Subsurface flow measurements using passive flux meters in variably-saturated cold-regions landscapes |
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| Authors: | Élise G Devoie Ryan F Connon James R Craig William L Quinton |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada;2. Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada;3. Cold Regions Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada |
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| Abstract: | To date, passive flux meters have predominantly been applied in temperate environments for tracking the movement of contaminants in groundwater. This study applies these instruments to reduce uncertainty in (typically instantaneous) flux measurements made in a low-gradient, wetland dominated, discontinuous permafrost environment. This method supports improved estimation of unsaturated and over-winter subsurface flows which are very difficult to quantify using hydraulic gradient-based approaches. Improved subsurface flow estimates can play a key role in understanding the water budget of this landscape. |
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| Keywords: | Darcy flux frozen subsurface flow hydraulic gradient passive flux meter time-integrated measurements uncertainty unsaturated flow |
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