Author(s): Paul Kinzel; Jonathan Nelson; Martin Briggs
Linked Author(s): Jonathan Nelson
Keywords: No Keywords
Abstract: The utility of Fiber Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (FO-DTS) as a technique for detecting the infiltration of fines into coarser sediment was investigated in a laboratory flume. A 10 m fiber optic cable was placed in the flume with one half of the cable buried in various substrates (gravel, sand, and mixtures of the two) along the length of the flume, while the other half was placed at the sediment/water interface. Water in the tail tank was heated for 12 hr and then the heater was shut off for 12 hr. Water from the tank was circulated through the flume during this cycle and a temperature profile was recorded along the entire FO cable. Our data indicated a small but detectable difference between the temperature measured in the buried half of the cable versus that measured at the interface due to relatively high porosity and thermal diffusivity of the gravel. The temperature difference between the buried and interface cables was more pronounced for the sand substrate due to dampened thermal transmission through the finer media. Mixtures of gravel with incremental volumes of sand produced intermediate responses. Taken together, these experiments suggest that FO-DTS could be used to detect the infiltration of fines into coarser materials and could be applied for continuous monitoring of habitat restoration sites.
Year: 2018