Journal of the Korean Geo-Environmental Society ISSN:1598-0820(Print) 2714-1233(Online) 한국지반환경공학회 논문집

This study extends the Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) application to delineate the saturated zones in shallow sediment and evaluate the groundwater flow in both downward and upward directions. Dry, partially and fully saturated zones and water level in the subsurface can be recognized from this study. High resolution seepage velocity in vertical direction was estimated from the temperature data in the fully saturated zone. By a single profile, water level can be detected and seepage velocity in saturated zone can be estimated. Furthermore, thermal gradient analysis serves as a new technique to verify unsaturated and saturated zones in the subsurface. The vertical seepage velocity distribution in the recognized saturated zone is then analyzed with improvement of Bredehoeft and Papaopulos’ model. This new approach provides promising potential in real-time monitoring of groundwater movement.