Diffusive CH4 fluxes from aquaculture ponds using floating chambers and thin boundary layer equations

Abstract

Static floating chambers (FCs) are the conventional method to measure CH4 fluxes across the water-air interface in ponds, while thin boundary layer (TBL) modelling is increasingly used to estimate CH4 fluxes. In this study, both FCs measurements and TBL models of gas transfer velocity were used to determine CH4 evasion from aquaculture ponds in southeastern China. The surface water CH4 concentrations ranged from 0.4 to 9.1 μmol L-1 with an average of 4.8 ± 0.8 μmol L-1. CH4 flux was always positive, indicating the ponds as a persistent CH4 source to air. Mean CH4 flux based on different TBL models showed large variations, ranging between 19 and 316 μmol m−2 h−1. Compared against the direct measurement FCs, three TBL models developed for the open sea, flowing estuarine system and lentic ecosystem (TBLW92a, TBLRC01, and TBLCL98, respectively) overestimated CH4 emission by 40–200%, while the wind tunnel-based TBL model (TBLLM86) underestimated CH4 emission. Two TBL models developed for lakes (TBLW92b and TBLCW03) gave estimates similar to FCs.