Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature

Ruba A.M. Mohamed; Chris Gabrielli; John S. Selker; Frank Selker; Scott C. Brooks; Tanzila Ahmed; Kenneth C. Carroll

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015

Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature

Ruba A.M. Mohamed, Chris Gabrielli, John S. Selker, Frank Selker, Scott C. Brooks, Tanzila Ahmed, Kenneth C. Carroll

Biogeochemical Dynamics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Measuring surface water temperature spatial variability is needed to estimate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, evaluate fish habitat and thermal inertia, and to estimate streamflow frequency and duration. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) has been used in rivers and lakes, providing high-resolution and sensitive temperature monitoring over large temporal and spatial scales. However, in streams with cobbly or bedrock-lined streambeds and variable bathymetry, use of FO-DTS to measure temperature close to the surface water and groundwater interface can be challenging if even feasible. FO-DTS can also be costly, involve difficult installations, and require an advanced understanding of the technology, calibration, and data processing. In this study, we compared FO-DTS stream temperature survey results to an alternative temperature survey method employing a towed transect of high-resolution temperature loggers spaced at 1-m and transported in the stream along the study reach, to measure the spatial distribution of stream-water temperature in East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We assessed the applicability and limitations of the two methods, and quantitatively compared in-situ temperature survey results measured simultaneously with each method. Regression results showed strong temporal and spatial correlation between the two methods. Differences were only elevated near the stream banks in areas that were coincident with correlation slope deviations from unity, which was attributed to shallower water and lower data density. Kriging standard errors were also low at channel center with minor increases near the stream banks. The results suggested that the array of the individual temperature sensors can provide a practical alternative to FO-DTS for thermal characterization of surface water, providing slightly lower spatial and temporal resolution, but with higher accuracy of temperature measurement, with greater simplicity, and with a broader range of conditions where it may be applied.

Original language	English
Article number	127015
Journal	Journal of Hydrology
Volume	603
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015
State	Published - Dec 2021

Funding

This work was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) managed by the Savannah River National Laboratory. Additional support was provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch project 1023257). A portion of this research was sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the Office of Science of the U.S. DOE, as part of the Critical Interfaces Science Focus Area project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). We thank CTEMPs, funded by the National Science Foundation (EAR awards 1832109 and 1832170), for timely and effective provision of experimental design support, logistical support and equipment for the project. Access to the temperature data are provided at CTEMPS.org, and DOE will provide public access to the EFPC data collected for federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan). ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with DOE. We appreciate the assistance of Cara Walter, Julie Huff, Ahmed Elaksher, Kenneth Lowe, Chris Kubicki, and Autumn Pearson. This work was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program (MSIPP) managed by the Savannah River National Laboratory. Additional support was provided by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch project 1023257). A portion of this research was sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research within the Office of Science of the U.S. DOE, as part of the Critical Interfaces Science Focus Area project at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). We thank CTEMPs, funded by the National Science Foundation (EAR awards 1832109 and 1832170), for timely and effective provision of experimental design support, logistical support and equipment for the project. Access to the temperature data are provided at CTEMPS.org, and DOE will provide public access to the EFPC data collected for federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ). ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with DOE. We appreciate the assistance of Cara Walter, Julie Huff, Ahmed Elaksher, Kenneth Lowe, Chris Kubicki, and Autumn Pearson.

Keywords

DTS
Distributed Temperature Sensing
Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing
Hyporheic
Stream temperature
Temperature sensor

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015

Cite this

@article{216d7eaf18b141e88a620f9c9e1679e8,

title = "Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature",

abstract = "Measuring surface water temperature spatial variability is needed to estimate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, evaluate fish habitat and thermal inertia, and to estimate streamflow frequency and duration. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) has been used in rivers and lakes, providing high-resolution and sensitive temperature monitoring over large temporal and spatial scales. However, in streams with cobbly or bedrock-lined streambeds and variable bathymetry, use of FO-DTS to measure temperature close to the surface water and groundwater interface can be challenging if even feasible. FO-DTS can also be costly, involve difficult installations, and require an advanced understanding of the technology, calibration, and data processing. In this study, we compared FO-DTS stream temperature survey results to an alternative temperature survey method employing a towed transect of high-resolution temperature loggers spaced at 1-m and transported in the stream along the study reach, to measure the spatial distribution of stream-water temperature in East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We assessed the applicability and limitations of the two methods, and quantitatively compared in-situ temperature survey results measured simultaneously with each method. Regression results showed strong temporal and spatial correlation between the two methods. Differences were only elevated near the stream banks in areas that were coincident with correlation slope deviations from unity, which was attributed to shallower water and lower data density. Kriging standard errors were also low at channel center with minor increases near the stream banks. The results suggested that the array of the individual temperature sensors can provide a practical alternative to FO-DTS for thermal characterization of surface water, providing slightly lower spatial and temporal resolution, but with higher accuracy of temperature measurement, with greater simplicity, and with a broader range of conditions where it may be applied.",

keywords = "DTS, Distributed Temperature Sensing, Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing, Hyporheic, Stream temperature, Temperature sensor",

author = "Mohamed, \{Ruba A.M.\} and Chris Gabrielli and Selker, \{John S.\} and Frank Selker and Brooks, \{Scott C.\} and Tanzila Ahmed and Carroll, \{Kenneth C.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015",

language = "English",

volume = "603",

journal = "Journal of Hydrology",

issn = "0022-1694",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature

AU - Mohamed, Ruba A.M.

AU - Gabrielli, Chris

AU - Selker, John S.

AU - Selker, Frank

AU - Brooks, Scott C.

AU - Ahmed, Tanzila

AU - Carroll, Kenneth C.

PY - 2021/12

Y1 - 2021/12

N2 - Measuring surface water temperature spatial variability is needed to estimate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, evaluate fish habitat and thermal inertia, and to estimate streamflow frequency and duration. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) has been used in rivers and lakes, providing high-resolution and sensitive temperature monitoring over large temporal and spatial scales. However, in streams with cobbly or bedrock-lined streambeds and variable bathymetry, use of FO-DTS to measure temperature close to the surface water and groundwater interface can be challenging if even feasible. FO-DTS can also be costly, involve difficult installations, and require an advanced understanding of the technology, calibration, and data processing. In this study, we compared FO-DTS stream temperature survey results to an alternative temperature survey method employing a towed transect of high-resolution temperature loggers spaced at 1-m and transported in the stream along the study reach, to measure the spatial distribution of stream-water temperature in East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We assessed the applicability and limitations of the two methods, and quantitatively compared in-situ temperature survey results measured simultaneously with each method. Regression results showed strong temporal and spatial correlation between the two methods. Differences were only elevated near the stream banks in areas that were coincident with correlation slope deviations from unity, which was attributed to shallower water and lower data density. Kriging standard errors were also low at channel center with minor increases near the stream banks. The results suggested that the array of the individual temperature sensors can provide a practical alternative to FO-DTS for thermal characterization of surface water, providing slightly lower spatial and temporal resolution, but with higher accuracy of temperature measurement, with greater simplicity, and with a broader range of conditions where it may be applied.

AB - Measuring surface water temperature spatial variability is needed to estimate the interaction between surface water and groundwater, evaluate fish habitat and thermal inertia, and to estimate streamflow frequency and duration. Fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) has been used in rivers and lakes, providing high-resolution and sensitive temperature monitoring over large temporal and spatial scales. However, in streams with cobbly or bedrock-lined streambeds and variable bathymetry, use of FO-DTS to measure temperature close to the surface water and groundwater interface can be challenging if even feasible. FO-DTS can also be costly, involve difficult installations, and require an advanced understanding of the technology, calibration, and data processing. In this study, we compared FO-DTS stream temperature survey results to an alternative temperature survey method employing a towed transect of high-resolution temperature loggers spaced at 1-m and transported in the stream along the study reach, to measure the spatial distribution of stream-water temperature in East Fork Poplar Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. We assessed the applicability and limitations of the two methods, and quantitatively compared in-situ temperature survey results measured simultaneously with each method. Regression results showed strong temporal and spatial correlation between the two methods. Differences were only elevated near the stream banks in areas that were coincident with correlation slope deviations from unity, which was attributed to shallower water and lower data density. Kriging standard errors were also low at channel center with minor increases near the stream banks. The results suggested that the array of the individual temperature sensors can provide a practical alternative to FO-DTS for thermal characterization of surface water, providing slightly lower spatial and temporal resolution, but with higher accuracy of temperature measurement, with greater simplicity, and with a broader range of conditions where it may be applied.

KW - DTS

KW - Distributed Temperature Sensing

KW - Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing

KW - Hyporheic

KW - Stream temperature

KW - Temperature sensor

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116685762&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015

DO - 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.127015

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85116685762

SN - 0022-1694

VL - 603

JO - Journal of Hydrology

JF - Journal of Hydrology

M1 - 127015

ER -

Comparison of fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing and high-sensitivity sensor spatial surveying of stream temperature

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this