Fog collection Protocol development in Springbrook National Park: Springwater groundwater monitoring and modelling

Supervisor: Assoc Prof Lucy Reading

The area of focus is a part of a larger, ongoing project in collaboration with Gold Coast City Council and the groundwater monitoring initiative within Springbrook National Park, aiming to understand the resilience of the groundwater aquifers associated with the World Heritage rainforest areas. The primary focus of this VRES project is to develop a testing protocol for the custom designed harp fog collector, which incorporates a slightly augmented vertical fibre harp utilising co-fibre pair strings. This protocol  includes field testing and statistical analysis to determine the efficiency of the fog collector. Fog is considered to be a significant water source, alleviating water stress in vegetation. Fog monitoring research is largely restricted to coastal and dryland communities. However, there is minimal research into the influence of fog in open eucalyptforest and, subtropical and temperate rainforests. Insight into the ecological role of fog will assist in better understanding the water sources within Springbrook National Park. The design selection criteria for the fog collectors prioritised collection efficiency, influenced by factors such as orientation, material selection, collector and wire configuration and wire diameter. The selection criteria also required the design to have been previously successfully tested. Testing sites also influence the efficiency of the collectors and were selected based on a multitude of geographical and environmental factors such as the topography, soil moisture content, proximity to water bodies and wind patterns. The success of the fog collectors is determined by the efficiency of the fog collectors, defined by the aerodynamic and deposition efficiencies. This research will contribute to a better understanding of fog’s role in maintaining water sources and groundwater resilience within rainforest ecosystems. It is expected that future research on this topic will provide valuable insights into the water dynamics in Springbrook National Park.