hydrographic mooring data. Uncertainties of the estimated diffusivities were still large, thus the Oxygen Supply Tracer Release Experiment (OSTRE) was set up to estimate isopycnal diffusivity in the OMZ using a newly developed sampling strategy of a control volume. The tracer was released in 2012 in the core of the OMZ at approximately 410 m depth and mapped after 6, 15 and 29 months in a regular grid. In addition to the calculation of tracer column integrals from vertical tracer profiles a new sampling method was invented and tested during two of the mapping cruises. The mean eddy diffusivity during OSTRE was found to be about (300 ± 130) m2 s-1. Additionally, the tracer has been advected further to the east and west by zonal jets. We compare different analysis methods to estimate isopycnal diffusivity from tracer spreading and show the advantage of the control volume surveys and control box approach. From the control box approach we are estimating the strength of the zonal jets within the OMZ core integrated over the TRE time period. References: Banyte, D., Visbeck, M., Tanhua, T., Fischer, T., Krahmann, G.,Karstensen, J., 2013. Lateral Diffusivity from Tracer Release Experiments in the Tropical North Atlantic Thermocline. Journal of Geophysical Research 118. Hahn, J., Brandt, P., Greatbatch, R., Krahmann, G., Körtzinger, A., 2014. Oxygen variance and meridional oxygen supply in the Tropical North East Atlantic oxygen minimum zone. Climate Dynamics 43, 2999-3024.

CellProfiler Tracer: exploring and validating high-throughput, time-lapse microscopy image data.

PubMed

Bray, Mark-Anthony; Carpenter, Anne E

2015-11-04

Time-lapse analysis of cellular images is an important and growing need in biology. Algorithms for cell tracking are widely available; what researchers have been missing is a single open-source software package to visualize standard tracking output (from software like CellProfiler) in a way that allows convenient assessment of track quality, especially for researchers tuning tracking parameters for high-content time-lapse experiments. This makes quality assessment and algorithm adjustment a substantial challenge, particularly when dealing with hundreds of time-lapse movies collected in a high-throughput manner. We present CellProfiler Tracer, a free and open-source tool that complements the object tracking functionality of the CellProfiler biological image analysis package. Tracer allows multi-parametric morphological data to be visualized on object tracks, providing visualizations that have already been validated within the scientific community for time-lapse experiments, and combining them with simple graph-based measures for highlighting possible tracking artifacts. CellProfiler Tracer is a useful, free tool for inspection and quality control of object tracking data, available from http://www.cellprofiler.org/tracer/.

The Experience of Receiving and Then Losing a Scholarship: A Tracer Study of Secondary School Scholarship Recipients in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Cathy; Chapman, David W.; Okurut, Charles Opolot

2014-01-01

This study reports findings of a tracer that investigated differences in the profile and subsequent experiences of scholarship recipients in Uganda who were able to complete the lower secondary school cycle (O level) without interruption (N = 174) and those that dropped out before completing their O-level cycle (N = 51), thereby losing their…

Journal: A Review of Some Tracer-Test Design Equations for ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Determination of necessary tracer mass, initial sample-collection time, and subsequent sample-collection frequency are the three most difficult aspects to estimate for a proposed tracer test prior to conducting the tracer test. To facilitate tracer-mass estimation, 33 mass-estimation equations are reviewed here, 32 of which were evaluated using previously published tracer-test design examination parameters. Comparison of the results produced a wide range of estimated tracer mass, but no means is available by which one equation may be reasonably selected over the others. Each equation produces a simple approximation for tracer mass. Most of the equations are based primarily on estimates or measurements of discharge, transport distance, and suspected transport times. Although the basic field parameters commonly employed are appropriate for estimating tracer mass, the 33 equations are problematic in that they were all probably based on the original developers' experience in a particular field area and not necessarily on measured hydraulic parameters or solute-transport theory. Suggested sampling frequencies are typically based primarily on probable transport distance, but with little regard to expected travel times. This too is problematic in that tends to result in false negatives or data aliasing. Simulations from the recently developed efficient hydrologic tracer-test design methodology (EHTD) were compared with those obtained from 32 of the 33 published tracer-

Using a tracer technique to identify the extent of non-ideal flows in the continuous mixing of non-Newtonian fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, D.; Ein-Mozaffari, F.; Mehrvar, M.

2013-05-01

The identification of non-ideal flows in a continuous-flow mixing of non-Newtonian fluids is a challenging task for various chemical industries: plastic manufacturing, water and wastewater treatment, and pulp and paper manufacturing. Non-ideal flows such as channelling, recirculation, and dead zones significantly affect the performance of continuous-flow mixing systems. Therefore, the main objective of this paper was to develop an identification protocol to measure non-ideal flows in the continuous-flow mixing system. The extent of non-ideal flows was quantified using a dynamic model that incorporated channelling, recirculation, and dead volume in the mixing vessel. To estimate the dynamic model parameters, the system was excited using a frequency-modulated random binary input by injecting the saline solution (as a tracer) into the fresh feed stream prior to being pumped into the mixing vessel. The injection of the tracer was controlled by a computer-controlled on-off solenoid valve. Using the trace technique, the extent of channelling and the effective mixed volume were successfully determined and used as mixing quality criteria. Such identification procedures can be applied at various areas of chemical engineering in order to improve the mixing quality.

Eddy Effects in the General Circulation, Spanning Mean Currents, Mesoscale Eddies, and Topographic Generation, Including Submesoscale Nests

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

bottom form stress (pressure force) and bottom boundary layers – all the aspects associated with turbulent flows over steep topography in the presence of...filaments, and eddies; topographic current separation, form stress , and submesoscale vortex generation; Our work on isoneutral diffusion for tracers...Bump region, are due to the contribution of the bottom stress curl. Fig. 4 shows how the Gulf Stream path is directly linked to the Bottom Pressure

Estimating uncertainty in ambient and saturation nutrient uptake metrics from nutrient pulse releases in stream ecosystems

DOE PAGES

Brooks, Scott C.; Brandt, Craig C.; Griffiths, Natalie A.

2016-10-07

Nutrient spiraling is an important ecosystem process characterizing nutrient transport and uptake in streams. Various nutrient addition methods are used to estimate uptake metrics; however, uncertainty in the metrics is not often evaluated. A method was developed to quantify uncertainty in ambient and saturation nutrient uptake metrics estimated from saturating pulse nutrient additions (Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization; TASCC). Using a Monte Carlo (MC) approach, the 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated for ambient uptake lengths (S w-amb) and maximum areal uptake rates (U max) based on 100,000 datasets generated from each of four nitrogen and five phosphorous TASCCmore » experiments conducted seasonally in a forest stream in eastern Tennessee, U.S.A. Uncertainty estimates from the MC approach were compared to the CIs estimated from ordinary least squares (OLS) and non-linear least squares (NLS) models used to calculate S w-amb and U max, respectively, from the TASCC method. The CIs for Sw-amb and Umax were large, but were not consistently larger using the MC method. Despite the large CIs, significant differences (based on nonoverlapping CIs) in nutrient metrics among seasons were found with more significant differences using the OLS/NLS vs. the MC method. Lastly, we suggest that the MC approach is a robust way to estimate uncertainty, as the calculation of S w-amb and U max violates assumptions of OLS/NLS while the MC approach is free of these assumptions. The MC approach can be applied to other ecosystem metrics that are calculated from multiple parameters, providing a more robust estimate of these metrics and their associated uncertainties.« less

Infiltration of pesticides in surface water into nearby drinking water supply wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaguerra, F.; Albrechtsen, H.; Binning, P. J.

2010-12-01

Drinking water wells are often placed near streams because streams often overly permeable sediments and the water table is near the surface in valleys, and so pumping costs are reduced. The lowering of the water table by pumping wells can reverse the natural flow from the groundwater to the stream, inducing infiltration of surface water to groundwater and consequently to the drinking water well. Many attenuation processes can take place in the riparian zone, mainly due to mixing, biodegradation and sorption. However, if the water travel time from the surface water to the pumping well is too short, or if the compounds are poorly degradable, contaminants can reach the drinking water well at high concentrations, jeopardizing drinking water quality. Here we developed a reactive transport model to evaluate the risk of contamination of drinking water wells by surface water pollution. The model was validated using data of a tracer experiment in a riparian zone. Three compounds were considered: an older pesticide MCPP (Mecoprop) which is mobile and persistent, glyphosate (Roundup), a new biodegradable and strongly sorbed pesticide, and its degradation product AMPA. Global sensitivity analysis using the method of Morris was employed to identify the dominant model parameters. Results showed that the presence of an aquitard and its characteristics (degree of fracturing and thickness), pollutant properties and well depth are the crucial factors affecting the risk of drinking water well contamination from surface water. Global sensitivity analysis results were compared with rank correlation statistics between pesticide concentrations and geological parameters derived from a comprehensive database of Danish drinking water wells. Aquitard thickness and well depth are the most critical parameters in both the model and observed data.

Estimating uncertainty in ambient and saturation nutrient uptake metrics from nutrient pulse releases in stream ecosystems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brooks, Scott C.; Brandt, Craig C.; Griffiths, Natalie A.

Nutrient spiraling is an important ecosystem process characterizing nutrient transport and uptake in streams. Various nutrient addition methods are used to estimate uptake metrics; however, uncertainty in the metrics is not often evaluated. A method was developed to quantify uncertainty in ambient and saturation nutrient uptake metrics estimated from saturating pulse nutrient additions (Tracer Additions for Spiraling Curve Characterization; TASCC). Using a Monte Carlo (MC) approach, the 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated for ambient uptake lengths (S w-amb) and maximum areal uptake rates (U max) based on 100,000 datasets generated from each of four nitrogen and five phosphorous TASCCmore » experiments conducted seasonally in a forest stream in eastern Tennessee, U.S.A. Uncertainty estimates from the MC approach were compared to the CIs estimated from ordinary least squares (OLS) and non-linear least squares (NLS) models used to calculate S w-amb and U max, respectively, from the TASCC method. The CIs for Sw-amb and Umax were large, but were not consistently larger using the MC method. Despite the large CIs, significant differences (based on nonoverlapping CIs) in nutrient metrics among seasons were found with more significant differences using the OLS/NLS vs. the MC method. Lastly, we suggest that the MC approach is a robust way to estimate uncertainty, as the calculation of S w-amb and U max violates assumptions of OLS/NLS while the MC approach is free of these assumptions. The MC approach can be applied to other ecosystem metrics that are calculated from multiple parameters, providing a more robust estimate of these metrics and their associated uncertainties.« less

Lithologic influences on groundwater recharge through incised glacial till from profile to regional scales: Evidence from glaciated Eastern Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gates, John B.; Steele, Gregory V.; Nasta, Paolo; Szilagyi, Jozsef

2014-01-01

Variability in sediment hydraulic properties associated with landscape depositional and erosional features can influence groundwater recharge processes by affecting soil-water storage and transmission. This study considers recharge to aquifers underlying river-incised glaciated terrain where the distribution of clay-rich till is largely intact in upland locations but has been removed by alluvial erosion in stream valleys. In a stream-dissected glacial region in eastern Nebraska (Great Plains region of the United States), recharge estimates were developed for nested profile, aquifer, and regional scales using unsaturated zone profile measurements (matric potentials, Cl- and 3H), groundwater tracers (CFC-12 and SF6), and a remote sensing-assisted water balance model. Results show a consistent influence of till lithology on recharge rates across nested spatial scales despite substantial uncertainty in all recharge estimation methods, suggesting that minimal diffuse recharge occurs through upland glacial till lithology whereas diffuse recharge occurs in river valleys where till is locally absent. Diffuse recharge is estimated to account for a maximum of 61% of total recharge based on comparison of diffuse recharge estimated from the unsaturated zone (0-43 mm yr-1) and total recharge estimated from groundwater tracers (median 58 mm yr-1) and water balance modeling (median 56 mm yr-1). The results underscore the importance of lithologic controls on the distributions of both recharge rates and mechanisms.

REDUCTION OF DOSES IN DIAGNOSTIC USES OF RADIOISOTOPES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hosain, F.

1960-03-01

> A moderately low-level counting technique with anticoincidence gas- flow counter was developed for use in metabolic and diagnostic tracer studies with radioisotopes. Several important experiments and results were reported which have been carried out with reduced doses of tracer isotopes. A reduction of the tracer dose of ahout 1/30th of the present conventional doses was achieved which helps to minimize the chances of radiation hazards. (auth)

Comparison of gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and bromide in a dual-tracer field experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dulski, Peter; Möller, Peter; Pekdeger, Asaf

2011-06-01

At a test site consisting of a storage pond and connected artificial aquifer, the long-time behaviour of gadopentetic acid (Gd-DTPA) was compared with the classic tracer bromide (Br-) in a 70-day dual-tracer experiment. The mixed tracer solution was injected into the oligotrophic pond, which is separated from the aquifer by an infiltration bank. The water drained from the aquifer was returned to the pond together with additional fresh groundwater, causing reduced concentrations of Gd-DTPA and Br- in the system. Transmetallation of Gd-DTPA by rare earth elements and yttrium was negligible but Cu2+ and Ni2+ might have played a role. Adsorption and/or biodegradation of Gd-DTPA were negligible. The decline of Gd-DTPA/Br ratios by 18% in the pond over 68 days was caused by reversible sorption of Br- in the aquifer, which caused variation of Br- background. Thus, Br- behaves less conservatively than Gd-DTPA in the aquifer. Comparison of both proves the suitability of Gd-chelates as tracers in hydrological studies. The advantage of Gd-DTPA as a tracer is that natural Gd3+ in water can continuously be monitored by analysing the suite of naturally occurring rare-earth elements. Thus, stable organic Gd-chelates are determinable with high precision at very low concentrations.

VAPOR-PHASE TRANSPORT OF TRICHLOROETHENE IN AN INTERMEDIATE-SCALE VADOSE-ZONE SYSTEM: RETENTION PROCESSES AND TRACER-BASED PREDICTION

PubMed Central

Costanza-Robinson, Molly S.; Carlson, Tyson D.; Brusseau, Mark L.

2013-01-01

Gas-phase miscible-displacement experiments were conducted using a large weighing lysimeter to evaluate retention processes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water-unsaturated (vadoze-zone) systems, and to test the utility of gas-phase tracers for predicting VOC retardation. Trichloroethene (TCE) served as a model VOC, while trichlorofluoromethane (CFM) and heptane were used as partitioning tracers to independently characterize retention by water and the air-water interface, respectively. Retardation factors for TCE ranged between 1.9 and 3.5, depending on water content. The results indicate that dissolution into the bulk water was the primary retention mechanism for TCE under all conditions studied, contributing approximately two thirds of the total measured retention. Accumulation at the air-water interface comprised a significant fraction of the observed retention for all experiments, with an average contribution of approximately 24%. Sorption to the solid phase contributed approximately 10% to retention. Water contents and air-water interfacial areas estimated based on the CFM and heptane tracer data, respectively, were similar to independently measured values. Retardation factors for TCE predicted using the partitioning-tracer data were in reasonable agreement with the measured values. These results suggest that gas-phase tracer tests hold promise for characterizing the retention and transport of VOCs in the vadose-zone. PMID:23333418

Hybrid dynamic radioactive particle tracking (RPT) calibration technique for multiphase flow systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khane, Vaibhav; Al-Dahhan, Muthanna H.

2017-04-01

The radioactive particle tracking (RPT) technique has been utilized to measure three-dimensional hydrodynamic parameters for multiphase flow systems. An analytical solution to the inverse problem of the RPT technique, i.e. finding the instantaneous tracer positions based upon instantaneous counts received in the detectors, is not possible. Therefore, a calibration to obtain a counts-distance map is needed. There are major shortcomings in the conventional RPT calibration method due to which it has limited applicability in practical applications. In this work, the design and development of a novel dynamic RPT calibration technique are carried out to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional RPT calibration method. The dynamic RPT calibration technique has been implemented around a test reactor with 1foot in diameter and 1 foot in height using Cobalt-60 as an isotopes tracer particle. Two sets of experiments have been carried out to test the capability of novel dynamic RPT calibration. In the first set of experiments, a manual calibration apparatus has been used to hold a tracer particle at known static locations. In the second set of experiments, the tracer particle was moved vertically downwards along a straight line path in a controlled manner. The obtained reconstruction results about the tracer particle position were compared with the actual known position and the reconstruction errors were estimated. The obtained results revealed that the dynamic RPT calibration technique is capable of identifying tracer particle positions with a reconstruction error between 1 to 5.9 mm for the conditions studied which could be improved depending on various factors outlined here.

Field-scale sulfur hexafluoride tracer experiment to understand long distance gas transport in the deep unsaturated zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walvoord, Michelle Ann; Andraski, Brian J.; Green, Christopher T.; Stonestrom, David A.; Striegl, Robert G.

2014-01-01

A natural gradient SF6 tracer experiment provided an unprecedented evaluation of long distance gas transport in the deep unsaturated zone (UZ) under controlled (known) conditions. The field-scale gas tracer test in the 110-m-thick UZ was conducted at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Amargosa Desert Research Site (ADRS) in southwestern Nevada. A history of anomalous (theoretically unexpected) contaminant gas transport observed at the ADRS, next to the first commercial low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in the United States, provided motivation for the SF6 tracer study. Tracer was injected into a deep UZ borehole at depths of 15 and 48 m, and plume migration was observed in a monitoring borehole 9 m away at various depths (0.5–109 m) over the course of 1 yr. Tracer results yielded useful information about gas transport as applicable to the spatial scales of interest for off-site contaminant transport in arid unsaturated zones. Modeling gas diffusion with standard empirical expressions reasonably explained SF6 plume migration, but tended to underpredict peak concentrations for the field-scale experiment given previously determined porosity information. Despite some discrepancies between observations and model results, rapid SF6 gas transport commensurate with previous contaminant migration was not observed. The results provide ancillary support for the concept that apparent anomalies in historic transport behavior at the ADRS are the result of factors other than nonreactive gas transport properties or processes currently in effect in the undisturbed UZ.

Waste-assimilation study of Koshkonong Creek below sewage-treatment plant at Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grant, R. Stephen

1976-01-01

A waste-load-assimilation study of a reach of Koshkonong Creek below the Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, sewage-treatment-plant outfall indicated that a high level of treatment would be required to meet Wisconsin water-quality standards. To maintain a minimum dissolved-oxygen concentration of 5 mg/liter during the critical summer low-flow period, 5-day carbonaceous biochemical-oxygen demand in waste discharges should not exceed 5 mg/liter and ammonium nitrogen should not exceed 1.5 mg/liter. Advanced treatment with denitrification is required because stream-reaeration coefficients are not high enough to offset deoxygenation caused by an abundance of attached biological slimes. The slimes apparently consumed dissolved oxygen at a rate of about 110 mg/liter per day at the time of the stream survey. During the critical summer low-flow period, natural stream discharge is very small compared to waste-water discharge , so benefits of dilution are insignificant. An evaluation of two proposed alternative waste-water discharge sites indicated that the present discharge site is hydraulically superior to these sites. Stream-reaeration coefficients used in the study were based on measurements using the radioactive-tracer method. (Woodard-USGS)

Three-dimensionally spiral structure of the water stream induced by a centrifugal stirrer in large aqua-cultural ponds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itano, Tomoaki; Inagaki, Taishi; Nakamura, Choji; Sugihara-Seki, Masako; Hyodo, Jinsuke

2017-11-01

We have conducted measurements of the water stream produced by a mechanical stirrer (diameter 2.4[m], electric power 50[W]) located in shallow rectangular reservoirs (small 0.7[ha], large 3.7[ha]), which may be employed as a cost-efficient aerator for the aqua-cultural purpose, with the aid of both particle tracking velocimetry by passive tracers floating on the surface and direct measurement by electro-magnetic velocimeter under the surface. The present measurements indicate that the stirrer drives primarily the horizontally rotating water stream and secondarily the vertical convection between the surface and the bottom of the reservoir, which results in the three-dimensionally spiral-shaped water streams scaled vertically by just a meter but horizontally by more than ten meters. It is suggested that the spiral structure driven by the stirrer may activate the underwater vertical mixing and enhance dissolved oxygen at the bottom of aqua-cultural pond more effectively than the paddle-wheel aerators commonly used in aqua-cultural ponds. This research was financially supported in part by the Kansai University Fund for Supporting Young Scholars, 2016-2017.

Determination of Transport Parameters in Unsaturated Zone by Tracer Experiment in the Porous Aquifer located at Ljubljana, Slovenia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmar, S.; Cencur Curk, B.

2009-04-01

The gravel sandy aquifer of Ljubljansko polje is the source of drinking water for nearly 300.000 inhabitants of the Ljubljana city and vicinity. There are two main waterworks: Kleče and Hrastje. The plain area of Ljubljansko polje is a tectonic sink and consists of river sediments that can reach in thickness more than 100 m in the deepest part. The bedrock is the impermeable permocarbonic clayey shale, mudstones and sandstones. The hydraulic conductivity of Ljubljansko polje sediments is very good, from 10-2 m/s in the central part to 3.7•10-3 m/s on the borders of the plain. The average groundwater level is 20 m below surface. A numerical groundwater flow model was established for the wider area of the Ljubljansko polje aquifer. The fore mentioned model was not calibrated on solute transport parameters but only on water levels and this lead to unreliability in the transport model and its predictions of pollution scenarios. The transport model needs to calculate reliable scenarios of pollution dispersion, which can only be achieved with the application of real transport parameters. Human activities in the area of the Hrastje waterworks of Ljubljana threaten to degrade groundwater quality. For this reason several tracer experiments were carried out in the past. Despite a great risk, the experiments were performed on the catchment area of the Hrastje waterworks, inside the second water protection zone. During the experiments the water from Hrastje waterworks was still in use for drinking water supply. The tracer experiments were carried out in order to determine the solute transport parameters such as advection, dispersion and sorption. The research proved that the tracers could be used safely on sensitive area and that the researchers are capable and qualified to carry it out with a highest level of security. Since none of the past tracer experiments, carried out in the same area, gave us any detailed information on pollutant spreading in unsaturated zone a new tracer experiment was performed. Uranine was used as a tracer with a single time injection (1 kg) directly into the unsaturated zone. To achieve no sorption on organic particles the top layer of the ground (approx. 1m) was removed. The concentrations of the tracer spreading were observed in the well which is down gradient (approx. 22m) from the injection point. The tracer experiment was monitored for 305 days with records recorded every 4 minutes. All major events observed from the breakthrough curve, corresponded to rain events with a different delay depending on the water content in the unsaturated zone. When the unsaturated zone contains water the response in the observation well was faster than when the unsaturated zone was dry. The obtained data have been used in an analytical method (Multi-Dispersion-Model (MDM)). This solution provided the following transport parameters: mean transit time, mean velocity, longitudinal dispersion and dispersivity. The obtained parameters from the analytical solution will also be verified in the numerical model. The final results should enable better knowledge of the solute transport parameters and thus a better understanding of pollution dispersion as a help for water supply management system including measures for pollution prevention and as an actions/measure scenario in case of pollution.

Sorption and Transport of Ranitidine in Natural Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaynor, A. J.; Vulava, V. M.

2013-12-01

Increasing levels of pharmaceuticals and their degradants are being discovered in natural water systems all over the world. These chemicals are reported to be discharged from wastewater treatment plants, sewage overflow, and leaking septic tanks. Ranitidine is an example of one such pharmaceutical chemical found in municipal drinking water, streams, and streambed sediments. It is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist, which inhibits the production of stomach acid and is commonly used to treat peptic ulcers and gastro esophageal reflux disease. Ranitidine is a complex organic compound; it is acidic, highly polar, and has two pKa values of approximately 8.2 and 2.7 because of the amine functional groups. When administered orally 25 - 30% of unchanged ranitidine has been shown to expel through urine. The objective of this research is to establish sorption and transport patterns of ranitidine in natural soils and to determine which soil properties influence these patterns the most. Laboratory experiments were preformed on A-horizon and B-horizon soil samples collected from the relatively undisturbed Francis Marion National Forest, a managed forest near Charleston, SC. The soils were characterized for chemical and physical properties: ranges of clay content = 6-20%, total organic content = 1-8%, and pH = 3.6-4.9. Kinetic reaction rates and equilibrium sorption isotherms were measured using batch experiments, whereas column experiments were used to quantify transport behavior. The reaction rates were -0.22/day and -0.33/day for organic-rich and clay-rich soils, respectively. The kinetic reaction rates were used to determine equilibration times for further equilibrium batch reactor experiments, which have soil solutions spiked with concentrations of ranitidine ranging from 0.1 mg/L to 100 mg/L. The concentration remaining in solution (C, mg/L) was plotted against the concentration in the soil (q, mg/kg) to create sorption isotherms. Ranitidine was more strongly sorbed to B-horizon than to A-horizon soils, implying a strong preference for soils higher in clay content. Freundlich model (q = Kf Cn, where Kf and n are fitting parameters) fit the sorption isotherms. Glass chromatography columns packed with soil were used for column experiments. Ranitidine tracer was injected into saturated soil columns and the breakthrough tracer concentrations were plotted as a function of time. The shape of these breakthrough curves indicated that there were two distinct sorption sites on soils - organic matter and clay minerals - which influenced tracer transport. A two-region, nonequilibrium transport code was used to model the breakthrough curves. These experiments indicate that ranitidine sorbs more strongly to clay-rich soils than to organic-rich soils. The presence of amine functional groups in ranitidine's chemical structure results in its acidic behavior in the soil solution. In acidic solutions, the cationic form of ranitidine likely forms ionic bonds with negatively charged clay surfaces. Other components of ranitidine are likely to form covalent bonds with organic matter. The data shows the complex nature of ranitidine in interactions with environmental surfaces.

Using dual-domain advective-transport simulation to reconcile multiple-tracer ages and estimate dual-porosity transport parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanford, Ward E.; Niel Plummer, L.; Casile, Gerolamo; Busenberg, Ed; Nelms, David L.; Schlosser, Peter

2017-06-01

Dual-domain transport is an alternative conceptual and mathematical paradigm to advection-dispersion for describing the movement of dissolved constituents in groundwater. Here we test the use of a dual-domain algorithm combined with advective pathline tracking to help reconcile environmental tracer concentrations measured in springs within the Shenandoah Valley, USA. The approach also allows for the estimation of the three dual-domain parameters: mobile porosity, immobile porosity, and a domain exchange rate constant. Concentrations of CFC-113, SF6, 3H, and 3He were measured at 28 springs emanating from carbonate rocks. The different tracers give three different mean composite piston-flow ages for all the springs that vary from 5 to 18 years. Here we compare four algorithms that interpret the tracer concentrations in terms of groundwater age: piston flow, old-fraction mixing, advective-flow path modeling, and dual-domain modeling. Whereas the second two algorithms made slight improvements over piston flow at reconciling the disparate piston-flow age estimates, the dual-domain algorithm gave a very marked improvement. Optimal values for the three transport parameters were also obtained, although the immobile porosity value was not well constrained. Parameter correlation and sensitivities were calculated to help quantify the uncertainty. Although some correlation exists between the three parameters being estimated, a watershed simulation of a pollutant breakthrough to a local stream illustrates that the estimated transport parameters can still substantially help to constrain and predict the nature and timing of solute transport. The combined use of multiple environmental tracers with this dual-domain approach could be applicable in a wide variety of fractured-rock settings.

Aggregation in environmental systems - Part 2: Catchment mean transit times and young water fractions under hydrologic nonstationarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirchner, J. W.

2016-01-01

Methods for estimating mean transit times from chemical or isotopic tracers (such as Cl-, δ18O, or δ2H) commonly assume that catchments are stationary (i.e., time-invariant) and homogeneous. Real catchments are neither. In a companion paper, I showed that catchment mean transit times estimated from seasonal tracer cycles are highly vulnerable to aggregation error, exhibiting strong bias and large scatter in spatially heterogeneous catchments. I proposed the young water fraction, which is virtually immune to aggregation error under spatial heterogeneity, as a better measure of transit times. Here I extend this analysis by exploring how nonstationarity affects mean transit times and young water fractions estimated from seasonal tracer cycles, using benchmark tests based on a simple two-box model. The model exhibits complex nonstationary behavior, with striking volatility in tracer concentrations, young water fractions, and mean transit times, driven by rapid shifts in the mixing ratios of fluxes from the upper and lower boxes. The transit-time distribution in streamflow becomes increasingly skewed at higher discharges, with marked increases in the young water fraction and decreases in the mean water age, reflecting the increased dominance of the upper box at higher flows. This simple two-box model exhibits strong equifinality, which can be partly resolved by simple parameter transformations. However, transit times are primarily determined by residual storage, which cannot be constrained through hydrograph calibration and must instead be estimated by tracer behavior. Seasonal tracer cycles in the two-box model are very poor predictors of mean transit times, with typical errors of several hundred percent. However, the same tracer cycles predict time-averaged young water fractions (Fyw) within a few percent, even in model catchments that are both nonstationary and spatially heterogeneous (although they may be biased by roughly 0.1-0.2 at sites where strong precipitation seasonality is correlated with precipitation tracer concentrations). Flow-weighted fits to the seasonal tracer cycles accurately predict the flow-weighted average Fyw in streamflow, while unweighted fits to the seasonal tracer cycles accurately predict the unweighted average Fyw. Young water fractions can also be estimated separately for individual flow regimes, again with a precision of a few percent, allowing direct determination of how shifts in a catchment's hydraulic regime alter the fraction of water reaching the stream by fast flowpaths. One can also estimate the chemical composition of idealized "young water" and "old water" end-members, using relationships between young water fractions and solute concentrations across different flow regimes. These results demonstrate that mean transit times cannot be estimated reliably from seasonal tracer cycles and that, by contrast, the young water fraction is a robust and useful metric of transit times, even in catchments that exhibit strong nonstationarity and heterogeneity.

Tracer techniques for urine volume determination and urine collection and sampling back-up system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramirez, R. V.

1971-01-01

The feasibility, functionality, and overall accuracy of the use of lithium were investigated as a chemical tracer in urine for providing a means of indirect determination of total urine volume by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. Experiments were conducted to investigate the parameters of instrumentation, tracer concentration, mixing times, and methods for incorporating the tracer material in the urine collection bag, and to refine and optimize the urine tracer technique to comply with the Skylab scheme and operational parameters of + or - 2% of volume error and + or - 1% accuracy of amount of tracer added to each container. In addition, a back-up method for urine collection and sampling system was developed and evaluated. This back-up method incorporates the tracer technique for volume determination in event of failure of the primary urine collection and preservation system. One chemical preservative was selected and evaluated as a contingency chemical preservative for the storage of urine in event of failure of the urine cooling system.

Use of geochemical and isotope tracers to assess groundwater dependency of a terrestrial ecosystem: case study from southern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zurek, Anna J.; Witczak, Stanislaw; Kania, Jaroslaw; Rozanski, Kazimierz; Dulinski, Marek; Wachniew, Przemyslaw

2015-04-01

The presented study was aimed at better understanding of the functioning of groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystem (GDTE) located in the south of Poland. The studied GDTE consists of a valuable forest stand (Niepolomice Forest) and associated wetland (Wielkie Bloto fen). It relies not only on shallow, unconfined aquifer but indirectly also on groundwater originating from the deeper confined aquifer, underlying the Quaternary cover and separated from it by an aquitard of variable thickness. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the contribution of groundwater to the water balance of the studied GDTE and thereby assess the potential risk to this system associated with intense exploitation of the deeper aquifer. The Wielkie Błoto fen area and the adjacent parts of Niepolomice Forest are drained by the Dluga Woda stream with 8.2 km2 of gauged catchment area. Hydrometric measurements, carried out on the Dluga Woda stream over two-year period (August 2011 - August 2013) were supplemented by chemical and isotope analyses of stream water, monitored on monthly basis. Physico-chemical parameters of the stream water (SEC, pH, Na content, Na/Cl molar ratio) and isotope tracers (deuterium, oxygen-18 and tritium) were used to quantify the expected contribution of groundwater seepage from the deeper aquifer to the water balance of the Dluga Woda catchment. The mean transit time of water through the catchment, derived from temporal variations of δ18O and tritium content in the Dluga Woda stream, was in the order of three months. This fast component of the total discharge of Dluga Woda stream is associated surface runoff and groundwater flow paths through the Quaternary cover. The slow component devoid of tritium and probably originated from the deeper Neogene aquifer is equal to approximately 30% of the total discharge. The relationships between the physico-chemical parameters of the stream water and the flow rate of Dluga Woda clearly indicate that the monitored parameters approach distinct values characteristic for groundwater in the deeper aquifer for the lowest discharge rates of the stream. These low flow rates are also accompanied by low tritium contents in the stream water. This collective evidence strongly suggest that discharge of Dluga Woda stream at low stands carries significant contribution of groundwater seeping from Neogene aquifer in the area of Wielkie Bloto fen. Modelling of long-term impact on the regional groundwater flow field of groundwater abstraction by the nearby cluster of water-supply wells suggests that temporal disappearance of stream flow during summer months may occur, with potentially severe consequences for the status of the studied GDTE. Acknowledgements. The study was supported by the GENESIS project funded by the European Commission 7FP (project contract 226536) and by statutory funds of the AGH University of Science and Technology (projects no. 11.11.220.01 and 11.11.140.026). References: Zurek A.J., Witczak S., Dulinski M., Wachniew P., Rozanski K., Kania J., Postawa A., Karczewski J., and Moscicki W.J.: Quantification of anthropogenic impact on groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystem using geochemical and isotope tools combined with 3D flow and transport modeling, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 11, 9671-9713, 2014

TracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jurgens, Bryant C.; Böhlke, J.K.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2012-01-01

TracerLPM is an interactive Excel® (2007 or later) workbook program for evaluating groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data by using lumped parameter models (LPMs). Lumped parameter models are mathematical models of transport based on simplified aquifer geometry and flow configurations that account for effects of hydrodynamic dispersion or mixing within the aquifer, well bore, or discharge area. Five primary LPMs are included in the workbook: piston-flow model (PFM), exponential mixing model (EMM), exponential piston-flow model (EPM), partial exponential model (PEM), and dispersion model (DM). Binary mixing models (BMM) can be created by combining primary LPMs in various combinations. Travel time through the unsaturated zone can be included as an additional parameter. TracerLPM also allows users to enter age distributions determined from other methods, such as particle tracking results from numerical groundwater-flow models or from other LPMs not included in this program. Tracers of both young groundwater (anthropogenic atmospheric gases and isotopic substances indicating post-1940s recharge) and much older groundwater (carbon-14 and helium-4) can be interpreted simultaneously so that estimates of the groundwater age distribution for samples with a wide range of ages can be constrained. TracerLPM is organized to permit a comprehensive interpretive approach consisting of hydrogeologic conceptualization, visual examination of data and models, and best-fit parameter estimation. Groundwater age distributions can be evaluated by comparing measured and modeled tracer concentrations in two ways: (1) multiple tracers analyzed simultaneously can be evaluated against each other for concordance with modeled concentrations (tracer-tracer application) or (2) tracer time-series data can be evaluated for concordance with modeled trends (tracer-time application). Groundwater-age estimates can also be obtained for samples with a single tracer measurement at one point in time; however, prior knowledge of an appropriate LPM is required because the mean age is often non-unique. LPM output concentrations depend on model parameters and sample date. All of the LPMs have a parameter for mean age. The EPM, PEM, and DM have an additional parameter that characterizes the degree of age mixing in the sample. BMMs have a parameter for the fraction of the first component in the mixture. An LPM, together with its parameter values, provides a description of the age distribution or the fractional contribution of water for every age of recharge contained within a sample. For the PFM, the age distribution is a unit pulse at one distinct age. For the other LPMs, the age distribution can be much broader and span decades, centuries, millennia, or more. For a sample with a mixture of groundwater ages, the reported interpretation of tracer data includes the LPM name, the mean age, and the values of any other independent model parameters. TracerLPM also can be used for simulating the responses of wells, springs, streams, or other groundwater discharge receptors to nonpoint-source contaminants that are introduced in recharge, such as nitrate. This is done by combining an LPM or user-defined age distribution with information on contaminant loading at the water table. Information on historic contaminant loading can be used to help evaluate a model's ability to match real world conditions and understand observed contaminant trends, while information on future contaminant loading scenarios can be used to forecast potential contaminant trends.

The determination of residence times in a pilot plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramírez, F. Pablo; Cortés, M. Eugenia

2004-01-01

It is well known that residence time distributions (RTD) are very important in many chemical processes such as separation, reforming, hydrocracking, fluid catalytic cracking, hydrodesulfuration, hydrogenation among others [3 Procédés de transformation, Editions Technip, Institute Francais du Petrole, Paris, France, 1998]. In addition, tracers can be used to measure the velocity, distribution and residence time of any stream through any part of an industrial [Guidebook on Radioisotope Tracers in Industry, IAEA, Vienna, 1990] or experimental system. Perhaps the best quality of radiotracers is that they do not interfere with normal unit operations or production scheduling. In this paper are presented the RTDs obtained in a pilot plant for a hydrogenation process [IMP, Technical Report, Determinación del tiempo de residencia promedio en el reactor de la planta piloto de hidroagotamiento de crudo, 2002]. The RTDs show a random phenomenon, which is not typical of this type of chemical processes. Several RTDs were determined in order to confirm this random behavior. The data were obtained using as a tracer a radioactive form of sodium iodide containing iodine-131 [The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 10th Ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, USA, 1981]. The process works with two phases in a countercurrent flow, inside a packed column. The liquid phase goes down by gravity. The gas phase goes up due to pressure difference [3 Procédés de transformation, Editions Technip, Institute Francais du Petrole, Paris, France, 1998]. The tracer was selected such that it would follow the liquid phase.

Terrestrial Particulate Organic Matter Degradation in Estuarine and Coastal Areas: Coupling Lipid Tracers and Molecular Tools to Better Understand Deltaic Biogeochemical Cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galeron, M. A.; Volkman, J. K.; Rontani, J. F.; Radakovitch, O.; Charriere, B.; Amiraux, R.

2016-02-01

Deltaic and coastal areas have been studied extensively worldwide, due to their high economic and ecosystemic value. It was long thought that terrestrial particulate organic matter (TPOM) degraded during river transport was refractory to further degradation upon its arrival at sea. But studies on coastal sediments and in the Mackenzie delta (Canada) showed that, on the contrary, TPOM was undergoing intense degradation upon reaching seawater. In order to generalize these results to worldwide river basins, we propose to trace degradation processes impacting TPOM during in-stream transport as well as coastal distribution. We selected the Rhône River (France) for its differences with the Mackenzie River (latitude, temperature, coastal salinity) and carefully researched lipid tracers to help us pinpoint both the origin of the POM and the degradative processes undergone. Betulin, α-/β-amyrins, dehydroabietic acid, sitosterol and their specific degradation products were selected. While the Rhône delta has been studied for decades, there is very little research on its in-stream processes, and how they can be linked with coastal cycles and fluxes. Coupling new specific lipid tracers especially selected for the monitoring of higher plant degradation and molecular biology tools, we were able to better trace the origin of TPOM transported along the Rhône River, as well as better understand its degradation state in the river, the delta, and upon its arrival at sea. We show here that autoxidation (free radical induced oxidation), long overlooked, is a major degradation process impacting TPOM transported along the Rhone River, and is even more intense upon the arrival of TPOM at sea. Salinity, metal ion desorption, bacterial and biochemical activity are amongst the factors studied as inducers of such an intense degradation. This understanding is crucial if we want a truly extensive knowledge of terrestrial particulate organic matter transport and deposition, as well as complete carbon fluxes and budgets that could be generalized to all river deltas.

The Inherent Tracer Fingerprint of Captured CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flude, Stephanie; Gyore, Domokos; Stuart, Finlay; Boyce, Adrian; Haszeldine, Stuart; Chalaturnyk, Rick; Gilfillan, Stuart

2017-04-01

Inherent tracers, the isotopic and trace gas composition of captured CO2 streams, are potentially powerful tracers for use in CCS technology [1,2]. Despite this potential, the inherent tracer fingerprint in captured CO2 streams has yet to be robustly investigated and documented [3]. Here, we will present the first high quality systematic measurements of the carbon and oxygen isotopic and noble gas fingerprints measured in anthropogenic CO2 captured from combustion power stations and fertiliser plants, using amine capture, oxyfuel and gasification processes, and derived from coal, biomass and natural gas feedstocks. We will show that δ13C values are mostly controlled by the feedstock composition, as expected. The majority of the CO2 samples exhibit δ18O values similar to atmospheric O2 although captured CO2 samples from biomass and gas feedstocks at one location in the UK are significantly higher. Our measured noble gas concentrations in captured CO2 are generally as expected [2], typically being two orders of magnitude lower in concentration than in atmospheric air. Relative noble gas elemental abundances are variable and often show an opposite trend to that of a water in contact with the atmosphere. Expected enrichments in radiogenic noble gases (4He and 40Ar) for fossil fuel derived CO2 were not always observed due to dilution with atmospheric noble gases during the CO2 generation and capture process. Many noble gas isotope ratios indicate that isotopic fractionation takes place during the CO2 generation and capture processes, resulting in isotope ratios similar to fractionated air. We conclude that phase changes associated with CO2 transport and sampling may induce noble gas elemental and isotopic fractionation, due to different noble gas solubilities between high (liquid or supercritical) and low (gaseous) density CO2. Data from the Australian CO2CRC Otway test site show that δ13C of CO2 will change once injected into the storage reservoir, but that this change is small and can be quantitatively modelled in order to determine the proportion of CO2 that has dissolved into the formation waters. Furthermore, noble gas data from the Otway storage reservoir post-injection, shows evidence of noble gas stripping of formation water and contamination with Kr and Xe related to an earlier injection experiment. Importantly, He data from SaskPower's Aquistore illustrates that injected CO2 will inherit distinctive crustal radiogenic noble gas fingerprints from the subsurface once injected into an undisturbed geological storage reservoir, meaning this could be used to identify unplanned migration of the CO2 to the surface and shallow subsurface [4]. References [1] Mayer et al., (2015) IJGGC, Vol. 37, 46-60 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2015.02.021 [2] Gilfillan et al., (2014) Energy Procedia, Vol. 63, 4123-4133 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2014.11.443 [3] Flude et al., (2016) Environ. Sci. Technol., 50 (15), pp 7939-7955 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01548 [4] Gilfillan et al., (2011) IJGGC, Vol. 5 (6) 1507-1516 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2011.08.008

SMHASH: Anatomy of the Orphan Stream using RR Lyrae stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendel, David; Scowcroft, Victoria; Johnston, Kathryn V.; Fardal, Mark A.; van der Marel, Roeland P.; Sohn, Sangmo Tony; Price-Whelan, Adrian M.; Beaton, Rachael L.; Besla, Gurtina; Bono, Giuseppe; Cioni, Maria-Rosa L.; Clementini, Gisella; Cohen, Judith G.; Fabrizio, Michele; Freedman, Wendy L.; Garofalo, Alessia; Grillmair, Carl J.; Kallivayalil, Nitya; Kollmeier, Juna A.; Law, David R.; Madore, Barry F.; Majewski, Steven R.; Marengo, Massimo; Monson, Andrew J.; Neeley, Jillian R.; Nidever, David L.; Pietrzyński, Grzegorz; Seibert, Mark; Sesar, Branimir; Smith, Horace A.; Soszyński, Igor; Udalski, Andrzej

2018-06-01

Stellar tidal streams provide an opportunity to study the motion and structure of the disrupting galaxy as well as the gravitational potential of its host. Streams around the Milky Way are especially promising as phase space positions of individual stars will be measured by ongoing or upcoming surveys. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to accurately assess distances to stars farther than 10 kpc from the Sun, where we have the poorest knowledge of the Galaxy's mass distribution. To address this we present observations of 32 candidate RR Lyrae stars in the Orphan tidal stream taken as part of the Spitzer Merger History and Shape of the Galactic Halo (SMHASH) program. The extremely tight correlation between the periods, luminosities, and metallicities of RR Lyrae variable stars in the Spitzer IRAC 3.6μm band allows the determination of precise distances to individual stars; the median statistical relative distance uncertainty to each RR Lyrae star is 2.5%. By fitting orbits in an example potential we obtain an upper limit on the mass of the Milky Way interior to 60 kpc of 5.6_{-1.1^{+1.2}× 10^{11} M_⊙ }, bringing estimates based on the Orphan Stream in line with those using other tracers. The SMHASH data also resolve the stream in line-of-sight depth, allowing a new perspective on the internal structure of the disrupted dwarf galaxy. Comparing with N-body models we find that the progenitor had an initial dark halo mass of approximately 3.2 × 109 M⊙, placing the Orphan Stream's progenitor amongst the classical dwarf spheroidals.

ACTION-SPACE CLUSTERING OF TIDAL STREAMS TO INFER THE GALACTIC POTENTIAL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sanderson, Robyn E.; Helmi, Amina; Hogg, David W., E-mail: robyn@astro.columbia.edu

2015-03-10

We present a new method for constraining the Milky Way halo gravitational potential by simultaneously fitting multiple tidal streams. This method requires three-dimensional positions and velocities for all stars to be fit, but does not require identification of any specific stream or determination of stream membership for any star. We exploit the principle that the action distribution of stream stars is most clustered when the potential used to calculate the actions is closest to the true potential. Clustering is quantified with the Kullback-Leibler Divergence (KLD), which also provides conditional uncertainties for our parameter estimates. We show, for toy Gaia-like datamore » in a spherical isochrone potential, that maximizing the KLD of the action distribution relative to a smoother distribution recovers the input potential. The precision depends on the observational errors and number of streams; using K III giants as tracers, we measure the enclosed mass at the average radius of the sample stars accurate to 3% and precise to 20%-40%. Recovery of the scale radius is precise to 25%, biased 50% high by the small galactocentric distance range of stars in our mock sample (1-25 kpc, or about three scale radii, with mean 6.5 kpc). 20-25 streams with at least 100 stars each are required for a stable confidence interval. With radial velocities (RVs) to 100 kpc, all parameters are determined with ∼10% accuracy and 20% precision (1.3% accuracy for the enclosed mass), underlining the need to complete the RV catalog for faint halo stars observed by Gaia.« less

Kinetic limitations on tracer partitioning in ganglia dominated source zones.

PubMed

Ervin, Rhiannon E; Boroumand, Ali; Abriola, Linda M; Ramsburg, C Andrew

2011-11-01

Quantification of the relationship between dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source strength, source longevity and spatial distribution is increasingly recognized as important for effective remedial design. Partitioning tracers are one tool that may permit interrogation of DNAPL architecture. Tracer data are commonly analyzed under the assumption of linear, equilibrium partitioning, although the appropriateness of these assumptions has not been fully explored. Here we focus on elucidating the nonlinear and nonequilibrium partitioning behavior of three selected alcohol tracers - 1-pentanol, 1-hexanol and 2-octanol in a series of batch and column experiments. Liquid-liquid equilibria for systems comprising water, TCE and the selected alcohol illustrate the nonlinear distribution of alcohol between the aqueous and organic phases. Complete quantification of these equilibria facilitates delineation of the limits of applicability of the linear partitioning assumption, and assessment of potential inaccuracies associated with measurement of partition coefficients at a single concentration. Column experiments were conducted under conditions of non-equilibrium to evaluate the kinetics of the reversible absorption of the selected tracers in a sandy medium containing a uniform entrapped saturation of TCE-DNAPL. Experimental tracer breakthrough data were used, in conjunction with mathematical models and batch measurements, to evaluate alternative hypotheses for observed deviations from linear equilibrium partitioning behavior. Analyses suggest that, although all tracers accumulate at the TCE-DNAPL/aqueous interface, surface accumulation does not influence transport at concentrations typically employed for tracer tests. Moreover, results reveal that the kinetics of the reversible absorption process are well described using existing mass transfer correlations originally developed to model aqueous boundary layer resistance for pure-component NAPL dissolution. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relative distance between tracers as a measure of diffusivity within moving aggregates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pönisch, Wolfram; Zaburdaev, Vasily

2018-02-01

Tracking of particles, be it a passive tracer or an actively moving bacterium in the growing bacterial colony, is a powerful technique to probe the physical properties of the environment of the particles. One of the most common measures of particle motion driven by fluctuations and random forces is its diffusivity, which is routinely obtained by measuring the mean squared displacement of the particles. However, often the tracer particles may be moving in a domain or an aggregate which itself experiences some regular or random motion and thus masks the diffusivity of tracers. Here we provide a method for assessing the diffusivity of tracer particles within mobile aggregates by measuring the so-called mean squared relative distance (MSRD) between two tracers. We provide analytical expressions for both the ensemble and time averaged MSRD allowing for direct identification of diffusivities from experimental data.

Relative Roles of Gap Junction Channels and Cytoplasm in Cell-to-Cell Diffusion of Fluorescent Tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safranyos, Richard G. A.; Caveney, Stanley; Miller, James G.; Petersen, Nils O.

1987-04-01

Intercellular (tissue) diffusion of molecules requires cytoplasmic diffusion and diffusion through gap junctional (or cell-to-cell) channels. The rates of tissue and cytoplasmic diffusion of fluorescent tracers, expressed as an effective diffusion coefficient, De, and a cytoplasmic diffusion coefficient, Dcyt, have been measured among the developing epidermal cells of a larval beetle, Tenebrio molitor L., to determine the contribution of the junctional channels to intercellular diffusion. Tracer diffusion was measured by injecting fluorescent tracers into cells and quantitating the rate of subsequent spread into adjacent cells. Cytoplasmic diffusion was determined by fluorescence photobleaching. These experiments show that gap junctional channels constitute approximately 70-80% of the total cell-to-cell resistance to the diffusion of organic tracers at high concentrations in this tissue. At low concentrations, however, the binding of tracer to cytoplasm slows down the cytoplasmic diffusion, which may limit intercellular diffusion.

Atmospheric nitrate export in streams along a montane to urban gradient.

PubMed

Bourgeois, Ilann; Savarino, Joel; Némery, Julien; Caillon, Nicolas; Albertin, Sarah; Delbart, Franck; Voisin, Didier; Clément, Jean-Christophe

2018-08-15

Nitrogen (N) emissions associated with urbanization exacerbate the atmospheric N influx to remote ecosystems - like mountains -, leading to well-documented detrimental effects on ecosystems (e.g., soil acidification, pollution of freshwaters). Here, the importance and fate of N deposition in a watershed was evaluated along a montane to urban gradient, using a multi-isotopic tracers approach (Δ 17 O, δ 15 N, δ 18 O of nitrate, δ 2 H and δ 18 O of water). In this setting, the montane streams had higher proportions of atmospheric nitrate compared to urban streams, and exported more atmospheric nitrate on a yearly basis (0.35 vs 0.10 kg-Nha -1 yr -1 ). In urban areas, nitrate exports were driven by groundwater, whereas in the catchment head nitrate exports were dominated by surface runoff. The main sources of nitrate to the montane streams were microbial nitrification and atmospheric deposition, whereas microbial nitrification and sewage leakage contributed most to urban streams. Based on the measurement of δ 15 N and δ 18 O-NO 3 - , biological processes such as denitrification or N assimilation were not predominant in any streams in this study. The observed low δ 15 N and δ 18 O range of terrestrial nitrate (i.e., nitrate not coming from atmospheric deposition) in surface water compared to literature suggests that atmospheric deposition may be underestimated as a direct source of N. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Design and development of a smart aerial platform for surface hydrological measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tauro, F.; Pagano, C.; Porfiri, M.; Grimaldi, S.

2013-12-01

Currently available experimental methodologies for surface hydrological monitoring rely on the use of intrusive sensing technologies which tend to provide local rather than distributed information on the flow physics. In this context, drawbacks deriving from the use of invasive instrumentation are partially alleviated by Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV). LSPIV is based on the use of cameras mounted on masts along river banks which capture images of artificial tracers or naturally occurring objects floating on water surfaces. Images are then georeferenced and the displacement of groups of floating tracers statistically analyzed to reconstruct flow velocity maps at specific river cross-sections. In this work, we mitigate LSPIV spatial limitations and inaccuracies due to image calibration by designing and developing a smart platform which integrates digital acquisition system and laser calibration units onboard of a custom-built quadricopter. The quadricopter is designed to be lightweight, low cost as compared to kits available on the market, highly customizable, and stable to guarantee minimal vibrations during image acquisition. The onboard digital system includes an encased GoPro Hero 3 camera whose axis is constantly kept orthogonal to the water surface by means of an in-house developed gimbal. The gimbal is connected to the quadricopter through a shock absorber damping device which further reduces eventual vibrations. Image calibration is performed through laser units mounted at known distances on the quadricopter landing apparatus. The vehicle can be remotely controlled by the open-source Ardupilot microcontroller. Calibration tests and field experiments are conducted in outdoor environments to assess the feasibility of using the smart platform for acquisition of high quality images of natural streams. Captured images are processed by LSPIV algorithms and average flow velocities are compared to independently acquired flow estimates. Further, videos are presented where the smart platform captures the motion of environmentally-friendly buoyant fluorescent particle tracers floating on the surface of water bodies. Such fluorescent particles are in-house synthesized and their visibility and accuracy in tracing complex flows have been previously tested in laboratory and outdoor settings. Experimental results demonstrate the potential of the methodology in monitoring severely accessible and spatially extended environments. Improved accuracy in flow monitoring is accomplished by minimizing image orthorectification and introducing highly visible particle tracers. Future developments will aim at the autonomy of the vehicle through machine learning procedures for unmanned monitoring in the environment.

Modeling of CBM production, CO2 injection, and tracer movement at a field CO2 sequestration site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siriwardane, Hema J.; Bowes, Benjamin D.; Bromhal, Grant S.

2012-07-01

Sequestration of carbon dioxide in unmineable coal seams is a potential technology mainly because of the potential for simultaneous enhanced coalbed methane production (ECBM). Several pilot tests have been performed around the globe leading to mixed results. Numerous modeling efforts have been carried out successfully to model methane production and carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) injection. Sensitivity analyses and history matching along with several optimization tools were used to estimate reservoir properties and to investigate reservoir performance. Geological and geophysical techniques have also been used to characterize field sequestration sites and to inspect reservoir heterogeneity. The fate and movement of injectedmore » CO{sub 2} can be determined by using several monitoring techniques. Monitoring of perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracers is one of these monitoring technologies. As a part of this monitoring technique, a small fraction of a traceable fluid is added to the injection wellhead along with the CO{sub 2} stream at different times to monitor the timing and location of the breakthrough in nearby monitoring wells or offset production wells. A reservoir modeling study was performed to simulate a pilot sequestration site located in the San Juan coal basin of northern New Mexico. Several unknown reservoir properties at the field site were estimated by modeling the coal seam as a dual porosity formation and by history matching the methane production and CO{sub 2} injection. In addition to reservoir modeling of methane production and CO{sub 2} injection, tracer injection was modeled. Tracers serve as a surrogate for determining potential leakage of CO{sub 2}. The tracer was modeled as a non-reactive gas and was injected into the reservoir as a mixture along with CO{sub 2}. Geologic and geometric details of the field site, numerical modeling details of methane production, CO{sub 2} injection, and tracer injection are presented in this paper. Moreover, the numerical predictions of the tracer arrival times were compared with the measured field data. Results show that tracer modeling is useful in investigating movement of injected CO{sub 2} into the coal seam at the field site. Also, such new modeling techniques can be utilized to determine potential leakage pathways, and to investigate reservoir anisotropy and heterogeneity.« less

Coupled oxygen-carbon dioxide modelling to partition potential external contribution to stream carbon dioxide concentrations.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butman, D. E.; Holtgrieve, G. W.

2017-12-01

Recent modelling studies in large catchments have estimated that in excess of 74% of the dissolved carbon dioxide found in first and second order streams originate from allochthonous sources. Stable isotopes of carbon-13 in carbon dioxide have been used to identify ground water seeps in stream systems, where decreases in δ13CO2 occur along gaining stream reaches, suggesting that carbon dioxide in ground water is more depleted than what is found in surface water due to fractionation of CO2 during emissions across the air water interface. Although isotopes represent a chemical tracer in stream systems for potential groundwater contribution, the temporal resolution of discrete samples make partitioning allochthonous versus autochthonous sources of CO2 difficult on hydrologically relevant time scales. Here we show results of field deployments of high frequent dissolved CO2, O2, PAR, Temperature and pH from the Thornton Creek Watershed, the largest urban watershed in Seattle, WA. We present an exploration into using high resolution time series of dissolved oxygen and carbon dioxide in a dual gas approach to separate the contribution of in stream respiration from external sources. We extend upon previous efforts to model stream metabolism across diel cycles by incorporating simultaneous direct measurements of dissolved oxygen, PCO2, and pH within an inverse modeling framework and Bayesian parameter estimation. With an initial assumption of a stoichiometric ratio of 1:1 for O2 and CO2 for autochthonous driven metabolism, we investigate positive or negative departures from this ratio as an indicator of external CO2 to the stream (terrestrial or atmospheric) and factors contributing to this flux.

Using isotopes to investigate hydrological flow pathways and sources in a remote Arctic catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lessels, Jason; Tetzlaff, Doerthe; Dinsmore, Kerry; Street, Lorna; Billet, Mike; Baxter, Robert; Subke, Jens-Arne; Wookey, Phillip

2014-05-01

Stable water isotopes allow for the identification of flow paths and stream water sources. This ability is beneficial in improving the understanding in catchments with dynamic spatial and temporal sources. Arctic catchments are characterised with strong seasonality where the dominant flow paths change throughout the short summer season. Therefore, the identification of stream water sources through time and space is necessary in order to accurately quantify these dynamics. Stable isotope tracers are incredibly useful tools which integrate processes of time and space and therefore, particularly useful in identifying flow pathways and runoff sources at remote sites. This work presents stable isotope data collected from a small (1km2) catchment in Northwest Canada. The aims of this study are to 1) identify sources of stream water through time and space, 2) provide information which will be incorporated into hydrological and transit time models Sampling of snowmelt, surface runoff, ice-wedge polygons, stream and soil water was undertaken throughout the 2013 summer. The results of this sampling reveal the dominant flow paths in the catchment and the strong influence of aspect in controlling these processes. After the spring freshet, late lying snow packs on north facing slopes and thawing permafrost on south facing slopes are the dominant sources of stream water. Progressively through the season the thawing permafrost and precipitation become the largest contributing sources. The depth of the thawing aspect layer and consequently the contribution to the stream is heavily dependent on aspect. The collection of precipitation, soil and stream isotope samples throughout the summer period provide valuable information for transit time estimates. The combination of spatial and temporal sampling of stable isotopes has revealed clear differences between the main stream sources in the studied catchment and reinforced the importance of slope aspect in these catchments.

Tracing seasonal groundwater contributions to stream flow using a suite of environmental isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pritchard, J. L.; Herczeg, A. L.; Lamontagne, S.

2003-04-01

Groundwater discharge to streams is important for delivering essential solutes to maintain ecosystem health and flow throughout dry seasons. However, managing the groundwater components of stream flow is difficult because several sources of water can contribute, including delayed drainage from bank storage and regional groundwater. In this study we assessed the potential for a variety of environmental tracers to discriminate between different sources of water to stream flow. A case study comparing Cl-, delta O-18 &delta H-2, Rn-222 and 87Sr/86Sr to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of groundwater inputs to stream flow was conducted in the Wollombi Brook Catchment (SE Australia). The objectives were to characterise the three potential sources of water to stream flow (surface water, groundwater from the near-stream sandy alluvial aquifer system, and groundwater from the regional sandstone aquifer system) and estimate their relative contributions to stream discharge at flood recession and baseflow. Surface water was sampled at various locations along the Wollombi Brook and from its tributaries during flood recession (Mar-01) and under baseflow conditions (Oct-01). Alluvial groundwater was sampled from a piezometer network and regional groundwater from deeper bores in the lower to mid-catchment biannually over two years to characterise these potential sources of water to stream flow. Chloride identified specific reaches of the catchment that were either subjected to evaporation or received regional groundwater contributions to stream flow. The water isotopes verified which of these reaches were dominated by evaporation versus groundwater contributions. They also revealed that the predominant sources of water to stream flow during flood recession were either rainfall and storm runoff or regional groundwater, and that during baseflow the predominant source of water to stream flow was alluvial groundwater. Radon showed that there was a greater proportion of groundwater contributing to stream flow in the upper part of the catchment than the lower catchment during both flood recession and baseflow. Strontium isotopes showed that regional groundwater contributed less than 10% to stream flow in all parts of the catchment under baseflow conditions.

Quantifying the in-channel retention of cohesive sediments during artificial flood events using FTIR-DRIFT spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtenbach, A.; Gallé, T.; Buis, K.; de Sutter, R.; Troch, P.; Eisold, B.; Bierl, R.; Symader, W.

2010-05-01

Cohesive sediments control river ecosystem quality both as a transport medium for contaminants and as clogging material of stream bottom habitats. However, experimental field studies with fine-grained sediments in fluvial systems are rather scarce owing to the lack of adequate tracers and detection methods. As a result, current modelling approaches only insufficiently describe hydrodynamic transport and depositional behaviour of fine-grained sediments in rivers. We adopted two strategies to specifically study cohesive sediment dynamics in natural systems under defined boundary conditions. First, artificial floods were generated in the Olewiger Bach basin (24 km²), a mid-mountain gravel bed river, in order to characterise the in-channel fine sediment dynamics on their own. The advantage of these artificial flood waves lies in the selective control on some governing processes by experimental design. Second, fine sediment transport and deposition during these controlled reservoir releases were analysed by introducing the clay mineral kaolinite as a fine particle tracer, whose concentration was measured by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in diffuse reflectance mode (DRIFT). The DRIFT technique offers some important advantages such as the ability to assess both mineral and organic structures in aquatic particles, good sensitivity and high throughput (Gallé et al. 2004). Our laboratory tests confirm that FTIR-DRIFT spectrometry is capable of detecting the kaolinite tracer even in low percentage solid concentrations. The mass balance of the injected kaolinite for near bank-full artificial floods showed that, in spite of the very fine material and the non-stationary boundary conditions, over 50 percent of the tracer could be retained over a flow length of only 500 m. By combining fine particulate and natural dissolved tracers (e.g. dissolved organic carbon, DOC) we were able to identify the hyporheic zone as a potential short-term retention and storage zone for the introduced kaolinite. Thus, hyporheic exchange and/or deposition losses in riverine dead and channel periphery zones are significant determinants for the mass balance of cohesive particles during floods. Within a multidisciplinary research group, accentuating the relevance and interaction of hydraulic, groundwater, biogeochemical and ecological processes, we will model the kaolinite retention dynamics. This will be performed with the STRIVE-package (STReam-RIVer Ecosystem) developed in the modelling platform "FEMME" (http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/projects/femme). FEMME (a Flexible Environment for Mathematically Modelling the Environment) takes care of the basic necessities for dynamic ecological modelling along with other facilities (calibration, validation, sensitivity analysis, output formulation etc.). It supports a modular structure, facilitating an easy implementation or exchange of submodels to build ecosystem models of different complexity. STRIVE is such a package devoted to model stream or river ecosystems by linking different submodels (e.g. hydraulic and solute/particle transport modules, hyporheic zone module, groundwater module etc.) to integrate and study process interactions and the role of lateral exchanges with adjacent subsystems. A brief overview concerning this modelling environment and its adaptation on the Olewiger Bach system will be outlined. References Gallé, T., Van Lagen, B., Kurtenbach, A., Bierl, R. (2004): An FTIR-DRIFT Study on River Sediment Particle Structure: Implications for Biofilm Dynamics and Pollutant Binding. - Environmental Science and Technology, 38, 4496-4502.

TRACER DISPERSION STUDIES FOR HYDRAULIC CHARACTERIZATION OF PIPES

EPA Science Inventory

A series of experiments were conducted at the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Test & Evaluation (T&E) Facility in Cincinnati, Ohio, to quantify longitudinal dispersion of a sodium fluoride tracer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe and ductile iron pipe under laminar, tr...

Tracer concentration profiles measured in central London as part of the REPARTEE campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, D.; Petersson, K. F.; White, I. R.; Henshaw, S. J.; Nickless, G.; Lovelock, A.; Barlow, J. F.; Dunbar, T.; Wood, C. R.; Shallcross, D. E.

2011-01-01

There have been relatively few tracer experiments carried out that have looked at vertical plume spread in urban areas. In this paper we present results from two tracer (cyclic perfluorocarbon) experiments carried out in 2006 and 2007 in central London centred on the BT Tower as part of the REPARTEE (Regent's Park and Tower Environmental Experiment) campaign. The height of the tower gives a unique opportunity to study vertical dispersion profiles and transport times in central London. Vertical gradients are contrasted with the relevant Pasquill stability classes. Estimation of lateral advection and vertical mixing times are made and compared with previous measurements. Data are then compared with a simple operational dispersion model and contrasted with data taken in central London as part of the DAPPLE campaign. This correlates dosage with non-dimensionalised distance from source. Such analyses illustrate the feasibility of the use of these empirical correlations over these prescribed distances in central London.

Role of the ocean's AMOC in setting the uptake efficiency of transient tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romanou, A.; Marshall, J.; Kelley, M.; Scott, J. R.

2017-12-01

The central role played by the ocean's Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the uptake and sequestration of transient tracers is studied in a series of experiments with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and Massachusetts Institute of Technology ocean circulation models. Forced by observed atmospheric time series of CFC-11, both models exhibit realistic distributions in the ocean, with similar surface biases but different response over time. To better understand what controls uptake, we ran idealized forcing experiments in which the AMOC strength varied over a wide range, bracketing the observations. We found that differences in the strength and vertical scale of the AMOC largely accounted for the different rates of CFC-11 uptake and vertical distribution thereof. A two-box model enables us to quantify and relate uptake efficiency of passive tracers to AMOC strength and how uptake efficiency decreases in time. We also discuss the relationship between passive tracer and heat uptake efficiency, of which the latter controls the transient climate response to anthropogenic forcing in the North Atlantic. We find that heat uptake efficiency is substantially less (by about a factor of 5) than that for a passive tracer.

Automatic reactor model synthesis with genetic programming.

PubMed

Dürrenmatt, David J; Gujer, Willi

2012-01-01

Successful modeling of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) processes requires an accurate description of the plant hydraulics. Common methods such as tracer experiments are difficult and costly and thus have limited applicability in practice; engineers are often forced to rely on their experience only. An implementation of grammar-based genetic programming with an encoding to represent hydraulic reactor models as program trees should fill this gap: The encoding enables the algorithm to construct arbitrary reactor models compatible with common software used for WWTP modeling by linking building blocks, such as continuous stirred-tank reactors. Discharge measurements and influent and effluent concentrations are the only required inputs. As shown in a synthetic example, the technique can be used to identify a set of reactor models that perform equally well. Instead of being guided by experience, the most suitable model can now be chosen by the engineer from the set. In a second example, temperature measurements at the influent and effluent of a primary clarifier are used to generate a reactor model. A virtual tracer experiment performed on the reactor model has good agreement with a tracer experiment performed on-site.

LOW LEVEL COUNTING TECHNIQUES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO BIOMEDICAL TRACER PROBLEMS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hosain, F.; Nag, B.D.

1959-12-01

Low-level counting techniques in tracer experiments are discussed with emphasis on the measurement of beta and gamma radiations with Geiger and scintillation counting methods. The basic principles of low-level counting are outlined. Screen-wall counters, internal gas counters, low-level beta counters, scintillation spectrometers, liquid scintillators, and big scintillation installations are described. Biomedical tracer investigations are discussed. Applications of low-level techniques in archaeological dating, biology, and other problems are listed. (M.C.G.)

Vapor-phase transport of trichloroethene in an intermediate-scale vadose-zone system: retention processes and tracer-based prediction.

PubMed

Costanza-Robinson, Molly S; Carlson, Tyson D; Brusseau, Mark L

2013-02-01

Gas-phase transport experiments were conducted using a large weighing lysimeter to evaluate retention processes for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water-unsaturated (vadose-zone) systems, and to test the utility of gas-phase tracers for predicting VOC retardation. Trichloroethene (TCE) served as a model VOC, while trichlorofluoromethane (CFM) and heptane were used as partitioning tracers to independently characterize retention by water and the air-water interface, respectively. Retardation factors for TCE ranged between 1.9 and 3.5, depending on water content. The results indicate that dissolution into the bulk water was the primary retention mechanism for TCE under all conditions studied, contributing approximately two-thirds of the total measured retention. Accumulation at the air-water interface comprised a significant fraction of the observed retention for all experiments, with an average contribution of approximately 24%. Sorption to the solid phase contributed approximately 10% to retention. Water contents and air-water interfacial areas estimated based on the CFM and heptane tracer data, respectively, were similar to independently measured values. Retardation factors for TCE predicted using the partitioning-tracer data were in reasonable agreement with the measured values. These results suggest that gas-phase tracer tests hold promise for characterizing the retention and transport of VOCs in the vadose-zone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of stream water age to climatic variability and land use change: implications for water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulsby, Chris; Birkel, Christian; Geris, Josie; Tetzlaff, Doerthe

2016-04-01

Advances in the use of hydrological tracers and their integration into rainfall runoff models is facilitating improved quantification of stream water age distributions. This is of fundamental importance to understanding water quality dynamics over both short- and long-time scales, particularly as water quality parameters are often associated with water sources of markedly different ages. For example, legacy nitrate pollution may reflect deeper waters that have resided in catchments for decades, whilst more dynamics parameters from anthropogenic sources (e.g. P, pathogens etc) are mobilised by very young (<1 day) near-surface water sources. It is increasingly recognised that water age distributions of stream water is non-stationary in both the short (i.e. event dynamics) and longer-term (i.e. in relation to hydroclimatic variability). This provides a crucial context for interpreting water quality time series. Here, we will use longer-term (>5 year), high resolution (daily) isotope time series in modelling studies for different catchments to show how variable stream water age distributions can be a result of hydroclimatic variability and the implications for understanding water quality. We will also use examples from catchments undergoing rapid urbanisation, how the resulting age distributions of stream water change in a predictable way as a result of modified flow paths. The implication for the management of water quality in urban catchments will be discussed.

Modification of Rhodamine WT tracer tests procedure in activated sludge reactors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knap, Marta; Balbierz, Piotr

2017-11-01

One of the tracers recommended for use in wastewater treatment plants and natural waters is Rhodamine WT, which is a fluorescent dye, allowing to work at low concentrations, but may be susceptible to sorption to activated sludge flocs and chemical quenching of fluorescence by dissolved water constituents. Additionally raw sewage may contain other natural materials or pollutants exhibiting limited fluorescent properties, which are responsible for background fluorescence interference. This paper presents the proposed modifications to the Rhodamine WT tracer tests procedure in activated sludge reactors, which allow to reduce problems with background fluorescence and tracer loss over time, developed on the basis of conducted laboratory and field experiments.

Impact of meteorological inflow uncertainty on tracer transport and source estimation in urban atmospheres

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lucas, Donald D.; Gowardhan, Akshay; Cameron-Smith, Philip

2015-08-08

Here, a computational Bayesian inverse technique is used to quantify the effects of meteorological inflow uncertainty on tracer transport and source estimation in a complex urban environment. We estimate a probability distribution of meteorological inflow by comparing wind observations to Monte Carlo simulations from the Aeolus model. Aeolus is a computational fluid dynamics model that simulates atmospheric and tracer flow around buildings and structures at meter-scale resolution. Uncertainty in the inflow is propagated through forward and backward Lagrangian dispersion calculations to determine the impact on tracer transport and the ability to estimate the release location of an unknown source. Ourmore » uncertainty methods are compared against measurements from an intensive observation period during the Joint Urban 2003 tracer release experiment conducted in Oklahoma City.« less

Tracer water transport and subgrid precipitation variation within atmospheric general circulation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koster, Randal D.; Eagleson, Peter S.; Broecker, Wallace S.

1988-03-01

A capability is developed for monitoring tracer water movement in the three-dimensional Goddard Institute for Space Science Atmospheric General Circulation Model (GCM). A typical experiment with the tracer water model follows water evaporating from selected grid squares and determines where this water first returns to the Earth's surface as precipitation or condensate, thereby providing information on the lateral scales of hydrological transport in the GCM. Through a comparison of model results with observations in nature, inferences can be drawn concerning real world water transport. Tests of the tracer water model include a comparison of simulated and observed vertically-integrated vapor flux fields and simulations of atomic tritium transport from the stratosphere to the oceans. The inter-annual variability of the tracer water model results is also examined.

Tracer water transport and subgrid precipitation variation within atmospheric general circulation models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Eagleson, Peter S.; Broecker, Wallace S.

1988-01-01

A capability is developed for monitoring tracer water movement in the three-dimensional Goddard Institute for Space Science Atmospheric General Circulation Model (GCM). A typical experiment with the tracer water model follows water evaporating from selected grid squares and determines where this water first returns to the Earth's surface as precipitation or condensate, thereby providing information on the lateral scales of hydrological transport in the GCM. Through a comparison of model results with observations in nature, inferences can be drawn concerning real world water transport. Tests of the tracer water model include a comparison of simulated and observed vertically-integrated vapor flux fields and simulations of atomic tritium transport from the stratosphere to the oceans. The inter-annual variability of the tracer water model results is also examined.

Modeling the impact of solid noise barriers on near road air quality

EPA Science Inventory

Studies based on field measurements, wind tunnel experiments, and controlled tracer gas releases indicate that solid, roadside noise barriers can lead to reductions in downwind near-road air pollutant concentrations. A tracer gas study showed that a solid barrier reduced pollutan...

Ice Wedge Polygon Bromide Tracer Experiment in Subsurface Flow, Barrow, Alaska, 2015-2016

DOE Data Explorer

Nathan Wales

2018-02-15

Time series of bromide tracer concentrations at several points within a low-centered polygon and a high-centered polygon. Concentration values were obtained from the analysis of water samples via ion chromatography with an accuracy of 0.01 mg/l.

Nitrous oxide emission from denitrification in stream and river networks

PubMed Central

Beaulieu, Jake J.; Tank, Jennifer L.; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Wollheim, Wilfred M.; Hall, Robert O.; Mulholland, Patrick J.; Peterson, Bruce J.; Ashkenas, Linda R.; Cooper, Lee W.; Dahm, Clifford N.; Dodds, Walter K.; Grimm, Nancy B.; Johnson, Sherri L.; McDowell, William H.; Poole, Geoffrey C.; Valett, H. Maurice; Arango, Clay P.; Bernot, Melody J.; Burgin, Amy J.; Crenshaw, Chelsea L.; Helton, Ashley M.; Johnson, Laura T.; O'Brien, Jonathan M.; Potter, Jody D.; Sheibley, Richard W.; Sobota, Daniel J.; Thomas, Suzanne M.

2011-01-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) loading to river networks is a potentially important source of N2O via microbial denitrification that converts N to N2O and dinitrogen (N2). The fraction of denitrified N that escapes as N2O rather than N2 (i.e., the N2O yield) is an important determinant of how much N2O is produced by river networks, but little is known about the N2O yield in flowing waters. Here, we present the results of whole-stream 15N-tracer additions conducted in 72 headwater streams draining multiple land-use types across the United States. We found that stream denitrification produces N2O at rates that increase with stream water nitrate (NO3−) concentrations, but that <1% of denitrified N is converted to N2O. Unlike some previous studies, we found no relationship between the N2O yield and stream water NO3−. We suggest that increased stream NO3− loading stimulates denitrification and concomitant N2O production, but does not increase the N2O yield. In our study, most streams were sources of N2O to the atmosphere and the highest emission rates were observed in streams draining urban basins. Using a global river network model, we estimate that microbial N transformations (e.g., denitrification and nitrification) convert at least 0.68 Tg·y−1 of anthropogenic N inputs to N2O in river networks, equivalent to 10% of the global anthropogenic N2O emission rate. This estimate of stream and river N2O emissions is three times greater than estimated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. PMID:21173258

Measurement of Bremsstrahlung radiation for in vivo monitoring of 14C tracer distribution between fruit and roots of kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta) cuttings.

PubMed

Black, Marykate Z; Minchin, Peter E H; Gould, Nick; Patterson, Kevin J; Clearwater, Michael J

2012-10-01

In vivo measurements of (14)C tracer distribution have usually involved monitoring the β(-) particles produced as (14)C decays. These particles are only detectable over short distances, limiting the use of this technique to thin plant material. In the present experiments, X-ray detectors were used to monitor the Bremsstrahlung radiation emitted since β(-) particles were absorbed in plant tissues. Bremsstrahlung radiation is detectable through larger tissue depths. The aim of these experiments was to demonstrate the Bremsstrahlung method by monitoring in vivo tracer-labelled photosynthate partitioning in small kiwifruit (Actinidia arguta (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq.) plants in response to root pruning. A source shoot, consisting of four leaves, was pulse labelled with (14)CO(2). Detectors monitored import into a fruit and the root system, and export from a source leaf. Repeat pulse labelling enabled the comparison of pre- and post-treatment observations within an individual plant. Diurnal trends were observed in the distribution of tracer, with leaf export reduced at night. Tracer accumulated in the roots declined after approximately 48 h, which may have resulted from export of (14)C from the roots in carbon skeletons. Cutting off half the roots did not affect tracer distribution to the remaining half. Tracer distribution to the fruit was increased after root pruning, demonstrating the higher competitive strength of the fruit than the roots for carbohydrate supply. Increased partitioning to the fruit following root pruning has also been demonstrated in kiwifruit field trials.

Saline tracer visualized with three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography: Field-scale spatial moment analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singha, Kamini; Gorelick, Steven M.

2005-01-01

Cross-well electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was used to monitor the migration of a saline tracer in a two-well pumping-injection experiment conducted at the Massachusetts Military Reservation in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. After injecting 2200 mg/L of sodium chloride for 9 hours, ERT data sets were collected from four wells every 6 hours for 20 days. More than 180,000 resistance measurements were collected during the tracer test. Each ERT data set was inverted to produce a sequence of 3-D snapshot maps that track the plume. In addition to the ERT experiment a pumping test and an infiltration test were conducted to estimate horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivity values. Using modified moment analysis of the electrical conductivity tomograms, the mass, center of mass, and spatial variance of the imaged tracer plume were estimated. Although the tomograms provide valuable insights into field-scale tracer migration behavior and aquifer heterogeneity, standard tomographic inversion and application of Archie's law to convert electrical conductivities to solute concentration results in underestimation of tracer mass. Such underestimation is attributed to (1) reduced measurement sensitivity to electrical conductivity values with distance from the electrodes and (2) spatial smoothing (regularization) from tomographic inversion. The center of mass estimated from the ERT inversions coincided with that given by migration of the tracer plume using 3-D advective-dispersion simulation. The 3-D plumes seen using ERT exhibit greater apparent dispersion than the simulated plumes and greater temporal spreading than observed in field data of concentration breakthrough at the pumping well.

Changing drainage patterns within South Cascade Glacier, Washington, USA, 1964-1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fountain, A.G.; Vaughn, B.H.

1995-01-01

The theoretical patterns of water drainage are presented for South Cascade Glacier for four different years between 1964 and 1992, during which the glacier was thinning and receding. The theoretical pattern compares well, in a broad sense, with the flow pattern determined from tracer injections in 1986 and 1987. Differences between the patterns may result from the routing of surface meltwater in crevasses prior to entering the body of the glacier. The changing drainage pattern was caused by glacier thinning. The migration of a drainage divide eventually rerouted most of the surface meltwater from the main stream that drained the glacier in 1987 to another, formerly smaller, stream by 1992. On the basis of projected glacier thinning between 1992 and 1999, we predict that the drainage divide will continue to migrate across the glacier.

Galactic archaeology for amateur astronomers: RR Lyrae stars as tracers of the Milky Way formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carballo-Bello, Julio A.; Martínez-Delgado, David; Fliri, Jürgen

2011-06-01

Cosmological models predict that large galaxies like the Milky Way formed from the accretion of smaller stellar systems. The most spectacular of these merger events are stellar tidal streams, rivers of stars and dark matter that envelop the discs of spiral galaxies. We present a research project for a collaboration with amateur astronomers in the study of the formation process of our Galaxy. The main objective is the search for RR Lyrae variable stars in the known stellar streams (Sagitarius, Monoceros, Orphan, etc) a project that can be carried out using small telescopes. The catalogue of candidate variable stars were selected from SDSS data based in colour criteria and it will be sent to interested amateur astronomers who wish to participate in scientific research in one of the most active and competitive topics in Galactic astronomy.

Attenuation of organic micropollutants in an urban lowland stream under varying seasonal and hydrological conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaeger, Anna; Posselt, Malte; Schaper, Jonas; Lewandowski, Jörg

2017-04-01

Transport and fate of polar organic micropollutants in urban streams are of increasing concern for urban water management. Appropriate river management techniques may support a river's ability to self-purify. The river Erpe, an urban lowland stream located in Berlin, Germany, receives treated wastewater which increases its discharge up to 4-fold. Numerous micropollutants (e.g. pharmaceuticals, personal care products, performance chemicals) which survive the treatment process are released into the river and threaten ecosystems and aquatic groundwater quality. In the present work the transport of 57 substances was investigated along a 4.7 km stretch of the river with the aim of understanding the influence of varying seasonal and hydrological conditions on micropollutant fate. We hypothesized that particularly transient storage is a main driver of micropollutant attenuation. A Lagrangian sampling scheme was applied to follow water parcels down the river using the diurnal fluctuations of conservative solute concentrations as an intrinsic tracer. Water samples were collected at two (April) and three (June) stations along a 4.7 km reach downstream of the wastewater inflow. In June the experiment was conducted twice, before and after the first stretch was cleared of macrophytes. Each experiment comprised of hourly sample collection for 48 hours, accompanied by discharge measurements and continuous data logging of water-level, -temperature and electric conductivity. The set of micropollutants, which included both parent compounds and transformation products, was analysed by a newly developed direct injection-UHPLC-MS/MS method. The behaviour of individual micropollutants was compound-specific. Carbamazepine and benzotriazole were persistent along the river stretch while substances such as valsartan and metoprolol were attenuated by up to 15% of their original concentration. Interestingly, some transformation products, such as valsartan acid increased in concentration, indicating their formation along the reach. The extent of attenuation or formation was different between the two stretches, changed seasonally and diurnally and was impacted by macrophyte removal. These findings indicate that the self-purification capacity of urban rivers is variable in time and sensitive to changes in the river's hydrological regime.

Evaluating 10B-enriched Boric Acid, Bromide, and Heat as Tracers of Recycled Groundwater Flow near MAR Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, T.; Clark, J. F.

2012-12-01

Coupled with the unpredictability of a changing climate, the projected growth in human population over the next century requires new and innovative ways to augment already-depleted water supplies. An increasingly popular and promising development is managed aquifer recharge (MAR), a cost-effective method of intentionally storing potable water in groundwater aquifers at engineered sites worldwide. Reclaimed (or recycled) water, defined as cleaned and treated wastewater, will account for a larger portion of MAR water in future years. A crucial component for managing groundwater recharged with reclaimed water is its subsurface travel time. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), with the most recent draft of regulations issued on November 21, 2011, requires the application of groundwater tracers to demonstrate subsurface residence time. Residence time increases the quality of reclaimed water via soil-aquifer treatment (SAT), which includes mechanisms such as sorption, biological degradation, and microbial inactivation to remove potential contaminants or pathogens. This study addresses the need for an appropriate tracer to determine groundwater residence times near MAR facilities. Standard shallow groundwater dating techniques, such as T/3He and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) methods, cannot be used because their uncertainties are typically ± 2 years, longer than the target CDPH retention time of ~6 months. These methods also cannot map preferential flow paths. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a nonreactive synthetic gas, is well-established as a deliberate tracer for determining subsurface travel time; however, SF6 is a very strong greenhouse gas and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is regulating its emission. Other tracers, such as noble gas isotopes, that have successfully determined subsurface retention times are impractical due to their high cost. A multi-tracer experiment at the San Gabriel Spreading Grounds test basin (Montebello Forebay, Los Angeles County, CA, USA) has been in progress since September 6, 2011, following injection of boric acid enriched in boron-10 (10B) and bromide (Br-) tracers. Tracer concentrations are collected at 9 monitoring wells that have pre-experiment estimated travel times between 0.5 to 180 days. Results indicate that 10B-enriched boric acid is an effective deliberate tracer at MAR sites; however, the ion's movement is slightly retarded relative to bromide by the substrate. 10B/Br- travel time ratios range from 1 to 1.4. In addition to the two deliberate geochemical tracers, heat is being evaluated as a possible intrinsic tracer at MAR sites. At the time of the experiment (late summer), reclaimed water was significantly warmer (~20°F) than the native groundwater as it entered the system. Time series are developed from loggers outfitted at each monitoring well, with measurements recorded hourly accurate to one thousandth of a degree. Results are similar to 10B & Br- travel times and validate the potential of heat as an intrinsic tracer.

Borehole flowmeter logging for the accurate design and analysis of tracer tests.

PubMed

Basiricò, Stefano; Crosta, Giovanni B; Frattini, Paolo; Villa, Alberto; Godio, Alberto

2015-04-01

Tracer tests often give ambiguous interpretations that may be due to the erroneous location of sampling points and/or the lack of flow rate measurements through the sampler. To obtain more reliable tracer test results, we propose a methodology that optimizes the design and analysis of tracer tests in a cross borehole mode by using vertical borehole flow rate measurements. Experiments using this approach, herein defined as the Bh-flow tracer test, have been performed by implementing three sequential steps: (1) single-hole flowmeter test, (2) cross-hole flowmeter test, and (3) tracer test. At the experimental site, core logging, pumping tests, and static water-level measurements were previously carried out to determine stratigraphy, fracture characteristics, and bulk hydraulic conductivity. Single-hole flowmeter testing makes it possible to detect the presence of vertical flows as well as inflow and outflow zones, whereas cross-hole flowmeter testing detects the presence of connections along sets of flow conduits or discontinuities intercepted by boreholes. Finally, the specific pathways and rates of groundwater flow through selected flowpaths are determined by tracer testing. We conclude that the combined use of single and cross-borehole flowmeter tests is fundamental to the formulation of the tracer test strategy and interpretation of the tracer test results. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Prediction of down-gradient impacts of DNAPL source depletion using tracer techniques: Laboratory and modeling validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jawitz, J. W.; Basu, N.; Chen, X.

2007-05-01

Interwell application of coupled nonreactive and reactive tracers through aquifer contaminant source zones enables quantitative characterization of aquifer heterogeneity and contaminant architecture. Parameters obtained from tracer tests are presented here in a Lagrangian framework that can be used to predict the dissolution of nonaqueous phase liquid (NAPL) contaminants. Nonreactive tracers are commonly used to provide information about travel time distributions in hydrologic systems. Reactive tracers have more recently been introduced as a tool to quantify the amount of NAPL contaminant present within the tracer swept volume. Our group has extended reactive tracer techniques to also characterize NAPL spatial distribution heterogeneity. By conceptualizing the flow field through an aquifer as a collection of streamtubes, the aquifer hydrodynamic heterogeneities may be characterized by a nonreactive tracer travel time distribution, and NAPL spatial distribution heterogeneity may be similarly described using reactive travel time distributions. The combined statistics of these distributions are used to derive a simple analytical solution for contaminant dissolution. This analytical solution, and the tracer techniques used for its parameterization, were validated both numerically and experimentally. Illustrative applications are presented from numerical simulations using the multiphase flow and transport simulator UTCHEM, and laboratory experiments of surfactant-enhanced NAPL remediation in two-dimensional flow chambers.

Impacts of retrogressive thaw slumps on the geochemistry of permafrost catchments, Stony Creek Watershed, NWT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, Laura

Retrogressive thaw slumps are one of the most dramatic thermokarst landforms in periglacial regions. This thesis investigates the impacts of two of the largest hillslope thaw slumps on the geochemistry of periglacial streams on the Peel Plateau, Northwest Territories. It aims to describe the inorganic geochemistry of runoff across active mega-slumps, impacted and pristine tundra streams, as well as that of the ice-rich permafrost exposed in the slump headwalls. Slump runoff is characterized by elevated suspended sediments (911 g/L), high conductivity (2700 microS/cm), and high SO42- (up to 2078 ppm). The runoff originates as a solute-rich meltwater near the slump headwall, and leaches and re-dissolves soluble salts (e.g., gypsum) as it flows along the mudflow. Conductivity increases until the runoff mixes with pristine tundra streams, diluting the slump runoff signal. SO4 2-/Cl- is used as a tracer to isolate the slump runoff signal in impacted waters, and suggests that the contribution of slump runoff to the Peel River has been increasing since the 1960s.

Use of an Artificial Sweetener to Identify Sources of Groundwater Nitrate Contamination.

PubMed

Robertson, W D; Van Stempvoort, D R; Roy, J W; Brown, S J; Spoelstra, J; Schiff, S L; Rudolph, D R; Danielescu, S; Graham, G

2016-07-01

The artificial sweetener acesulfame (ACE) is a potentially useful tracer of waste water contamination in groundwater. In this study, ACE concentrations were measured in waste water and impacted groundwater at 12 septic system sites in Ontario, Canada. All samples of septic tank effluent (n = 37) had ACE >6 µg/L, all samples of groundwater from the proximal plume zones (n = 93) had ACE >1 µg/L and, almost all samples from the distal plume zones had ACE >2 µg/L. Mean mass ratios of total inorganic nitrogen/ACE at the 12 sites ranged from 680 to 3500 for the tank and proximal plume samples. At five sites, decreasing ratio values in the distal zones indicated nitrogen attenuation. These ratios were applied to three aquifers in Canada that are nitrate-stressed and an urban stream where septic systems are present nearby to estimate the amount of waste water nitrate contamination. At the three aquifer locations that are agricultural, low ACE values (<0.02-0.15 µg/L) indicated that waste water contributed <15% of the nitrate in most samples. In groundwater discharging to the urban stream, much higher ACE values (0.2-11 µg/L) indicated that waste water was the likely source of >50% of the nitrate in most samples. This study confirms that ACE is a powerful tracer and demonstrates its use as a diagnostic tool for establishing whether waste water is a significant contributor to groundwater contamination or not. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

Numerical study of heat and mass transfer in inertial suspensions in pipes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niazi Ardekani, Mehdi; Brandt, Luca

2017-11-01

Controlling heat and mass transfer in particulate suspensions has many important applications such as packed and fluidized bed reactors and industrial dryers. In this work, we study the heat and mass transfer within a suspension of spherical particles in a laminar pipe flow, using the immersed boundary method (IBM) to account for the solid fluid interactions and a volume of fluid (VoF) method to resolve temperature equation both inside and outside of the particles. Tracers that follow the fluid streamlines are considered to investigate mass transfer within the suspension. Different particle volume fractions 5, 15, 30 and 40% are simulated for different pipe to particle diameter ratios: 5, 10 and 15. The preliminary results quantify the heat and mass transfer enhancement with respect to a single-phase laminar pipe flow. We show in particular that the heat transfer from the wall saturates for volume fractions more than 30%, however at high particle Reynolds numbers (small diameter ratios) the heat transfer continues to increase. Regarding the dispersion of tracer particles we show that the diffusivity of tracers increases with volume fraction in radial and stream-wise directions however it goes through a peak at 15% in the azimuthal direction. European Research Council, Grant No. ERC-2013-CoG- 616186, TRITOS; SNIC (the Swedish National Infrastructure for Computing).

Towards integrating tracer studies in conceptual rainfall-runoff models: recent insights from a sub-arctic catchment in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soulsby, Chris; Dunn, Sarah M.

2003-02-01

Hydrochemical tracers (alkalinity and silica) were used in an end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) of runoff sources in the 10 km2 Allt a' Mharcaidh catchment. A three-component mixing model was used to separate the hydrograph and estimate, to a first approximation, the range of likely contributions of overland flow, shallow subsurface storm flow, and groundwater to the annual hydrograph. A conceptual, catchment-scale rainfall-runoff model (DIY) was also used to separate the annual hydrograph in an equivalent set of flow paths. The two approaches produced independent representations of catchment hydrology that exhibited reasonable agreement. This showed the dominance of overland flow in generating storm runoff and the important role of groundwater inputs throughout the hydrological year. Moreover, DIY was successfully adapted to simulate stream chemistry (alkalinity) at daily time steps. Sensitivity analysis showed that whilst a distinct groundwater source at the catchment scale could be identified, there was considerable uncertainty in differentiating between overland flow and subsurface storm flow in both the EMMA and DIY applications. Nevertheless, the study indicated that the complementary use of tracer analysis in EMMA can increase the confidence in conceptual model structure. However, conclusions are restricted to the specific spatial and temporal scales examined.

Addressing the Sustainability of Groundwater Extraction in California Using Hydrochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, J. E.; Visser, A.; Singleton, M. J.; Esser, B. K.

2017-12-01

In urban and agricultural settings in California, intense pressure on water supplies has led to extensive managed aquifer recharge and extensive overdraft in these areas, respectively. The California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) includes criteria for pumping that maintains groundwater levels and basin storage, and avoids stream depletion and degradation of water quality. Most sustainability plans will likely use water level monitoring and water budget balancing based on integrated flow models as evidence of compliance. However, hydrochronology data are applicable to several of the criteria, and provide an independent method of addressing questions related to basin turnover time, recharge rate, surface water-groundwater interaction, and the age distribution at pumping wells. We have applied hydrochronology (mainly tritium-helium groundwater age dating and extrinsic tracers) in urban areas to delineate flowpaths of artificially recharged water, to identify stagnant zones bypassed by the engineered flow system, and to predict vulnerability of drinking water sources to contamination. In agricultural areas, we have applied multi-tracer hydrochronology to delineate groundwater stratigraphy, to identify paleowater, and to project future nitrate concentrations in long-screened wells. This presentation will describe examples in which groundwater dating and other tracer methods can be applied to directly address the SGMA criteria for sustainable groundwater pumping.

Radiotracer investigation in gold leaching tanks.

PubMed

Dagadu, C P K; Akaho, E H K; Danso, K A; Stegowski, Z; Furman, L

2012-01-01

Measurement and analysis of residence time distribution (RTD) is a classical method to investigate performance of chemical reactors. In the present investigation, the radioactive tracer technique was used to measure the RTD of aqueous phase in a series of gold leaching tanks at the Damang gold processing plant in Ghana. The objective of the investigation was to measure the effective volume of each tank and validate the design data after recent process intensification or revamping of the plant. I-131 was used as a radioactive tracer and was instantaneously injected into the feed stream of the first tank and monitored at the outlet of different tanks. Both sampling and online measurement methods were used to monitor the tracer concentration. The results of measurements indicated that both the methods provided identical RTD curves. The mean residence time (MRT) and effective volume of each tank was estimated. The tanks-in-series model with exchange between active and stagnant volume was used and found suitable to describe the flow structure of aqueous phase in the tanks. The estimated effective volume of the tanks and high degree of mixing in tanks could validate the design data and confirmed the expectation of the plant engineer after intensification of the process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tracing Injection Fluids in Engineered Geothermal Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, P. E.; Leecaster, K.; Mella, M.; Ayling, B.; Bartl, M. H.

2011-12-01

The reinjection of produced fluids is crucial to the effective management of geothermal reservoirs, since it provides a mechanism for maintaining reservoir pressures while allowing for the disposal of a toxic byproduct. Tracers are essential to the proper location of injection wells since they are the only known tool for reliably characterizing the flow patterns of recirculated fluids. If injection wells are placed too close to production wells, then reinjected fluids do not have sufficient residence time to extract heat from the reservoir and premature thermal breakthrough results. If injection wells are placed too far away, then the reservoir risks unacceptable pressure loss. Several thermally stable compounds from a family of very detectable fluorescent organic compounds (the naphthalene sulfonates) were characterized and found to be effective for use as geothermal tracers. Through batch-autoclave reactions, their Arrhenius pseudo-first-order decay-rate constants were determined. An analytical method was developed that allows for the laboratory determination of concentrations in the low parts-per-trillion range. Field experiments in numerous geothermal reservoirs throughout the world have confirmed the laboratory findings. Whereas conservative tracers such as the naphthalene sulfonates are effective tools for indicating interwell flow patterns and for measuring reservoir pore volumes, 'reactive' tracers can be used to constrain fracture surface area, which is the effective area for heat extraction. This is especially important for engineered geothermal system (EGS) wells, since reactive tracers can be used to measure fracture surface area immediately after drilling and while the well stimulation equipment is still on site. The reactive properties of these tracers that can be exploited to constrain fracture surface area are reversible sorption, contrasting diffusivity, and thermal decay. Laboratory batch- and flow-reactor experiments in combination with numerical simulation studies have served to identify candidate compounds for use as reactive tracers. An emerging class of materials that show promise for use as geothermal and EGS tracers are colloidal nanocrystals (quantum dots). These are semiconductor particles that fluoresce as a function of particle size. Preliminary laboratory experimentation has demonstrated that these thermally stable, water-soluble particles can serve as conservative tracers for geothermal applications. Likewise, they show promise as potential reactive tracers, since their surfaces can be modified to be reversibly sorptive and their diameters are sufficiently large to allow for contrasts in diffusivity with solute tracers.

EVALUATION AND SENSITIVITY ANALYSES RESULTS OF THE MESOPUFF II MODEL WITH CAPTEX MEASUREMENTS

EPA Science Inventory

The MESOPUFF II regional Lagrangian puff model has been evaluated and tested against measurements from the Cross-Appalachian Tracer Experiment (CAPTEX) data base in an effort to assess its abilIty to simulate the transport and dispersion of a nonreactive, nondepositing tracer plu...

Application of a novel type impinging streams reactor in solid-liquid enzyme reactions and modeling of residence time distribution using GDB model.

PubMed

Fatourehchi, Niloufar; Sohrabi, Morteza; Dabir, Bahram; Royaee, Sayed Javid; Haji Malayeri, Adel

2014-02-05

Solid-liquid enzyme reactions constitute important processes in biochemical industries. The isomerization of d-glucose to d-fructose, using the immobilized glucose isomerase (Sweetzyme T), as a typical example of solid-liquid catalyzed reactions has been carried out in one stage and multi-stage novel type of impinging streams reactors. Response surface methodology was applied to determine the effects of certain pertinent parameters of the process namely axial velocity (A), feed concentration (B), nozzles' flow rates (C) and enzyme loading (D) on the performance of the apparatus. The results obtained from the conversion of glucose in this reactor were much higher than those expected in conventional reactors, while residence time was decreased dramatically. Residence time distribution (RTD) in a one-stage impinging streams reactor was investigated using colored solution as the tracer. The results showed that the flow pattern in the reactor was close to that in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Based on the analysis of flow region in the reactor, gamma distribution model with bypass (GDB) was applied to study the RTD of the reactor. The results indicated that RTD in the impinging streams reactor could be described by the latter model. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toxicological and ecotoxicological assessment of water tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, H.; Beims, U.; Dieter, H.; Dietze, G.; Eikmann, T.; Grummt, T.; Hanisch, H.; Henseling, H.; Käß, W.; Kerndorff, H.; Leibundgut, C.; Müller-Wegener, U.; Rönnefahrt, I.; Scharenberg, B.; Schleyer, R.; Schloz, W.; Tilkes, F.

2001-06-01

Uncertainties regarding possible negative effects on the environment or on human health of authorizing tracing experiments in groundwater and surface waters led to the establishment of a Working Group at the German Federal Environmental Agency (Umweltbundesamt - UBA) for conducting a toxicological and ecotoxicological assessment. A total of 17 water tracers was assessed by the Working Group on the basis of the results of toxicological tests, the available literature, and the group's expert knowledge. In the future, tracers that pose a risk to the environment or to human health should no longer be used. Nevertheless, there are a number of tracers that could be used in hydrogeological and hydrological investigations for water-pollution-control purposes with no adverse environmental impact.

Across North America tracer experiment (ANATEX): Sampling and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Draxler, R. R.; Dietz, R.; Lagomarsino, R. J.; Start, G.

Between 5 January 1987 and 29 March 1987, there were 33 releases of different tracers from each of two sites: Glasgow, MT and St. Cloud, MN. The perfluorocarbon tracers were routinely released in a 3-h period every 2.5 days, alternating between daytime and night-time tracer releases. Ground-level air samples of 24-h duration were taken at 77 sites mostly located near rawinsonde stations east of 105°W and between 26°N and 55°N. Weekly air samples were taken at 12 remote sites between San Diego, CA and Pt. Barrow, AK and between Norway and the Canary Islands. Short-term 6-h samples were collected at ground level and 200 m AGL along an arc of five towers between Tulsa, OK and Green Bay, WI. Aircraft sampling within several hundred kilometers of both tracer release sites was used to establish the initial tracer path. Experimental design required improved sampler performance, new tracers with lower atmospheric backgrounds, and improvements in analytic precision. The advances to the perfluorocarbon tracer system are discussed in detail. Results from the tracer sampling showed that the average and peak concentrations measured over the daily ground-level sampling network were consistent with what would be calculated using mass conservative approaches. however, ground-level samples from individual tracer patterns showed considerable complexity due to vertical stability or the interaction of the tracer plumes with low pressure and frontal systems. These systems could pass right through the tracer plume without appreciable effect. Aircraft tracer measurements are used to confirm the initial tracer trajectory when the narrow plume may miss the coarser spaced ground-level sampling network. Tower tracer measurements showed a more complex temporal structure than evident from the longer duration ground-level sampling sites. Few above background plume measurements were evident in the more distant remote sampling network due to larger than expected uncertainties in the ambient background concentrations.

On the pathways and timescales of intercontinental air pollution transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stohl, Andreas; Eckhardt, Sabine; Forster, Caroline; James, Paul; Spichtinger, Nicole

2002-12-01

This paper presents results of a 1-year simulation of the transport of six passive tracers, released over the continents according to an emission inventory for carbon monoxide (CO). Lagrangian concepts are introduced to derive age spectra of the tracer concentrations on a global grid in order to determine the timescales and pathways of pollution export from the continents. Calculating these age spectra is equivalent to simulating many (quasi continuous) plumes, each starting at a different time, which are subsequently merged. Movies of the tracer dispersion have been made available on an Internet website. It is found that emissions from Asia experience the fastest vertical transport, whereas European emissions have the strongest tendency to remain in the lower troposphere. European emissions are transported primarily into the Arctic and appear to be the major contributor to the Arctic haze problem. Tracers from an upwind continent first arrive over a receptor continent in the upper troposphere, typically after some 4 days. Only later foreign tracers also arrive in the lower troposphere. Assuming a 2-day lifetime, the domestic tracers dominate total tracer columns over all continents except over Australia where foreign tracers account for 20% of the tracer mass. In contrast, for a 20-day lifetime even continents with high domestic emissions receive more than half of their tracer burden from foreign continents. Three special regions were identified where tracers are transported to, and tracer dilution is slow. Future field studies therefore should be deployed in the following regions: (1) In the winter, the Asia tracer accumulates over Indonesia and the Indian Ocean, a region speculated to be a stratospheric fountain. (2) In the summer, the highest concentrations of the Asia tracer are found in the Middle East. (3) In the summer, the highest concentrations of the North America tracer are found in the Mediterranean.

Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants.

PubMed

Vengosh, Avner; Lindberg, T Ty; Merola, Brittany R; Ruhl, Laura; Warner, Nathaniel R; White, Alissa; Dwyer, Gary S; Di Giulio, Richard T

2013-09-03

Mountaintop mining (MTM) is the primary procedure for surface coal exploration within the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, and it is known to contaminate streams in local watersheds. In this study, we measured the chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples from MTM-impacted tributaries and streams in the Mud River watershed in West Virginia. We systematically document the isotopic compositions of three major constituents: sulfur isotopes in sulfate (δ(34)SSO4), carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (δ(13)CDIC), and strontium isotopes ((87)Sr/(86)Sr). The data show that δ(34)SSO4, δ(13)CDIC, Sr/Ca, and (87)Sr/(86)Sr measured in saline- and selenium-rich MTM impacted tributaries are distinguishable from those of the surface water upstream of mining impacts. These tracers can therefore be used to delineate and quantify the impact of MTM in watersheds. High Sr/Ca and low (87)Sr/(86)Sr characterize tributaries that originated from active MTM areas, while tributaries from reclaimed MTM areas had low Sr/Ca and high (87)Sr/(86)Sr. Leaching experiments of rocks from the watershed show that pyrite oxidation and carbonate dissolution control the solute chemistry with distinct (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios characterizing different rock sources. We propose that MTM operations that access the deeper Kanawha Formation generate residual mined rocks in valley fills from which effluents with distinctive (87)Sr/(86)Sr and Sr/Ca imprints affect the quality of the Appalachian watersheds.

Assessment of the contamination of drinking water supply wells by pesticides from surface water resources using a finite element reactive transport model and global sensitivity analysis techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaguerra, Flavio; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen; Binning, Philip John

2013-01-01

SummaryA reactive transport model is employed to evaluate the potential for contamination of drinking water wells by surface water pollution. The model considers various geologic settings, includes sorption and degradation processes and is tested by comparison with data from a tracer experiment where fluorescein dye injected in a river is monitored at nearby drinking water wells. Three compounds were considered: an older pesticide MCPP (Mecoprop) which is mobile and relatively persistent, glyphosate (Roundup), a newer biodegradable and strongly sorbing pesticide, and its degradation product AMPA. Global sensitivity analysis using the Morris method is employed to identify the dominant model parameters. Results show that the characteristics of clay aquitards (degree of fracturing and thickness), pollutant properties and well depths are crucial factors when evaluating the risk of drinking water well contamination from surface water. This study suggests that it is unlikely that glyphosate in streams can pose a threat to drinking water wells, while MCPP in surface water can represent a risk: MCPP concentration at the drinking water well can be up to 7% of surface water concentration in confined aquifers and up to 10% in unconfined aquifers. Thus, the presence of confining clay aquitards may not prevent contamination of drinking water wells by persistent compounds in surface water. Results are consistent with data on pesticide occurrence in Denmark where pesticides are found at higher concentrations at shallow depths and close to streams.

Stream Sediment Sources in Midwest Agricultural Basins with Land Retirement along Channel.

PubMed

Williamson, T N; Christensen, V G; Richardson, W B; Frey, J W; Gellis, A C; Kieta, K A; Fitzpatrick, F A

2014-09-01

Documenting the effects of agricultural land retirement on stream-sediment sources is critical to identifying management practices that improve water quality and aquatic habitat. Particularly difficult to quantify are the effects from conservation easements that commonly are discontinuous along channelized streams and ditches throughout the agricultural midwestern United States. Our hypotheses were that sediment from cropland, retired land, stream banks, and roads would be discernible using isotopic and elemental concentrations and that source contributions would vary with land retirement distribution along tributaries of West Fork Beaver Creek in Minnesota. Channel-bed and suspended sediment were sampled at nine locations and compared with local source samples by using linear discriminant analysis and a four-source mixing model that evaluated seven tracers: In, P, total C, Be, Tl, Th, and Ti. The proportion of sediment sources differed significantly between suspended and channel-bed sediment. Retired land contributed to channel-bed sediment but was not discernible as a source of suspended sediment, suggesting that retired-land material was not mobilized during high-flow conditions. Stream banks were a large contributor to suspended sediment; however, the percentage of stream-bank sediment in the channel bed was lower in basins with more continuous retired land along the riparian corridor. Cropland sediments had the highest P concentrations; basins with the highest cropland-sediment contributions also had the highest P concentrations. Along stream reaches with retired land, there was a lower proportion of cropland material in suspended sediment relative to sites that had almost no land retirement, indicating less movement of nutrients and sediment from cropland to the channel as a result of land retirement. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Differentiating atmospheric and mineral sources of sulfur during snowmelt using δ 34S, 35S activity, and δ 18O of sulfate and water as tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanley, J. B.; Mayer, B.; Mitchell, M. J.; Michel, R. L.; Bailey, S.; Kendall, C.

2003-12-01

The biogeochemical cycling of sulfur was studied during the 2000 snowmelt at Sleepers River Research Watershed in northeastern Vermont, USA using a combination of isotopic, chemical, and hydrometric measurements. The snowpack and 10 streams of varying size and land use were sampled for sulfate concentrations and isotopic analyses of 35S, δ 34S, and δ 18O of sulfate. Values of δ 18O of water were measured at one of the streams. Apportionment of atmospheric and mineral S sources based on δ 34S was possible at 7 of the 10 streams. Weathering of S-containing minerals was a major contributor to sulfate flux in streamwater, but atmospheric contributions exceeded 50% in several of the streams at peak snowmelt and averaged 41% overall. In contrast, δ 18Osulfate values of streamwater remained significantly lower than those of atmospheric sulfate throughout the melt period, indicating that atmospheric sulfate undergoes microbial redox reactions in the soil that replace the oxygen of atmospheric sulfate with isotopically lighter oxygen from soil water. Streamwater 35S activities were low relative to those of the snowpack; the youngest 35S-ages of the atmospheric S component in each of the 7 streams ranged from 184 to 320 days. Atmospheric S contributions to streamwater, as determined by δ 34S values, co-varied both with 35S activity and new water contributions as determined by δ 18Owater. However, the δ 18Osulfate and 35S ages clearly show that this new water carries very little of the atmospheric sulfate entering with the current snowmelt to the stream. Most incoming atmospheric sulfate first cycles through the organic soil S pool and ultimately reaches the stream as pedogenic sulfate.

THE NEXT GENERATION VIRGO CLUSTER SURVEY. XIX. TOMOGRAPHY OF MILKY WAY SUBSTRUCTURES IN THE NGVS FOOTPRINT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lokhorst, Deborah; Starkenburg, Else; Navarro, Julio F.

2016-03-10

The Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey (NGVS) is a deep u*giz survey targeting the Virgo Cluster of galaxies at 16.5 Mpc. This survey provides high-quality photometry over an ∼100 deg{sup 2} region straddling the constellations of Virgo and Coma Berenices. This sightline through the Milky Way is noteworthy in that it intersects two of the most prominent substructures in the Galactic halo: the Virgo overdensity (VOD) and Sagittarius stellar stream (close to its bifurcation point). In this paper, we use deep u*gi imaging from the NGVS to perform tomography of the VOD and Sagittarius stream using main-sequence turnoff (MSTO) starsmore » as a halo tracer population. The VOD, whose centroid is known to lie at somewhat lower declinations (α ∼ 190°, δ ∼ −5°) than is covered by the NGVS, is nevertheless clearly detected in the NGVS footprint at distances between ∼8 and 25 kpc. By contrast, the Sagittarius stream is found to slice directly across the NGVS field at distances between 25 and 40 kpc, with a density maximum at ≃35 kpc. No evidence is found for new substructures beyond the Sagittarius stream, at least out to a distance of ∼90 kpc—the largest distance to which we can reliably trace the halo using MSTO stars. We find clear evidence for a distance gradient in the Sagittarius stream across the ∼30° of sky covered by the NGVS and its flanking fields. We compare our distance measurements along the stream with those predicted by leading stream models.« less

Stream sediment sources in midwest agricultural basins with land retirement along channel

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williamson, Tanja N.; Christensen, Victoria G.; Richardson, William B.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Gellis, Allen C.; Kieta, K. A.; Fitzpatrick, Faith A.

2014-01-01

Documenting the effects of agricultural land retirement on stream-sediment sources is critical to identifying management practices that improve water quality and aquatic habitat. Particularly difficult to quantify are the effects from conservation easements that commonly are discontinuous along channelized streams and ditches throughout the agricultural midwestern United States. Our hypotheses were that sediment from cropland, retired land, stream banks, and roads would be discernible using isotopic and elemental concentrations and that source contributions would vary with land retirement distribution along tributaries of West Fork Beaver Creek in Minnesota. Channel-bed and suspended sediment were sampled at nine locations and compared with local source samples by using linear discriminant analysis and a four-source mixing model that evaluated seven tracers: In, P, total C, Be, Tl, Th, and Ti. The proportion of sediment sources differed significantly between suspended and channel-bed sediment. Retired land contributed to channel-bed sediment but was not discernible as a source of suspended sediment, suggesting that retired-land material was not mobilized during high-flow conditions. Stream banks were a large contributor to suspended sediment; however, the percentage of stream-bank sediment in the channel bed was lower in basins with more continuous retired land along the riparian corridor. Cropland sediments had the highest P concentrations; basins with the highest cropland-sediment contributions also had the highest P concentrations. Along stream reaches with retired land, there was a lower proportion of cropland material in suspended sediment relative to sites that had almost no land retirement, indicating less movement of nutrients and sediment from cropland to the channel as a result of land retirement.

Tracing suspended sediment sources in the Upper Sangamon River Basin using conservative and non-conservative tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, M.; Rhoads, B. L.; Stumpf, A.

2015-12-01

As the awareness of water pollution, eutrophication and other water related environmental concerns grows, the significance of sediment in the transport of nutrients and contaminants from agricultural areas to streams has received increasing attention. Both the physical and geochemical properties of suspended sediment are strongly controlled by sediment sources. Thus, tracing sources of suspended sediment in watersheds is important for the design of management practices to reduce sediment loads and contributions of sediment-adsorbed nutrients from agricultural areas to streams. However, the contributions of different sediment sources to suspended sediment loads within intensively managed watersheds in the Midwest still remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to assess the provenance of suspended sediment and the relation between channel morphology and production of suspended sediment in the Upper Sangamon River Basin, Illinois, USA. The 3,690-km2 Upper Sangamon River Basin is characterized by low-relief, agricultural lands dominated by row-crop agriculture. Sediment source samples were collected in the Saybrook from five potential sources: farmland, forests, floodplains, river banks, and grasslands. Event-based and accumulated suspended sediment samples were collected by ISCO automatic pump samplers and in situ suspended sediment samplers and from the stream at watershed outlet. A quantitative geochemical fingerprinting technique, combining statistically verified multicomponent signatures and an un-mixing model, was employed to estimate the relative contributions of sediment from five potential sources to the suspended sediment loads. Organic matter content, trace elements, and radionuclides from soil samples were used as potential tracers. Our preliminary results indicate that the majority of suspended sediment is derived from floodplains in the downstream portions of the watersheds, while only minor amounts of suspended sediment are derived from upland areas and banks. These results suggest that floodplain erosion during high flow events contributes to the suspended sediment.

Topographic Enhancement of Vertical Mixing in the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mashayek, A.; Ferrari, R. M.; Merrifield, S.; St Laurent, L.

2016-02-01

Diapycnal turbulent mixing in the Southern Ocean is believed to play a role in setting the rate of the ocean Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC), an important element of the global climate system. Whether this role is important, however, depends on the strength of this mixing, which remains poorly qualified on global scale. To address this question, a passive tracer was released upstream of the Drake Passage in 2009 as a part of the Diapycnal and Isopycnal Mixing Experiment in the Southern Ocean (DIMES). The mixing was then inferred from the vertical/diapycnal spreading of the tracer. The mixing was also calculated from microstructure measurements of shear and stratification. The diapycnal turbulent mixing inferred from the tracer was found to be an order of magnitude larger than that estimated with the microstructure probes at various locations along the path of the tracer. While the values inferred from tracer imply a key role played by mixing in setting the MOC, those based on localized measurements suggest otherwise. In this work we use a high resolution numerical ocean model of the Drake Passage region sampled in the DIMES experiment to explain that the difference between the two estimates arise from the large values of mixing encountered by the tracer, when it flows close to the bottom topography. We conclude that the large mixing close to the ocean bottom topography is sufficiently strong to play an important role in setting the Southern Ocean branch of the MOC below 2 km.

Using a Spectral Method to Evaluate Hyporheic Exchange and its Effect on Reach Scale Nitrate Removal.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moren, I.; Worman, A. L. E.; Riml, J.

2017-12-01

Previous studies have shown that hyporheic exchange processes can be of great importance for the transport, retention and mass removal of nutrients in streams. Specifically, the flow of surface water through the hyporheic zone enhances redox-sensitive reactions such as coupled nitrification-denitrification. This self-cleaning capacity of streams can be utilized in stream restoration projects aiming to improve water quality by reconstructing the geomorphology of the streams. To optimize the effect of restoration actions we need quantitative understanding of the linkage between stream geomorphology, hyporheic exchange processes and the desired water quality targets. Here we propose an analytical, spectral methodology to evaluate how different stream geomorphologies induce hyporheic exchange on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. Measurements of streambed topographies and surface water profiles from agricultural streams were used to calculate the average hyporheic exchange velocity and residence times and the result was compared with in-stream tracer test. Furthermore, the hyporheic exchange induced by steps in the surface water profile was derived as a comparison of the theoretical capacity of the system. Based on differences in hyporheic exchange, the mass removal of nitrate could be derived for the different geomorphologies. The maximum nitrate mass removal was found to be related to a specific Damkhöler number, which reflects that the mass removal can be either reaction or transport controlled. Therefore, although hyporheic exchange induced by steps in the surface water profile was generally larger than the hyporheic exchange in the observed natural reaches, this would not necessarily lead a larger nitrate mass removal provided that the hyporheic residence times are not long enough to facilitate denitrification processes. The study illustrates the importance to investigate a stream thoroughly before any remediation actions are implemented, specifically to evaluate if the mass removal is reaction or transport controlled.

Characterization of reactive tracers for C-wells field experiments 1: Electrostatic sorption mechanism, lithium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fuentes, H.R.; Polzer, W.L.; Essington, E.H.

1989-11-01

Lithium (Li{sup +}) was introduced as lithium bromide (LiBr), as a retarded tracer for experiments in the C-wells complex at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada. The objective was to evaluate the potential of lithium to sorb predominately by physical forces. lithium was selected as a candidate tracer on the basis of high solubility, good chemical and biological stability, and relatively low sorptivity; lack of bioaccumulation and exclusion as a priority pollutant in pertinent federal environmental regulations; good analytical detectability and low natural background concentrations; and a low cost Laboratory experiments were performed with suspensions of Prow Pass cuttings frommore » drill hole UE-25p{number_sign}1 at depths between 549 and 594 m in J-13 water at a pH of approximately 8 and in the temperature range of 25{degree}C to 45{degree}C. Batch equilibrium and kinetics experiments were performed; estimated thermodynamic constants, relative behavior between adsorption and desorption, and potentiometric studies provided information to infer the physical nature of lithium sorption.« less

Statistical atmospheric inversion of local gas emissions by coupling the tracer release technique and local-scale transport modelling: a test case with controlled methane emissions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ars, Sébastien; Broquet, Grégoire; Yver Kwok, Camille; Roustan, Yelva; Wu, Lin; Arzoumanian, Emmanuel; Bousquet, Philippe

2017-12-01

This study presents a new concept for estimating the pollutant emission rates of a site and its main facilities using a series of atmospheric measurements across the pollutant plumes. This concept combines the tracer release method, local-scale atmospheric transport modelling and a statistical atmospheric inversion approach. The conversion between the controlled emission and the measured atmospheric concentrations of the released tracer across the plume places valuable constraints on the atmospheric transport. This is used to optimise the configuration of the transport model parameters and the model uncertainty statistics in the inversion system. The emission rates of all sources are then inverted to optimise the match between the concentrations simulated with the transport model and the pollutants' measured atmospheric concentrations, accounting for the transport model uncertainty. In principle, by using atmospheric transport modelling, this concept does not strongly rely on the good colocation between the tracer and pollutant sources and can be used to monitor multiple sources within a single site, unlike the classical tracer release technique. The statistical inversion framework and the use of the tracer data for the configuration of the transport and inversion modelling systems should ensure that the transport modelling errors are correctly handled in the source estimation. The potential of this new concept is evaluated with a relatively simple practical implementation based on a Gaussian plume model and a series of inversions of controlled methane point sources using acetylene as a tracer gas. The experimental conditions are chosen so that they are suitable for the use of a Gaussian plume model to simulate the atmospheric transport. In these experiments, different configurations of methane and acetylene point source locations are tested to assess the efficiency of the method in comparison to the classic tracer release technique in coping with the distances between the different methane and acetylene sources. The results from these controlled experiments demonstrate that, when the targeted and tracer gases are not well collocated, this new approach provides a better estimate of the emission rates than the tracer release technique. As an example, the relative error between the estimated and actual emission rates is reduced from 32 % with the tracer release technique to 16 % with the combined approach in the case of a tracer located 60 m upwind of a single methane source. Further studies and more complex implementations with more advanced transport models and more advanced optimisations of their configuration will be required to generalise the applicability of the approach and strengthen its robustness.

Stream restoration and sewers impact sources and fluxes of water, carbon, and nutrients in urban watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennino, Michael J.; Kaushal, Sujay S.; Mayer, Paul M.; Utz, Ryan M.; Cooper, Curtis A.

2016-08-01

An improved understanding of sources and timing of water, carbon, and nutrient fluxes associated with urban infrastructure and stream restoration is critical for guiding effective watershed management globally. We investigated how sources, fluxes, and flowpaths of water, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) shift in response to differences in urban stream restoration and sewer infrastructure. We compared an urban restored stream with two urban degraded streams draining varying levels of urban development and one stream with upland stormwater management systems over a 3-year period. We found that there was significantly decreased peak discharge in response to precipitation events following stream restoration. Similarly, we found that the restored stream showed significantly lower (p < 0.05) monthly peak runoff (9.4 ± 1.0 mm day-1) compared with two urban degraded streams (ranging from 44.9 ± 4.5 to 55.4 ± 5.8 mm day-1) draining higher impervious surface cover, and the stream-draining stormwater management systems and less impervious surface cover in its watershed (13.2 ± 1.9 mm day-1). The restored stream exported most carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus at relatively lower streamflow than the two more urban catchments, which exported most carbon and nutrients at higher streamflow. Annual exports of total carbon (6.6 ± 0.5 kg ha-1 yr-1), total nitrogen (4.5 ± 0.3 kg ha-1 yr-1), and total phosphorus (161 ± 15 kg ha-1 yr-1) were significantly lower in the restored stream compared to both urban degraded streams (p < 0.05), but statistically similar to the stream draining stormwater management systems, for N exports. However, nitrate isotope data suggested that 55 ± 1 % of the nitrate in the urban restored stream was derived from leaky sanitary sewers (during baseflow), statistically similar to the urban degraded streams. These isotopic results as well as additional tracers, including fluoride (added to drinking water) and iodide (contained in dietary salt), suggested that groundwater contamination was a major source of urban nutrient fluxes, which has been less considered compared to upland sources. Overall, leaking sewer pipes are a problem globally and our results suggest that combining stream restoration with restoration of aging sewer pipes can be critical to more effectively minimizing urban nonpoint nutrient sources. The sources, fluxes, and flowpaths of groundwater should be prioritized in management efforts to improve stream restoration by locating hydrologic hot spots where stream restoration is most likely to succeed.

Urban Pollutant Transport and Infiltration into Buildings Using Perfluorocarbon Tracers.

PubMed

Matthews, James C; Bacak, Asan; Khan, M Anwar H; Wright, Matthew D; Priestley, Michael; Martin, Damien; Percival, Carl J; Shallcross, Dudley E

2017-02-21

People spend the majority of their time indoors and therefore the quality of indoor air is worthy of investigation; indoor air quality is affected by indoor sources of pollutants and from pollutants entering buildings from outdoors. In this study, unique perfluorocarbon tracers were released in five experiments at a 100 m and ~2 km distance from a large university building in Manchester, UK and tracer was also released inside the building to measure the amount of outdoor material penetrating into buildings and the flow of material within the building itself. Air samples of the tracer were taken in several rooms within the building, and a CO₂ tracer was used within the building to estimate air-exchange rates. Air-exchange rates were found to vary between 0.57 and 10.90 per hour. Indoor perfluorocarbon tracer concentrations were paired to outdoor tracer concentrations, and in-out ratios were found to vary between 0.01 and 3.6. The largest room with the lowest air-exchange rate exhibited elevated tracer concentrations for over 60 min after the release had finished, but generally had the lowest concentrations, the room with the highest ventilation rates had the highest concentration over 30 min, but the peak decayed more rapidly. Tracer concentrations indoors compared to outdoors imply that pollutants remain within buildings after they have cleared outside, which must be considered when evaluating human exposure to outdoor pollutants.

Urban Pollutant Transport and Infiltration into Buildings Using Perfluorocarbon Tracers

PubMed Central

Matthews, James C.; Bacak, Asan; Khan, M. Anwar H.; Wright, Matthew D.; Priestley, Michael; Martin, Damien; Percival, Carl J.; Shallcross, Dudley E.

2017-01-01

People spend the majority of their time indoors and therefore the quality of indoor air is worthy of investigation; indoor air quality is affected by indoor sources of pollutants and from pollutants entering buildings from outdoors. In this study, unique perfluorocarbon tracers were released in five experiments at a 100 m and ~2 km distance from a large university building in Manchester, UK and tracer was also released inside the building to measure the amount of outdoor material penetrating into buildings and the flow of material within the building itself. Air samples of the tracer were taken in several rooms within the building, and a CO2 tracer was used within the building to estimate air-exchange rates. Air-exchange rates were found to vary between 0.57 and 10.90 per hour. Indoor perfluorocarbon tracer concentrations were paired to outdoor tracer concentrations, and in-out ratios were found to vary between 0.01 and 3.6. The largest room with the lowest air-exchange rate exhibited elevated tracer concentrations for over 60 min after the release had finished, but generally had the lowest concentrations, the room with the highest ventilation rates had the highest concentration over 30 min, but the peak decayed more rapidly. Tracer concentrations indoors compared to outdoors imply that pollutants remain within buildings after they have cleared outside, which must be considered when evaluating human exposure to outdoor pollutants. PMID:28230812

Dispersion of Perfluorocarbon Tracers within the Salt Lake Valley during VTMX 2000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fast, Jerome D.; Allwine, K. Jerry; Dietz, Russell N.; Clawson, Kirk L.; Torcolini, Joel C.

2006-06-01

Six perfluorocarbon tracer experiments were conducted in Salt Lake City, Utah, during October 2000 as part of the Vertical Transport and Mixing (VTMX) field campaign. Four tracers were released at different sites to obtain information on dispersion during stable conditions within down-valley flow, canyon outflow, and interacting circulations in the downtown area. Some of the extensive tracer data that were collected are presented in the context of the meteorological field campaign measurements. Tracer measurements at building-top sites in the downtown area and along the lower slopes of the Wasatch Front indicated that vertical mixing processes transported material up to at least 180 m above the valley floor, although model simulations suggest that tracers were transported upward to much higher elevations. Tracer data provided evidence of downward mixing of canyon outflow, upward mixing within down-valley flow, horizontal transport above the surface stable layer, and transport within horizontal eddies produced by the interaction of canyon and down-valley flows. Although point meteorological measurements are useful in evaluating the forecasts produced by mesoscale models, the tracer data provide valuable information on how the time-varying three-dimensional mean and turbulent motions over urban and valley spatial scales affect dispersion. Although the mean tracer transport predicted by the modeling system employed in this study was qualitatively similar to the measurements, improvements are needed in the treatment of turbulent vertical mixing.

Diapycnal diffusivity in the core and oxycline of the tropical North Atlantic oxygen minimum zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köllner, Manuela; Visbeck, Martin; Tanhua, Toste; Fischer, Tim

2016-08-01

Diapycnal diffusivity estimates from two Tracer Release Experiments (TREs) and microstructure measurements in the oxycline and core of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the Eastern Tropical North Atlantic (ETNA) are compared. For the first time, two TREs within the same area at different depths were realized: the Guinea Upwelling Tracer Release Experiment (GUTRE) initiated in 2008 in the oxycline at approximately 320 m depth, and the Oxygen Supply Tracer Release Experiment (OSTRE) initiated in 2012 in the core of the OMZ at approximately 410 m depth. The mean diapycnal diffusivity Dz was found to be insignificantly smaller in the OMZ core with (1.06 ± 0.24) × 10- 5 m2 s- 1 compared to (1.11 ± 0.22) × 10- 5 m2 s- 1 90 m shallower in the oxycline. Unexpectedly, GUTRE tracer was detected during two of the OSTRE surveys which showed that the estimated diapycnal diffusivity from GUTRE over a time period of seven years was within the uncertainty of the previous estimates over a time period of three years. The results are consistent with the Dz estimates from microstructure measurements and demonstrate that Dz does not vary significantly vertically in the OMZ within the depth range of 200-600 m and does not change with time. The presence of a seamount chain in the vicinity of the GUTRE injection region did not cause enhanced Dz compared to the smoother bottom topography of the OSTRE injection region, although the analysis of vertical shear spectra from ship ADCP data showed elevated internal wave energy level in the seamount vicinity. However, the two tracer patches covered increasingly overlapping areas with time and thus spatially integrated increasingly similar fields of local diffusivity, as well as the difference in local stratification counteracted the influence of roughness on Dz. For both experiments no significant vertical displacements of the tracer were observed, thus diapycnal upwelling within the ETNA OMZ is below the uncertainty level of 5 m yr- 1.

Normalized sensitivities and parameter identifiability of in situ diffusion experiments on Callovo Oxfordian clay at Bure site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samper, J.; Dewonck, S.; Zheng, L.; Yang, Q.; Naves, A.

Diffusion of inert and reactive tracers (DIR) is an experimental program performed by ANDRA at Bure underground research laboratory in Meuse/Haute Marne (France) to characterize diffusion and retention of radionuclides in Callovo-Oxfordian (C-Ox) argillite. In situ diffusion experiments were performed in vertical boreholes to determine diffusion and retention parameters of selected radionuclides. C-Ox clay exhibits a mild diffusion anisotropy due to stratification. Interpretation of in situ diffusion experiments is complicated by several non-ideal effects caused by the presence of a sintered filter, a gap between the filter and borehole wall and an excavation disturbed zone (EdZ). The relevance of such non-ideal effects and their impact on estimated clay parameters have been evaluated with numerical sensitivity analyses and synthetic experiments having similar parameters and geometric characteristics as real DIR experiments. Normalized dimensionless sensitivities of tracer concentrations at the test interval have been computed numerically. Tracer concentrations are found to be sensitive to all key parameters. Sensitivities are tracer dependent and vary with time. These sensitivities are useful to identify which are the parameters that can be estimated with less uncertainty and find the times at which tracer concentrations begin to be sensitive to each parameter. Synthetic experiments generated with prescribed known parameters have been interpreted automatically with INVERSE-CORE 2D and used to evaluate the relevance of non-ideal effects and ascertain parameter identifiability in the presence of random measurement errors. Identifiability analysis of synthetic experiments reveals that data noise makes difficult the estimation of clay parameters. Parameters of clay and EdZ cannot be estimated simultaneously from noisy data. Models without an EdZ fail to reproduce synthetic data. Proper interpretation of in situ diffusion experiments requires accounting for filter, gap and EdZ. Estimates of the effective diffusion coefficient and the porosity of clay are highly correlated, indicating that these parameters cannot be estimated simultaneously. Accurate estimation of De and porosities of clay and EdZ is only possible when the standard deviation of random noise is less than 0.01. Small errors in the volume of the circulation system do not affect clay parameter estimates. Normalized sensitivities as well as the identifiability analysis of synthetic experiments provide additional insight on inverse estimation of in situ diffusion experiments and will be of great benefit for the interpretation of real DIR in situ diffusion experiments.

Stable-isotope and solute-chemistry approaches to flow characterization in a forested tropical watershed, Luquillo Mountains, Puerto Rico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scholl, Martha A.; Shanley, James B.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Willenbring, Jane K; Occhi, Marcie; González, Grizelle

2015-01-01

The prospect of changing climate has led to uncertainty about the resilience of forested mountain watersheds in the tropics. In watersheds where frequent, high rainfall provides ample runoff, we often lack understanding of how the system will respond under conditions of decreased rainfall or drought. Factors that govern water supply, such as recharge rates and groundwater storage capacity, may be poorly quantified. This paper describes 8-year data sets of water stable isotope composition (δ2H and δ18O) of precipitation (4 sites) and a stream (1 site), and four contemporaneous stream sample sets of solute chemistry and isotopes, used to investigate watershed response to precipitation inputs in the 1780-ha Río Mameyes basin in the Luquillo Mountains of northeastern Puerto Rico. Extreme δ2H and δ18O values from low-pressure storm systems and the deuterium excess (d-excess) were useful tracers of watershed response in this tropical system. A hydrograph separation experiment performed in June 2011 yielded different but complementary information from stable isotope and solute chemistry data. The hydrograph separation results indicated that 36% of the storm rain that reached the soil surface left the watershed in a very short time as runoff. Weathering-derived solutes indicated near-stream groundwater was displaced into the stream at the beginning of the event, followed by significant dilution. The more biologically active solutes exhibited a net flushing behavior. The d-excess analysis suggested that streamflow typically has a recent rainfall component (∼25%) with transit time less than the sampling resolution of 7 days, and a more well-mixed groundwater component (∼75%). The contemporaneous stream sample sets showed an overall increase in dissolved solute concentrations with decreasing elevation that may be related to groundwater inputs, different geology, and slope position. A considerable amount of water from rain events runs off as quickflow and bypasses subsurface watershed flowpaths, and better understanding of shallow hillslope and deeper groundwater processes in the watershed will require sub-weekly data and detailed transit time modeling. A combined isotopic and solute chemistry approach can guide further studies to a more comprehensive model of the hydrology, and inform decisions for managing water supply with future changes in climate and land use.

Tracer concentration profiles measured in central London as part of the REPARTEE campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, D.; Petersson, K. F.; White, I. R.; Henshaw, S. J.; Nickless, G.; Lovelock, A.; Barlow, J. F.; Dunbar, T.; Wood, C. R.; Shallcross, D. E.

2009-11-01

There have been relatively few tracer experiments carried out that have looked at vertical plume spread in urban areas. In this paper we present results from cyclic perfluorocarbon tracer experiments carried out in 2006 and 2007 in central London centred on the BT Tower as part of the REPARTEE (Regent's Park and Tower Environmental Experiment) campaign. The height of the tower gives a unique opportunity to study dispersion over a large vertical gradient. These gradients are then compared with classical Gaussian profiles of the relevant stability classes over a range of distances as well as interpretation of data with reference to both anemometry and LIDAR measurements made. Data are then compared with an operational model and contrasted with data taken in central London as part of the DAPPLE campaign looking at dosage compared with non-dimensionalised distance from source. Such analysis illustrates the feasibility of the use of these empirical correlations over these prescribed distances in central London.

Soil matrix tracer contamination and canopy recycling did not impair ¹³CO₂ plant-soil pulse labelling experiments.

PubMed

Barthel, Matthias; Sturm, Patrick; Knohl, Alexander

2011-09-01

When conducting (13)CO(2) plant-soil pulse labelling experiments, tracer material might cause unwanted side effects which potentially affect δ(13)C measurements of soil respiration (δ(13)C(SR)) and the subsequent data interpretation. First, when the soil matrix is not isolated from the atmosphere, contamination of the soil matrix with tracer material occurs leading to a physical back-diffusion from soil pores. Second, when using canopy chambers continuously, (13)CO(2) is permanently re-introduced into the atmosphere due to leaf respiration which then aids re-assimilation of tracer material by the canopy. Accordingly, two climate chamber experiments on European beech saplings (Fagus sylvatica L.) were conducted to evaluate the influence of soil matrix (13)CO(2) contamination and canopy recycling on soil (13)CO(2) efflux during (13)CO(2) plant-soil pulse labelling experiments. For this purpose, a combined soil/canopy chamber system was developed which separates soil and canopy compartments in order to (a) prevent diffusion of (13)C tracer into the soil chamber during a (13)CO(2) canopy pulse labelling and (b) study stable isotope processes in soil and canopy individually and independently. In combination with laser spectrometry measuring CO(2) isotopologue mixing ratios at a rate of 1 Hz, we were able to measure δ(13)C in canopy and soil at very high temporal resolution. For the soil matrix contamination experiment, (13)CO(2) was applied to bare soil, canopy only or, simultaneously, to soil and canopy of the beech trees. The obtained δ(13)C(SR) fluxes from the different treatments were then compared with respect to label re-appearance, first peak time and magnitude. By determining the δ(13)C(SR) decay of physical (13)CO(2) back-diffusion from bare soils (contamination), it was possible to separate biological and physical components in δ(13)C(SR) of a combined flux of both. A second pulse labelling experiment, with chambers permanently enclosing the canopy, revealed that (13)CO(2) recycling at canopy level had no effect on δ(13)C(SR) dynamics.

Peak and Tail Scaling of Breakthrough Curves in Hydrologic Tracer Tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aquino, T.; Aubeneau, A. F.; Bolster, D.

2014-12-01

Power law tails, a marked signature of anomalous transport, have been observed in solute breakthrough curves time and time again in a variety of hydrologic settings, including in streams. However, due to the low concentrations at which they occur they are notoriously difficult to measure with confidence. This leads us to ask if there are other associated signatures of anomalous transport that can be sought. We develop a general stochastic transport framework and derive an asymptotic relation between the tail scaling of a breakthrough curve for a conservative tracer at a fixed downstream position and the scaling of the peak concentration of breakthrough curves as a function of downstream position, demonstrating that they provide equivalent information. We then quantify the relevant spatiotemporal scales for the emergence of this asymptotic regime, where the relationship holds, in the context of a very simple model that represents transport in an idealized river. We validate our results using random walk simulations. The potential experimental benefits and limitations of these findings are discussed.

Topographic enhancement of vertical turbulent mixing in the Southern Ocean

PubMed Central

Mashayek, A.; Ferrari, R.; Merrifield, S.; Ledwell, J. R.; St Laurent, L.; Garabato, A. Naveira

2017-01-01

It is an open question whether turbulent mixing across density surfaces is sufficiently large to play a dominant role in closing the deep branch of the ocean meridional overturning circulation. The diapycnal and isopycnal mixing experiment in the Southern Ocean found the turbulent diffusivity inferred from the vertical spreading of a tracer to be an order of magnitude larger than that inferred from the microstructure profiles at the mean tracer depth of 1,500 m in the Drake Passage. Using a high-resolution ocean model, it is shown that the fast vertical spreading of tracer occurs when it comes in contact with mixing hotspots over rough topography. The sparsity of such hotspots is made up for by enhanced tracer residence time in their vicinity due to diffusion toward weak bottom flows. The increased tracer residence time may explain the large vertical fluxes of heat and salt required to close the abyssal circulation. PMID:28262808

Getting Things Sorted With Lagrangian Coherent Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Atis, Severine; Peacock, Thomas; Environmental Dynamics Laboratory Team

2014-11-01

The dispersion of a tracer in a fluid flow is influenced by the Lagrangian motion of fluid elements. Even in laminar regimes, the irregular chaotic behavior of a fluid flow can lead to effective stirring that rapidly redistributes a tracer throughout the domain. For flows with arbitrary time-dependence, the modern approach of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) provide a method for identifying the key material lines that organize flow transport. When the advected tracer particles possess a finite size and nontrivial shape, however, their dynamics can differ markedly from passive tracers, thus affecting the dispersion phenomena. We present details of numerical simulations and laboratory experiments that investigate the behavior of finite size particles in 2-dimensional chaotic flows. We show that the shape and the size of the particles alter the underlying LCSs, facilitating segregation between tracers of different shape in the same flow field.

Multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis of intensity time series of photons scattered by tracer particles within a polymeric gel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telesca, Luciano; Haro-Pérez, Catalina; Moreno-Torres, L. Rebeca; Ramirez-Rojas, Alejandro

2018-01-01

Some properties of spatial confinement of tracer colloidal particles within polyacrylamide dispersions are studied by means of the well-known dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. DLS allows obtaining sequences of elapsed times of scattered photons. In this work, the aqueous polyacrylamide dispersion has no crosslinking and the volume fraction occupied by the tracer particles is 0.02 %. Our experimental setup provides two sequences of photons scattered by the same scattering volume that corresponds to two simultaneous experiments (Channel A and Channel B). By integration of these sequences, the intensity time series are obtained. We find that both channels are antipersistent with Hurst exponent, H ∼0.43 and 0.36, respectively. The antipersistence of the intensity time series indicates a subdiffusive dynamics of the tracers in the polymeric network, which is in agreement with the time dependence of the tracer's mean square displacement.

Sample stream distortion modeled in continuous-flow electrophoresis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhodes, P. H.

1979-01-01

Buoyancy-induced disturbances in an electrophoresis-type chamber were investigated. Five tracer streams (latex) were used to visualize the flows while a nine-thermistor array sensed the temperature field. The internal heating to the chamber was provided by a 400 Hz electrical field. Cooling to the chamber was provided on the front and back faces and, in addition, on both chamber side walls. Disturbances to the symmetric base flow in the chamber occurred in the broad plane of the chamber and resulted from the formation of lateral and axial temperature gradients. The effect of these gradients was to retard or increase local flow velocities at different positions in the chamber cross section, which resulted in lateral secondary flows being induced in the broad plane of the chamber. As the adverse temperature gradients increased in magnitude, the critical Rayleigh number was approached and reverse (separated) flow became apparent, which, subsequently, led to the onset of time variant secondary flows.

GREEN RIVER AIR QUALITY MODEL DEVELOPMENT: METEOROGICAL AND TRACER DATA-FIELD STUDY IN BRUSH VALLEY, COLORADO, JULY-AUGUST, 1982

EPA Science Inventory

Special meteorological and atmospheric tracer studies were conducted during a three-week period in July and August of 1982 in the Brush Creek Valley of northwestern Colorado. The experiments were conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) as p...

Wind tunnel measurements of pollutant turbulent fluxes in urban intersections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpentieri, Matteo; Hayden, Paul; Robins, Alan G.

2012-01-01

Wind tunnel experiments have been carried out at the EnFlo laboratory to measure mean and turbulent tracer fluxes in geometries of real street canyon intersections. The work was part of the major DAPPLE project, focussing on the area surrounding the intersection between Marylebone Road and Gloucester Place in Central London, UK. Understanding flow and dispersion in urban streets is a very important issue for air quality management and planning, and turbulent mass exchange processes are important phenomena that are very often neglected in urban modelling studies. The adopted methodology involved the combined use of laser Doppler anemometry and tracer concentration measurements. This methodology was applied to quantify the mean and turbulent flow and dispersion fields within several street canyon intersections. Vertical profiles of turbulent tracer flux were also measured. The technique, despite a number of limitations, proved reliable and allowed tracer balance calculations to be undertaken in the selected street canyon intersections. The experience gained in this work will enable much more precise studies in the future as issues affecting the accuracy of the experimental technique have been identified and resolved.

Dynamics of tropical oxygen minium zones (OMZ): The role of vertical mixing and eddy stirring in ventilating the OMZ in the tropical Atlantic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Visbeck, M.; Banyte, D.; Brandt, P.; Dengler, M.; Fischer, T.; Karstensen, J.; Krahmann, G.; Tanhua, T. S.; Stramma, L.

2013-12-01

Equatorial Dynamics provide an essential influence on the ventilation pathways of well oxygenated surface water on their route to tropical oxygen minimum zones (OMZ). The large scale wind driven circulation shield OMZs from the direct ventilation pathways. They are located in the so called ';shadow zones' equator ward of the subtropical gyres. From what is known most of the oxygen is supplied via pathways from the western boundary modulated by the complex zonal equatorial current system and marginally by vertical mixing. What was less clear is which of the possible pathways are most effective in transporting dissolved oxygen towards the OMZ. A collaborative research program focused on the dynamics of oxygen minimum zones, called SFB754 "Climate - Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean", allowed us to conduct two ocean tracer release experiments to investigate the vertical and horizontal mixing rates and associated oxygen transports. Specifically we report on the first deliberate tracer release experiment (GUTRE, Guinea Upwelling Tracer Release Experiment) in the tropical northeast Atlantic carried out in order to determine the diapycnal diffusivity coefficient in the upper layer of the OMZ. A tracer (CF3SF5) was injected in spring of 2008 and subsequently measured during three designated tracer survey cruises until the end of 2010. We found that, generally, the diffusivity is larger than expected for low latitudes and similar in magnitude to what has previously been experimentally determined in the Canary Basin. When combining the tracer study with estimates of diapycnal mixing based on microstructure profiling and a newly developed method using ship board ADCPs we were able to compute the vertical oxygen flux and its divergence for the OMZ. To our surprise, the vertical flux of oxygen by diapycnal mixing provides about 30% of the total ventilation. The estimate was derived from the simple advection-diffusion model taking into account moored and ship based velocity observations of the equatorial current systems along 23°W in the tropical Atlantic. However, the advective pathways are less certain and possibly more variable. Firstly, the strength of lateral eddy stirring and the role in oxygen transport is less well known, and is the focus of the ongoing second tracer release experiment (OSTRE, Oxygen Supply Tracer Release Experiment). Secondly, the analysis of historical data from the equatorial regime suggests that the observed decline in dissolved oxygen in the tropical North Atlantic might in part be a consequence of reduced horizontal ventilation by equatorial intermediate current systems. The uncertainty of the long-term variability of the circulation in the equatorial systems and additional uncertainty in the biogeochemical consumption rates provide a challenge for estimates of the future of the OMZ regimes. Model prediction of future oxygen changes depend on the models ability to reproduce the observed oxygen ventilation pathways and processes, which might limit the prediction's accuracy.

The Numerical Simulation of a Tracer-Release Field Project to Study Motion within the Nocturnal Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werth, D. W.; Leclerc, M. Y.; Buckley, R.; Parker, M.; Kurzeja, R.; Duarte, H. F.; Zhang, G.; Durden, D.

2009-12-01

The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), the University of Georgia (UGA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducted a regional tracer experiment to study the nocturnal behavior of CO2 in the vicinity of an instrumented tall tower during two nights on May 11th and 12th, 2009. The experiment consisted of a release of five perfluorocarbon tracer (PFTs) compounds in twelve unique locations in Aiken County, South Carolina. Intensive meteorological measurements including in-situ turbulence were made in conjunction with the release and sampling of the PFTs. A 300m tower was also used to collect data from higher levels, allowing us to determine the extent to which the tracer was mixed vertically. Lagrangian plume simulations performed during the experiment demonstrated transport over distances of >8 km, and correlated well with in situ sampling. The area was characterized by heavy vegetation cover, and carbon dioxide concentrations were also monitored in an effort to determine how respiration and advection affect CO2 levels in the stable layer. Tracer release locations were carefully selected via a fine-scale mesoscale modeling study of similar nights. The purpose of these experiments was to provide data that will be used to increase the understanding of the terrestrial carbon budget, especially with respect to nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) phenomena such as low level jets and breaking gravity waves. Using these data, a simulation of the motion of the tracer within the boundary layer was developed using the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) mesoscale model coupled to a tracer model. The RAMS model was also coupled to the Simple Biosphere (SiB) vegetation model, which allowed for the simulation of the release of carbon dioxide into the NBL. The simulation results are used to validate the NBL hypothesis of CO2 monitoring, by which the release of CO2 can be correlated with the accumulation of CO2 in the boundary layer beneath a stable ‘lid’, which impedes vertical mixing. This is done with both the tracer, in which the release rate is known and no advection occurs, and for CO2, in which the release rate is not known and for which advection of CO2 must be accounted. The high resolution of the simulation allows us to resolve the small-scale motions within the NBL, which are important to nocturnal transport. Flux data from the tall tower were studied to learn more about the eddy transport, and also to detect the occurrence of transport ‘events’ in which the CO2 and H2O values experience a sudden increase. A wavelet analysis is also applied, and reveals the existence of eddy activity dominated by eddies of diameter 90-240m.

Further development and testing of the metabolic gas analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Continued development of a metabolic monitor utilizing a mass spectrometer and digital computer to perform measurements and data reduction, is reported. The device prints-out breath-by-breath values for 02 consumption, C02 production, minute volume and tidal volume. The flow is measured by introduction of a tracer gas to the expired gas stream. Design modifications to reduce pressure drop in the flow splitter to one inch of water at 600 liters/min flow and to extend the range of linear flow measurement to 1000 liters/min are discussed.

The role of water exchange between a stream channel and its hyporheic zone in nitrogen cycling at the terrestrial-aquatic interface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Triska, F.J.; Duff, J.H.; Avanzino, R.J.

1993-01-01

The subsurface riparian zone was examined as an ecotone with two interfaces. Inland is a terrestrial boundary, where transport of water and dissolved solutes is toward the channel and controlled by watershed hydrology. Streamside is an aquatic boundary, where exchange of surface water and dissolved solutes is bi-directional and flux is strongly influenced by channel hydraulics. Streamside, bi-directional exchange of water was qualitatively defined using biologically conservative tracers in a third order stream. In several experiments, penetration of surface water extended 18 m inland. Travel time of water from the channel to bankside sediments was highly variable. Subsurface chemical gradients were indirectly related to the travel time. Sites with long travel times tended to be low in nitrate and DO (dissolved oxygen) but high in ammonium and DOC (dissolved organic carbon). Sites with short travel times tended to be high in nitrate and DO but low in ammonium and DOC. Ammonium concentration of interstitial water also was influenced by sorption-desorption processes that involved clay minerals in hyporheic sediments. Denitrification potential in subsurface sediments increased with distance from the channel, and was limited by nitrate at inland sites and by DO in the channel sediments. Conversely, nitrification potential decreased with distance from the channel, and was limited by DO at inland sites and by ammonium at channel locations. Advection of water and dissolved oxygen away from the channel resulted in an oxidized subsurface habitat equivalent to that previously defined as the hyporheic zone. The hyporheic zone is viewed as stream habitat because of its high proportion of surface water and the occurrence of channel organisms. Beyond the channel's hydrologic exchange zone, interstitial water is often chemically reduced. Interstitial water that has not previously entered the channel, groundwater, is viewed as a terrestrial component of the riparian ecotone. Thus, surface water habitats may extend under riparian vegetation, and terrestrial groundwater habitats may be found beneath the stream channel. ?? 1993 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

The burial of headwater streams in drainage pipes reduces in-stream nitrate retention: results from two US metropolitan areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaulieu, J. J.; Mayer, P. M.; Kaushal, S.; Pennino, M. J.; Arango, C. P.; Balz, D. A.; Fritz, K. M.; Golden, H. E.; Knightes, C. D.

2012-12-01

Nitrogen (N) retention in stream networks is an important ecosystem service that may be affected by the widespread burial of headwater streams in urban watersheds. Stream burial occurs when segments of a channel are encased in drainage pipe and buried beneath the land surface to facilitate above ground development or stormwater runoff. We predicted that burial suppresses the capacity of streams to retain and transform nitrate, the dominate form of bioavailable N in urban streams, by eliminating primary production, reducing respiration rates, and decreasing water residence time. We tested these predictions by measuring whole-stream nitrate (NO3-) removal rates using 15NO3- isotope tracer releases in reaches that were buried and open to the sunlight in three streams in Cincinnati, Ohio and three streams in Baltimore, Maryland during four seasons. Nitrate uptake lengths in buried reaches (range: 560 - 43,650 m) were 2-98 times greater than open reaches exposed to daylight (range: 85 - 7195 m), indicating that buried reaches were substantially less effective at retaining NO3- than open reaches. Nitrate retention in buried reaches was suppressed by a combination of hydrological and biological processes. High water velocities in buried reaches (buried= 5.8 m/s, open=1.48 m/s) rapidly exported NO3- from the channel, reducing the potential for in-stream NO3- retention. Uptake lengths in the buried reaches were lengthened further by low in-stream biological NO3- demand, as indicated by NO3- uptake velocities 16-fold lower than that of the open reaches. Similarly, buried reaches had lower ecosystem respiration rates than open reaches (buried=1.5g O2/m2/hr, open=4.5g O2/m2/hr), likely due to lower organic matter standing stocks (buried=12 gAFMD/m2, open=48 gAFDM/m2). Biological activity in the buried reaches was further suppressed by the absence of light which precluded photosynthetic activity and the associated assimilative N demand. Overall, our results demonstrate that the combined effects of elevated water velocity and reduced biological activity as a result of stream burial inhibits NO3- retention, exacerbating the export of excess N to downstream water bodies. Future work will scale these results to a river network to assess the cumulative effect of stream burial on watershed NO3- export.

Revealing the Ionization Properties of the Magellanic Stream Using Optical Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barger, K. A.; Madsen, G. J.; Fox, A. J.; Wakker, B. P.; Bland-Hawthorn, J.; Nidever, D.; Haffner, L. M.; Antwi-Danso, Jacqueline; Hernandez, Michael; Lehner, N.; Hill, A. S.; Curzons, A.; Tepper-García, T.

2017-12-01

The Magellanic Stream, a gaseous tail that trails behind the Magellanic Clouds, could replenish the Milky Way (MW) with a tremendous amount of gas if it reaches the Galactic disk before it evaporates into the halo. To determine how the Magellanic Stream’s properties change along its length, we have conducted an observational study of the Hα emission, along with other optical warm ionized gas tracers, toward 39 sight lines. Using the Wisconsin Hα Mapper telescope, we detect Hα emission brighter than 30–50 mR in 26 of our 39 sight lines. This Hα emission extends over 2^\\circ away from the H I emission. By comparing {I}{{H}α } and {I}[{{O}{{I}}]}, we find that regions with {log}{N}{{H}{{I}}}/{{cm}}-2≈ 19.5{--}20.0 are 16%–67% ionized. Most of the {I}{{H}α } along the Magellanic Stream are much higher than expected if the primary ionization source is photoionization from Magellanic Clouds, the MW, and the extragalactic background. We find that the additional contribution from self ionization through a “shock cascade” that results as the Stream plows through the halo might be sufficient to reproduce the underlying level of Hα emission along the Stream. In the sparsely sampled region below the South Galactic Pole, there exists a subset of sight lines with uncharacteristically bright emission, which suggest that gas is being ionized further by an additional source that could be a linked to energetic processes associated with the Galactic center.

Hydrology of paraglacial catchments: preferential flow sustaining biodiversity hotspots in a changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grocott, M.; Kettridge, N.; Bradley, C.; Milner, A.

2015-12-01

Groundwater-fed streams are important biodiversity hotspots on paraglacial floodplains supporting a rich and abundant fauna. However, paraglacial systems in arctic, sub-arctic, and alpine regions are changing profoundly as a consequence of climate change. Glacial retreat, increasing permafrost melt, declining winter snowpacks, earlier spring melt, and shifting summer precipitation patterns are modifying the water balance in these areas and increasing environmental vulnerability. Here, we determine the hydrological functioning of groundwater-fed stream networks in Denali National Park, Alaska, demonstrating the importance of hillslope runoff through talus deposits and the significance of preferential flow pathways (PFPs) in supporting the stream networks. We used geochemical (major ions) and stable isotopic (δ2H & δ18O) tracers to identify key water sources, determine flow paths, and highlight spatial and temporal variations in the relative contributions of individual water sources and pathways to streamflow. Multiple flow paths are shown to support streams, with the relative contribution of water sources varying on both inter-annual and seasonal scales. Hydrograph separations confirm hillslope runoff as a key contributor of flow to groundwater fed stream networks. Further, they establish the importance of talus deposits on valley sides as conduits of flow, and their potential importance as headwater aquifers. The implications are that the effects of changing climates within paraglacial environments on hillslope runoff sources will have a greater impact on these biodiversity hotspots than up-valley glacial retreat and associated changes.

Quantifying solute transport processes: are chemically "conservative" tracers electrically conservative?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Singha, Kamini; Li, Li; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Regberg, Aaron B.

2012-01-01

The concept of a nonreactive or conservative tracer, commonly invoked in investigations of solute transport, requires additional study in the context of electrical geophysical monitoring. Tracers that are commonly considered conservative may undergo reactive processes, such as ion exchange, thus changing the aqueous composition of the system. As a result, the measured electrical conductivity may reflect not only solute transport but also reactive processes. We have evaluated the impacts of ion exchange reactions, rate-limited mass transfer, and surface conduction on quantifying tracer mass, mean arrival time, and temporal variance in laboratory-scale column experiments. Numerical examples showed that (1) ion exchange can lead to resistivity-estimated tracer mass, velocity, and dispersivity that may be inaccurate; (2) mass transfer leads to an overestimate in the mobile tracer mass and an underestimate in velocity when using electrical methods; and (3) surface conductance does not notably affect estimated moments when high-concentration tracers are used, although this phenomenon may be important at low concentrations or in sediments with high and/or spatially variable cation-exchange capacity. In all cases, colocated groundwater concentration measurements are of high importance for interpreting geophysical data with respect to the controlling transport processes of interest.

Portable device for generation of ultra-pure water vapor feeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velin, P.; Stenman, U.; Skoglundh, M.; Carlsson, P.-A.

2017-11-01

A portable device for the generation of co-feeds of water vapor has been designed, constructed, and evaluated for flexible use as an add-on component to laboratory chemical reactors. The vapor is formed by catalytic oxidation of hydrogen, which benefits the formation of well-controlled minute concentrations of ultra-pure water. Analysis of the effluent stream by on-line mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that water vapor can be, with high precision, generated both rapidly and steadily over extended periods in the range of 100 ppm to 3 vol. % (limited by safety considerations) using a total flow of 100 to 1500 ml/min at normal temperature and pressure. Further, the device has been used complementary to a commercial water evaporator and mixing system to span water concentrations up to 12 vol. %. Finally, an operando diffuse reflective infrared Fourier transform spectroscopic measurement of palladium catalysed methane oxidation in the absence and presence of up to 1.0 vol. % water has been carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the device for co-feeding well-controlled low concentrations of water vapor to a common type of spectroscopic experiment. The possibilities of creating isotopically labeled water vapor as well as using tracer gases for dynamic experiments are discussed.

Portable device for generation of ultra-pure water vapor feeds.

PubMed

Velin, P; Stenman, U; Skoglundh, M; Carlsson, P-A

2017-11-01

A portable device for the generation of co-feeds of water vapor has been designed, constructed, and evaluated for flexible use as an add-on component to laboratory chemical reactors. The vapor is formed by catalytic oxidation of hydrogen, which benefits the formation of well-controlled minute concentrations of ultra-pure water. Analysis of the effluent stream by on-line mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms that water vapor can be, with high precision, generated both rapidly and steadily over extended periods in the range of 100 ppm to 3 vol. % (limited by safety considerations) using a total flow of 100 to 1500 ml/min at normal temperature and pressure. Further, the device has been used complementary to a commercial water evaporator and mixing system to span water concentrations up to 12 vol. %. Finally, an operando diffuse reflective infrared Fourier transform spectroscopic measurement of palladium catalysed methane oxidation in the absence and presence of up to 1.0 vol. % water has been carried out to demonstrate the applicability of the device for co-feeding well-controlled low concentrations of water vapor to a common type of spectroscopic experiment. The possibilities of creating isotopically labeled water vapor as well as using tracer gases for dynamic experiments are discussed.

Littoral transport in the surf zone elucidated by an Eulerian sediment tracer.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duane, D.B.; James, W.R.

1980-01-01

An Eulerian, or time integration, sand tracer experiment was designed and carried out in the surf zone near Pt. Mugu, California on April 19, 1972. Data indicate that conditions of stationarity and finite boundaries required for proper application of Eulerian tracer theory exist for short time periods in the surf zone. Grain counts suggest time required for tracer sand to attain equilibrium concentration is on the order of 30-60 minutes. Grain counts also indicate transport (discharge) was strongly dependent upon grain size, with the maximum rate occurring in the size 2.5-2.75 phi, decreasing to both finer and coarser sizes. The measured instantaneous transport was at the annual rate of 2.4 x 106 m3/yr.- Authors

Preservation of commonly applied fluorescent tracers in complex water samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Viet; Schaffer, Mario; Jin, Yulan; Licha, Tobias

2017-06-01

Water sample preservation and pre-treatment are important steps for achieving accurate and reproductive results from tracer tests. However, this is particularly challenging for complex water mixtures prior to fluorescence analysis. In this study, the interference of iron and calcium precipitation with nine commonly applied conservative tracers, uranine, eosin, 1-naphthalene sulfonate, 1,5-naphthalene disulfonate, 2,6-naphthalene disulfonate, 4-amino-1-naphthalene sulfonate, 6-hydroxy-2-naphthalene sulfonate, 1,3,6-naphthalene trisulfonate, and 1,3,6,8-pyrene tetrasulfonate, was investigated in batch experiments. In general, the observed results are influenced by precipitates. A technique consisting of pH adjustment and centrifugation is described for preserving samples and avoiding the impact of these precipitates on the tracer test results.

Effect of gas type on foam film permeability and its implications for foam flow in porous media.

PubMed

Farajzadeh, R; Muruganathan, R M; Rossen, W R; Krastev, R

2011-10-14

The aim of this paper is to provide a perspective on the effect of gas type on the permeability of foam films stabilized by different types of surfactant and to present a critical overview of the tracer gas experiments, which is the common approach to determine the trapped fraction of foam in porous media. In these experiments some part of the gas is replaced by a "tracer gas" during the steady-state stage of the experiments and trapped fraction of foam is determined by fitting the effluent data to a capacitance mass-transfer model. We present the experimental results on the measurement of the gas permeability of foam films stabilized with five surfactants (non-ionic, anionic and cationic) and different salt concentrations. The salt concentrations assure formation of either common black (CBF) or Newton black films (NBF). The experiments are performed with different single gasses. The permeability of the CBF is in general higher than that of the NBF. This behavior is explained by the higher density of the surfactant molecules in the NBF compared to that of CBF. It is also observed that the permeability coefficient, K(cm/s), of CBF and NBF for non-ionic and cationic surfactants are similar and K is insensitive to film thickness. Compared to anionic surfactants, the films made by the non-ionic surfactant have much lower permeability while the films made by the cationic surfactant have larger permeability. This conclusion is valid for all gasses. For all types of surfactant the gas permeability of foam film is largely dependent on the dissolution of gas in the surfactant solution and increases with increasing gas solubility in the bulk liquid. The measured values of K are consistent with rapid diffusion of tracer gasses through trapped gas adjacent to flowing gas in porous media, and difficulties in interpreting the results of tracer-foam experiments with conventional capacitance models. The implications of the results for foam flow in porous media and factors leading to difficulties in the modeling of trapped fraction of foam are discussed in detail. To avoid complications in the interpretation of the results, the best tracer would be one with a permeability close to the permeability of the gas in the foam. This puts a lower limit on the effective diffusion coefficient for tracer in an experiment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tracer particles in two-dimensional elastic networks diffuse logarithmically slow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lizana, Ludvig; Ambjörnsson, Tobias; Lomholt, Michael A.

2017-01-01

Several experiments on tagged molecules or particles in living systems suggest that they move anomalously slow—their mean squared displacement (MSD) increase slower than linearly with time. Leading models aimed at understanding these experiments predict that the MSD grows as a power law with a growth exponent that is smaller than unity. However, in some experiments the growth is so slow (fitted exponent  ˜0.1-0.2) that they hint towards other mechanisms at play. In this paper, we theoretically demonstrate how in-plane collective modes excited by thermal fluctuations in a two dimensional membrane lead to logarithmic time dependence for the the tracer particle’s MSD.

Stream restoration and sanitary infrastructure alter sources and fluxes of water, carbon, and nutrients in urban watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennino, M. J.; Kaushal, S. S.; Mayer, P. M.; Utz, R. M.; Cooper, C. A.

2015-12-01

An improved understanding of sources and timing of water and nutrient fluxes associated with urban stream restoration is critical for guiding effective watershed management. We investigated how sources, fluxes, and flowpaths of water, carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) shift in response to differences in stream restoration and sanitary infrastructure. We compared a restored stream with 3 unrestored streams draining urban development and stormwater management over a 3 year period. We found that there was significantly decreased peak discharge in response to precipitation events following stream restoration. Similarly, we found that the restored stream showed significantly lower monthly peak runoff (9.4 ± 1.0 mm d-1) compared with two urban unrestored streams (ranging from 44.9 ± 4.5 to 55.4 ± 5.8 mm d-1) draining higher impervious surface cover. Peak runoff in the restored stream was more similar to a less developed stream draining extensive stormwater management (13.2 ± 1.9 mm d-1). Interestingly, the restored stream exported most carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus loads at relatively lower streamflow than the 2 more urban streams, which exported most of their loads at higher and less frequent streamflow. Annual exports of total carbon (6.6 ± 0.5 kg ha-1 yr-1), total nitrogen (4.5 ± 0.3 kg ha-1 yr-1), and total phosphorus (161 ± 15 g ha-1 yr-1) were significantly lower in the restored stream compared to both urban unrestored streams (p < 0.05) and similar to the stream draining stormwater management. Although stream restoration appeared to potentially influence hydrology to some degree, nitrate isotope data suggested that 55 ± 1 % of the nitrate in the restored stream was derived from leaky sanitary sewers (during baseflow), similar to the unrestored streams. Longitudinal synoptic surveys of water and nitrate isotopes along all 4 watersheds suggested the importance of urban groundwater contamination from leaky piped infrastructure. Urban groundwater contamination was also suggested by additional tracer measurements including fluoride (added to drinking water) and iodide (contained in dietary salt). Our results suggest that integrating stream restoration with restoration of aging sanitary infrastructure can be critical to more effectively minimize watershed nutrient export. Given that both stream restoration and sanitary pipe repairs both involve extensive channel manipulation, they can be considered simultaneously in management strategies. In addition, ground water can be a major source of nutrient fluxes in urban watersheds, which has been less considered compared with upland sources and storm drains. Goundwater sources, fluxes, and flowpath should also be targeted in efforts to improve stream restoration strategies and prioritize hydrologic "hot spots" along watersheds where stream restoration is most likely to succeed.

Carbon dioxide degassing at the groundwater-stream-atmosphere interface: isotopic equilibration and hydrological mass balance in a sandy watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deirmendjian, Loris; Abril, Gwenaël

2018-03-01

Streams and rivers emit significant amounts of CO2 and constitute a preferential pathway of carbon transport from terrestrial ecosystems to the atmosphere. However, the estimation of CO2 degassing based on the water-air CO2 gradient, gas transfer velocity and stream surface area is subject to large uncertainties. Furthermore, the stable isotope signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C-DIC) in streams is strongly impacted by gas exchange, which makes it a useful tracer of CO2 degassing under specific conditions. For this study, we characterized the annual transfers of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) along the groundwater-stream-river continuum based on DIC concentrations, stable isotope composition and measurements of stream discharges. We selected a homogeneous, forested and sandy lowland watershed as a study site, where the hydrology occurs almost exclusively through drainage of shallow groundwater (no surface runoff). We observed the first general spatial pattern of decreases in pCO2 and DIC and an increase in δ13C-DIC from groundwater to stream orders 1 and 2, which was due to the experimentally verified faster degassing of groundwater 12C-DIC compared to 13C-DIC. This downstream enrichment in 13C-DIC could be modelled by simply considering the isotopic equilibration of groundwater-derived DIC with the atmosphere during CO2 degassing. A second spatial pattern occurred between stream orders 2 and 4, consisting of an increase in the proportion of carbonate alkalinity to the DIC accompanied by the enrichment of 13C in the stream DIC, which was due to the occurrence of carbonate rock weathering downstream. We could separate the contribution of these two processes (gas exchange and carbonate weathering) in the stable isotope budget of the river network. Thereafter, we built a hydrological mass balance based on drainages and the relative contribution of groundwater in streams of increasing order. After combining with the dissolved CO2 concentrations, we quantified CO2 degassing for each stream order for the whole watershed. Approximately 75% of the total CO2 degassing from the watershed occurred in first- and second-order streams. Furthermore, from stream order 2-4, our CO2 degassing fluxes compared well with those based on stream hydraulic geometry, water pCO2, gas transfer velocity, and stream surface area. In first-order streams, however, our approach showed CO2 fluxes that were twice as large, suggesting that a fraction of degassing occurred as hotspots in the vicinity of groundwater resurgence and was missed by conventional stream sampling.

Interpretation of Tracer Experiments on Inverted Five-spot Well-patterns within the Western Half of the Farnsworth Unit Oil Field

DOE PAGES

White, Mark D.; Esser, R. P.; McPherson, B. P.; ...

2017-07-01

The Southwest Carbon Partnership (SWP), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships, is currently working to demonstrate the utilization and storage of CO 2 in the Farnsworth Unit (FWU) Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) site under the final development phase of this U.S. DOE initiative. A component of the research is to use fluid tracers to understand the multifluid flow patterns that develop between injection and production wells via collected field data and supporting numerical reservoir models. The FWU, located in the Anadarko Basin, Ochiltree County, Texas, and being operated by Chaparral Energy, ismore » a mature EOR water-flood field, which is currently being converted to a CO 2 flow, with inverted 5-spot patterns transitioning from pure water to alternating CO 2 and water floods (i.e., water alternating gas (WAG)) at an approximate rate of one every 6 to 10 months. The SWP tracer program is conducting a suite of tracer injections into the active 5-spot patterns at the FWU. Tracers have been selected to be nonreactive and either principally soluble in CO 2 (gas soluble) or water (aqueous soluble). In addition to characterizing the multifluid flow behaviour within reservoir, the gas and aqueous tracers have roles in detecting any leakage from the reservoir. A total of seven unique perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) compounds make up the suite of gas soluble tracers and eight unique naphthalene sulfonate tracer (NPT) compounds comprise the aqueous soluble tracers. Lastly, all selected tracers are significantly detectable below the parts per billion concentrations, allowing for high resolution for the inter-well tests at relatively low injection volumes.« less

Interpretation of Tracer Experiments on Inverted Five-spot Well-patterns within the Western Half of the Farnsworth Unit Oil Field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

White, Mark D.; Esser, R. P.; McPherson, B. P.

The Southwest Carbon Partnership (SWP), one of the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) seven Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnerships, is currently working to demonstrate the utilization and storage of CO 2 in the Farnsworth Unit (FWU) Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) site under the final development phase of this U.S. DOE initiative. A component of the research is to use fluid tracers to understand the multifluid flow patterns that develop between injection and production wells via collected field data and supporting numerical reservoir models. The FWU, located in the Anadarko Basin, Ochiltree County, Texas, and being operated by Chaparral Energy, ismore » a mature EOR water-flood field, which is currently being converted to a CO 2 flow, with inverted 5-spot patterns transitioning from pure water to alternating CO 2 and water floods (i.e., water alternating gas (WAG)) at an approximate rate of one every 6 to 10 months. The SWP tracer program is conducting a suite of tracer injections into the active 5-spot patterns at the FWU. Tracers have been selected to be nonreactive and either principally soluble in CO 2 (gas soluble) or water (aqueous soluble). In addition to characterizing the multifluid flow behaviour within reservoir, the gas and aqueous tracers have roles in detecting any leakage from the reservoir. A total of seven unique perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) compounds make up the suite of gas soluble tracers and eight unique naphthalene sulfonate tracer (NPT) compounds comprise the aqueous soluble tracers. Lastly, all selected tracers are significantly detectable below the parts per billion concentrations, allowing for high resolution for the inter-well tests at relatively low injection volumes.« less

A line source tracer test - a better method for assessing high groundwater velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magal, E.; Weisbrod, N.; Yakirevich, A.; Kurtzman, D.; Yechieli, Y.

2009-12-01

A line source injection is suggested as an effective method for assessing groundwater velocities and flow directions in subsurface characterized by high water fluxes. Modifying the common techniques of injecting a tracer into a well was necessary after frequently-used methods of natural and forced gradient tracer tests ended with no reliable information on the local groundwater flow. In a field experiment, tracers were injected into 8-m long line injection system constructed below the water table almost perpendicular to the assumed flow direction. The injection system was divided to four separate segments (each 2 m long) enabling the injection of four different tracers along the line source. An array of five boreholes located in an area of 10x10 m downstream was used for monitoring the tracers' transport. Two dye tracers (Uranine and Na Naphthionate) were injected in a long pulse of several hours into two of the injection pipe segments and two tracers (Rhenium oxide and Gd-DTPA) were instantaneously injected to the other two segments. The tracers were detected 0.7 to 2.3 hours after injection in four of the five observation wells, located 2.3 to 10 m from the injection system, respectively. Groundwater velocities were calculated directly from the tracers' arrival times and by fitting the observed breakthrough curves to simulations with one and two dimensions analytical solutions for conservative tracer transport. The groundwater velocity was determined to be ~100 m/d. The longitudinal dispersivity value, generated from fitting the tracer breakthrough curves, was in a range of 0.2-3m. The groundwater flow direction was derived based on the arrival of the tracers and was found to be consistent with the apparent direction of the hydraulic gradient. The hydraulic conductivity derived from the groundwater velocity was ~1200 m/d, which is in the upper range of gravel sediment.

Fractured-rock hydrogeophysics with electrically conductive and neutrally buoyant tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakas, A.; Linde, N.; Baron, L.; Le Borgne, T.; Bour, O.; Lavenant, N.; Gerard, M. F.

2016-12-01

Artificial tracer tests help to characterize and understand the dynamics of groundwater systems. This remains a challenging task, especially when dealing with highly heterogeneous formations in which flow can be very localized and the interpretation of tracer breakthrough curves may be ambiguous. As a complement to tracer tests, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography can map the space-time migration of electrically conductive tracers. In hydrogeophysics, the most common tracer is dissolved table salt in water. However, conventional salt tracers lead to density effects that are often ignored. Even less than 1% density variations can have a dramatic effect on transport behavior and affect tracer tests in complex ways. Such effects have been demonstrated in our previous experiments that used single-hole GPR to monitor saline push-pull tests in fractured granite. It is possible to model density effects, but this leads to computational complexity and field dynamics that are not necessarily representative of the natural responses of the system. To minimize density effects, we performed a new set of push-pull tests using a neutrally buoyant and electrically conductive tracer at the same test site located close to Ploemeur, France. This novel tracer consists of a mixture of salt (NaCl), water and pure ethanol. Ethanol has a density of 789 g/L at 20° C and is used to counter-act the salt-induced density increase. Our GPR time-lapse images and tracer breakthrough data indicate a largely reversible transport process that confirms the neutral buoyancy of the tracer. Ethanol is biodegradable and does not pose significant environmental issues. Furthermore, calibration of the neutral-buoyant mixture is straightforward to perform in the field using Archimedes principle. Based on these results, we argue that neutrally buoyant ethanol-salt-water mixtures are ideal for a wide variety of hydrogeophysical tracer tests in porous or fractured media.

Comparison of thermal, salt and dye tracing to estimate shallow flow velocities: Novel triple-tracer approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrantes, João R. C. B.; Moruzzi, Rodrigo B.; Silveira, Alexandre; de Lima, João L. M. P.

2018-02-01

The accurate measurement of shallow flow velocities is crucial to understand and model the dynamics of sediment and pollutant transport by overland flow. In this study, a novel triple-tracer approach was used to re-evaluate and compare the traditional and well established dye and salt tracer techniques with the more recent thermal tracer technique in estimating shallow flow velocities. For this purpose a triple tracer (i.e. dyed-salted-heated water) was used. Optical and infrared video cameras and an electrical conductivity sensor were used to detect the tracers in the flow. Leading edge and centroid velocities of the tracers were measured and the correction factors used to determine the actual mean flow velocities from tracer measured velocities were compared and investigated. Experiments were carried out for different flow discharges (32-1813 ml s-1) on smooth acrylic, sand, stones and synthetic grass bed surfaces with 0.8, 4.4 and 13.2% slopes. The results showed that thermal tracers can be used to estimate shallow flow velocities, since the three techniques yielded very similar results without significant differences between them. The main advantages of the thermal tracer were that the movement of the tracer along the measuring section was more easily visible than it was in the real image videos and that it was possible to measure space-averaged flow velocities instead of only one velocity value, with the salt tracer. The correction factors used to determine the actual mean velocity of overland flow varied directly with Reynolds and Froude numbers, flow velocity and slope and inversely with flow depth and bed roughness. In shallow flows, velocity estimation using tracers entails considerable uncertainty and caution must be taken with these measurements, especially in field studies where these variables vary appreciably in space and time.

Transmission losses, infiltration and groundwater recharge through ephemeral and intermittent streambeds: A review of applied methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanafield, Margaret; Cook, Peter G.

2014-04-01

Aquifer recharge through ephemeral streambeds is believed to be a major source of groundwater recharge in arid areas; however, comparatively few studies quantify this streamflow recharge. This review synthesizes the available field-based aquifer recharge literature from arid regions around the world. Seven methods for quantifying ephemeral and intermittent stream infiltration and aquifer recharge are reviewed; controlled infiltration experiments, monitoring changes in water content, heat as a tracer of infiltration, reach length water balances, floodwave front tracking, groundwater mounding, and groundwater dating. The pertinent temporal and spatial scales, as well as the advantages and limitations of each method are illustrated with examples from the literature. Comparisons between the methods are used to highlight appropriate uses of each field method, with emphasis on the advantages of using multiple methods within a study in order to avoid the potential drawbacks inherent in any single method. Research needs are identified, including: quantitative uncertainty analysis, long-term data collection and analysis, understanding of the role of riparian vegetation, and reconciliation of transmission losses and infiltration estimates with actual aquifer recharge.

An assessment of the tracer-based approach to quantifying groundwater contributions to streamflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, J. P.; Sudicky, E. A.; Brookfield, A. E.; Park, Y.-J.

2006-02-01

The use of conservative geochemical and isotopic tracers along with mass balance equations to determine the pre-event groundwater contributions to streamflow during a rainfall event is widely used for hydrograph separation; however, aspects related to the influence of surface and subsurface mixing processes on the estimates of the pre-event contribution remain poorly understood. Moreover, the lack of a precise definition of "pre-event" versus "event" contributions on the one hand and "old" versus "new" water components on the other hand has seemingly led to confusion within the hydrologic community about the role of Darcian-based groundwater flow during a storm event. In this work, a fully integrated surface and subsurface flow and solute transport model is used to analyze flow system dynamics during a storm event, concomitantly with advective-dispersive tracer transport, and to investigate the role of hydrodynamic mixing processes on the estimates of the pre-event component. A number of numerical experiments are presented, including an analysis of a controlled rainfall-runoff experiment, that compare the computed Darcian-based groundwater fluxes contributing to streamflow during a rainfall event with estimates of these contributions based on a tracer-based separation. It is shown that hydrodynamic mixing processes can dramatically influence estimates of the pre-event water contribution estimated by a tracer-based separation. Specifically, it is demonstrated that the actual amount of bulk flowing groundwater contributing to streamflow may be much smaller than the quantity indirectly estimated from a separation based on tracer mass balances, even if the mixing processes are weak.