Electrical Resistivity and Seismic Characterization of Submarine Groundwater Discharge in Long Bay, SC

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been identified as a significant contributor of dissolved nutrients and contaminants to near-shore waters. Little is known, however, about geologic controls on the spatial distribution of SGD seeps. Discharge estimates are typically derived from geochemical tracers such as Rn-222. Such estimates of total fluxes over a given area do not consider the potential for spatial variability in discharge rates. Higher fluxes of chemically distinct SGD over smaller areas could have complex effects on localized water masses, ecosystems, and geological features. In an effort to assess the distribution of SGD, electrical resistivity and seismic surveys were conducted along the inner shelf of Long Bay, South Carolina during a series of cruises between October, 2005 and November 2006. In addition, basic bottom water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, and pH were measured. Preliminary submarine groundwater flux estimates for northern Long Bay were also generated from measurements of Rn-222. The resistivity signal is highly variable along shore with several instances of elevated values suggesting presence of relatively fresher pore waters. In some cases, elevated resistivity measurements were spatially co-registered with seismically defined paleochannels extending across the shelf. Other areas of elevated resistivity values correlate with smaller discontinuities in seismic reflectors. A third category of resistivity anomalies does not correlate with seismically defined features. Overall, anomaly frequency and intensity decrease rapidly with increasing distance from shore. At distances > 1 km from shore, the resistivity signal is uniform in space and low in magnitude, implying less of a fresh water contribution. Water quality parameters are variable along shore and may reflect the influence of SGD. Rn-derived fluxes suggest SGD equivalent to as much as 50% of riverine discharge into Long Bay. Ongoing work is focused on sampling pore water in a variety of geologic settings for redox conditions, nutrients and Rn-222. This information will ultimately provide the basis for determination of SGD-related nutrient fluxes to nearshore waters.