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Hydrogeological Control On Spatial Patterns Of Groundwater Seepage In Peatlands, Danielle K. Hare

Masters Theses

Groundwater seepage to surface water is an important process to peatland ecosystems; however, the processes controlling seepage zone distribution and magnitude are not well understood. This lack of process-based understanding makes degraded peatland ecosystems difficult to restore and problematic for resource managers developing a sustainable design. Degraded peatlands, particularly abandoned cranberry farms, often have drainage ditches, applied surface sand, and decreased stream sinuosity to artificially lower the water table and support agriculture. These modifications disconnect the surface and groundwater continuum, which decreases thermal buffering of surface water significantly. The combination of a decreased influx of thermally buffered groundwater, a naturally …