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Quantifying the freshwater component of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is critical in the analysis of terrestrial influences on marine ecosystems and in assessing the water budget and groundwater recharge of coastal aquifers. In semi-arid to arid settings, this quantification is difficult because low SGD rates translate into low concentrations of groundwater solutes in coastal waters. In this study, fresh SGD (FSGD) was quantified for Toyon Bay on Catalina Island, California, for wet and dry seasons using a combination of radon and salinity mass balance models, and the results were compared to watershed-specific groundwater recharge rates obtained from soil water balance (SWB) modeling. Calculated FSGD rates vary only slightly with season and are remarkably similar to the recharge estimates from the SWB model. While sensitivity analyses revealed FSGD estimates to be significantly influenced by uncertainties in geochemical variability of the groundwater end-member and fluctuations of water depth, the results of this study support the SWB-model-based recharge rates. The findings of this study highlight the utility of the radon-and-salinity-mass-balance-based FSGD estimates as groundwater recharge calibration targets, which may aid in establishing more refined sustainable groundwater yields.
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Physical and chemical characterization of remote coastal aquifers and submarine groundwater discharge from a glacierized watershed
Abstract Coastal aquifers play an important role in marine ecosystems by providing high fluxes of nutrients and solutes via submarine groundwater discharge pathways. The physical and chemical characterization of these dynamic systems is foundational to understanding the extent and magnitude of hydrogeologic processes and their subsequent contributions to the marine environment. We describe a km‐scale experimental field site located in a glaciofluvial delta entering Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Our characterization applies geophysical (ERT and HVSR), hydrogeologic (grain size analyses, slug tests and tidal response analyses) and geochemical (major ions and stable water isotopes) methods to describe the complexity of coastal aquifers in proglacial environments currently experiencing rapid transformations. The hydrogeologic and geophysical techniques revealed thick (20–84 m) sediments dominated by sands and gravels and delineated zones of freshwater, brackish water and saltwater at both high and low tides within the subterranean estuary. Estimates of hydraulic conductivities via multiple approaches ranged from 2 to 250 m d−1, with means across the four methods within the same order of magnitude. Tidal response analyses highlighted a coastal aquifer in strong connection with the sea as evidenced by clear spring‐ and neap‐tidal signals within a proximal piezometric hydrograph. Geochemical sampling revealed coastal groundwaters as substantially enriched in solutes compared to proximal river samples with limited variability across seasons. A clear connection between the Wosnesenski River and the adjacent aquifer was also observed, with concentrated recharge from the river corridor during the meltwater season. This combination of approaches provides the basis for a conceptual model for coastal aquifer systems within the Gulf of Alaska and an upscaled mean daily yield of freshwater and solutes from the delta subsurface. Our findings are critical for subsequent numerical simulations of groundwater flow, tidal pumping and chemical reactions and transport in these understudied environments. This approach may be applied for low‐cost, large‐scale hydrogeologic investigations in coastal areas and may be particularly useful for remote sites where access and mobility are challenging.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1757348
- PAR ID:
- 10548013
- Publisher / Repository:
- Hydrological Processes
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Hydrological Processes
- Volume:
- 38
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 0885-6087
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.15240
