Advances in Catchment Science, Hydrochemistry, and Aquatic Ecology Enabled by High-Frequency Water Quality Measurements
Magdalena Bieroza, Suman Acharya, Jakob Benisch, Rebecca Naomi ter Borg, Lukas Hallberg, Camilla Negri, Abagael N. Pruitt, Matthias Pucher, Felipe Saavedra, Kasia J. Staniszewska, Sofie Gyritia Weitzmann van't Veen, Anna E. S. Vincent, Carolin Winter, N. B. Basu, Helen P. Jarvie, James W. Kirchner
Abstract
automated measurements of water quality constituents, including both solutes and particulates, at unprecedented frequencies from seconds to subdaily sampling intervals. This detailed chemical information can be combined with measurements of hydrological and biogeochemical processes, bringing new insights into the sources, transport pathways, and transformation processes of solutes and particulates in complex catchments and along the aquatic continuum. Here, we summarize established and emerging high-frequency water quality technologies, outline key high-frequency hydrochemical data sets, and review scientific advances in key focus areas enabled by the rapid development of high-frequency water quality measurements in streams and rivers. Finally, we discuss future directions and challenges for using high-frequency water quality measurements to bridge scientific and management gaps by promoting a holistic understanding of freshwater systems and catchment status, health, and function.