Chris Reich; Don Hickey; Ann Tihansky
The objective of this research was to determine the rate, direction of flow, and contamination levels of saline groundwater in the Florida Keys and Florida Bay. Contamination studies are necessary to determine if nutrient and other contaminant levels are rising and to provide a baseline of data for future decision making.
Reese, R. S.; Reich, C. D.
Vacher, H. L.; Shinn, E. A.
Rose, J. B.; Brown, J.; Shinn, E. A.; Miller, S.; Farrah, S. R.
Rose, J. B.; Jiang, S.; Kellogg, C.; Shinn, E. A.
For the seepage meter experiment in south Florida (Florida Bay, Florida Keys) a new design of seepage meters was developed. A fiberglass mold (~70cm x 70cm) was constructed from an off-the-shelf household skylight. Approximately 60 seepage domes were constructed and installed at various locations throughout the study region. Because the study regions underlying Pleistocene limestone is very heterogeneous several domes were installed in certain locations to combat hydrogeologic variations which control flow in and out of the subsurface. The fiberglass seepage meter provided a rigid frame which was then mounted to the bare rock seafloor throughout Florida Bay and along the Keys. Portland cement was mixed and used to seal the edges of the fiberglass domes. A hole was previously cut in the dome top to be used for connecting a plastic bag: the preferred bag was a turkey basting bag because of its construction material.
Seepage Meter Flux Measurements:
After domes were in place and the cement had cured, basting bags were placed on domes. These bags were left on the dome for a 24hr period and subsequently removed and the volume in the bag measured with a calibrated graduated cylinder. Knowing the volume over the 24 hour period and the area of the seepage meter a flux (L/m2/d) could be calculated. These measurements were recorded and placed in spreadsheets to determine variations by location and other environmental factors (i.e., rain, tide, and wave).
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
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