In a project funded by the University of Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, researchers are experimenting with pumping hot water into a well in order to measure flow of groundwater through the well. The hot water disperses into the surrounding aquifers at varying rates, depending on the water flow. A special instrument can measure the water along the full length of an optical cable simultaneously. The faster the flow of groundwater, the quicker the hot water will disperse. This is a complementary tool that can be combined with other geophysical methods of determining groundwater flow in aquifers.
