Background on ISEsISEs are sensors that convert the activity of a specific ion, dissolved in a solution, into an electrical potential (Cammann and Schroeder 1979). A typical ISE contains a AbstractThe development of chloride sensors which can be used for continuous, on-line monitoring of groundwater could be very valuable in the management of our coastal water resources. However, sensor stability, drift, and durability all need to be addressed in order for the sensors to be used in continuous application. This study looks at the development of a simple, inexpensive chloride electrode, and evaluates its performance under continuous use, both in the laboratory and in a field test in a monitoring well. The results from the study showed a consistent response to changing chloride concentrations over longer periods. The signal was seen to be stable, with regular drift in both laboratory and field test. In the field application, the sensor signal was corrected for drift, and errors were observed to be under 7% of that of conductivity measurements. The study also found that the chloride sensor remained responsive even at low chloride concentrations, where the conductivity electrode was no longer responding to changing chloride levels. With the results, it is believed that the simple chloride sensor could be used for continuous monitoring of groundwater quality. Biographical SketchesPaul Thorn, Ph.D., corresponding author, is a geologist with
Non-uniform groundwater discharge into streams influences temperature, a vital stream physical property recognized for its dominant controls on biological processes in lotic habitats at multiple scales. Understanding such spatially heterogeneous processes and their effects is difficult on the basis of stream temperature models often calibrated with discrete temperature measurements. This study focused on examining the effect of groundwater discharge on stream temperature using a physically based stream temperature model calibrated on spatially rich high-resolution temperature measurements. A distributed temperature sensing (DTS) system with a 1.8-km fibre optic cable was used to collect temperature measurements for every 1 m of the reach length at 3-min temporal resolution in the stream Elverdamsåen. The groundwater inflow locations identified using DTS data and 24-h temperature measurements (14:00 h 6 May 2011 to 14:00 h 7 May 2011) were used for further calibration of the stream temperature model. With 19 inflow locations, the model simulated temperature trends closely mirroring the observed DTS profile with a root mean square error of 0.85°C. The aggregation of inflows at specific locations forced the model to simulate stepwise inflow signals and small change in downstream temperature. In turn, the DTS data exemplified spiked signals with no change in downstream temperature, a typical characteristic of lowland streams. In spite of the difference in modelled and measured inflow signals, the results indicate that the represented groundwater inflows imperatively controlled the spatial variations of temperature within the study reach, creating three unique thermal zones.
Continuous observations of beach groundwater salinity over a 35-d period from a monitoring well established in the intertidal zone of a coastal harbor provided intriguing data on the interaction in the intertidal zone between the salt and fresh groundwater. During the monitoring period of the study, both semidiurnal variations and longer temporal trends in groundwater salinity were observed. The semidiurnal salinity variations were observed to occur nearly synchronously, but inconsistently with the tides. However, the salinity relationship with the tides was more complex, switching back and forth from being in-sync (higher salinities at high tide) to out-of-sync (higher salinities at low tide) a total of four times during the 35-d test period. The longer temporal trends showed chloride concentration (representing salinity) varying from as low as 50 mg/L to as high as 3600 mg/L over a period of between 9 to 12 d. The observations from the monitoring well reveal a complex pattern likely resulting from a combination of tidal pumping, density-induced convection, and changes in the terrestrial hydraulic gradient. However, these observations are based upon data from only one monitoring well, and are speculative at this point. A more thorough study of the complex fresh water-saline water relationship in the intertidal zone seems to have merit.
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