Nutrient and Radium Fluxes from Submarine Groundwater Discharge to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina |
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| Authors: | Andrew M Crotwell Willard S Moore |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Geological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA |
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| Abstract: | Water exchange between the coastal ocean and underlying aquifers provides a newly-recognized source of materials to the ocean. The flux of materials into the ocean from this process is termed submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Both surficial and semi-confined aquifers contribute to SGD. Here we use 226Ra and 228Ra to quantify fluxes of SGD to Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, and to separate fluxes from the Upper Floridan (UFA) and surficial aquifers. Higher activity ratios of 228/226Ra in the surficial aquifer make this separation possible. We estimate total SGD fluxes of about 100 m3 s-1 with about 80% being derived from the surficial aquifer. The SGD flux provides about1.8 × 106 mol d-1 of NH4 with almost 90% from the surficial aquifer. Because of strong differences in the concentration of PO4 within the UFA, PO4 fluxes areless certain. Using the UFA wells with low PO4 concentrations yields a flux of 1.2 × 105 mol d-1; using wells with high concentrations yields a flux of 2.0 × 105 mol d-1. In the first case virtually all of the PO4 flux is from the surficial aquifer; in the second case, 40% is from the UFA.The UFA in this region has experienced dramatic changes as a result of withdrawals for human use. Prior to these withdrawals, total nutrient fluxes from the UFA may have been even larger. These changes in the UFA and similar coastal aquifers worldwide have the potential to significantly alter a major nutrient source for the coastal ocean. |
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| Keywords: | submarine groundwater discharge radium nutrients Port Royal Sound Upper Floridan Aquifer |
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