Development of a Radon/Nitrate Mapping System for a Large Scale Assessment of Submarine Groundwater Discharge and Non-Point Source Pollution to Coastal Waters

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been increasingly recognized as a pathway of non- point source pollution to coastal areas. Measurements of groundwater and nutrient fluxes are used to estimate fluxes on larger scales. In this project, researchers are using a system that employs radon as an SGD tracer and a continuous nitrate analyzer for large scale surveying. This system will be integrated with a GPS and is expected to offer significant advantages over existing radon mapping methods. The end result will include maps showing the magnitude of groundwater discharge and nitrate concentration, thus helping to identify areas where SGD and non-point source pollution are important.