Methane Flux Measurements Research Articles

Methodology and Uncertainty Analysis of Methane Flux Measurement for Small Sources Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The top–down emission rate retrieval algorithm (TERRA) method for calculating the net flux out of a box has been employed by other researchers to assess large sources of methane release. This usually requires a manned aircraft drone with powerful performance to fly over the boundary layer. Few studies have focused on low-altitude box sampling mass balance methods for small sources of methane release, such as at maximum flight altitudes of less than 100 m. The accuracy and sources of uncertainty in such a method still need to be determined as they differ from the conditions of large sources. Nineteen flights were conducted to detect methane emissions from Chinese oil field well sites using a measurement system consisting of a quadcopter and methane, wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, and temperature sensors. The accuracy and uncertainty of the method are discussed. The average absolute relative error of the measurement is 18.5%, with an average uncertainty of 55.75%. The uncertainty is mainly caused by the wind speed and direction, and the background CH4 concentration. The main paths to reduce uncertainty and improve accuracy for low-altitude box sampling include subtracting the background concentration during flux retrieval, enhancing the accuracy of methane measurements, selecting a period of downwind dominant or wind direction change of less than 30 degrees, and ensuring a maximum flight height greater than 50 m with a horizontal distance from the pollution source center of less than 75 m. The results show that TERRA-based low-altitude box sampling is suitable for quantifying methane release rates from small sources.

Methane Emissions From Seabed to Atmosphere in Polar Oceans Revealed by Direct Methane Flux Measurements

AbstractSea‐air methane flux was measured directly by the eddy‐covariance method across approximately 60,000 km of Arctic and Antarctic cruises during a number of summers. The Arctic Ocean (north of 60°N, between 20°W and 50°E) and Southern Ocean (south of 50°S, between 70°W and 30°E) are found to be on‐shelf sources of atmospheric methane with mean sea‐air fluxes of 9.17 ± 2.91 (SEM (standard error of the mean)) μmol m−2 d−1 and 8.98 ± 0.91 μmol m−2 d−1, respectively. Off‐shelf, this region of the Arctic Ocean is found to be a source of methane (mean flux of 2.39 ± 0.68 μmol m−2 d−1), while this region of the Southern Ocean is found to be a methane sink (mean flux of −0.77 ± 0.37 μmol m−2 d−1). The highest fluxes observed are found around west Svalbard, South Georgia, and South Shetland Islands and Bransfield Strait; areas with evidence of the presence of methane flares emanating from the seabed. Hence, this study may provide evidence of direct emission of seabed methane to the atmosphere in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Comparing with previous studies, the results of this study may indicate an increase in sea‐air flux of methane in areas with seafloor seepage over timescales of several decades. As climate change exacerbates rising water temperatures, continued monitoring of methane release from polar oceans into the future is crucial.

Alternating Conditional Expectations: Introducing a Non‐Parametric Statistical Method to Interpret Long‐Term Greenhouse Gas Flux Measurements Over Semi‐Arid and Wetland Ecosystems

AbstractWe explore the potential of using a non‐parametric statistical method called Alternating Conditional Expectations, ACE, to quantify functional relationships in biogeosciences. Here, ACE is used to quantify the non‐linear and multi‐faceted responses of greenhouse gas fluxes to a set of biophysical forcings, when the shapes of those response surfaces are unknown. We evaluated the statistical method over two contrasting ecosystems and two contrasting time steps. One case involved quantifying the biophysical controls of water vapor and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes over a semi‐arid oak savanna using daily integrated fluxes. The other case evaluated the responses of CO2 and methane (CH4) flux measurements to a set of biophysical forcings at a restored tidal wetland using thirty‐minute averages. The statistical model, based on 4 independent variables, explained up over 90% of the variation in daily integrated flux densities of water vapor and net carbon dioxide exchange at the savanna site. This fit was defined by distinct non‐linear responses to such drivers as gross primary production, photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature, vapor pressure deficit and soil moisture. At the tidal wetland site, we evaluated net carbon dioxide and methane fluxes with short‐term measurements to capture the influence of rising and falling tides and seasonality in biological activity. The statistical model defined the shape of the forcing of fluxes due to the roles of carbon exudates, water table depth, oxygen level in the water column, temperature and vegetation status. The statistical fits of the greenhouse gas fluxes were less precise than the savanna case. The fetch varies on a run‐to‐run basis as it is comprised of a heterogeneous mosaic of open water and vegetation. Furthermore, it is difficult to monitor the environmental conditions of the archaea and bacteria in the sediments that produce methane and carbon dioxide.

Rewetting increases vegetation cover and net growing season carbon uptake under fen conditions after peat-extraction in Manitoba, Canada

The moss layer transfer technique has been developed to restore the carbon sequestration function and typical vegetation of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands after peat extraction in North America. However, the technique does not lead to successful bryophyte establishment when applied to peatlands with a richer residual fen peat. Therefore, we evaluated an alternative method of active rewetting and passive vegetation establishment using vegetation surveys and carbon dioxide and methane (CH4) flux measurements at a post-extracted fen in southern Manitoba, Canada. After one growing season post-rewetting, wetland vegetation established and the site was a net carbon sink over the growing season. However, high abundance of Carex lasiocarpa 10 years post-treatment led to higher CH4 emissions than the reference ecosystem. Successful establishment of wetland vegetation is attributed to the area being surrounded by undisturbed fens that can provide a local source of plant propagules. Bryophyte expansion was less successful than vascular plants, likely due to episodic flooding and shading from the sedge communities. Therefore, careful management of water levels to just below the peat surface is needed if reference vegetation community recovery is the goal of restoration. Water level management will also play a key role in controlling CH4 emissions to maximize carbon sequestration potential.

GEOCHEMICAL CONDITIONS OF SULLAR SPRING: FORMATION OF AUTHIGENIC MINERALS AND METHANE FLUXES

Link for citation: Soldatova E.A., Sidkina E.S., Kiriukhin B.A., Maximov P.N., Krivenok L.A., Ivanov V., Tananaev N.I. Geochemical conditions of Sullar spring: formation of authigenic minerals and methane fluxes. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2023, vol. 334, no. 10, рр. 16-33. In Rus. Relevance and the research object. Interpermafrost aquifers and areas of their discharge with seasonal ice covers are special permafrost-hydrogeological and hydrochemical systems that are not typical for the thick continuous permafrost zone of Central Yakutia. Differences in chlorofluorocarbon content indicate the anaerobic conditions of some springs suggesting microbial degradation of these compounds by methanogenic bacteria. In the discharge area of such springs, a sharp change in the geochemical conditions takes place leading to a transformation in the water chemical composition and boosting the processes of authigenic mineral formation in this buffer area. In current work we considered the geochemical system of the Sullar spring – the most northern and the least studied among interpermafrost groundwater discharge zones of the Lena River right bank. Intensive accumulation of authigenic minerals was found in the Sullar discharge area during field research. It was Fe compounds with bacterial mats as an opalescent film. Some researchers state the connection between the transformation of Fe compounds during permafrost melting and the migration and transformation of organic matter, including its consumption by microorganisms with further methane emission. We assumed that there is a relationship between the authigenic mineral formation and the content and emission of methane in the discharge area of the spring. This research is the first comprehensive description of the hydrochemistry of the interpermafrost water of the Sullar spring. The aim of the research was to explore influence of geochemical conditions and microbial communities on formation of authigenic minerals and methane fluxes, in particular the effect of the change of geochemical conditions due to groundwater discharge on Fe precipitation and to analyze the relation of that process with methane fluxes. For this purpose, we study water chemical composition of the Sullar spring, measure methane fluxes from water surface and analyze mineral and microbial composition of secondary mineral crusts and bottom eluvium collected near water sampling points. Methods. The main element content was determined by ion chromatography. The concentrations of the bicarbonate ion and dissolved carbon dioxide were calculated by the equilibrium modeling method based on the pH and Eh values of the system. The content of trace elements was measured by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. To identify seasonal and annual variability, a retrospective analysis of the water chemical composition of the Sullar spring for the period from 1962 to 2020 was carried out. Methane fluxes were measured using the chamber method. The methane concentration was determined by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The features of the secondary mineral crusts and bottom eluvium were determined using a petrographic microscope. The chemical composition of individual mineral phases was evaluated using a scanning electron microscope equipped with a detector for energy dispersive X-ray spectral microanalysis. The DNA concentration was measured on a fluorimeter. Amplicon libraries were generated by polymer chain reaction with universal primers for the V4 region. Equilibrium modeling was carried out using the HCh software.

Impacts of leaks and gas accumulation on closed chamber methods for measuring methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from tree stems

Accurate measurements of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from tree stems are important for understanding greenhouse gas emissions. Closed chamber methods are commonly employed for this purpose; however, leaks between the chamber and the atmosphere as well as gas accumulation, known as the concentration buildup effect, can impact flux measurements significantly. In this study, we investigated the impacts of concentration buildup and leaks on semi-rigid closed chamber methods. Field measurements were conducted on six tree species, including three species from a Mexican mangrove ecosystem and three species from a Magellanic sub-Antarctic forest. Systematic observations revealed significant leak flow rates, ranging from 0.00 to 465 L h−1, with a median value of 1.25 ± 75.67 L h−1. We tested the efficacy of using cement to reduce leaks, achieving a leak flow rate reduction of 46–98 % without complete elimination. Our study also demonstrates a clear and substantial impact of concentration buildup on CH4 flux measurements, while CO2 flux measurements were relatively less affected across all tree species studied. Our results show that the combined effects of leaks and concentration buildup can lead to an underestimation of CH4 emissions by an average of 40 ± 20 % and CO2 emissions by 22 ± 22 %, depending on the bark roughness. Based on these findings, we recall a straightforward yet effective method to minimize experimental errors associated with these phenomena, previously established, and reiterated in the current context, for calculating emissions that considers effects of leaks and concentration buildup, while eliminating the need for separate determinations of these phenomena. Overall, the results, combined with a literature review, suggest that our current estimates of GHG flux from tree stems are currently underestimated.

Methane Emission from Flooded Soils of Rice Paddies in Rostov Oblast

The methane fluxes to the atmosphere from the rice fields in the Rostov oblast (south of the European Russia) are analyzed using the results of field chamber measurements. In addition to the measurements of methane fluxes at the stages of rice seedlings and full ripeness, the concentrations of methane and hydrogen sulfide, Eh, pH, density, and moisture content are determined in water and different horizons of flooded paddy soils. The methane flux to the atmosphere from a rice paddy varies in the range of 0.195–0.531 mg CH4/(m2 h) and is on the average 2.1-fold higher at the stage of full ripeness as compared with the stage of seedlings. The rate of the methane flux to the atmosphere from the surface of dry soils separating rice paddies is on the average 4.9–12.1-fold lower as compared with the flux from the paddies, varying from 0.034 to 0.045 mg CH4/(m2 h). After flooding the rice paddies, the Eh values decrease in the soils isolated by a water layer and, as a consequence, the methane concentration in soils increases as well as its fluxes to the atmosphere. According to our assessment, the total methane emission from the rice fields in the Rostov oblast approximately reaches 1.253 t/day of 150 t/year, which accounts for 0.4–1.5% of the total methane emission from the soils of the Rostov oblast.

3D-гидродинамическое моделирование потоков СО2 и CH4 в приземном слое атмосферы (На примере лесного участка «Рошни-Чу»)

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate the spatial variability of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes at the reference site "Roshni-Chu" of the carbon measurement megasites of the Chechen Republic using modeling experiments with in-situ measurements and remote sensing data. Methods and materials: Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes at the soil surface at the "Roshni Chu" forest site in the mountainous forest region of the Chechen Republic were conducted using a dynamic closed chamber connected to a portable gas analyzer G4301 (Picarro, USA). Leaf photosynthesis and respiration parameters of the main edificators and sub-edificators of premontane broadleaf forests were measured using the portable photosynthetic system LI-6800 (LI-COR, USA). Landsat 8 data were used to produce digital maps of surface topography and Nor-malized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). A 3D process-based atmospheric transfer model was chosen to describe the spatial variability of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes within the atmospheric boundary layer. The model is based on a one-and-a-half closure scheme for the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations, solved using Reynolds averaging and the Bussiness conjecture. Results: It was shown that a three-dimensional (3D) mathematical transfer models based on the solution of the equations of thermo-hydrodynamics are among the most effective methods for estimating vertical and horizontal fluxes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, taking into account the heterogeneous vegetation structure and surface topography. Based on the modeling results, maps of spatial distribution of turbulent exchange coefficient and horizontal wind speed at 5 m height, and maps of spatial distribution of CO2 and CH4 methane fluxes at 5, 25 and 50 m height were created. It was revealed that the "Roshni-Chu" forest area serves as a CO2 sink from the atmosphere under warm sunny weather in summer. The greatest uptake is detected near the local elevations. The fluxes of CH4 are almost negative, the lowest values of CH4 uptake are connected with uneven topography and are observed in small depressions between the hills. Conclusions: Based on the study of the wind field and the greenhouse gas fluxes at the carbon experimental site "Roshni-Chu" in the Chechen Republic, a significant spatial heterogeneity of the vertical CO2 and CH4 fluxes was revealed. The model approach, together with field measurements and remote sensing data, can be very effective for assessing the spatial heterogeneity of greenhouse gas fluxes at sites with non-uniform topography and vegetation. The method of modeling the spatial distribution of CO2 and CH4 fluxes within the atmospheric boundary layer can be used in different forest regions of the North Caucasus to describe the regional greenhouse gas balance.

Salinization, inundation and tree mortality interact to affect greenhouse gas emissions from stressed coastal forests

Sea level rise and intensifying storms cause salinization and freshwater inundation of coastal forest soils which can result in tree mortality and altered ecosystem carbon (C) cycling. However, it is not yet clear if increased salinity and inundation will affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to feed back with climate change. To assess the impacts of in situ chronic and pulsed salinity on GHG fluxes from coastal forests, we made continuous measurements of carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from intact soil cores collected in 1) an upland forest dominated by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and a freshwater swamp dominated by baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) 2) adjacent forest stands within forest types experiencing high versus low salinization and associated tree mortality and 3) before and after pulsed salinity from a hurricane related storm surge. In lab mesocosms, all soil cores were exposed to three levels of rainwater addition to assess potential interactive effects between salinization and inundation. We found that chronic salinization and associated tree mortality decreased soil CO2 fluxes in loblolly, but not baldcypress forest with in situ soil inundation patterns potentially driving the site effect. Additionally, in an upland loblolly forest, pulsed salinity from a storm surge exhibited the potential to increase CH4 fluxes. Finally, the effect of rainwater inundation on CH4 fluxes was greater in low compared to high salinity stands suggesting that salinization may have suppressed the effects of rainwater inundation on CH4 fluxes. Overall, we show that complex interactions between biotic and abiotic conditions in stressed coastal forests can alter GHG emissions, highlighting a need for future research focused on understanding the mechanisms driving GHG fluxes from coastal forests under changing environmental conditions.

Methane Emission from Lakes in the North of Western Siberia

The paper presents the results of field measurements of methane fluxes into the atmosphere from thermokarst lakes located on the Russian Federation territory on the three key sites: foothills of the Polar Urals, coast of the Kara Sea and the northwestern part of the Yamal Peninsula. A total of 13 lakes were studied and about 500 methane fluxes were measured by the floating chamber method. The results showed most of the fluxes does not exceed 8 mg CH4 m–2 h–1. For more significant values, a statistically significant correlation with the wind speed was revealed, which largely determines the intensity of gas exchange on the “water-atmosphere” boundary. The exceptions are measurements in zone of lake methane seeps. For most lakes, the greatest scatter of measured fluxes was observed in the shallow part. The diurnal dynamics of methane fluxes was approximated by a sinusoidal function. For the lakes presented in the work, the range of emission assessment is 0.23–775.38 g CH4 h–1. Obtained results are important material for estimating regional methane emission from the surface of thermokarst lakes in the tundra zone.

Greenhouse gas emissions from natural ecosystems of the Norilsk Industrial District

This paper describes the results of field measurements of methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from natural and anthropogenic-modified ecosystems located on the Norilsk industrial district. Previously, such studies have not been conducted in the area. The study points are located in different landscape regions determined by various conditions of permafrost formation. Most of the study area is located within the zone of predominantly continuous permafrost distribution. Six landscape regions were identified. Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes were measured at selected key sites typical for each region. When selecting the study points, the variety of conditions affecting methane and carbon dioxide emissions was considered. First, these include soil type (mineral or peat) and local moisture conditions. Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes were measured by dart static chamber method. Measurements of greenhouse gas concentrations in the chamber were carried out by a portable gas analyzer Li-7810 (Li-COR, USA). The results obtained show significant variability in greenhouse gas emissions for different ecosystem types. Methane uptake by soils is recorded on mineral soils and dry parts of bog ecosystems. Positive methane emissions are typical for watered areas of bog ecosystems and lakes with maximum values in the hollows. Methane fluxes range from slightly negative in dry bog areas with a median of -0.026 mgCH4/m2/h to emissions of 0.802 mgCH4/m2/h as the median for watered areas of bog ecosystems. Carbon dioxide fluxes are inversely correlated with the ecosystem moisture content and have a range from 51.6 mgCO2/m2/h (median for lakes) to 576 mgCO2/m2/h (median for mineral soils). A medium strength correlation was found between surface air temperature and intensity of methane uptake by mineral soils was found. Probability density distributions of methane and carbon dioxide fluxes have different forms.

Multiple gap-filling for eddy covariance datasets

With novel developments in technology, eddy covariance flux measurements have become feasible for a variety of trace gases. While the statistical properties and gap-filling strategies have been well examined for carbon dioxide, these are much less understood for other gases.Here, we propose a universal methodology deploying multiple gap-filling techniques and artificial gap scenarios to evaluate the techniques’ performances, infer the statistical flux properties, and fill the real gaps in eddy covariance datasets of any trace gas. The methodology was implemented in a gap-filling framework with techniques spanning from simple and diurnal interpolations, look-up tables, artificial neural networks, to an inferential model. For the new scheme of half-hourly and daily artificial gaps, each additional gap was superimposed one at a time (thus keeping the disturbance to a minimum) for the whole dataset and the scenarios were resampled by bootstrapping. The gap-filled sums were then estimated from the ensemble of well-performing gap-filling techniques. The gap-filling framework was applied to campaign data of three different trace gases (51 days of ammonia, 79 days of total reactive nitrogen, and 89 days of methane flux measurements). The aggregated fluxes are stated as ensemble ranges of multiple techniques plus the techniques’ uncertainties. Additionally, the framework was used to gap-fill a full year of carbon dioxide flux measurements yielding similar performances as previously reported.Based on a review of gap-filling comparison studies and on our findings, we suggest reconsidering the standard procedure of using one gap-filling technique for multi-site studies. Deploying multiple gap-filling techniques and providing ensemble results of gap-filled sums will help to minimize the influence of a single technique and thus lead to a more robust flux aggregation. Furthermore, the estimated overall uncertainty will be more realistic by accounting for the ensemble range of multiple techniques.

Initial effects of post-harvest ditch cleaning on greenhouse gas fluxes in a hemiboreal peatland forest

Ditch cleaning (DC) is a well-established forestry practice across Fennoscandia to lower water table levels (WTL) and thereby facilitate the establishment of tree seedlings following clear-cutting. However, the implications from these activities for ecosystem-atmosphere greenhouse gas (GHG) exchanges are poorly understood at present. We assessed the initial DC effects on the GHG fluxes in a forest clear-cut on a drained fertile peatland in hemiboreal Sweden, by comparing chamber measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes from soil and ditches in DC and uncleaned (UC) areas over the first two post-harvest years. We also evaluated spatial effects by comparing fluxes at 4 m and 40 m from ditches. We found that 2 years after DC, mean (±standard error) WTL of −65 ± 2 cm was significantly lower in the DC area compared to −56 ± 2 cm in the UC area. We further observed lower gross primary production and ecosystem respiration in the first year after DC which coincided with delayed development of herbaceous ground vegetation. We also found higher CH4 uptake but no difference in N2O fluxes after DC. Greater CH4 uptake occurred at 4 m compared to 40 m away from both cleaned and uncleaned ditches. Model extrapolation suggests that total annual GHG emissions in the second year were reduced from 49.4 ± 17.0 t-CO2-eq-ha−1-year−1 in the UC area to 27.8 ± 10.3 t-CO2-eq-ha−1-year−1 in the DC area. A flux partitioning approach suggested that this was likely caused by decreased heterotrophic respiration, possibly because of enhanced soil dryness following DC during the dry meteorological conditions. CH4 and N2O fluxes from clear-cut areas contributed <2 % to the total (soil, ditches) GHG budget. Similarly the area-weighted contributions by CO2 and CH4 emissions from both cleaned and uncleaned ditches were <2 %. Thus, our study highlights that DC may considerably alter the post-harvest GHG fluxes of drained peatland forests. However, long-term observations under various site conditions and forest rotation stages are warranted to better understand DC effects on the forest GHG balance.

Spatio-Temporal Variability of Methane Fluxes in Boreo-Nemoral Alder Swamp (European Russia)

In 1995–1998 and 2013–2016, we measured methane fluxes (1Q-median-3Q, mgC m−2 h−1) in the Petushikha black alder swamp of the boreo-nemoral zone of European Russia. At microelevations (EL sites), flat surfaces (FL), microdepressions (DEP), and water surfaces of streams and channels (STR) sites, the fluxes comprised 0.01–0.03–0.09, 0.02–0.06–0.19, 0.04–0.14–0.43, and 0.10–0.21–0.44, respectively. The biggest uncertainty of methane fluxes was caused by seasonal variability (the level of relative variability of fluxes is a nonparametric analogue of the coefficient of variation) which comprised 144%, then by spatial variability—105%, and the smallest by interannual variability—75%. Both spatial and temporal variability of methane fluxes at different elements of the microrelief is heterogeneous: the most variable are communities that are “unstable” in terms of hydrological conditions, such as FL and DEP, and the least variable are the most drained EL and the most moistened STR (“stable” in terms of hydrological conditions). The obtained data on the fluxes and their spatial and temporal variability are consistent with the literature data and can be used to optimize the process of planning studies of the methane budget of “sporadic methane sources”, such as waterlogged forests. This is especially relevant for an adequate assessment of the role of methane fluxes in the formation of the waterlogged forests carbon budget and a changing climate.

Methane concentrations and fluxes in agricultural and preserved tropical headwater streams

Tropical streams have been intensively impacted by agricultural activities. Among the most important agricultural activities in Brazil, sugarcane production represents a large impact for economic development and for environmental conditions. Permeating sugarcane fields, several headwater streams can be affected by sugarcane cultivation, in special, aquatic biogeochemical cycles because of the deforestation, fertilization, crop residues and higher temperatures in the tropics. In this study, we analyzed the effects of sugarcane cultivation on methane fluxes and concentrations, assuming that carbon cycles are influenced by agricultural activities in headwater streams. Our study aimed to (1) measure methane fluxes and concentrations in tropical streams located in Southeastern Brazil, (2) Analyze whether seasonal cycles influence methane fluxes and concentrations, (3) Evaluate the influence of sugarcane cultivation on methane fluxes and (4) Analyze the association between water chemistry in the methane concentrations in tropical streams. We found mean fluxes of CH4 of 0.280 mmol m−2 d−1, with higher fluxes during the summer and in streams draining preserved catchments. The average CH4 concentrations were 0.695 μmol L−1, with higher values during the summer and in streams draining preserved catchments. Methane concentrations in the studied streams was influenced by dissolved oxygen (negatively), dissolved organic carbon (negatively), water velocity (positively) and conductivity (negatively). Methane concentrations were significantly higher than concentrations found in Temperate Grasslands, Savannas & Shrublands and similar to concentrations found in other tropical biomes (excluding Tropical & Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests which receives large amounts of organic inputs). We conclude that sugarcane influence methane concentrations and fluxes in tropical streams by reducing the organic matter availability provided by the native vegetation in soil and water.

Methane emissions from subtropical wetlands: An evaluation of the role of data filtering on annual methane budgets

Widespread adoption of eddy covariance (EC) methods for methane (CH4) flux measurement has led to increased availability of continuous high-frequency CH4 data. However, unreliable data frequently occur during periods of atmospheric stability, rain or instrument malfunction, requiring filtering prior to subsequent analyses. While procedures for assessing CO2 have matured, processes to filter and gap-fill CH4 data are less studied, as their range and controls are not as well-understood. Moreover, publications often fail to describe procedures for data processing and filtering. Our primary objective was to study effects of common filtering thresholds and provide insight on how size and timing of gaps produced by filtering affect CH4 budgets. We utilized 4 years of data from two freshwater wetlands under the same climate regime but different hydroperiods. We applied friction velocity (U*) and signal strength filtering treatments to isolate site-specific effects and evaluate impacts of filtering on subsequent gap-filling via Random Forests (RF). We also tested sensitivity of results to predictor datasets with an “unrestricted predictors model” (using all possible predictors regardless of gaps), versus a “restricted predictors model” (using gap-filled predictors with no missing values). Depending on filtering treatment, 7 - 50% of CH4 data were removed over the study period. Using higher signal strength thresholds introduced more small gaps. U* filtering created small gaps (mostly nighttime), and corresponding annual budget estimates were generally different from those filtered solely on signal strength but with higher uncertainty, especially at the long-hydroperiod site. Regardless of filtering method, RF models using unrestricted predictors identified 2- to 32-day average CH4 flux as primary predictors, whereas heat and latent energy were most important when predictors were restricted. Although filtering may have less impact on CH4 budgets than selection and pre-processing of predictor variables, it can significantly impact uncertainty and should be considered in data curation protocols.

Diurnal landfill methane flux patterns across different seasons at a landfill in Southeastern US

Diurnal patterns of methane flux are examined at a landfill in the Southeastern US. Methane fluxes are measured by an eddy covariance (EC) tower during representative one-week periods in three seasons: summer, fall, and winter. Measured methane fluxes are compared with atmospheric pressure, temporal variation of atmospheric pressure, wind shear velocity, and air temperature. Landfill methane flux varies significantly with shear velocity and temporal changes in atmospheric pressure when the atmosphere is neutral. Under unstable atmospheric conditions, air temperature correlates best with methane flux, which is corroborated with an independent dataset of tracer correlation method (TCM) measurements for similar measurement periods. These field data support a mathematical model previously proposed to describe atmospheric effects on methane flux from landfills. The field data also indicate significant diurnal methane flux variations, with daytime fluxes up to 23 times greater than nighttime fluxes. Because the majority of historical TCM measurements of whole landfill methane flux are between 12 pm and 6 pm at this landfill, when daily emissions are highest because of atmospheric effects, average diurnal fluxes might have been overestimated by as much as 73%. Methane emissions are most representative of diurnal average emissions when atmospheric stability is near-neutral, which occurs in the late morning (∼11 am) and in the early evening (∼5 pm) at this site.

土壤湿度对中国南部热带森林土壤甲烷吸收的影响

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 土壤湿度对中国南部热带森林土壤甲烷吸收的影响 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202106281706 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 海南省自然科学基金高层次人才项目（421RC668） Effects of soil moisture on methane uptake in a tropical forest of southern China Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:森林土壤是一个重要的大气甲烷的汇。然而，相较于寒带和温带，在热带尤其是东南亚地区，森林土壤甲烷通量的观测较少，这限制了目前对热带森林土壤甲烷通量与环境因子之间关系的认识，也给热带森林土壤甲烷汇的估算带来了一定的不确定性。在中国海南省吊罗山国家森林公园的热带森林土壤，采用激光光谱法测量了2016年9月至2018年9月逐月的土壤甲烷通量，并分析了其与周围环境因子的关系。结果表明：研究区土壤是甲烷的汇，山顶样地的年平均吸收量为0.95 kg CH4-C hm-2 a-1，山脚样地的年平均吸收量为1.93 kg CH4-C hm-2 a-1。干季（11月-次年4月）的甲烷吸收通量明显高于湿季（5-10月），占到全年甲烷吸收的68%。山顶样地年平均土壤湿度为19.2%，年内的波动较小（2.8%）。而山脚样地的年平均湿度相对较低，为12.7%，且年内波动大（5.4%）。土壤湿度是控制甲烷吸收最主要的环境因子，可以解释月际甲烷吸收变化的76%，甲烷吸收通量与土壤温度的相关性则不显著。当土壤湿度高于20%（体积分数）时，研究区土壤开始从甲烷的汇转变为甲烷的源。综合研究及热带其他研究中甲烷吸收与土壤湿度的关系，推算出热带森林土壤的甲烷年吸收量为1.72 Tg CH4-C/a。结果对东南亚地区长时间甲烷通量观测及热带森林土壤甲烷汇的估算具有重要意义。 Abstract:Forest soils contribute substantially to the global methane uptake. However, compared with the cold and temperate zones, measurements of methane flux from the soils in the tropical forests are still sparse, especially in Southeastern Asia. This gap limits our understanding of the relationship between the methane flux from the soils and the environmental factors, which leads to large uncertainty in the estimation of the methane uptake flux from the tropical forest soils. This study was conducted in Diaoluoshan National Forest Reserve in Hainan Province, China. We measured monthly methane flux from the tropical forest soils by near-infrared laser greenhouse analyzers from September 2016 to September 2018. Soil moisture and soil temperature were measured simultaneously by Decagon 5 TM sensors. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the methane flux with the environmental factors. The results revealed that the soils of the study area served as the sink of atmospheric methane during a 2-year period. The methane uptake in tropical forest soils at the top of the mountain was 0.95 kg CH4-C hm-2 a-1, while that in tropical forest soils at the foot of the mountain was 1.93 kg CH4-C hm-2 a-1. The methane uptake flux in the dry season (from November to April next year) was significantly higher than that in the wet season (from May to October). The former one accounted for about 68% of the methane uptake flux of the whole year. The mean annual soil moisture at the top of the mountain was 19.2% with an intra-annual variance of 2.8%. And the mean annual soil moisture at the foot of the mountain was 12.7% with a bigger intra-annual variance (5.4%) than that at the top of the mountain. Soil moisture acted as the significant predictor of the methane uptake flux and accounted for 76% of the variance. There was no significant correlation between methane uptake flux and soil temperature. For soil moisture lower than 20% (v/v), the relation between soil moisture and methane flux was best fitted with linear regression. For soil moisture higher than 20% (v/v), the tropical forest soils of the study area turned from the sink to the source of the methane flux. According to the relationship between soil moisture and methane flux in the tropical forests, we estimated the annual methane uptake of the tropical forest soils was 1.72 Tg CH4-C/a. Our results have important implications for long-term methane flux measurements in Southeastern Asia and the estimation of the magnitude of the methane uptake from tropical forest soils. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Methane in Zackenberg Valley, NE Greenland: multidecadal growing season fluxes of a high-Arctic tundra

Abstract. The carbon balance of high-latitude terrestrial ecosystems plays an essential role in the atmospheric concentration of trace gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). Increasing atmospheric methane levels have contributed to ∼ 20 % of the observed global warming since the pre-industrial era. Rising temperatures in the Arctic are expected to promote the release of methane from Arctic ecosystems. Still, existing methane flux measurement efforts are sparse and highly scattered, and further attempts to assess the landscape fluxes over multiple years are needed. Here we combine multi-year July–August methane flux monitoring (2006–2019) from automated flux chambers in the central fens of Zackenberg Valley, northeast Greenland, with several flux measurement campaigns on the most common vegetation types in the valley to estimate the landscape fluxes over 14 years. Methane fluxes based on manual chamber measurements are available from campaigns in 1997, 1999–2000, and in shorter periods from 2007–2013 and were summarized in several published studies. The landscape fluxes are calculated for the entire valley floor and a smaller subsection of the valley floor, containing the productive fen area, Rylekærene. When integrated for the valley floor, the estimated July–August landscape fluxes were low compared to the single previous estimate, while the landscape fluxes for Rylekærene were comparable to previous estimates. The valley floor was a net methane source during July–August, with estimated mean methane fluxes ranging from 0.18 to 0.67 mg m−2 h−1. The mean methane fluxes in the fen-rich Rylekærene were substantially higher, with fluxes ranging from 0.98 to 3.26 mg m−2 h−1. A 2017–2018 erosion event indicates that some fen and grassland areas in the center of the valley are becoming unstable following pronounced fluvial erosion and a prolonged period of permafrost warming. Although such physical disturbance in the landscape can disrupt the current ecosystem–atmosphere flux patterns, even pronounced future erosion of ice-rich areas is unlikely to impact methane fluxes on a landscape scale significantly. Instead, projected changes in future climate in the valley play a more critical role. The results show that multi-year landscape methane fluxes are highly variable on a landscape scale and stress the need for long-term spatially distributed measurements in the Arctic.

Long-term dynamics of soil, tree stem and ecosystem methane fluxes in a riparian forest

The carbon (C) budgets of riparian forests are sensitive to climatic variability. Therefore, riparian forests are hot spots of C cycling in landscapes. Only a limited number of studies on continuous measurements of methane (CH4) fluxes from riparian forests is available. Here, we report continuous high-frequency soil and ecosystem (eddy-covariance; EC) measurements of CH4 fluxes with a quantum cascade laser absorption spectrometer for a 2.5-year period and measurements of CH4 fluxes from tree stems using manual chambers for a 1.5 year period from a temperate riparian Alnus incana forest.The results demonstrate that the riparian forest is a minor net annual sink of CH4 consuming 0.24 kg CH4-C ha−1 y−1. Soil water content is the most important determinant of soil, stem, and EC fluxes, followed by soil temperature. There were significant differences in CH4 fluxes between the wet and dry periods. During the wet period, 83% of CH4 was emitted from the tree stems while the ecosystem-level emission was equal to the sum of soil and stem emissions. During the dry period, CH4 was substantially consumed in the soil whereas stem emissions were very low. A significant difference between the EC fluxes and the sum of soil and stem fluxes during the dry period is most likely caused by emission from the canopy whereas at the ecosystem level the forest was a clear CH4 sink. Our results together with past measurements of CH4 fluxes in other riparian forests suggest that temperate riparian forests can be long-term CH4 sinks.