Work

Methane Ebullition From Subtropical Peat: Testing an Ebullition Model Reveals the Importance of Pore Structure

Year: 2018

Type: article

Abstract: The role of subtropical peatlands as a source for methane gas is not well understood, partly due to uncertainties surrounding environmental controls on gas ebullition patterns. Past studies have pointed to an array of environmental factors controlling ebullition, although we have found that ebullition patterns can be replicated by a model considering only physical parameters of the peat matrix. Here we tested a computer model for gas ebullition and storage against a natural system for the first time, using a suite of field measurements in the Florida Everglades. Modeled ebullition showed patterns similar to those observed in the field in terms of frequency distribution and magnitude, specifically from areas of higher density peat fabric. These results suggest that the internal structure of the peat soil is an important control on spatial and temporal patterns of ebullition in the Everglades and should be considered when investigating environmental controls on ebullition patterns.

Source: Geophysical Research Letters

DOI: 10.1029/2018gl077352

Authors: William Wright, Jorge A. Ramirez, Xavier Comas

Institutions: Florida Atlantic University, University of Bern

Language: English

Topic: Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: South Florida Water Management District, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Geological Survey