Release of CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} from small wetland lakes in western Siberia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Repo, M.E.; Huttunen, J.T.; Martikainen, P.J. [Univ. of Kuopio, Dept. of Env ironmental Science, FI-70211 Kuopio (Finland); Naumov, A.V.; Chichulin, A.V. [I nst. of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Russian Academy of Science, 630099 Novos ibirsk (Russian Federation); Lapshina, E.D. [Yugra State Univ., 628012, Khanty-Mansiysk (Russian Federation); Bleuten , W. [Utrecht Univ., Dept. of Physical Geography,3508 TC Utrecht (Netherlands)

2007-11-15

CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} fluxes were measured from three small wetland lakes located in the middle taiga and forest tundra zones on West Siberian Lowlands (WSL), the world's largest wetland area. Fluxes were measured during summer 2005 using floating chambers and were validated against the thin boundary layer model based on the relationship between gas exchange and wind speed. All studied lakes were supersaturated with CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}, and acted on a seasonal basis as sources of these greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Daily mean CO{sub 2} fluxes measured with chambers ranged from near the zero to 3.1 g CO{sub 2}/m{sup 2}/d and corresponding CH{sub 4} fluxes from 1.1 to 120 mg CH{sub 4}/m{sup 2}/d. CH{sub 4} ebullition (0.65-11 mg CH{sub 4}/m{sup 2}/d) was detected in two of the lakes. Total carbon evasion from the studied lakes during the active season was 23-66 g C/m{sup 2}, of which more than 90% was released as CO{sub 2}-C. The carbon loss per unit area from the studied lakes was of similar magnitude as previously reported values of net carbon uptake of Siberian peatlands. This emphasizes the importance of small water-bodies in the carbon balance of West Siberian landscape.

Biotic controls on CO2 and CH4 exchange in wetlands - a closed environment study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, TR; Panikov, N; Mastepanov, M

2003-01-01

Wetlands are significant sources of the important greenhouse gas CH4. Here we explore the use of an experimental system developed for the determination of continuous fluxes of CO2 and CH4 in closed ecosystem monoliths including the capture of (CO2)-C-14 and (CH4)-C-14 following pulse labelling...... with (CO2)-C-14. We show that, in the ecosystem studied, ebullition (bubble emission) may account for 18 to 50% of the total CH4 emission, representing fluxes that have been difficult to estimate accurately in the past. Furthermore, using plant removal and C-14 labelling techniques, we use the system....../atmosphere interactions, including possible feedback effects on climate change. In recent years much attention has been devoted to ascertaining and subsequently using the relationship between net ecosystem productivity and CH4 emission as a basis for extrapolation of fluxes across large areas. The experimental system...

(CH4)-C-14 Measurements in Greenland Ice: Investigating Last Glacial Termination CH4 Sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petrenko, V. V.; Smith, A. M.; Brook, E. J.

2009-01-01

by direct cosmogenic C-14 production in ice. C-14 of CO was measured to better understand this process and correct the sample (CH4)-C-14. Corrected results suggest that wetland sources were likely responsible for the majority of the Younger Dryas-Preboreal CH4 rise.......The cause of a large increase of atmospheric methane concentration during the Younger Dryas-Preboreal abrupt climatic transition (similar to 11,600 years ago) has been the subject of much debate. The carbon-14 (C-14) content of methane ((CH4)-C-14) should distinguish between wetland and clathrate...... contributions to this increase. We present measurements of (CH4)-C-14 in glacial ice, targeting this transition, performed by using ice samples obtained from an ablation site in west Greenland. Measured (CH4)-C-14 values were higher than predicted under any scenario. Sample (CH4)-C-14 appears to be elevated...

Interannual variation in methane emissions from tropical wetlands triggered by repeated El Niño Southern Oscillation

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Zhu, Qiuan; Peng, Changhui; Ciais, Philippe; Jiang, Hong; Liu, Jinxun; Bousquet, Philippe; Li, Shiqin; Chang, Jie; Fang, Xiuqin; Zhou, Xiaolu; Chen, Huai; Liu, Shirong; Lin, Guanghui; Gong, Peng; Wang, Meng; Wang, Han; Xiang, Wenhua; Chen, Jing

2017-01-01

Methane (CH4) emissions from tropical wetlands contribute 60%–80% of global natural wetland CH4 emissions. Decreased wetland CH4 emissions can act as a negative feedback mechanism for future climate warming and vice versa. The impact of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on CH4 emissions from wetlands remains poorly quantified at both regional and global scales, and El Niño events are expected to become more severe based on climate models’ projections. We use a process-based model of global wetland CH4 emissions to investigate the impacts of the ENSO on CH4 emissions in tropical wetlands for the period from 1950 to 2012. The results show that CH4 emissions from tropical wetlands respond strongly to repeated ENSO events, with negative anomalies occurring during El Niño periods and with positive anomalies occurring during La Niña periods. An approximately 8-month time lag was detected between tropical wetland CH4 emissions and ENSO events, which was caused by the combined time lag effects of ENSO events on precipitation and temperature over tropical wetlands. The ENSO can explain 49% of interannual variations for tropical wetland CH4 emissions. Furthermore, relative to neutral years, changes in temperature have much stronger effects on tropical wetland CH4 emissions than the changes in precipitation during ENSO periods. The occurrence of several El Niño events contributed to a lower decadal mean growth rate in atmospheric CH4 concentrations throughout the 1980s and 1990s and to stable atmospheric CH4 concentrations from 1999 to 2006, resulting in negative feedback to global warming.

Effects of Boreal Lake Wetlands on Atmospheric 13CH3D and 12CH2D2

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Haghnegahdar, M. A.; Kohl, I. E.; Schauble, E. A.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Young, E. D.

2017-12-01

Recently, we developed a theoretical model to investigate the potential use of 13CH3D and 12CH2D2 as tools for tracking atmospheric methane budget. We used electronic structure methods to estimate kinetic isotope fractionations associated with the major sink reactions of CH4 in air (reactions with •OH and Cl•), and literature data with reconnaissance measurements of the relative abundances of 13CH3D and 12CH2D2 to estimate the compositions of the largest atmospheric sources. Here we present new methane rare isotopologue data from boreal wetlands, comprising one of the most important sources, in order to evaluate the robustness of the model. Boreal wetlands (>55° N) account for more than half of the wetland area in the Northern hemisphere. We analyzed methane samples from high latitude lakes representing different geographical regions, geological and ecological contexts, methane fluxes, and isotopic signatures. Using clumped isotopes of CH4 we are able to determine the likely production mechanism for natural CH4 samples. So far, all of our analyzed samples except one plot in the microbial pure-culture methanogenesis field (Young et al. 2017) with ranges of -0.2‰ to +1.2‰ for Δ13CH3D, and -29.6‰ to -18.2‰ for Δ12CH2D2. These compositions are far from equilibrium. The one exception, from Lake Doughnut, Alaska, exhibits Δ13CH3D and Δ12CH2D2 values of +5.2‰ and +18.7‰, respectively, which fall near ambient thermodynamic equilibrium values. This may be an effect of methanotrophy. Mean Δ13CH3D and Δ12CH2D2 for all lake samples are +1.7‰ and -15.4‰ respectively, compared to our original estimate of +6.1‰ and +21.2‰ for the wetland methane source based on an assumption of equilibrium. If we assume that these samples are representative of the overall wetland source, Δ13CH3D decreases by 0.8‰ and Δ12CH2D2 decreases by 0.6‰ in our model of bulk atmospheric methane. Δ13CH3D and Δ12CH2D2 values of air (including •OH and Cl• sink

CO2 and CH4 exchange by Phragmites australis under different climates

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Serrano Ortiz, Penélope; Chojnickic, Bogdan H.; Sánchez-Cañete, Enrique P.; Kowalska, Natalia; López-Ballesteros, Ana; Fernández, Néstor; Urbaniak, Marek; Olejnik, Janusz; Kowalski, Andrew S.

2015-04-01

The key role of wetlands regarding global warming is the resulting balance between net CO2 assimilation, via photosynthesis, and CO2 and CH4 emissions, given the potential to release stored carbon, because of the high temperature sensitivity of heterotrophic soil respiration and anoxic conditions. However, it is still unknown whether wetlands will convert from long-term carbon sinks to sources as a result of climate change and other anthropogenic effects such as land use changes. Phragmites australis is one of the most common species found in wetlands and is considered the most globally widespread and productive plant species in this type of ecosystem. In this context, the main objective of this study is to analyse the GHG exchange (CO2 and CH4) of two wetlands with Phragmites australis as the dominant species under different climates using the eddy covariance (EC) technique. The first site, Padul, is located in southern Spain, with a sub-humid warm climate, characterised by a mean annual temperature of 16°C and annual precipitation of ca. 470 mm, with a very dry summer. The second site, Rzecin is located in Poland with a mean annual temperature of 8°C, and annual precipitation around 600mm with no dry season. The Padul EC station is equipped with two infrared gas analysers to measure CO2 and CH4 fluxes (LI-7200 and LI-7700 respectively) while the Rzecin EC station has the same CH4 sensor as Padul, but also a sensor measuring both GHG fluxes (DLT-100 Fast Methane Analyser, Los Gatos). In this study, we present: i) the results of a CH4 analyser inter-comparison campaign (LI-7700 vs. Los Gatos), ii) a comparative analysis of the functional behaviour of respiration and photosynthesis in both sites testing relationships between CO2 fluxes measured with the EC technique and meteorological variables such as temperature and direct or diffuse radiation and iii) the CH4 dynamicsat both sites by identifying, when possible, annual, seasonal and diurnal patterns.

Plant-mediated CH4 transport and C gas dynamics quantified in-situ in a Phalaris arundinacea-dominant wetland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Louise Askær; Elberling, Bo; Friborg, Thomas

2011-01-01

passive. Thus, diurnal variations are less important in contrast to wetland vascular plants facilitating convective gas flow. Despite of plant-dominant CH4 transport, net CH4 fluxes were low (–0.005–0.016 µmol m-2 s-1) and annually less than 1% of the annual C-CO2 assimilation. This is considered a result......±35% of ecosystem CH4 emissions were plant-mediated, but data show no evidence of significant diurnal variations related to convective gas flow regardless of season or plant growth stages. Therefore, despite a high percentage of arenchyma, P. arundinacea-mediated CH4 transport is interpreted to be predominantly...

Emerging role of wetland methane emissions in driving 21st century climate change.

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Zhang, Zhen; Zimmermann, Niklaus E; Stenke, Andrea; Li, Xin; Hodson, Elke L; Zhu, Gaofeng; Huang, Chunlin; Poulter, Benjamin

2017-09-05

Wetland methane (CH 4 ) emissions are the largest natural source in the global CH 4 budget, contributing to roughly one third of total natural and anthropogenic emissions. As the second most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas in the atmosphere after CO 2 , CH 4 is strongly associated with climate feedbacks. However, due to the paucity of data, wetland CH 4 feedbacks were not fully assessed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fifth Assessment Report. The degree to which future expansion of wetlands and CH 4 emissions will evolve and consequently drive climate feedbacks is thus a question of major concern. Here we present an ensemble estimate of wetland CH 4 emissions driven by 38 general circulation models for the 21st century. We find that climate change-induced increases in boreal wetland extent and temperature-driven increases in tropical CH 4 emissions will dominate anthropogenic CH 4 emissions by 38 to 56% toward the end of the 21st century under the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP2.6). Depending on scenarios, wetland CH 4 feedbacks translate to an increase in additional global mean radiative forcing of 0.04 W·m -2 to 0.19 W·m -2 by the end of the 21st century. Under the "worst-case" RCP8.5 scenario, with no climate mitigation, boreal CH 4 emissions are enhanced by 18.05 Tg to 41.69 Tg, due to thawing of inundated areas during the cold season (December to May) and rising temperature, while tropical CH 4 emissions accelerate with a total increment of 48.36 Tg to 87.37 Tg by 2099. Our results suggest that climate mitigation policies must consider mitigation of wetland CH 4 feedbacks to maintain average global warming below 2 °C.

Factors influencing CO2 and CH4 emissions from coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Delta, Northeast China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, L.; Ye, S.; Wei, M.

2015-01-01

temperature and vegetation on CH4 emissions and ecosystem respiration (Reco) from five coastal wetlands in the Liaohe Delta, northeast China: two Phragmites australis (common reed) wetlands, two Suaeda salsa (sea blite) marshes and a rice (Oryza sativa) paddy. Throughout the growing season, the Suaeda...

Modelling methane emissions from natural wetlands by development and application of the TRIPLEX-GHG model

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qing; Liu, Jinxun; Peng, C.; Chen, H.; Fang, X.; Jiang, H.; Yang, G.; Zhu, D.; Wang, W.; Zhou, X.

2014-01-01

A new process-based model TRIPLEX-GHG was developed based on the Integrated Biosphere Simulator (IBIS), coupled with a new methane (CH4) biogeochemistry module (incorporating CH4 production, oxidation, and transportation processes) and a water table module to investigate CH4 emission processes and dynamics that occur in natural wetlands. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the most sensitive parameters to evaluate CH4 emission processes from wetlands are r (defined as the CH4 to CO2 release ratio) and Q10 in the CH4 production process. These two parameters were subsequently calibrated to data obtained from 19 sites collected from approximately 35 studies across different wetlands globally. Being heterogeneously spatially distributed, r ranged from 0.1 to 0.7 with a mean value of 0.23, and the Q10 for CH4 production ranged from 1.6 to 4.5 with a mean value of 2.48. The model performed well when simulating magnitude and capturing temporal patterns in CH4 emissions from natural wetlands. Results suggest that the model is able to be applied to different wetlands under varying conditions and is also applicable for global-scale simulations.

Spatially Resolved Isotopic Source Signatures of Wetland Methane Emissions

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Ganesan, A. L.; Stell, A. C.; Gedney, N.; Comyn-Platt, E.; Hayman, G.; Rigby, M.; Poulter, B.; Hornibrook, E. R. C.

2018-04-01

We present the first spatially resolved wetland δ13C(CH4) source signature map based on data characterizing wetland ecosystems and demonstrate good agreement with wetland signatures derived from atmospheric observations. The source signature map resolves a latitudinal difference of 10‰ between northern high-latitude (mean -67.8‰) and tropical (mean -56.7‰) wetlands and shows significant regional variations on top of the latitudinal gradient. We assess the errors in inverse modeling studies aiming to separate CH4 sources and sinks by comparing atmospheric δ13C(CH4) derived using our spatially resolved map against the common assumption of globally uniform wetland δ13C(CH4) signature. We find a larger interhemispheric gradient, a larger high-latitude seasonal cycle, and smaller trend over the period 2000-2012. The implication is that erroneous CH4 fluxes would be derived to compensate for the biases imposed by not utilizing spatially resolved signatures for the largest source of CH4 emissions. These biases are significant when compared to the size of observed signals.

Management practices and controls on methane emissions from sub-tropical wetlands

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DeLucia, Nicholas; Casa-Nova Gomez, Nuri; Bernacchi, Carl

2015-04-01

It is well documented that green house gas concentrations have risen at unequivocal rates since the industrial revolution but the disparity between anthropogenic sources and natural sources is uncertain. Wetlands are one example of a natural ecosystem that can be a substantial source or sink for methane (CH4) depending on any combination of climate conditions, natural and anthropogenic disturbances, or ecosystem perturbations. Due to strict anaerobic conditions required for CH4-generating microorganisms, natural wetlands are the main source for biogenic CH4. Although wetlands occupy less than 5% of total land surface area, they contribute approximately 20% of total CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. CH4 is one of the most damaging green house gases with current emission estimates ranging from 55 to 231 Tg CH4 yr-1. The processes regulating CH4 emissions are sensitive to land use and management practices of areas surrounding wetlands. Variation in adjacent vegetation or grazing intensity by livestock can, for example, alter CH4 fluxes from wetland soils by altering nutrient balance, carbon inputs and hydrology. Therefore, understanding how these changes will affect wetland source strength is essential to understand the impact of wetland management practices on the global climate system. In this study we quantify wetland methane fluxes from subtropical wetlands on a working cattle ranch in central Florida near Okeechobee Lake (27o10'52.04"N, 81o21'8.56"W). To determine differences in CH4 fluxes associated with land use and management, a replicated (n = 4) full factorial experiment was designed for wetlands where the surrounding vegetation was (1) grazed or un-grazed and (2) composed of native vegetation or improved pasture. Net exchange of CH4 and CO2 between the land surface and the atmosphere were sampled with a LICOR Li-7700 open path CH4 analyzer and Li-7500A open path CO2/H20 analyzer mounted in a 1-m3 static gas-exchange chamber. Our results showed and verified

Using eddy covariance of CO2, 13CO2 and CH4, continuous soil respiration measurements, and PhenoCams to constrain a process-based biogeochemical model for carbon market-funded wetland restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Oikawa, P. Y.; Baldocchi, D. D.; Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Dronova, I.; Jenerette, D.; Poindexter, C.; Huang, Y. W.

2015-12-01

We use multiple data streams in a model-data fusion approach to reduce uncertainty in predicting CO2 and CH4 exchange in drained and flooded peatlands. Drained peatlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California are a strong source of CO2 to the atmosphere and flooded peatlands or wetlands are a strong CO2 sink. However, wetlands are also large sources of CH4 that can offset the greenhouse gas mitigation potential of wetland restoration. Reducing uncertainty in model predictions of annual CO2 and CH4 budgets is critical for including wetland restoration in Cap-and-Trade programs. We have developed and parameterized the Peatland Ecosystem Photosynthesis, Respiration, and Methane Transport model (PEPRMT) in a drained agricultural peatland and a restored wetland. Both ecosystem respiration (Reco) and CH4 production are a function of 2 soil carbon (C) pools (i.e. recently-fixed C and soil organic C), temperature, and water table height. Photosynthesis is predicted using a light use efficiency model. To estimate parameters we use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach with an adaptive Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. Multiple data streams are used to constrain model parameters including eddy covariance of CO2, 13CO2 and CH4, continuous soil respiration measurements and digital photography. Digital photography is used to estimate leaf area index, an important input variable for the photosynthesis model. Soil respiration and 13CO2 fluxes allow partitioning of eddy covariance data between Reco and photosynthesis. Partitioned fluxes of CO2 with associated uncertainty are used to parametrize the Reco and photosynthesis models within PEPRMT. Overall, PEPRMT model performance is high. For example, we observe high data-model agreement between modeled and observed partitioned Reco (r2 = 0.68; slope = 1; RMSE = 0.59 g C-CO2 m-2 d-1). Model validation demonstrated the model's ability to accurately predict annual budgets of CO2 and CH4 in a wetland system (within 14% and 1

Inter-Annual Variability of Area-Scaled Gaseous Carbon Emissions from Wetland Soils in the Liaohe Delta, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Siyuan; Krauss, Ken W; Brix, Hans; Wei, Mengjie; Olsson, Linda; Yu, Xueyang; Ma, Xueying; Wang, Jin; Yuan, Hongming; Zhao, Guangming; Ding, Xigui; Moss, Rebecca F

2016-01-01

Global management of wetlands to suppress greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, facilitate carbon (C) sequestration, and reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations while simultaneously promoting agricultural gains is paramount. However, studies that relate variability in CO2 and CH4 emissions at large spatial scales are limited. We investigated three-year emissions of soil CO2 and CH4 from the primary wetland types of the Liaohe Delta, China, by focusing on a total wetland area of 3287 km2. One percent is Suaeda salsa, 24% is Phragmites australis, and 75% is rice. While S. salsa wetlands are under somewhat natural tidal influence, P. australis and rice are managed hydrologically for paper and food, respectively. Total C emissions from CO2 and CH4 from these wetland soils were 2.9 Tg C/year, ranging from 2.5 to 3.3 Tg C/year depending on the year assessed. Primary emissions were from CO2 (~98%). Photosynthetic uptake of CO2 would mitigate most of the soil CO2 emissions, but CH4 emissions would persist. Overall, CH4 fluxes were high when soil temperatures were >18°C and pore water salinity emissions from rice habitat alone in the Liaohe Delta represent 0.2% of CH4 carbon emissions globally from rice. With such a large area and interannual sensitivity in soil GHG fluxes, management practices in the Delta and similar wetlands around the world have the potential not only to influence local C budgeting, but also to influence global biogeochemical cycling.

Megafauna and frozen soil: the drivers of atmospheric CH4 dynamics

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Zimov, N.; Zimov, S. A.

2010-12-01

During the last deglaciation (LD) a strong increase in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations occurred simultaneously with a rise in Greenland temperatures indicating that in the north, during this time period, strong CH4 sources “awakened”, as additionally documented by the appearance of a strong gradient between northern (Greenland) and southern (Antarctica) hemisphere atmospheric CH4 concentrations. This rise could not be caused by wetland expansion. A reconstruction of peatland formation dynamics has indicated that wetlands on Earth were few in LD and only actively expanded 10,000 yr BP, after atmospheric CH4 concentrations began to decline. Destabilization of methane clathrates also could not be the source for atmospheric CH4 increase. Geological CH4 (including methane clathrates) has the highest deuterium content (δD) among all of the known sources of CH4 while atmospheric CH4 δD values determined for the LD were record low. To explain recorded atmospheric CH4 and its isotopic dynamics required a strong northern source, which was active only during the LD and that provided very low δD CH4 values. Such a source is permafrost thawing under anaerobic conditions (or better stated soils of mammoth steppe-tundra ecosystems). Permafrost thawing is the strongest, among known, wetland sources (usually over 100g CH4/m2yr) and has a unique isotopic signature (δD = -400 per mil (-338 to -479 per mil), δ13C = -73 per mil (-58 to -99 per mil)). The main sources of atmospheric CH4 have different isotopic signatures (δ13C, δD). The isotopic content of atmospheric CH4 is a simple function of the weight average for all of the sources. Inclusion of permafrost source into a budget model of the atmospheric methane and its isotopes allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of methane’s main sources. Model indicated geological source to be negligible as in LGM so and in LD and Holocene. During the glaciation, the largest methane source was megafauna, whose 1.4

Remotely sensed MODIS wetland components for assessing the variability of methane emissions in Indian tropical/subtropical wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Sangeeta; Katyal, Deeksha; Saluja, Ridhi; Chakraborty, Monojit; Garg, J. K.

2018-02-01

Temperature and area fluctuations in wetlands greatly influence its various physico-chemical characteristics, nutrients dynamic, rates of biomass generation and decomposition, floral and faunal composition which in turn influence methane (CH4) emission rates. In view of this, the present study attempts to up-scale point CH4 flux from the wetlands of Uttar Pradesh (UP) by modifying two-factor empirical process based CH4 emission model for tropical wetlands by incorporating MODIS derived wetland components viz. wetland areal extent and corresponding temperature factors (Ft). This study further focuses on the utility of remotely sensed temperature response of CH4 emission in terms of Ft. Ft is generated using MODIS land surface temperature products and provides an important semi-empirical input for up-scaling CH4 emissions in wetlands. Results reveal that annual mean Ft values for UP wetlands vary from 0.69 (2010-2011) to 0.71(2011-2012). The total estimated area-wise CH4 emissions from the wetlands of UP varies from 66.47 Gg yr-1with wetland areal extent and Ft value of 2564.04 km2 and 0.69 respectively in 2010-2011 to 88.39 Gg yr-1with wetland areal extent and Ft value of 2720.16 km2 and 0.71 respectively in 2011-2012. Temporal analysis of estimated CH4 emissions showed that in monsoon season estimated CH4 emissions are more sensitive to wetland areal extent while in summer season sensitivity of estimated CH4 emissions is chiefly controlled by augmented methanogenic activities at high wetland surface temperatures.

Spatial and temporal patterns of CH4 and N2O fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of North America during 1979–2008: application of a global biogeochemistry model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Lu

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Continental-scale estimations of terrestrial methane (CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O fluxes over a long time period are crucial to accurately assess the global balance of greenhouse gases and enhance our understanding and prediction of global climate change and terrestrial ecosystem feedbacks. Using a process-based global biogeochemical model, the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM, we quantified simultaneously CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America's terrestrial ecosystems from 1979 to 2008. During the past 30 years, approximately 14.69 ± 1.64 T g C a−1 (1 T g = 1012 g of CH4, and 1.94 ± 0.1 T g N a−1 of N2O were released from terrestrial ecosystems in North America. At the country level, both the US and Canada acted as CH4 sources to the atmosphere, but Mexico mainly oxidized and consumed CH4 from the atmosphere. Wetlands in North America contributed predominantly to the regional CH4 source, while all other ecosystems acted as sinks for atmospheric CH4, of which forests accounted for 36.8%. Regarding N2O emission in North America, the US, Canada, and Mexico contributed 56.19%, 18.23%, and 25.58%, respectively, to the continental source over the past 30 years. Forests and croplands were the two ecosystems that contributed most to continental N2O emission. The inter-annual variations of CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America were mainly attributed to year-to-year climatic variability. While only annual precipitation was found to have a significant effect on annual CH4 flux, both mean annual temperature and annual precipitation were significantly correlated to annual N2O flux. The regional estimates and spatiotemporal patterns of terrestrial ecosystem CH4 and N2O fluxes in North America generated in this study provide useful information for global change research and policy making.

Evaluation of methane emissions from West Siberian wetlands based on inverse modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, H-S; Inoue, G [Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 457-4 Motoyama, Kamigamo, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8047 (Japan); Maksyutov, S; Machida, T [National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506 (Japan); Glagolev, M V [Lomonosov Moscow State University, GSP-1, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991 (Russian Federation); Patra, P K [Research Institute for Global Change/JAMSTEC, 3173-25 Showa-cho, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 236-0001 (Japan); Sudo, K, E-mail: heonsook.kim@gmail.com [Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)

2011-07-15

West Siberia contains the largest extent of wetlands in the world, including large peat deposits; the wetland area is equivalent to 27% of the total area of West Siberia. This study used inverse modeling to refine emissions estimates for West Siberia using atmospheric CH{sub 4} observations and two wetland CH{sub 4} emissions inventories: (1) the global wetland emissions dataset of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (the GISS inventory), which includes emission seasons and emission rates based on climatology of monthly surface air temperature and precipitation, and (2) the West Siberian wetland emissions data (the Bc7 inventory), based on in situ flux measurements and a detailed wetland classification. The two inversions using the GISS and Bc7 inventories estimated annual mean flux from West Siberian wetlands to be 2.9 {+-} 1.7 and 3.0 {+-} 1.4 Tg yr{sup -1}, respectively, which are lower than the 6.3 Tg yr{sup -1} predicted in the GISS inventory, but similar to those of the Bc7 inventory (3.2 Tg yr{sup -1}). The well-constrained monthly fluxes and a comparison between the predicted CH{sub 4} concentrations in the two inversions suggest that the Bc7 inventory predicts the seasonal cycle of West Siberian wetland CH{sub 4} emissions more reasonably, indicating that the GISS inventory predicts more emissions from wetlands in northern and middle taiga.

Interannual variability in CO2 and CH4 exchange in a brackish tidal marsh in Northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Knox, S. H.; Windham-Myers, L.; Anderson, F. E.; Bergamaschi, B. A.

2017-12-01

Carbon (C) cycling in coastal wetlands is difficult to measure and model due to extremely dynamic atmospheric and hydrologic fluxes, as well as sensitivities to dynamic land- and ocean-based drivers. To date, few studies have begun continuous measurements of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) in these systems, and as such our understanding of the key drivers of NEE in coastal wetlands remain poorly understood. Recent eddy covariance measurements of NEE in these environments show considerable variability both within and across sites, with daily CO2 uptake and annual net CO2 budgets varying by nearly an order of magnitude between years and across locations. Furthermore, measurements of CH4 fluxes in these systems are even more limited, despite the potential for CH4 emissions from brackish and freshwater coastal wetlands. Here we present 3 years of near-continuous eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from a brackish tidal marsh in Northern California and explore the drivers of interannual variability in CO2 and CH4 exchange. CO2 fluxes showed significant interannual variability; net CO2 uptake was near-zero in 2014 (6 ± 26 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1), while much greater uptake was observed in 2015 and 2016 (209 ± 27 g C- CO2 m-2 yr-1 and 243 ± 26 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1, respectively). Conversely, annual CH4 emissions were small and consistent across years, with the wetland emitting on average 1 ± 0.1 g C-CH4 m-2 yr-1. With respect to the net atmospheric GHG budget (assuming a sustained global warming potential (SGWP) of 45, expressed in units of CO2 equivalents), the wetland was near neutral in 2014, but a net GHG sink of 706 ± 105 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 and 836 ± 83 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The large interannual variability in CO2 exchange was driven by notable year-to-year differences in temperature and precipitation as California experienced a severe drought and record high temperatures from 2012 to 2015. The large interannual variability in

Glacial/interglacial wetland, biomass burning, and geologic methane emissions constrained by dual stable isotopic CH4 ice core records

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Michael; Schmitt, Jochen; Beck, Jonas; Seth, Barbara; Chappellaz, Jérôme; Fischer, Hubertus

2017-07-01

Atmospheric methane (CH4) records reconstructed from polar ice cores represent an integrated view on processes predominantly taking place in the terrestrial biogeosphere. Here, we present dual stable isotopic methane records [δ13CH4 and δD(CH4)] from four Antarctic ice cores, which provide improved constraints on past changes in natural methane sources. Our isotope data show that tropical wetlands and seasonally inundated floodplains are most likely the controlling sources of atmospheric methane variations for the current and two older interglacials and their preceding glacial maxima. The changes in these sources are steered by variations in temperature, precipitation, and the water table as modulated by insolation, (local) sea level, and monsoon intensity. Based on our δD(CH4) constraint, it seems that geologic emissions of methane may play a steady but only minor role in atmospheric CH4 changes and that the glacial budget is not dominated by these sources. Superimposed on the glacial/interglacial variations is a marked difference in both isotope records, with systematically higher values during the last 25,000 y compared with older time periods. This shift cannot be explained by climatic changes. Rather, our isotopic methane budget points to a marked increase in fire activity, possibly caused by biome changes and accumulation of fuel related to the late Pleistocene megafauna extinction, which took place in the course of the last glacial.

WETCHIMP-WSL: intercomparison of wetland methane emissions models over West Siberia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. J. Bohn

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Wetlands are the world's largest natural source of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. The strong sensitivity of methane emissions to environmental factors such as soil temperature and moisture has led to concerns about potential positive feedbacks to climate change. This risk is particularly relevant at high latitudes, which have experienced pronounced warming and where thawing permafrost could potentially liberate large amounts of labile carbon over the next 100 years. However, global models disagree as to the magnitude and spatial distribution of emissions, due to uncertainties in wetland area and emissions per unit area and a scarcity of in situ observations. Recent intensive field campaigns across the West Siberian Lowland (WSL make this an ideal region over which to assess the performance of large-scale process-based wetland models in a high-latitude environment. Here we present the results of a follow-up to the Wetland and Wetland CH4 Intercomparison of Models Project (WETCHIMP, focused on the West Siberian Lowland (WETCHIMP-WSL. We assessed 21 models and 5 inversions over this domain in terms of total CH4 emissions, simulated wetland areas, and CH4 fluxes per unit wetland area and compared these results to an intensive in situ CH4 flux data set, several wetland maps, and two satellite surface water products. We found that (a despite the large scatter of individual estimates, 12-year mean estimates of annual total emissions over the WSL from forward models (5.34 ± 0.54 Tg CH4 yr−1, inversions (6.06 ± 1.22 Tg CH4 yr−1, and in situ observations (3.91 ± 1.29 Tg CH4 yr−1 largely agreed; (b forward models using surface water products alone to estimate wetland areas suffered from severe biases in CH4 emissions; (c the interannual time series of models that lacked either soil thermal physics appropriate to the high latitudes or realistic emissions from unsaturated peatlands tended to be dominated by a single environmental driver

Response of greenhouse gas emissions from three types of wetland soils to simulated temperature change on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi; Liu, Guihua; Xiong, Ziqian; Liu, Wenzhi

2017-12-01

Wetlands emit a large quantity of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and contribute significantly to global warming. The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, known as the ;Third Pole; of the earth, contains abundant and diverse wetlands. Due to increasing human-induced pressures such as reclamation, overgrazing and climate change, many plateau wetlands have been degraded or destroyed. Until now, the response of soil greenhouse gas emissions to extreme summer temperatures in the plateau wetlands remains unknown. In this study, we collected 36 soil samples from riverine, lacustrine and palustrine wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We compared the carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils incubated aerobically at 7, 12, and 19 °C. The results showed that the emissions of CH4 and N2O but not CO2 were significantly affected by the simulated temperature change. The N2O emission rate was considerably higher in palustrine wetlands compared with lacustrine and riverine wetlands. However, the CO2 and CH4 emissions did not differ significantly among the three wetland types. The ratio of CO2 to CH4 production increased with increasing incubation temperatures. The global warming potential of greenhouse gases at 19 °C was approximately 1.18 and 2.12 times greater than that at 12 and 7 °C, respectively. Our findings suggest that temperature change has a strong effect on soil greenhouse gas emissions and global warming potential of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, especially palustrine wetlands. Therefore, targeted strategies should be developed to mitigate the potential impacts of climate warming on the plateau.

Methane emission from wetland rice fields

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Denier van der Gon, H.A.C.

1996-01-01

Methane (CH ₄ ) is an important greenhouse gas and plays a key role in tropospheric and stratospheric chemistry. Wetland rice fields are an important source of methane, accounting for approximately 20% of the global anthropogenic

Effect of assessment scale on spatial and temporal variations in CH4, C02, and N20 fluxes in a forested wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Zhaohua Dai; Carl Trettin; Changsheng Li; Harbin Li; Ge Sun; Devendra Amatya

2011-01-01

Emissions of methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from a forested watershed (160 ha) in South Carolina, USA, were estimated with a spatially explicit watershed-scale modeling framework that utilizes the spatial variations in physical and biogeochemical characteristics across watersheds. The target watershed (WS80) consisting of wetland (23%) and...

Constraining global methane emissions and uptake by ecosystems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spahni, R.; Wania, R.; Neef, L.; Van Weele, M.; Van Velthoven, P.; Pison, I.; Bousquet, P.

2011-01-01

Natural methane (CH 4 ) emissions from wet ecosystems are an important part of today's global CH 4 budget. Climate affects the exchange of CH 4 between ecosystems and the atmosphere by influencing CH 4 production, oxidation, and transport in the soil. The net CH 4 exchange depends on ecosystem hydrology, soil and vegetation characteristics. Here, the LPJ-WHyMe global dynamical vegetation model is used to simulate global net CH 4 emissions for different ecosystems: northern peat-lands (45 degrees-90 degrees N), naturally inundated wetlands (60 degrees S-45 degrees N), rice agriculture and wet mineral soils. Mineral soils are a potential CH 4 sink, but can also be a source with the direction of the net exchange depending on soil moisture content. The geographical and seasonal distributions are evaluated against multi-dimensional atmospheric inversions for 2003-2005, using two independent four-dimensional variational assimilation systems. The atmospheric inversions are constrained by the atmospheric CH 4 observations of the SCIAMACHY satellite instrument and global surface networks. Compared to LPJ-WHyMe the inversions result in a significant reduction in the emissions from northern peat-lands and suggest that LPJ-WHyMe maximum annual emissions peak about one month late. The inversions do not put strong constraints on the division of sources between inundated wetlands and wet mineral soils in the tropics. Based on the inversion results we diagnose model parameters in LPJ-WHyMe and simulate the surface exchange of CH 4 over the period 1990-2008. Over the whole period we infer an increase of global ecosystem CH 4 emissions of +1.11 TgCH 4 yr -1 , not considering potential additional changes in wetland extent. The increase in simulated CH 4 emissions is attributed to enhanced soil respiration resulting from the observed rise in land temperature and in atmospheric carbon dioxide that were used as input. The long term decline of the atmospheric CH 4 growth rate from 1990

Sources of atmospheric methane from coastal marine wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harriss, R.C.; Sebacher, D.I.; Bartlett, K.B.; Bartlett, D.S.

1982-01-01

Biological methanogenesis in wetlands is believed to be one of the major sources of global tropospheric methane. The present paper reports measurements of methane distribution in the soils, sediments, water and vegetation of coastal marine wetlands. Measurements, carried out in the salt marshes Bay Tree Creek in Virginia and Panacea in northwest Florida, reveal methane concentrations in soils and sediments to vary with depth below the surface and with soil temperature. The fluxes of methane from marsh soils to the atmosphere at the soil-air interface are estimated to range from -0.00067 g CH 4 /sq m per day (methane sink) to 0.024 g CH 4 /sq m per day, with an average value of 0.0066 g CH 4 /sq m per day. Data also demonstrate the important role of tidal waters percolating through marsh soils in removing methane from the soils and releasing it to the atmosphere. The information obtained, together with previous studies, provides a framework for the design of a program based on in situ and remote sensing measurements to study the global methane cycle

Incorporating H2 Dynamics and Inhibition into a Microbially Based Methanogenesis Model for Restored Wetland Sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Pal, David; Jaffe, Peter

2015-04-01

Estimates of global CH4 emissions from wetlands indicate that wetlands are the largest natural source of CH4 to the atmosphere. In this paper, we propose that there is a missing component to these models that should be addressed. CH4 is produced in wetland sediments from the microbial degradation of organic carbon through multiple fermentation steps and methanogenesis pathways. There are multiple sources of carbon for methananogenesis; in vegetated wetland sediments, microbial communities consume root exudates as a major source of organic carbon. In many methane models propionate is used as a model carbon molecule. This simple sugar is fermented into acetate and H2, acetate is transformed to methane and CO2, while the H2 and CO2 are used to form an additional CH4 molecule. The hydrogenotrophic pathway involves the equilibrium of two dissolved gases, CH4 and H2. In an effort to limit CH4 emissions from wetlands, there has been growing interest in finding ways to limit plant transport of soil gases through root systems. Changing planted species, or genetically modifying new species of plants may control this transport of soil gases. While this may decrease the direct emissions of methane, there is little understanding about how H2 dynamics may feedback into overall methane production. The results of an incubation study were combined with a new model of propionate degradation for methanogenesis that also examines other natural parameters (i.e. gas transport through plants). This presentation examines how we would expect this model to behave in a natural field setting with changing sulfate and carbon loading schemes. These changes can be controlled through new plant species and other management practices. Next, we compare the behavior of two variations of this model, with or without the incorporation of H2 interactions, with changing sulfate, carbon loading and root volatilization. Results show that while the models behave similarly there may be a discrepancy of nearly

Inverse modelling of European CH4 emissions during 2006-2012 using different inverse models and reassessed atmospheric observations

Science.gov (United States)

Bergamaschi, Peter; Karstens, Ute; Manning, Alistair J.; Saunois, Marielle; Tsuruta, Aki; Berchet, Antoine; Vermeulen, Alexander T.; Arnold, Tim; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Hammer, Samuel; Levin, Ingeborg; Schmidt, Martina; Ramonet, Michel; Lopez, Morgan; Lavric, Jost; Aalto, Tuula; Chen, Huilin; Feist, Dietrich G.; Gerbig, Christoph; Haszpra, László; Hermansen, Ove; Manca, Giovanni; Moncrieff, John; Meinhardt, Frank; Necki, Jaroslaw; Galkowski, Michal; O'Doherty, Simon; Paramonova, Nina; Scheeren, Hubertus A.; Steinbacher, Martin; Dlugokencky, Ed

2018-01-01

We present inverse modelling (top down) estimates of European methane (CH4) emissions for 2006-2012 based on a new quality-controlled and harmonised in situ data set from 18 European atmospheric monitoring stations. We applied an ensemble of seven inverse models and performed four inversion experiments, investigating the impact of different sets of stations and the use of a priori information on emissions. The inverse models infer total CH4 emissions of 26.8 (20.2-29.7) Tg CH4 yr-1 (mean, 10th and 90th percentiles from all inversions) for the EU-28 for 2006-2012 from the four inversion experiments. For comparison, total anthropogenic CH4 emissions reported to UNFCCC (bottom up, based on statistical data and emissions factors) amount to only 21.3 Tg CH4 yr-1 (2006) to 18.8 Tg CH4 yr-1 (2012). A potential explanation for the higher range of top-down estimates compared to bottom-up inventories could be the contribution from natural sources, such as peatlands, wetlands, and wet soils. Based on seven different wetland inventories from the Wetland and Wetland CH4 Inter-comparison of Models Project (WETCHIMP), total wetland emissions of 4.3 (2.3-8.2) Tg CH4 yr-1 from the EU-28 are estimated. The hypothesis of significant natural emissions is supported by the finding that several inverse models yield significant seasonal cycles of derived CH4 emissions with maxima in summer, while anthropogenic CH4 emissions are assumed to have much lower seasonal variability. Taking into account the wetland emissions from the WETCHIMP ensemble, the top-down estimates are broadly consistent with the sum of anthropogenic and natural bottom-up inventories. However, the contribution of natural sources and their regional distribution remain rather uncertain. Furthermore, we investigate potential biases in the inverse models by comparison with regular aircraft profiles at four European sites and with vertical profiles obtained during the Infrastructure for Measurement of the European Carbon

Airborne remote-sensing of atmospheric CH4 and CO2 with MAMap: first results of measurements over wetlands in Germany and a N-S transect from Canada to Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Tretner, A.; Gerilowski, K.; Bovensmann, H.; Buchwitz, M.; Bertagnolio, P. P.; Erzinger, J.; Burrows, J.

2008-12-01

The Methane Airborne Mapper (MAMap) was designed for CO2 and CH4 remote sensing of the atmospheric column between an aircraft and the Earth's surface. The instrument is specified to detect mixing ratio variations below the aircraft of wetlands have been conducted in Germany and correlated to ground-based measurements. A first version of the data retrieval has been developed using a modified version of the WFM-DOAS algorithm. WFM-DOAS is also used for the retrieval of CH4 and CO2 column concentrations from nadir measurements by SCIAMACHY onboard ENVISAT. In November 2008, a transect from Oshawa, Canada to Punta Arenas, Chile will be flown onboard the AWI POLAR 5 aircraft. Along the flight path CH4 and CO2 measurements will be conducted by MAMap. Besides the N-S track (Canada-USA-Bahamas-Panama-Ecuador-Peru-Chile), an additional W-E track from Guayaquil (Ecuador) to Iquitos (Peru) and back is planned, covering large areas of Peruvian rainforest. One focus of this project is the evaluation of tropical rain forest and savannah as sources/sinks of CH4 and CO2. Discrepancies between the models and satellite data regarding atmospheric CH4 concentrations over the tropics have been reported in the past. A first assessment of MAMap measurements performed in 2008 over wetlands in Germany and the AWI-POLAR 5 campaign will be presented.

Greenhouse gas production and efficiency of planted and artificially aerated constructed wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maltais-Landry, Gabriel [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada); Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)], E-mail: gabriel.maltais-landry@umontreal.ca; Maranger, Roxane [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada)], E-mail: r.maranger@umontreal.ca; Brisson, Jacques [Departement des sciences biologiques, Universite de Montreal 90, rue Vincent-D' Indy, Montreal (Ciheam), H2V 2S9 (Canada); Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)], E-mail: jacques.brisson@umontreal.ca; Chazarenc, Florent [Institut de recherche en biologie vegetale, Universite de Montreal 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montreal (Ciheam), H1X 2B2 (Canada)

2009-03-15

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by constructed wetlands (CWs) could mitigate the environmental benefits of nutrient removal in these man-made ecosystems. We studied the effect of 3 different macrophyte species and artificial aeration on the rates of nitrous oxide (N{sub 2}O), carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) and methane (CH{sub 4}) production in CW mesocosms over three seasons. CW emitted 2-10 times more GHG than natural wetlands. Overall, CH{sub 4} was the most important GHG emitted in unplanted treatments. Oxygen availability through artificial aeration reduced CH{sub 4} fluxes. Plant presence also decreased CH{sub 4} fluxes but favoured CO{sub 2} production. Nitrous oxide had a minor contribution to global warming potential (GWP < 15%). The introduction of oxygen through artificial aeration combined with plant presence, particularly Typha angustifolia, had the overall best performance among the treatments tested in this study, including lowest GWP, greatest nutrient removal, and best hydraulic properties. - Methane is the main greenhouse gas produced in constructed wetlands and oxygen availability is the main factor controlling fluxes.

Examining the role of management practices and landscape context on methane dynamics from subtropical wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

DeLucia, Nicholas; Gomez-Casanovas, Nuria; Boughton, Elizabeth; Yang, Wendy; Bernacchi, Carl

2017-04-01

Globally, wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric CH4, an important GHG with a warming potential 25 times stronger than CO2 (IPCC 2008; Forster et al. 2013). In sub-tropical climates where precipitation and temperatures are high, land-use change and agricultural management practices often intersect with extensive wetland systems. The Everglades watershed in South Central Florida represents a large areal extent characterized by a high density of wetlands nested within agricultural fields dominated to a large extent by grazed rangelands. Soils are primarily Spodosols and Histosols and sustain a relatively high water table, even during the dry season. Here, rangelands dominated by native vegetation have been converted to agronomically 'improved pastures' suitable for large scale cattle ranching through high intensive agronomic practices including vegetation homogenization, fertilization and drainage. In this study we first tested the hypothesis that CH4 fluxes from small ephemeral wetlands are indirectly influenced by management practices associated with the agricultural fields in which they are nested. We found that wetlands embedded in agronomically 'Improved' pastures exhibit significantly higher CH4 fluxes compared to wetlands embedded in 'Native' pastures. Next, we sought to determine the mechanisms by which the surrounding landscapes affect methane production processes to better predict how expanding or intensifying agriculture will affect wetland methane fluxes. We focus on substrate supply in the form of substrate quality and quantity available to methanogens as it is a principle control over CH4 production and susceptible to ecosystem perturbations. This research was conducted at the McArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center on Buck Island Ranch, Lake Placid, Florida. Wetland CH4 fluxes were measured using static canopy chambers coupled with infrared gas analysis of CH4, CO2 and water vapor. Additionally, soil manipulation incubations were prepared

Global warming and prairie wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poiani, K.A.; Johnson, W.C.

1991-01-01

In this article, the authors discuss current understanding and projections of global warming; review wetland vegetation dynamics to establish the strong relationship among climate, wetland hydrology, vegetation patterns and waterfowl habitat; discuss the potential effects of a greenhouse warming on these relationships; and illustrate the potential effects of climate change on wetland habitat by using a simulation model

Inverse modelling of national and European CH4 emissions using the atmospheric zoom model TM5

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Bergamaschi

2005-01-01

Full Text Available A synthesis inversion based on the atmospheric zoom model TM5 is used to derive top-down estimates of CH4 emissions from individual European countries for the year 2001. We employ a model zoom over Europe with 1° × 1° resolution that is two-way nested into the global model domain (with resolution of 6° × 4°. This approach ensures consistent boundary conditions for the zoom domain and thus European top-down estimates consistent with global CH4 observations. The TM5 model, driven by ECMWF analyses, simulates synoptic scale events at most European and global sites fairly well, and the use of high-frequency observations allows exploiting the information content of individual synoptic events. A detailed source attribution is presented for a comprehensive set of 56 monitoring sites, assigning the atmospheric signal to the emissions of individual European countries and larger global regions. The available observational data put significant constraints on emissions from different regions. Within Europe, in particular several Western European countries are well constrained. The inversion results suggest up to 50-90% higher anthropogenic CH4 emissions in 2001 for Germany, France and UK compared to reported UNFCCC values (EEA, 2003. A recent revision of the German inventory, however, resulted in an increase of reported CH4 emissions by 68.5% (EEA, 2004, being now in very good agreement with our top-down estimate. The top-down estimate for Finland is distinctly smaller than the a priori estimate, suggesting much smaller CH4 emissions from Finnish wetlands than derived from the bottom-up inventory. The EU-15 totals are relatively close to UNFCCC values (within 4-30% and appear very robust for different inversion scenarios.

Emission of greenhouse gases and soil carbon sequestration in a riparian marsh wetland in central Ohio.

Science.gov (United States)

Nag, Subir K; Liu, Ruiqiang; Lal, Rattan

2017-10-23

Wetlands are a C sink, but they also account for a large natural source of greenhouse gases (GHG), particularly methane (CH 4 ). Soils of wetlands play an important role in alleviating the global climate change regardless of the emission of CH 4 . However, there are uncertainties about the amount of C stored and emitted from wetlands because of the site specific factors. Therefore, the present study was conducted in a temperate riverine flow-through wetland, part of which was covered with emerging macrophyte Typhus latifolia in central Ohio, USA, with the objective to assess emissions of GHGs (CH 4, CO 2 , N 2 O) and measure C and nitrogen (N) stocks in wetland soil in comparison to a reference upland site. The data revealed that CH 4 emission from the open and vegetated wetland ranged from 1.03-0.51 Mg C/ha/y and that of CO 2 varied from 1.26-1.51 Mg C/ha/y. In comparison, CH 4 emission from reference upland site was negligible (0.01 Mg C/ha/y), but CO 2 emission was much higher (3.24 Mg C/ha/y). The stock of C in wetland soil was 85 to 125 Mg C/ha up to 0.3 m depth. The average rate of emission was 2.15 Mg C/ha/y, but the rate of sequestration was calculated as 5.55 Mg C/ha/y. Thus, the wetland was actually a C sink. Emission of N 2 O was slightly higher in vegetated wetland (0.153 mg N 2 O-N/m 2 /h) than the open wetland and the reference site (0.129 mg N 2 O-N/m 2 /h). Effect of temperature on emission of GHGs from the systems was also studied.

Methane Cycling in a Warming Wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Noyce, G. L.; Megonigal, P.; Rich, R.; Kirwan, M. L.; Herbert, E. R.

2017-12-01

Coastal wetlands are global hotspots of carbon (C) storage, but the future of these systems is uncertain. In June 2016, we initiated an in-situ, active, whole-ecosystem warming experiment in the Smithsonian's Global Change Research Wetland to quantify how warming and elevated CO2 affect the stability of coastal wetland soil C pools and contemporary rates of C sequestration. Transects are located in two plant communities, dominated by C3 sedges or C4 grasses. The experiment has a gradient design with air and soil warming treatments ranging from ambient to +5.1 °C and heated plots consistently maintain their target temperature year-round. In April 2017, an elevated CO2 treatment was crossed with temperature in the C3community. Ongoing measurements include soil elevation, C fluxes, porewater chemistry and redox potential, and above- and below-ground growth and biomass. In both years, warming increased methane (CH4) emissions (measured at 3-4 week intervals) from spring through fall at the C3 site, but had little effect on emissions from the C4 site. Winter (Dec-Mar) emissions showed no treatment effect. Stable isotope analysis of dissolved CH4 and DIC also indicated that warming had differing effects on CH4 pathways in the two vegetation communities. To better understand temperature effects on rates of CH4 production and oxidation, 1 m soil cores were collected from control areas of the marsh in summer 2017 and incubated at temperatures ranging from 4 °C to 35 °C. Warming increased CH4 production and oxidation rates in surface samples and oxidation rates in the rooting zone samples from both sites, but temperature responses in deep (1 m) soil samples were minimal. In the surface and rooting zone samples, production rates were also consistently higher in C3 soils compared to C4 soils, but, contrary to our expectations, the temperature response was stronger in the C4 soils. However, oxidation in C3 rooting zone samples did have a strong temperature response. The

Identifying sources of methane sampled in the Arctic using δ13C in CH4 and Lagrangian particle dispersion modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cain, Michelle; France, James; Pyle, John; Warwick, Nicola; Fisher, Rebecca; Lowry, Dave; Allen, Grant; O'Shea, Sebastian; Illingworth, Samuel; Jones, Ben; Gallagher, Martin; Welpott, Axel; Muller, Jennifer; Bauguitte, Stephane; George, Charles; Hayman, Garry; Manning, Alistair; Myhre, Catherine Lund; Lanoisellé, Mathias; Nisbet, Euan

2016-04-01

An airmass of enhanced methane was sampled during a research flight at ~600 m to ~2000 m altitude between the North coast of Norway and Svalbard on 21 July 2012. The largest source of methane in the summertime Arctic is wetland emissions. Did this enhancement in methane come from wetland emissions? The airmass was identified through continuous methane measurements using a Los Gatos fast greenhouse gas analyser on board the UK's BAe-146 Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) as part of the MAMM (Methane in the Arctic: Measurements and Modelling) campaign. A Lagrangian particle dispersion model (the UK Met Office's NAME model) was run backwards to identify potential methane source regions. This was combined with a methane emission inventory to create "pseudo observations" to compare with the aircraft observations. This modelling was used to constrain the δ13C CH4 wetland source signature (where δ13C CH4 is the ratio of 13C to 12C in methane), resulting in a most likely signature of -73‰ (±4‰7‰). The NAME back trajectories suggest a methane source region of north-western Russian wetlands, and -73‰ is consistent with in situ measurements of wetland methane at similar latitudes in Scandinavia. This analysis has allowed us to study emissions from remote regions for which we do not have in situ observations, giving us an extra tool in the determination of the isotopic source variation of global methane emissions.

Balancing Methane Emissions and Carbon Sequestration in Tropical/Subtropical Coastal Wetlands: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsch, W. J.; Schafer, K. V.; Cabezas, A.; Bernal, B.

2016-02-01

Wetlands are estimated to emit about 20 to 25 percent of current global CH4 emissions, or about 120 to 180 Tg-CH4 yr-1. Thus, in climate change discussions concerning wetlands, these "natural emissions" often receive the most attention, often overshadowing the more important ecosystem services that wetlands provide, including carbon sequestration. While methane emissions from coastal wetlands have generally been described as small due to competing biogeochemical cycles, disturbance of coastal wetlands, e.g., the introduction of excessive freshwater fluxes or substrate disturbance, can lead to much higher methane emission rates. Carbon sequestration is a more positive carbon story about wetlands and coastal wetlands in particular. The rates of carbon sequestration in tropical/subtropical coastal wetlands, mainly mangroves, are in the range of 100 to 200 g-C m-2 yr-1, two to ten times higher rates than in the more frequently studied northern peatlands. This function of coastal wetlands has significant international support now for mangrove conservation and it is referred to in the literature and popular press as blue carbon. This presentation will summarize what we know about methane emissions and carbon sequestration in tropical/subtropical coastal wetlands, how these rates compare with those in non-tropical and/or inland wetlands, and a demonstration of two or three models that compare methane fluxes with carbon dioxide sequestration to determine if wetlands are net sinks of radiative forcing. The presentation will also present a global model of carbon with an emphasis on wetlands.

Methane emissions in Danish riparian wetlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Audet, Joachim; Johansen, Jan Ravn; Andersen, Peter Mejlhede

2013-01-01

The present study was conducted to (i) investigate parameters influencing the fluxes of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) in Danish riparian wetlands with contrasting vegetation characteristics and (ii) develop models relating CH4 emissions to soil and/or vegetation parameters integrating the spat......The present study was conducted to (i) investigate parameters influencing the fluxes of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) in Danish riparian wetlands with contrasting vegetation characteristics and (ii) develop models relating CH4 emissions to soil and/or vegetation parameters integrating...

Sensitivity of wetland methane emissions to model assumptions: application and model testing against site observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Meng

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Methane emissions from natural wetlands and rice paddies constitute a large proportion of atmospheric methane, but the magnitude and year-to-year variation of these methane sources are still unpredictable. Here we describe and evaluate the integration of a methane biogeochemical model (CLM4Me; Riley et al., 2011 into the Community Land Model 4.0 (CLM4CN in order to better explain spatial and temporal variations in methane emissions. We test new functions for soil pH and redox potential that impact microbial methane production in soils. We also constrain aerenchyma in plants in always-inundated areas in order to better represent wetland vegetation. Satellite inundated fraction is explicitly prescribed in the model, because there are large differences between simulated fractional inundation and satellite observations, and thus we do not use CLM4-simulated hydrology to predict inundated areas. A rice paddy module is also incorporated into the model, where the fraction of land used for rice production is explicitly prescribed. The model is evaluated at the site level with vegetation cover and water table prescribed from measurements. Explicit site level evaluations of simulated methane emissions are quite different than evaluating the grid-cell averaged emissions against available measurements. Using a baseline set of parameter values, our model-estimated average global wetland emissions for the period 1993–2004 were 256 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹ (including the soil sink and rice paddy emissions in the year 2000 were 42 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹. Tropical wetlands contributed 201 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹, or 78% of the global wetland flux. Northern latitude (>50 N systems contributed 12 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹. However, sensitivity studies show a large range (150–346 Tg CH₄ yr⁻¹ in predicted global methane emissions (excluding emissions from rice paddies. The large range is

Climate change impact of livestock CH4 emission in India: Global temperature change potential (GTP) and surface temperature response.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Shilpi; Hiloidhari, Moonmoon; Kumari, Nisha; Naik, S N; Dahiya, R P

2018-01-01

Two climate metrics, Global surface Temperature Change Potential (GTP) and the Absolute GTP (AGTP) are used for studying the global surface temperature impact of CH 4 emission from livestock in India. The impact on global surface temperature is estimated for 20 and 100 year time frames due to CH 4 emission. The results show that the CH 4 emission from livestock, worked out to 15.3 Tg in 2012. In terms of climate metrics GTP of livestock-related CH 4 emission in India in 2012 were 1030 Tg CO 2 e (GTP 20 ) and 62 Tg CO 2 e (GTP 100 ) at the 20 and 100 year time horizon, respectively. The study also illustrates that livestock-related CH 4 emissions in India can cause a surface temperature increase of up to 0.7mK and 0.036mK over the 20 and 100 year time periods, respectively. The surface temperature response to a year of Indian livestock emission peaks at 0.9mK in the year 2021 (9 years after the time of emission). The AGTP gives important information in terms of temperature change due to annual CH 4 emissions, which is useful when comparing policies that address multiple gases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attribution of changes in global wetland methane emissions from pre-industrial to present using CLM4.5-BGC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paudel, Rajendra; Mahowald, Natalie M; Hess, Peter G M; Meng, Lei; Riley, William J

2016-01-01

An understanding of potential factors controlling methane emissions from natural wetlands is important to accurately project future atmospheric methane concentrations. Here, we examine the relative contributions of climatic and environmental factors, such as precipitation, temperature, atmospheric CO 2 concentration, nitrogen deposition, wetland inundation extent, and land-use and land-cover change, on changes in wetland methane emissions from preindustrial to present day (i.e., 1850–2005). We apply a mechanistic methane biogeochemical model integrated in the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5), the land component of the Community Earth System Model. The methane model explicitly simulates methane production, oxidation, ebullition, transport through aerenchyma of plants, and aqueous and gaseous diffusion. We conduct a suite of model simulations from 1850 to 2005, with all changes in environmental factors included, and sensitivity studies isolating each factor. Globally, we estimate that preindustrial methane emissions were higher by 10% than present-day emissions from natural wetlands, with emissions changes from preindustrial to the present of +15%, −41%, and −11% for the high latitudes, temperate regions, and tropics, respectively. The most important change is due to the estimated change in wetland extent, due to the conversion of wetland areas to drylands by humans. This effect alone leads to higher preindustrial global methane fluxes by 33% relative to the present, with the largest change in temperate regions (+80%). These increases were partially offset by lower preindustrial emissions due to lower CO 2 levels (10%), shifts in precipitation (7%), lower nitrogen deposition (3%), and changes in land-use and land-cover (2%). Cooler temperatures in the preindustrial regions resulted in our simulations in an increase in global methane emissions of 6% relative to present day. Much of the sensitivity to these perturbations is mediated in the model by

Unusually Warm Spring Temperatures Magnify Annual CH4 Losses From Arctic Ecosystems

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Goodrich, J. P.; Oechel, W. C.; Gioli, B.; Murphy, P.; Zona, D.

2015-12-01

The relatively fast pace of Northern high latitude warming puts the very large permafrost soil C pool at a higher risk of being lost to the atmosphere as CH4. Estimates for the Arctic tundra's contribution to the global wetland CH4 emissions range from 15-27 TgCH4 y-1 (8-14% of total). However, these estimates are largely based on data from the growing season, or from boreal systems underlain by discontinuous permafrost with different physical, hydrological, and biogeochemical dynamics than continuous permafrost zones. Recent data from a transect of eddy covariance flux towers across the North Slope of Alaska revealed the importance of cold season emissions to the annual CH4 budget, which may not correlate with summer flux patterns. However, understanding of the controls and inter-annual variability in fluxes at these different sites is lacking. Here, we present data from ~3 years at 5 tundra ecosystems along this Arctic transect to show the influence of earlier and deeper spring active layer thaw on timing and magnitude of CH4 fluxes. This year's warm spring led to significantly greater thaw depths and lower water tables than the previous year. Substantial CH4 emissions in 2015 were recorded at the wettest sites >20 days earlier than in the more meteorologically normal previous year. Since the soil remained saturated despite a lowered water table, total spring CH4 emissions more than doubled at these wet sites. At the drier sites, soil moisture declined with water table during the warmer spring, resulting in similar emissions to the previous year. However, deeper thaw depths prolonged fall and early winter emissions during the 'zero-curtain' soil temperature freezing phase, particularly at the drier site. In general, warmer spring temperatures in the Arctic may result in large increases in early season CH4 losses at wet sites and prolonged steady losses at the upland sites, enhancing the feedback between changing climate and tundra CH4 emissions at all sites.

Spatial and stress-related variation in benthic microbial gas flux in northeastern Alberta wetlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciborowski, J.; Gardner Costa, J.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effects of oil sands process material (OSPM) on the sediment microbial respiration in newly constructed wetlands located in northeastern Alberta. The sediment gas flux in 10 wetlands with various sediment characteristics and ages was studied. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to contrast the mean wetland production of methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) with season, wetland status, wetland age, and wetland zones. The study showed that CH 4 was significantly higher in reference wetlands than in OSPM-impacted wetlands. A significant relationship between the status and zone of the wetland was observed for CH 4 fluxes in reference wetlands. CH 4 fluxes were higher in the non-vegetated zones of reference wetlands than in the vegetated zones of reference wetlands. CO 2 fluxes were low and not significantly different in any of the studied sites. Results indicated that the wetlands contributed little atmospheric carbon.

Isotopic source signatures: Impact of regional variability on the δ13CH4 trend and spatial distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Feinberg, Aryeh I.; Coulon, Ancelin; Stenke, Andrea; Schwietzke, Stefan; Peter, Thomas

2018-02-01

The atmospheric methane growth rate has fluctuated over the past three decades, signifying variations in methane sources and sinks. Methane isotopic ratios (δ13CH4) differ between emission categories, and can therefore be used to distinguish which methane sources have changed. However, isotopic modelling studies have mainly focused on uncertainties in methane emissions rather than uncertainties in isotopic source signatures. We simulated atmospheric δ13CH4 for the period 1990-2010 using the global chemistry-climate model SOCOL. Empirically-derived regional variability in the isotopic signatures was introduced in a suite of sensitivity simulations. These simulations were compared to a baseline simulation with commonly used global mean isotopic signatures. We investigated coal, natural gas/oil, wetland, livestock, and biomass burning source signatures to determine whether regional variations impact the observed isotopic trend and spatial distribution. Based on recently published source signature datasets, our calculated global mean isotopic signatures are in general lighter than the commonly used values. Trends in several isotopic signatures were also apparent during the period 1990-2010. Tropical livestock emissions grew during the 2000s, introducing isotopically heavier livestock emissions since tropical livestock consume more C4 vegetation than midlatitude livestock. Chinese coal emissions, which are isotopically heavy compared to other coals, increase during the 2000s leading to higher global values of δ13CH4 for coal emissions. EDGAR v4.2 emissions disagree with the observed atmospheric isotopic trend for almost all simulations, confirming past doubts about this emissions inventory. The agreement between the modelled and observed δ13CH4 interhemispheric differences improves when regional source signatures are used. Even though the simulated results are highly dependent on the choice of methane emission inventories, they emphasize that the commonly used

Advancing Wetlands Mapping and Monitoring with GNSS Reflectometry

Science.gov (United States)

Zuffada, Cinzia; Chew, Clara; Nghiem, Son V.; Shah, Rashmi; Podest, Erika; Bloom, A. Anthony; Koning, Alexandra; Small, Eric; Schimel, David; Reager, J. T.; Mannucci, Anthony; Williamson, Walton; Cardellach, Estel

2016-08-01

Wetland dynamics is crucial to address changes in both atmospheric methane (CH4) and terrestrial water storage. Yet, both spatial distribution and temporal variability of wetlands remain highly unconstrained despite the existence of remote sensing products from past and present satellite sensors. An innovative approach to mapping wetlands is offered by the Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R), which is a bistatic radar concept that takes advantage of the ever increasing number of GNSS transmitting satellites to yield many randomly distributed measurements with broad-area global coverage and rapid revisit time. Hence, this communication presents the science motivation for mapping of wetlands and monitoring of their dynamics, and shows the relevance of the GNSS-R technique in this context, relative to and in synergy with other existing measurement systems. Additionally, the communication discusses results of our data analysis on wetlands in the Amazon, specifically from the initial analysis of satellite data acquired by the TechDemoSat-1 mission launched in 2014. Finally, recommendations are provided for the design of a GNSS-R mission specifically to address wetlands science issues.

Growing season CH4 and N2O fluxes from a subarctic landscape in northern Finland; from chamber to landscape scale

Science.gov (United States)

Dinsmore, Kerry J.; Drewer, Julia; Levy, Peter E.; George, Charles; Lohila, Annalea; Aurela, Mika; Skiba, Ute M.

2017-02-01

Subarctic and boreal emissions of CH4 are important contributors to the atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) balance and subsequently the global radiative forcing. Whilst N2O emissions may be lower, the much greater radiative forcing they produce justifies their inclusion in GHG studies. In addition to the quantification of flux magnitude, it is essential that we understand the drivers of emissions to be able to accurately predict climate-driven changes and potential feedback mechanisms. Hence this study aims to increase our understanding of what drives fluxes of CH4 and N2O in a subarctic forest/wetland landscape during peak summer conditions and into the shoulder season, exploring both spatial and temporal variability, and uses satellite-derived spectral data to extrapolate from chamber-scale fluxes to a 2 km × 2 km landscape area.From static chamber measurements made during summer and autumn campaigns in 2012 in the Sodankylä region of northern Finland, we concluded that wetlands represent a significant source of CH4 (3.35 ± 0.44 mg C m-2 h-1 during the summer campaign and 0.62 ± 0.09 mg C m-2 h-1 during the autumn campaign), whilst the surrounding forests represent a small sink (-0.06 ± zero across both ecosystems.We found a weak negative relationship between CH4 emissions and water table depth in the wetland, with emissions decreasing as the water table approached and flooded the soil surface and a positive relationship between CH4 emissions and the presence of Sphagnum mosses. Temperature was also an important driver of CH4 with emissions increasing to a peak at approximately 12 °C. Little could be determined about the drivers of N2O emissions given the small magnitude of the fluxes.A multiple regression modelling approach was used to describe CH4 emissions based on spectral data from PLEIADES PA1 satellite imagery across a 2 km × 2 km landscape. When applied across the whole image domain we calculated a CH4 source of 2.05 ± 0.61 mg C m-2 h-1. This was

CH_3Cl, CH_2Cl_2, CHCl_3, and CCl_4: Infrared spectra, radiative efficiencies, and global warming potentials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wallington, Timothy J.; Pivesso, Bruno Pasquini; Lira, Alane Moura; Anderson, James E.; Nielsen, Claus Jørgen; Andersen, Niels Højmark; Hodnebrog, Øivind

2016-01-01

Infrared spectra for the title compounds were measured experimentally in 700 Torr of air at 295 K and systematically modeled in B3LYP, M06-2X and MP2 calculations employing various basis sets. Calibrated infrared spectra over the wavenumber range 600–3500 cm"−"1 are reported and combined with literature data to provide spectra for use in experimental studies and radiative transfer calculations. Integrated absorption cross sections are (units of cm"−"1 molecule"−"1): CH_3Cl, 660–780 cm"−"1, (3.89±0.19)×10"−"1"8; CH_2Cl_2, 650–800 cm"−"1, (2.16±0.11)×10"−"1"7; CHCl_3, 720–810 cm"−"1, (4.08±0.20)×10"−"1"7; and CCl_4, 730–825 cm"−"1, (6.30±0.31)×10"−"1"7. CH_3Cl, CH_2Cl_2, CHCl_3, and CCl_4 have radiative efficiencies of 0.004, 0.028, 0.070, and 0.174 W m"−"2 ppb"−"1 and global warming potentials (100 year horizon) of 5, 8, 15, and 1775, respectively. Quantum chemistry calculations generally predict larger band intensities than the experimental values. The best agreement with experiments is obtained in MP2(Full) calculations employing basis sets of at least triple-zeta quality augmented by diffuse functions. The B3LYP functional is found ill-suited for calculating vibrational frequencies and infrared intensities of halocarbons. - Highlights: • Infrared spectra reported for CH_3Cl, CH_2Cl_2, CHCl_3, and CCl_4. • REs of CH_3Cl, CH_2Cl_2, CHCl_3, and CCl_4 are 0.004, 0.028, 0.070, and 0.174 W m"−"2 ppb"−"1, respectively. • GWPs of CH_3Cl, CH_2Cl_2, CHCl_3, and CCl_4 are 5, 8, 15, and 1775, respectively.

What affects CH4/CO2 ratio in cow’s breath

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hellwing, Anne Louise Frydendahl; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Madsen, Jørgen

2013-01-01

under farm management control. CO2 is released largely from microbial decay or burning of plant litter and soil organic matter. CH4 is produced when organic materials decompose under anoxic conditions, notably from fermentative digestion by ruminant livestock, stored manures, wetlands and rice grown...

The Global Methane Budget 2000-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Saunois, Marielle; Bousquet, Philippe; Poulter, Benjamin; Peregon, Anna; Ciais, Philippe; Canadell, Josep G.; Dlugokencky, Edward J.; Etiope, Giuseppe; Bastviken, David; Houweling, Sander;

Combining Microbial Enzyme Kinetics Models with Light Use Efficiency Models to Predict CO2 and CH4 Ecosystem Exchange from Flooded and Drained Peatland Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Oikawa, P. Y.; Jenerette, D.; Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

2014-12-01

Under California's Cap-and-Trade program, companies are looking to invest in land-use practices that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is a drained cultivated peatland system and a large source of CO2. To slow soil subsidence and reduce CO2 emissions, there is growing interest in converting drained peatlands to wetlands. However, wetlands are large sources of CH4 that could offset CO2-based GHG reductions. The goal of our research is to provide accurate measurements and model predictions of the changes in GHG budgets that occur when drained peatlands are restored to wetland conditions. We have installed a network of eddy covariance towers across multiple land use types in the Delta and have been measuring CO2 and CH4 ecosystem exchange for multiple years. In order to upscale these measurements through space and time we are using these data to parameterize and validate a process-based biogeochemical model. To predict gross primary productivity (GPP), we are using a simple light use efficiency (LUE) model which requires estimates of light, leaf area index and air temperature and can explain 90% of the observed variation in GPP in a mature wetland. To predict ecosystem respiration we have adapted the Dual Arrhenius Michaelis-Menten (DAMM) model. The LUE-DAMM model allows accurate simulation of half-hourly net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in a mature wetland (r2=0.85). We are working to expand the model to pasture, rice and alfalfa systems in the Delta. To predict methanogenesis, we again apply a modified DAMM model, using simple enzyme kinetics. However CH4 exchange is complex and we have thus expanded the model to predict not only microbial CH4 production, but also CH4 oxidation, CH4 storage and the physical processes regulating the release of CH4 to the atmosphere. The CH4-DAMM model allows accurate simulation of daily CH4 ecosystem exchange in a mature wetland (r2=0.55) and robust estimates of annual CH4 budgets. The LUE

Effects of seasonality, transport pathway, and spatial structure on greenhouse gas fluxes in a restored wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

McNicol, Gavin; Sturtevant, Cove S; Knox, Sara H; Dronova, Iryna; Baldocchi, Dennis D; Silver, Whendee L

2017-07-01

Wetlands can influence global climate via greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). Few studies have quantified the full GHG budget of wetlands due to the high spatial and temporal variability of fluxes. We report annual open-water diffusion and ebullition fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O from a restored emergent marsh ecosystem. We combined these data with concurrent eddy-covariance measurements of whole-ecosystem CO 2 and CH 4 exchange to estimate GHG fluxes and associated radiative forcing effects for the whole wetland, and separately for open-water and vegetated cover types. Annual open-water CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O emissions were 915 ± 95 g C-CO 2  m -2  yr -1 , 2.9 ± 0.5 g C-CH 4  m -2  yr -1 , and 62 ± 17 mg N-N 2 O m -2  yr -1 , respectively. Diffusion dominated open-water GHG transport, accounting for >99% of CO 2 and N 2 O emissions, and ~71% of CH 4 emissions. Seasonality was minor for CO 2 emissions, whereas CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes displayed strong and asynchronous seasonal dynamics. Notably, the overall radiative forcing of open-water fluxes (3.5 ± 0.3 kg CO 2 -eq m -2  yr -1 ) exceeded that of vegetated zones (1.4 ± 0.4 kg CO 2 -eq m -2  yr -1 ) due to high ecosystem respiration. After scaling results to the entire wetland using object-based cover classification of remote sensing imagery, net uptake of CO 2 (-1.4 ± 0.6 kt CO 2 -eq yr -1 ) did not offset CH 4 emission (3.7 ± 0.03 kt CO 2 -eq yr -1 ), producing an overall positive radiative forcing effect of 2.4 ± 0.3 kt CO 2 -eq yr -1 . These results demonstrate clear effects of seasonality, spatial structure, and transport pathway on the magnitude and composition of wetland GHG emissions, and the efficacy of multiscale flux measurement to overcome challenges of wetland heterogeneity. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The positive net radiative greenhouse gas forcing of increasing methane emissions from a thawing boreal forest-wetland landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Helbig, Manuel; Chasmer, Laura E; Kljun, NatasCha; Quinton, William L; Treat, Claire C; Sonnentag, Oliver

2017-06-01

At the southern margin of permafrost in North America, climate change causes widespread permafrost thaw. In boreal lowlands, thawing forested permafrost peat plateaus ('forest') lead to expansion of permafrost-free wetlands ('wetland'). Expanding wetland area with saturated and warmer organic soils is expected to increase landscape methane (CH 4 ) emissions. Here, we quantify the thaw-induced increase in CH 4 emissions for a boreal forest-wetland landscape in the southern Taiga Plains, Canada, and evaluate its impact on net radiative forcing relative to potential long-term net carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) exchange. Using nested wetland and landscape eddy covariance net CH 4 flux measurements in combination with flux footprint modeling, we find that landscape CH 4 emissions increase with increasing wetland-to-forest ratio. Landscape CH 4 emissions are most sensitive to this ratio during peak emission periods, when wetland soils are up to 10 °C warmer than forest soils. The cumulative growing season (May-October) wetland CH 4 emission of ~13 g CH 4  m -2 is the dominating contribution to the landscape CH 4 emission of ~7 g CH 4  m -2 . In contrast, forest contributions to landscape CH 4 emissions appear to be negligible. The rapid wetland expansion of 0.26 ± 0.05% yr -1 in this region causes an estimated growing season increase of 0.034 ± 0.007 g CH 4  m -2  yr -1 in landscape CH 4 emissions. A long-term net CO 2 uptake of >200 g CO 2  m -2  yr -1 is required to offset the positive radiative forcing of increasing CH 4 emissions until the end of the 21st century as indicated by an atmospheric CH 4 and CO 2 concentration model. However, long-term apparent carbon accumulation rates in similar boreal forest-wetland landscapes and eddy covariance landscape net CO 2 flux measurements suggest a long-term net CO 2 uptake between 49 and 157 g CO 2  m -2  yr -1 . Thus, thaw-induced CH 4 emission increases likely exert a positive net radiative greenhouse gas

Response of methane emissions from wetlands to the Last Glacial Maximum and an idealized Dansgaard–Oeschger climate event: insights from two models of different complexity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Ringeval

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The role of different sources and sinks of CH4 in changes in atmospheric methane ([CH4] concentration during the last 100 000 yr is still not fully understood. In particular, the magnitude of the change in wetland CH4 emissions at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM relative to the pre-industrial period (PI, as well as during abrupt climatic warming or Dansgaard–Oeschger (D–O events of the last glacial period, is largely unconstrained. In the present study, we aim to understand the uncertainties related to the parameterization of the wetland CH4 emission models relevant to these time periods by using two wetland models of different complexity (SDGVM and ORCHIDEE. These models have been forced by identical climate fields from low-resolution coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model (FAMOUS simulations of these time periods. Both emission models simulate a large decrease in emissions during LGM in comparison to PI consistent with ice core observations and previous modelling studies. The global reduction is much larger in ORCHIDEE than in SDGVM (respectively −67 and −46%, and whilst the differences can be partially explained by different model sensitivities to temperature, the major reason for spatial differences between the models is the inclusion of freezing of soil water in ORCHIDEE and the resultant impact on methanogenesis substrate availability in boreal regions. Besides, a sensitivity test performed with ORCHIDEE in which the methanogenesis substrate sensitivity to the precipitations is modified to be more realistic gives a LGM reduction of −36%. The range of the global LGM decrease is still prone to uncertainty, and here we underline its sensitivity to different process parameterizations. Over the course of an idealized D–O warming, the magnitude of the change in wetland CH4 emissions simulated by the two models at global scale is very similar at around 15 Tg yr−1, but this is only around 25% of the ice-core measured

Landscape hydrology. The hydrological legacy of deforestation on global wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, C; Shulmeister, J; Larsen, J; Jacobsen, G E; Zawadzki, A

2014-11-14

Increased catchment erosion and nutrient loading are commonly recognized impacts of deforestation on global wetlands. In contrast, an increase in water availability in deforested catchments is well known in modern studies but is rarely considered when evaluating past human impacts. We used a Budyko water balance approach, a meta-analysis of global wetland response to deforestation, and paleoecological studies from Australasia to explore this issue. After complete deforestation, we demonstrated that water available to wetlands increases by up to 15% of annual precipitation. This can convert ephemeral swamps to permanent lakes or even create new wetlands. This effect is globally significant, with 9 to 12% of wetlands affected, including 20 to 40% of Ramsar wetlands, but is widely unrecognized because human impact studies rarely test for it. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Tropical/Subtropical Peatland Development and Global CH4 during the Last Glaciation.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hai; Lan, Jianghu; Sheng, Enguo; Liu, Yong; Liu, Bin; Yu, Keke; Ye, Yuanda; Cheng, Peng; Qiang, Xiaoke; Lu, Fengyan; Wang, Xulong

2016-07-28

Knowledge of peatland development over the tropical/subtropical zone during the last glaciation is critical for understanding the glacial global methane cycle. Here we present a well-dated 'peat deposit-lake sediment' alternate sequence at Tengchong, southwestern China, and discuss the peatland development and its linkage to the global glacial methane cycle. Peat layers were formed during the cold Marine Isotope Stage (MIS)-2 and -4, whereas lake sediments coincided with the relatively warm MIS-3, which is possibly related to the orbital/suborbital variations in both temperature and Asian summer monsoon intensity. The Tengchong peatland formation pattern is broadly synchronous with those over subtropical southern China and other tropical/subtropical areas, but it is clearly in contrast to those over the mid-high Northern Hemisphere. The results of this work suggest that the shifts of peatland development between the tropical/subtropical zone and mid-high Northern Hemisphere may have played important roles in the glacial/interglacial global atmospheric CH4 cycles.

WRF-Chem simulations in the Amazon region during wet and dry season transitions: evaluation of methane models and wetland inundation maps

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, V.; Gerbig, C.; Koch, T.; Bela, M. M.; Longo, K. M.; Freitas, S. R.; Kaplan, J. O.; Prigent, C.; Bergamaschi, P.; Heimann, M.

2013-08-01

The Amazon region, being a large source of methane (CH4), contributes significantly to the global annual CH4 budget. For the first time, a forward and inverse modelling framework on regional scale for the purpose of assessing the CH4 budget of the Amazon region is implemented. Here, we present forward simulations of CH4 as part of the forward and inverse modelling framework based on a modified version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry that allows for passive tracer transport of CH4, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide (WRF-GHG), in combination with two different process-based bottom-up models of CH4 emissions from anaerobic microbial production in wetlands and additional datasets prescribing CH4 emissions from other sources such as biomass burning, termites, or other anthropogenic emissions. We compare WRF-GHG simulations on 10 km horizontal resolution to flask and continuous CH4 observations obtained during two airborne measurement campaigns within the Balanço Atmosférico Regional de Carbono na Amazônia (BARCA) project in November 2008 and May 2009. In addition, three different wetland inundation maps, prescribing the fraction of inundated area per grid cell, are evaluated. Our results indicate that the wetland inundation maps based on remote-sensing data represent the observations best except for the northern part of the Amazon basin and the Manaus area. WRF-GHG was able to represent the observed CH4 mixing ratios best at days with less convective activity. After adjusting wetland emissions to match the averaged observed mixing ratios of flights with little convective activity, the monthly CH4 budget for the Amazon basin obtained from four different simulations ranges from 1.5 to 4.8 Tg for November 2008 and from 1.3 to 5.5 Tg for May 2009. This corresponds to an average CH4 flux of 9-31 mg m-2 d-1 for November 2008 and 8-36 mg m-2 d-1 for May 2009.

Physical and biological controls over patterns of methane flux from wetland soils

Science.gov (United States)

Owens, S. M.; von Fischer, J. C.

2006-12-01

While methane (CH4) production and plant-facilitated gas transport both contribute to patterns of CH4 emissions from wetlands, the relative importance of each mechanism is uncertain. In flooded wetland soils, CH4 is produced by anaerobic methanogenic bacteria. In the absence of competing oxidizers (i.e. SO42-, NO3-, O2), CH4 production is limited by the availability of labile carbon, which is supplied from recent plant primary production (e.g. as root exudates) and converted by anaerobic fermenting bacteria into methanogenic substrate (e.g. acetate). Because diffusion of gases through saturated soils is extremely slow, the aerenchymous tissues of wetland plants provide the primary pathway for CH4 emissions in systems dominated by emergent vascular vegetation. Aerenchyma also function to shuttle atmospheric oxygen to belowground plant tissues for respiration. Consequentially, root radial oxygen loss results in an oxidized rhizosphere, which limits CH4 production and provides habitat for aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, potentially reducing CH4 emissions. To test the contribution of recent photosynthates on CH4 emissions, a shading experiment was conducted in a Juncus-dominated wetland in the Colorado Front Range. Shade treatments significantly reduced net ecosystem production (NEE) and gross primary production (GPP) compared to control plots (p=0.0194 and p=0.0551, respectively). While CH4 emissions did not significantly differ between treatments, CH4 flux rates were strongly correlated with NEE (p=0.0063) and GPP (p=0.0020), in support of the hypothesis that labile carbon from recent photosynthesis controls patterns of CH4 emissions. The relative importance of plant gas transport and methane consumption rates on CH4 emissions is not known. Methane flux is more tightly correlated with NEE than GPP, which may be explained by increased CH4 consumption or decreased CH4 production as a result of rhizospheric oxidation. The ability to predict future emissions of this

Global carbon sequestration in tidal, saline wetland soils

Science.gov (United States)

Chmura, G.L.; Anisfeld, S.C.; Cahoon, D.R.; Lynch, J.C.

2003-01-01

Wetlands represent the largest component of the terrestrial biological carbon pool and thus play an important role in global carbon cycles. Most global carbon budgets, however, have focused on dry land ecosystems that extend over large areas and have not accounted for the many small, scattered carbon-storing ecosystems such as tidal saline wetlands. We compiled data for 154 sites in mangroves and salt marshes from the western and eastern Atlantic and Pacific coasts, as well as the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico. The set of sites spans a latitudinal range from 22.4??S in the Indian Ocean to 55.5??N in the northeastern Atlantic. The average soil carbon density of mangrove swamps (0.055 ?? 0.004 g cm-3) is significantly higher than the salt marsh average (0.039 ?? 0.003 g cm-3). Soil carbon density in mangrove swamps and Spartina patens marshes declines with increasing average annual temperature, probably due to increased decay rates at higher temperatures. In contrast, carbon sequestration rates were not significantly different between mangrove swamps and salt marshes. Variability in sediment accumulation rates within marshes is a major control of carbon sequestration rates masking any relationship with climatic parameters. Globally, these combined wetlands store at least 44.6 Tg C yr-1 and probably more, as detailed areal inventories are not available for salt marshes in China and South America. Much attention has been given to the role of freshwater wetlands, particularly northern peatlands, as carbon sinks. In contrast to peatlands, salt marshes and mangroves release negligible amounts of greenhouse gases and store more carbon per unit area. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

Airborne measurements of CO2, CH4 and HCN in boreal biomass burning plumes

Science.gov (United States)

O'Shea, Sebastian J.; Bauguitte, Stephane; Muller, Jennifer B. A.; Le Breton, Michael; Archibald, Alex; Gallagher, Martin W.; Allen, Grant; Percival, Carl J.

2013-04-01

biomass burning tracers were not as robust, most likely due to mixing from other CH4 emission sources, such as the wetland regions. The role of additional emission sources will be investigated using the UK Met Office NAME atmospheric dispersion model and the HYSPLIT trajectory model. Using tailored back trajectory analysis, we will present an interpretation of this new dataset in the context of air mass/fire origin, relating this to MODIS fire maps and source strength. Langenfelds et al.: Interannual growth rate variations of atmospheric CO2 and its δ13C, H2, CH4, and CO between 1992 and 1999 linked to biomass burning, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 16, 1048, 2002. Simpson et al.: Influence of biomass burning during recent fluctuations in the slow growth of global tropospheric methane, Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L22808, 2006.

Interpreting the variations in atmospheric methane fluxes observed above a restored wetland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbst, Mathias; Friborg, Thomas; Ringgaard, Rasmus

2011-01-01

The eddy flux of methane (CH4) was measured over 14 months above a restored wetland in western Denmark. The average annual daily CH4 flux was 30.2mgm-2 d-1, but the daily emission rates varied considerably over time. Several factors were identified that explained some of this variation. (1) Grazing...... that the variability in the CH4 fluxes strongly affects the greenhouse gas sink strength of the restored wetland.......4 flux to soil temperature at 20cm depth was found for most of the study period, but not for parts of the summer season that coincided with a low water level in the river flowing through the wetland. (4) Additional variations in the CH4 emission rates were related to the spatial heterogeneity...

Comprehensive effects of a sedge plant on CH4 and N2O emissions in an estuarine marsh

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yangjie; Wang, Dongqi; Chen, Zhenlou; Hu, Hong

2018-05-01

Although there have been numerous studies focusing on plants' roles in methane (CH4) emissions, the influencing mechanism of wetland plants on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions has rarely been studied. Here, we test whether wetland plants also play an important role in N2O emissions. Gas fluxes were determined using the in situ static flux chamber technique. We also carried out pore-water extractions, sedge removal experiments and tests of N2O transportation. The brackish marsh acted as a net source of both CH4 and N2O. However, sedge plants played the opposite role in CH4 and N2O emissions. The removal of the sedges led to reduced CH4 emissions and increased accumulation of CH4 inside the sediment. Apart from being a conduit for CH4 transport, the sedges made a greater contribution to CH4 oxidation than CH4 production. The sedges exerted inhibitory effects on the release of N2O. The N2O was barely detectable inside the sediment in both vegetated and vegetation-removed plots. The denitrification measurements and nitrogen addition (the addition rates were equal to 0.028, 0.056 and 0.112 g m-2) experiments suggest that denitrification associated with N2O production occurred mainly in the surface sediment layer. The vascular sedge could transport atmospheric N2O downward into the rhizosphere. The rhizospheric sediment, together with the vascular sedge, became an effective sink of atmospheric N2O.

Modelling carbon cycle in boreal wetlands with the Earth System Model ECHAM6/MPIOM

Science.gov (United States)

Getzieh, Robert J.; Brovkin, Victor; Kleinen, Thomas; Raivonen, Maarit; Sevanto, Sanna

2010-05-01

Wetlands of the northern high latitudes provide excellent conditions for peat accumulation and methanogenesis. High moisture and low O2 content in the soils lead to effective preservation of soil organic matter and methane emissions. Boreal Wetlands contain about 450 PgC and currently constitute a significant natural source of methane (CH4) even though they cover only 3% of the global land surface. While storing carbon and removing CO2 from the atmosphere, boreal wetlands have contributed to global cooling on millennial timescales. Undisturbed boreal wetlands are likely to continue functioning as a net carbon sink. On the other hand these carbon pools might be destabilised in future since they are sensitive to climate change. Given that processes of peat accumulation and decay are closely dependent on hydrology and temperature, this balance may be altered significantly in the future. As a result, northern wetlands could have a large impact on carbon cycle-climate feedback mechanisms and therefore play an important role in global carbon cycle dynamics. However global biogeochemistry models used for simulations of CO2 dynamics in past and future climates usually neglect carbon cycle in wetlands. We investigate the potential for positive or negative feedbacks to the climate system through fluxes of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) with the general circulation model ECHAM6/MPIOM. A generic model of peat accumulation and decay has been developed and implemented into the land surface module JSBACH. We consider anaerobic biogeochemical processes which lead to formation of thick organic soils. Furthermore we consider specific wetland plant functional types (PFTs) in our model such as vascular plants (sedges) which impact methane transport and oxidation processes and non vascular plants (sphagnum mosses) which are promoting peat growth. As prototypes we use the modelling approaches by Frolking et al. (2001) as well as Walter & Heimann (2001) for the peat dynamics, and the

Phosphorus and greenhouse gas dynamics in a drained calcareous wetland soil in Minnesota.

Science.gov (United States)

Berryman, Erin M; Venterea, Rodney T; Baker, John M; Bloom, Paul R; Elf, Brandy

2009-01-01

Restoration of wetland hydrology can produce ecological benefits but may have unintended consequences. We examined effects of altered water level on release of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) and greenhouse gases (GHG) in soil cores from a marsh being evaluated for restoration. We also measured field concentrations of DRP and other constituents in wetland porewater. Intact cores from a sampling location with higher Fe and lower calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) contents released more DRP than another location, and displayed higher DRP under completely saturated compared to partly drained conditions. Porewater samples collected from the high-Fe location also contained higher DRP levels. Chemical data suggest that redox-driven reactions largely controlled DRP levels at the high-Fe site, while CaCO(3) adsorption was more important at the low-Fe site. Over the long term, water table elevation may attenuate P draining from the wetland due to decreased mineralization. However, such measures may increase P release in the short term. Raising the water level in soil cores resulted in decreased nitrous oxide (N(2)O) emissions, increased methane (CH(4)) emissions, and an overall increase in total global warming potential (GWP). The proportion of total GWP contributed by N(2)O decreased from 14% to < or = 1% as water level was raised, while the proportion contributed by CH(4) increased from 10 to 20% to 60 to 80%. Restoration of hydrology in the Rice Lake wetland has the potential to affect both local water quality and global air quality. These combined effects complicate the cost-to-benefit analysis of such wetland restoration efforts.

Tropospheric radiative forcing of CH4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossman, A.S.; Grant, K.E.

1994-04-01

We have evaluated the tropospheric radiative forcing of CH 4 in the 0-3000 cm -1 wavenumber range and compared this with prior published calculations. The atmospheric test cases involved perturbed methane scenarios in both a McClatchey mid latitude, summer, clear sky approximation, model atmosphere, as well as a globally and seasonally averaged model atmosphere containing a representative cloud distribution. The scenarios involved pure CH 4 radiative forcing and CH 4 plus a mixture of H 2 O, CO 2 , O 3 , and N 2 O. The IR radiative forcing was calculated using a correlated k-distribution transmission model. The major purposes of this paper are to first, use the correlated k-distribution model to calculate the tropospheric radiative forcing for CH 4 , as the only radiatively active gas, and in a mixture with H 2 O, CO 2 , O 3 , and N 2 O, for a McClatchey mid-latitude summer, clear-sky model atmosphere, and to compare the results to those obtained in the studies mentioned above. Second, we will calculate the tropospheric methane forcing in a globally and annually averaged atmosphere with and without a representative cloud distribution in order to validate the conjecture given in IPCC (1990) that the inclusion of clouds in the forcing calculations results in forcing values which are approximately 20 percent less than those obtained using clear sky approximations

Exotic Spartina alterniflora invasion alters ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CH4 and N2O and carbon sequestration in a coastal salt marsh in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Junji; Ding, Weixin; Liu, Deyan; Kang, Hojeong; Freeman, Chris; Xiang, Jian; Lin, Yongxin

2015-04-01

Coastal salt marshes are sensitive to global climate change and may play an important role in mitigating global warming. To evaluate the impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on global warming potential (GWP) in Chinese coastal areas, we measured CH4 and N2O fluxes and soil organic carbon sequestration rates along a transect of coastal wetlands in Jiangsu province, China, including open water; bare tidal flat; and invasive S. alterniflora, native Suaeda salsa, and Phragmites australis marshes. Annual CH4 emissions were estimated as 2.81, 4.16, 4.88, 10.79, and 16.98 kg CH4 ha(-1) for open water, bare tidal flat, and P. australis, S. salsa, and S. alterniflora marshes, respectively, indicating that S. alterniflora invasion increased CH4 emissions by 57-505%. In contrast, negative N2O fluxes were found to be significantly and negatively correlated (P carbon sequestration rate of S. alterniflora marsh amounted to 3.16 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1) in the top 100 cm soil profile, a value that was 2.63- to 8.78-fold higher than in native plant marshes. The estimated GWP was 1.78, -0.60, -4.09, and -1.14 Mg CO2 eq ha(-1) yr(-1) in open water, bare tidal flat, P. australis marsh and S. salsa marsh, respectively, but dropped to -11.30 Mg CO2 eq ha(-1) yr(-1) in S. alterniflora marsh. Our results indicate that although S. alterniflora invasion stimulates CH4 emissions, it can efficiently mitigate increases in atmospheric CO2 and N2O along the coast of China. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Potential for negative emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) through coastal peatland re-establishment: Novel insights from high frequency flux data at meter and kilometer scales

Science.gov (United States)

Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Bergamaschi, Brian; Anderson, Frank; Knox, Sara; Miller, Robin; Fujii, Roger

2018-04-01

High productivity temperate wetlands that accrete peat via belowground biomass (peatlands) may be managed for climate mitigation benefits due to their global distribution and notably negative emissions of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through rapid storage of carbon (C) in anoxic soils. Net emissions of additional greenhouse gases (GHG)—methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O)—are more difficult to predict and monitor due to fine-scale temporal and spatial variability, but can potentially reverse the climate mitigation benefits resulting from CO2 uptake. To support management decisions and modeling, we collected continuous 96 hour high frequency GHG flux data for CO2, CH4 and N2O at multiple scales—static chambers (1 Hz) and eddy covariance (10 Hz)—during peak productivity in a well-studied, impounded coastal peatland in California’s Sacramento Delta with high annual rates of C fluxes, sequestering 2065 ± 150 g CO2 m‑2 y‑1 and emitting 64.5 ± 2.4 g CH4 m‑2 y‑1. Chambers (n = 6) showed strong spatial variability along a hydrologic gradient from inlet to interior plots. Daily (24 hour) net CO2 uptake (NEE) was highest near inlet locations and fell dramatically along the flowpath (‑25 to ‑3.8 to +2.64 g CO2 m‑2 d‑1). In contrast, daily net CH4 flux increased along the flowpath (0.39 to 0.62 to 0.88 g CH4 m‑2 d‑1), such that sites of high daily CO2 uptake were sites of low CH4 emission. Distributed, continuous chamber data exposed five novel insights, and at least two important datagaps for wetland GHG management, including: (1) increasing dominance of CH4 ebullition fluxes (15%–32% of total) along the flowpath and (2) net negative N2O flux across all sites as measured during a 4 day period of peak biomass (‑1.7 mg N2O m‑2 d‑1 0.51 g CO2 eq m‑2 d‑1). The net negative emissions of re-established peat-accreting wetlands are notably high, but may be poorly estimated by

Globally significant greenhouse-gas emissions from African inland waters

Science.gov (United States)

Borges, Alberto V.; Bouillon, Steven

2017-04-01

The relevance of inland waters to global biogeochemical cycles is increasingly recognized, and of particular importance is their contribution of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. The latter remain largely unreported in African inland waters. Here we report dissolved CO2, CH4 and N2O from 12 rivers in Sub-Saharan Africa acquired during >30 field expeditions and additional seasonally resolved sampling at >30 sites between 2006 and 2014. Fluxes were calculated from reported gas transfer velocity values, and upscaled using available spatial datasets, with an estimated uncertainty of about ±19%. CO2 equivalent emissions ( 0.4±0.1 PgC yr-1) match 2/3 of the overall net carbon sink previously reported for Africa. Including emissions from wetlands of the Congo, the putative total emission ( 0.9±0.1 PgC yr-1) is about half of the global oceanic or land carbon sinks. In-situ respiration supported <14% of riverine CO2 emissions, which must therefore largely be driven by mineralization in wetlands or uplands. Riverine CO2 and CH4 emissions were directly correlated to wetland coverage and aboveground vegetation biomass, implying that future changes in wetland and upland vegetation cover will strongly impact GHG emissions from African inland waters.

Introducing a boreal wetland model within the Earth System model framework

Science.gov (United States)

Getzieh, R. J.; Brovkin, V.; Reick, C.; Kleinen, T.; Raddatz, T.; Raivonen, M.; Sevanto, S.

2009-04-01

Wetlands of the northern high latitudes with their low temperatures and waterlogged conditions are prerequisite for peat accumulation. They store at least 25% of the global soil organic carbon and constitute currently the largest natural source of methane. These boreal and subarctic peat carbon pools are sensitive to climate change since the ratio of carbon sequestration and emission is closely dependent on hydrology and temperature. Global biogeochemistry models used for simulations of CO2 dynamics in the past and future climates usually ignore changes in the peat storages. Our approach aims at the evaluation of the boreal wetland feedback to climate through the CO2 and CH4 fluxes on decadal to millennial time scales. A generic model of organic matter accumulation and decay in boreal wetlands is under development in the MPI for Meteorology in cooperation with the University of Helsinki. Our approach is to develop a wetland model which is consistent with the physical and biogeochemical components of the land surface module JSBACH as a part of the Earth System model framework ECHAM5-MPIOM-JSBACH. As prototypes, we use modelling approach by Frolking et al. (2001) for the peat dynamics and the wetland model by Wania (2007) for vegetation cover and plant productivity. An initial distribution of wetlands follows the GLWD-3 map by Lehner and Döll (2004). First results of the modelling approach will be presented. References: Frolking, S. E., N. T. Roulet, T. R. Moore, P. J. H. Richard, M. Lavoie and S. D. Muller (2001): Modeling Northern Peatland Decomposition and Peat Accumulation, Ecosystems, 4, 479-498. Lehner, B., Döll P. (2004): Development and validation of a global database of lakes, reservoirs and wetlands. Journal of Hydrology 296 (1-4), 1-22. Wania, R. (2007): Modelling northern peatland land surface processes, vegetation dynamics and methane emissions. PhD thesis, University of Bristol, 122 pp.

Effects of land use on greenhouse gas fluxes and soil properties of wetland catchments in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tangen, Brian A.; Finocchiaro, Raymond G.; Gleason, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Wetland restoration has been suggested as policy goal with multiple environmental benefits including enhancement of atmospheric carbon sequestration. However, there are concerns that increased methane (CH 4 ) emissions associated with restoration may outweigh potential benefits. A comprehensive, 4-year study of 119 wetland catchments was conducted in the Prairie Pothole Region of the north-central U.S. to assess the effects of land use on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and soil properties. Results showed that the effects of land use on GHG fluxes and abiotic soil properties differed with respect to catchment zone (upland, wetland), wetland classification, geographic location, and year. Mean CH 4 fluxes from the uplands were predictably low (< 0.02 g CH 4 m −2 day −1 ), while wetland zone CH 4 fluxes were much greater (< 0.001–3.9 g CH 4 m −2 day −1 ). Mean cumulative seasonal CH 4 fluxes ranged from roughly 0–650 g CH 4 m −2 , with an overall mean of approximately 160 g CH 4 m −2 . These maximum cumulative CH 4 fluxes were nearly 3 times as high as previously reported in North America. The overall magnitude and variability of N 2 O fluxes from this study (< 0.0001–0.0023 g N 2 O m −2 day −1 ) were comparable to previously reported values. Results suggest that soil organic carbon is lost when relatively undisturbed catchments are converted for agriculture, and that when non-drained cropland catchments are restored, CH 4 fluxes generally are not different than the pre-restoration baseline. Conversely, when drained cropland catchments are restored, CH 4 fluxes are noticeably higher. Consequently, it is important to consider the type of wetland restoration (drained, non-drained) when assessing restoration benefits. Results also suggest that elevated N 2 O fluxes from cropland catchments likely would be reduced through restoration. The overall variability demonstrated by this study was consistent with findings of other wetland investigations and

Drivers of wetland conversion: a global meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

van Asselen, Sanneke; Verburg, Peter H; Vermaat, Jan E; Janse, Jan H

2013-01-01

Meta-analysis of case studies has become an important tool for synthesizing case study findings in land change. Meta-analyses of deforestation, urbanization, desertification and change in shifting cultivation systems have been published. This present study adds to this literature, with an analysis of the proximate causes and underlying forces of wetland conversion at a global scale using two complementary approaches of systematic review. Firstly, a meta-analysis of 105 case-study papers describing wetland conversion was performed, showing that different combinations of multiple-factor proximate causes, and underlying forces, drive wetland conversion. Agricultural development has been the main proximate cause of wetland conversion, and economic growth and population density are the most frequently identified underlying forces. Secondly, to add a more quantitative component to the study, a logistic meta-regression analysis was performed to estimate the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide, using globally-consistent biophysical and socioeconomic location factor maps. Significant factors explaining wetland conversion, in order of importance, are market influence, total wetland area (lower conversion probability), mean annual temperature and cropland or built-up area. The regression analyses results support the outcomes of the meta-analysis of the processes of conversion mentioned in the individual case studies. In other meta-analyses of land change, similar factors (e.g., agricultural development, population growth, market/economic factors) are also identified as important causes of various types of land change (e.g., deforestation, desertification). Meta-analysis helps to identify commonalities across the various local case studies and identify which variables may lead to individual cases to behave differently. The meta-regression provides maps indicating the likelihood of wetland conversion worldwide based on the location factors that have determined historic

A Year in the Life: Annual Patterns of CO2 and CH4 from a Northern Finland Peatland, Including Anaerobic Methane Oxidation and Summer Ebullition Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, K.; Lipson, D.; Biasi, C.; Dorodnikov, M.; Männistö, M.; Lai, C. T.

2014-12-01

The major ecological controls on methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in northern wetland systems are well known, yet estimates of source/sink magnitudes are often incongruous with measured rates. This mismatch persists because holistic flux datasets are rare, preventing 'whole picture' determinations of flux controls. To combat this, we measured net CO2 and CH4 fluxes from September 2012-2013 within a peatland in northern Lapland, Finland. In addition, we performed in situ manipulations and in vitro soil incubations to quantify anaerobic methane oxidation and methanogenic rates as they related to alternative electron acceptor availability. Average annual fluxes varied substantially between different depressions within the wetland, a pattern that persisted through all seasons. Season was a strong predictor of both CO2 and CH4 flux rates, yet CH4 rates were not related to melt-season 10cm or 30cm soil temperatures, and only poorly predicted with air temperatures. We found evidence for both autumnal and spring thaw CH4 bursts, collectively accounting for 26% of annual CH4 flux, although the autumnal burst was more than 5 fold larger than the spring burst. CH4 ebullition measured throughout the growing season augmented the CH4 source load by a factor of 1.5, and was linked with fine-scale spatial heterogeneity within the wetland. Surprisingly, CH4 flux rates were insensitive to Fe(III) and humic acid soil amendments, both of which amplified CO2 fluxes. Using in vitro incubations, we determined anaerobic methane oxidation and methanogenesis rates. Measured anaerobic oxidation rates showed potential consumption of between 6-39% of the methane produced, contributing approximately 1% of total carbon dioxide flux. Treatments of nitrate, sulfate and ferric iron showed that nitrate suppressed methanogenesis, but were not associated with anaerobic oxidation rates.

Effects of land use on greenhouse gas fluxes and soil properties of wetland catchments in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tangen, Brian A., E-mail: btangen@usgs.gov; Finocchiaro, Raymond G., E-mail: rfinocchiaro@usgs.gov; Gleason, Robert A., E-mail: rgleason@usgs.gov

2015-11-15

Wetland restoration has been suggested as policy goal with multiple environmental benefits including enhancement of atmospheric carbon sequestration. However, there are concerns that increased methane (CH{sub 4}) emissions associated with restoration may outweigh potential benefits. A comprehensive, 4-year study of 119 wetland catchments was conducted in the Prairie Pothole Region of the north-central U.S. to assess the effects of land use on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and soil properties. Results showed that the effects of land use on GHG fluxes and abiotic soil properties differed with respect to catchment zone (upland, wetland), wetland classification, geographic location, and year. Mean CH{sub 4} fluxes from the uplands were predictably low (< 0.02 g CH{sub 4} m{sup −2} day{sup −1}), while wetland zone CH{sub 4} fluxes were much greater (< 0.001–3.9 g CH{sub 4} m{sup −2} day{sup −1}). Mean cumulative seasonal CH{sub 4} fluxes ranged from roughly 0–650 g CH{sub 4} m{sup −2}, with an overall mean of approximately 160 g CH{sub 4} m{sup −2}. These maximum cumulative CH{sub 4} fluxes were nearly 3 times as high as previously reported in North America. The overall magnitude and variability of N{sub 2}O fluxes from this study (< 0.0001–0.0023 g N{sub 2}O m{sup −2} day{sup −1}) were comparable to previously reported values. Results suggest that soil organic carbon is lost when relatively undisturbed catchments are converted for agriculture, and that when non-drained cropland catchments are restored, CH{sub 4} fluxes generally are not different than the pre-restoration baseline. Conversely, when drained cropland catchments are restored, CH{sub 4} fluxes are noticeably higher. Consequently, it is important to consider the type of wetland restoration (drained, non-drained) when assessing restoration benefits. Results also suggest that elevated N{sub 2}O fluxes from cropland catchments likely would be reduced through restoration. The overall

Large methane emission upon spring thaw from natural wetlands in the northern permafrost region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Changchun; Sun Xiaoxin; Sun Li; Miao Yuqing; Wang Xianwei; Guo Yuedong; Xu Xiaofeng; Tian Hanqin

2012-01-01

The permafrost carbon–climate feedback is one of the major mechanisms in controlling the climate–ecosystem interactions in northern high latitudes. Of this feedback, methane (CH 4 ) emission from natural wetlands is critically important due to its high warming potential. The freeze–thaw transition has been confirmed to play an important role in annual CH 4 budget, yet the magnitude of this effect is uncertain. An intensive field campaign was carried out in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China to estimate the CH 4 emission in the spring freeze–thaw transition period. The observation concluded that a large CH 4 source was caused by spring thaw; the maximum hourly emission rate was 48.6 g C m −2 h −1 , more than three orders of the regularly observed CH 4 emission rate in the growing season. In some sporadically observed ‘hot spots’, the spring thawing effect contributed to a large CH 4 source of 31.3± 10.1 g C m −2 , which is approximately 80% of the previously calculated annual CH 4 emission in the same study area. If our results are typical for natural wetlands in the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region, we estimate a global CH 4 source strength of 0.5–1.0 Tg C (1 Tg =10 12 g) caused by spring thaw in the Northern Hemisphere permafrost region in the year 2011. Combining with available satellite and flask data, a regional extrapolation reaches a temporal pattern of CH 4 emission during 2003–2009 which is consistent with recently observed changes in atmospheric CH 4 concentration in the high latitudes. This suggests that the CH 4 emission upon spring thaw in the high latitudes might be enhanced by the projected climate warming. These findings indicate that the spring thawing effect is an important mechanism in the permafrost carbon–climate feedback and needs to be incorporated in Earth system models. (letter)

High Resolution CH4 Emissions and Dissolved CH4 Measurements Elucidate Surface Gas Exchange Processes in Toolik Lake, Arctic Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Del Sontro, T.; Sollberger, S.; Kling, G. W.; Shaver, G. R.; Eugster, W.

2013-12-01

Approximately 14% of the Alaskan North Slope is covered in lakes of various sizes and depths. Diffusive carbon emissions (CH4 and CO2) from these lakes offset the tundra sink by ~20 %, but the offset would substantially increase if ebullitive CH4 emissions were also considered. Ultimately, arctic lake CH4 emissions are not insignificant in the global CH4 budget and their contribution is bound to increase due to impacts from climate change. Here we present high resolution CH4 emission data as measured via eddy covariance and a Los Gatos gas analyzer during the ice free period from Toolik Lake, a deep (20 m) Arctic lake located on the Alaskan North Slope, over the last few summers. Emissions are relatively low (Gatos gas analyzer. Thus, having both the flux and the CH4 gradient across the air-water interface measured directly, we can calculate k and investigate the processes influencing CH4 gas exchange in this lake. Preliminary results indicate that there are two regimes in wind speed that impact k - one at low wind speeds up to ~5 m s-1 and another at higher wind speeds (max ~10 m s-1). The differential wind speeds during night and day may compound the effect of convective mixing and cause the diurnal variation in observed fluxes.

China’s regional CH_4 emissions: Characteristics, interregional transfer and mitigation policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Bo; Yang, T.R.; Chen, B.; Sun, X.D.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • China’s CH_4 emissions have significant contributions to global climate change. • The total CH_4 emissions in 2010 amount to 44.3 Tg, half from energy activities. • Half of the national total direct emissions are embodied in interregional trade. • 2/3 of the embodied emission transfers via domestic trade are energy-related. • A national comprehensive action plan to reduce CH_4 emissions should be designed. - Abstract: Methane (CH_4), the second largest greenhouse gas emitted in China, hasn’t been given enough attention in the country’s policies and actions for addressing climate change. This paper aims to perform a bottom-up estimation and multi-regional input–output analysis for China’s anthropogenic CH_4 emissions from both production-based and consumption-based insights. As the world’s largest CH_4 emitter, China’s total anthropogenic CH_4 emissions in 2010 are estimated at 44.3 Tg and correspond to 1507.9 Mt CO_2-eq by the lower global warming potential factor of 34. Energy activities as the largest contributor hold about half of the national total emissions, mainly from coal mining. Inherent economic driving factors covering consumption, investment and international exports play an important role in determining regional CH_4 emission inventories. Interregional transfers of embodied emissions via domestic trade are equivalent to half of the national total emissions from domestic production, of which two thirds are energy-related embodied emissions. Most central and western regions as net interregional CH_4 exporters such as Shanxi and Inner Mongolia have higher direct emissions, while the eastern coastal regions as net interregional importers such as Guangdong and Jiangsu always have larger embodied emissions. Since China’s CH_4 emissions have significant contributions to global climate change, a national comprehensive action plan to reduce CH_4 emissions should be designed by considering supply-side and demand

Restoring tides to reduce methane emissions in impounded wetlands: A new and potent Blue Carbon climate change intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, Kevin D; Crooks, Stephen; Moseman-Valtierra, Serena; Tang, Jianwu

2017-09-20

Coastal wetlands are sites of rapid carbon (C) sequestration and contain large soil C stocks. Thus, there is increasing interest in those ecosystems as sites for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission offset projects (sometimes referred to as "Blue Carbon"), through preservation of existing C stocks or creation of new wetlands to increase future sequestration. Here we show that in the globally-widespread occurrence of diked, impounded, drained and tidally-restricted salt marshes, substantial methane (CH 4 ) and CO 2 emission reductions can be achieved through restoration of disconnected saline tidal flows. Modeled climatic forcing indicates that tidal restoration to reduce emissions has a much greater impact per unit area than wetland creation or conservation to enhance sequestration. Given that GHG emissions in tidally-restricted, degraded wetlands are caused by human activity, they are anthropogenic emissions, and reducing them will have an effect on climate that is equivalent to reduced emission of an equal quantity of fossil fuel GHG. Thus, as a landuse-based climate change intervention, reducing CH 4 emissions is an entirely distinct concept from biological C sequestration projects to enhance C storage in forest or wetland biomass or soil, and will not suffer from the non-permanence risk that stored C will be returned to the atmosphere.

Restoring tides to reduce methane emissions in impounded wetlands: A new and potent Blue Carbon climate change intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, Kevin D.; Crooks, Stephen; Moseman-Valtierra, Serena; Tang, Jianwu

2017-01-01

Coastal wetlands are sites of rapid carbon (C) sequestration and contain large soil C stocks. Thus, there is increasing interest in those ecosystems as sites for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission offset projects (sometimes referred to as “Blue Carbon”), through preservation of existing C stocks or creation of new wetlands to increase future sequestration. Here we show that in the globally-widespread occurrence of diked, impounded, drained and tidally-restricted salt marshes, substantial methane (CH4) and CO2 emission reductions can be achieved through restoration of disconnected saline tidal flows. Modeled climatic forcing indicates that tidal restoration to reduce emissions has a much greater impact per unit area than wetland creation or conservation to enhance sequestration. Given that GHG emissions in tidally-restricted, degraded wetlands are caused by human activity, they are anthropogenic emissions, and reducing them will have an effect on climate that is equivalent to reduced emission of an equal quantity of fossil fuel GHG. Thus, as a landuse-based climate change intervention, reducing CH4 emissions is an entirely distinct concept from biological C sequestration projects to enhance C storage in forest or wetland biomass or soil, and will not suffer from the non-permanence risk that stored C will be returned to the atmosphere.

Observation of CH4 and other Non-CO2 Green House Gas Emissions from California

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischer, Marc L.; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Riley, William J.; Andrews, Arlyn C.

2009-01-09

In 2006, California passed the landmark assembly bill AB-32 to reduce California's emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to global climate change. AB-32 commits California to reduce total GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, a reduction of 25 percent from current levels. To verify that GHG emission reductions are actually taking place, it will be necessary to measure emissions. We describe atmospheric inverse model estimates of GHG emissions obtained from the California Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement (CALGEM) project. In collaboration with NOAA, we are measuring the dominant long-lived GHGs at two tall-towers in central California. Here, we present estimates of CH{sub 4} emissions obtained by statistical comparison of measured and predicted atmospheric mixing ratios. The predicted mixing ratios are calculated using spatially resolved a priori CH{sub 4} emissions and surface footprints, that provide a proportional relationship between the surface emissions and the mixing ratio signal at tower locations. The footprints are computed using the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) coupled to the Stochastic Time-Inverted Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model. Integral to the inverse estimates, we perform a quantitative analysis of errors in atmospheric transport and other factors to provide quantitative uncertainties in estimated emissions. Regressions of modeled and measured mixing ratios suggest that total CH{sub 4} emissions are within 25% of the inventory estimates. A Bayesian source sector analysis obtains posterior scaling factors for CH{sub 4} emissions, indicating that emissions from several of the sources (e.g., landfills, natural gas use, petroleum production, crops, and wetlands) are roughly consistent with inventory estimates, but livestock emissions are significantly higher than the inventory. A Bayesian 'region' analysis is used to identify spatial variations in CH{sub 4} emissions from 13 sub-regions within California

Further evaluation of wetland emission estimates from the JULES land surface model using SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Hayman, Garry; Comyn-Platt, Edward; McNorton, Joey; Chipperfield, Martyn; Gedney, Nicola

2016-04-01

The atmospheric concentration of methane began rising again in 2007 after a period of near-zero growth [1,2], with the largest increases observed over polar northern latitudes and the Southern Hemisphere in 2007 and in the tropics since then. The observed inter-annual variability in atmospheric methane concentrations and the associated changes in growth rates have variously been attributed to changes in different methane sources and sinks [2,3]. Wetlands are generally accepted as being the largest, but least well quantified, single natural source of CH4, with global emission estimates ranging from 142-284 Tg yr-1 [3]. The modelling of wetlands and their associated emissions of CH4 has become the subject of much current interest [4]. We have previously used the HadGEM2 chemistry-climate model to evaluate the wetland emission estimates derived using the UK community land surface model (JULES, the Joint UK Land Earth Simulator) against atmospheric observations of methane, including SCIAMACHY total methane columns [5] up to 2007. We have undertaken a series of new HadGEM2 runs using new JULES emission estimates extended in time to the end of 2012, thereby allowing comparison with both SCIAMACHY and GOSAT atmospheric column methane measurements. We will describe the results of these runs and the implications for methane wetland emissions. References [1] Rigby, M., et al.: Renewed growth of atmospheric methane. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L22805, 2008; [2] Nisbet, E.G., et al.: Methane on the Rise-Again, Science 343, 493, 2014; [3] Kirschke, S., et al.,: Three decades of global methane sources and sinks, Nature Geosciences, 6, 813-823, 2013; [4] Melton, J. R., et al.: Present state of global wetland extent and wetland methane modelling: conclusions from a model inter-comparison project (WETCHIMP), Biogeosciences, 10, 753-788, 2013; [5] Hayman, G.D., et al.: Comparison of the HadGEM2 climate-chemistry model against in situ and SCIAMACHY atmospheric methane data, Atmos. Chem

Application of stable isotope measurements and microbiological analysis for detecting methanogenic activity in a temperate forest wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, M.; Katsuyama, C.; Kondo, N.; Ohte, N.; Kato, K.

2009-12-01

Generally, forest soils act as a sink for methane (CH4). However, wetlands in riparian zones are recently reported to be “hot spots” of CH4 emissions, especially in forests under a humid climate. To understand how environmental conditions (i.e. hydrological and/or geomorphic condition) control on CH4 production, we investigated both methanogenic pathways (CO2/H2 reduction and acetate fermentation) and metahanogenic microbial communities in a wetland in a temperate forest catchment, central Japan. We used stable carbon isotopic analysis for detecting change in methanogenic pathways, and applied microbiological analysis for understanding the structure of methanogenic community. CH4 emission rates in wetland were strongly dependent on soil temperatures, and were highest in summer and lowest in winter. δ13CO2 increased with CH4 production in every summer, suggesting preferential use of 12CO2 as substrate for CO2/H2 reduction methanogenesis during high CH4 production period. δ13CH4 also increased in summer with δ13CO2. δ13CH4 changed more wildly than δ13CO2 did in summer with normal precipitation when CH4 production was strongly activated under high temperature and high groundwater table condition. This indicates increase in acetoclastic methanogenesis under hot and wet condition, considering that acetclastic methnogens produce heavier CH4 than that from CO2/H2 reducing pathway. Methanogen community composition estimated by cloning and sequence analyses implied that both acetoclastic and CO2/H2 reducing methanogens prevailed in wetland soil sampled in summer. This was consistent with the results of isotope measuremaents. Our results contribute to understand fully how the CH4 production changes with environmental conditions, with considering the activities of both main methanogenic pathway (from CO2 and acetate).

Balancing carbon sequestration and GHG emissions in a constructed wetland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klein, de J.J.M.; Werf, van der A.K.

2014-01-01

In many countries wetlands are constructed or restored for removing nutrients from surface water. At the same time vegetated wetlands can act as carbon sinks when CO2 is sequestered in biomass. However, it is well known that wetlands also produce substantial amounts of greenhouse gasses CH4 and N2O.

Restoring Tides to Avoid Methane Emissions in Degraded Wetlands: A Potent and Untapped Climate Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Kroeger, K. D.; Crooks, S.; Moseman-Valtierra, S.; Tang, J.

2016-12-01

To date, activity related to carbon (C) management in coastal marine ecosystems (sometimes referred to as "Blue Carbon") has been concerned primarily with preserving existing C stocks or creating new wetlands to increase CO2 uptake and sequestration. Here we show that the globally-widespread occurrence of hydrologically-altered, degraded wetlands, and associated enhanced GHG emissions, presents an opportunity to reduce an anthropogenic GHG emission through restoration. We model the climatic forcing associated with carbon sinks in natural wetlands and with GHG emissions in altered and degraded wetlands, as well as compile geographic data on tidal restrictions to show that substantial methane (CH4) and CO2 emission reductions can be achieved through restoration of saline tidal flows in diked, impounded and tidally-restricted coastal wetlands. Despite high rates of carbon storage in coastal ecosystems, tidal restoration has dramatically greater potential per unit area as a climate intervention than most other ecosystem management actions. We argue that such emissions reductions represent avoided anthropogenic emissions, equivalent in concept to reduced fossil fuel emissions. Once the emissions have been avoided, the benefit of that action cannot be eliminated, even if emissions resume in the future due to degradation of the ecosystem. The avoided emissions therefore have inherent "permanence", obviating concerns associated with vulnerability of C stocks in land-use based interventions that enhance C sequestration in wood or soil. Further, emissions reductions are likely to be rapid, and given the high radiative efficiency of avoided CH4, wetland tidal restorations can provide near-term climate benefit. The U.S. has recently initiated an effort to include coastal wetlands in the Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks, and the analysis presented here indicates that tidally restricted wetlands meet the primary criteria for inventoried ecosystems in that

Glacial-interglacial water cycle, global monsoon and atmospheric methane changes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Zhengtang; Wu, Haibin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Beijing (China); Zhou, Xin [Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Beijing (China); University of Science and Technology of China, School of Earth and Space Sciences and Institute of Polar Environment, Hefei (China)

2012-09-15

The causes of atmospheric methane (CH{sub 4}) changes are still a major contention, in particular with regards to the relative contributions of glacial-interglacial cycles, monsoons in both hemispheres and the late Holocene human intervention. Here, we explore the CH{sub 4} signals in the Antarctic EPICA Dome C and Vostok ice records using the methods of timeseries analyses and correlate them with insolation and geological records to address these issues. The results parse out three distinct groups of CH{sub 4} signals attributable to different drivers. The first group ({proportional_to}80% variance), well tracking the marine {delta}{sup 18}O record, is attributable to glacial-interglacial modulation on the global water cycle with the effects shared by wetlands at all latitudes, from monsoonal and non-monsoonal regions in both hemispheres. The second group ({proportional_to}15% variance), centered at the {proportional_to}10-kyr semi-precession frequency, is linkable with insolation-driven tropical monsoon changes in both hemispheres. The third group ({proportional_to}5% variance), marked by millennial frequencies, is seemingly related with the combined effect of ice-volume and bi-hemispheric insolation changes at the precession bands. These results indicate that bi-hemispheric monsoon changes have been a constant driver of atmospheric CH{sub 4}. This mechanism also partially explains the Holocene CH{sub 4} reversal since {proportional_to}5 kyr BP besides the human intervention. In the light of these results, we propose that global monsoon can be regarded as a system consisting of two main integrated components, one primarily driven by the oscillations of Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in response to the low-latitude summer insolation changes, anti-phase between the two hemispheres (i.e. the ITCZ monsoon component); and another modulated by the glacial-interglacial cycles, mostly synchronous at the global scale (i.e. the glacial-interglacial monsoon

Greenhouse gas flux dynamics in wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvola, J; Alm, J; Saarnio, S [Joensuu Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Biology; Martikainen, P J [National Public Health Inst., Kuopio (Finland). Dept. of Environmental Microbiology

1997-12-31

Two important greenhouse gases, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}, are closely connected to the carbon cycling of wetlands. Although virgin wetlands are mostly carbon accumulating ecosystems, major proportion of the CO{sub 2} bound annually in photosynthesis is released back to the atmosphere. Main portion of the carbon cycling in wetlands is quite fast while a small proportion of carbon diffusing from soil is released from organic matter, which may be ten thousand years old. Methane is formed in the anaerobic layers of wetlands, from where it is released gradually to the atmosphere. The decomposition in anaerobic conditions is very slow, which means that usually only a few percent of the annual carbon cycling takes place as methane. Research on CO{sub 2} fluxes of different virgin and managed peatlands was the main topic of this project during the first phase of SILMU. The measurements were made during two seasons in varying conditions in c. 30 study sites. In the second phase of SILMU the research topics were the spatial and temporal variation of CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} fluxes, the relationships between vegetation and gas fluxes as well as carbon balance studies in wetlands at some intensive sites

Greenhouse gas flux dynamics in wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvola, J.; Alm, J.; Saarnio, S. [Joensuu Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Biology; Martikainen, P.J. [National Public Health Inst., Kuopio (Finland). Dept. of Environmental Microbiology

1996-12-31

Two important greenhouse gases, CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}, are closely connected to the carbon cycling of wetlands. Although virgin wetlands are mostly carbon accumulating ecosystems, major proportion of the CO{sub 2} bound annually in photosynthesis is released back to the atmosphere. Main portion of the carbon cycling in wetlands is quite fast while a small proportion of carbon diffusing from soil is released from organic matter, which may be ten thousand years old. Methane is formed in the anaerobic layers of wetlands, from where it is released gradually to the atmosphere. The decomposition in anaerobic conditions is very slow, which means that usually only a few percent of the annual carbon cycling takes place as methane. Research on CO{sub 2} fluxes of different virgin and managed peatlands was the main topic of this project during the first phase of SILMU. The measurements were made during two seasons in varying conditions in c. 30 study sites. In the second phase of SILMU the research topics were the spatial and temporal variation of CO{sub 2} and CH{sub 4} fluxes, the relationships between vegetation and gas fluxes as well as carbon balance studies in wetlands at some intensive sites

Global hierarchical classification of deepwater and wetland environments from remote sensing products

Science.gov (United States)

Fluet-Chouinard, E.; Lehner, B.; Aires, F.; Prigent, C.; McIntyre, P. B.

2017-12-01

Global surface water maps have improved in spatial and temporal resolutions through various remote sensing methods: open water extents with compiled Landsat archives and inundation with topographically downscaled multi-sensor retrievals. These time-series capture variations through time of open water and inundation without discriminating between hydrographic features (e.g. lakes, reservoirs, river channels and wetland types) as other databases have done as static representation. Available data sources present the opportunity to generate a comprehensive map and typology of aquatic environments (deepwater and wetlands) that improves on earlier digitized inventories and maps. The challenge of classifying surface waters globally is to distinguishing wetland types with meaningful characteristics or proxies (hydrology, water chemistry, soils, vegetation) while accommodating limitations of remote sensing data. We present a new wetland classification scheme designed for global application and produce a map of aquatic ecosystem types globally using state-of-the-art remote sensing products. Our classification scheme combines open water extent and expands it with downscaled multi-sensor inundation data to capture the maximal vegetated wetland extent. The hierarchical structure of the classification is modified from the Cowardin Systems (1979) developed for the USA. The first level classification is based on a combination of landscape positions and water source (e.g. lacustrine, riverine, palustrine, coastal and artificial) while the second level represents the hydrologic regime (e.g. perennial, seasonal, intermittent and waterlogged). Class-specific descriptors can further detail the wetland types with soils and vegetation cover. Our globally consistent nomenclature and top-down mapping allows for direct comparison across biogeographic regions, to upscale biogeochemical fluxes as well as other landscape level functions.

Carbon gas fluxes in re-established wetlands on organic soils differ relative to plant community and hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Robin L.

2011-01-01

We measured CO2 and CH4 fluxes for 6 years following permanent flooding of an agriculturally managed organic soil at two water depths (~25 and ~55 cm standing water) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, as part of research studying C dynamics in re-established wetlands. Flooding rapidly reduced gaseous C losses, and radiocarbon data showed that this, in part, was due to reduced oxidation of "old" C preserved in the organic soils. Both CO2 and CH4 emissions from the water surface increased during the first few growing seasons, concomitant with emergent marsh establishment, and thereafter appeared to stabilize according to plant communities. Areas of emergent marsh vegetation in the shallower wetland had greater net CO2 influx (-485 mg Cm-1 h-1), and lower CH4 emissions (11.5 mg Cm-2 h-1), than in the deeper wetland (-381 and 14.1 mg Cm-2 h-1, respectively). Areas with submerged and floating vegetation in the deeper wetland had CH4 emissions similar to emergent vegetation (11.9 and 12.6 mg Cm-2 h-1, respectively), despite lower net CO2 influx (-102 gC m-2 h-1). Measurements of plant moderated net CO2 influx and CH4 efflux indicated greatest potential reduction of greenhouse gases in the more shallowly flooded wetland.

Global data bases on distribution, characteristics and methane emission of natural wetlands: Documentation of archived data tape

Science.gov (United States)

Matthews, Elaine

1989-01-01

Global digital data bases on the distribution and environmental characteristics of natural wetlands, compiled by Matthews and Fung (1987), were archived for public use. These data bases were developed to evaluate the role of wetlands in the annual emission of methane from terrestrial sources. Five global 1 deg latitude by 1 deg longitude arrays are included on the archived tape. The arrays are: (1) wetland data source, (2) wetland type, (3) fractional inundation, (4) vegetation type, and (5) soil type. The first three data bases on wetland locations were published by Matthews and Fung (1987). The last two arrays contain ancillary information about these wetland locations: vegetation type is from the data of Matthews (1983) and soil type from the data of Zobler (1986). Users should consult original publications for complete discussion of the data bases. This short paper is designed only to document the tape, and briefly explain the data sets and their initial application to estimating the annual emission of methane from natural wetlands. Included is information about array characteristics such as dimensions, read formats, record lengths, blocksizes and value ranges, and descriptions and translation tables for the individual data bases.

Influence of changes in wetland inundation extent on net fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane in northern high latitudes from 1993 to 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang, Qianlai; Zhu, Xudong; He, Yujie; Prigent, Catherine; Melillo, Jerry M; Kicklighter, David W; David McGuire, A; Prinn, Ronald G

2015-01-01

Estimates of the seasonal and interannual exchanges of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) between land ecosystems north of 45°N and the atmosphere are poorly constrained, in part, because of uncertainty in the temporal variability of water-inundated land area. Here we apply a process-based biogeochemistry model to evaluate how interannual changes in wetland inundation extent might have influenced the overall carbon dynamics of the region during the time period 1993–2004. We find that consideration by our model of these interannual variations between 1993 and 2004, on average, results in regional estimates of net methane sources of 67.8 ± 6.2 Tg CH 4 yr −1 , which is intermediate to model estimates that use two static inundation extent datasets (51.3 ± 2.6 and 73.0 ± 3.6 Tg CH 4 yr −1 ). In contrast, consideration of interannual changes of wetland inundation extent result in regional estimates of the net CO 2 sink of −1.28 ± 0.03 Pg C yr −1 with a persistent wetland carbon sink from −0.38 to −0.41 Pg C yr −1 and a upland sink from −0.82 to −0.98 Pg C yr −1 . Taken together, despite the large methane emissions from wetlands, the region is a consistent greenhouse gas sink per global warming potential (GWP) calculations irrespective of the type of wetland datasets being used. However, the use of satellite-detected wetland inundation extent estimates a smaller regional GWP sink than that estimated using static wetland datasets. Our sensitivity analysis indicates that if wetland inundation extent increases or decreases by 10% in each wetland grid cell, the regional source of methane increases 13% or decreases 12%, respectively. In contrast, the regional CO 2 sink responds with only 7–9% changes to the changes in wetland inundation extent. Seasonally, the inundated area changes result in higher summer CH 4 emissions, but lower summer CO 2 sinks, leading to lower summer negative greenhouse gas forcing. Our analysis further

Modelling Holocene carbon accumulation and methane emissions of boreal wetlands – an Earth system model approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. J. Schuldt

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Since the Last Glacial Maximum, boreal wetlands have accumulated substantial amounts of peat, estimated at 180–621 Pg of carbon. Wetlands have significantly affected the atmospheric greenhouse gas composition in the past and will play a significant role in future changes of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 concentrations. In order to investigate those changes with an Earth system model, biogeochemical processes in boreal wetlands need to be accounted for. Thus, a model of peat accumulation and decay was developed and included in the land surface model JSBACH of the Max Planck Institute Earth System Model (MPI-ESM. Here we present the evaluation of model results from 6000 yr BP to the pre-industrial period. Over this period of time, 240 Pg of peat carbon accumulated in the model in the areas north of 40° N. Simulated peat accumulation rates agree well with those reported for boreal wetlands. The model simulates CH4 emissions of 49.3 Tg CH4 yr−1 for 6000 yr BP and 51.5 Tg CH4 yr−1 for pre-industrial times. This is within the range of estimates in the literature, which range from 32 to 112 Tg CH4 yr−1 for boreal wetlands. The modelled methane emission for the West Siberian Lowlands and Hudson Bay Lowlands agree well with observations. The rising trend of methane emissions over the last 6000 yr is in agreement with measurements of Antarctic and Greenland ice cores.

Evaluation of a hierarchy of models reveals importance of substrate limitation for predicting carbon dioxide and methane exchange in restored wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Oikawa, P. Y.; Jenerette, G. D.; Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C.; Verfaillie, J.; Dronova, I.; Poindexter, C. M.; Eichelmann, E.; Baldocchi, D. D.

2017-01-01

Wetlands and flooded peatlands can sequester large amounts of carbon (C) and have high greenhouse gas mitigation potential. There is growing interest in financing wetland restoration using C markets; however, this requires careful accounting of both CO2 and CH4 exchange at the ecosystem scale. Here we present a new model, the PEPRMT model (Peatland Ecosystem Photosynthesis Respiration and Methane Transport), which consists of a hierarchy of biogeochemical models designed to estimate CO2 and CH4 exchange in restored managed wetlands. Empirical models using temperature and/or photosynthesis to predict respiration and CH4 production were contrasted with a more process-based model that simulated substrate-limited respiration and CH4 production using multiple carbon pools. Models were parameterized by using a model-data fusion approach with multiple years of eddy covariance data collected in a recently restored wetland and a mature restored wetland. A third recently restored wetland site was used for model validation. During model validation, the process-based model explained 70% of the variance in net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) and 50% of the variance in CH4 exchange. Not accounting for high respiration following restoration led to empirical models overestimating annual NEE by 33-51%. By employing a model-data fusion approach we provide rigorous estimates of uncertainty in model predictions, accounting for uncertainty in data, model parameters, and model structure. The PEPRMT model is a valuable tool for understanding carbon cycling in restored wetlands and for application in carbon market-funded wetland restoration, thereby advancing opportunity to counteract the vast degradation of wetlands and flooded peatlands.

The effects of fire on biogenic emissions of methane and nitric oxide from wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Joel S.; Cofer, Wesley R., III; Sebacher, Daniel I.; Rhinehart, Robert P.; Winstead, Edward L.; Sebacher, Shirley; Hinkle, C. Ross; Schmalzer, Paul A.; Koller, Albert M., Jr.

1990-01-01

Enhanced emissions of methane (CH4) and nitric oxide (NO) were measured following three controlled burns in a Florida wetlands in 1987 and 1988. Wetlands are the major global source of methane resulting from metabolic activity of methanogenic bacteria. Methanogens require carbon dioxide, acetate, or formate for their growth and the metabolic production of methane. All three water-soluble compounds are produced in large concentrations during biomass burning. Postfire methane emissions exceeded 0.15 g CH 4/sq m per day. Preburn and postburn measurements of soil nutrients indicate significant postburn increases in soil ammonium, from 8.35 to 13.49 parts per million (ppm) in the upper 5 cm of the Juncus marsh and from 8.83 to 23.75 ppm in the upper 5 cm of the Spartina marsh. Soil nitrate concentrations were found to decrease in both marshes after the fire. These measurements indicate that the combustion products of biomass burning exert an important 'fertilizing' effect on the biosphere and on the biogenic production of environmentally significant atmospheric gases.

Annual methane and nitrous oxide emissions from rice paddies and inland fish aquaculture wetlands in southeast China

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Shuang; Hu, Zhiqiang; Hu, Tao; Chen, Jie; Yu, Kai; Zou, Jianwen; Liu, Shuwei

2018-02-01

Inland aquaculture ponds have been documented as important sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), while their regional or global source strength remains unclear due to lack of direct flux measurements by covering more typical habitat-specific aquaculture environments. In this study, we compared the CH4 and N2O fluxes from rice paddies and nearby inland fish aquaculture wetlands that were converted from rice paddies in southeast China. Both CH4 and N2O fluxes were positively related to water temperature and sediment dissolved organic carbon, but negatively related to water dissolved oxygen concentration. More robust response of N2O fluxes to water mineral N was observed than to sediment mineral N. Annual CH4 and N2O fluxes from inland fish aquaculture averaged 0.51 mg m-2 h-1 and 54.78 μg m-2 h-1, amounting to 42.31 kg CH4 ha-1 and 2.99 kg N2O-N ha-1, respectively. The conversion of rice paddies to conventional fish aquaculture significantly reduced CH4 and N2O emissions by 23% and 66%, respectively. The emission factor for N2O was estimated to be 0.46% of total N input in the feed or 1.23 g N2O-N kg-1 aquaculture production. The estimate of sustained-flux global warming potential of annual CH4 and N2O emissions and the net economic profit suggested that such conversion of rice paddies to inland fish aquaculture would help to reconcile the dilemma for simultaneously achieving both low climatic impacts and high economic benefits in China. More solid direct field measurements from inland aquaculture are in urgent need to direct the overall budget of national or global CH4 and N2O fluxes.

Calibrating the sqHIMMELI v1.0 wetland methane emission model with hierarchical modeling and adaptive MCMC

Science.gov (United States)

Susiluoto, Jouni; Raivonen, Maarit; Backman, Leif; Laine, Marko; Makela, Jarmo; Peltola, Olli; Vesala, Timo; Aalto, Tuula

2018-03-01

Estimating methane (CH4) emissions from natural wetlands is complex, and the estimates contain large uncertainties. The models used for the task are typically heavily parameterized and the parameter values are not well known. In this study, we perform a Bayesian model calibration for a new wetland CH4 emission model to improve the quality of the predictions and to understand the limitations of such models.The detailed process model that we analyze contains descriptions for CH4 production from anaerobic respiration, CH4 oxidation, and gas transportation by diffusion, ebullition, and the aerenchyma cells of vascular plants. The processes are controlled by several tunable parameters. We use a hierarchical statistical model to describe the parameters and obtain the posterior distributions of the parameters and uncertainties in the processes with adaptive Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC), importance resampling, and time series analysis techniques. For the estimation, the analysis utilizes measurement data from the Siikaneva flux measurement site in southern Finland. The uncertainties related to the parameters and the modeled processes are described quantitatively. At the process level, the flux measurement data are able to constrain the CH4 production processes, methane oxidation, and the different gas transport processes. The posterior covariance structures explain how the parameters and the processes are related. Additionally, the flux and flux component uncertainties are analyzed both at the annual and daily levels. The parameter posterior densities obtained provide information regarding importance of the different processes, which is also useful for development of wetland methane emission models other than the square root HelsinkI Model of MEthane buiLd-up and emIssion for peatlands (sqHIMMELI). The hierarchical modeling allows us to assess the effects of some of the parameters on an annual basis. The results of the calibration and the cross validation suggest that

Evaluation of seasonal changes in methane flux in a wetland ecosystem using the Closed Geosphere Experiment Facility

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, S.; Inubushi, K.; Yokozawa, M.; Hara, T.; Nishidate, K.; Tsuga, S.; Tako, Y.; Nakamura, Y.

2009-04-01

To estimate CH4 emission from a wetland ecosystem to the atmosphere, seasonal change in CH4 flux was measured continuously in the Closed Geosphere Experiment Facility (CGEF). Plant-mediated transport is one of the important pathways for CH4 emission from Phragmites australis-dominated vegetation because most CH4 emission occurs through P. australis plant. The CGEF is equipped with a Geosphere Module (GM) and a Geosphere Material Circulation (GMC) system. The size of the GM is 5.8 m Ã- 8.7 m in ground area with an average height of 11.9 m, including the soil depth of 3.1 m. A wetland ecosystem dominated by P. australis was introduced into the GM. The CGEF can control air temperature and CO2 concentration in the GM automatically. Hourly CH4 flux from the wetland ecosystem can be calculated easily by measuring continuously the changes in CH4 concentration in air, air temperature and pressure in the GM. The method showed that monthly CH4 flux varied from 0.39 to 1.11 g C m-2 month-1 from April to November and the CH4 emission for the plant growing season (eight months) was 5.64 g C m-2. The CGEF has an advantage in studying total CH4 emission from soil to the atmosphere through plant-mediated transport, diffusion and ebullition because of the large size of the GM.

The ecology of methane in streams and rivers: Patterns, controls, and global significance

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley, Emily H.; Casson, Nora J.; Christel, Samuel T.; Crawford, John T.; Loken, Luke C.; Oliver, Samantha K.

2016-01-01

Streams and rivers can substantially modify organic carbon (OC) inputs from terrestrial landscapes, and much of this processing is the result of microbial respiration. While carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major end-product of ecosystem respiration, methane (CH4) is also present in many fluvial environments even though methanogenesis typically requires anoxic conditions that may be scarce in these systems. Given recent recognition of the pervasiveness of this greenhouse gas in streams and rivers, we synthesized existing research and data to identify patterns and drivers of CH4, knowledge gaps, and research opportunities. This included examining the history of lotic CH4 research, creating a database of concentrations and fluxes (MethDB) to generate a global-scale estimate of fluvial CH4 efflux, and developing a conceptual framework and using this framework to consider how human activities may modify fluvial CH4 dynamics. Current understanding of CH4 in streams and rivers has been strongly influenced by goals of understanding OC processing and quantifying the contribution of CH4 to ecosystem C fluxes. Less effort has been directed towards investigating processes that dictate in situ CH4 production and loss. CH4 makes a meager contribution to watershed or landscape C budgets, but streams and rivers are often significant CH4 sources to the atmosphere across these same spatial extents. Most fluvial systems are supersaturated with CH4 and we estimate an annual global emission of 26.8 Tg CH4, equivalent to ~15-40% of wetland and lake effluxes, respectively. Less clear is the role of CH4 oxidation, methanogenesis, and total anaerobic respiration to whole ecosystem production and respiration. Controls on CH4 generation and persistence can be viewed in terms of proximate controls that influence methanogenesis (organic matter, temperature, alternative electron acceptors, nutrients) and distal geomorphic and hydrologic drivers. Multiple controls combined with its

Climate and site management as driving factors for the atmospheric greenhouse gas exchange of a restored wetland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbst, Mathias; Friborg, Thomas; Schelde, K.

2013-01-01

The atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of a restored wetland in western Denmark was established for the years 2009–2011 from eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes. The water table in the wetland, which was restored in 2002, was unregulated......2 and CH4 flux data from restored wetlands are still very rare, it is concluded that more long-term flux measurements are needed to quantify the effects of ecosystem disturbance, in terms of management activities and exceptional weather patterns, on the atmospheric GHG budget more accurately......., and the vegetation height was limited through occasional grazing by cattle and grass cutting. The annual net CO2 uptake varied between 195 and 983 g m−2 and the annual net CH4 release varied between 11 and 17 g m−2. In all three years the wetland was a carbon sink and removed between 42 and 259 g C m−2 from...

Agricultural peatland restoration: effects of land-use change on greenhouse gas (CO2 and CH4) fluxes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

Science.gov (United States)

Knox, Sara Helen; Sturtevant, Cove; Matthes, Jaclyn Hatala; Koteen, Laurie; Verfaillie, Joseph; Baldocchi, Dennis

2015-02-01

Agricultural drainage of organic soils has resulted in vast soil subsidence and contributed to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California was drained over a century ago for agriculture and human settlement and has since experienced subsidence rates that are among the highest in the world. It is recognized that drained agriculture in the Delta is unsustainable in the long-term, and to help reverse subsidence and capture carbon (C) there is an interest in restoring drained agricultural land-use types to flooded conditions. However, flooding may increase methane (CH4) emissions. We conducted a full year of simultaneous eddy covariance measurements at two conventional drained agricultural peatlands (a pasture and a corn field) and three flooded land-use types (a rice paddy and two restored wetlands) to assess the impact of drained to flooded land-use change on CO2 and CH4 fluxes in the Delta. We found that the drained sites were net C and greenhouse gas (GHG) sources, releasing up to 341 g C m(-2) yr(-1) as CO2 and 11.4 g C m(-2) yr(-1) as CH4. Conversely, the restored wetlands were net sinks of atmospheric CO2, sequestering up to 397 g C m(-2) yr(-1). However, they were large sources of CH4, with emissions ranging from 39 to 53 g C m(-2) yr(-1). In terms of the full GHG budget, the restored wetlands could be either GHG sources or sinks. Although the rice paddy was a small atmospheric CO2 sink, when considering harvest and CH4 emissions, it acted as both a C and GHG source. Annual photosynthesis was similar between sites, but flooding at the restored sites inhibited ecosystem respiration, making them net CO2 sinks. This study suggests that converting drained agricultural peat soils to flooded land-use types can help reduce or reverse soil subsidence and reduce GHG emissions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Driving Factors in Historical and Projected Carbon Dynamics in Wetland Ecosystems of Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Z.; Helene, G.; He, Y.; Zhuang, Q.; McGuire, A. D.; Bennett, A.; Breen, A. L.; Clein, J.; Euskirchen, E. S.; Johnson, K. D.; Kurkowski, T. A.; Pastick, N. J.; Rupp, S. T.; Wylie, B. K.; Zhu, Z.

2017-12-01

ecosystem CO2 sequestration and increased CH4 emissions result in a weaker global warming potential (GWP) for wetlands ecosystems in Alaska. Overall, this study estimates that wetland ecosystems of Alaska will transition into a C sink with less contribution to the global warming enhancement.

Effect of interannual variation in winter vertical mixing on CH4 dynamics in a subtropical reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Itoh, Masayuki; Kobayashi, Yuki; Chen, Tzong-Yueh; Tokida, Takeshi; Fukui, Manabu; Kojima, Hisaya; Miki, Takeshi; Tayasu, Ichiro; Shiah, Fuh-Kwo; Okuda, Noboru

2015-07-01

Although freshwaters are considered to be substantial natural sources of atmospheric methane (CH4), in situ processes of CH4 production and consumption in freshwater ecosystems are poorly understood, especially in subtropical areas, leading to uncertainties in the estimation of global CH4 emissions. To improve our understanding of physical and biogeochemical factors affecting CH4 dynamics in subtropical lakes, we examined vertical and seasonal profiles of dissolved CH4 and its carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) and conducted incubation experiments to assess CH4 production and oxidation in the deep subtropical Fei-Tsui Reservoir (FTR; Taiwan). The mixing pattern of the FTR is essentially monomixis, but the intensity of winter vertical mixing changes with climatic conditions. In years with incomplete vertical mixing (does not reach the bottom) and subsequent strong thermal stratification resulting in profundal hypoxia, we observed increases in sedimentary CH4 production and thus profundal CH4 storage with the development of reducing conditions. In contrast, in years with strong winter vertical mixing to the bottom of the reservoir, CH4 production was suppressed under NO3--rich conditions, during which denitrifiers have the competitive advantage over methanogens. Diffusive emission from profundal CH4 storage appeared to be negligible due to the efficiency of CH4 oxidation during ascent through methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) activity. Most of the profundal CH4 was rapidly oxidized by MOB in both oxic and anoxic layers, as characterized by its carbon isotope signature. In contrast, aerobic CH4 production in the subsurface layer, which may be enhanced under high temperatures in summer, may account for a large portion of atmospheric CH4 emissions from this reservoir. Our CH4 profiling results provide valuable information for future studies predicting CH4 emissions from subtropical lakes with the progress of global warming.

Pollutant swapping: greenhouse gas emissions from wetland systems constructed to mitigate agricultural pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Freer, Adam; Quinton, John; Surridge, Ben; McNamara, Niall

2014-05-01

Diffuse (non-point) water pollution from agricultural land continues to challenge water quality management, requiring the adoption of new land management practices. The use of constructed agricultural wetlands is one such practice, designed to trap multiple pollutants mobilised by rainfall prior to them reaching receiving water. Through capturing and storing pollutants in bottom sediments, it could be hypothesised that the abundance of nutrients stored in the anoxic conditions commonly found in these zones may lead to pollutant swapping. Under these circumstances, trapped material may undergo biogeochemical cycling to change chemical or physical form and thereby become more problematic or mobile within the environment. Thus, constructed agricultural wetlands designed to mitigate against one form of pollution may in fact offset the created benefits by 'swapping' this pollution into other forms and pathways, such as through release to the atmosphere. Pollutant swapping to the atmosphere has been noted in analogous wetland systems designed to treat municipal and industrial wastewaters, with significant fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O being recorded in some cases. However the small size, low level of engineering and variable nutrient/sediment inputs which are features of constructed agricultural wetlands, means that this knowledge is not directly transferable. Therefore, more information is required when assessing whether a wetland's potential to act as hotspot for pollution swapping outweighs its potential to act as a mitigation tool for surface water pollution. Here we present results from an on-going monitoring study at a trial agricultural wetland located in small a mixed-use catchment in Cumbria, UK. Estimates were made of CH4, CO2 and N2O flux from the wetland surface using adapted floating static chambers, which were then directly compared with fluxes from an undisturbed riparian zone. Results indicate that while greenhouse gas flux from the wetland may be

Wastes Management Can Minimize CH4 and N2O Emissions from Wetlands in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Hadi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Paddy (Oriza sativa L. and Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jack are two important crops and are potential to produce wastes which may lead to huge greenhouse gas emissions if they are not managed properly.  Open burning and conventional composting are commonly practiced by farmers and/or planters to managed agricultural wastes in Indonesia.  A series of research has been carried out  to elucidate (1 the reductions of CH4 and N2O due to incertion of a catalitic converter on burning kiln, (2 the best composting technique of oil palm field wastes, and (3 the effects of oil palm field wastes compost application in oil palm fields and of paddy field wastes biochar in integrated oil palm-paddy fields.  The results showed that CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy field wastes (i.e., rice straw or rice husk was lower than that from oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB.  Furthermore, insertion of a catalytic converter into pyrolysis installation reduced the CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy field wastes as much as 14.5, 17.8 and 11.1%, respectively.  Incorporation of EFB compost did not increase greenhouse gas emission from oil palm fields. These results suggest that biochar and EFB compost can be practiced to manage agricultural wastes in Indonesia.

High rate monitoring CH4 production dynamics and their link with behavioral phases in cattle

OpenAIRE

Blaise, Yannick; Lebeau, Frédéric; Andriamandroso, Andriamasinoro; Beckers, Yves; Heinesch, Bernard; Bindelle, Jérôme

2016-01-01

Microbial fermentation in the rumen produces methane (CH4) which is a loss of energy for ruminants and also contributes to global warming. While the respiration chamber is the standard reference for CH4 emissions quantification, daily CH4 production dynamics can be measured only by steps of 30 min and measurements on pasture are impossible. The alternative method using SF6 as tracer gas can be applied for grazing animals but provides average CH4 production values over at least several hours, ...

Modeling the large-scale effects of surface moisture heterogeneity on wetland carbon fluxes in the West Siberian Lowland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. J. Bohn

2013-10-01

Full Text Available We used a process-based model to examine the role of spatial heterogeneity of surface and sub-surface water on the carbon budget of the wetlands of the West Siberian Lowland over the period 1948–2010. We found that, while surface heterogeneity (fractional saturated area had little overall effect on estimates of the region's carbon fluxes, sub-surface heterogeneity (spatial variations in water table depth played an important role in both the overall magnitude and spatial distribution of estimates of the region's carbon fluxes. In particular, to reproduce the spatial pattern of CH4 emissions recorded by intensive in situ observations across the domain, in which very little CH4 is emitted north of 60° N, it was necessary to (a account for CH4 emissions from unsaturated wetlands and (b use spatially varying methane model parameters that reduced estimated CH4 emissions in the northern (permafrost half of the domain (and/or account for lower CH4 emissions under inundated conditions. Our results suggest that previous estimates of the response of these wetlands to thawing permafrost may have overestimated future increases in methane emissions in the permafrost zone.

Methane airborne measurements and comparison to global models during BARCA

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Veronika; Chen, Huilin; Gerbig, Christoph; Bergamaschi, Peter; Bruhwiler, Lori; Houweling, Sander; Röckmann, Thomas; Kolle, Olaf; Steinbach, Julia; Koch, Thomas; Sapart, Célia J.; van der Veen, Carina; Frankenberg, Christian; Andreae, Meinrat O.; Artaxo, Paulo; Longo, Karla M.; Wofsy, Steven C.

2012-08-01

Tropical regions, especially the Amazon region, account for large emissions of methane (CH4). Here, we present CH4 observations from two airborne campaigns conducted within the BARCA (Balanço Atmosférico Regional de Carbono na Amazônia) project in the Amazon basin in November 2008 (end of the dry season) and May 2009 (end of the wet season). We performed continuous measurements of CH4 onboard an aircraft for the first time in the Amazon region, covering the whole Amazon basin with over 150 vertical profiles between altitudes of 500 m and 4000 m. The observations support the finding of previous ground-based, airborne, and satellite measurements that the Amazon basin is a large source of atmospheric CH4. Isotope analysis verified that the majority of emissions can be attributed to CH4 emissions from wetlands, while urban CH4 emissions could be also traced back to biogenic origin. A comparison of five TM5 based global CH4 inversions with the observations clearly indicates that the inversions using SCIAMACHY observations represent the BARCA observations best. The calculated CH4 flux estimate obtained from the mismatch between observations and TM5-modeled CH4 fields ranges from 36 to 43 mg m-2 d-1 for the Amazon lowland region.

Soil heterogeneity effects on O₂ distribution and CH₄ emissions from wetlands:In situ and mesocosm studies with planar O₂ optodes and membrane inlet massspectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Louise Askær; Elberling, Bo; Glud, Ronnie Nøhr

2010-01-01

in periods up to days after changes in the water level. This study shows that although water table position is a competent proxy of soil CH4 fluxes at larger spatio-temporal scales, it becomes inadequate at higher spatial resolution, i.e. at the scale of the soil pedon and below. High resolution O2......, O2 and CH4 and vary temporally with changes in the moisture regime. The O2 content above the water table after drainage varied horizontally from 0 to 100% air saturation within few mm. Oxic zones were observed below the water level and anoxic zones were observed in layers above the water level...... measurements using planar O2 optodes have great potential to enhance our understanding of the effect of the water table position on O2 dynamics on scales of several cm to mm in wetland soils....

Effects of permafrost thaw on CO2 and CH4 exchange in a western Alaska peatland chronosequence

Science.gov (United States)

Carmel E. Johnston,; Stephanie A. Ewing,; Harden, Jennifer W.; Ruth K. Varner,; Wickland, Kimberly P.; Koch, Joshua C.; Fuller, Christopher C.; Manies, Kristen L.; M. Torre Jorgenson,

2014-01-01

Permafrost soils store over half of global soil carbon (C), and northern frozen peatlands store about 10% of global permafrost C. With thaw, inundation of high latitude lowland peatlands typically increases the surface-atmosphere flux of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. To examine the effects of lowland permafrost thaw over millennial timescales, we measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 exchange along sites that constitute a ~1000 yr thaw chronosequence of thermokarst collapse bogs and adjacent fen locations at Innoko Flats Wildlife Refuge in western Alaska. Peak CH4exchange in July (123 ± 71 mg CH4–C m−2 d−1) was observed in features that have been thawed for 30 to 70 (peatlands, particularly those developed on poorly drained mineral substrates, are a key locus of elevated CH4 emission to the atmosphere that must be considered for a complete understanding of high latitude CH4 dynamics.

Nutrient Addition Leads to a Weaker CO2 Sink and Higher CH4 Emissions through Vegetation-Microclimate Feedbacks at Mer Bleue Bog, Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Bubier, J. L.; Arnkil, S.; Humphreys, E.; Juutinen, S.; Larmola, T.; Moore, T. R.

2015-12-01

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has led to nutrient enrichment in wetlands globally, affecting plant community composition, carbon (C) cycling, and microbial dynamics. Nutrient-limited boreal bogs are long-term sinks of carbon dioxide (CO2), but sources of methane (CH4), an important greenhouse gas. We fertilized Mer Bleue Bog, a Sphagnum moss and evergreen shrub-dominated ombrotrophic bog near Ottawa, Ontario, for 10-15 years with N as NO3 and NH4 at 5, 10 and 20 times ambient N deposition (0.6-0.8 g N m-2 y-1), with and without phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Treatments were applied to triplicate plots (3 x 3 m) from May - August 2000-2015 and control plots received distilled water. We measured net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), ecosystem photosynthesis and respiration, and CH4 flux with climate-controlled chambers; leaf-level CO2 exchange and biochemistry; substrate-induced respiration, CH4 production and consumption potentials with laboratory incubations; plant species composition and abundance; and microclimate (peat temperature, moisture, light interception). After 15 years, we have found that NEE has decreased, and CH4 emissions have increased, in the highest nutrient treatments owing to changes in vegetation, microtopography, and peat characteristics. Vegetation changes include a loss of Sphagnum moss and introduction of new deciduous species. Simulated atmospheric N deposition has not benefitted the photosynthetic apparatus of the dominant evergreen shrubs, but resulted in higher foliar respiration, contributing to a weaker ecosystem CO2 sink. Loss of moss has led to wetter near-surface substrate, higher rates of decomposition and CH4 emission, and a shift in microbial communities. Thus, elevated atmospheric deposition of nutrients may endanger C storage in peatlands through a complex suite of feedbacks and interactions among vegetation, microclimate, and microbial communities.

Climate and site management as driving factors for the atmospheric greenhouse gas exchange of a restored wetland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbst, Mathias; Friborg, Thomas; Schelde, Kirsten

2012-01-01

The full atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of a restored wetland in Western Denmark could be established for the years 2009–2011 from eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes. The water table in the wetland, being restored in 2002, was unregulated...... patterns through an unusually long period of snow cover in the second year of observations. Since integrated CO2 and CH4 flux data from restored wetlands are still very rare, it is concluded that more long-term flux measurements are needed to predict the role of this land use type in the atmospheric GHG......, and the vegetation height was limited through occasional grazing by cattle and grass cutting. The annual net CO2 uptake varied between 195 and 983 g m−2 and the annual net CH4 release varied between 11 and 17 g m−2. In all three years the wetland was a carbon sink and removed between 42 and 259 g C m−2 from...

Climate and site management as driving factors for the atmospheric greenhouse gas exchange of a restored wetland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Herbst

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG budget of a restored wetland in western Denmark was established for the years 2009–2011 from eddy covariance measurements of carbon dioxide (CO₂ and methane (CH₄ fluxes. The water table in the wetland, which was restored in 2002, was unregulated, and the vegetation height was limited through occasional grazing by cattle and grass cutting. The annual net CO₂ uptake varied between 195 and 983 g m⁻² and the annual net CH₄ release varied between 11 and 17 g m⁻². In all three years the wetland was a carbon sink and removed between 42 and 259 g C m⁻² from the atmosphere. However, in terms of the full annual GHG budget (assuming that 1 g CH₄ is equivalent to 25 g CO₂ with respect to the greenhouse effect over a time horizon of 100 years the wetland was a sink in 2009, a source in 2010 and neutral in 2011. Complementary observations of meteorological factors and management activities were used to explain the large inter-annual variations in the full atmospheric GHG budget of the wetland. The largest impact on the annual GHG fluxes, eventually defining their sign, came from site management through changes in grazing duration and animal stocking density. These changes accounted for half of the observed variability in the CO₂ fluxes and about two thirds of the variability in CH₄ fluxes. An unusually long period of snow cover in 2010 had the second largest effect on the annual CO₂ flux, whose interannual variability was larger than that of the CH₄ flux. Since integrated CO₂ and CH₄ flux data from restored wetlands are still very rare, it is concluded that more long-term flux measurements are needed to quantify the effects of ecosystem disturbance, in terms of management activities and exceptional weather patterns, on the atmospheric GHG budget more

A simple calculation algorithm to separate high-resolution CH4 flux measurements into ebullition and diffusion-derived components

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffmann, Mathias; Schulz-Hanke, Maximilian; Garcia Alba, Joana; Jurisch, Nicole; Hagemann, Ulrike; Sachs, Torsten; Sommer, Michael; Augustin, Jürgen

2016-04-01

Processes driving methane (CH4) emissions in wetland ecosystems are highly complex. Especially, the separation of CH4 emissions into ebullition and diffusion derived flux components, a perquisite for the mechanistic process understanding and identification of potential environmental driver is rather challenging. We present a simple calculation algorithm, based on an adaptive R-script, which separates open-water, closed chamber CH4 flux measurements into diffusion- and ebullition-derived components. Hence, flux component specific dynamics are revealed and potential environmental driver identified. Flux separation is based on a statistical approach, using ebullition related sudden concentration changes obtained during high resolution CH4 concentration measurements. By applying the lower and upper quartile ± the interquartile range (IQR) as a variable threshold, diffusion dominated periods of the flux measurement are filtered. Subsequently, flux calculation and separation is performed. The algorithm was verified in a laboratory experiment and tested under field conditions, using flux measurement data (July to September 2013) from a flooded, former fen grassland site. Erratic ebullition events contributed 46% to total CH4 emissions, which is comparable to values reported by literature. Additionally, a shift in the diurnal trend of diffusive fluxes throughout the measurement period, driven by the water temperature gradient, was revealed.

Global meta-analysis of leaf area index in wetlands indicates uncertainties in understanding of their ecosystem function

Science.gov (United States)

Dronova, I.; Taddeo, S.; Foster, K.

2017-12-01

Projecting ecosystem responses to global change relies on the accurate understanding of properties governing their functions in different environments. An important variable in models of ecosystem function is canopy leaf area index (LAI; leaf area per unit ground area) declared as one of the Essential Climate Variables in the Global Climate Observing System and extensively measured in terrestrial landscapes. However, wetlands have been largely under-represented in these efforts, which globally limits understanding of their contribution to carbon sequestration, climate regulation and resilience to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. This study provides a global synthesis of >350 wetland-specific LAI observations from 182 studies and compares LAI among wetland ecosystem and vegetation types, biomes and measurement approaches. Results indicate that most wetland types and even individual locations show a substantial local dispersion of LAI values (average coefficient of variation 65%) due to heterogeneity of environmental properties and vegetation composition. Such variation indicates that mean LAI values may not sufficiently represent complex wetland environments, and the use of this index in ecosystem function models needs to incorporate within-site variation in canopy properties. Mean LAI did not significantly differ between direct and indirect measurement methods on a pooled global sample; however, within some of the specific biomes and wetland types significant contrasts between these approaches were detected. These contrasts highlight unique aspects of wetland vegetation physiology and canopy structure affecting measurement principles that need to be considered in generalizing canopy properties in ecosystem models. Finally, efforts to assess wetland LAI using remote sensing strongly indicate the promise of this technology for cost-effective regional-scale modeling of canopy properties similar to terrestrial systems. However, such efforts urgently require more

Estimates of Carbon Reservoirs in High-Altitude Wetlands in the Colombian Andes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique Javier Peña

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The observed increase in emission of greenhouse gases, with attendant effects on global warming, have raised interests in identifying sources and sinks of carbon in the environment. Terrestrial carbon (C sequestration involves capture of atmospheric C through photosynthesis and storage in biota, soil and wetlands. Particularly, wetland systems function primarily as long-term reservoirs for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2 and as sources of atmospheric methane (CH4. The objective of this study was to evaluate the patterns of carbon reservoirs in two high-altitude wetlands in the central Andean mountain of Colombia. Carbon cycle in both systems is related mainly with the plant biomass dynamics from the littoral zone. Thus, total organic carbon concentrate an average up to 329 kg of N ha-1 and 125 kg of P ha-1 every year vs only 17 kg N ha-1 and 6 kg P ha-1 in the water column of the limnetic zone in the wetland, evidencing spatial differences in carbon concentrations for these types of ecosystems. Results revealed that these systems participate in the balance and sequestration of carbon in the Colombian Andes.

Correlations between substrate availability, dissolved CH₄, and CH₄ emissions in an arctic wetland subject to warming and plant removal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Cecilie Skov; Michelsen, Anders; Strobel, Bjarne W.

2017-01-01

The Arctic is warming which may potentially affect substrate availability, organic matter decomposition, plant growth, and plant species composition. This may lead to changes in the exchange of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) between the soil system and the atmosphere. Yet the correlations...

Emission of greenhouse gases from geographically isolated wetlands of Western Siberia

Science.gov (United States)

Golovatskaya, E.; Dyukarev, E.; Veretennikova, E.

2014-12-01

Wetlands are integral components of landscapes with specific nutrient dynamics and carbon sequestration potentials, which frequently differ, based on hydroperiod and seasonal hydropattern, as well as the constituent concentration of inputs, site-specific storages and vegetation structures. Human modifications have the potential to significantly alter controls on carbon dynamics. This study focused on determining carbon emissions (CO2 and CH4) from geographically isolated peatlands within the Ob-Tom River Interfluve area of Western Siberia affected by water diversion for municipal use by the city of Tomsk, Russia. Two oligotrophic wetlands within the study area were selected for site-specific CO2 studies, the Timiryazevskoe (16 ha) and Kirsanovskoe wetlands (29 ha), both affected by the Tomsk water intake (177 water wells 250 000 m3 water daily). Measurements of СО2 and CH4 emissions from peat surfaces were carried out bi-monthly in growing periods from 2008-2013 in two dominate vegetation zones, pine- shrub-sphagnum phytocenosis (ryam) and sedge-sphagnum fens. СО2 emissions were measured using OPTOGAS-500.4 infrared gas analyzer and dark chamber. Methane emissions were measured using static chamber method. Air samples were collected by syringes and analyzed at gas chromatograph Shimadzu-GC14B. Observations were accompanied by measurement of air temperature and humidity, surface temperature, peat temperature at various depths and the water table level. CО2 emission over the vegetative growing period had clearly pronounced seasonal dynamics with maximum values in the middle of the growing season (mid-July) and minimum values in spring and autumn. The average total flux over the studied period is 123±55 gС/m2 at sedge-sphagnum fen of Kirsanovskoe wetland and 323±66 gС/m2 at fen of Timiryazevskoe wetland. Total СО2 flux for the snow-free period at ryam sites of Timiryazevskoe and Kirsanovskoe wetlands is 238±84 and 260±47 gС/m2 accordingly. Methane

How to oxidize atmospheric CH4? - A challenge for the future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chazelas, Bruno; Leger, Alain; Ollivier, Marc

2006-01-01

Methane is an active Greenhouse effect gas whose concentration will likely increase in the future. The possible destabilisation of CH 4 clathrates (hydrates) due to anthropogenic climate warming, and the resulting outgasing of methane, could lead to a major increase of the global Greenhouse effect, with dramatic consequences for Humanity. For these reasons, the study of possible countermeasures should be actively considered. Here, we suggest taking advantage of the thermodynamic instability of CH 4 in air, and search for ways to oxidize it

Quantifying the Variability of CH4 Emissions from Pan-Arctic Lakes with Lake Biogeochemical and Landscape Evolution Models

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Z.; Zhuang, Q.

2014-12-01

Recent studies in the arctic and subarctic show that CH4 emissions from pan-arctic lakes are playing much more significant roles in the regional carbon cycling than previously estimated. Permafrost thawing due to pronounced warming at northern high latitudes affects lake morphology, changing its CH4 emissions. Thermokarst can enlarge the extent of artic lakes, exposing stable ancient carbon buried in the permafrost zone for degradation and changing a previously known carbon sink to a large carbon source. In some areas, the thawing of subarctic discontinuous and isolated permafrost can diminish thermokarst lakes. To date, few models have considered these important hydrological and biogeochemical processes to provide adequate estimation of CH4 emissions from these lakes. To fill this gap, we have developed a process-based climate-sensitive lake biogeochemical model and a landscape evolution model, which have been applied to quantify the state and variability of CH4 emissions from this freshwater system. Site-level experiments show the models are capable to capture the spatial and temporal variability of CH4 emissions from lakes across Siberia and Alaska. With the lake biogeochemical model solely, we estimate that the magnitude of CH4 emissions from lakes is 13.2 Tg yr-1 in the north of 60 ºN at present, which is on the same order of CH4 emissions from northern high-latitude wetlands. The maximum increment is 11.8 Tg CH4 yr-1 by the end of the 21st century when the worst warming scenario is assumed. We expect the landscape evolution model will improve the existing estimates.

Linking soil O2, CO2, and CH4 concentrations in a wetland soil

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elberling, Bo; Jensen, Louise Askær; Jørgensen, Christian Juncher

2011-01-01

and CH4 were measured in the laboratory during flooding of soil columns using a combination of planar O2 optodes and membrane inlet mass spectrometry. Microsensors were used to assess apparent diffusivity under both field and laboratory conditions. Gas concentration profiles were analyzed...... plants tissue on soil gas dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions following marked changes in water level....

Using Mass Spectroscopy to Examine Wetland Carbon Flow from Plants to Methane

Science.gov (United States)

Waldo, N.; Tfaily, M. M.; Moran, J.; Hu, D.; Cliff, J. B.; Gough, H. L.; Chistoserdova, L.; Beck, D.; Neumann, R. B.

2017-12-01

In the anoxic soil of wetlands, microbes produce methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas. Prior studies have documented an increase in CH4 emissions as plant productivity increases, likely due to plants releasing more labile organic carbon from roots. But in the field, it is difficult to separate changes in plant productivity and root carbon exudation from other seasonal changes that can affect methane emissions, e.g. temperature. Clarifying the role that root exudation plays in fueling methane production is important because increasing atmospheric temperatures and CO2 levels are projected to increase plant productivity and exudation. To advance understanding of climate-methane feedbacks, this study tracked the flow of carbon from plants into the wetland rhizosphere as plant productivity increased in controlled laboratory conditions. We grew Carex aquatilis, a wetland sedge, in peat-filled rootboxes. Both early and late during the plant growth cycle, we exposed plants to headspace 13CO2, which the plants fixed. Some of this labeled carbon was exuded by the roots and used by rhizosphere microbes. We tracked the isotope ratio of emitted CH4 to establish the time required for plant-released carbon to fuel methanogenesis, and to determine the relative contribution of plant-derived carbon to total CH4 emission. We destructively harvested root and rhizosphere samples from various locations that we characterized by isotope ratio mass spectrometry (MS) to determine isotopic enrichment and therefore relative abundance of root exudates. We analyzed additional aliquots of rhizosphere soil by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS to track chemical changes in soil carbon as root exudates were converted into methane. To advance mechanistic understanding of the synergistic and competitive microbial interactions that affect methane dynamics in the wetland rhizosphere, we used fluorescence in-situ hybridization to visualize microbial community composition and spatial associations

Patterns of in-soil methane production and atmospheric emission among different land covers of a Lake Erie estuarine wetland

Science.gov (United States)

Rey Sanchez, C.; Morin, T. H.; Stefanik, K. C.; Angle, J.; Wrighton, K. C.; Bohrer, G.

2017-12-01

Wetland soils store a great amount of carbon, but also accumulate and emit methane (CH4), a powerful greenhouse gas. To better understand the vertical and horizontal spatial variability of CH4 emissions, we monitored production and fluxes of CH4 in Old Woman Creek, an estuarine wetland of Lake Erie, Ohio, during the growing seasons of 2015 and 2016. Our combined observation methods targeted three different scales: 1) the eddy covariance technique provided continuous high frequency observations integrated over a large spatial footprint; 2) monthly chamber measurements provided sparse point measurements of fluxes in four distinct land-cover types in the wetland: open water, emergent vegetation (Typha spp.), floating vegetation (Nelumbo spp.) and mud flats; and 3) in-situ porewater dialysis samplers, "peepers", provided vertical CH4 concentration data in the soil at the same locations and temporal time steps as the chambers. In addition, we studied gene transcripts to quantify methanogenesis activity along the vertical soil profile. Using integrated chamber and EC measurements, we found an average surface emission rate from Typha, the most abundant vegetated land cover, of 219.4 g CH4-C m-2 y-1, which was much higher than rates reported in similar emergent vegetation types in other wetlands. There was large spatial variation of flux rates, with mud flats having the highest rates of CH4 emission, followed by Nelumbo and Typha patches, and with open water having the lowest emissions. Within the soil column, we applied a numerical model to convert soil methane concentrations to emissions rates. We found that, contrary to current ideas of methane production, most methane was being produced in the well-oxygenated surface soils, probably in anoxic microsites within the oxic layer. Our metatranscriptomic data supported these findings, clearly showing nine times greater methanogenic activity in oxic surface soils relative to deeper anoxic soils. Combined, our results provide

Methane feedbacks to the global climate system in a warmer world

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dean, Joshua F.; Middelburg, Jack J.; Röckmann, Thomas; Aerts, Rien; Blauw, Luke G.; Egger, Matthias; Jetten, Mike S.M.; de Jong, Anniek E.E.; Meisel, Ove H.; Rasigraf, Olivia; Slomp, Caroline P.; in't Zandt, Michiel H.; Dolman, A. J.

Methane (CH4) is produced in many natural systems that are vulnerable to change under a warming climate, yet current CH4 budgets, as well as future shifts in CH4 emissions, have high uncertainties. Climate change has the potential to increase CH4 emissions from critical systems such as wetlands,

Study of atmospheric CH4 mole fractions at three WMO/GAW stations in China

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Shuang-Xi; Zhou, Ling-Xi; Masarie, Kenneth A.; Xu, Lin; Rella, Chris W.

2013-05-01

CH4 mole fractions were continuously measured from 2009 to 2011 at three WMO/GAW stations in China (Lin'an, LAN; Longfengshan, LFS; and Waliguan, WLG) using three Cavity Ring Down Spectroscopy instruments. LAN and LFS are GAW regional measurement stations. LAN is located in China's most economically developed region, and LFS is in a rice production area (planting area > 40,000 km2). WLG is a global measurement station in remote northwest China. At LAN, high methane mole fractions are observed in all seasons. Surface winds from the northeast enhance CH4 values, with a maximum increase of 32 ± 15 ppb in summer. The peak to peak amplitude of the seasonal cycle is 77 ± 35 ppb. At LFS, the diurnal cycle amplitude is approximately constant throughout the year except summer, when a value of 196 ± 65 ppb is observed. CH4 values at LFS reach their peak in July, which is different from seasonal variations typically observed in the northern hemisphere. CH4 mole fractions at WLG show both the smallest values and the lowest variability. Maximum values occur during summer, which is different from other northern hemisphere WMO/GAW global stations. The seasonal cycle amplitude is 17 ± 11 ppb. The linear growth rates at LAN, LFS, and WLG are 8.0 ± 1.2, 7.9 ± 0.9, and 9.4 ± 0.2 ppb yr-1, respectively, which are all larger than the global mean over the same 3 year period. Results from this study attempt to improve our basic understanding of observed atmospheric CH4 in China.

Effect of permafrost thaw on CO2 and CH4 exchange in a western Alaska peatland chronosequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnston, Carmel E; Ewing, Stephanie A; Harden, Jennifer W; Fuller, Christopher C; Manies, Kristen; Varner, Ruth K; Wickland, Kimberly P; Koch, Joshua C; Jorgenson, M Torre

2014-01-01

Permafrost soils store over half of global soil carbon (C), and northern frozen peatlands store about 10% of global permafrost C. With thaw, inundation of high latitude lowland peatlands typically increases the surface-atmosphere flux of methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas. To examine the effects of lowland permafrost thaw over millennial timescales, we measured carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and CH 4 exchange along sites that constitute a ∼1000 yr thaw chronosequence of thermokarst collapse bogs and adjacent fen locations at Innoko Flats Wildlife Refuge in western Alaska. Peak CH 4 exchange in July (123 ± 71 mg CH 4 –C m −2 d −1 ) was observed in features that have been thawed for 30 to 70 (<100) yr, where soils were warmer than at more recently thawed sites (14 to 21 yr; emitting 1.37 ± 0.67 mg CH 4 –C m −2 d −1 in July) and had shallower water tables than at older sites (200 to 1400 yr; emitting 6.55 ± 2.23 mg CH 4 –C m −2 d −1 in July). Carbon lost via CH 4 efflux during the growing season at these intermediate age sites was 8% of uptake by net ecosystem exchange. Our results provide evidence that CH 4 emissions following lowland permafrost thaw are enhanced over decadal time scales, but limited over millennia. Over larger spatial scales, adjacent fen systems may contribute sustained CH 4 emission, CO 2 uptake, and DOC export. We argue that over timescales of decades to centuries, thaw features in high-latitude lowland peatlands, particularly those developed on poorly drained mineral substrates, are a key locus of elevated CH 4 emission to the atmosphere that must be considered for a complete understanding of high latitude CH 4 dynamics. (paper)

Impact of agronomy practices on the effects of reduced tillage systems on CH4 and N2O emissions from agricultural fields: A global meta-analysis.

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Feng, Jinfei; Li, Fengbo; Zhou, Xiyue; Xu, Chunchun; Ji, Long; Chen, Zhongdu; Fang, Fuping

2018-01-01

The effect of no- and reduced tillage (NT/RT) on greenhouse gas (GHG) emission was highly variable and may depend on other agronomy practices. However, how the other practices affect the effect of NT/RT on GHG emission remains elusive. Therefore, we conducted a global meta-analysis (including 49 papers with 196 comparisons) to assess the effect of five options (i.e. cropping system, crop residue management, split application of N fertilizer, irrigation, and tillage duration) on the effect of NT/RT on CH4 and N2O emissions from agricultural fields. The results showed that NT/RT significantly mitigated the overall global warming potential (GWP) of CH4 and N2O emissions by 6.6% as compared with conventional tillage (CT). Rotation cropping systems and crop straw remove facilitated no-tillage (NT) to reduce the CH4, N2O, or overall GWP both in upland and paddy field. NT significantly mitigated the overall GWP when the percentage of basal N fertilizer (PBN) >50%, when tillage duration > 10 years or rainfed in upland, while when PBN agronomy practices and land use type.

Technical note: Comparison of methane ebullition modelling approaches used in terrestrial wetland models

Science.gov (United States)

Peltola, Olli; Raivonen, Maarit; Li, Xuefei; Vesala, Timo

2018-02-01

Emission via bubbling, i.e. ebullition, is one of the main methane (CH4) emission pathways from wetlands to the atmosphere. Direct measurement of gas bubble formation, growth and release in the peat-water matrix is challenging and in consequence these processes are relatively unknown and are coarsely represented in current wetland CH4 emission models. In this study we aimed to evaluate three ebullition modelling approaches and their effect on model performance. This was achieved by implementing the three approaches in one process-based CH4 emission model. All the approaches were based on some kind of threshold: either on CH4 pore water concentration (ECT), pressure (EPT) or free-phase gas volume (EBG) threshold. The model was run using 4 years of data from a boreal sedge fen and the results were compared with eddy covariance measurements of CH4 fluxes.Modelled annual CH4 emissions were largely unaffected by the different ebullition modelling approaches; however, temporal variability in CH4 emissions varied an order of magnitude between the approaches. Hence the ebullition modelling approach drives the temporal variability in modelled CH4 emissions and therefore significantly impacts, for instance, high-frequency (daily scale) model comparison and calibration against measurements. The modelling approach based on the most recent knowledge of the ebullition process (volume threshold, EBG) agreed the best with the measured fluxes (R2 = 0.63) and hence produced the most reasonable results, although there was a scale mismatch between the measurements (ecosystem scale with heterogeneous ebullition locations) and model results (single horizontally homogeneous peat column). The approach should be favoured over the two other more widely used ebullition modelling approaches and researchers are encouraged to implement it into their CH4 emission models.

Estimating greenhouse gas fluxes from constructed wetlands used for water quality improvement

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Sukanda Chuersuwan

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Methane (CH4 , nitrous oxide (N2O and carbon dioxide (CO2 fluxes were evaluated from constructed wetlands (CWs used to improve domestic wastewater quality. Experiments employed subsurface flow (SF and free water surface flow (FWS CWs planted with Cyperus spp. Results showed seasonal fluctuations of greenhouse gas fluxes. Greenhouse gas fluxes from SF-CWs and FWS-CWS were significantly different (p<0.05 while pollutant removal efficiencies of both CWs were not significantly different. The average CH4 , N2O and CO2 fluxes from SF-CWs were 2.9±3.5, 1.0±1.7, and 15.2±12.3 mg/m2 /hr, respectively, corresponding to the average global warming potential (GWP of 392 mg CO2 equivalents/m2 /hr. For FWS-CWs, the average CH4 , N2O and CO2 fluxes were 5.9±4.8, 1.8±1.0, and 29.6±20.2 mg/m2 /hr, respectively, having an average GWP of 698 mg CO2 equivalents/m2 /hr. Thus, FWS-CWs have a higher GWP than SF-CWs when they were used as a system for domestic water improvement.

CH4 emissions from European Major Population Centers: Results from aircraft-borne CH4 in-situ observations during EMeRGe-Europe campaign 2017

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Roiger, A.; Klausner, T.; Schlager, H.; Ziereis, H.; Huntrieser, H.; Baumann, R.; Eirenschmalz, L.; Joeckel, P.; Mertens, M.; Fisher, R.; Bauguitte, S.; Young, S.; Andrés Hernández, M. D.

2017-12-01

Urban environments represent large and diffuse area sources of CH4 including emissions from pipeline leaks, industrial/sewage treatment plants, and landfills. However, there is little knowledge about the exact magnitude of these emissions and their contribution to total anthropogenic CH4. Especially in the context of an urbanizing world, a better understanding of the methane footprint of urban areas is crucial, both with respect to mitigation and projection of climate impacts. Aircraft-borne in-situ measurements are particularly useful to both quantify emissions from such area sources, as well as to study their impact on the regional distribution. However, airborne CH4 observations downstream of European cities are especially sparse.Here we report from aircraft-borne CH4 in-situ measurements as conducted during the HALO aircraft campaign EMeRGe (Effect of Megacities on the Transport and Transformation of Pollutants on the Regional to Global Scales) in July 2017, which was led by the University of Bremen, Germany. During seven research flights, emissions from a variety of European (Mega)-cities were probed at different altitudes from 3km down to 500m, including measurements in the outflows of London, Rome, Po Valley, Ruhr and Benelux. We will present and compare the CH4 distribution measured downstream of the various studied urban hot-spots. With the help of other trace gas measurements (including e.g. CO2, CO, O3, SO2), observed methane enhancements will be attributed to the different potential source types. Finally, by the combination of in-situ measurements and regional model simulations using the EMAC-MECO(n) model, the contribution of emissions from urban centers to the regional methane budget over Europe will be discussed.

Development of a "Hydrologic Equivalent Wetland" Concept for Modeling Cumulative Effects of Wetlands on Watershed Hydrology

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Wang, X.; Liu, T.; Li, R.; Yang, X.; Duan, L.; Luo, Y.

2012-12-01

Wetlands are one of the most important watershed microtopographic features that affect, in combination rather than individually, hydrologic processes (e.g., routing) and the fate and transport of constituents (e.g., sediment and nutrients). Efforts to conserve existing wetlands and/or to restore lost wetlands require that watershed-level effects of wetlands on water quantity and water quality be quantified. Because monitoring approaches are usually cost or logistics prohibitive at watershed scale, distributed watershed models, such as the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), can be a best resort if wetlands can be appropriately represented in the models. However, the exact method that should be used to incorporate wetlands into hydrologic models is the subject of much disagreement in the literature. In addition, there is a serious lack of information about how to model wetland conservation-restoration effects using such kind of integrated modeling approach. The objectives of this study were to: 1) develop a "hydrologic equivalent wetland" (HEW) concept; and 2) demonstrate how to use the HEW concept in SWAT to assess effects of wetland restoration within the Broughton's Creek watershed located in southwestern Manitoba of Canada, and of wetland conservation within the upper portion of the Otter Tail River watershed located in northwestern Minnesota of the United States. The HEWs were defined in terms of six calibrated parameters: the fraction of the subbasin area that drains into wetlands (WET_FR), the volume of water stored in the wetlands when filled to their normal water level (WET_NVOL), the volume of water stored in the wetlands when filled to their maximum water level (WET_MXVOL), the longest tributary channel length in the subbasin (CH_L1), Manning's n value for the tributary channels (CH_N1), and Manning's n value for the main channel (CH_N2). The results indicated that the HEW concept allows the nonlinear functional relations between watershed processes

The global variation of CH4 and CO as seen by SCIAMACHY

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straume, A.G.; Schrijver, H.; Gloudemans, A.M.S.; Houweling, S.; Aben, I.; Maurellis, A.N.; de Laat, A.T.J.; Kleipool, Q.; Lichtenberg, G.; van Hees, R.; Meirink, J.F.; Krol, M.

2005-01-01

The methane (CH4) and carbon monoxide (CO) total columns retrieved from SCIAMACHY's near-infrared channel 8 have been compared to satellite measurements by the MOPITT instrument and chemistry transport model calculations (TM3). Results from the SRON retrieval algorithm IMLM (v5.1) are presented here

Implications of agricultural encroachment on the carbon and greenhouse gas dynamics in tropical African wetlands.

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Saunders, Matthew; Kansiime, Frank; Jones, Michael

2015-04-01

the production and emission of methane (CH4), and plant-facilitated emissions of up to 32 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 were measured from mature papyrus plants grown in a constructed wetland, suggesting that these wetlands may make a significant contribution to regional methane emissions. The conversion of the papyrus wetlands to agricultural land use has significant implications for the carbon budgets of these systems, as the decomposition of detrital material in addition to the carbon exported in the crop biomass resulted in a net loss of carbon of ~10 t C ha-1 yr-1. The development of sustainable wetland management strategies are therefore required to maintain and enhance the services provided by these ecosystems especially under increasing population pressures and future climatic scenarios.

Fluxes of CH4 and CO2 from soil and termite mounds in south Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso (West Africa)

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Brümmer, Christian; Papen, Hans; Wassmann, Reiner; Brüggemann, Nicolas

2009-03-01

The contribution of West African savanna ecosystems to global greenhouse gas budgets is highly uncertain. In this study we quantified soil-atmosphere CH4 and CO2 fluxes in the southwest of Burkina Faso from June to September 2005 and from April to September 2006 at four different agricultural fields planted with sorghum (n = 2), cotton, and peanut and at a natural savanna site with termite (Cubitermes fungifaber) mounds. During the rainy season both CH4 uptake and CH4 emission were observed in the savanna, which was on average a CH4 source of 2.79 and 2.28 kg CH4-C ha-1 a-1 in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The crop sites were an average CH4 sink of -0.67 and -0.70 kg CH4-C ha-1 a-1 in the 2 years, without significant seasonal variation. Mean annual soil respiration ranged between 3.86 and 5.82 t CO2-C ha-1 a-1 in the savanna and between 2.50 and 4.51 t CO2-C ha-1 a-1 at the crop sites. CH4 emission from termite mounds was 2 orders of magnitude higher than soil CH4 emissions, whereas termite CO2 emissions were of the same order of magnitude as soil CO2 emissions. Termite CH4 and CO2 release in the savanna contributed 8.8% and 0.4% to the total soil CH4 and CO2 emissions, respectively. At the crop sites, where termite mounds had been almost completely removed because of land use change, termite fluxes were insignificant. Mound density-based upscaling of termite CH4 fluxes resulted in a global termite CH4 source of 0.9 Tg a-1, which corresponds to 0.15% of the total global CH4 budget of 582 Tg a-1, hence significantly lower than those obtained previously by biomass-based calculations. This study emphasizes that land use change, which is of high relevance in this region, has particularly affected soil CH4 fluxes in the past and might still do so in the future.

Comparison of atmospheric CH4 concentration observed by GOSAT and in-situ measurements in Thailand and India

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Hayashida, S.; Ono, A.; Ishikawa, S.; Terao, Y.; Takeuchi, W.

2012-12-01

The concentration of atmospheric methane (CH4) has more than doubled since pre-industrial levels and the observed long-term changes in the CH4 concentration have been attributed to anthropogenic activity. However, despite the importance of atmospheric CH4 in global warming, the strength of individual sources of CH4 remains highly uncertain [e.g.,Dlugokencky et al., 2011]. To characterize and quantify the emissions of CH4 especially in Monsoon Asia and Siberia, which are the most important regions as CH4 source, we started a new project, "Characterization and Quantification of global methane emissions by utilizing GOSAT and in-situ measurements " by support of the Environment Research and Technology Development Fund (ERTDF) from June 2012 under the umbrella of Ministry of Environment Japan. The projects includes (1) satellite data applications, (2) in-situ measurements in Siberia, over Western Pacific and in Monsoon Asia, (3) development of the inverse model to derive CH4 emissions by top-down approach, and (4) flux measurements in Siberia and Asia to improve the bottom-up inventories. As an initiatory approach in the project, we started air sampling in Thailand and India where there are only a few CH4 data of direct sampling with high precision. We took eight air samples at Kohn Kaen and Pimai in Thailand on June 9 and 10, 2012. The high CH4 concentration near rice paddy field contrasted to the lower CH4 concentration near Cassava field. We are planning to take more samples in India in mid-August. The satellite CH4 data including GOSAT and SCIAMACHY are also compared with the Land Surface Water Coverage (LSWC) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The analysis revealed the seasonal variation in of xCH4 is closely related to the variation of the LSWC, coupled with NDVI. However, the satellite measurements are all column-averaged mixing ratio (xCH4), and therefore do not necessarily reflect high CH4 concentration near the surface over the emission

Using WEED to simulate the global wetland distribution in a ESM

Science.gov (United States)

Stacke, Tobias; Hagemann, Stefan

2016-04-01

Lakes and wetlands are an important land surface feature. In terms of hydrology, they regulate river discharge, mitigate flood events and constitute a significant surface water storage. Considering physical processes, they link the surface water and energy balances by altering the separation of incoming energy into sensible and latent heat fluxes. Finally, they impact biogeochemical processes and may act as carbon sinks or sources. Most global hydrology and climate models regard wetland extent and properties as constant in time. However, to study interactions between wetlands and different states of climate, it is necessary to implement surface water bodies (thereafter referred to as wetlands) with dynamical behavior into these models. Besides an improved representation of geophysical feedbacks between wetlands, land surface and atmosphere, a dynamical wetland scheme could also provide estimates of soil wetness as input for biogeochemical models, which are used to compute methane production in wetlands. Recently, a model for the representation of wetland extent dynamics (WEED) was developed as part of the hydrology model (MPI-HM) of the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M). The WEED scheme computes wetland extent in agreement with the range of observations for the high northern latitudes. It simulates a realistic seasonal cycle which shows sensitivity to northern snow-melt as well as rainy seasons in the tropics. Furthermore, flood peaks in river discharge are mitigated. However, the WEED scheme overestimates wetland extent in the Tropics which might be related to the MPI-HM's simplified potential evapotranspiration computation. In order to overcome this limitation, the WEED scheme is implemented into the MPI-M's land surface model JSBACH. Thus, not only its effect on water fluxes can be investigated but also its impact on the energy cycle, which is not included in the MPI-HM. Furthermore, it will be possible to analyze the physical effects of wetlands in a

Spatial and Temporal Variations in the Partial Pressure and Emission of CO2 and CH4 in and Amazon Floodplain Lake

Science.gov (United States)

Forsberg, B. R.; Amaral, J. H.; Barbosa, P.; Kasper, D.; MacIntyre, S.; Cortes, A.; Sarmento, H.; Borges, A. V.; Melack, J. M.; Farjalla, V.

2015-12-01

The Amazon floodplain contains a variety of wetland environments which contribute CO2 and CH4 to the regional and global atmospheres. The partial pressure and emission of these greenhouse gases (GHGs) varies: 1) between habitats, 2) seasonally, as the characteristics these habitats changes and 3) diurnally, in response to diurnal stratification. In this study, we investigated the combined influence of these factors on the partial pressure and emission of GHGs in Lago Janauacá, a central Amazon floodplain lake (3o23' S; 60o18' O). All measurements were made between August of 2014 and April of 2015 at two different sites and in three distinct habitats: open water, flooded forest, flooded macrophytes. Concentrations of CO2 and CH4 in air were measured continuously with a cavity enhanced absorption spectrometer, Los Gatos Research´s Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). Vertical profiles o pCO2 and pCH4 were measured using the UGGA connected to an electric pump and equilibrator. Diffusive surface emissions were estimated with the UGGA connected to a static floating chamber. To investigate the influence of vertical stratification and mixing on GHG partial pressure and emissions, a meteorological station and submersible sensor chain were deployed at each site. Meteorological sensors included wind speed and direction. The submersible chains included thermistors and oxygen sensors. Depth profiles of partial pressure and diffusive emissions for both CO2 and CH4 varied diurnally, seasonally and between habitats. Both pCO2 and pCH4 were consistently higher in bottom than surface waters with the largest differences occurring at high water when thermal stratification was most stable. Methane emissions and partial pressures were highest at low water while pCO2 and CO2 fluxes were highest during high water periods, with 35% of CO2 fluxes at low water being negative. The highest average surface value of pCO2 (5491 μatm), encountered during rising water, was ~3 times

[Effects of combined applications of pig manure and chemical fertilizers on CH4 and N2O emissions and their global warming potentials in paddy fields with double-rice cropping].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Cong; Shen, Jian-Lin; Zheng, Liang; Liu, Jie-Yun; Qin, Hong-Ling; Li, Yong; Wu, Jin-Shui

2014-08-01

A field experiment was carried out to study the effects of combined applications of pig manure and chemical fertilizers on CH4 and N2O emissions, which were measured using the static chamber/gas chromatography method, and their global warming potentials in typical paddy fields with double-rice cropping in Hunan province. The results showed that the combined applications of pig manure and chemical fertilizers did not change the seasonal patterns of CH4 and N2O emissions from paddy soils, but significantly changed the magnitudes of CH4 and N2O fluxes in rice growing seasons as compared with sole application of chemical fertilizers. During the two rice growing seasons, the cumulative CH4 emissions for the pig manure and chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer each contributing to 50% of the total applied N (1/2N + PM) treatment were higher than those for the treatments of no N fertilizer (ON), half amount of chemical N fertilizer (1/2N) and 100% chemical N fertilizer (N) by 54.83%, 33.85% and 43.30%, respectively (P global warming potential (GWP) in both rice growing seasons, which contributed more than 99% to the integrated GWP of CH4 and N2O emissions for all the four treatments. Both GWP and yield-scaled GWP for the treatment of 1/2N + PM were significantly higher than the other three treatments. The yield-scaled GWP for the treatment of 1/2N + PM was higher than those for the N, 1/2N and ON treatments by 58.21%, 26.82% and 20. 63%, respectively. Therefore, combined applications of pig manure and chemical fertilizers in paddy fields would increase the GWP of CH4 and N2O emissions during rice growing seasons and this effect should be considered in regional greenhouse gases emissions inventory.

Observing and modeling links between soil moisture, microbes and CH4 fluxes from forest soils

Science.gov (United States)

Christiansen, Jesper; Levy-Booth, David; Barker, Jason; Prescott, Cindy; Grayston, Sue

2017-04-01

community responds different to environmental change dependent on the soil moisture regime. These results are important to include in future modeling efforts to predict changes in soil-atmosphere exchange of CH4 under global change.

Net exchanges of CO2, CH4 and N2O between the terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere in boreal and arctic region: Towards a full greenhouse gas budget

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, B.; Tian, H.; Lu, C.; Yang, J.; Kamaljit, K.; Pan, S.

2014-12-01

Boreal and arctic terrestrial ecosystem is a unique ecological region due to large portion of wetland and permafrost distribution. Increasing disturbances, like permafrost-thaw, fire event, climate extreme, would greatly change the patterns and variations of greenhouse gas emission and further affect the feedback between terrestrial ecosystem and climate change. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) accounted for more than 85% of the radioactive forcing (RF) due to long-lived greenhouse gases. However, few studies have considered the full budget of three gases together in this region. In this study, we used a process-based model (Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model), driven by multiple global change factors, to quantify the magnitude, spatial and temporal variation of CO2, CH4 and N2O across the boreal and arctic regions. Simulated results have been evaluated against field observations, inventory-based and atmospheric inversion estimates. By implementing a set of factorial simulations, we further quantify the relative contribution of climate, atmospheric composition, fire to the CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes. Continued warming climate potentially could shift the inter-annual and intra-annual variation of greenhouse gases fluxes. The understanding of full budget in this region could provide insights for reasonable future projection, which is also crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies.

Aviation NOx-induced CH4 effect: Fixed mixing ratio boundary conditions versus flux boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Khodayari, Arezoo; Olsen, Seth C.; Wuebbles, Donald J.; Phoenix, Daniel B.

2015-07-01

Atmospheric chemistry-climate models are often used to calculate the effect of aviation NOx emissions on atmospheric ozone (O3) and methane (CH4). Due to the long (∼10 yr) atmospheric lifetime of methane, model simulations must be run for long time periods, typically for more than 40 simulation years, to reach steady-state if using CH4 emission fluxes. Because of the computational expense of such long runs, studies have traditionally used specified CH4 mixing ratio lower boundary conditions (BCs) and then applied a simple parameterization based on the change in CH4 lifetime between the control and NOx-perturbed simulations to estimate the change in CH4 concentration induced by NOx emissions. In this parameterization a feedback factor (typically a value of 1.4) is used to account for the feedback of CH4 concentrations on its lifetime. Modeling studies comparing simulations using CH4 surface fluxes and fixed mixing ratio BCs are used to examine the validity of this parameterization. The latest version of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), with the CAM5 atmospheric model, was used for this study. Aviation NOx emissions for 2006 were obtained from the AEDT (Aviation Environmental Design Tool) global commercial aircraft emissions. Results show a 31.4 ppb change in CH4 concentration when estimated using the parameterization and a 1.4 feedback factor, and a 28.9 ppb change when the concentration was directly calculated in the CH4 flux simulations. The model calculated value for CH4 feedback on its own lifetime agrees well with the 1.4 feedback factor. Systematic comparisons between the separate runs indicated that the parameterization technique overestimates the CH4 concentration by 8.6%. Therefore, it is concluded that the estimation technique is good to within ∼10% and decreases the computational requirements in our simulations by nearly a factor of 8.

Response of methane emissions from wetlands to the Last Glacial Maximum and an idealized Dansgaard-Oeschger climate event: insights from two models of different complexity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ringeval, B.; Hopcroft, P.O.; Valdes, P.J.; Ciais, P.; Ramstein, G.; Dolman, A.J.; Kageyama, M.

2013-01-01

The role of different sources and sinks of CH4 in changes in atmospheric methane ([CH4]) concentration during the last 100 000 yr is still not fully understood. In particular, the magnitude of the change in wetland CH4 emissions at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) relative to the pre-industrial period

Methane Feedbacks to the Global Climate System in a Warmer World

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Joshua F.; Middelburg, Jack J.; Röckmann, Thomas; Aerts, Rien; Blauw, Luke G.; Egger, Matthias; Jetten, Mike S. M.; de Jong, Anniek E. E.; Meisel, Ove H.; Rasigraf, Olivia; Slomp, Caroline P.; in't Zandt, Michiel H.; Dolman, A. J.

2018-03-01

Methane (CH4) is produced in many natural systems that are vulnerable to change under a warming climate, yet current CH4 budgets, as well as future shifts in CH4 emissions, have high uncertainties. Climate change has the potential to increase CH4 emissions from critical systems such as wetlands, marine and freshwater systems, permafrost, and methane hydrates, through shifts in temperature, hydrology, vegetation, landscape disturbance, and sea level rise. Increased CH4 emissions from these systems would in turn induce further climate change, resulting in a positive climate feedback. Here we synthesize biological, geochemical, and physically focused CH4 climate feedback literature, bringing together the key findings of these disciplines. We discuss environment-specific feedback processes, including the microbial, physical, and geochemical interlinkages and the timescales on which they operate, and present the current state of knowledge of CH4 climate feedbacks in the immediate and distant future. The important linkages between microbial activity and climate warming are discussed with the aim to better constrain the sensitivity of the CH4 cycle to future climate predictions. We determine that wetlands will form the majority of the CH4 climate feedback up to 2100. Beyond this timescale, CH4 emissions from marine and freshwater systems and permafrost environments could become more important. Significant CH4 emissions to the atmosphere from the dissociation of methane hydrates are not expected in the near future. Our key findings highlight the importance of quantifying whether CH4 consumption can counterbalance CH4 production under future climate scenarios.

A global standard for monitoring coastal wetland vulnerability to accelerated sea-level rise

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Edward L.; Friess, Daniel A.; Krauss, Ken W.; Cahoon, Donald R.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.; Phelps, Jacob

2013-01-01

Sea-level rise threatens coastal salt-marshes and mangrove forests around the world, and a key determinant of coastal wetland vulnerability is whether its surface elevation can keep pace with rising sea level. Globally, a large data gap exists because wetland surface and shallow subsurface processes remain unaccounted for by traditional vulnerability assessments using tide gauges. Moreover, those processes vary substantially across wetlands, so modelling platforms require relevant local data. The low-cost, simple, high-precision rod surface-elevation table–marker horizon (RSET-MH) method fills this critical data gap, can be paired with spatial data sets and modelling and is financially and technically accessible to every country with coastal wetlands. Yet, RSET deployment has been limited to a few regions and purposes. A coordinated expansion of monitoring efforts, including development of regional networks that could support data sharing and collaboration, is crucial to adequately inform coastal climate change adaptation policy at several scales.

A Constructed Freshwater Wetland Shows Signs of Declining Net Ecosystem Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, F. E.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Windham-Myers, L.; Byrd, K. B.; Drexler, J. Z.; Fujii, R.

2014-12-01

The USGS constructed a freshwater-wetland complex on Twitchell Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta), California, USA, in 1997 and maintained it until 2012 to investigate strategies for biomass accretion and reduction of oxidative soil loss. We studied an area of the wetland complex covered mainly by dense patches of hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus) and cattails (Typha spp.), with smaller areas of floating and submerged vegetation, that was maintained at an average depth of 55 cm. Using eddy covariance measurements of carbon and energy fluxes, we found that the combination of water management and the region's Mediterranean climate created conditions where peak growing season daily means of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) reached -45 gCO2 m-2 d-1 and averaged around -30 gCO2 m-2 d-1 between 2002 through 2004. However, when measurements resumed in 2010, NEE rates were a fraction of the rates previously measured, approximately -6 gCO2 m-2 d-1. Interestingly, NEE rates in 2011 doubled compared to 2010 (-13 gCO2 m-2 d-1). Methane fluxes, collected in 2010 to assess a complete atmospheric carbon budget, were positive throughout the year, with daily mean flux values ranging from 50 to 300 mg CH4 m-2 d-1. As a result, methane flux reduced NEE values by approximately one-third, and when the global warming potential was considered, the wetland became a net global warming potential source. We found that carbon cycling in a constructed wetland is complex and can change over annual and decadal timescales. We investigated possible reasons for differences between flux measurements from 2002 to 2004 and those from 2010 and 2011: (1) changes in methodology, (2) differences in weather conditions, (3) differences in gross primary productivity relative to respiration rates, and (4) the amount of living plant tissue relative to brown accumulations of senesced plant litter. We hypothesize that large mats of senesced material within the flux footprint could have

Spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from agricultural and restored wetlands in the California Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Hatala, Jaclyn Anne

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California was drained for agriculture and human settlement over a century ago, resulting in extreme rates of soil subsidence and release of CO2 to the atmosphere from peat oxidation. Because of this century-long ecosystem carbon imbalance where heterotrophic respiration exceeded net primary productivity, most of the land surface in the Delta is now up to 8 meters below sea level. To potentially reverse this trend of chronic carbon loss from Delta ecosystems, land managers have begun converting drained lands back to flooded ecosystems, but at the cost of increased production of CH4, a much more potent greenhouse gas than CO2. To evaluate the impacts of inundation on the biosphere-atmophere exchange of CO2 and CH4 in the Delta, I first measured and analyzed net fluxes of CO2 and CH4 for two continuous years with the eddy covariance technique in a drained peatland pasture and a recently re-flooded rice paddy. This analysis demonstrated that the drained pasture was a consistent large source of CO2 and small source of CH 4, whereas the rice paddy was a mild sink for CO2 and a mild source of CH4. However more importantly, this first analysis revealed nuanced complexities for measuring and interpreting patterns in CO2 and CH4 fluxes through time and space. CO2 and CH4 fluxes are inextricably linked in flooded ecosystems, as plant carbon serves as the primary substrate for the production of CH4 and wetland plants also provide the primary transport pathway of CH4 flux to the atmosphere. At the spatially homogeneous rice paddy during the summer growing season, I investigated rapid temporal coupling between CO2 and CH4 fluxes. Through wavelet Granger-causality analysis, I demonstrated that daily fluctuations in growing season gross ecosystem productivity (photosynthesis) exert a stronger control than temperature on the diurnal pattern in CH4 flux from rice. At a spatially heterogeneous restored wetland site, I analyzed the spatial coupling

Dynamics of carbon sequestration in a coastal wetland using radiocarbon measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yonghoon; Wang, Yang

2004-12-01

atmospheric carbon dioxide. Because of higher rates of C sequestration and lower CH4 emissions, coastal wetlands could be more valuable C sinks per unit area than other ecosystems in a warmer world.

Diffusive flux of methane from warm wetlands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barber, T.R.; Burke, R.A.; Sackett, W.M. (Univ. of South Florida, St. Petersburg (USA))

1988-12-01

Diffusion of methane across the air-water interface from several wetland environments in south Florida was estimated from measured surface water concentrations using an empirically derived gas exchange model. The flux from the Everglades sawgrass marsh system varied widely, ranging from 0.18 + or{minus}0.21 mol CH{sub 4}/sq m/yr for densely vegetated regions to 2.01 + or{minus}0.88 for sparsely vegetated, calcitic mud areas. Despite brackish salinities, a strong methane flux, 1.87 + or{minus}0.63 mol CH{sub 4}/sq m/yr, was estimated for an organic-rich mangrove pond near Florida Bay. The diffusive flux accounted for 23, 36, and 13% of the total amount of CH{sub 4} emitted to the atmosphere from these environments, respectively. The average dissolved methane concentration for an organic-rich forested swamp was the highest of any site at 12.6 microM; however, the calculated diffusive flux from this location, 2.57 + or{minus}1.88 mol CH{sub 4}/sq m/yr, was diminished by an extensive plant canopy that sheltered the air-water interface from the wind. The mean diffusive flux from four freshwater lakes, 0.77 + or{minus}0.73 mol CH{sub 4}/sq m/yr, demonstrated little temperature dependence. The mean diffusive flux for an urbanized, subtropical estuary was 0.06 + or{minus}0.05 mol CH{sub 4}/sq m/yr.

CO2 and CH4 fluxes in a Spartina salt marsh and brackish Phragmites marsh in Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, J.; Wang, F.; Kroeger, K. D.; Gonneea, M. E.

2017-12-01

Coastal salt marshes play an important role in global and regional carbon cycling. Tidally restricted marshes reduce salinity and provide a habitat suitable for Phragmites invasion. We measured greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (CO2 and CH4) continuously with the eddy covariance method and biweekly with the static chamber method in a Spartina salt marsh and a Phragmites marsh on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. We did not find significant difference in CO2 fluxes between the two sites, but the CH4 fluxes were much higher in the Phragmites site than the Spartina marsh. Temporally, tidal cycles influence the CO2 and CH4 fluxes in both sites. We found that the salt marsh was a significant carbon sink when CO2 and CH4 fluxes were combined. Restoring tidally restricted marshes will significantly reduce CH4 emissions and provide a strong ecosystem carbon service.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agricultural Wetlands in Borneo

Science.gov (United States)

Abdul, H.; Fatah, L.; Nursyamsi, D.; Kazuyuki, I.

2011-12-01

At the forum G20 meeting in 2009, Indonesian President delivered Indonesia's commitment to reduce national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 26% in 2020 by unilateral action and by 41% with support of other countries. To achieve the target, Indonesian government has put forestry, agriculture (including peatlands), energy, industry and transportation as main responsible sectors. Development of crop with low GHG emissions, increasing C sequestration and the use of organic fertilizers are among the activities to be carried out in 2010-2020 period to minimize GHG emissions from agricultural sectors. Three experiments have been carried out to elucidate the reflectivity of crop selection, soil ameliorants and organic fertilizers on GHG emissions from agricultural wetlands in Borneo. Firstly, gas samples were collected in weekly basis from oil palm, paddy, and vegetables fields and analyzed for methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations by a gas chromatography. Secondly, coal fly ash, dolomite and ZnSO4 were incorporated into a pot containing peat and/or alluvial soils taken from wetlands in South Kalimantan. The air samples were taken and analyzed for CH4 by a gas chromatography. Finally, microbial consortium are isolated from soil, sediment and cow dung. The microbes were then propagated and used in a rice straw composting processes. The CO2, CH4 and N2O emissions from composting vessel were measured at one, two and four weeks of composting processes. The results showed that shifting the use of peatlands for oil palm to vegetable field reduced the GHG emissions by about 74% and that to paddy field reduce the GHG emissions by about 82%. The CH4 emissions from paddy field can be further reduced by applying dolomite. However, the use of coal fly ash and ZnSO4 increased CH4 emissions from peat soil cultivated to rice. The use of microbe isolated from saline soil could reduce GHG emissions during the composting of rice straw. The social aspect of GHG reduction in

Large emissions from floodplain trees close the Amazon methane budget

Science.gov (United States)

Pangala, Sunitha R.; Enrich-Prast, Alex; Basso, Luana S.; Peixoto, Roberta Bittencourt; Bastviken, David; Hornibrook, Edward R. C.; Gatti, Luciana V.; Marotta, Humberto; Calazans, Luana Silva Braucks; Sakuragui, Cassia Mônica; Bastos, Wanderley Rodrigues; Malm, Olaf; Gloor, Emanuel; Miller, John Bharat; Gauci, Vincent

2017-12-01

Wetlands are the largest global source of atmospheric methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. However, methane emission inventories from the Amazon floodplain, the largest natural geographic source of CH4 in the tropics, consistently underestimate the atmospheric burden of CH4 determined via remote sensing and inversion modelling, pointing to a major gap in our understanding of the contribution of these ecosystems to CH4 emissions. Here we report CH4 fluxes from the stems of 2,357 individual Amazonian floodplain trees from 13 locations across the central Amazon basin. We find that escape of soil gas through wetland trees is the dominant source of regional CH4 emissions. Methane fluxes from Amazon tree stems were up to 200 times larger than emissions reported for temperate wet forests and tropical peat swamp forests, representing the largest non-ebullitive wetland fluxes observed. Emissions from trees had an average stable carbon isotope value (δ13C) of -66.2 ± 6.4 per mil, consistent with a soil biogenic origin. We estimate that floodplain trees emit 15.1 ± 1.8 to 21.2 ± 2.5 teragrams of CH4 a year, in addition to the 20.5 ± 5.3 teragrams a year emitted regionally from other sources. Furthermore, we provide a ‘top-down’ regional estimate of CH4 emissions of 42.7 ± 5.6 teragrams of CH4 a year for the Amazon basin, based on regular vertical lower-troposphere CH4 profiles covering the period 2010-2013. We find close agreement between our ‘top-down’ and combined ‘bottom-up’ estimates, indicating that large CH4 emissions from trees adapted to permanent or seasonal inundation can account for the emission source that is required to close the Amazon CH4 budget. Our findings demonstrate the importance of tree stem surfaces in mediating approximately half of all wetland CH4 emissions in the Amazon floodplain, a region that represents up to one-third of the global wetland CH4 source when trees are combined with other emission sources.

Large emissions from floodplain trees close the Amazon methane budget.

Science.gov (United States)

Pangala, Sunitha R; Enrich-Prast, Alex; Basso, Luana S; Peixoto, Roberta Bittencourt; Bastviken, David; Hornibrook, Edward R C; Gatti, Luciana V; Marotta, Humberto; Calazans, Luana Silva Braucks; Sakuragui, Cassia Mônica; Bastos, Wanderley Rodrigues; Malm, Olaf; Gloor, Emanuel; Miller, John Bharat; Gauci, Vincent

2017-12-14

Wetlands are the largest global source of atmospheric methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas. However, methane emission inventories from the Amazon floodplain, the largest natural geographic source of CH 4 in the tropics, consistently underestimate the atmospheric burden of CH 4 determined via remote sensing and inversion modelling, pointing to a major gap in our understanding of the contribution of these ecosystems to CH 4 emissions. Here we report CH 4 fluxes from the stems of 2,357 individual Amazonian floodplain trees from 13 locations across the central Amazon basin. We find that escape of soil gas through wetland trees is the dominant source of regional CH 4 emissions. Methane fluxes from Amazon tree stems were up to 200 times larger than emissions reported for temperate wet forests and tropical peat swamp forests, representing the largest non-ebullitive wetland fluxes observed. Emissions from trees had an average stable carbon isotope value (δ 13 C) of -66.2 ± 6.4 per mil, consistent with a soil biogenic origin. We estimate that floodplain trees emit 15.1 ± 1.8 to 21.2 ± 2.5 teragrams of CH 4 a year, in addition to the 20.5 ± 5.3 teragrams a year emitted regionally from other sources. Furthermore, we provide a 'top-down' regional estimate of CH 4 emissions of 42.7 ± 5.6 teragrams of CH 4 a year for the Amazon basin, based on regular vertical lower-troposphere CH 4 profiles covering the period 2010-2013. We find close agreement between our 'top-down' and combined 'bottom-up' estimates, indicating that large CH 4 emissions from trees adapted to permanent or seasonal inundation can account for the emission source that is required to close the Amazon CH 4 budget. Our findings demonstrate the importance of tree stem surfaces in mediating approximately half of all wetland CH 4 emissions in the Amazon floodplain, a region that represents up to one-third of the global wetland CH 4 source when trees are combined with other emission sources.

Role of Megafauna and Frozen Soil in the Atmospheric CH4 Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Zimov, Sergey; Zimov, Nikita

2014-01-01

Modern wetlands are the world’s strongest methane source. But what was the role of this source in the past? An analysis of global 14C data for basal peat combined with modelling of wetland succession allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of global wetland methane emission through time. These data show that the rise of atmospheric methane concentrations during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition was not connected with wetland expansion, but rather started substantially later, only 9 thousand years ago. Additionally, wetland expansion took place against the background of a decline in atmospheric methane concentration. The isotopic composition of methane varies according to source. Owing to ice sheet drilling programs past dynamics of atmospheric methane isotopic composition is now known. For example over the course of Pleistocene-Holocene transition atmospheric methane became depleted in the deuterium isotope, which indicated that the rise in methane concentrations was not connected with activation of the deuterium-rich gas clathrates. Modelling of the budget of the atmospheric methane and its isotopic composition allowed us to reconstruct the dynamics of all main methane sources. For the late Pleistocene, the largest methane source was megaherbivores, whose total biomass is estimated to have exceeded that of present-day humans and domestic animals. This corresponds with our independent estimates of herbivore density on the pastures of the late Pleistocene based on herbivore skeleton density in the permafrost. During deglaciation, the largest methane emissions originated from degrading frozen soils of the mammoth steppe biome. Methane from this source is unique, as it is depleted of all isotopes. We estimated that over the entire course of deglaciation (15,000 to 6,000 year before present), soils of the mammoth steppe released 300–550 Pg (1015 g) of methane. From current study we conclude that the Late Quaternary Extinction significantly affected the global

Optimisation of expansion liquefaction processes using mixed refrigerant N_2–CH_4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, He; Sun, Heng; He, Ming

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A refrigerant composition matching method for N_2–CH_4 expansion processes. • Efficiency improvements for propane pre-cooled N_2–CH_4 expansion processes. • The process shows good adaptability to varying natural gas compositions. - Abstract: An expansion process with a pre-cooling system is simulated and optimised by Aspen HYSYS and MATLAB"™. Taking advantage of higher specific refrigeration effect of methane and easily reduced refrigeration temperature of nitrogen, the designed process adopts N_2–CH_4 as a mixed refrigerant. Based on the different thermodynamic properties and sensitivity difference of N_2 and CH_4 over the same heat transfer temperature range, this work proposes a novel method of matching refrigerant composition which aims at single-stage or multi-stage series expansion liquefaction processes with pre-cooling systems. This novel method is applied successfully in propane pre-cooled N_2–CH_4 expansion process, and the unit power consumption is reduced to 7.09 kWh/kmol, which is only 5.35% higher than the global optimised solutions obtained by genetic algorithm. This novel method can fulfil the accomplishments of low energy consumption and high liquefaction rate, and thus decreases the gap between the mixed refrigerant and expansion processes in energy consumption. Furthermore, the high exergy efficiency of the process indicates good adaptability to varying natural gas compositions.

Thermodynamic and hydrochemical controls on CH4 in a coal seam gas and overlying alluvial aquifer: new insights into CH4 origins

OpenAIRE

Owen, D. Des. R.; Shouakar-Stash, O.; Morgenstern, U.; Aravena, R.

2016-01-01

Using a comprehensive data set (dissolved CH4, ?13C-CH4, ?2H-CH4, ?13C-DIC, ?37Cl, ?2H-H2O, ?18O-H2O, Na, K, Ca, Mg, HCO3, Cl, Br, SO4, NO3 and DO), in combination with a novel application of isometric log ratios, this study describes hydrochemical and thermodynamic controls on dissolved CH4 from a coal seam gas reservoir and an alluvial aquifer in the Condamine catchment, eastern Surat/north-western Clarence-Moreton basins, Australia. ?13C-CH4 data in the gas reservoir (?58? to ?49?) and sha...

Rotational study of the CH4–CO complex: Millimeter-wave measurements and ab initio calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surin, L. A.; Tarabukin, I. V.; Panfilov, V. A.; Schlemmer, S.; Kalugina, Y. N.; Faure, A.; Rist, C.; Avoird, A. van der

2015-01-01

The rotational spectrum of the van der Waals complex CH 4 –CO has been measured with the intracavity OROTRON jet spectrometer in the frequency range of 110–145 GHz. Newly observed and assigned transitions belong to the K = 2–1 subband correlating with the rotationless j CH4 = 0 ground state and the K = 2–1 and K = 0–1 subbands correlating with the j CH4 = 2 excited state of free methane. The (approximate) quantum number K is the projection of the total angular momentum J on the intermolecular axis. The new data were analyzed together with the known millimeter-wave and microwave transitions in order to determine the molecular parameters of the CH 4 –CO complex. Accompanying ab initio calculations of the intermolecular potential energy surface (PES) of CH 4 –CO have been carried out at the explicitly correlated coupled cluster level of theory with single, double, and perturbative triple excitations [CCSD(T)-F12a] and an augmented correlation-consistent triple zeta (aVTZ) basis set. The global minimum of the five-dimensional PES corresponds to an approximately T-shaped structure with the CH 4 face closest to the CO subunit and binding energy D e = 177.82 cm −1 . The bound rovibrational levels of the CH 4 –CO complex were calculated for total angular momentum J = 0–6 on this intermolecular potential surface and compared with the experimental results. The calculated dissociation energies D 0 are 91.32, 94.46, and 104.21 cm −1 for A (j CH4 = 0), F (j CH4 = 1), and E (j CH4 = 2) nuclear spin modifications of CH 4 –CO, respectively

Precise soil management as a tool to reduce CH4 and N2O emissions from agricultural soils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mosquera Losada, J.; Hol, J.M.G.; Rappoldt, C.; Dolfing, J.

2007-01-01

Soil compaction stimulates the emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) from agricultural soils. N2O and CH4 are potent greenhouse gases, with a global warming potential respectively 296 times and 23 times greater than CO2.. Agricultural soils are an important source of N2O. Hence there is

Decadal changes in CH4 and CO2 emissions on the Alaskan North Slope

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, C.; Commane, R.; Wofsy, S.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Karion, A.; Stone, R. S.; Chang, R.; Tans, P. P.; Wolter, S.

2016-12-01

Large changes in surface air temperature, sea ice cover and permafrost in the Arctic Boreal Ecosystems (ABE) are significantly impacting the critical ecosystem services and human societies that are dependent on the ABE. In order to predict the outcome of continued change in the climate system of the ABE, it is necessary to look at how past changes in climate have affected the ABE. We look at 30 years of CH4 and 42 years of CO2 observations from the NOAA Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network site in Barrow, Alaska. By eliminating background trends and only looking at data collected when winds are blowing off the North Slope we find very little change in CH4 enhancements, but significant changes in the CO2 enhancements coming off the tundra. The bulk of both CO2 and CH4 emissions appear to be emitted well after the first snow fall on the North Slope. CO2 emissions are a strongly correlation with summer surface temperatures, while CH4 emissions appear insensitive to the large temperature changes that occurred over the measurement period. These results suggest that CO2, and not CH4 emissions, are a likely pathway for the degradation of permafrost carbon.

The Role of Environmental Driving Factors in Historical and Projected Carbon Dynamics of Wetland Ecosystems in Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyu, Zhou; Genet, Hélène; He, Yujie; Zhuang, Qianlai; McGuire, A David; Bennett, Alec; Breen, Amy; Clein, Joy; Euskirchen, Eugénie S; Johnson, Kristofer; Kurkowski, Tom; Pastick, Neal J; Rupp, T Scott; Wylie, Bruce K; Zhu, Zhiliang

2018-05-29

Wetlands are critical terrestrial ecosystems in Alaska, covering ~177,000 km 2 , an area greater than all the wetlands in the remainder of the United States. To assess the relative influence of changing climate, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) concentration, and fire regime on carbon balance in wetland ecosystems of Alaska, a modeling framework that incorporates a fire disturbance model and two biogeochemical models was used. Spatially explicit simulations were conducted at 1 km-resolution for the historical period (1950-2009) and future projection period (2010-2099). Simulations estimated that wetland ecosystems of Alaska lost 175 Tg carbon (C) in the historical period. Ecosystem C storage in 2009 was 5556 Tg, with 89% of the C stored in soils. The estimated loss of C as CO 2 and biogenic methane (CH 4 ) emissions resulted in wetlands of Alaska increasing the greenhouse gas forcing of climate warming. Simulations for the projection period were conducted for six climate change scenarios constructed from two climate models forced under three CO 2 emission scenarios. Ecosystem C storage averaged among climate scenarios increased 3.94 TgC/yr by 2099, with variability among the simulations ranging from 2.02 to 4.42 TgC/yr. These increases were driven primarily by increases in net primary production (NPP) that were greater than losses from increased decomposition and fire. The NPP increase was driven by CO 2 fertilization (~5% per 100 ppmv increase) and by increases in air temperature (~1% per °C increase). Increases in air temperature were estimated to be the primary cause for a projected 47.7% mean increase in biogenic CH 4 emissions among the simulations (~15% per °C increase). Ecosystem CO 2 sequestration offset the increase in CH 4 emissions during the 21 st century to decrease the greenhouse gas forcing of climate warming. However, beyond 2100, we expect that this forcing will ultimately increase as wetland ecosystems transition from being a sink to a source

Biogenic CH4 and N2O emissions overwhelm land CO2 sink in Asia: Toward a full GHG budget

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, H.

2017-12-01

The recent global assessment indicates the terrestrial biosphere as a net source of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (Tian et al Nature 2016). The fluxes of greenhouse gases (GHG) vary by region. Both TD and BU approaches indicate that human-caused biogenic fluxes of CO2, CH4 and N2O in the biosphere of Southern Asia led to a large net climate warming effect, because the 100-year cumulative effects of CH4 and N2O emissions together exceed that of the terrestrial CO2 sink. Southern Asia has about 90% of the global rice fields and represents more than 60% of the world's nitrogen fertilizer consumption, with 64%-81% of CH4 emissions and 36%-52% of N2O emissions derived from the agriculture and waste sectors. Given the large footprint of agriculture in Southern Asia, improved fertilizer use efficiency, rice management and animal diets could substantially reduce global agricultural N2O and CH4 emissions. This study highlights the importance of including all three major GHGs in regional climate impact assessments, mitigation option and climate policy development.

Gas Transport and Exchange through Wetland Plant Aerenchyma

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorrell, Brian Keith; Brix, Hans

2013-01-01

Aerenchyma, the large airspaces in aquatic plants, is a rapid gas transport pathway between atmosphere and soil in wetlands. Oxygen transport aerates belowground tissue and oxidizes rhizosphere soil, an important process in wetland biogeochemistry. Most plant O2 transport occurs by diffusion......, and the major challenge for its accurate measurement is avoiding disturbing small-scale gradients in O2 concentration and demand in the pathway. Small O2 sensors with rapid response times and high spatial resolution are the most popular methods for quantifying O2 transport and rhizosphere oxidation...... such as stirring of solutions. In some species, pressurized gas flows develop in shoots and rhizomes, and their contribution to gas fluxes can be assessed with pressure transducers and flow meters. Other gases produced in wetlands (e.g., CO2, CH4, and N2O) are also transported in aerenchyma. Their fluxes...

Consistent regional fluxes of CH4 and CO2 inferred from GOSAT proxy XCH4 : XCO2 retrievals, 2010-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Liang; Palmer, Paul I.; Bösch, Hartmut; Parker, Robert J.; Webb, Alex J.; Correia, Caio S. C.; Deutscher, Nicholas M.; Domingues, Lucas G.; Feist, Dietrich G.; Gatti, Luciana V.; Gloor, Emanuel; Hase, Frank; Kivi, Rigel; Liu, Yi; Miller, John B.; Morino, Isamu; Sussmann, Ralf; Strong, Kimberly; Uchino, Osamu; Wang, Jing; Zahn, Andreas

2017-04-01

We use the GEOS-Chem global 3-D model of atmospheric chemistry and transport and an ensemble Kalman filter to simultaneously infer regional fluxes of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from GOSAT retrievals of XCH4 : XCO2, using sparse ground-based CH4 and CO2 mole fraction data to anchor the ratio. This work builds on the previously reported theory that takes into account that (1) these ratios are less prone to systematic error than either the full-physics data products or the proxy CH4 data products; and (2) the resulting CH4 and CO2 fluxes are self-consistent. We show that a posteriori fluxes inferred from the GOSAT data generally outperform the fluxes inferred only from in situ data, as expected. GOSAT CH4 and CO2 fluxes are consistent with global growth rates for CO2 and CH4 reported by NOAA and have a range of independent data including new profile measurements (0-7 km) over the Amazon Basin that were collected specifically to help validate GOSAT over this geographical region. We find that large-scale multi-year annual a posteriori CO2 fluxes inferred from GOSAT data are similar to those inferred from the in situ surface data but with smaller uncertainties, particularly over the tropics. GOSAT data are consistent with smaller peak-to-peak seasonal amplitudes of CO2 than either the a priori or in situ inversion, particularly over the tropics and the southern extratropics. Over the northern extratropics, GOSAT data show larger uptake than the a priori but less than the in situ inversion, resulting in small net emissions over the year. We also find evidence that the carbon balance of tropical South America was perturbed following the droughts of 2010 and 2012 with net annual fluxes not returning to an approximate annual balance until 2013. In contrast, GOSAT data significantly changed the a priori spatial distribution of CH4 emission with a 40 % increase over tropical South America and tropical Asia and a smaller decrease over Eurasia and temperate

Coastal vegetation invasion increases greenhouse gas emission from wetland soils but also increases soil carbon accumulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yaping; Chen, Guangcheng; Ye, Yong

2015-01-01

Soil properties and soil–atmosphere fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O from four coastal wetlands were studied throughout the year, namely, native Kandelia obovata mangrove forest vs. exotic Sonneratia apetala mangrove forest, and native Cyperus malaccensis salt marsh vs. exotic Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. Soils of the four wetlands were all net sources of greenhouse gases while Sonneratia forest contributed the most with a total soil–atmosphere CO 2 -equivalent flux of 137.27 mg CO 2 m −2 h −1 , which is 69.23%, 99.75% and 44.56% higher than that of Kandelia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively. The high underground biomass and distinctive root structure of Sonneratia might be responsible for its high greenhouse gas emission from the soil. Soils in Spartina marsh emitted the second largest amount of total greenhouse gases but it ranked first in emitting trace greenhouse gases. Annual average CH 4 and N 2 O fluxes from Spartina soil were 13.77 and 1.14 μmol m −2 h −1 , respectively, which are 2.08 and 1.46 times that of Kandelia, 1.03 and 1.15 times of Sonneratia, and 1.74 and 1.02 times of Cyperus, respectively. Spartina has longer growing season and higher productivity than native marshes which might increase greenhouse gas emission in cold seasons. Exotic wetland soils had higher carbon stock as compared to their respective native counterparts but their carbon stocks were offset by a larger proportion because of their higher greenhouse gas emissions. Annual total soil–atmosphere fluxes of greenhouse gases reduced soil carbon burial benefits by 8.1%, 9.5%, 6.4% and 7.2% for Kandelia, Sonneratia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively, which narrowed down the gaps in net soil carbon stock between native and exotic wetlands. The results indicated that the invasion of exotic wetland plants might convert local coastal soils into a considerable atmospheric source of greenhouse gases although they at the same time increase soil carbon accumulation

Coastal vegetation invasion increases greenhouse gas emission from wetland soils but also increases soil carbon accumulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Yaping [Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian (China); Chen, Guangcheng [Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen 361005, Fujian (China); Ye, Yong, E-mail: yeyong.xmu@gmail.com [Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystem, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian (China)

2015-09-01

Soil properties and soil–atmosphere fluxes of CO{sub 2}, CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O from four coastal wetlands were studied throughout the year, namely, native Kandelia obovata mangrove forest vs. exotic Sonneratia apetala mangrove forest, and native Cyperus malaccensis salt marsh vs. exotic Spartina alterniflora salt marsh. Soils of the four wetlands were all net sources of greenhouse gases while Sonneratia forest contributed the most with a total soil–atmosphere CO{sub 2}-equivalent flux of 137.27 mg CO{sub 2} m{sup −2} h{sup −1}, which is 69.23%, 99.75% and 44.56% higher than that of Kandelia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively. The high underground biomass and distinctive root structure of Sonneratia might be responsible for its high greenhouse gas emission from the soil. Soils in Spartina marsh emitted the second largest amount of total greenhouse gases but it ranked first in emitting trace greenhouse gases. Annual average CH{sub 4} and N{sub 2}O fluxes from Spartina soil were 13.77 and 1.14 μmol m{sup −2} h{sup −1}, respectively, which are 2.08 and 1.46 times that of Kandelia, 1.03 and 1.15 times of Sonneratia, and 1.74 and 1.02 times of Cyperus, respectively. Spartina has longer growing season and higher productivity than native marshes which might increase greenhouse gas emission in cold seasons. Exotic wetland soils had higher carbon stock as compared to their respective native counterparts but their carbon stocks were offset by a larger proportion because of their higher greenhouse gas emissions. Annual total soil–atmosphere fluxes of greenhouse gases reduced soil carbon burial benefits by 8.1%, 9.5%, 6.4% and 7.2% for Kandelia, Sonneratia, Cyperus and Spartina, respectively, which narrowed down the gaps in net soil carbon stock between native and exotic wetlands. The results indicated that the invasion of exotic wetland plants might convert local coastal soils into a considerable atmospheric source of greenhouse gases although they at the

Assessing CH4 and CO2 emissions from wetlands in the Drenthe province, The Netherlands: a modelling approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Petrescu, A.J.; Huissteden, van J.; Vries, de F.; Bregman, E.P.H.; Scheper, A.

2009-01-01

Assessment of land use related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on larger spatial scales is usually achieved by modelling. Surface flux measurements are expensive and measurement locations too widely scattered to serve as spatially reliable flux estimates. Here we assess CO2 and CH4 fluxes from

The Drivers of the CH4 Seasonal Cycle in the Arctic and What Long-Term Observations of CH4 Imply About Trends in Arctic CH4 Fluxes

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, C.; Karion, A.; Bruhwiler, L.; Miller, J. B.; Wofsy, S. C.; Miller, C. E.; Chang, R. Y.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Daube, B.; Pittman, J. V.; Dinardo, S. J.

2012-12-01

The large seasonal change in the atmospheric column for CH4 in the Arctic is driven by two dominant processes: transport of CH4 from low latitudes and surface emissions throughout the Arctic region. The NOAA ESRL Carbon Cycle Group Aircraft Program along with the NASA funded Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment (CARVE) have initiated an effort to better understand the factors controlling the seasonal changes in the mole fraction of CH4 in the Arctic with a multi-scale aircraft observing network in Alaska. The backbone of this network is multi-species flask sampling from 500 to 8000 masl that has been conducted every two weeks for the last 10 years over Poker Flat, AK. In addition regular profiles at the interior Alaska site at Poker Flat, NOAA has teamed up with the United States Coast Guard to make profiling flights with continuous observations of CO2, CO, CH4 and Ozone between Kodiak and Barrow every 2 weeks. More recently, CARVE has significantly added to this observational network with targeted flights focused on exploring the variability of CO2, CH4 and CO in the boundary layer both in the interior and the North Slope regions of Alaska. Taken together with the profiling of HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO), ground sites at Barrow and a new CARVE interior Alaska surface site just north of Fairbanks, AK, we now have the ability to investigate the full evolution of the seasonal cycle in the Arctic using both the multi-scale sampling offered by the different aircraft platforms as well as the multi-species sampling offered by in-situ and flask sampling. The flasks also provide a valuable tie-point between different platforms so that spatial and temporal gradients can be properly interpreted. In the context of the seasonal cycle observed by the aircraft platforms we will look at long term ground observations over the last 20 years to assess changes in Arctic CH4 emissions which have occurred as a result of 0.6C/decade changes in mean surface

Global issues- National Policies: Comparing wetland protection polies and perceptions in the Netherlands en the United States

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Owens, K.A.

2004-01-01

Wetlands protection is a global goal that requires action on many levels of government, including National, State or Provincial, and municipal. Global plans and programs require a network of national and sub-national policy definition and enforcement. In the United States, for example, global and

Raman spectroscopy measurement of CH4 gas and CH4 dissolved in water for laser remote sensing in water

Science.gov (United States)

Somekawa, Toshihiro; Fujita, Masayuki

2018-04-01

We examined the applicability of Raman spectroscopy as a laser remote sensing tool for monitoring CH4 in water. The Raman technique has already been used successfully for measurements of CO2 gas in water. In this paper, considering the spectral transmittance of water, third harmonics of Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm (UV region) was used for detection of CH4 Raman signals. The Raman signal at 2892 cm-1 from CH4 dissolved in water was detected at a tail of water Raman signal.

On the methane paradox: Transport from shallow water zones rather than in situ methanogenesis is the major source of CH4 in the open surface water of lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Encinas Fernández, Jorge; Peeters, Frank; Hofmann, Hilmar

2016-10-01

Estimates of global methane (CH4) emissions from lakes and the contributions of different pathways are currently under debate. In situ methanogenesis linked to algae growth was recently suggested to be the major source of CH4 fluxes from aquatic systems. However, based on our very large data set on CH4 distributions within lakes, we demonstrate here that methane-enriched water from shallow water zones is the most likely source of the basin-wide mean CH4 concentrations in the surface water of lakes. Consistently, the mean surface CH4 concentrations are significantly correlated with the ratio between the surface area of the shallow water zone and the entire lake, fA,s/t, but not with the total surface area. The categorization of CH4 fluxes according to fA,s/t may therefore improve global estimates of CH4 emissions from lakes. Furthermore, CH4 concentrations increase substantially with water temperature, indicating that seasonally resolved data are required to accurately estimate annual CH4 emissions.

Evidence for nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation as a previously overlooked microbial methane sink in wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bao-lan; Shen, Li-dong; Lian, Xu; Zhu, Qun; Liu, Shuai; Huang, Qian; He, Zhan-fei; Geng, Sha; Cheng, Dong-qing; Lou, Li-ping; Xu, Xiang-yang; Zheng, Ping; He, Yun-feng

2014-01-01

The process of nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) was recently discovered and shown to be mediated by “Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera” (M. oxyfera). Here, evidence for n-damo in three different freshwater wetlands located in southeastern China was obtained using stable isotope measurements, quantitative PCR assays, and 16S rRNA and particulate methane monooxygenase gene clone library analyses. Stable isotope experiments confirmed the occurrence of n-damo in the examined wetlands, and the potential n-damo rates ranged from 0.31 to 5.43 nmol CO2 per gram of dry soil per day at different depths of soil cores. A combined analysis of 16S rRNA and particulate methane monooxygenase genes demonstrated that M. oxyfera-like bacteria were mainly present in the deep soil with a maximum abundance of 3.2 × 107 gene copies per gram of dry soil. It is estimated that ∼0.51 g of CH4 m−2 per year could be linked to the n-damo process in the examined wetlands based on the measured potential n-damo rates. This study presents previously unidentified confirmation that the n-damo process is a previously overlooked microbial methane sink in wetlands, and n-damo has the potential to be a globally important methane sink due to increasing nitrogen pollution. PMID:24616523

On the use of satellite-derived CH4 : CO2 columns in a joint inversion of CH4 and CO2 fluxes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pandey, S.

2015-01-01

We present a method for assimilating total column CH4 : CO2 ratio measurements from satellites for inverse modeling of CH4 and CO2 fluxes using the variational approach. Unlike conventional approaches, in which retrieved CH4 : CO2 are multiplied by model-derived total column CO2 and only the

δ13C-CH4 in ice core samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sperlich, Peter

Ice core records of δ13C-CH4 reflect the variability of CH4 biogeochemistry in response to climate change and show this system is far more complex than expected. The first part of this work is concerned with the development of analytical techniques that allow 1) precise referencing and 2) measure......Ice core records of δ13C-CH4 reflect the variability of CH4 biogeochemistry in response to climate change and show this system is far more complex than expected. The first part of this work is concerned with the development of analytical techniques that allow 1) precise referencing and 2......) measurements of δ13C-CH4 in ice core samples as is required when δ13C-CH4 records that are measured in several laboratories are merged for analysis. Both the referencing and measurement techniques have been compared to further laboratories which proofed the accuracy of the analytical systems. The second part...

Effects of the conversion of cropland to forest on the CH4 oxidation capacity in soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Bárcena, Teresa G.; D'Imperio, Ludovica; Priemé, Anders; Gundersen, Per; Vesterdal, Lars; Christiansen, Jesper R.

2013-04-01

As the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) in the atmosphere, methane (CH4) plays a central role in global warming. Diverse types of soil have been reported as potential CH4 sinks due to the activity of methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB), underlining the importance of this functional group of microorganisms on a global basis. Agricultural practices are known to negatively affect CH4 oxidation in soil, while afforestation of former agricultural soils has been shown to enhance CH4 oxidation over time. However, knowledge is scarce with regard to the mechanisms driving the process of CH4 oxidation in different land uses. Our aim was to study the changes in CH4 uptake capacity in soils along a land-use change gradient from cropland to forest. We performed an incubation experiment to study the CH4 oxidation capacity of the top mineral soil (0-5 cm and 5-15 cm depth) for sites representing the transition from agriculture to afforestation based on monoculture of three tree species with different stand ages: pedunculate oak (4, 19, 42 and >200 years old), European larch (22 and 41 years old) and Norway spruce (15 and 43 years old). Main soil parameters were also measured to determine differences in soil properties between sites. Methane oxidation rates were related to the abundance of the soil methanotrophic community based on quantitative PCR (qPCR). In addition, we also estimated the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), in order to investigate the link between these two similar functional groups. Although present, the abundance of AOB was under detection limit. The effects and interactions among all measured variables were summarized by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Along the gradient, CH4 oxidation increased with increasing stand age in both soil layers (ranging from 0-1.3 nmol g-1dw d-1). However, we detected significant differences, in particular between oak and spruce, suggesting a possible tree species effect on the CH4

Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration potential in restored freshwater marshes in the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta, California

Science.gov (United States)

Knox, S. H.; Sturtevant, C. S.; Oikawa, P. Y.; Matthes, J. H.; Dronova, I.; Anderson, F. E.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

2015-12-01

Wetlands can be effective carbon sinks due to limited decomposition rates in anaerobic soil. As such there is a growing interest in the use of restored wetlands as biological carbon sequestration projects for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction programs. However, using wetlands to offset emissions requires accurate accounting of both carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) exchange since wetlands are also sources of CH4. To date few studies have quantified CO2 and CH4 exchange from restored wetlands or assessed how these fluxes vary during ecosystem development. In this study, we report on multiple years of eddy covariance measurements of CO2 and CH4 fluxes from two restored freshwater marshes of differing ages (one restored in 1997 and the other in 2010) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA. Measurements at the younger restored wetland started in October 2010 and began in April 2011 at the older site. The younger restored wetland showed considerable year-to-year variability in the first 4 years following restoration, with CO2 uptake ranging from 12 to 420 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1. Net CO2 uptake at the older wetland was overall greater than at the younger site, ranging from 292 to 585 g C-CO2 m-2 yr-1. Methane emissions were on average higher at the younger wetland (46 g C-CH4 m-2 yr-1) relative to the older one (33 g C-CH4 m-2 yr-1). In terms of the GHG budgets (assuming a global warming potential of 34), the younger wetland was consistently a GHG source, emitting on average 1439 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1, while the older wetland was a GHG sink in two of the years of measurement (sequestering 651 and 780 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 in 2012 and 2013, respectively) and a source of 750 g CO2 eq m-2 yr-1 in 2014. This study highlights how dynamic CO2 and CH4 fluxes are in the first years following wetland restoration and suggests that restored wetlands have the potential to act as GHG sinks but this may depend on time since restoration.

Co-regulation of redox processes in freshwater wetlands as a function of organic matter availability?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alewell, C.; Paul, S.; Lischeid, G.; Storck, F.R.

2008-01-01

Wetlands have important filter functions in landscapes but are considered to be the biggest unknowns regarding their element dynamics under global climate change. Information on sink and source function of sulphur, nitrogen, organic matter and acidity in wetlands is crucial for freshwater regeneration. Recent results indicate that redox processes are not completely controlled by the sequential reduction chain (that is electron acceptor availability) but that electron donor availability may be an important regulator. Our hypothesis was that only sites which are limited in their electron donor availability (low concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) follow the concept of the sequential reduction chain. We compared the results of two freshwater wetland systems: 1) three forested fens within a boreal spruce catchment in a low mountain range in southern Germany (high DOC regime) and 2) three floodplain soils within a groundwater enrichment area in the Rhein valley in northwest Switzerland (low DOC regime). Micro scale investigations (a few cm 3 ) with dialyse chambers as well as soil solution and groundwater concentrations at the forested fens (high DOC regime) indicated simultaneous consumption of nitrate and sulphate with release of iron, manganese and methane (CH 4 ) as well as an enrichment in stable sulphur isotopes indicating a co-existence of processes attributed to different redox gradients. Soil and aquifer gas measurements down to 4.6 m at the groundwater enrichment site (low DOC regime and carbon limitation) showed extreme high rates of metabolism with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) , dinitrous oxide (N 2 O) and CH 4 concentrations reaching fifty, thirty and three times atmospheric concentrations, respectively. Simultaneously, groundwater oxygen (O 2 ) saturation was between 50 and 95%. We concluded that independent of DOC regime the sequential reduction chain was not a suitable concept in our systems. Instead of electron acceptor or donor availability

User-Friendly Predictive Modeling of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Fluxes and Carbon Storage in Tidal Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Ishtiaq, K. S.; Abdul-Aziz, O. I.

2015-12-01

We developed user-friendly empirical models to predict instantaneous fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from coastal wetlands based on a small set of dominant hydro-climatic and environmental drivers (e.g., photosynthetically active radiation, soil temperature, water depth, and soil salinity). The dominant predictor variables were systematically identified by applying a robust data-analytics framework on a wide range of possible environmental variables driving wetland greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes. The method comprised of a multi-layered data-analytics framework, including Pearson correlation analysis, explanatory principal component and factor analyses, and partial least squares regression modeling. The identified dominant predictors were finally utilized to develop power-law based non-linear regression models to predict CO2 and CH4 fluxes under different climatic, land use (nitrogen gradient), tidal hydrology and salinity conditions. Four different tidal wetlands of Waquoit Bay, MA were considered as the case study sites to identify the dominant drivers and evaluate model performance. The study sites were dominated by native Spartina Alterniflora and characterized by frequent flooding and high saline conditions. The model estimated the potential net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) both in gC/m2 and metric tonC/hectare by up-scaling the instantaneous predicted fluxes to the growing season and accounting for the lateral C flux exchanges between the wetlands and estuary. The entire model was presented in a single Excel spreadsheet as a user-friendly ecological engineering tool. The model can aid the development of appropriate GHG offset protocols for setting monitoring plans for tidal wetland restoration and maintenance projects. The model can also be used to estimate wetland GHG fluxes and potential carbon storage under various IPCC climate change and sea level rise scenarios; facilitating an appropriate management of carbon stocks in tidal wetlands and their incorporation into a

East African wetland-catchment data base for sustainable wetland management

Science.gov (United States)

Leemhuis, Constanze; Amler, Esther; Diekkrüger, Bernd; Gabiri, Geofrey; Näschen, Kristian

2016-10-01

Wetlands cover an area of approx. 18 Mio ha in the East African countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, with still a relative small share being used for food production. Current upland agricultural use intensification in these countries due to demographic growth, climate change and globalization effects are leading to an over-exploitation of the resource base, followed by an intensification of agricultural wetland use. We aim on translating, transferring and upscaling knowledge on experimental test-site wetland properties, small-scale hydrological processes, and water related ecosystem services under different types of management from local to national scale. This information gained at the experimental wetland/catchment scale will be embedded as reference data within an East African wetland-catchment data base including catchment physical properties and a regional wetland inventory serving as a base for policy advice and the development of sustainable wetland management strategies.

East African wetland-catchment data base for sustainable wetland management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Leemhuis

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Wetlands cover an area of approx. 18 Mio ha in the East African countries of Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, with still a relative small share being used for food production. Current upland agricultural use intensification in these countries due to demographic growth, climate change and globalization effects are leading to an over-exploitation of the resource base, followed by an intensification of agricultural wetland use. We aim on translating, transferring and upscaling knowledge on experimental test-site wetland properties, small-scale hydrological processes, and water related ecosystem services under different types of management from local to national scale. This information gained at the experimental wetland/catchment scale will be embedded as reference data within an East African wetland-catchment data base including catchment physical properties and a regional wetland inventory serving as a base for policy advice and the development of sustainable wetland management strategies.

Cold season emissions dominate the Arctic tundra methane budget

Science.gov (United States)

Zona, Donatella; Gioli, Beniamino; Commane, Róisín; Lindaas, Jakob; Wofsy, Steven C.; Miller, Charles E.; Dinardo, Steven J.; Dengel, Sigrid; Sweeney, Colm; Karion, Anna; Chang, Rachel Y.-W.; Henderson, John M.; Murphy, Patrick C.; Goodrich, Jordan P.; Moreaux, Virginie; Liljedahl, Anna; Watts, Jennifer D.; Kimball, John S.; Lipson, David A.; Oechel, Walter C.

2016-01-01

Arctic terrestrial ecosystems are major global sources of methane (CH4); hence, it is important to understand the seasonal and climatic controls on CH4 emissions from these systems. Here, we report year-round CH4 emissions from Alaskan Arctic tundra eddy flux sites and regional fluxes derived from aircraft data. We find that emissions during the cold season (September to May) account for ≥50% of the annual CH4 flux, with the highest emissions from noninundated upland tundra. A major fraction of cold season emissions occur during the "zero curtain" period, when subsurface soil temperatures are poised near 0 °C. The zero curtain may persist longer than the growing season, and CH4 emissions are enhanced when the duration is extended by a deep thawed layer as can occur with thick snow cover. Regional scale fluxes of CH4 derived from aircraft data demonstrate the large spatial extent of late season CH4 emissions. Scaled to the circumpolar Arctic, cold season fluxes from tundra total 12 ± 5 (95% confidence interval) Tg CH4 y-1, ∼25% of global emissions from extratropical wetlands, or ∼6% of total global wetland methane emissions. The dominance of late-season emissions, sensitivity to soil environmental conditions, and importance of dry tundra are not currently simulated in most global climate models. Because Arctic warming disproportionally impacts the cold season, our results suggest that higher cold-season CH4 emissions will result from observed and predicted increases in snow thickness, active layer depth, and soil temperature, representing important positive feedbacks on climate warming.

Relative linkages of peatland methane and carbon dioxide fluxes with climatic, environmental and ecological parameters and their inter-comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Tirtha; Hommeltenberg, Janina; Roy, Avipsa; De Roo, Frederik; Mauder, Matthias

2016-04-01

Although methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas (GHG) after CO2, about 80% of its global production is biogenic (wetlands, enteric fermentation and water disposal from animals) contrary to major anthropogenic sources of most other GHGs. Although on a shorter time scale, global emissions of methane are greater (10 year time frame) or about 80% (20 year time frame) of those of carbon dioxide in terms of their influence on global warming, methane emissions have been studied much less than CO2 emissions. Lakes, reservoirs and wetlands are estimated to contribute about 15-40% to the global methane source budget, which is higher than total oceanic CH4 emission. Half of the world's wetlands are represented by peatlands which cover 3% of the global total land area. Peatlands have a thick water-logged organic soil layer (peat) made up of dead and decaying plant material. Moreover, they are carbon rich, containing twice as much stock as the entire forest biomass of the world (550 Gt carbon). When disturbed, they can become significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The organic carbon exposed to air due to various mechanisms can release CH4 or CO2 in the atmosphere. Thus the nature of vegetation cover, radiation environment, wind turbulence, soil characteristics, water table depth etc. are expected to be important forcings that influence the emission of CH4 or CO2 in the shorter time scale. However, long term climate change can also influence these governing factors themselves over a larger time scale, which in turn can influence the wetland GHG emissions. Thus developing a predictive framework and long term source appropriation for wetland CH4 or CO2 warrants an identification of the major environmental forcings on the CH4 or CO2 flux. In the present work, we use a simple and systematic data-analytics approach to determine the relative linkages of different climate and environmental variables with the canopy level half-hourly CH4 or CO2 fluxes over a

Molecular Simulations and Theoretical Predictions for Adsorption and Diffusion of CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} and CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} Mixtures in ZIFs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Jinchen; Keskin, Seda; Sholl, David S; Johnson, J. Karl

2011-05-01

Adsorption and diffusion of CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} and CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} mixtures were computed in zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), ZIF-68 and ZIF-70, using atomically detailed simulations. Adsorption selectivity, diffusion selectivity, and membrane selectivity of ZIFs were calculated based on the results of atomistic simulations. Mixture adsorption isotherms predicted by the ideal adsorbed solution theory agree well with the results of molecular simulations for both ZIFs. Mixture diffusivity calculations indicate that diffusion of CH{sub 4} is increased with increasing concentration of H{sub 2} in the CH{sub 4}/H{sub 2} mixture, while the diffusivity of H{sub 2} decreases with increasing CH{sub 4} concentration. In contrast, the diffusivity of CH{sub 4} is essentially independent of the concentration of CO{sub 2} in the CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} mixture, while CO{sub 2} diffusivity decreases with increased CH{sub 4} loading, even though the diffusivity of CH{sub 4} is substantially larger than that of CO{sub 2}. This unusual behavior can be explained in terms of differences in adsorption site preferences due to charge–quadrupole interactions.

The effects of CO addition on the autoignition of H-2, CH4 and CH4/H-2 fuels at high pressure in an RCM

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gersen, Sander; Darmeveil, Harry; Levinsky, Howard

2012-01-01

Autoignition delay times of stoichiometric and fuel-lean (phi = 0.5) H-2, H-2/CO, CH4, CH4/CO, CH4/H-2 and CH4/CO/H-2 mixtures have been measured in an Rapid Compression Machine at pressures ranging from 20 to 80 bar and in the temperature range 900-1100K. The effects of CO addition on the ignition

Atmospheric CH4 in the first decade of the 21st century: Inverse modeling analysis using SCIAMACHY satellite retrievals and NOAA surface measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergamaschi, P.; Houweling, S.; Segers, A.; Krol, M.; Frankenberg, C.; Scheepmaker, R.A.; Dlugokencky, E.; Wofsy, S.C.; Kort, E.A.; Sweeney, C.; Schuck, T.; Brenninkmeijer, C.; Chen, H.; Beck, V.; Gerbig, C.

2013-01-01

The causes of renewed growth in the atmospheric CH4 burden since 2007 are still poorly understood and subject of intensive scientific discussion. We present a reanalysis of global CH4 emissions during the 2000s, based on the TM5-4DVAR inverse modeling system. The model is optimized using

Soil microbial community composition is correlated to soil carbon processing along a boreal wetland formation gradient

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Eric; Cadillo-Quiroz, Hinsby; Childers, Daniel L.; Turetsky, Merritt R.; Waldrop, Mark P.

2017-01-01

Climate change is modifying global biogeochemical cycles. Microbial communities play an integral role in soil biogeochemical cycles; knowledge about microbial composition helps provide a mechanistic understanding of these ecosystem-level phenomena. Next generation sequencing approaches were used to investigate changes in microbial functional groups during ecosystem development, in response to climate change, in northern boreal wetlands. A gradient of wetlands that developed following permafrost degradation was used to characterize changes in the soil microbial communities that mediate C cycling: a bog representing an “undisturbed” system with intact permafrost, and a younger bog and an older bog that formed following the disturbance of permafrost thaw. Reference 16S rRNA databases and several diversity indices were used to assess structural differences among these communities, to assess relationships between soil microbial community composition and various environmental variables including redox potential and pH. Rates of potential CO2 and CH4 gas production were quantified to correlate sequence data with gas flux. The abundance of organic C degraders was highest in the youngest bog, suggesting higher rates of microbial processes, including potential CH4 production. In addition, alpha diversity was also highest in the youngest bog, which seemed to be related to a more neutral pH and a lower redox potential. These results could potentially be driven by increased niche differentiation in anaerobic soils. These results suggest that ecosystem structure, which was largely driven by changes in edaphic and plant community characteristics between the “undisturbed” permafrost bog and the two bogs formed following permafrost thaw, strongly influenced microbial function.

Climate Change and Intertidal Wetlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline M. Ross

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Intertidal wetlands are recognised for the provision of a range of valued ecosystem services. The two major categories of intertidal wetlands discussed in this contribution are saltmarshes and mangrove forests. Intertidal wetlands are under threat from a range of anthropogenic causes, some site-specific, others acting globally. Globally acting factors include climate change and its driving cause—the increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. One direct consequence of climate change will be global sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the oceans, and, in the longer term, the melting of ice caps and glaciers. The relative sea level rise experienced at any one locality will be affected by a range of factors, as will the response of intertidal wetlands to the change in sea level. If relative sea level is rising and sedimentation within intertidal wetlands does not keep pace, then there will be loss of intertidal wetlands from the seaward edge, with survival of the ecosystems only possible if they can retreat inland. When retreat is not possible, the wetland area will decline in response to the “squeeze” experienced. Any changes to intertidal wetland vegetation, as a consequence of climate change, will have flow on effects to biota, while changes to biota will affect intertidal vegetation. Wetland biota may respond to climate change by shifting in distribution and abundance landward, evolving or becoming extinct. In addition, impacts from ocean acidification and warming are predicted to affect the fertilisation, larval development, growth and survival of intertidal wetland biota including macroinvertebrates, such as molluscs and crabs, and vertebrates such as fish and potentially birds. The capacity of organisms to move and adapt will depend on their life history characteristics, phenotypic plasticity, genetic variability, inheritability of adaptive characteristics, and the predicted rates of environmental change.

Climate change and intertidal wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Pauline M; Adam, Paul

2013-03-19

Intertidal wetlands are recognised for the provision of a range of valued ecosystem services. The two major categories of intertidal wetlands discussed in this contribution are saltmarshes and mangrove forests. Intertidal wetlands are under threat from a range of anthropogenic causes, some site-specific, others acting globally. Globally acting factors include climate change and its driving cause-the increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. One direct consequence of climate change will be global sea level rise due to thermal expansion of the oceans, and, in the longer term, the melting of ice caps and glaciers. The relative sea level rise experienced at any one locality will be affected by a range of factors, as will the response of intertidal wetlands to the change in sea level. If relative sea level is rising and sedimentation within intertidal wetlands does not keep pace, then there will be loss of intertidal wetlands from the seaward edge, with survival of the ecosystems only possible if they can retreat inland. When retreat is not possible, the wetland area will decline in response to the "squeeze" experienced. Any changes to intertidal wetland vegetation, as a consequence of climate change, will have flow on effects to biota, while changes to biota will affect intertidal vegetation. Wetland biota may respond to climate change by shifting in distribution and abundance landward, evolving or becoming extinct. In addition, impacts from ocean acidification and warming are predicted to affect the fertilisation, larval development, growth and survival of intertidal wetland biota including macroinvertebrates, such as molluscs and crabs, and vertebrates such as fish and potentially birds. The capacity of organisms to move and adapt will depend on their life history characteristics, phenotypic plasticity, genetic variability, inheritability of adaptive characteristics, and the predicted rates of environmental change.

Photosynthates as dominant source of CH4 and CO2 in soil water and CH4 emitted to the atmosphere from paddy fields

Science.gov (United States)

Minoda, Tomomi; Kimura, Mamoto; Wada, Eitaro

1996-09-01

Emission rates of CH4 from paddy soil with and without rice straw applications were measured with pot experiments to estimate the contribution of rice straw to the total CH4 emission during the growth period of rice plants. The CH4 derived from rice straw was calculated to be 44% of the total emission. 13CO2 uptake experiments were also carried out four times from June 30 to September 13, 1994, to estimate the contribution of photosynthesized carbon to CH4 emission. The contribution percentages of photosynthesized carbon to the total CH4 emitted to the atmosphere were 3.8% around June 30, 31% around July 25, 30% around August 19, and 14% around September 13 in the treatment with rice straw applications, and 52% around July 25, 28% around August 19, and 15% around September 13 in the treatment without rice straw applications. They were calculated to be 22% and 29% for the entire growth period in the treatments with and without rice straw applications, respectively. The contribution percentages of photosynthesized carbon to the total CH4 and inorganic carbon (Σ CO2) dissolved in soil water were 1.3%, 30%, 29%, and 34% for dissolved CH4 and 3.0%, 36%, 30% and 28% for dissolved inorganic carbon around June 30, July 25, August l9, and September 13, respectively, in the treatment with rice straw applications. They were 70%, 23%, and 32% for dissolved CH4 and 31%, 16%, and 19% for dissolved inorganic carbon around July 25, August 19, and September 13, respectively, in the treatment without rice straw applications.

Effects of coastal marsh conversion to shrimp aquaculture ponds on CH4 and N2O emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, P.; Bastviken, D.; Lai, D. Y. F.; Jin, B. S.; Mou, X. J.; Tong, C.; Yao, Y. C.

2017-12-01

In this study, we compared the CH4 and N2O fluxes from a tidal brackish Cyperus malaccensis marsh ecosystem and nearby shrimp ponds, converted from C. malaccensis marsh in the last 3-4 years, in the Min River estuary of southeast China over the aquaculture period of the year. Significant differences in CH4 and N2O fluxes were observed in space (between brackish marsh and shrimp ponds) and in time (between sampling occasions that were distributed over the aquaculture period). CH4 fluxes from the shrimp ponds were on an average 10-fold higher than from the brackish marsh. N2O emissions, on the other hand, were lower from the shrimp pond (25% of the emissions from the brackish marsh). Accessory data indicates that these patterns were primarily linked to water level variability and temperature (all fluxes), sediment porewater sulfate concentrations (CH4 flux) and total nitrogen concentrations (N2O flux). Our research demonstrates that the coastal marsh ecosystem converted to aquaculture ponds considerably alter emissions of CH4 and N2O and provides input to the global discussion on how to account for emissions from various types of flooded land in greenhouse gas inventories.

Effects of land use on greenhouse gas fluxes and soil properties of wetland catchments in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

Science.gov (United States)

Tangen, Brian A.; Finocchiaro, Raymond G.; Gleason, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Wetland restoration has been suggested as policy goal with multiple environmental benefits including enhancement of atmospheric carbon sequestration. However, there are concerns that increased methane (CH4) emissions associated with restoration may outweigh potential benefits. A comprehensive, 4-year study of 119 wetland catchments was conducted in the Prairie Pothole Region of the north-central U.S. to assess the effects of land use on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes and soil properties.

Dissociative sticking of CH4 on Ru(0001)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jane Hvolbæk; Holmblad, Peter Mikal; Chorkendorff, Ib

1999-01-01

In this study the CH4 dissociation probability on Ru(0001) is found for various translational and vibrational energies. The absolute sticking values are determined from King and Wells experiments and carbon uptake curves. The carbon amount is determined from the recombination signal of carbon...... with oxygen obtained after the beam exposure when heating in an oxygen atmosphere. The measured sticking coefficient of CH4 is strongly enhanced both by increasing the translational and the vibrational energy of the CH4 molecule. A model is applied to the data and an estimate of the thermal activation energy...

Distribution of greenhouse gases in hyper-arid and arid areas of northern Chile and the contribution of the high altitude wetland microbiome (Salar de Huasco, Chile).

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Verónica; Eissler, Yoanna; Cornejo, Marcela; Galand, Pierre E; Dorador, Cristina; Hengst, Martha; Fernandez, Camila; Francois, Jean Pierre

2018-04-06

Northern Chile harbors different bioclimatic zones including hyper-arid and arid ecosystems and hotspots of microbial life, such as high altitude wetlands, which may contribute differentially to greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O). In this study, we explored ground level GHG distribution and the potential role of a wetland situated at 3800 m.a.s.l, and characterized by high solar radiation arid to hyper-arid zones. The microbiome from the water and sediments was described by high-throughput sequencing 16S rRNA and rDNA genes. The results indicate that GHG at ground level were variable along the elevation gradient potentially associated with different bioclimatic zones, reaching high values at the high Andean steppe and variable but lower values in the Atacama Desert and at the wetland. The water areas of the wetland presented high concentrations of CH 4 and CO 2 , particularly at the spring areas and in air bubbles below microbial mats. The microbial community was rich (> 40 phyla), including archaea and bacteria potentially active in the different matrices studied (water, sediments and mats). Functional microbial groups associated with GHG recycling were detected at low frequency, i.e., arid and arid areas of northern Chile are sites of GHG exchange associated with various bioclimatic zones and particularly in aquatic areas of the wetland where this ecosystem could represent a net sink of N 2 O and a source for CH 4 and CO 2 .

High net CO2 and CH4 release at a eutrophic shallow lake on a formerly drained fen

Science.gov (United States)

Franz, Daniela; Koebsch, Franziska; Larmanou, Eric; Augustin, Jürgen; Sachs, Torsten

2016-05-01

Drained peatlands often act as carbon dioxide (CO2) hotspots. Raising the groundwater table is expected to reduce their CO2 contribution to the atmosphere and revitalise their function as carbon (C) sink in the long term. Without strict water management rewetting often results in partial flooding and the formation of spatially heterogeneous, nutrient-rich shallow lakes. Uncertainties remain as to when the intended effect of rewetting is achieved, as this specific ecosystem type has hardly been investigated in terms of greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange. In most cases of rewetting, methane (CH4) emissions increase under anoxic conditions due to a higher water table and in terms of global warming potential (GWP) outperform the shift towards CO2 uptake, at least in the short term.Based on eddy covariance measurements we studied the ecosystem-atmosphere exchange of CH4 and CO2 at a shallow lake situated on a former fen grassland in northeastern Germany. The lake evolved shortly after flooding, 9 years previous to our investigation period. The ecosystem consists of two main surface types: open water (inhabited by submerged and floating vegetation) and emergent vegetation (particularly including the eulittoral zone of the lake, dominated by Typha latifolia). To determine the individual contribution of the two main surface types to the net CO2 and CH4 exchange of the whole lake ecosystem, we combined footprint analysis with CH4 modelling and net ecosystem exchange partitioning.The CH4 and CO2 dynamics were strikingly different between open water and emergent vegetation. Net CH4 emissions from the open water area were around 4-fold higher than from emergent vegetation stands, accounting for 53 and 13 g CH4 m-2 a-1 respectively. In addition, both surface types were net CO2 sources with 158 and 750 g CO2 m-2 a-1 respectively. Unusual meteorological conditions in terms of a warm and dry summer and a mild winter might have facilitated high respiration rates. In sum, even after 9

Greenhouse gas fluxes of grazed and hayed wetland catchments in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Ecoregion

Science.gov (United States)

Finocchiaro, Raymond G.; Tangen, Brian A.; Gleason, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Wetland catchments are major ecosystems in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) and play an important role in greenhouse gases (GHG) flux. However, there is limited information regarding effects of land-use on GHG fluxes from these wetland systems. We examined the effects of grazing and haying, two common land-use practices in the region, on GHG fluxes from wetland catchments during 2007 and 2008. Fluxes of methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2), along with soil water content and temperature, were measured along a topographic gradient every other week during the growing season near Ipswich, SD, USA. Closed, opaque chambers were used to measure fluxes of soil and plant respiration from native sod catchments that were grazed or left idle, and from recently restored catchments which were seeded with native plant species; half of these catchments were hayed once during the growing season. Catchments were adjacent to each other and had similar soils, soil nitrogen and organic carbon content, precipitation, and vegetation. When compared with idle catchments, grazing as a land-use had little effect on GHG fluxes. Likewise, haying had little effect on fluxes of CH4 and N2O compared with non-hayed catchments. Haying, however, did have a significant effect on combined soil and vegetative CO2 flux in restored wetland catchments owing to the immediate and comprehensive effect haying has on plant productivity. This study also examined soil conditions that affect GHG fluxes and provides cumulative annual estimates of GHG fluxes from wetland catchment in the PPR.

Molecular mechanisms of water table lowering and nitrogen deposition in affecting greenhouse gas emissions from a Tibetan alpine wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hao; Yu, Lingfei; Zhang, Zhenhua; Liu, Wei; Chen, Litong; Cao, Guangmin; Yue, Haowei; Zhou, Jizhong; Yang, Yunfeng; Tang, Yanhong; He, Jin-Sheng

2017-02-01

Rapid climate change and intensified human activities have resulted in water table lowering (WTL) and enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition in Tibetan alpine wetlands. These changes may alter the magnitude and direction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, affecting the climate impact of these fragile ecosystems. We conducted a mesocosm experiment combined with a metagenomics approach (GeoChip 5.0) to elucidate the effects of WTL (-20 cm relative to control) and N deposition (30 kg N ha -1  yr -1 ) on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) fluxes as well as the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that WTL reduced CH 4 emissions by 57.4% averaged over three growing seasons compared with no-WTL plots, but had no significant effect on net CO 2 uptake or N 2 O flux. N deposition increased net CO 2 uptake by 25.2% in comparison with no-N deposition plots and turned the mesocosms from N 2 O sinks to N 2 O sources, but had little influence on CH 4 emissions. The interactions between WTL and N deposition were not detected in all GHG emissions. As a result, WTL and N deposition both reduced the global warming potential (GWP) of growing season GHG budgets on a 100-year time horizon, but via different mechanisms. WTL reduced GWP from 337.3 to -480.1 g CO 2 -eq m -2 mostly because of decreased CH 4 emissions, while N deposition reduced GWP from 21.0 to -163.8 g CO 2 -eq m -2 , mainly owing to increased net CO 2 uptake. GeoChip analysis revealed that decreased CH 4 production potential, rather than increased CH 4 oxidation potential, may lead to the reduction in net CH 4 emissions, and decreased nitrification potential and increased denitrification potential affected N 2 O fluxes under WTL conditions. Our study highlights the importance of microbial mechanisms in regulating ecosystem-scale GHG responses to environmental changes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Effects of biochar application three-years ago on global warming potentials of CH4 and N2O in a rice-wheat rotation system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhen; Dong, Yu Bing; Xiong, Zheng Qin

2018-01-01

To evaluate the long-term effects of biochar amendment on greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), a field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of 3-year field-aged biochar (B 3 ) and fresh biochar (B 0 ) on global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in a typical rice-wheat rotation system. Four treatments were established as control without nitrogen fertilizer (CK), urea without biochar (N), urea with fresh biochar amended in 2015 (NB 0 ), and urea with 3-year field-aged biochar amended in 2012 (NB 3 ). Results showed that both the NB 0 and NB 3 treatments obviously increased soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and influenced the potential activity of functional microorganisms related to GHGs compared to the N treatment. Relative to the N treatment, the NB 3 treatment significantly improved crop yield by 14.1% while reduced the CH 4 and N 2 O emissions by 9.0% and 34.0%, respectively. In addition, the NB 0 treatment significantly improved crop yield by 9.3%, while reduced the N 2 O emission by 38.6% though increased the CH 4 emissions by 4.7% relative to the N treatment. Moreover, both the NB 0 and NB 3 treatments could significantly reduce both GWP and GHGI, with NB 3 being more effective in simultaneously mitigating the GHGs emissions and enhancing crop yield. Since field-aged biochar showed obvious effects on GHGs mitigation and carbon sequestration after 3 years, biochar incorporations had long-term effect on GHGs mitigation and crop production in the rice-wheat rotation system.

Methane emissions from a freshwater marsh in response to experimentally simulated global warming and nitrogen enrichment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Flury, Sabine; McGinnis, Daniel Frank; Gessner, Mark O.

2010-01-01

We determined methane (CH4) emissions in a field enclosure experiment in a littoral freshwater marsh under the influence of experimentally simulated warming and enhanced nitrogen deposition. Methane emissions by ebullition from the marsh composed of Phragmites australis were measured with funnel ...... to the atmosphere, even when they occupy only relatively small littoral areas. More detailed investigations are clearly needed to assess whether global warming and nitrogen deposition can have climate feedbacks by altering methane fluxes from these wetlands.  ......We determined methane (CH4) emissions in a field enclosure experiment in a littoral freshwater marsh under the influence of experimentally simulated warming and enhanced nitrogen deposition. Methane emissions by ebullition from the marsh composed of Phragmites australis were measured with funnel...... traps deployed in a series of enclosures for two 3 week periods. Diffusive fluxes were estimated on the basis of measured CH4 concentrations and application of Fick's law. Neither diffusive nor ebullitive fluxes of methane were significantly affected by warming or nitrate enrichment, possibly because...

Seasonal CH4 and N2O emissions and plant growth characteristics of several cultivars in direct seeded rice systems

Science.gov (United States)

Simmonds, M.; Anders, M. M.; Adviento-Borbe, M. A.; Van Kessel, C.; McClung, A.; Linquist, B.

2014-12-01

Understanding cultivar effects on field greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rice (Oryza sativa L.) systems is needed to improve the accuracy of predictive models used for estimating GHG emissions, and to determine to what extent choice of cultivar may have on GHG mitigation. We compared CH4 and N2O emissions, global warming potential (GWP = N2O + CH4), yield-scaled GWP (GWPY = GWP Mg-1 grain), and plant growth characteristics of 8 cultivars within 4 study sites in California and Arkansas. Seasonal CH4 emissions differed between cultivars by a factor of 2.1 and 1.3 at one California and one Arkansas site, respectively. Nitrous oxide emissions were negligible, comprised food security.

Electron paramagnetic resonance of gamma irradiated (CH3)3NHClO4 and CH3NH3ClO4 single crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yavuz, Metin; Koeksal, Fevzi

1999-01-01

Gamma irradiation damage centers in (CH 3 ) 3 NHClO 4 and CH 3 NH 3 ClO 4 single crystals have been investigated at room temperature by the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technique. It has been found that γ-irradiation produces the (CH 3 ) 3 N + radical in the first, and NH + 3 and ClO 3 radicals in the second compound. The EPR parameters of the observed radicals have been determined and discussed

Ecosystem level methane fluxes from tidal freshwater and brackish marshes of the Mississippi River Delta: Implications for coastal wetland carbon projects

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, Guerry O.; Perez, Brian C.; McWhorter, David E.; Krauss, Ken W.; Johnson, Darren J.; Raynie, Richard C.; Killebrew, Charles J.

2016-01-01

Sulfate from seawater inhibits methane production in tidal wetlands, and by extension, salinity has been used as a general predictor of methane emissions. With the need to reduce methane flux uncertainties from tidal wetlands, eddy covariance (EC) techniques provide an integrated methane budget. The goals of this study were to: 1) establish methane emissions from natural, freshwater and brackish wetlands in Louisiana based on EC; and 2) determine if EC estimates conform to a methane-salinity relationship derived from temperate tidal wetlands with chamber sampling. Annual estimates of methane emissions from this study were 62.3 g CH4/m2/yr and 13.8 g CH4/m2/yr for the freshwater and brackish (8–10 psu) sites, respectively. If it is assumed that long-term, annual soil carbon sequestration rates of natural marshes are ~200 g C/m2/yr (7.3 tCO2e/ha/yr), healthy brackish marshes could be expected to act as a net radiative sink, equivalent to less than one-half the soil carbon accumulation rate after subtracting methane emissions (4.1 tCO2e/ha/yr). Carbon sequestration rates would need case-by-case assessment, but the EC methane emissions estimates in this study conformed well to an existing salinity-methane model that should serve as a basis for establishing emission factors for wetland carbon offset projects.

Background CH4 and N2O fluxes in low-input short rotation coppice

Science.gov (United States)

Görres, Carolyn-Monika; Zenone, Terenzio; Ceulemans, Reinhart

2016-04-01

Extensively managed short rotation coppice systems are characterized by low fluxes of CH4 and N2O. However due to the large global warming potential of these trace gases (GWP100: CH4: 34, N2O: 298), such background fluxes can still significantly contribute to offsetting the CO2 uptake of short rotation coppice systems. Recent technological advances in fast-response CH4 and N2O analysers have improved our capability to capture these background fluxes, but their quantification still remains a challenge. As an example, we present here CH4 and N2O fluxes from a short-rotation bioenergy plantation in Belgium. Poplars have been planted in a double-row system on a loamy sand in 2010 and coppiced in the beginning of 2012 and 2014 (two-year rotation system). In 2013 (June - November) and 2014 (April - August), the plantation's CH4 and N2O fluxes were measured in parallel with an eddy covariance tower (EC) and an automated chamber system (AC). The EC had a detection limit of 13.68 and 0.76 μmol m-2 h-1 for CH4 and N2O, respectively. The median detection limit of the AC was 0.38 and 0.08 μmol m-2 h-1 for CH4 and N2O, respectively. The EC picked up a few high CH4 emission events with daily averages >100 μmol m-2 h-1, but a large proportion of the measured fluxes were within the EC's detection limit. The same was true for the EC-derived N2O fluxes where the daily average flux was often close to the detection limit. Sporadically, some negative (uptake) fluxes of N2O were observed. On the basis of the EC data, no clear link was found between CH4 and N2O fluxes and environmental variables. The problem with fluxes within the EC detection limit is that a significant amount of the values can show the opposite sign, thus "mirroring" the true flux. Subsequently, environmental controls of background trace gas fluxes might be disguised in the analysis. As a next step, it will be tested if potential environmental drivers of background CH4 and N2O fluxes at the plantation can be

Simulasi Numeris Karakteristik Pembakaran CH4/CO2/Udara dan CH4/CO2/O2 pada Counterflow Premixed Burner

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hangga Wicaksono

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The high amount of CO2 produced in a conventional biogas reactor needs to be considered. A further analysis is needed in order to investigate the effect of CO2 addition especially in thermal and chemical kinetics aspect. This numerical study has been held to analyze the effect of CO2 in CH4/CO2/O­2 and CH4/CO2/Air premixed combustion. In this study one dimensional analisys in a counterflow burner has been performed. The volume fraction of CO2 used in this study was 0%-40% from CH4’s volume fraction, according to the amount of CO2 in general phenomenon. Based on the flammability limits data, the volume fraction of CH4 used was 5-61% in O2 environment and 5-15% in air environment. The results showed a decreasing temperature along with the increasing percentage of CO2 in each mixtures, but the effect was quite smaller especially in stoichiometric and lean mixture. CO2 could affects thermally (by absorbing heat due to its high Cp and also made the production of unburnt fuel species such as CO relatively higher.

A Portable, Low-Power Analyzer and Automated Soil Flux Chamber System for Measuring Wetland GHG Emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Nickerson, Nick; Kim-Hak, David; McArthur, Gordon

2017-04-01

Preservation and restoration of wetlands has the potential to help sequester large amounts of carbon due to the naturally high primary productivity and slow turnover of stored soil carbon. However, the anoxic environmental conditions present in wetland soils are also the largest natural contributor to global methane emissions. While it is well known that wetlands are net carbon sinks over long time scales, given the high global warming potential of methane, the short-term balances between C uptake and storage and loss as CO2 and CH4 need to be carefully considered when evaluating the climate effects of land-use change. It is relatively difficult to measure methane emissions from wetlands with currently available techniques given the temporally and spatially sporadic nature of the processes involved (methanogenesis, methane oxidation, ebullition, etc.). For example, using manual soil flux chambers can often only capture a portion of either the spatial or temporal variability, and often have other disadvantages associated with soil atmosphere disturbance during deployment in these relatively compressible wetland soils. Automated chamber systems offer the advantage of collecting high-resolution time series of gaseous fluxes while reducing some human and method induced biases. Additionally, new laser-based analyzers that can be used in situ alongside automated chambers offer a greater minimum detectable flux than can be achieved using alternative methods such as Gas Chromatography. Until recently these types of automated measurements were limited to areas that had good power coverage, as laser based systems were power intensive and could not easily be supplemented with power from field-available sources such as solar. Recent advances in laser technology has reduced the power needed and made these systems less power intensive and more field portable in the process. Here we present data using an automated chamber system coupled to a portable laser based greenhouse gas

Bio-refinery system of DME or CH4 production from black liquor gasification in pulp mills.

Science.gov (United States)

Naqvi, M; Yan, J; Fröling, M

2010-02-01

There is great interest in developing black liquor gasification technology over recent years for efficient recovery of bio-based residues in chemical pulp mills. Two potential technologies of producing dimethyl ether (DME) and methane (CH(4)) as alternative fuels from black liquor gasification integrated with the pulp mill have been studied and compared in this paper. System performance is evaluated based on: (i) comparison with the reference pulp mill, (ii) fuel to product efficiency (FTPE) and (iii) biofuel production potential (BPP). The comparison with the reference mill shows that black liquor to biofuel route will add a highly significant new revenue stream to the pulp industry. The results indicate a large potential of DME and CH(4) production globally in terms of black liquor availability. BPP and FTPE of CH(4) production is higher than DME due to more optimized integration with the pulping process and elimination of evaporation unit in the pulp mill.

Using Water Depth Sensors and High-resolution Topographic Mapping to Inform Wetland Management at a Globally Important Stopover Site for Migratory Shorebirds

Science.gov (United States)

Schaffer-Smith, D.; Swenson, J. J.; Reiter, M. E.; Isola, J. E.

2017-12-01

Over 50% of western hemisphere shorebird species are in decline due to ongoing habitat loss and habitat degradation. Wetland dependent shorebirds prefer shallowly flooded habitats (water depth managed to optimize shallow areas. In-situ water depth measurements and microtopography data coupled with satellite image analysis can assist in understanding habitat suitability patterns at broad spatial scales. We generated detailed bathymetry, and estimated spatial daily water depths, the proportion of wetland area providing flooded habitat within the optimal depth range, and the volume of water present in 23 managed wetlands in the Sacramento Valley of California, a globally important shorebird stopover site. Using 30 years of satellite imagery, we estimated suitable habitat extent across the landscape under a range of climate conditions. While spring shorebird abundance has historically peaked in early April, we found that maximum optimal habitat extent occurred after mid-April. More than 50% of monitored wetlands provided limited optimal habitat (fleeting; only 4 wetlands provided at least 10 consecutive days with >5% optimal habitat during the peak of migration. Wetlands with a higher percent clay content and lower topographic variability were more likely to provide a greater extent and duration of suitable habitat. We estimated that even in a relatively wet El-Nino year as little as 0.01%, to 10.72% of managed herbaceous wetlands in the Sacramento Valley provided optimal habitat for shorebirds at the peak of migration in early April. In an extreme drought year, optimal habitat decreased by 80% compared to a wet year Changes in the timing of wetland irrigation and drawdown schedules and the design of future wetland restoration projects could increase the extent and duration of optimal flooded habitat for migratory shorebirds, without significant increases in overall water use requirements.

Global Methane Biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Reeburgh, W. S.

2003-12-01

Methane (CH4) has been studied as an atmospheric constituent for over 200 years. A 1776 letter from Alessandro Volta to Father Campi described the first experiments on flammable "air" released by shallow sediments in Lake Maggiore (Wolfe, 1996; King, 1992). The first quantitative measurements of CH4, both involving combustion and gravimetric determination of trapped oxidation products, were reported in French by Boussingault and Boussingault, 1864 and Gautier (1901), who reported CH4 concentrations of 10 ppmv and 0.28 ppmv (seashore) and 95 ppmv (Paris), respectively. The first modern measurements of atmospheric CH4 were the infrared absorption measurements of Migeotte (1948), who estimated an atmospheric concentration of 2.0 ppmv. Development of gas chromatography and the flame ionization detector in the 1950s led to observations of vertical CH4 distributions in the troposphere and stratosphere, and to establishment of time-series sampling programs in the late 1970s. Results from these sampling programs led to suggestions that the concentration of CH4, as that of CO2, was increasing in the atmosphere. The possible role of CH4 as a greenhouse gas stimulated further research on CH4 sources and sinks. Methane has also been of interest to microbiologists, but findings from microbiology have entered the larger context of the global CH4 budget only recently.Methane is the most abundant hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. It plays important roles in atmospheric chemistry and the radiative balance of the Earth. Stratospheric oxidation of CH4 provides a means of introducing water vapor above the tropopause. Methane reacts with atomic chlorine in the stratosphere, forming HCl, a reservoir species for chlorine. Some 90% of the CH4 entering the atmosphere is oxidized through reactions initiated by the OH radical. These reactions are discussed in more detail by Wofsy (1976) and Cicerone and Oremland (1988), and are important in controlling the oxidation state of the atmosphere

Northern peatland initiation lagged abrupt increases in deglacial atmospheric CH4.

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, Alberto V; Cooke, Colin A

2011-03-22

Peatlands are a key component of the global carbon cycle. Chronologies of peatland initiation are typically based on compiled basal peat radiocarbon (14C) dates and frequency histograms of binned calibrated age ranges. However, such compilations are problematic because poor quality 14C dates are commonly included and because frequency histograms of binned age ranges introduce chronological artefacts that bias the record of peatland initiation. Using a published compilation of 274 basal 14C dates from Alaska as a case study, we show that nearly half the 14C dates are inappropriate for reconstructing peatland initiation, and that the temporal structure of peatland initiation is sensitive to sampling biases and treatment of calibrated 14C dates. We present revised chronologies of peatland initiation for Alaska and the circumpolar Arctic based on summed probability distributions of calibrated 14C dates. These revised chronologies reveal that northern peatland initiation lagged abrupt increases in atmospheric CH4 concentration at the start of the Bølling-Allerød interstadial (Termination 1A) and the end of the Younger Dryas chronozone (Termination 1B), suggesting that northern peatlands were not the primary drivers of the rapid increases in atmospheric CH4. Our results demonstrate that subtle methodological changes in the synthesis of basal 14C ages lead to substantially different interpretations of temporal trends in peatland initiation, with direct implications for the role of peatlands in the global carbon cycle.

Ecosystem and physiological controls over methane production in northern wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, David W.; Holland, Elisabeth A.; Schimel, David S.

1994-01-01

Peat chemistry appears to exert primary control over methane production rates in the Canadian Northern Wetlands Study (NOWES) area. We determined laboratory methane production rate potentials in anaerobic slurries of samples collected from a transect of sites through the NOWES study area. We related methane production rates to indicators of resistance to microbial decay (peat C: N and lignin: N ratios) and experimentally manipulated substrate availability for methanogenesis using ethanol (EtOH) and plant litter. We also determined responses of methane production to pH and temperature. Methane production potentials declined along the gradient of sites from high rates in the coastal fens to low rates in the interior bogs and were generally highest in surface layers. Strong relationships between CH4 production potentials and peat chemistry suggested that methanogenesis was limited by fermentation rates. Methane production at ambient pH responded strongly to substrate additions in the circumneutral fens with narrow lignin: N and C: N ratios (delta CH4/delta EtOH = 0.9-2.3 mg/g) and weakly in the acidic bogs with wide C: N and lignin: N ratios (delta CH4/delta EtOH = -0.04-0.02 mg/g). Observed Q(sub 10) values ranged from 1.7 to 4.7 and generally increased with increasing substrate availability, suggesting that fermentation rates were limiting. Titration experiments generally demonstrated inhibition of methanogenesis by low pH. Our results suggest that the low rates of methane emission observed in interior bogs during NOWES likely resulted from pH and substrate quality limitation of the fermentation step in methane production and thus reflect intrinsically low methane production potentials. Low methane emission rates observed during NOWES will likely be observed in other northern wetland regions with similar vegetation chemistry.

Distillation Calculation for the Separation of {sup 13}CH{sub 4} from LNG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, K.M.; Son, S.H.; Kim, K.S.; Lee, S.K. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

2002-07-01

For the purpose of {sup 13}CH{sub 4} production from LNG, the theoretical number of stages and the number of distillation column required for the separation of {sup 13}CH{sub 4} from {sup 12}CH{sub 4}/{sup 13}CH{sub 4} mixture of containing 1%-{sup 13}CH{sub 4} are calculated. Assuming the ideal liquid mixture of containing 1%-{sup 13}CH{sub 4} are calculated. Assuming the ideal liquid mixture of {sup 12}CH{sub 4} and {sup 13}CH{sub 4}, the theoretical number of stages are calculated by smoker equation and FUG method. Using the correlation between the minimum theoretical number of stages and the optimum theoretical number of stages, the number of distillation groups is calculated. From this calculation, we know that 6 groups of distillation tower with 600 stages per one column are needed for the production of 90%-{sup 13}CH{sub 4}. (author). 5 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Are CH2O measurements in the marine boundary layer suitable for testing the current understanding of CH4 photooxidation?: A model study

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, V.; von Glasow, R.; Fischer, H.; Crutzen, P. J.

2002-02-01

On the basis of a data set collected during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign 1999, we investigated the formaldehyde (CH2O) budget in the southern Indian Ocean (SIO). With a photochemical box model we simulated the contribution of methane and nonmethane volatile organic compounds to the CH2O budget. To identify the reactions and model constraints that introduce the largest uncertainties in the modeled CH2O concentration, we carried out a local sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo method was used to assess the global error of the model predictions. According to this analysis the 2σ uncertainty in the modeled CH2O concentration is 49%. The deviation between observed (200 +/- 70 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) (2σ)) and modeled (224 +/- 110 pptv (2σ)) daily mean CH2O concentration is 12%. However, the combined errors of model and measurement are such that deviations as large as 65% are not significant at the 2σ level. Beyond the ``standard'' photochemistry we analyzed the impact of halogen and aerosol chemistry on the CH2O concentration and investigated the vertical distribution of CH2O in the marine boundary layer (MBL). Calculations with the Model of Chemistry Considering Aerosols indicate that, based on the current understanding, halogen chemistry and aerosol chemistry have no significant impact on the CH2O concentration under conditions encountered in the SIO. However, a detailed investigation including meteorological effects such as precipitation scavenging and convection reveals an uncertainty in state-of-the-art model predictions for CH2O in the MBL that is too large for a meaningful test of the current understanding of CH4 photooxidation.

Nitrous oxide and methane emission in an artificial wetland treating polluted runoff from an agricultural catchment

Science.gov (United States)

Mander, Ülo; Tournebize, Julien; Soosaar, Kaido; Chaumont, Cedric; Hansen, Raili; Muhel, Mart; Teemusk, Alar; Vincent, Bernard

2015-04-01

An artificial wetland built in 2010 to reduce water pollution in a drained agricultural watershed showed real potential for pesticide and nitrate removal. The 1.2 ha off-shore wetland with a depth of from 0.1 to 1 m intercepts drainage water from a 450 ha watershed located near the village of Rampillon (03°03'37.3'' E, 48°32'16.7'' N, 70 km south-east of Paris, France). A sluice gate installed at the inlet makes it possible to close the wetland during the winter months (December - March), when no pesticides are applied and rainfall events are more frequent. The flow entering the wetland fluctuates from 0 to 120 L/s. The wetland is partially covered by Carex spp., Phragmites australis, Juncus conglomeratus, Typha latifolia and philamentous algae. Since 2011, an automatic water quality monitoring system measures water discharge, temperature, dissolved O2, conductivity pH, NO3- and DOC in both inlet and outlet. In May 2014, an automatic weather station and Campbell Irgason system for the measurement of CO2 and H2O fluxes were installed in the middle of the wetland. In May and November 2014 one-week high frequency measurement campaigns were conducted to study N2O and CH4 fluxes using 6 manually operated opaque floating static chambers and 12 floating automatic dynamic chambers. The latter were operated via multiplexer and had an incubation time of 5 minutes, whereas the gas flow was continuously measured using the Aerodyne TILDAS quantum cascade laser system. During the campaign, the reduction of NO3- concentration was measured in nine reactor pipes. Also, water samples were collected for N2O and N2 isotope analysis, and sediments were collected for potential N2 emission measurements. In May, the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 30 days, and the average NO3- concentration decreased from 24 in the inflow to 0 mg/L in the outflow. Methane flux was relatively high (average 1446, variation 0.2-113990 μg CH4-C m-2 h-1), while about 2/3 was emitted via ebullition

[Data processing and QA/QC of atmosphere CO2 and CH4 concentrations by a method of GC-FID in-situ measurement at Waliguan station].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Fang; Zhou, Ling-Xi; Liu, Li-Xin; Fang, Shuang-Xi; Yao, Bo; Xu, Lin; Zhang, Xiao-Chun; Masarie, Kenneth A; Conway, Thomas J; Worthy, Douglas E J; Ernst, Michele

2010-10-01

To strengthen scientific management and sharing of greenhouse gas data obtained from atmospheric background stations in China, it is important to ensure the standardization of observations and establish the data treatment and quality control procedure so as to maintain consistency in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) measurements from different background stations. An automated gas chromatographic system (Hewlett Packard 5890GC employing flame ionization detection) for in situ measurements of atmospheric CO2 and CH4 has been developed since 1994 at the China Global Atmosphere Watch Baseline Observatory at Mt. Waliguan, in Qinhai. In this study, processing and quality control flow of CO2 and CH4 data acquired by HP ChemStation are discussed in detail, including raw data acquisition, data merge, time series inspection, operator flag, principal investigator flag, and the comparison of the GC measurement with the flask method. Atmosphere CO2 and CH4 mixing ratios were separated as background and non-background data using a robust local regression method, approximately 72% and 44% observed values had been filtered as background data for CO2 and CH4, respectively. Comparison of the CO1 and CH, in situ data to the flask sampling data were in good agreement, the relative deviations are within +/- 0.5% for CO2 and for CH4. The data has been assimilated into global database (Globalview-CO2, Globalview-CH4), submitted to the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG), and applied to World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and assessment reports of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Trends and inter-annual variability of methane emissions derived from 1979-1993 global CTM simulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Dentener

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The trend and interannual variability of methane sources are derived from multi-annual simulations of tropospheric photochemistry using a 3-D global chemistry-transport model. Our semi-inverse analysis uses the fifteen years (1979--1993 re-analysis of ECMWF meteorological data and annually varying emissions including photo-chemistry, in conjunction with observed CH4 concentration distributions and trends derived from the NOAA-CMDL surface stations. Dividing the world in four zonal regions (45--90 N, 0--45 N, 0--45 S, 45--90 S we find good agreement in each region between (top-down calculated emission trends from model simulations and (bottom-up estimated anthropogenic emission trends based on the EDGAR global anthropogenic emission database, which amounts for the period 1979--1993 2.7 Tg CH4 yr-1. Also the top-down determined total global methane emission compares well with the total of the bottom-up estimates. We use the difference between the bottom-up and top-down determined emission trends to calculate residual emissions. These residual emissions represent the inter-annual variability of the methane emissions. Simulations have been performed in which the year-to-year meteorology, the emissions of ozone precursor gases, and the stratospheric ozone column distribution are either varied, or kept constant. In studies of methane trends it is most important to include the trends and variability of the oxidant fields. The analyses reveals that the variability of the emissions is of the order of 8Tg CH4 yr-1, and likely related to wetland emissions and/or biomass burning.

CO2/CH4 Separation via Polymeric Blend Membrane

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Sanaeepur

2013-01-01

Full Text Available CO2/CH4 gas separation is a very important applicatable process in upgrading the natural gas and landfil gas recovery. In this work, to investigate the membrane separation process performance, the gas permeation results andCO2/CH4 separation characteristics of different prepared membranes (via blending different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG as a modifier with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS as a backbone structure have been studied. Furthermore, SEM analysis was carried out for morphological investigations. The effect of PEG content on gas transport properties on the selected sample was also studied. The effect of pressure on CO2 permeation was examined and showed that at the pressure beyond 4 bar, permeability is not affected by pressure. The results showed that more or less in all cases, incorporation of PEG molecules without any significant increase in CH4 permeability increases the CO2/CH4 selectivity. From the view point of gas separation applications the resultant data are within commercial attractive range

Gas seepage from Tokamachi mud volcanoes, onshore Niigata Basin (Japan): Origin, post-genetic alterations and CH{sub 4}-CO{sub 2} fluxes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Etiope, G., E-mail: etiope@ingv.it [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, via V. Murata 605, 00143 Roma (Italy); Nakada, R. [Dept. of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University (Japan); Tanaka, K. [Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Yamaguchi University (Japan); Yoshida, N. [Dept. of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan)

2011-03-15

Research highlights: {yields} Tokamachi gas shows signals of subsurface hydrocarbon biodegradation. {yields} Hydrocarbon molecular fractionation depends on gas flux. {yields} Substantial gas emission from mud volcanoes is from invisible diffuse seepage. {yields} Global mud volcano methane emission is likely higher than 10 Mt a{sup -1}. - Abstract: Methane and CO{sub 2} emissions from the two most active mud volcanoes in central Japan, Murono and Kamou (Tokamachi City, Niigata Basin), were measured in from both craters or vents (macro-seepage) and invisible exhalation from the soil (mini- and microseepage). Molecular and isotopic compositions of the released gases were also determined. Gas is thermogenic ({delta}{sup 13}C{sub CH4} from -32.9 per mille to -36.2 per mille), likely associated with oil, and enrichments of {sup 13}C in CO{sub 2} ({delta}{sup 13}C{sub CO2} up to +28.3 per mille) and propane ({delta}{sup 13}C{sub C3H8} up to -8.6 per mille) suggest subsurface petroleum biodegradation. Gas source and post-genetic alteration processes did not change from 2004 to 2010. Methane flux ranged within the orders of magnitude of 10{sup 1}-10{sup 4} g m{sup -2} d{sup -1} in macro-seeps, and up to 446 g m{sup -2} d{sup -1} from diffuse seepage. Positive CH{sub 4} fluxes from dry soil were widespread throughout the investigated areas. Total CH{sub 4} emission from Murono and Kamou were estimated to be at least 20 and 3.7 ton a{sup -1}, respectively, of which more than half was from invisible seepage surrounding the mud volcano vents. At the macro-seeps, CO{sub 2} fluxes were directly proportional to CH{sub 4} fluxes, and the volumetric ratios between CH{sub 4} flux and CO{sub 2} flux were similar to the compositional CH{sub 4}/CO{sub 2} volume ratio. Macro-seep flux data, in addition to those of other 13 mud volcanoes, supported the hypothesis that molecular fractionation (increase of the 'Bernard ratio' C{sub 1}/(C{sub 2} + C{sub 3})) is inversely

Wetlands Are Wonderlands. Leader/Teacher Guide and Member/Youth Guide. 4-H Marine Education Series-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Meenen, Kimberly, Ed.; Goettel, Robin G., Ed.

This guide, for a 4-H wetlands project, is designed for sixth to eighth grade youth and their leaders interested in learning and doing aquatic science activities that can help the environment. The project provides basic wetland information with one or more activities for each of six sections: (1) What is a wetland?; (2) value of wetlands; (3)…

Bio-refinery system of DME or CH4 production from black liquor gasification in pulp mills

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raza, M.; Jinyue Yan (Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Technology/Energy Processes, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)). e-mail: rnaqvi@kth.se; Froeling, Morgan (Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden))

2009-07-01

The consumption of fossil fuels is rapidly increasing and there is an urgent need to develop technologies for renewable fuel production not only as alternatives but also as additional fuels. Efficient polygeneration of transportation fuels with heat and electricity is one of the innovative technologies which have potential to replace fossil fuels and mitigate climate change. Two potential technologies of producing dimethyl ether (DME) and methane (CH4) as alternative fuels integrated with black liquor gasification have been studied and compared in this paper. System performance is evaluated based on: (i) Comparison with the reference pulp mill, (ii) Fuel to product efficiency (FTPE) and (iii) Biofuel Production Potential (BPP). The comparison with the reference mill shows that black liquor to biofuel route will add a highly significant new revenue stream to the pulp industry. The results indicate a large potential of DME and CH4 production globally in terms of black liquor availability. BPP and FTPE of CH4 production is higher than DME due to more optimized integration with the pulping process and elimination of evaporation unit in the pulp mill

Replacement of CH4 in the hydrate by use of liquid CO2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ota, Masaki; Morohashi, Kenji; Abe, Yuki; Watanabe, Masaru; Smith, Richard Lee Jr.; Inomata, Hiroshi

2005-01-01

The dynamics of CH 4 replacement in the CH 4 hydrate with saturated liquid CO 2 at 273.2 K was measured with a high pressure optical cell. The results showed that CH 4 in the hydrate gradually moved to the liquid CO 2 phase while CO 2 in the liquid phase penetrated into the hydrate from the quantitative analysis. The decomposing process of the CH 4 hydrate during the replacement was analyzed with in situ Raman spectroscopy, which allowed us to distinguish the cage structure of the CH 4 hydrate and discuss the microscopic view of the replacement in the hydrate. It was found that the decomposition of the medium cage (M-cage) in the CH 4 hydrate proceeded faster than that of the small cage (S-cage). The observed rate difference could be related to the stability of the S-cage in the CH 4 hydrate or the re-formation tendency of CH 4 and water molecules in the S-cage after decomposing the hydrate structure, whereas the guest molecule exchange of CH 4 with CO 2 could occur in the M-cage. Based on the experimental data, we developed a kinetic model for calculation of the CH 4 remaining in the hydrate considering the decomposition rate difference between the M-cage and S-cage in the CH 4 hydrate. The results indicate that the driving force could be the fugacity difference between the fluid phase and the hydrate phase for the replacement process

Methane (CH4) Flux for North America L4 Daily V1 (CMS_CH4_FLX_NAD) at GES DISC

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The CMS Methane (CH4) Flux for North America data set contains estimates of methane emission in North America based on an inversion of the GEOS-Chem chemical...

On the feasibility of chemi-ion formation in the system CH2CH(ã 4A″)+O(3P)

Science.gov (United States)

Metropoulos, Aristophanes

2003-12-01

We have investigated theoretically the possibility that the CH2CH(ã 4A″) radical can generate the CH2CHO+(X1A') ion upon collisions with O(3P). We have concluded that this is very unlikely because the minimum of the ground-state potential-energy surface of the ion is at about the same level as the potential energy of the asymptotic CH2CH(ã 4A″)+O(3P) fragments. In addition the Franck-Condon factors should not be favorable because of a drastic change in the geometry of the ion.

A comparison of methane emission measurements using eddy covariance and manual and automated chamber-based techniques in Tibetan Plateau alpine wetland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Lingfei; Wang, Hao; Wang, Guangshuai; Song, Weimin; Huang, Yao; Li, Sheng-Gong; Liang, Naishen; Tang, Yanhong; He, Jin-Sheng

2013-01-01

Comparing of different CH 4 flux measurement techniques allows for the independent evaluation of the performance and reliability of those techniques. We compared three approaches, the traditional discrete Manual Static Chamber (MSC), Continuous Automated Chamber (CAC) and Eddy Covariance (EC) methods of measuring the CH 4 fluxes in an alpine wetland. We found a good agreement among the three methods in the seasonal CH 4 flux patterns, but the diurnal patterns from both the CAC and EC methods differed. While the diurnal CH 4 flux variation from the CAC method was positively correlated with the soil temperature, the diurnal variation from the EC method was closely correlated with the solar radiation and net CO 2 fluxes during the daytime but was correlated with the soil temperature at nighttime. The MSC method showed 25.3% and 7.6% greater CH 4 fluxes than the CAC and EC methods when measured between 09:00 h and 12:00 h, respectively. -- Highlights: •Chamber and eddy covariance methods showed similar seasonal CH 4 flux patterns. •Chamber and eddy covariance methods showed different diurnal CH 4 flux patterns. •Static chamber methods gave a higher magnitude of CH 4 flux. -- The chamber-based methods and the eddy covariance method showed similar seasonal CH 4 flux patterns, but the manual static chamber method resulted in a higher CH 4 flux measurement

Effect of CH4 concentration on the growth behavior, structure, and transparent properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond films synthesized by focused microwave Ar/CH4/H2 plasma jets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liao, Wen-Hsiang; Lin, Chii-Ruey; Wei, Da-Hua

2013-01-01

The effects of CH 4 concentration (0.5–5%) on the growth mechanisms, nanostructures, and optically transparent properties of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films grown from focused microwave Ar/CH 4 /H 2 (argon-rich) plasma jets were systematically studied. The research results indicated that the grain size and surface roughness of the diamond films increased with increasing CH 4 concentration in the plasma jet, however, the nondiamond contents in films would not be correspondingly decreased resulting from the dispersed diamond nanocrystallites in the films synthesized at higher CH 4 concentration. The reason is due to that the relative emission intensity ratios of the C 2 /H α and the CH/C 2 in the plasma jets were increased and decreased with increasing CH 4 concentration, respectively, to lower the etching of nondiamond phase and the renucleation of diamond during synthesis. The studies of transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that, while the CH 4 introduction of 1% into the plasma jet produced the UNCD films with a spherical geometry (4–8 nm) and the CH 4 introduction of 5% into the plasma jet led to the elongated (∼90 nm in length and ∼35 nm in width) grains in the nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films with a dendrite-like geometry. The transmittance of diamond films was decreased gradually by films transition from UNCD to NCD, resulting from the enhanced surface roughness and nondiamond contents in films to concurrently increase the light scattering and absorption during photon transmission.

Global warming and prairie wetlands: potential consequences for waterfowl habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Poiani, Karen A.; Johnson, W. Carter

1991-01-01

precipitation and runoff from melting snow on frozen or saturated soils (Figure 2). Annual water levels fluctuate widely due to climate variability in the Great Plains (Borchert 1950, Kantrud et al. 1989b). Climate affects the quality of habitat for breeding waterfowl by controlling regional water conditions--water depth, areal extent, and length of wet/dry cycles (Cowardin et al. 1988)--and vegetation patterns such as the cover ration (the ratio of emergent plant cover to open water). With increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, climate models project warmer and, in some cases, drier conditions for the northern Great Plains (Karl et al. 1991, Manabe and Wetherald 1986, Mitchell 1983, Rind and Lebedeff 1984). In general, a warmer, drier climate could lower waterfowl production directly by increasing the frequency of dry basins and indirectly by producing less favorable cover rations (i.e., heavy emergent cover with few or no open-water areas). The possibility of diminished waterfowl production in a greenhouse climate comes at a time when waterfowl numbers have sharply declined for other reasons (Johnson and Shaffer 1987). Breeding habitat continues to be lost or altered by agriculture, grazing, burning, mowing, sedimentation, and drainage (Kantrud et al. 1989b). For example, it has been estimated that 60% of the wetland area in North Dakota has been drained (Tiner 1984). Pesticides entering wetlands from adjacent agricultural fields have been destructive to aquatic invertebrate populations and have significantly lowered duckling survival (Grue et al. 1988). In this article, we discuss current understanding and projections of global warming; review wetland vegetation dynamics to establish the strong relationship among climate, wetland hydrology, vegetation patterns, and waterflow habitat; discuss the potential effects of a greenhouse warming on these relationships; and illustrate the potential effects of climate change on wetland habitat by using a simulation model. The

Responses of Carbon Dynamics to Nitrogen Deposition in Typical Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain

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Yang Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effects of nitrogen deposition (N-deposition on the carbon dynamics in typical Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland of Sanjiang Plain were studied by a pot-culture experiment during two continuous plant growing seasons. Elevated atmospheric N-deposition caused significant increases in the aboveground net primary production and root biomass; moreover, a preferential partition of carbon to root was also observed. Different soil carbon fractions gained due to elevated N-deposition and their response intensities followed the sequence of labile carbon > dissolved organic carbon > microbial biomass carbon, and the interaction between N-deposition and flooded condition facilitated the release of different carbon fractions. Positive correlations were found between CO2 and CH4 fluxes and liable carbon contents with N-deposition, and flooded condition also tended to facilitate CH4 fluxes and to inhibit the CO2 fluxes with N-deposition. The increases in soil carbon fractions occurring in the nitrogen treatments were significantly correlated with increases in root, aboveground parts, total biomass, and their carbon uptake. Our results suggested that N-deposition could enhance the contents of active carbon fractions in soil system and carbon accumulation in plant of the freshwater wetlands.

Trace gas emissions from burning Florida wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Cofer, Wesley R.; Levine, Joel S.; Winstead, Edward L.; Lebel, Peter J.; Koller, Albert M.; Hinkle, C. Ross

1990-02-01

Measurements of biomass burn-produced trace gases are presented that were obtained using a helicopter at low altitudes above burning Florida wetlands on November 9, 1987, and from both helicopter and light-aircraft samplings on November 7, 1988. Carbon dioxide (CO2) normalized emission ratios (ΔX/ΔCO2; V/V; where X is trace gas) for carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), total nonmethane hydrocarbons (TNMHC), and nitrous oxide (N2O) were obtained over burning graminoid wetlands consisting primarily of Spartina bakeri and Juncus roemerianus. Some interspersed scrub oak (Quercus spp) and saw palmetto (Screnoa repens) were also burned. No significant differences were observed in the emission ratios determined for these gases from samples collected over flaming, mixed, and smoldering phases of combustion during the 1987 fire. Combustion-categorized differences in emission ratios were small for the 1988 fire. Combustion efficiency was relatively good (low emission ratios for reduced gases) for both fires. We believe that the consistently low emission ratios were a unique result of graminoid wetlands fires, in which the grasses and rushes (both small-size fuels) burned rapidly down to standing water and were quickly extinguished. Consequently, the efficiency of the combustion was good and the amount and duration of smoldering combustion was greatly diminished.

Activation of sp3-CH Bonds in a Mono(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)yttrium Complex. X-ray Crystal Structures and Dynamic Behavior of Cp*Y(o-C6H4CH2NMe2)2 and Cp*Y[o-C6H4CH2NMe(CH2-μ)][μ-o-C6H4CH2NMe(CH2-μ)]YCp*[THF

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Booij, Martin; Kiers, Niklaas H.; Meetsma, Auke; Teuben, Jan H.; Smeets, Wilberth J.J.; Spek, Anthony L.

1989-01-01

Reaction of Y(o-C6H4CH2NMe2)3 (1) with Cp*H gives Cp*Y(o-C6H4CH2NMe2)2 (2), which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n (No. 14) with a = 18.607 (4) Å, b = 15.633 (3) Å, c = 8.861 (3) Å, β = 102.73 (3)°, and Z = 4. Least-squares refinement with 3006 independent reflections (F > 4.0σ(F))

CH4 and N2O from mechanically turned windrow and vermicomposting systems following in-vessel pre-treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hobson, A.M.; Frederickson, J.; Dise, N.B.

2005-01-01

Methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) are included in the six greenhouse gases listed in the Kyoto protocol that require emission reduction. To meet reduced emission targets, governments need to first quantify their contribution to global warming. Composting has been identified as an important source of CH 4 and N 2 O. With increasing divergence of biodegradable waste from landfill into the composting sector, it is important to quantify emissions of CH 4 and N 2 O from all forms of composting and from all stages. This study focuses on the final phase of a two stage composting process and compares the generation and emission of CH 4 and N 2 O associated with two differing composting methods: mechanically turned windrow and vermicomposting. The first stage was in-vessel pre-treatment. Source-segregated household waste was first pre-composted for seven days using an in-vessel system. The second stage of composting involved forming half of the pre-composted material into a windrow and applying half to vermicomposting beds. The duration of this stage was 85 days and CH 4 and N 2 O emissions were monitored throughout for both systems. Waste samples were regularly subjected to respirometry analysis and both processes were found to be equally effective at stabilising the organic matter content. The mechanically turned windrow system was characterised by emissions of CH 4 and to a much lesser extent N 2 O. However, the vermicomposting system emitted significant fluxes of N 2 O and only trace amounts of CH 4 . In-vessel pre-treatment removed considerable amounts of available C and N prior to the second stage of composting. This had the effect of reducing emissions of CH 4 and N 2 O from the second stage compared to emissions from fresh waste found in other studies. The characteristics of each of the two composting processes are discussed in detail. Very different mechanisms for emission of CH 4 and N 2 O are proposed for each system. For the windrow system, development

Broken connections of wetland cultural knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Middleton, Beth A.

2016-01-01

As global agriculture intensifies, cultural knowledge of wetland utilization has eroded as natural resources become more stressed, and marginal farmers move away from the land. The excellent paper by Fawzi et al. (2016) documents a particularly poignant case of traditional knowledge loss among the Marsh Arab women of Iraq. Through interviews, the authors document the breakdown of skill transfer from the older to younger generation of women. The authors link the loss of their cultural knowledge with the loss of wetlands in the region. Women no longer can help provide for their families using wetland products, and along with that, their ancient knowledge of plant usage is lost. These ancient skills included medicinal uses, and reed harvesting for weaving and water buffalo fodder. As, the majority of the Mesopotamian Marshes have dried, this way of life is being forgotten (Fawzi et al. 2015). The global tragedy is that while the careful alliance of wetlands and people have sustained human cultures for millennia, degraded wetlands lose their ability to provide these services (Maltby 1980).

Direct Measurements of Leaf Level CH4 and CO2 Exchange in a Boreal Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Crill, P.; Lindroth, A.; Vestin, P.; Båth, A.

2008-12-01

Reports of aerobic CH4 sources from leaves and litter of a variety of forests and plant functional types have added a potential mystery to our understanding of CH4 dynamics especially if these sources contribute enough to have a significant impact on the global budget. We have made direct measurements of leaf level CH4 and CO2 exchange using a quartz branch cuvette in a boreal forest in Norunda, Sweden since August of this year. The cuvette was temperature controlled and was designed to close for 5 minutes every 30 minutes. Air was circulated to a Los Gatos CH4/CO2 infrared absorption laser spectrometer. Air and cuvette temperatures, PAR and UV radiation (Kipp and Zonen, CUV4; spectral range 300-380 nm) were measured at the branch chamber. The study was made in the Norunda 100 years old stand consisting of a mixture of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) , Birch (Betula sp.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The cuvette was moved between trees at roughly 5 day intervals. A null empty cuvette period was included in the rotation. The initial data show the expected CO2 uptake correlated with incident PAR and low rates of emission at night. However, there was no clear pattern of emissions detectable in the CH4. We estimate that we should be able to resolve a change of 0.5 ppbv CH4 min- 1 with our analytical setup. Both the daytime (1000-1600) and nighttime (2200-0400) averages were less than our detection. Even on very sunny days with high PAR and UV flux values, no consistent pattern was detectable. The lack of a distinct signal may be due to the fact that the past month has been very rainy, it is late in the growth season at these latitudes and sun angles are increasing quickly. The trees were at the northern edge of a clearing and we were also measuring mid height (2-3 m) leaves and branches of young trees. The branch cuvette design can also be optimized to improve its sensitivity.

On the origin and magnitude of pre-industrial anthropogenic CO[sub 2] and CH[sub 4] emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kammen, D.M.; Marino, B.D. (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (USA). Dept. of Physics)

Little is known of the origin and magnitude of anthropogenic non-fossil emissions, although this activity currently contributes up to 40% of the global CO[sub 2] emissions. Here we provide estimates of CO[sub 2] and CH[sub 4] emissions resulting from pre-industrial societies by combining historical demographic and archaeological data. Combustion of non-fossil carbon for domestic needs, small-scale industrial/craft activities and resulting from agricultural land management was significant, reaching about 1 Gt of carbon (Gtc) as CO[sub 2] yr[sup -1] and 10 g Tg of carbon CH[sub 4] yr[sup -1] by 1800 A.D. This data implies a significant anthropogenic source of pre-industrial atmospheric greenhouse gases, consistent with estimates derived from carbon cycle model. We illustrate the contribution of archaeological data with two case studies: (1) estimates of CH[sub 4] emissions from agricultural activity from the Maya Lowlands; and (2) evidence of correlations between climatic and socio-economic conditions in North Atlanic Norse settlements. 47 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.

Spectrally-resolved UV photodesorption of CH4 in pure and layered ices

Science.gov (United States)

Dupuy, R.; Bertin, M.; Féraud, G.; Michaut, X.; Jeseck, P.; Doronin, M.; Philippe, L.; Romanzin, C.; Fillion, J.-H.

2017-07-01

Context. Methane is among the main components of the ice mantles of interstellar dust grains, where it is at the start of a rich solid-phase chemical network. Quantification of the photon-induced desorption yield of these frozen molecules and understanding of the underlying processes is necessary to accurately model the observations and the chemical evolution of various regions of the interstellar medium. Aims: This study aims at experimentally determining absolute photodesorption yields for the CH4 molecule as a function of photon energy. The influence of the ice composition is also investigated. By studying the methane desorption from layered CH4:CO ice, indirect desorption processes triggered by the excitation of the CO molecules are monitored and quantified. Methods: Tunable monochromatic vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV) light from the DESIRS beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron is used in the 7-13.6 eV (177-91 nm) range to irradiate pure CH4 or layers of CH4 deposited on top of CO ice samples. The release of species in the gas phase is monitored by quadrupole mass spectrometry, and absolute photodesorption yields of intact CH4 are deduced. Results: CH4 photodesorbs for photon energies higher than 9.1 eV ( 136 nm). The photodesorption spectrum follows the absorption spectrum of CH4, which confirms a desorption mechanism mediated by electronic transitions in the ice. When it is deposited on top of CO, CH4 desorbs between 8 and 9 eV with a pattern characteristic of CO absorption, indicating desorption induced by energy transfer from CO molecules. Conclusions: The photodesorption of CH4 from pure ice in various interstellar environments is around 2.0 ± 1.0 × 10-3 molecules per incident photon. Results on CO-induced indirect desorption of CH4 provide useful insights for the generalization of this process to other molecules co-existing with CO in ice mantles.

A combustion setup to precisely reference δ13C and δ2H isotope ratios of pure CH4 to produce isotope reference gases of δ13C-CH4 in synthetic air

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Schaefer

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Isotope records of atmospheric CH4 can be used to infer changes in the biogeochemistry of CH4. One factor currently limiting the quantitative interpretation of such changes are uncertainties in the isotope measurements stemming from the lack of a unique isotope reference gas, certified for δ13C-CH4 or δ2H-CH4. We present a method to produce isotope reference gases for CH4 in synthetic air that are precisely anchored to the VPDB and VSMOW scales and have δ13C-CH4 values typical for the modern and glacial atmosphere. We quantitatively combusted two pure CH4 gases from fossil and biogenic sources and determined the δ13C and δ2H values of the produced CO2 and H2O relative to the VPDB and VSMOW scales within a very small analytical uncertainty of 0.04‰ and 0.7‰, respectively. We found isotope ratios of −39.56‰ and −56.37‰ for δ13C and −170.1‰ and −317.4‰ for δ2H in the fossil and biogenic CH4, respectively. We used both CH4 types as parental gases from which we mixed two filial CH4 gases. Their δ13C was determined to be −42.21‰ and −47.25‰ representing glacial and present atmospheric δ13C-CH4. The δ2H isotope ratios of the filial CH4 gases were found to be −193.1‰ and −237.1‰, respectively. Next, we mixed aliquots of the filial CH4 gases with ultrapure N2/O2 (CH4 ≤ 2 ppb producing two isotope reference gases of synthetic air with CH4 mixing ratios near atmospheric values. We show that our method is reproducible and does not introduce isotopic fractionation for δ13C within the uncertainties of our detection limit (we cannot conclude this for δ2H because our system is currently not prepared for δ2H-CH4 measurements in air samples. The general principle of our method can be applied to produce synthetic isotope reference gases targeting δ2H-CH4 or other gas species.

A new metal-organic framework for separation of C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xing; Zhou, You; Lv, Ran; Yu, Ben; Chen, Haodong; Ji, Zhenguo; Cui, Yuanjing; Yang, Yu; Qian, Guodong

2018-04-01

A 3D microporous metal-organic framework with open Cu2+ sites and suitable pore space, [Cu2(L)(H2O)2]·(H2O)4(DMF)8 (ZJU-15, H4L = 5,5‧-(9H-carbazole-2,7-diyl)diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide; ZJU = Zhejiang University), has been constructed and characterized. The activated ZJU-15a has three different types of cages and exhibits BET surface area of 1660 m2 g-1, and can separate gas mixture of C2H2/CH4 and CO2/CH4 at room temperature.

Time-series measurements of methane (CH4) distribution during open water and ice-cover in lakes throughout the Mackenzie River Delta (Canada)

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, H.; Lapham, L.; Orcutt, B.; Wheat, C. G.; Lesack, L.; Bergstresser, M.; Dallimore, S. R.; MacLeod, R.; Cote, M.

2016-12-01

Arctic lakes are known to emit large amounts of methane to the atmosphere and their importance to the global methane (CH4) cycle has been recognized. It is well known CH4 builds up in Arctic lakes during ice-cover, but the amount of and when the CH4 is released to the atmosphere is not well known. Our preliminary results suggest the largest flux of CH4 from lakes to the atmosphere occurs slightly before complete ice-out; while others have shown the largest flux occurs when lakes overturn in the spring. During ice-out, CH4 can also be oxidized by methane oxidizing bacteria before it can efflux to the atmosphere from the surface water. In order to elucidate the processes contributing to Arctic lake CH4 emissions, continuous, long-term and large scale spatial sampling is required; however it is difficult to achieve in these remote locations. We address this problem using two sampling techniques. 1) We deployed osmotically powered pumps (OsmoSamplers), which were able to autonomously and continuously collect lake bottom water over the course of a year from multiple lakes in the Mackenzie River Delta. OsmoSamplers were placed in four lakes in the mid Delta near Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada, two lakes in the outer Delta, and two coastal lakes on Richard's Island in 2015. The dissolved CH4 concentration, stable isotope content of CH4 (δ13C-CH4), and dissolved sulfate concentrations in bottom water from these lakes will be presented to better understand methane dynamics under the ice and over time. 2) Along with the time-series data, we will also present data from discrete samples collected from 40 lakes in the mid Delta during key time periods, before and immediately after the spring ice-out. By determining the CH4 dynamics throughout the year we hope to improve predictions of how CH4 emissions may change in a warming Arctic environment.

Additional Value of CH4 Measurement in a Combined 13C/H2 Lactose Malabsorption Breath Test: A Retrospective Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Houben, Els; De Preter, Vicky; Billen, Jaak; Van Ranst, Marc; Verbeke, Kristin

2015-01-01

The lactose hydrogen breath test is a commonly used, non-invasive method for the detection of lactose malabsorption and is based on an abnormal increase in breath hydrogen (H2) excretion after an oral dose of lactose. We use a combined 13C/H2 lactose breath test that measures breath 13CO2 as a measure of lactose digestion in addition to H2 and that has a better sensitivity and specificity than the standard test. The present retrospective study evaluated the results of 1051 13C/H2 lactose breath tests to assess the impact on the diagnostic accuracy of measuring breath CH4 in addition to H2 and 13CO2. Based on the 13C/H2 breath test, 314 patients were diagnosed with lactase deficiency, 138 with lactose malabsorption or small bowel bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and 599 with normal lactose digestion. Additional measurement of CH4 further improved the accuracy of the test as 16% subjects with normal lactose digestion and no H2-excretion were found to excrete CH4. These subjects should have been classified as subjects with lactose malabsorption or SIBO. In conclusion, measuring CH4-concentrations has an added value to the 13C/H2 breath test to identify methanogenic subjects with lactose malabsorption or SIBO. PMID:26371034

Testing the applicability of neural networks as a gap-filling method using CH₄ flux data from high latitude wetlands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dengel, S.; Zona, D.; Sachs, T.

2013-01-01

included representing the seasonal change and time of day. High Pearson correlation coefficients (r) of up to 0.97 achieved in the final analysis are indicative for the high performance of neural networks and their applicability as a gap-filling method for CH4 flux data time series. This novel approach...

Experimental ion mobility measurements in Xe-CH4

Science.gov (United States)

Perdigoto, J. M. C.; Cortez, A. F. V.; Veenhof, R.; Neves, P. N. B.; Santos, F. P.; Borges, F. I. G. M.; Conde, C. A. N.

2017-09-01

Data on ion mobility is important to improve the performance of large volume gaseous detectors. In the present work, the method, experimental setup and results for the ion mobility measurements in Xe-CH4 mixtures are presented. The results for this mixture show the presence of two distinct groups of ions. The nature of the ions depend on the mixture ratio since they are originated by both Xe and CH4. The results here presented were obtained for low reduced electric fields, E/N, 10-25 Td (2.4-6.1 kV ṡ cm-1 ṡ bar-1), at low pressure (8 Torr) (10.6 mbar), and at room temperature.

Macromolecule simulation and CH4 adsorption mechanism of coal vitrinite

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Song; Yan-ming, Zhu; Wu, Li

2017-02-01

The microscopic mechanism of interactions between CH4 and coal macromolecules is of significant practical and theoretical importance in CBM development and methane storage. Under periodic boundary conditions, the optimal energy configuration of coal vitrinite, which has a higher torsion degree and tighter arrangement, can be determined by the calculation of molecular mechanics (MM) and molecular dynamics (MD), and annealing kinetics simulation based on ultimate analysis, 13C NMR, FT IR and HRTEM. Macromolecular stabilization is primarily due to the van der Waals energy and covalent bond energy, mainly consisting of bond torsion energy and bond angle energy. Using the optimal configuration as the adsorbent, GCMC simulation of vitrinite adsorption of CH4 is conducted. A saturated state is reached after absorbing 17 CH4s per coal vitrinite molecule. CH4 is preferentially adsorbed on the edge, and inclined to gathering around the branched chains of the inner vitrinite sites. Finally, the adsorption parameters are calculated through first principle DFT. The adsorbability order is as follows: aromatic structure> heteroatom rings > oxygen functional groups. The adsorption energy order is as follows: Top graphene. However, the energy of the most preferential location is much lower than that of graphite/graphene. CH4 is more easily absorbed on the surface of vitrinite. Adsorbability varies considerably at different adsorption locations and sites on the surface of vitrinite. Crystal parameter of vitrinite is a = b = c = 15.8 Å and majority of its micropores are blow 15.8 Å, indicating that the vitrinite have the optimum adsorption aperture. It can explain its higher observed adsorption capacities for CH4 compared with graphite/graphene.

Evaluation of origins of CH4 carbon emitted from rice paddies

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Akira; Takeda, Takuya; Kimura, Makoto

1999-10-01

Possible carbon sources for CH4 emitted from rice paddies are organic matter applied to the fields, such as rice straw (RS), soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon supplied from rice plants (RP), such as exudates and sloughed tissues. To estimate the contribution of each carbon source to CH4 emission, a pot experiment was conducted using 13C-enriched soil sample and 13C-enriched RS as tracers. The percentage contribution of RP carbon was estimated by subtraction. When RS was applied at a rate corresponding to 6 t ha-1, the percentage contributions of RS, SOM, and RP carbon to CH4 emission throughout the period of rice growth were 42%, 18-21%, and 37-40%, respectively. The values for SOM and RP carbon for the treatment in which RS was not applied were 15-20% and 80-85%, respectively. Seasonal variations in the percentage contribution of soil organic carbon to CH4 emission were small in the range between 13% and 30% for the pots with RS and between 15% and 24% for the pots without RS. In the RS-applied treatment, RS and SOM accounted for almost 100% of the CH4 carbon early in the period of rice growth, while 65-70% of the CH4 emission in the milky stage was derived from RP carbon.

Estimation of Atmospheric Methane Surface Fluxes Using a Global 3-D Chemical Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y.; Prinn, R.

2003-12-01

Accurate determination of atmospheric methane surface fluxes is an important and challenging problem in global biogeochemical cycles. We use inverse modeling to estimate annual, seasonal, and interannual CH4 fluxes between 1996 and 2001. The fluxes include 7 time-varying seasonal (3 wetland, rice, and 3 biomass burning) and 3 steady aseasonal (animals/waste, coal, and gas) global processes. To simulate atmospheric methane, we use the 3-D chemical transport model MATCH driven by NCEP reanalyzed observed winds at a resolution of T42 ( ˜2.8° x 2.8° ) in the horizontal and 28 levels (1000 - 3 mb) in the vertical. By combining existing datasets of individual processes, we construct a reference emissions field that represents our prior guess of the total CH4 surface flux. For the methane sink, we use a prescribed, annually-repeating OH field scaled to fit methyl chloroform observations. MATCH is used to produce both the reference run from the reference emissions, and the time-dependent sensitivities that relate individual emission processes to observations. The observational data include CH4 time-series from ˜15 high-frequency (in-situ) and ˜50 low-frequency (flask) observing sites. Most of the high-frequency data, at a time resolution of 40-60 minutes, have not previously been used in global scale inversions. In the inversion, the high-frequency data generally have greater weight than the weekly flask data because they better define the observational monthly means. The Kalman Filter is used as the optimal inversion technique to solve for emissions between 1996-2001. At each step in the inversion, new monthly observations are utilized and new emissions estimates are produced. The optimized emissions represent deviations from the reference emissions that lead to a better fit to the observations. The seasonal processes are optimized for each month, and contain the methane seasonality and interannual variability. The aseasonal processes, which are less variable, are

Dielectric Study of the Phase Transitions in [P(CH3)4]2CuY4 (Y = Cl, Br)

Science.gov (United States)

Gesi, Kazuo

2002-05-01

Phase transitions in [P(CH3)4]2CuY4 (Y = Cl, Br) have been studied by dielectric measurements. In [P(CH3)4]2CuCl4, a slight break and a discontinuous jump on the dielectric constant vs. temperature curve are seen at the normal-incommensurate and the incommensurate-commensurate phase transitions, respectively. A small peak of dielectric constant along the b-direction exists just above the incommensurate-to-commensurate transition temperature. The anisotropic dielectric anomalies of [P(CH3)4]2CuBr4 at phase transitions were measured along the three crystallographic axes. The pressure-temperature phase diagram of [P(CH3)4]2CuCl4 was determined. The initial pressure coefficients of the normal-to-incommensurate and the incommensurate-to-commensurate transition temperatures are 0.19 K/MPa and 0.27 K/MPa, respectively. The incommensurate phase in [P(CH3)4]2CuCl4 disappears at a triple point which exists at 335 MPa and 443 K. The stability and the pressure effects of the incommensurate phases are much different among the four [Z(CH3)4]2CuY4 crystals (Z = N, P; Y = Cl, Br).

Assessing fugitive emissions of CH4 from high-pressure gas pipelines

Science.gov (United States)

Worrall, Fred; Boothroyd, Ian; Davies, Richard

2017-04-01

The impact of unconventional natural gas production using hydraulic fracturing methods from shale gas basins has been assessed using life-cycle emissions inventories, covering areas such as pre-production, production and transmission processes. The transmission of natural gas from well pad to processing plants and its transport to domestic sites is an important source of fugitive CH4, yet emissions factors and fluxes from transmission processes are often based upon ver out of date measurements. It is important to determine accurate measurements of natural gas losses when compressed and transported between production and processing facilities so as to accurately determine life-cycle CH4 emissions. This study considers CH4 emissions from the UK National Transmission System (NTS) of high pressure natural gas pipelines. Mobile surveys of CH4 emissions using a Picarro Surveyor cavity-ring-down spectrometer were conducted across four areas in the UK, with routes bisecting high pressure pipelines and separate control routes away from the pipelines. A manual survey of soil gas measurements was also conducted along one of the high pressure pipelines using a tunable diode laser. When wind adjusted 92 km of high pressure pipeline and 72 km of control route were drive over a 10 day period. When wind and distance adjusted CH4 fluxes were significantly greater on routes with a pipeline than those without. The smallest leak detectable was 3% above ambient (1.03 relative concentration) with any leaks below 3% above ambient assumed ambient. The number of leaks detected along the pipelines correlate to the estimated length of pipe joints, inferring that there are constant fugitive CH4 emissions from these joints. When scaled up to the UK's National Transmission System pipeline length of 7600 km gives a fugitive CH4 flux of 4700 ± 2864 kt CH4/yr - this fugitive emission from high pressure pipelines is 0.016% of the annual gas supply.

Hydrogenation of organic matter as a terminal electron sink sustains high CO 2 :CH 4 production ratios during anaerobic decomposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, Rachel M.; Tfaily, Malak M.; Rich, Virginia I.; Keller, Jason K.; Bridgham, Scott D.; Zalman, Cassandra Medvedeff; Meredith, Laura; Hanson, Paul J.; Hines, Mark; Pfeifer-Meister, Laurel; Saleska, Scott R.; Crill, Patrick; Cooper, William T.; Chanton, Jeff P.; Kostka, Joel E.

2017-10-01

Once inorganic electron acceptors are depleted, organic matter in anoxic environments decomposes by hydrolysis, fermentation, and methanogenesis, requiring syntrophic interactions between microorganisms to achieve energetic favorability. In this classic anaerobic food chain, methanogenesis represents the terminal electron accepting (TEA) process, ultimately producing equimolar CO2 and CH4 for each molecule of organic matter degraded. However, CO2:CH4 production in Sphagnum-derived, mineral-poor, cellulosic peat often substantially exceeds this 1:1 ratio, even in the absence of measureable inorganic TEAs. Since the oxidation state of C in both cellulose-derived organic matter and acetate is 0, and CO2 has an oxidation state of +4, if CH4 (oxidation state -4) is not produced in equal ratio, then some other compound(s) must balance CO2 production by receiving 4 electrons. Here we present evidence for ubiquitous hydrogenation of diverse unsaturated compounds that appear to serve as organic TEAs in peat, thereby providing the necessary electron balance to sustain CO2:CH4 >1. While organic electron acceptors have previously been proposed to drive microbial respiration of organic matter through the reversible reduction of quinone moieties, the hydrogenation mechanism that we propose, by contrast, reduces C-C double bonds in organic matter thereby serving as 1) a terminal electron sink, 2) a mechanism for degrading complex unsaturated organic molecules, 3) a potential mechanism to regenerate electron-accepting quinones, and, in some cases, 4) a means to alleviate the toxicity of unsaturated aromatic acids. This mechanism for CO2 generation without concomitant CH4 production has the potential to regulate the global warming potential of peatlands by elevating CO2:CH4 production ratios.

Effects of elevated ozone concentration on CH4 and N2O emission from paddy soil under fully open-air field conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Haoye; Liu, Gang; Zhu, Jianguo; Kobayashi, Kazuhiko

2015-04-01

We investigated the effects of elevated ozone concentration (E-O3) on CH4 and N2O emission from paddies with two rice cultivars: an inbred Indica cultivar Yangdao 6 (YD6) and a hybrid one II-you 084 (IIY084), under fully open-air field conditions in China. A mean 26.7% enhancement of ozone concentration above the ambient level (A-O3) significantly reduced CH4 emission at tillering and flowering stages leading to a reduction of seasonal integral CH4 emission by 29.6% on average across the two cultivars. The reduced CH4 emission is associated with O3-induced reduction in the whole-plant biomass (-13.2%), root biomass (-34.7%), and maximum tiller number (-10.3%), all of which curbed the carbon supply for belowground CH4 production and its release from submerged soil to atmosphere. Although no significant difference was detected between the cultivars in the CH4 emission response to E-O3, a larger decrease in CH4 emission with IIY084 (-33.2%) than that with YD6 (-7.0%) was observed at tillering stage, which may be due to the larger reduction in tiller number in IIY084 by E-O3. Additionally, E-O3 reduced seasonal mean NOx flux by 5.7% and 11.8% with IIY084 and YD6, respectively, but the effects were not significant statistically. We found that the relative response of CH4 emission to E-O3 was not significantly different from those reported in open-top chamber experiments. This study has thus confirmed that increasing ozone concentration would mitigate the global warming potential of CH4 and suggested consideration of the feedback mechanism between ozone and its precursor emission into the projection of future ozone effects on terrestrial ecosystem. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vibrational transition moments of CH4 from first principles

Science.gov (United States)

Yurchenko, Sergei N.; Tennyson, Jonathan; Barber, Robert J.; Thiel, Walter

2013-09-01

New nine-dimensional (9D), ab initio electric dipole moment surfaces (DMSs) of methane in its ground electronic state are presented. The DMSs are computed using an explicitly correlated coupled cluster CCSD(T)-F12 method in conjunction with an F12-optimized correlation consistent basis set of the TZ-family. A symmetrized molecular bond representation is used to parameterise these 9D DMSs in terms of sixth-order polynomials. Vibrational transition moments as well as band intensities for a large number of IR-active vibrational bands of 12CH4 are computed by vibrationally averaging the ab initio dipole moment components. The vibrational wavefunctions required for these averages are computed variationally using the program TROVE and a new ‘spectroscopic’ 12CH4 potential energy surface. The new DMSs will be used to produce a hot line list for 12CH4.

Windrow composting mitigated CH4 emissions: characterization of methanogenic and methanotrophic communities in manure management.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ruirui; Wang, Yiming; Wei, Shiping; Wang, Wei; Lin, Xiangui

2014-12-01

With increasing livestock breeding, methane (CH4 ) emissions from manure management will increasingly contribute more to atmospheric CH4 concentration. The dynamics of methanogens and methanotrophs have not yet been studied in the manure environment. The current study combines surface CH4 emissions with methanogenic and methanotrophic community analyses from two management practices, windrow composting (WCOM) and solid storage (SSTO). Our results showed that there was an c. 50% reduction of CH4 emissions with WCOM compared with SSTO over a 50-day period. A sharp decrease in the quantities of both methanogens and methanotrophs in WCOM suggested that CH4 mitigation was mainly due to decreased CH4 production rather than increased CH4 oxidation. Pyrosequencing analysis demonstrated that aeration caused a clear shift of dominant methanogens in the manure, with specifically a significant decrease in Methanosarcina and increase in Methanobrevibacter. The composition of methanogenic community was influenced by manure management and regulated CH4 production. A sharp increase in the quantity of methanotrophs in SSTO suggested that microbial CH4 oxidation is an important sink for the CH4 produced. The increased abundance of Methylococcaceae in SSTO suggested that Type I methanotrophs have an advantage in CH4 oxidation in occupying niches under low CH4 and high O2 conditions. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-year coupled biogeochemical and biophysical impacts of restoring drained agricultural peatlands to wetlands across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemes, K. S.; Eichelmann, E.; Chamberlain, S.; Knox, S. H.; Oikawa, P.; Sturtevant, C.; Verfaillie, J. G.; Baldocchi, D. D.

2017-12-01

Globally, delta ecosystems are critical for human livelihoods, but are at increasingly greater risk of degradation. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (`Delta') has been subsiding dramatically, losing close to 100 Tg of carbon since the mid 19th century due in large part to agriculture-induced oxidation of the peat soils through drainage and cultivation. Efforts to re-wet the peat soils through wetland restoration are attractive as climate mitigation activities. While flooded wetland systems have the potential to sequester significant amounts of carbon as photosynthesis outpaces aerobic respiration, the highly-reduced conditions can result in significant methane emissions. This study will utilize three years (2014-2016) of continuous, gap-filled, CO2 and CH4 flux data from a mesonetwork of seven eddy covariance towers in the Delta to compute GHG budgets for the restored wetlands and agricultural baseline sites measured. Along with biogeochemical impacts of wetland restoration, biophysical impacts such as changes in reflectance, energy partitioning, and surface roughness, can have significant local to regional impacts on air temperature and heat fluxes. We hypothesize that despite flooded wetlands reducing albedo, wetland land cover will cool the near-surface air temperature due to increased net radiation being preferentially partitioned into latent heat flux and rougher canopy conditions allowing for more turbulent mixing with the atmosphere. This study will investigate the seasonal and diurnal patterns of turbulent energy fluxes and the surface properties that drive them. With nascent policy mechanisms set to compensate landowners and farmers for low emission land use practices beyond reforestation, it is essential that policy mechanisms take into consideration how the biophysical impacts of land use change could drive local to regional-scale climatic perturbations, enhancing or attenuating the biogeochemical impacts.

A 21st-century shift from fossil-fuel to biogenic methane emissions indicated by ¹³CH₄.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, Hinrich; Mikaloff Fletcher, Sara E; Veidt, Cordelia; Lassey, Keith R; Brailsford, Gordon W; Bromley, Tony M; Dlugokencky, Edward J; Michel, Sylvia E; Miller, John B; Levin, Ingeborg; Lowe, Dave C; Martin, Ross J; Vaughn, Bruce H; White, James W C

2016-04-01

Between 1999 and 2006, a plateau interrupted the otherwise continuous increase of atmospheric methane concentration [CH4] since preindustrial times. Causes could be sink variability or a temporary reduction in industrial or climate-sensitive sources. We reconstructed the global history of [CH4] and its stable carbon isotopes from ice cores, archived air, and a global network of monitoring stations. A box-model analysis suggests that diminishing thermogenic emissions, probably from the fossil-fuel industry, and/or variations in the hydroxyl CH4 sink caused the [CH4] plateau. Thermogenic emissions did not resume to cause the renewed [CH4] rise after 2006, which contradicts emission inventories. Post-2006 source increases are predominantly biogenic, outside the Arctic, and arguably more consistent with agriculture than wetlands. If so, mitigating CH4 emissions must be balanced with the need for food production. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Carbon dynamics in wetland restoration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kovalenko, K.; Ciborowski, J.; Gardner-Costa, J.; Slama, C. [Windsor Univ., ON (Canada); Daly, C.; Hornung, J. [Suncor Energy, Calgary, AB (Canada); Dixon, G.; Farwell, A. [Waterloo Univ., ON (Canada); Foote, L.; Frederick, K.; Roy, M. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Liber, K. [Saskatchewan Univ., Saskatoon, SK (Canada); Smits, J. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada); Wytrykush, C. [Syncrude Canada Ltd., Edmonton, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

This study focused on the reclamation of wetland ecosystems impacted by oil sands development in the boreal wetlands. Although these wetlands play an important role in global carbon balance, their ecosystem function is compromised by direct and regional anthropogenic disturbance and climate change. Large oil sand mining areas that require reclamation generate substantial quantities of extraction process-affected materials. In order to determine if the reclaimed wetlands were restored to equivalent ecosystem function, this study evaluated carbon flows and food web structure in oil sands-affected wetlands. The purpose was to determine whether a prescribed reclamation strategy or topsoil amendment accelerates reclaimed wetland development to produce self-sustaining peatlands. In addition to determining carbon fluxes, this study measured compartment standing stocks for residual hydrocarbons, organic substrate, bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, biofilm, macrophytes, detritus, zoobenthos and aquatic-terrestrial exports. Most biotic 28 compartments differed between oil-sands-affected and reference wetlands, but the difference lessened with age. Macroinvertebrate trophic diversity was lower in oil sands-affected wetlands. Peat amendment seemed to speed convergence for some compartments but not others. These results were discussed in the context of restoration of ecosystem function and optimization of reclamation strategies.

OH vibrational activation and decay dynamics of CH4-OH entrance channel complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheeler, Martyn D.; Tsiouris, Maria; Lester, Marsha I.; Lendvay, Gyoergy

2000-01-01

Infrared spectroscopy has been utilized to examine the structure and vibrational decay dynamics of CH 4 -OH complexes that have been stabilized in the entrance channel to the CH 4 +OH hydrogen abstraction reaction. Rotationally resolved infrared spectra of the CH 4 -OH complexes have been obtained in the OH fundamental and overtone regions using an IR-UV (infrared-ultraviolet) double-resonance technique. Pure OH stretching bands have been identified at 3563.45(5) and 6961.98(4) cm-1 (origins), along with combination bands involving the simultaneous excitation of OH stretching and intermolecular bending motions. The infrared spectra exhibit extensive homogeneous broadening arising from the rapid decay of vibrationally activated CH 4 -OH complexes due to vibrational relaxation and/or reaction. Lifetimes of 38(5) and 25(3) ps for CH 4 -OH prepared with one and two quanta of OH excitation, respectively, have been extracted from the infrared spectra. The nascent distribution of the OH products from vibrational predissociation has been evaluated by ultraviolet probe laser-induced fluorescence measurements. The dominant inelastic decay channel involves the transfer of one quantum of OH stretch to the pentad of CH 4 vibrational states with energies near 3000 cm-1. The experimental findings are compared with full collision studies of vibrationally excited OH with CH 4 . In addition, ab initio electronic structure calculations have been carried out to elucidate the minimum energy configuration of the CH 4 -OH complex. The calculations predict a C 3v geometry with the hydrogen of OH pointing toward one of four equivalent faces of the CH 4 tetrahedron, consistent with the analysis of the experimental infrared spectra. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Effect of antisymmetric C–H stretching excitation on the dynamics of O({sup 1}D) + CH{sub 4} → OH + CH{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, Huilin; Yang, Jiayue; Zhang, Dong; Shuai, Quan; Jiang, Bo [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023 (China); Dai, Dongxu; Wu, Guorong, E-mail: wugr@dicp.ac.cn, E-mail: xmyang@dicp.ac.cn; Yang, Xueming, E-mail: wugr@dicp.ac.cn, E-mail: xmyang@dicp.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian, Liaoning 116023 (China); Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

2014-04-21

The effect of antisymmetric C–H stretching excitation of CH{sub 4} on the dynamics and reactivity of the O({sup 1}D) + CH{sub 4} → OH + CD{sub 3} reaction at the collision energy of 6.10 kcal/mol has been investigated using the crossed-beam and time-sliced velocity map imaging techniques. The antisymmetric C–H stretching mode excited CH{sub 4} molecule was prepared by direct infrared excitation. From the measured images of the CH{sub 3} products with the infrared laser on and off, the product translational energy and angular distributions were derived for both the ground and vibrationally excited reactions. Experimental results show that the vibrational energy of the antisymmetric stretching excited CH{sub 4} reagent is channeled exclusively into the vibrational energy of the OH co-products and, hence, the OH products from the excited-state reaction are about one vibrational quantum hotter than those from the ground-state reaction, and the product angular distributions are barely affected by the vibrational excitation of the CH{sub 4} reagent. The reactivity was found to be suppressed by the antisymmetric stretching excitation of CH{sub 4} for all observed CH{sub 3} vibrational states. The degree of suppression is different for different CH{sub 3} vibrational states: the suppression is about 40%–60% for the ground state and the umbrella mode excited CH{sub 3} products, while for the CH{sub 3} products with one quantum symmetric stretching mode excitation, the suppression is much less pronounced. In consequence, the vibrational state distribution of the CH{sub 3} product from the excited-state reaction is considerably different from that of the ground-state reaction.

Influence of O_2 exposure on the interaction between CH_4 and amorphous AlYB_1_4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunold, Oliver; Wiesing, Martin; Arcos, Teresa de los; Music, Denis; Grundmeier, Guido; Schneider, Jochen M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Influence of O_2 exposure on the surface chemistry of a-AlYB_1_4 on the interaction with CH_4 and PE studied by ab initio and UHV-AFM. • Predicted stronger interaction is consistent with experimentally observed trends. • Upon O_2 exposure surface bonding becomes more semiconducting causing a charge redistribution within the adsorbed CH_4 molecule. • The data serve as proof of concept for exploring polymer − hard coating interactions in varying atmospheres. - Abstract: The influence of surface oxidation on the interaction between CH_4 and amorphous AlYB_1_4 (a-AlYB_1_4) has been studied theoretically by using density functional theory and experimentally by ultra-high vacuum atomic force microscopy (UHV-AFM). CH_4 mimics the –CH_3 termination and aliphatic subunits of a polymer chain. Low-energy ion scattering measurements of magnetron sputtered thin films suggest that the bonding at the surfaces of pristine a-AlYB_1_4 and O_2 exposed a-AlYB_1_4 (O_2//a-AlYB_1_4) is metal-boron and metal-oxygen dominated, respectively. Based on the ab initio calculations the adsorption energies of CH_4 on a-AlYB_1_4 and O_2//a-AlYB_1_4 decreases from −0.07 to −0.30 eV, respectively. This trend is consistent with experimental data obtained by colloidal probe UHV-AFM studies with a polyethylene sphere, where larger adhesion forces for the O_2 exposed surface as compared to the pristine a-AlYB_1_4 surface were measured. No charge transfer takes place between CH_4 and the pristine as well as the O_2 exposed a-AlYB_1_4. Oxygen chemisorption induces changes in surface bonding. States at the Fermi level are depleted upon oxidation, hence the surface bonding becomes more semiconducting causing a charge redistribution within the adsorbed CH_4 molecule. Hence, these data serve as proof of concept for exploring the effect of O_2 exposure on the interaction between aliphatic polymers and a-AlYB_1_4 using a correlative experimental and theoretical research approach.

Effects of experimental warming and nitrogen addition on soil respiration and CH4 fluxes from crop rotations of winter wheat–soybean/fallow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, L; Hu, C; Yang, P

2015-01-01

Soil respiration and CH4 emissions play a significant role in the global carbon balance. However, in situ studies in agricultural soils on responses of soil respiration and CH4 fluxes to climate warming are still sparse, especially from long-term studies with year-round heating. A warming...... by affecting soil NH4 concentration. Across years, CH4 emissions were negatively correlated with soil temperature in N1 treatment. Soil respiration showed clear seasonal fluctuations, with the largest emissions during summer and smallest in winter. Warming and nitrogen fertilization had no significant effects...... on total cumulative soil CO2 fluxes. Soil respiration was positively correlated with microbial biomass C, and microbial biomass C was not affected significantly by warming or nitrogen addition. The lack of significant effects of warming on soil respiration may have resulted from: (1) warming-induced soil...

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ATMOSPHERIC CO_2 AND CH_4 CONCENTRATIONS AT SYOWA STATION, ANTARCTICA

OpenAIRE

アオキ, シュウジ; ナカザワ, タカキヨ; ムラヤマ, ショウヘイ; シミズ, アキラ; ハヤシ, マサヒコ; イワイ, クニモト; Shuhji, AOKI; Takakiyo, NAKAZAWA; Shohei, MURAYAMA; Akira, SHIMIZU; Masahiko, HAYASHI; Kunimoto, IWAI

1994-01-01

Precise measurements of the atmospheric CO_2 and CH_4 concentrations have been continued at Syowa Station since 1984 and 1987,respectively. Measured concentrations show secular increase, together with seasonal cycle and irregular variations. Negative correlation is clearly seen between the secular trends of the CO_2 and CH_4 concentrations. The increase rates of CO_2 and CH_4 show oscillations with periods of 2.3 to 2.8 years. The phases of the average seasonal cycles of CO_2 and CH_4 coincid...

Reticular synthesis of HKUST-like tbo MOFs with enhanced CH4 storage

KAUST Repository

Spanopoulos, Ioannis

2015-12-22

Successful implementation of reticular chemistry using a judiciously designed rigid octatopic carboxylate organic linker allowed the construction of expanded HKUST-1-like tbo-MOF series with intrinsic strong CH4 adsorption sites. The Cu-analogue displayed a concomitant enhancement of the gravimetric and volumetric surface area with the highest reported CH4 uptake among the tbo family, comparable to the best performing MOFs for CH4 storage. The corresponding gravimetric (BET) and volumetric surface area of 3971 m2 g-1 and 2363 m2 cm-3 represent an increase of respectively 115 % and 47 % in comparison to the corresponding values for the prototypical HKUST-1 (tbo-MOF-1), and 42 % and 20 % higher than tbo-MOF-2. High pressure methane adsorption isotherms revealed a high total gravimetric and volumetric CH4 uptakes, reaching 372 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 221 cm3 (STP) cm-3 respectively at 85 bar and 298 K. The corresponding working capacities between 5-80 bar were found to be 294 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 175 cm3 (STP) cm-3 and are placed among the best performing MOFs for CH4 storage particularly at relatively low temperature (e.g. 326 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 194 cm3 (STP) cm-3 at 258 K). To better understand the structure-property relationship and gain insight on the mechanism accounting for the resultant enhanced CH4 storage capacity, molecular simulation study was performed and revealed the presence of very strong CH4 adsorption sites at the vicinity of the organic linker with similar adsorption energetics as the open metal sites. The present findings supports the potential of tbo-MOFs based on the supermolecular building layer (SBL) approach as an ideal platform to further enhance the CH4 storage capacity via expansion and functionalization of the quadrangular pillars.

Reticular synthesis of HKUST-like tbo MOFs with enhanced CH4 storage

KAUST Repository

Spanopoulos, Ioannis; Tsangarakis, Constantinos; Klontzas, Emmanuel; Tylianakis, Emmanuel; Froudakis, George; Adil, Karim; Belmabkhout, Youssef; Eddaoudi, Mohamed; Trikalitis, Pantelis N.

2015-01-01

Successful implementation of reticular chemistry using a judiciously designed rigid octatopic carboxylate organic linker allowed the construction of expanded HKUST-1-like tbo-MOF series with intrinsic strong CH4 adsorption sites. The Cu-analogue displayed a concomitant enhancement of the gravimetric and volumetric surface area with the highest reported CH4 uptake among the tbo family, comparable to the best performing MOFs for CH4 storage. The corresponding gravimetric (BET) and volumetric surface area of 3971 m2 g-1 and 2363 m2 cm-3 represent an increase of respectively 115 % and 47 % in comparison to the corresponding values for the prototypical HKUST-1 (tbo-MOF-1), and 42 % and 20 % higher than tbo-MOF-2. High pressure methane adsorption isotherms revealed a high total gravimetric and volumetric CH4 uptakes, reaching 372 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 221 cm3 (STP) cm-3 respectively at 85 bar and 298 K. The corresponding working capacities between 5-80 bar were found to be 294 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 175 cm3 (STP) cm-3 and are placed among the best performing MOFs for CH4 storage particularly at relatively low temperature (e.g. 326 cm3 (STP) g-1 and 194 cm3 (STP) cm-3 at 258 K). To better understand the structure-property relationship and gain insight on the mechanism accounting for the resultant enhanced CH4 storage capacity, molecular simulation study was performed and revealed the presence of very strong CH4 adsorption sites at the vicinity of the organic linker with similar adsorption energetics as the open metal sites. The present findings supports the potential of tbo-MOFs based on the supermolecular building layer (SBL) approach as an ideal platform to further enhance the CH4 storage capacity via expansion and functionalization of the quadrangular pillars.

Assessing diel variation of CH4 flux from rice paddies through temperature patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Centeno, Caesar Arloo R.; Alberto, Ma Carmelita R.; Wassmann, Reiner; Sander, Bjoern Ole

2017-10-01

The diel variation in methane (CH4) flux from irrigated rice was characterized during the dry and wet cropping seasons in 2013 and 2014 using the eddy covariance (EC) technique. The EC technique has the advantage of obtaining measurements of fluxes at an extremely high temporal resolution (10Hz), meaning it records 36,000 measurements per hour. The EC measurements can very well capture the temporal variations of the diel (both diurnal and nocturnal) fluxes of CH4 and the environmental factors (temperature, surface energy flux, and gross ecosystem photosynthesis) at 30-min intervals. The information generated by this technique is important to enhance our mechanistic understanding of the different factors affecting the landscape scale diel CH4 flux. Distinct diel patterns of CH4 flux were observed when the data were partitioned into different cropping periods (pre-planting, growth, and fallow). The temporal variations of the diel CH4 flux during the dry seasons were more pronounced than during the wet seasons because the latter had so much climatic disturbance from heavy monsoon rains and occasional typhoons. Pearson correlation analysis and Granger causality test were used to confirm if the environmental factors evaluated were not only correlated with but also Granger-causing the diel CH4 flux. Soil temperature at 2.5 cm depth (Ts 2.5 cm) can be used as simple proxy for predicting diel variations of CH4 fluxes in rice paddies using simple linear regression during both the dry and wet seasons. This simple site-specific temperature response function can be used for gap-filling CH4 flux data for improving the estimates of CH4 source strength from irrigated rice production.

Long-Term Drainage Reduces CO2 Uptake and CH4 Emissions in a Siberian Permafrost Ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Kittler, Fanny; Heimann, Martin; Kolle, Olaf; Zimov, Nikita; Zimov, Sergei; Göckede, Mathias

2017-12-01

Permafrost landscapes in northern high latitudes with their massive organic carbon stocks are an important, poorly known, component of the global carbon cycle. However, in light of future Arctic warming, the sustainability of these carbon pools is uncertain. To a large part, this is due to a limited understanding of the carbon cycle processes because of sparse observations in Arctic permafrost ecosystems. Here we present an eddy covariance data set covering more than 3 years of continuous CO2 and CH4 flux observations within a moist tussock tundra ecosystem near Chersky in north-eastern Siberia. Through parallel observations of a disturbed (drained) area and a control area nearby, we aim to evaluate the long-term effects of a persistently lowered water table on the net vertical carbon exchange budgets and the dominating biogeochemical mechanisms. Persistently drier soils trigger systematic shifts in the tundra ecosystem carbon cycle patterns. Both, uptake rates of CO2 and emissions of CH4 decreased. Year-round measurements emphasize the importance of the non-growing season—in particular the "zero-curtain" period in the fall—to the annual budget. Approximately 60% of the CO2 uptake in the growing season is lost during the cold seasons, while CH4 emissions during the non-growing season account for 30% of the annual budget. Year-to-year variability in temperature conditions during the late growing season was identified as the primary control of the interannual variability observed in the CO2 and CH4 fluxes.

Annual variation of CH4 emissions from the middle taiga in West Siberian Lowland (2005–2009: a case of high CH4 flux and precipitation rate in the summer of 2007

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sasakawa

2012-03-01

Full Text Available We described continuous measurements of CH4 and CO2 concentration obtained at two sites placed in the middle taiga, Karasevoe (KRS and Demyanskoe (DEM, in West Siberian Lowland (WSL from 2005 to 2009. Although both CH4 and CO2 accumulation (ΔCH4 and ▵CO2 during night-time at KRS in June and July 2007 showed an anomalously high concentration, higher ratios of ΔCH4/ΔCO2 compared with those in other years indicated that a considerably higher CH4 flux occurred relative to the CO2 flux. The daily CH4 flux calculated with the ratio of ΔCH4/ΔCO2 and terrestrial biosphere CO2 flux from an ecosystem model showed a maximum in July at the both sites. Although anomalously high flux was observed in June and July 2007 at KRS, only a small flux variation was observed at DEM. The high regional CH4 flux in June and July 2007 at KRS was reproduced using a process-based ecosystem model, Vegetation Integrative Simulator for Trace gases (VISIT, in response to high water table depth caused by the anomalously high precipitation during the summer of 2007.

CH4 emissions from enteric fermentation in Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebetsroither, E.; Orthofer, R.; Strebl, F.

2002-07-01

This report contains the results of an inventory for methane (CH 4 ) emissions from agricultural enteric fermentation in Austria for the period 1980-2001. Emissions were calculated according to IPCC guidelines. The detailed IPCC 'Tier 2' methodology was applied for cattle (which contribute the vast majority of emissions). The 'Tier 2' methodology relies on specific emission factors that are calculated from the energy intake for different cattle farming practices. The less detailed 'Tier 1' methodology was applied for all other animal categories. Emissions from organic and conventional farming practices were calculated separately. Results indicate that CH 4 emissions from manure management have increased from 1980 to a peak in 1984-1985, and since then have steadily declined. CH 4 emissions were about 169.300 t/yr in 'Kyoto' base year 1990 and have since declined by about 11 % to about 150.000 t/yr in 2001. Almost all emissions (95 % in 1990 and 94 % in 2001) are caused by cattle farming. The contribution of 'dairy cattle' to all emissions from cattle was 49 % in 1990, and has declined to 43 % in 2001. The overall reduction was caused mainly by a decrease in the total numbers of animals. However, in the case of dairy cows the reduction of animals is partly counterbalanced by an increase in emissions per animal (because of the increasing gross energy intake and milk production of milk cattle since 1990). Uncertainties of emissions were estimated with a 'Monte Carlo' simulation. Assuming a normal probability distribution, the calculated standard deviation is 4 %. This indicates there is a 95 % probability that CH 4 emissions are between ± 2 standard deviations, i.e. between 153.000 t and 178.000 t in the year 1990 and between 138.000 t and 162.000 t in the year 2001. (author)

Methane in the Amazon: A forward and inverse regional modeling approach

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, V.; Gerbig, C.; Koch, F. T.; Karstens, U.; Chen, H.; Bela, M. M.; Longo, K.; Freitas, S.; Bergamaschi, P. M.; Kaplan, J. O.; Prigent, C.

2011-12-01

The Amazon region is an important player in the global methane (CH4) cycle, the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2. Different major CH4 sources in the Amazon region such as anaerobic microbial production in wetlands and biomass burning will be affected by changing climate. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the processes is required. Within the BARCA (Balanço Atmosférico Regional de Carbono na Amazônia) project, airborne measurements of greenhouse gases, associated tracers and aerosols were taken during the end of the dry season in November 2008 as well as during the end of the wet season in May 2009. These aircraft measurements and additional ground based measurements provide a test bed for high resolution transport simulation of CH4. Here we present a comparison of WRF-Chem passive tracer simulations of CH4 to airborne CH4 observations obtained from the BARCA campaigns in November 2008 and May 2009 using the newly established WRF Greenhouse Gas Model (WRF-GHG) in combination with two different process-based bottom-up models for the calculation of CH4 emissions from anaerobic microbial production in wetlands (Kaplan and Walter-Heimann) and three different wetland inundation maps (Kaplan, JERS-1SAR, Prigent). The comparison illustrates the importance of a wetland inundation map with inundated area changing in time, and the quality of the representation of atmospheric transport in regional models in tropical regions. In addition, we demonstrate a comparison of WRF-GHG CH4 simulations to TT34 tower observations (35 m above ground; located 60 km north-west of Manaus, Brazil) for August 2009, evaluating the performance of WRF-GHG in representing CH4 observations in the planetary boundary layer in tropical regions. Finally, we present preliminary results of a regional inversion using the TM3-STILT model together with the above mentioned observations for the estimation of the CH4 budget of the Amazon region.

Effects of prolonged soil drought on CH4 oxidation in a temperate spruce forest

Science.gov (United States)

Borken, W.; Brumme, R.; Xu, Y.-J.

2000-03-01

Our objective was to determine potential impacts of changes in rainfall amount and distribution on soil CH4 oxidation in a temperate forest ecosystem. We constructed a roof below the canopy of a 65-year-old Norway spruce forest (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and simulated two climate change scenarios: (1) an extensively prolonged summer drought of 172 days followed by a rewetting period of 19 days in 1993 and (2) a less intensive summer drought of 108 days followed by a rewetting period of 33 days in 1994. CH4 oxidation, soil matric potential, and soil temperature were measured hourly to daily over a 2-year period. The results showed that annual CH4 oxidation in the drought experiment increased by 102% for the climate change scenario 1 and by 41% for the climate change scenario 2, compared to those of the ambient plot (1.33 kg CH4 ha-1 in 1993 and 1.65 kg CH4 ha-1 in 1994). We tested the relationships between CH4 oxidation rates, water-filled pore space (WFPS), soil matric potential, gas diffusivity, and soil temperature. Temporal variability in the CH4 oxidation rates corresponded most closely to soil matric potential. Employing soil matric potential and soil temperature, we developed a nonlinear model for estimating CH4 oxidation rates. Modeled results were in strong agreement with the measured CH4 oxidation for the ambient (r2 = 0.80) and drought plots (r2 = 0.89) over two experimental years, suggesting that soil matric potential is a highly reliable parameter for modeling CH4 oxidation rate.

Landscape Controls of CH4 Fluxes in a Catchment of the Forest Tundra in Northern Siberia

Science.gov (United States)

Flessa, H.; Rodionov, A.; Guggenberger, G.; Fuchs, H.; Magdon, P.; Shibistova, O.; Zrazhevskaya, G.; Kasansky, O.; Blodau, C.

2007-12-01

Soils have the capacity to both produce and consume atmospheric methane. The direction and the size of net- CH4 exchange between soils and atmosphere is mainly controlled by the soil aeration, temperature and the amount of bioavailable organic matter. All these factors are strongly influenced by distribution and seasonal dynamics of permafrost. Thus, distribution of permafrost and the thickness of the active layer can exert strong influence on CH4 dynamics in artic and northern boreal ecosystems. We analyzed the spatial and temporal variability of net-CH4 exchange within a catchment located in the Siberian forest tundra at the eastern shore of the lower Yenissej River to constrain the current function of this region as a sink or source of atmospheric CH4 and to gain insight into the potential for climatic change to alter the rate and form of carbon cycling and CH4 fluxes in this region. Net-fluxes of CH4 were measured from July to November 2003 and from August 2006 to July 2007 on representative soils of the catchment (mineral soils with different thawing depth, soils of bog plateaux) and on a thermokarst pond. In addition, dissolved CH4 in the stream draining the catchment was determined. Field observations, classification of landscape structures from satellite images and flux measurements were combined to estimate total catchment CH4 exchange. Nearly all soils of the catchment were net-sinks of atmospheric CH4 with annual CH4-C uptake rates ranging between 1.2 and 0.2 kg ha-1 yr-1. The active layer depth was the main factor determining the size of CH4 uptake. Total net-exchange of CH4 from the catchment was dominated by ponds that covered only about 2% of the catchment area. Due to high CH4 emission from these aquatic systems, the catchment was a net source of atmospheric CH4 with a mean annual emission of approximately 170 kg CH4-C ha-1. CH4 concentration in streams draining the catchment can help to identify areas with high CH4 production. The results suggest

A Monte Carlo study of backscattering effects in the photoelectron emission from CsI into CH$_{4}$ and Ar-CH$_{4}$ mixtures

CERN Document Server

Escada, J; Rachinhas, P J B M; Lopes, J A M; Santos, F P; Távora, L M N; Conde, C A N; Stauffer, A D

2007-01-01

Monte Carlo simulation is used to investigate photoelectron backscattering effects in the emission from a CsI photocathode into CH4 and Ar-CH4 mixtures for incident monochromatic photons with energies Eph in the range 6.8 eV to 9.8 eV (182 nm to 127 nm), and photons from a continuous VUV Hg(Ar) lamp with a spectral distribution peaked at Eph = 6.7 eV (185 nm), considering reduced applied electric fields E/N in the 0.1 Td to 40 Td range. The addition of CH4 to a noble gas efficiently increases electron transmission and drift velocity, due to vibrational excitation of the molecules at low electron energies. Results are presented for the photoelectron transmission efficiencies f, where f is the fraction of the number of photoelectrons emitted from CsI which are transmitted through the gas as compared to vacuum. The dependence of f on Eph, E/N, and mixture composition is analyzed and explained in terms of electron scattering in the different gas media, and results are compared with available measurements. Electro...

A record of aerobic methane oxidation in tropical Africa over the last 2.5 Ma

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer-Jones, Charlotte L.; Wagner, Thomas; Talbot, Helen M.

2017-12-01

Methane and CO2 are climatically active greenhouse gases (GHG) and are powerful drivers of rapid global warming. Comparable to the Arctic, the tropics store large volumes of labile sedimentary carbon that is vulnerable to climate change. However, little is known about this labile carbon reservoir, in particular the behaviour of high methane-producing environments (e.g. wetlands), and their role in driving or responding to past periods of global climate change. In this study, we use a microbial biomarker approach that traces continental aerobic methane oxidation (AMO) from sedimentary organic matter in deep-sea fan sediments off the Congo River to reconstruct the link between central African methane cycling and continental export during key periods of global Pleistocene warmth. We use 35-amino bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs), specifically aminobacteriohopane-31,32,33,34-tetrol (aminotetrol) and 35-aminobacteriohopane-30,31,32,33,34-pentol (aminopentol) as diagnostic molecular markers for AMO (CH4 oxidation markers) and the prevalence of continental wetland environments. BHPs were analysed in sediments from the Congo fan (ODP 1075) dated to 2.5 Ma. High resolution studies of key warm marine isotope stages (MIS) 5, 11 and 13 are included to test the relationship between CH4 oxidation markers in sediments at different levels of elevated global atmospheric GHG. This study presents the oldest reported occurrence, to date, of 35-amino BHPs up to 200 m below sea floor (∼2.5 Ma) with no strong degradation signature observed. Low concentrations of CH4 oxidation markers identified between 1.7 Ma and 1 Ma suggest a reduction in wetland extent in tropical Africa in response to more arid environmental conditions. Correlation of high resolution CH4 oxidation marker signatures with global atmospheric GHG concentrations during MIS 5, 11 and 13 further emphasize periods of enhanced tropical C cycling. However, subsequent analysis would be required to further extrapolate the relative

The magnitude and persistence of soil NO, N20, CH4, and C02 fluxes from burned tropical savanna in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Mark Poth; Iris Cofman Anderson; Heloisa Sinatora Miranda; Antonia Carlos Miranda; Philip J. Riggan

1995-01-01

Among all global ecosystems, tropical savannas are the most severely and extensively affected by anthropogenic burning. Frequency of fire in cerrado, a type of tropical savanna covering 25% of Brazil, is 2 to 4 years. In 1992 we measured soil fluxes of NO, N20, CH4, and C02 from cerrado sites that had...

Disproportionation and thermochemical sulfate reduction reactions in S-H20-Ch4 and S-D2O-CH4 systems from 200 to 340 °C at elevated pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Shunda; Chou, I-Ming; Burruss, Robert A.

2013-01-01

Elemental sulfur, as a transient intermediate compound, by-product, or catalyst, plays significant roles in thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) reactions. However, the mechanisms of the reactions in S-H2O-hydrocarbons systems are not clear. To improve our understanding of reaction mechanisms, we conducted a series of experiments between 200 and 340 °C for S-H2O-CH4, S-D2O-CH4, and S-CH4-1m ZnBr2 systems in fused silica capillary capsules (FSCC). After a heating period ranging from 24 to 2160 hours (hrs), the quenched samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. Combined with the in situ Raman spectra collected at high temperatures and pressures in the S-H2O and S-H2O-CH4 systems, our results showed that (1) the disproportionation of sulfur in the S-H2O-CH4 system occurred at temperatures above 200 °C and produced H2S, SO42-, and possibly trace amount of HSO4-; (2) sulfate (and bisulfate), in the presence of sulfur, can be reduced by methane between 250 and 340 °C to produce CO2 and H2S, and these TSR temperatures are much closer to those of the natural system (2O-CH4 system may take place simultaneously, with TSR being favored at higher temperatures; and (4) in the system S-D2O-CH4, both TSR and the competitive disproportionation reactions occurred simultaneously at temperatures above 300 °C, but these reactions were very slow at lower temperatures. Our observation of methane reaction at 250 °C in a laboratory time scale suggests that, in a geologic time scale, methane may be destroyed by TSR reactions at temperatures > 200 °C that can be reached by deep drilling for hydrocarbon resources.

Projecting the Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change on Montane Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Hamlet, Alan F.; Palen, Wendy J.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Halabisky, Meghan

2015-01-01

Wetlands are globally important ecosystems that provide critical services for natural communities and human society. Montane wetland ecosystems are expected to be among the most sensitive to changing climate, as their persistence depends on factors directly influenced by climate (e.g. precipitation, snowpack, evaporation). Despite their importance and climate sensitivity, wetlands tend to be understudied due to a lack of tools and data relative to what is available for other ecosystem types. Here, we develop and demonstrate a new method for projecting climate-induced hydrologic changes in montane wetlands. Using observed wetland water levels and soil moisture simulated by the physically based Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model, we developed site-specific regression models relating soil moisture to observed wetland water levels to simulate the hydrologic behavior of four types of montane wetlands (ephemeral, intermediate, perennial, permanent wetlands) in the U. S. Pacific Northwest. The hybrid models captured observed wetland dynamics in many cases, though were less robust in others. We then used these models to a) hindcast historical wetland behavior in response to observed climate variability (1916–2010 or later) and classify wetland types, and b) project the impacts of climate change on montane wetlands using global climate model scenarios for the 2040s and 2080s (A1B emissions scenario). These future projections show that climate-induced changes to key driving variables (reduced snowpack, higher evapotranspiration, extended summer drought) will result in earlier and faster drawdown in Pacific Northwest montane wetlands, leading to systematic reductions in water levels, shortened wetland hydroperiods, and increased probability of drying. Intermediate hydroperiod wetlands are projected to experience the greatest changes. For the 2080s scenario, widespread conversion of intermediate wetlands to fast-drying ephemeral wetlands will likely reduce

Projecting the Hydrologic Impacts of Climate Change on Montane Wetlands.