[1] We present a new technique for identifying and quantifying the discharge of long residence time, regional groundwater to rivers using naturally occurring tracers measured within the river. Terrigenic 4 He and 222

[1] We have designed and tested a passive headspace sampler for the collection of noble gases that allows for the precise calculation of dissolved gas concentrations from measured gas mixing ratios. Gas permeable silicon tubing allows for gas exchange between the headspace in the sampler volume and the dissolved gases in the adjacent water. After reaching equilibrium, the aqueous-phase concentration is related to the headspace concentration by Henry's law. Gas exchange between the water and headspace can be shut off in situ, preserving the total dissolved gas pressure upon retrieval. Gas samples are then sealed in an all metal container, retaining even highly mobile helium. Dissolved noble gas concentrations measured in these diffusion samplers are in good agreement with traditional copper tube aqueous-phase samples. These significantly reduce the laboratory labor in extracting the gases from a water sample and provide a simple and robust method for collecting dissolved gas concentrations in a variety of aqueous environments.Citation: Gardner, P., and D. K. Solomon (2009), An advanced passive diffusion sampler for the determination of dissolved gas concentrations, Water Resour. Res., 45, W06423,

No abstract

Few studies have investigated large reaches of rivers in which multiple sources of groundwater are responsible for maintaining baseflow. This paper builds upon previous work undertaken along the Fitzroy River, one of the largest perennial river systems in north-western Australia. Synoptic regional-scale sampling of both river water and groundwater for a suite of environmental tracers ((4) He, (87) Sr/(86) Sr, (222) Rn and major ions), and subsequent modeling of tracer behavior in the river, has enabled definition and quantification of groundwater input from at least three different sources. We show unambiguous evidence of both shallow "local" groundwater, possibly recharged to alluvial aquifers beneath the adjacent floodplain during recent high-flow events, and old "regional" groundwater introduced via artesian flow from deep confined aquifers. We also invoke hyporheic exchange and either bank return flow or parafluvial flow to account for background (222) Rn activities and anomalous chloride trends along river reaches where there is no evidence of the local or regional groundwater inputs. Vertical conductivity sections acquired through an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey provide insights to the architecture of the aquifers associated with these sources and general groundwater quality characteristics. These data indicate fresh groundwater from about 300 m below ground preferentially discharging to the river, at locations consistent with those inferred from tracer data. The results demonstrate how sampling rivers for multiple environmental tracers of different types-including stable and radioactive isotopes, dissolved gases and major ions-can significantly improve conceptualization of groundwater-surface water interaction processes, particularly when coupled with geophysical techniques in complex hydrogeological settings.