A comparison of radon, heat tracer and head gradient methods to quantify surface water - groundwater exchange in a tidal wetland (Kooragang Island, Newcastle, Australia)

Subsurface flow plays an important role in the functioning of wetlands and in the maintenance of their ecosystem services. Specifically, the transport and exchange of dissolved matter between sediments and surface waters is regulated by subsurface flow, which can strongly affect ecological zonation and productivity. Having a quantitative understanding of this subsurface flow is therefore important. Field techniques based on Darcy's equation or natural tracers are often used separately to assess flows. Here, radon and heat (both natural groundwater tracers) and Darcy's equation are used simultaneously to quantify the subsurface flow in a tidal wetland (Kooragang Island, Newcastle, Australia) and the results of the independent methods are compared. A steady-state radon mass balance model indicated an overall net subsurface exfiltration of 10.2 +/- 4.2 cm/d while a 1D, vertical fluid heat transport model indicated a net exfiltration of 4.3 +/- 2.9 cm/d. Flow estimated from analysis of hydraulic heads indicated an exfiltration rate of 3.2 +/- 1.8 cm/d. The difference in flow rates is likely due to the localised measurement of the heat and head methods relative to radon, and therefore, these methods are less likely to capture zones of preferential subsurface flow. The main advantage of radon is that it provides the total subsurface flow regardless of the driving force. While head gradient or heat tracer method have the advantage of temporally quantify infiltration and exfiltration, we highlight that these methods may underestimate subsurface flows in highly dynamic coastal systems, such as tidal wetlands where a large portion of the subsurface flow is recirculated seawater. This could potentially lead to errors in solute flux estimates. This study highlights the importance of employing a multi-tracer approach and has implications towards quantifying the hydrological export of dissolved constituents (e.g., carbon and nitrogen) in coastal wetlands.

Automated summary

Subsurface flow is crucial for wetland functioning and ecosystem services, with various methods such as radon, heat, and Darcy's equation used to quantify flow rates. While radon provides total subsurface flow, other methods like head gradient and heat tracer may underestimate flow in dynamic coastal systems like tidal wetlands. Employing a multi-tracer approach is important for accurately quantifying hydrological export of dissolved constituents in coastal wetlands.