1 research outputs found
High-Speed Limnology: Using Advanced Sensors to Investigate Spatial Variability in Biogeochemistry and Hydrology
Advanced sensor technology is widely
used in aquatic monitoring
and research. Most applications focus on temporal variability, whereas
spatial variability has been challenging to document. We assess the
capability of water chemistry sensors embedded in a high-speed water
intake system to document spatial variability. This new sensor platform
continuously samples surface water at a range of speeds (0 to >45
km h<sup>–1</sup>) resulting in high-density, mesoscale spatial
data. These novel observations reveal previously unknown variability
in physical, chemical, and biological factors in streams, rivers,
and lakes. By combining multiple sensors into one platform, we were
able to detect terrestrial–aquatic hydrologic connections in
a small dystrophic lake, to infer the role of main-channel vs backwater
nutrient processing in a large river and to detect sharp chemical
changes across aquatic ecosystem boundaries in a stream/lake complex.
Spatial sensor data were verified in our examples by comparing with
standard lab-based measurements of selected variables. Spatial fDOM
data showed strong correlation with wet chemistry measurements of
DOC, and optical NO<sub>3</sub> concentrations were highly correlated
with lab-based measurements. High-frequency spatial data similar to
our examples could be used to further understand aquatic biogeochemical
fluxes, ecological patterns, and ecosystem processes, and will both
inform and benefit from fixed-site data