2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
5/26/2021 | 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM | TINY BUBBLES (IN THE MUD): BIOTURBATION FREQUENCY ALTERS METHANE EMISSIONS FROM RESERVOIR SEDIMENTS | Virtual Platform
TINY BUBBLES (IN THE MUD): BIOTURBATION FREQUENCY ALTERS METHANE EMISSIONS FROM RESERVOIR SEDIMENTS
Bioturbation of sediment shifts biogeochemical conditions and can physically release sediment-bound bubbles containing greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, variation in disturbance frequency may modify the rate and composition of resulting GHG emissions, potentially due to shifts in microbial composition or activity. We hypothesized that an intermediate disturbance frequency would result in the greatest methane (CH4) releases due to mechanical release of trapped bubbles, while frequent disturbance would result in greater diffusive carbon dioxide (CO2) releases relative to CH4, as sediment conditions shift from anaerobic to aerobic. We tested our hypothesis in laboratory mesocosms containing reservoir sediment and measured GHG emission (ebullition and diffusion) rates under experimental disturbance regimes. An intermediate frequency of disturbance (7 days) produced the highest total GHG emission rate (driven by CH4 ebullition), while the most frequent disturbance interval (3 days) and least frequent interval (0 days) reduced overall GHG emissions relative to weekly disturbance. For all disturbance treatments, the majority of ebullition occurred during disturbance events, suggesting release of bubbles is an important emission mechanism. The frequency of disturbance has variable effects on GHG emissions and may explain conflicting results in prior studies of bioturbation.
- Greenhouse gases
- Carbon cycle
- Biogeochemistry
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Presenters/Authors
Michael Booth
(), University of Cincinnati, michael.booth@uc.edu;
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Megan Urbanic
(), University of Cincinnati, urbanimn@mail.uc.edu;
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Xia Wang
(), University of Cincinnati, wang2x7@ucmail.uc.edu;
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Jake J. Beaulieu
(), United States Environmental Protection Agency, beaulieu.jake@epa.gov;
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