Sapelo Research Application Form
Research Application ID: GCE-9-2011 (submitted: 05/23/2011, status: approved)
Provide a brief title for web display
Cabretta Island Groundwater Monitoring
Investigator Information
On Island Sponsor: GCE SINERR UGAMI GADNR
| Principal Investigator: | Alicia M. Wilson | ||
| Home Institution: | University of South Carolina | ||
| Award Information: | NSF (Hydrology) $560k (USC and UGA) | ||
| Mailing Address: | Department of Geological Sciences | Phone Number: | (803) 777-1240 |
| University of South Carolina | E-mail Address: | awilson@geol.sc.edu | |
| Columbia, South Carolina 29208 | |||
| Co-investigators: | Samantha B. Joye (University of Georgia), Willard S. Moore (University of South Carolina) | ||
Briefly describe the project goals and methodology
The project is designed to quantify groundwater flow and chemical exchange in a barrier island. This exchange has important implications for salt water intrusion, salt marsh ecosystems, and water quality in the estuary and coastal ocean. The project also focuses on how storms alter subsurface fluid and chemical fluxes.
Piezometers and a rain gauge installed at the site are instrumented with dataloggers to monitor subsurface conditions (hydraulic head, temperature, salinity) and to record precipitation data. The piezometers are also sampled for Ra tracers and a suite of biogeochemical parameters. Wells must be periodically re-installed on the beach, because of rapid erosion at the site. Ongoing biogeochemical work also requires periodic installation of shallow piezometers.
Where will the project be located?
The well transect runs across Cabretta Island, from 31.42592 -81.2480 to 31.42505 -81.2460. There is a rain gauge at 31.42573 -81.2472.
How will you provide GPS coordinates for study sites?
I will provide a GIS file describing my study sites (ArcGIS shapefile, Google Earth KML/KMZ)
What are the expected start and end dates of the project?
Start Date: 01/01/2008 End Date: (ongoing)
How many people will access the site and at what frequency?
2 people for 1 day every quarter; 4 people for 4 days once a year.
Keywords that describe your project
What equipment will be deployed in the field?
Wells (piezometers) with dataloggers to record water levels. Re-installation of wells lost from the eroding beach may require a gas-powered pump, vibracore, and hand-augers, but these do not remain at the site.
Will plants or animals be collected as part of this study?
None
What are the likely impacts of the project on the site?
Placement of wells. They can be removed or plugged should the project end, but they are intended as long-term monitoring infrastructure.
Will the project design include boardwalks? If not, explain why not.
No. The wells have already been installed, so a couple of people walking out to them 3 or 4 times a year will not alter the marsh a lot.
How long will impacts persist after the research is concluded?
The wells in the marsh are durable and can last 15-20 years. Wells are eroded out of the beach in 2-3 years (or less). If we stop monitoring the wells, I will either transfer their care to another PI or remove them.
Research Permits:
Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division: 012712.0253pm_LOPmonitoringwells (02/24/2012-02/24/2015)
Study Area Map:
Files attached to this application
GCE-9-2011_Maps_Wilson_cabretta_study_2011.kmz (Compressed KML file, 3.11 kb, submitted 03/05/2012)
