Distributions, Land-source Input and Atmospheric Fluxes of Methane in Jiaozhou Bay

Abstract

CH4 concentrations in both the surface and bottom waters of Jiaozhou Bay were determined during four surveys in 2003, which showed variability with both seasons and tidal cycles. Atmospheric fluxes of CH4 in Jiaozhou Bay showed obvious seasonal and spatial variations, with the highest values occurring in summer and the lowest in winter. The annual emission of CH4 from Jiaozhou Bay was estimated to be \( 7.98 \times 10^{6} - 18.0 \times 10^{6} \;{\text{mol}}/{\text{year}} \). CH4 in the water column of Jiaozhou Bay was found to come from several land-sources including riverine water input, sewage water input and groundwater input. The spatial and temporal variation in distributions and atmospheric fluxes of CH4 in Jiaozhou Bay was influenced mainly by the input of polluted river waters and the sewage effluents along the eastern coast, which highlights the effects of human impacts on CH4 emission rates.