The temperature of the water in the reservoir can be used as a natural tracer of seepage in zoned earth dams. When the seepage velocity is low, the temperatures in a dam are controlled by heat conduction solely. However, for higher seepage velocities, the temperatures are also controlled by advection defined as heat transport by water along a flow line. Temperature measurements were made in dyke QA-01 in northern Quebec, Canada. The field measurements revealed the existence of a zone in the impervious core with significant temperature variations suggesting higher seepage velocities. A coupled seepage and thermal transfer finite element analysis with advective heat transfer was performed to examine the field response. The parametric analysis yielded values of hydraulic conductivities of the core consistent with the field data and supported the view that the seepage conditions were acceptable for the safety of the earth structure.
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