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The nexus of observing and modeling methane emissions from inland water bodies

Morin, Timothy H
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149259790616752

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Environmental Science.
Methane (CH4) emissions and carbon uptake in temperate freshwater wetlands act in opposing directions in the context of global radiative forcing. Large uncertainties exist for the rates of CH4 emissions making it difficult to determine the extent that CH4 emissions counteract the carbon sequestration of wetlands. There are many reasons for these uncertainties. CH4 is biologically synthesized generated in anaerobic sediments but can also be oxidized in the presence of appropriate electron acceptors. CH4 in the soil can reach the atmosphere through diffusion, plant mediation, or ebullition. Methane emissions are the end result of the interaction of all these processes, many of which are poorly understood. Additionally, wetlands are typically small and feature highly heterogeneous land cover. Each classification of land coverage may have different factors that influence its eventual emissions resulting in spatially variable methane fluxes within a wetland. This heterogeneity poses an additional challenge to determining their CH4 budget. We measured CH4 emissions at two wetlands in Ohio: 1) The Olentangy River Wetland Research Park – an experimental constructed flow through wetland park featuring two permanently flooded wetlands and 2) Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve – A natural freshwater estuary wetland hydrologically linked to Lake Erie. We used non-steady state chambers and eddy covariance systems to characterize vertical fluxes of CH4 from the surface of the wetlands. Pore water dialysis peepers were used to approximate the belowground processes leading the emissions. We combined our measurements with numerical modeling techniques to investigate the seasonal and diurnal profiles of CH4 emissions, determine the main environmental drivers of methane emissions, understand the influence of site level heterogeneity, and to characterize the belowground processes responsible for CH4 generation/consumption in wetlands.
Gil Bohrer, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Jeffrey Bielicki, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Peter Curtis, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Karina Schafer, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Kelly Wrighton, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
209 p.
Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science
Methane; eddy covariance; flux; wetlands

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Morin, T. H. (2017). The nexus of observing and modeling methane emissions from inland water bodies [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149259790616752

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Morin, Timothy. The nexus of observing and modeling methane emissions from inland water bodies. 2017. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149259790616752.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Morin, Timothy. "The nexus of observing and modeling methane emissions from inland water bodies." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu149259790616752

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu149259790616752
364
© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.