Variable 222Rn emanation rates in an alluvial aquifer: Limits on using 222Rn as a tracer of surface water – Groundwater interactions
dc.contributor.author
Peel, Morgan
dc.contributor.author
Kipfer, Rolf
dc.contributor.author
Hunkeler, Daniel
dc.contributor.author
Brunner, Philip
dc.date.accessioned
2022-04-22T14:53:16Z
dc.date.available
2022-04-14T02:56:17Z
dc.date.available
2022-04-22T14:53:16Z
dc.date.issued
2022-06-20
dc.identifier.issn
0009-2541
dc.identifier.issn
1872-6836
dc.identifier.other
10.1016/j.chemgeo.2022.120829
en_US
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/542353
dc.description.abstract
Radon-222 (222Rn) is routinely used as a tracer of surface water (SW) – groundwater (GW) interactions. However, methods that rely on this tracer to quantify SW-GW exchange fluxes, GW residence time, SW-GW mixing ratios, or GW flow velocities usually depend on the assumption of spatially constant 222Rn production within aquifers and/or hyporheic sediments. In the present study, we measure the natural variability of 222Rn emanation rates in a highly instrumented alluvial aquifer and underline some important issues in assuming homogenous 222Rn production in alluvial systems. A robust experimental setup was used to determine 222Rn emanation rates from sediments. High-resolution measurements reveal that 222Rn emanation rates are highest within the first few meters below the surface. These results have significant implications for the interpretation of 222Rn activities in GW, notably in the vicinity of infiltration zones, as changes in hydraulic conditions can lead to variations in 222Rn signatures that can only be resolved with proper knowledge of the spatial distribution of 222Rn production rates. In such contexts, the assumption of constant 222Rn production leads to an inadequate understanding of SW infiltration patterns, and biased 222Rn-based estimates of SW-GW exchange.
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
Elsevier
en_US
dc.subject
Radon emanation
en_US
dc.subject
Surface water – groundwater interactions
en_US
dc.subject
Environmental tracers
en_US
dc.subject
Groundwater residence time
en_US
dc.title
Variable 222Rn emanation rates in an alluvial aquifer: Limits on using 222Rn as a tracer of surface water – Groundwater interactions
en_US
dc.type
Journal Article
dc.date.published
2022-04-06
ethz.journal.title
Chemical Geology
ethz.journal.volume
599
en_US
ethz.journal.abbreviated
Chem. geol.
ethz.pages.start
120829
en_US
ethz.size
12 p.
en_US
ethz.identifier.wos
ethz.identifier.scopus
ethz.publication.place
Amsterdam
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.date.deposited
2022-04-14T02:56:23Z
ethz.source
SCOPUS
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Metadata only
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2022-04-22T14:53:23Z
ethz.rosetta.lastUpdated
2023-02-07T00:55:33Z
ethz.rosetta.versionExported
true
ethz.COinS
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Journal Article [133472]