Work

An integrative analysis of global patterns of CH 4 ebullition in inland waters

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study designs: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis

Abstract: CH 4 ebullition is one of the least well-constrained components of ecosystem CH 4 budgets in inland waters, despite its clear dominance in many habitats. Studies have shown that CH 4 ebullition varies greatly in space, both within and among ecosystems, and in time, being extremely episodic, and this variability poses significant challenges for quantifying and modelling the process. Global syntheses of CH 4 or greenhouse gases have not explicitly focused on CH 4 ebullition, and the literature on the topic is still highly fragmented. Although there is evidence of links between ebullition and environmental factors, particularly at local scales, there is still considerable uncertainty on the magnitude and regulation of ebullition at regional and global scales. Here, we present an integrative analysis of CH 4 ebullition in inland waters based on a systematic literature search, where we have combined a qualitative review of CH 4 ebullition studies, a meta-analysis of effect sizes between environmental factors and ebullition in freshwater ecosystems, and a quantitative data analysis of global ebullition fluxes, bubble-related variables, and associated environmental factors to gain a broader understanding of CH 4 ebullition and its global regulation. We show that despite the intrinsic variability in CH 4 ebullition, this emission pathway has clear global patterns across climatic and environmental gradients. Our meta-analysis reveals that waterbody morphometry, carbon source availability, and climate-driven variables are key drivers of CH 4 ebullition, but their effect varies. For example, the positive effect of temperature on CH 4 ebullition varied across climatic zones and ecosystem types. The quantitative analysis of the database we assembled complemented these results by showing that global CH 4 ebullition fluxes are higher in shallow ponds, eutrophic systems, and habitats in tropical and subtropical regions. This database also yielded global-scale empirical models, demonstrating that, in addition to climate and carbon sources, system productivity and trophic status also play key roles in the global regulation of CH 4 ebullition in inland waters. Our results further revealed that bubble CH 4 concentrations and isotopic signatures associated with CH 4 ebullition fluxes provide essential insights into sediment CH 4 dynamics.

Source: Environmental Reviews

DOI: 10.1139/er-2026-0041

Authors: Mariana Peifer Bezerra, Pedro Maia Barbosa, Paul A. del Giorgio

Institutions: Université du Québec à Montréal, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Language: English

Topic: Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Climate action

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies