Seepage meters

A variety of methods exist for quantifying advective flux in wetlands. A direct approach involves use of seepage meters, which are the enclosures placed on the sediment surface to measure the flow over a small area. 

FIGURE 14.4 Schematic showing seepage cylinders placed together with one collection bag. (From Rosenberry, 2005.) 

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Figure 4 Graphic of a manual seepage meter deployed at the sediment-water interface. These meters can be constructed using the top of a 55 gallon drum. The collection bag serves as a fluid reservoir so that both inflow to and outflow from the sediments can be measured. Modified from Lee DR (1977) A device for measuring seepage in lakes and estuaries. Limnology and Oceanography 22 140-147.

Figure 5 Seepage rates at Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA, measured using a dye dilution automated seepage meter. Modified from Sholkovitz ER, Herbold C, and Charette MA (2003) An automated dye-dilution based seepage meter for the time-series measurement of submarine groundwater discharge. Limnology and Oceanography. Methods 1 17-29.

Figure 7 Plot comparing variations in SGD at Shelter Island, NY, between an automated seepage meter and the continuous radon method.

Paulsen RJ, Smith CF, O Rourke D, and Wong T (2001) Development and evaluation of an ultrasonic ground water seepage meter. Ground Water 39 904-911. 

Shinn EA, Reich CD, and Hickey TD (2002) Seepage meters and Bernoulli s revenge. Estuaries 25 126-132. 

Advective flux measurements can be conducted using seepage meter, piezometer, dye tracers, and radium or radon isotopes. 

Rosenberry, D. O. 2005. Integrating seepage heterogeneity with the nse of sanded seepage meter. Liminol. Oceanogr. Methods 3 131-138. 

Lee, D. R., and Cherry, J. A. (1978). A Field Exercise on Groundwater Flow Using Seepage Meters and Mini-Piezometers. J. Geol. Educ. 27, 6-10. 

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