Spatial and temporal variability of methane emissions from cascading reservoirs in the Upper Mekong River

L Liu; Z J Yang; K Delwiche; L H Long; J Liu; D F Liu; C F Wang; P Bodmer; A Lorke

doi:10.1016/j.watres.2020.116319

Spatial and temporal variability of methane emissions from cascading reservoirs in the Upper Mekong River

Water Res. 2020 Nov 1:186:116319. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116319. Epub 2020 Aug 19.

Authors

L Liu¹, Z J Yang², K Delwiche³, L H Long⁴, J Liu⁵, D F Liu⁶, C F Wang⁵, P Bodmer⁷, A Lorke⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Stechlin, Germany. Electronic address: liu.liu@igb-berlin.de.
² College of Hydraulic & Environmental Engineering, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China. Electronic address: yangzj1984@ctgu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, United States.
⁴ Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany.
⁵ College of Hydraulic & Environmental Engineering, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.
⁶ College of Resources & Environment Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, China.
⁷ Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; Groupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie, Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.
⁸ Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; College of Hydraulic & Environmental Engineering, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.

PMID: 32846383
DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116319

Abstract

Reservoirs are an important source of atmospheric methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas. The Mekong, one of the largest Asian rivers, has been heavily dammed and can be a potential hotspot for CH₄ emissions. While low diffusive CH₄ flux was previously reported from cascading reservoirs in the Upper Mekong, the contribution of ebullition (bubbling) remained unexplored. To better constrain the magnitude and drivers of ebullition from these reservoirs, automated bubble traps were deployed in four reservoirs, allowing for continuous measurement of the ebullitive flux with high temporal resolution for a period of six months. To characterize the spatial variability of CH₄ fluxes mediated by ebullition and diffusion, whole-reservoir surveys were conducted using a scientific echo sounder for bubble observations together with a gas equilibrator for mapping dissolved CH₄ concentration in surface water from which diffusive fluxes were estimated. Potential production and anaerobic oxidation rates of CH₄ were estimated in laboratory incubations of sediment cores collected near the bubble trap deployment sites. The CH₄ production potential in sediments increased strongly along the reservoir cascade, with mostly minor reduction by anaerobic oxidation. Surface CH₄ fluxes, in contrast, showed high spatial variability in both ebullitive and diffusive pathways (ranging 0.05-44 and 1.8-6.4 mg m^-2 d^-1, respectively, among all reservoirs). Ebullitive fluxes were about one order of magnitude higher than diffusive fluxes and remained significant at sites as deep as 30-45 m. The repeated spatial pattern of ebullition (higher fluxes at the dam area than in upstream sections) suggests the possible control of emission rates by sediment transport and deposition.

Keywords: Greenhouse gas emissions; Hydroacoustic measurements; Methane bubbles; Sediment methane production; Water level fluctuations.

MeSH terms

Greenhouse Gases*
Methane / analysis
Rivers*

Substances

Greenhouse Gases
Methane