This research attempts to identify groundwater seep locations along the shelf waters off of South Carolina. The information will enable researchers to conduct fieldwork to quantify submarine groundwater discharge, and the contribution of that discharge to water quality issues. Scientists and managers concerned with nutrient fluxes, pollutant transport, and water column stratification will benefit from knowing the location of these seeps.
The investigators will focus their work in the Grand Strand area of South Carolina, and will address the following questions: (1) What controls the locations of seeps?; (2) Are paleochannels good hydraulic conduits or do they inhibit shore-parallel migration of pore fluids?; (3) Is there a relationship between reef-supporting hard grounds and seep locations?; (4) What are the basic water quality characteristics of the pore waters in inner shelf seeps?; and (5) Where are the best locations to install monitoring well/seepage meters? The answers to these questions are important because of the linkage between the region’s strong tourism-based economy and water quality issues that are of significant economic importance.