An ADTS Toolbox for Automatically Interpreting Active Distributed Temperature Sensing Measurements

Abstract

Active distributed temperature sensing (ADTS) experiments are very useful to provide in-situ and distributed estimates of thermal conductivities of the subsurface and of groundwater flows. However, the data interpretation can be seen as difficult considering the large amount of data collected along a heated fiber-optic cable and the lack of associated tools for their automated analysis. In this context, we developed an automated routine program for the interpretation of ADTS measurements: the ADTS Toolbox. It contains several codes written in MATLAB that calculate, for each measurement point located along a heated section, both the thermal conductivity of the surrounding material and the groundwater flux. In addition, it provides uncertainties on the estimated thermal conductivities and fluxes according to the temperature resolution (noise) or to errors on temperature measurements. By offering the possibility of automatically interpreting ADTS measurements, the ADTS Toolbox facilitates the use and interpretation of ADTS experiments for characterizing at high resolution the groundwater flows distribution and for imaging the thermal conductivities variability.