A tube seepage meter for in situ measurement of seepage rate and groundwater sampling

Groundwater
By: , and 

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Abstract

We designed and evaluated a “tube seepage meter” for point measurements of vertical seepage rates (q), collecting groundwater samples, and estimating vertical hydraulic conductivity (K) in streambeds. Laboratory testing in artificial streambeds show that seepage rates from the tube seepage meter agreed well with expected values. Results of field testing of the tube seepage meter in a sandy-bottom stream with a mean seepage rate of about 0.5 m/day agreed well with Darcian estimates (vertical hydraulic conductivity times head gradient) when averaged over multiple measurements. The uncertainties in q and K were evaluated with a Monte Carlo method and are typically 20% and 60%, respectively, for field data, and depend on the magnitude of the hydraulic gradient and the uncertainty in head measurements. The primary advantages of the tube seepage meter are its small footprint, concurrent and colocated assessments of q and K, and that it can also be configured as a self-purging groundwater-sampling device.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title A tube seepage meter for in situ measurement of seepage rate and groundwater sampling
Series title Groundwater
DOI 10.1111/gwat.12388
Volume 54
Issue 4
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Utah Water Science Center
Description 8 p.
First page 588
Last page 595
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