/ DEVELOPMENT OF VoST - CONTINUITY DEVICE AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE QUANTIFICATION OF SUBMARINE GROUNDWATER DISCHARGE (SGD) B. M. Mwashote & W. C. Burnett; Department of Oceanography, Florida State University REFERENCES Burnett, W. C., Bokuwniewicz, H., Huettel, M., Moore, W. S. and Taniguchi, M Groundwater and pore water inputs to the coastal zone. Biogeochemistry, 66(1-2), 3-33 Hornberger G. M., Raffensperger J. P., Wiberg P. L. and Eshleman K. N Elements of Physical Hydrology. Johns Hopkins Univ. Pr. ISBN: CONCLUSIONS 1. Preliminary experiments have shown that VoST is a viable SGD device that can potentially provide an inexpensive efficient method for estimation of SGD. 2. For best results to be realized when using the VoST – continuity SGD device, preliminary experiments have shown that the following conditions are to be observed as closely as possible: Use of high quality sensors that will provide high resolution temperature (or salinity) measurements, depending on which conservative property of SGD is used for the model. When temperature is used as the conservative SGD property for the model, the benthic chamber used need to be of the highest possible insulative (non-heat conducting) material to ensure negligible gain or loss of heat with respect to the surrounding. It is assumed that the temperature difference between the sensors within the benthic chamber is solely driven by SGD flux. For optimum results with the model, the maximum deployed benthic chamber height above the water-sediment interface should be ≤ 5cm, and its cross section area and outlet at the top need to be of optimum size (not too large). This effectively minimizes any potential interference that might arise within the chamber from possible external turbulence due to the usually low SGD rates. For the model to provide reliable results there must be a measurable difference between the two sensor measurements. Such differences should be at least greater than the detection limits of the sensors (the greater the difference, the better). When temperature is used as the conservative SGD property for the model, only the linear section (of the temperature vs. time plot) is to be used. The minimum time interval (∆t) chosen should be such as to allow for the seepage water (groundwater) to have completely traveled the distance between the two sensors.Further work is still required on the VoST – continuity device to improve its overall capabilty ABSTRACT The challenge posed by the need to accurately quantify submarine groundwater discharge (SGD), has led to the currently continuing efforts by scientists for search of suitable tools or approaches that could be reliably used for this purpose. In this paper, we report for the first time, an inexpensive but efficient novel device that we have recently developed at the Florida State University’s Oceanography Department, which could potentially be used for the quantification of SGD. The operation of this device, VoST, is based on the law of conservation of mass and the application of continuity principle. It uses the basic conservative water properties: volume, salinity and temperature, from where it also derives its acronym. Preliminary inter-calibration SGD assessments between VoST and other traditional SGD techniques such as, seepmeters and geotracers (222Rn model), have been found to be in reasonably close agreement. INTRODUCTION The exchange between groundwater seepage and overlying surface waters has become increasingly important due to potential impacts resulting from anthropogenic land uses. Terrestrial groundwater originates inland and carries with it contaminants or nutrients, dissolved or colloidal, that have the potential to impact the chemical budget of surface water ecosystems, including nearshore coastal environments. This impact, both chemical and physical may be heightened in smaller bodies of water such as embayments or lagoons due to their limited volume and restricted fluid exchange with the open ocean. In view of the importance of SGD, there is an increasing need for development of better and inexpensive methods that can provide accurate SGD measurements. In this study, an inexpensive innovative SGD continuity device, VoST, is described. MATERIALS AND METHODS PRELIMINARY RESULTS Figure 1: Time-series temperature variations within the benthic chamber during SGD determination using VoST at FSUCML, 31Oct – 04Nov Principles and assumptions The Volume-Salinity-Temperature – SGD (VoST) model equation is derived on the following scientific basis: The laws of continuity (Hornberger et al. 1998) or conservation of mass (or volume in this case), and energy (heat) apply since a benthic chamber is considered to be a (semi) closed system (i.e. Q 1 = Q 2 = Q 3 = Q = qA = constant, and ρ 1 C 1 V 1 T 1 + ρ 2 C 2 (V-V 1 )T 2 = ρ 3 C 3 VT 3 ), SGD flux at the sediment-water interface is assumed to be constant (at least during the period of assessment or measurement) from an infinite reservoir (aquifer), The gain or loss of salinity within the experimental benthic chamber is only influenced by the exchange that begins at the sediment-water interface into the chamber, All the SGD flux from the bottom of the benthic chamber is compensated for by loss through the outlet at the top of the chamber, The overall salinity fluctuation within the benthic chamber is solely driven by the salinity of SGD flux, i.e., the salinity of the incoming water (groundwater) is different from the overlying water. Figure 2 : Estimation on of SGD using VoST at FSUCML (Overall mean calculated SGD value for the plot =19.6 ± 7.3 cm/day) Figure 3 : Temperature sensors without bottom barrier Figure 4 : Temperature sensors with bottom barrier Table 1: Previous SGD estimations at FSUCML with independent methods (cf. Overall mean estimated SGD value using VoST = 19.6 ± 7.3 cm/day; 01 – 09Nov 2007) Figure 5: FSUCML values using Rn and Ra isotopes, from Burnett et al. (2003)