Karst Groundwater: Chemical vs.
Thermal tracing
By: Robert J Kelley
Karst review
• Karst- mostly limestone/dolostone
• Well cemented grains
• Conduit dominated
• Features: caves (wet/dry)
springs, sinkholes
Tracing- an Overview
• The art of tracking
• Two main types: Chemical and Thermal (Heat)
Chemical Tracing
• Dye- Fluorescent
• Ions- Common: Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, NH4+ ,
HCO3-, SO4-, NO2-, Cl-, and NO3-
•
•
•
•
Pros
Easy visualization
Convenient, readily available
Chemical- measurements over time
•
•
•
•
Cons
Costly
Labor intensive
Possibly harmful
Thermal (Heat) Tracing
• Temperature Loggers
• Temperature profiles over time
• Mixing models
• Basic heat flow theory equation
𝐾𝑒 2
𝜌𝑤 𝑐𝑤
𝜎𝑇
𝛻 𝑇−
𝛻 ∗ 𝑇𝑞 =
𝜌𝑐
𝜌𝑐
𝜎𝑡
• T is the dependent variable
• Pros
• measure over time, more frequent than
chemical and over longer periods
• cost
•
•
•
•
Cons
results
not well known
easily lost
Conclusion
• Both have Pros and Cons.
• Regulation changes
• Used best in conjunction with each other
•
•
•
•
•
Works Cited
•
Anderson, M., P., (2005), Heat as a Ground Water Tracer, Ground Water; v. 43, p. 951-961.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cox, M., H., Su, G., W., Constants, J., (2007), Heat, Chloride, and Specific
Conductance as Ground Water Tracers near Streams; Ground Water, v. 45, p., 187-195.
Constanz, J., Cox, M., H., Su, G., W., (2003), Comparisons of Heat and Bromide as
Ground Water Tracers Near Streams: Ground Water, v. 41, p. 647-656.
Constanz J., (2008), Heat as a tracer to determine streambed water exchanges; Water
Resources Research, v. 44, p. 1-20.
deMarsily, G., (1986), Quantitative Hydrogeology: San Diego, California, Academic
Press.
Domenico, P., A., Schwartz, F., W., (1998), Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology, 2nd
ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Dogwiler, T., Wicks, C., (2006), Thermal Variations in the Hyporheic Zone of a Karst
System: International Journal of Speleology, v. 35, p. 59-66.
Doucette, R., T., 2012, Thermal Patterns of Subsurface Flow Regimes In A Mantled
Karst Aquifer NW Arkansas [M.s. thesis]: Illinois State University, 68 p.
•
Harvey, J., W., Wagner, B., J., Bencala, K., E., (1996), Evaluating the Reliability of the
Stream Tracer Approach to Characterize Stream-Subsurface Water Exchange: Water Resources Research, v. 32, p. 2441-2451.
•
Luhmann, A., J., Covington, M., D., Peters, A., J., Alexander, S., C., Anger, C., T.,
Green, J., A., Runkel, A., C., Alexander Jr, E., C., (2010), Classifications of Thermal Patterns at Karst Springs and Cave Streams;
Ground Water
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mull, D., S., Liebermann, T., D., Smoot, J., L., Woosley, Jr. L., H., 1988, Application of
Dye Tracing Techniques for Determining Solute Transport Characteristics of Ground Water in Karst Terrains: U.S. EPA.
Smart, C.C., 1988. Artificial tracer techniques for the determination of the structure of
conduit aquifers. Ground Water, V. 26, p. 445-453.