Tracking Tracer Breakthrough in the Hyporheic Zone Using Time‐Lapse DC Resistivity, Crabby Creek, Pennsylvania

AbstractInteraction between surface water and groundwater plays a fundamental role in influencing aquatic chemistry, where hyporheic exchange processes, distribution of flow paths and residence times within the hyporheic zone will influence the transport of mass and energy in the surface-water/groundwater system. Geomorphological conditions greatly influence hyporheic exchange, and heterogeneities such as rocks and clay lenses will be a key factor for delineating the hyporheic zone. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were used to investigate the streambed along a 6.3-m-long reach in order to characterise geological layering and distinct features which may influence parameters such as hydraulic conductivity. Time-lapse ERT measurements taken during a tracer injection demonstrated that geological features at the meter-scale played a determining role for the hyporheic flow field. The penetration depth of the tracer into the streambed sediment displayed a variable spatial pattern in areas where the presence of highly resistive anomalies was detected. In areas with more homogeneous sediments, the penetration depth was much more uniformly distributed than observed in more heterogeneous sections, demonstrating that ERT can play a vital role in identifying critical hydraulic features that may influence hyporheic exchange processes. Reciprocal ERT measurements linked variability and thus uncertainty in the modelled resistivity to the spatial locations, which also demonstrated larger variability in the tracer penetration depth, likely due to local heterogeneity in the hydraulic conductivity field.

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Impact of Bed Form Celerity on Oxygen Dynamics in the Hyporheic Zone

Water ◽

10.3390/w12010062 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 62 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Philipp Wolke ◽

Yoni Teitelbaum ◽

Chao Deng ◽

Jörg Lewandowski ◽

Shai Arnon

Keyword(s):

Hyporheic Zone ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Oxygen Distribution ◽

Anoxic Zone ◽

Fine Grain ◽

Uptake Rates ◽

Hyporheic Zones ◽

Bed Form ◽

Gradual Disappearance ◽

Oxygen Dynamics

Oxygen distribution and uptake in the hyporheic zone regulate various redox-sensitive reactions and influence habitat conditions. Despite the fact that fine-grain sediments in streams and rivers are commonly in motion, most studies on biogeochemistry have focused on stagnant sediments. In order to evaluate the effect of bed form celerity on oxygen dynamics and uptake in sandy beds, we conducted experiments in a recirculating indoor flume. Oxygen distribution in the bed was measured under various celerities using 2D planar optodes. Bed morphodynamics were measured by a surface elevation sensor and time-lapse photography. Oxygenated zones in stationary beds had a conchoidal shape due to influx through the stoss side of the bed form, and upwelling anoxic water at the lee side. Increasing bed celerity resulted in the gradual disappearance of the upwelling anoxic zone and flattening of the interface between the oxic (moving fraction of the bed) and the anoxic zone (stationary fraction of the bed), as well as in a reduction of the volumetric oxygen uptake rates due shortened residence times in the hyporheic zone. These results suggest that including processes related to bed form migration are important for understanding the biogeochemistry of hyporheic zones.

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CALIBRATING SURFACE HYDROLOGY, SELF-POTENTIAL AND TIME-LAPSE DC RESISTIVITY ANALYSES AT AN ARTESIAN SPRING NEAR LARAMIE, WY

10.1190/sageep.27-079 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Bradley Carr ◽

Eva Marquis ◽

Kevin Hyde ◽

Scott Miller

Keyword(s):

Time Lapse ◽

Dc Resistivity ◽

Surface Hydrology ◽

Self Potential

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Seasonal Shifts in Surface Water-Groundwater Connections in a Ferricrete-Impacted Stream Estimated from Electrical Resistivity

Geophysics ◽

10.1190/geo2020-0599.1 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-55

Author(s):

Ariel Rickel ◽

Beth Hoagland ◽

Alexis Navarre-Sitchler ◽

Kamini Singha

Keyword(s):

Electrical Resistivity ◽

Surface Water ◽

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Hyporheic Zone ◽

Time Lapse ◽

Breakthrough Curves ◽

Low Flow ◽

High Discharge ◽

Storage Area ◽

And Storage

The efficacy of the hyporheic zone (HZ) — where surface water and groundwater mix — for processing nutrients or uptake of metals is dependent on streambed hydraulic conductivity and stream discharge, among other characteristics. Here, we explore electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) of hyporheic exchange in Cement Creek near Silverton, Colorado, which is affected by ferricrete precipitation. To quantify flows through the HZ, we conducted four-hour salt injection tracer tests and collected time-lapse ERT of the streambed and banks of Cement Creek at high and low flow. We installed piezometers to conduct slug tests, which suggested a low permeability zone at 44-cm depth likely comprised of ferricrete that cemented cobbles together. Based on the ERT, the tracer released into the stream was constrained within the shallow streambed with little subsurface flow through the banks. Tracer was detected in the HZ for a longer time at high flow compared to low flow, suggesting that more flow paths were available to connect the stream to the HZ. Tracer was confined above the ferricrete layer during both the high- and low-flow tests. Mass transfer and storage area parameters were calculated from combined analysis of apparent bulk conductivity derived from ERT and numerical modeling of the tracer breakthrough curves. The hyporheic storage area estimated at low discharge (0.1 m2) was smaller than at high discharge (0.4 m2) and residence times were 2.7 h at low discharge and 4.1 h at high discharge. During high discharge, in-stream breakthrough curves displayed slower breakthrough and longer tails, which was consistent with the time-lapse electrical inversions and One-dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage (OTIS) modeling. Our findings indicate that ferricrete reduces the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed and limits the areal extent of the HZ, which may lower the potential for pollutant attenuation from the metal-rich waters of Cement Creek.

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