Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing data collected for improved mapping and monitoring of contaminated groundwater discharges along the upper Quashnet River, Mashpee and Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA 2020

Publication Date

2023-02-07

Start Date

2022-06-14

End Date

2022-06-20

Briggs, M.A., Rey, D., Johnson, C., Moore, H., Marble, K., Slater, L., and Iery, R., 2023, Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing data collected for improved mapping and monitoring of contaminated groundwater discharges along the upper Quashnet River, Mashpee and Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA 2020: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P96KF0L2.

Temperature data were collected to infer where groundwater may be entering surface water through submerged preferential groundwater discharges. Groundwater temperature is typically unique from ambient surface water temperature in Massachusetts, USA in summer, and therefore seepage locations might be recognized via temperature anomalies and/or areas of buffered temperature change. Simple summary streambed interface temperature statistics are often used to indicate potential zones of preferential groundwater discharge that are then further investigated in the field with independent measurements of temperature, chemistry, and/or groundwater discharge flux. The ESRI shapefile contained in this release details the estimated spatial locations of preferential groundwater discharge zones as indicated by the FO-DTS data and from 'roving' handheld thermal infrared imaging. Thermal infrared data were not actually saved and preserved, rather thermal anomalies associated with potential discharge zones were identified in real time using the camera display screen.The shapefile data are included for demonstration purposes only and are not meant to represent an exhaustive spatial mapping of preferential groundwater discharge zones across the site.

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• USGS Data Release Products
• USGS Hydrogeophysics Branch

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