Riverine groundwater discharge estimation in a dynamic river corridor using 222Rn

Groundwater discharge flux into rivers (riverine groundwater discharge or RGD) is essential information for the conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems and resources. One way to estimate area-integrated groundwater discharge into surface water bodies is to measure the concentration of a groundwater tracer within the water body. We assessed groundwater discharge using ²²²Rn, a tracer common in many surface water studies, through field measurements, surface water ²²²Rn mass balance model, and groundwater flow simulation, for the seldom studied but ubiquitous setting of a flooding river corridor. The investigation was conducted at the dam-regulated Lower Colorado River (LCR) in Austin, Texas, USA. We found that ²²²Rn in both the river water and groundwater in the river bank changed synchronously over a 12-hour flood cycle. A ²²²Rn mass balance model allowed for estimation of groundwater discharge into a 500-m long reach of the LCR over the flood. The groundwater discharge ranged between negative values (indicating recharge) to 1570 m³/h; groundwater discharge from groundwater flow simulations corroborated these estimates. However, for the dynamic groundwater discharge estimated by the ²²²Rn box model, assuming whether the groundwater ²²²Rn endmember was constant or dynamic led to notably different results. The resultant groundwater discharge estimates are also highly sensitive to river ²²²Rn values. We thus recommend that when using this approach to accurately characterize dynamic groundwater discharge, the ²²²Rn in near-stream groundwater should be monitored at the same frequency as river ²²²Rn. If this is not possible, the ²²²Rn method can still provide reasonable but approximate groundwater discharge given background information on surface water-groundwater exchange time scales.     

Tracking Groundwater Discharge to a Large River using Tracers and Geophysics

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 (⁴He, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, ²²²Rn 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 ²²²Rn 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.     

Combining isotopic tracers (222Rn and δ13C) for improved modelling of groundwater discharge to small rivers

In regions where aquifers sustain rivers, the location and quantification of groundwater discharge to surface water are important to prevent pollution hazards, to quantify and predict low flows and to manage water supplies. ²²²Rn is commonly used to determine groundwater discharge to rivers. However, using this isotopic tracer is challenging because of the high diffusion capacity of ²²²Rn in open water. This study illustrates how a combination of isotopic tracers can contribute to an enhanced understanding of groundwater discharge patterns in small rivers. The aim of this paper is to combine ²²²Rn and δ¹³C_DIC to better constrain the physical parameters related to the degassing process of these tracers in rivers. The Hallue River (northern France) was targeted for this study because it is sustained almost exclusively by a fractured chalk aquifer. The isotopes ²²²Rn, δ¹³C_DIC, δ²H and δ¹⁸O were analysed along with other natural geochemical tracers. A mass balance model was used to simulate ²²²Rn and δ¹³C_DIC. The results of δ²H and δ¹⁸O analyses prove that evaporation did not occur in the river. The calibration of a numerical model to reproduce ²²²Rn and δ¹³C_DIC provides a best‐fit diffusive layer thickness of 3.21 × 10^?5 m. This approach is particularly useful for small rivers flowing over carbonate aquifers with high groundwater DIC where the evolution of river DIC reflects the competing processes of groundwater inflow and CO₂ degassing. This approach provides a means to evaluate groundwater discharge in small ungauged rivers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Natural 222Rn as a tracer of mixing and volatilization in a shallow aquifer during a CO2 injection experiment

This study aims to evaluate the application of ²²²Rn in groundwater as a tracer for monitoring CO₂ plume migration in a shallow groundwater system, which is important to detect potential CO₂ leakage in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) project. For this research, an artificial CO₂-infused water injection experiment was performed in a shallow aquifer by monitoring hydrogeochemical parameters, including ²²²Rn. Radon in groundwater can be a useful tracer because of its sensitivity to sudden changes in subsurface environment. To monitor the CO₂ plume migration, the data were analysed based on (a) the influence of mixing processes on the distribution of ²²²Rn induced by the artificial injection experiment and (b) the influence of a carrier gas role by CO₂ on the variation of ²²²Rn. The spatio-temporal distributions of radon concentrations were successfully explained in association with horizontal and vertical mixing processes by the CO₂-infused water injection. Additionally, the mixing ratios of each monitoring well were calculated, quantitatively confirming the influence of these mixing processes on the distribution of radon concentrations. Moreover, one monitoring well showed a high positive relationship between ²²²Rn and Total dissolved inorganic carbon (TIC) by the carrier gas effect of CO₂ through volatilization from the CO₂ plume. It indicated the applicability of ²²²Rn as a sensitive tracer to directly monitor CO₂ leakage. When with a little effect of carrier gas, natural ²²²Rn in groundwater can be used to compute mixing ratio of CO₂-infused water indicative of CO₂ migration pathways. CO₂ carrier gas effect can possibly increase ²²²Rn concentration in groundwater and, if fully verified with more field tests, will pose a great potential to be used as a natural tracer for CO₂.     

Using new mass balance methods to estimate gross surface water and groundwater exchange with naturally occurring tracer 222Rn in data poor regions: a case study in northwest China

Given that the concentration of ²²²Rn in groundwater is much higher than that in surface water and that its radioactive half‐life (3.83 d) is short, ²²²Rn is an effective tracer of groundwater–surface water interactions. In this study, a new mass balance method is presented, which can be used to estimate specific groundwater–surface water interactions within a river reach. Three possible situations of interaction between groundwater and surface water are considered, and equations based on the mass conservation of ²²²Rn are formulated for judging specific groundwater–surface water interaction processes and for calculating water flux. A case study was conducted for the Nalenggele River, Northwest China, to demonstrate the usefulness of this method. Samples of river water and groundwater containing ²²²Rn were collected from the study area to estimate the interactions between groundwater and surface water. The amount of water exchanged during these interactions was estimated and the results show that transformations between groundwater and surface water are frequent along the stream. The ²²²Rn mass balance method is highly sensitive for studying such interactions, even in areas for which conventional hydrologic data are sparse. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracer Method to Determine Residence Time in a Permeable Reactive Barrier

A method is presented to evaluate ground water residence time in a zero‐valent iron (ZVI) permeable reactive barrier (PRB) using radon‐222 (²²²Rn) as a radioactive tracer. Residence time is a useful indicator of PRB hydraulic performance, with application to estimating the volumetric rate of ground water flow through a PRB, identifying flow heterogeneity, and characterizing flow conditions over time as a PRB matures. The tracer method relies on monitoring the decay of naturally occurring aqueous ²²²Rn as ground water flows through a PRB. Application of the method at a PRB site near Monticello, Utah, shows that after 8 years of operation, residence times in the ZVI range from 80 to 486 h and correlate well with chemical parameters (pH, Ca, SO₄, and Fe) that indicate the relative residence time. Residence times in this case study are determined directly from the first‐order decay equation because we show no significant emanation of ²²²Rn within the PRB and no measurable loss of ²²²Rn other than by radioactive decay.     

A multi‐tracer approach to quantifying groundwater inflows to an upland river; assessing the influence of variable groundwater chemistry

Understanding the behaviour and variability of environmental tracers is important for their use in estimating groundwater discharge to rivers. This study utilizes a multi‐tracer approach to quantify groundwater discharge into a 27 km upland reach of the Gellibrand River in southwest Victoria, Australia. Ten sampling campaigns were conducted between March 2011 and June 2012, and the distribution of ²²²Rn activities, Cl and ³H concentrations imply the river receives substantial groundwater inflows. Mass balances based on ²²²Rn, Cl and ³H yield estimates of groundwater inflows that agree to within ± 12%, with cumulative inflows in individual campaigns ranging from 24 346 to 88 467 m³/day along the studied river section. Groundwater discharge accounts for between 10 and 50% of river flow dependent on the time of year, with a high proportion (>40 %) of groundwater sustaining summer flows. Groundwater inflow is largely governed by regional groundwater flowpaths; between 50 and 90% of total groundwater inflows occur along a narrow 5–10 km section where the river intersects the Eastern View Formation, a major regional aquifer. Groundwater ²²²Rn activities over the 16 month period were spatially heterogeneous across the catchment, ranging between 2000 Bq/m³ and 16 175 Bq/m³. Although groundwater ²²²Rn activities display temporal variation, spatial variation in groundwater ²²²Rn is a key control on ²²²Rn mass balances in river catchments where groundwater and river ²²²Rn activities are within an order of magnitude of each other. Calculated groundwater discharges vary from 8.4 to 15 m³/m/day when groundwater ²²²Rn activities are varied by ± 1 σ. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

222Rn as Natural Tracer for LNAPL Recovery in a Crude Oil‐Contaminated Aquifer

The objective of this study was to investigate whether ²²²Rn in groundwater can be used as a tracer for light non‐aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) quantification at a field site treated by dual‐phase LNAPL removal. After the break of a pipeline, 5 ha of soil in the nature reserve Coussouls de Crau in southern France was contaminated by 5100 m³ of crude oil. Part of this oil seeped into the underlying gravel aquifer and formed a floating oil body of about 3.9 ha. The remediation consists of plume management by hydraulic groundwater barriers and LNAPL extraction in the source zone. ²²²Rn measurements were performed in 21 wells in and outside the source zone during 15 months. In uncontaminated groundwater, the radon activity was relatively constant and remained always >11 Bq/L. The variability of radon activity measurements in wells affected by the pump‐and‐skim system was consistent with the measurements in wells that were not impacted by the system. The mean activities in wells in the source zone were, in general, significantly lower than in wells upgradient of the source zone, owing to partitioning of ²²²Rn into the oil phase. The lowest activities were found in zones with high non‐aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) recovery. LNAPL saturations around each recovery well were furthermore calculated during a period of high groundwater level, using a laboratory‐determined crude oil–water partitioning coefficient of 38.5 ± 2.9. This yielded an estimated volume of residual crude oil of 309 ± 93 m³ below the capillary fringe. We find that ²²²Rn is a useful and cheap groundwater tracer for finding zones of good LNAPL recovery in an aquifer treated by dual‐phase LNAPL removal, but that quantification of NAPL saturation using Rn is highly uncertain.     

226Ra and222Rn contents of Galapagos Rift hydrothermal waters —the importance of low-temperature interactions with crustal rocks

Hydrothermal waters collected by “Alvin” from the Galapagos Spreading Center are enriched in²²²Rn by factors of 50–200 over bottom waters. The²²⁶Ra in the same samples, however, is enriched by less than a factor of four over bottom waters. Enrichments of²²²Rn result primarily from α-recoil from rock surfaces while²²⁶Ra enrichments are dominantly produced by high-temperature alteration of cooling ridge volcanics. The abundances of both nuclides exhibit positive correlations with temperature. The data extrapolate to bottom water temperatures and compositions, demonstrating the importance of seawater mixing. Different vents, however, have different mixing lines, and vents with high²²²Rn have low²²⁶Ra. We propose these patterns result from variations in the extent of low-temperature crustal interaction with the hydrothermal fluids. Low-temperature crustal waters can maintain high steady state²²²Rn contents due to the α-recoil additions to the fluids. The²²⁶Ra, however, is strongly adsorbed at low-temperatures resulting in low concentrations of this nuclide in low-temperature crustal waters. Thus, physical mixing of a crustal water component with hydrothermal waters or variable crustal path lengths of the hydrothermal fluids can account for the variable mixing lines and²²²Rn/²²⁶Ra values of the hot springs.The²²²Rn/²²⁶Ra value appears to be a sensitive indicator of low-temperature crustal interaction. Values > 100 have experienced extensive crustal interaction and are indicative of diffuse hydrothermal flow. Values between 1 and 10 are indicative of primary hydrothermal fluids which have not experienced significant interaction with the crust. Values of²²²Rn/²²⁶Ra between 10³ and 10⁴ are indicative of interaction of the hydrothermal fluids with sediments. Such values are observed in water samples from the Galapagos hydrothermal mounds.     

Sub‐surface water contribution to recession flow in a mountain headwater stream system based on single monitoring campaign

Discharge in mountain streams may be a mixture of snowmelt, water from surface runoff, and deep return flow through valley bottom alluvia. We used δ¹⁸O and δ²H, solute concentrations, and ²²²Rn to determine water sources of a headwater stream located at the McDonald Creek watershed, Glacier National Park, USA, during summer recession flow period. We analysed minimal water isotope ranges of ?17.6‰ to ?16.5‰ and ?133‰ to ?121‰ for δ¹⁸O and δ²H, respectively, potentially due to dominance of snow‐derived water in the stream. Likewise, solute concentrations measured in the stream through the watershed showed minimal variation with little indication of subsurface water input into the stream. However, we observed ²²²Rn activities in the stream that ranged from 39 to 2646 Bq/m³ with the highest value measured in middle of the watershed associated with channel constriction corresponding to changes in local orientation of underlying rocks. Downstream from this point, ²²²Rn activity decreased from 581 to 117 Bq/m³ in a series of punctuated steps associated with small rapids and waterfalls that we hypothesized to cause radon degassing with a maximum predicted loss of 427 Bq/m³ along a 400 m distance. Based on mass balance calculations using ²²²Rn activity values, streamflow, and channel characteristics, we estimated that groundwater contributed between 0.3% and 29% of total flow. Overall, we estimated a 5.9% of groundwater contribution integrated for stream reach measured at McDonald Creek during recession flow period. Finally, a lower mean hyporheic flux of 14 m³/day was estimated compared to the groundwater flux of 70 710 m³/day. These assessments highlight the potential for radon as a conservative tracer that can be used to estimate subsurface water contribution in mountain streams within a complex geologic setting. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of submarine groundwater discharge in the Il‐Gwang watershed using water budget analysis and 222Rn mass balance

Submarine groundwater discharges (SGD) were investigated in a marine watershed in south‐eastern Korea using water budget analysis and a ²²²Rn mass balance model. Multi‐layered TOPMODEL added hydrological assumption was used to estimate groundwater components in the water budget analysis. Field observations of soil moisture, rainfall, runoff and groundwater fluctuations were used for calibration and validation of the hydrologic model. Based on observed hydrological data and terrain analyses, parameters for the hydrologic model were delineated and used to describe several hydrologic responses in the watershed. SGD estimations by ²²²Rn mass balance method were also performed at Il‐Gwang bay in July, 2010, and May, June, July and Nov. 2011. The estimated groundwater through hydrologic modeling and water balance analysis was 1.3x10⁶ m³/year, which rapidly increased during typhoon season due to heavy rainfall and permeable geologic structure. The estimated groundwater was approximately 3.7–27.1% of SGD as evaluated by ²²²Rn mass balance method ranges 3.44 and 17.45 m³m^?2year^?1. Even though SGD is predominantly influenced by tide fluctuation, the head gradient (difference) from hydrologic processes associated with heavy rainfalls can also have extra significant influences. Comprehensive understanding of SGD evaluation can be improved through a simultaneous application of both these approaches. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large seasonal changes in the recharge of seawater in a subterranean estuary revealed by a radon tracer

Activities of radon (²²²Rn) in groundwater were continuously monitored in a saline aquifer from September 2010 to July 2011. The activities of ²²²Rn ranged from 200 to 4300 Bq m^?3, with a large seasonal variation. Because the activity of ²²²Rn in seawater is low, ²²²Rn in saline groundwater must be produced in the aquifer from radium (²²⁶Ra) in rocks and sediments. The ²²²Rn activities were higher in the warm‐dry seasons (September–November 2010 and April–May 2011) when the saline aquifer was stable. In contrast, the lowest ²²²Rn activities were observed in the cold‐dry season (December 2010 and January–March 2011), because of the effective exchange between groundwater and seawater. In addition, sudden decreases of ²²²Rn activities coincided with episodic drops in groundwater temperatures. These results reveal that lower seawater temperature in winter may result in density‐driven seawater intrusion. During the wet season (June–July 2011), ²²²Rn activities were more clearly affected by semi‐monthly and diurnal tidal pumping, showing higher ²²²Rn activities during low and spring tides. Such a tidal effect was not clearly observed during the warm‐dry and cold‐dry seasons. This result implies that the residence time of SGD in coastal zones is significantly affected by seasonal changes in driving forces such as tidal pumping and seawater intrusion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bias of Apparent Tracer Ages in Heterogeneous Environments

The interpretation of apparent ages often assumes that a water sample is composed of a single age. In heterogeneous aquifers, apparent ages estimated with environmental tracer methods do not reflect mean water ages because of the mixing of waters from many flow paths with different ages. This is due to nonlinear variations in atmospheric concentrations of the tracer with time resulting in biases of mixed concentrations used to determine apparent ages. The bias of these methods is rarely reported and has not been systematically evaluated in heterogeneous settings. We simulate residence time distributions (RTDs) and environmental tracers CFCs, SF₆, ⁸⁵Kr, and ³⁹Ar in synthetic heterogeneous confined aquifers and compare apparent ages to mean ages. Heterogeneity was simulated as both K‐field variance (σ²) and structure. We demonstrate that an increase in heterogeneity (increase in σ² or structure) results in an increase in the width of the RTD. In low heterogeneity cases, widths were generally on the order of 10 years and biases generally less than 10%. In high heterogeneity cases, widths can reach 100 s of years and biases can reach up to 100%. In cases where the temporal variations of atmospheric concentration of individual tracers vary, different patterns of bias are observed for the same mean age. We show that CFC‐12 and CFC‐113 ages may be used to correct for the mean age if analytical errors are small.     

Evaluating the source and seasonality of submarine groundwater discharge using a radon-222 pore water transport model

Pore water radon (²²²Rn) distributions from Indian River Lagoon, Florida, are characterized by three zones: a lower zone where pore water ²²²Rn and sediment-bound radium (²²⁶Ra) are in equilibrium and concentration gradients are vertical; a middle zone where ²²²Rn is in excess of sediment-bound ²²⁶Ra and concentration gradients are concave-downward; and an upper zone where ²²²Rn concentration gradients are nearly vertical. These ²²²Rn data are simulated in a one-dimensional numerical model including advection, diffusion, and non-local exchange to estimate magnitudes of submarine groundwater discharge components (fresh or marine). The numerical model estimates three parameters, fresh groundwater seepage velocity, irrigation intensity, and irrigation attenuation, using two Monte Carlo (MC) simulations that (1) ensure the minimization algorithm converges on a global minimum of the merit function and the parameter estimates are consistent within this global minimum, and (2) provide 90% confidence intervals on the parameter estimates using the measured ²²²Rn activity variance. Model estimates of seepage velocities and discharge agree with previous estimates obtained from numerical groundwater flow models and seepage meter measurements and show the fresh water component decreases offshore and varies seasonally by a factor of nine or less. Comparison between the discharge estimates and precipitation patterns suggests a mean residence time in unsaturated and saturated zones on the order of 5 to 7 months. Irrigation rates generally decrease offshore for all sampling periods. The mean irrigation rate is approximately three times greater than the mean seepage velocity although the ranges of irrigation rates and seepage velocities are the same. Possible mechanisms for irrigation include density-driven convection, wave pumping, and bio-irrigation. Simulation of both advection and irrigation allows the separation of submarine groundwater discharge into fresh groundwater and (re)circulated lagoon water.     

Radon-222 in groundwater of the Long Valley caldera,California

In the Long Valley caldera, where seismicity has continued essentially uninterrupted since mid-1980 and uplift is documented, samples of water from hot, warm, and cold springs have been collected since September, 1982, and their²²²Rn concentrations analyzed. Concurrently, rocks encompassing the hydrologic systems feeding the springs were analyzed for their radioelement contents, because their uranium is the ultimate source of the²²²Rn in the water.The²²²Rn concentration in the springs varies inversely with their temperature and specific conductance. High concentrations (1500 to 2500 picocuries per liter) occur in dilute cold springs on the margins of the caldera, while low contents (12 to 25 pCi/l) occur in hot to boiling springs. Springwater radon concentrations also correlate slightly with the uranium content of the encompassing rocks.A continuous monitoring system was installed in August, 1983, at a spring issuing from basalt, to provide hourly records of radon concentration. A gamma detector is submerged in a natural pool, and we have observed that the radioactivity measured in this manner is due almost entirely to the²²²Rn concentration of the water. Initial operation shows diurnal and semidiurnal variations in the²²²Rn concentration of the springwater that are ascribed to earth tides, suggesting that those variations are responding to small changes in stress in the rocks encompassing the hydrologic system.     

Investigation of groundwater residence times during bank filtration in Berlin: a multi‐tracer approach

Berlin relies on induced bank filtration from a broad‐scale, lake‐type surface water system. Because the surface water contains treated sewage, wastewater residues are present in surface water and groundwater. Multiple environmental tracers, including tritium and helium isotopes (³H, ³He, ⁴He), stable isotopes (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) and a number of persistent sewage indicators, such as chloride, boron and a selection of pharmaceutical residues (phenazone‐type analgesics and their metabolites, carbamazepine and anthropogenic gadolinium, Gd_excess), were used to estimate travel times from the surface water to individual production and observation wells at two sites. The study revealed a strong vertical age stratification throughout the upper aquifer, with travel times varying from a few months to several decades in greater depth. Whereas the shallow bank filtrate is characterized by the reflection of the time‐variant tracer input concentrations and young ³H/³He ages, the deeper, older bank filtrate displays no tracer seasonality, ³H/³He ages of a few years to decades and strongly deviating concentrations of several pharmaceutical residues, reflecting concentrations of the source surface water over time. The phenazone‐type pharmaceuticals persist in the aquatic environments for decades. Bank filtration in Berlin is only possible at the sandy lakeshores. In greater water depth, impermeable lacustrine sapropels inhibit infiltration. The young bank filtrate originates from the nearest shore, whereas the older bank filtrate infiltrates at more distant shores. This paper illustrates the importance of using multiple tracer methods, capable of resolving a broad range of residence times, to gain a comprehensive understanding of time‐scales and infiltration characteristics in a bank filtration system. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Excess222Rn and the benthic boundary layer in the western and southern Indian Ocean

We present 9 bottom²²²Rn profiles measured from the western and southern Indian Ocean during the 1977–1978 GEOSECS expedition. These profiles can be grouped into three cypes: one-layer, two-layer, and irregular types. The one-layer profiles with quasi-exponential distributions allow one to estimate the apparent vertical eddy diffusivity,K_v, with a simple model. The two-layer profiles show that there is a benthic boundary layer of the order of 50–100 m in which the excess²²²Rn distribution shows a vertical gradient much smaller than that of the layer immediately above. Within the boundary layer, the STD potential temperature (θ) and density(σ₄) profiles are practically constant, and theK_v values are of the order of 1000 cm²/s. The STD profiles for the water column above the boundary layer show gradients of increasing stability, and theK_v values are of the order of 100 cm²/s. Modeling of the Rn data in the water column above the boundary layer indicates that there is a transition layer which effectively reduces the penetration of excess Rn from the benthic boundary layer into the upper layer.Sarmiento et al. [10] have shown that the buoyancy gradient or stability is inversely correlated with the apparent vertical eddy diffusivity, and the resulting buoyancy flux is fairly uniform, ranging from 1 to 14 × 10^?6 cm²/s³ in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. However, Sarmiento et al. [11] show that a much higher buoyancy flux is associated with an intensified flow of the bottom water through a passage. In the Indian Ocean basins, we have found that the buoyancy flux has a comparable range (3–14 × 10^?6 cm²/s³), except for a couple of stations where both stability and apparent vertical diffusivity are higher, resulting in a much higher buoyancy flux, probably indicative of rapid bottom water flow.     

What is the source of baseflow in agriculturally fragmented catchments? Complex groundwater/surface‐water interactions in three tributary catchments of the Wabash River,Indiana, USA

Some conceptual models suggest that baseflow in agriculturally fragmented watersheds may contain little, if any, groundwater. This has critical implications for stream quality and ecosystem functioning. Here, we (a) identify the sources and flowpaths contributing to baseflow using ²²²Rn and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and (b) quantify mean apparent ages of groundwater and baseflow using multiple isotopic tracers (CFC, SF₆, ³⁶Cl, and ³H) in 4 small (0.08 to 0.64 km²) tributary catchments to the Wabash River in Indiana, USA. ²²²Rn activities and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios indicate that baseflow in 3 catchments is sourced primarily from groundwater; baseflow in the fourth is dominated by a source similar to agricultural run‐off. CFC‐12 data indicate that springs in 1 catchment are discharging significant proportions of water that recharged between 1974 (42 ± 2 years) and 1961 (55 ± 2 years). Those same springs have ³⁶Cl/Cl ratios between 1,381.08 ± 29.37 (×10^?15) and 1,530.64 ± 27.65 (×10^?15) indicating that a substantial proportion of the discharge likely recharged between 1975 (41 years) and 1950 (66 years). Groundwater samples collected from streambed mini‐piezometers in a separate catchment have CFC‐12 concentrations indicating that a large proportion of the recharge occurred between 1948 (68 ± 2 years) and 1950 (66 ± 2 years). Repeat sampling conducted in September 2015 after above‐average summer rainfall did not show significant decreases in mean apparent age. The relatively old ages observed in 3 of the catchments can be explained by geological complexities that are likely present in all 4 catchments, but overwhelmed by flow from the shallow phreatic aquifer in the fourth catchment.     

Release of 222Rn from some soils

Measurements have been made of ²²²Rn release from diverse soils in the region surrounding Malaga, Spain. These flux measurements were carried out by two methods. A direct method using a static chamber technique and another indirect method obtained from concentration profile measurements of ²²²Rn in the soil air. The effects of meteorological variables and other parameters on ²²²Rn flux were studied. The factors that most affected the instantaneous value of ²²²Rn release were humidity and soil thermal gradient. The directly measured ²²²Rn fluxes at investigated sites are higher than ²²²Rn fluxes derived by the indirect method.     

The effect of CO2 on the measurement of 220Rn and 222Rn with instruments utilising electrostatic precipitation

In some volcanic systems, thoron and radon activity and CO₂ flux, in soil and fumaroles, show a relationship between (²²⁰Rn/²²²Rn) and CO₂ efflux. It is theorized that deep, magmatic sources of gas are characterized by high ²²²Rn activity and high CO₂ efflux, whereas shallow sources are indicated by high ²²⁰Rn activity and relatively low CO₂ efflux. In this paper we evaluate whether the observed inverse relationship is a true geochemical signal, or potentially an analytical artifact of high CO₂ concentrations. We report results from a laboratory experiment using the RAD7 radon detector, known ²²²Rn (radon) and ²²⁰Rn (thoron), and a controllable percentage of CO₂ in the carrier gas. Our results show that for every percentage of CO₂, the ²²⁰Rn reading should be multiplied by 1.019, the ²²²Rn radon should be multiplied by 1.003 and the ²²⁰Rn/²²²Rn ratio should be multiplied by 1.016 to correct for the presence of the CO₂.