First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon
Land-terminating glaciers in Greenland and Iceland are sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere1,2,3. CH4 is produced through microbial methanogenesis underneath the ice, transported dissolved in subglacial meltwater to the margin where the gas is emitted to the atmosphere via degassing4. However,...
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/df6c7631-e8bf-4b58-9612-63c9c0fb8f66 2023-05-15T16:21:31+02:00 First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon Sapper, Sarah Elise Jørgensen, Christian Juncher Schroll, Moritz Keppler, Frank Christiansen, Jesper Riis 2023 https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/first-measurement-of-methane-emissions-from-canadian-glaciers-in-the-yukon(df6c7631-e8bf-4b58-9612-63c9c0fb8f66).html https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/EGU23-12327.html eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Sapper , S E , Jørgensen , C J , Schroll , M , Keppler , F & Christiansen , J R 2023 , ' First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon ' , EGU General Assembly 2023 , Vienna , Austria , 24/04/2023 - 28/04/2023 . < https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/EGU23-12327.html > conferenceObject 2023 ftcopenhagenunip 2023-03-01T23:55:20Z Land-terminating glaciers in Greenland and Iceland are sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere1,2,3. CH4 is produced through microbial methanogenesis underneath the ice, transported dissolved in subglacial meltwater to the margin where the gas is emitted to the atmosphere via degassing4. However, sparse empirical data exist about the spatial distribution of subglacial CH4 production and emission in other glaciated regions of the world, limiting our understanding of its regional and global importance in atmospheric carbon budgets and its possible role in the climate system. In August 2022, we conducted fieldwork at three outlet glaciers - Dusty, Kluane and Donjek glaciers - of the St. Elias Icefields in Yukon, Canada, to investigate if these alpine glaciers are also sources of CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. The glaciers were chosen due to the absence of proglacial lakes and the presence of meltwater upwellings at the glacier termini, which were accessed via helicopter. In-situ extracted dissolved CH4 and CO2 concentrations were measured in the field with a portable greenhouse gas analyzer. Additionally, extracted gas was collected in exetainers for concentration measurements via gas chromatography and in Tedlar gas bags for stable carbon and hydrogen isotope analyses of CH4 to decipher its origin. Further, water samples were collected for geochemical analyses. At Dusty glacier, we performed a high-intensity sampling campaign over 10 hours and continuous measurements of dissolved CH4 concentrations with a custom-made low-cost and low-power dissolved CH4 sensor5 to study changes in dissolved gas concentrations, stable isotopic signatures and water chemistry during the rising limb of the diurnal discharge curve. In-situ measured CH4 and CO2 concentrations yielded significantly elevated CH4 and depleted CO2 levels in the meltwater of all three glaciers. Discrete gas samples confirmed dissolved CH4 concentrations 45x, 135x and 250x above the atmospheric equilibrium concentration (3.6 nmol L-1) in the meltwater of ... Conference Object glacier glacier glacier* Greenland Iceland Yukon University of Copenhagen: Research Canada Dusty Glacier ENVELOPE(-138.387,-138.387,60.399,60.399) Greenland Yukon |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
description |
Land-terminating glaciers in Greenland and Iceland are sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere1,2,3. CH4 is produced through microbial methanogenesis underneath the ice, transported dissolved in subglacial meltwater to the margin where the gas is emitted to the atmosphere via degassing4. However, sparse empirical data exist about the spatial distribution of subglacial CH4 production and emission in other glaciated regions of the world, limiting our understanding of its regional and global importance in atmospheric carbon budgets and its possible role in the climate system. In August 2022, we conducted fieldwork at three outlet glaciers - Dusty, Kluane and Donjek glaciers - of the St. Elias Icefields in Yukon, Canada, to investigate if these alpine glaciers are also sources of CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. The glaciers were chosen due to the absence of proglacial lakes and the presence of meltwater upwellings at the glacier termini, which were accessed via helicopter. In-situ extracted dissolved CH4 and CO2 concentrations were measured in the field with a portable greenhouse gas analyzer. Additionally, extracted gas was collected in exetainers for concentration measurements via gas chromatography and in Tedlar gas bags for stable carbon and hydrogen isotope analyses of CH4 to decipher its origin. Further, water samples were collected for geochemical analyses. At Dusty glacier, we performed a high-intensity sampling campaign over 10 hours and continuous measurements of dissolved CH4 concentrations with a custom-made low-cost and low-power dissolved CH4 sensor5 to study changes in dissolved gas concentrations, stable isotopic signatures and water chemistry during the rising limb of the diurnal discharge curve. In-situ measured CH4 and CO2 concentrations yielded significantly elevated CH4 and depleted CO2 levels in the meltwater of all three glaciers. Discrete gas samples confirmed dissolved CH4 concentrations 45x, 135x and 250x above the atmospheric equilibrium concentration (3.6 nmol L-1) in the meltwater of ... |
format |
Conference Object |
author |
Sapper, Sarah Elise Jørgensen, Christian Juncher Schroll, Moritz Keppler, Frank Christiansen, Jesper Riis |
spellingShingle |
Sapper, Sarah Elise Jørgensen, Christian Juncher Schroll, Moritz Keppler, Frank Christiansen, Jesper Riis First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
author_facet |
Sapper, Sarah Elise Jørgensen, Christian Juncher Schroll, Moritz Keppler, Frank Christiansen, Jesper Riis |
author_sort |
Sapper, Sarah Elise |
title |
First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
title_short |
First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
title_full |
First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
title_fullStr |
First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
title_full_unstemmed |
First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon |
title_sort |
first measurement of methane emissions from canadian glaciers in the yukon |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/first-measurement-of-methane-emissions-from-canadian-glaciers-in-the-yukon(df6c7631-e8bf-4b58-9612-63c9c0fb8f66).html https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/EGU23-12327.html |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-138.387,-138.387,60.399,60.399) |
geographic |
Canada Dusty Glacier Greenland Yukon |
geographic_facet |
Canada Dusty Glacier Greenland Yukon |
genre |
glacier glacier glacier* Greenland Iceland Yukon |
genre_facet |
glacier glacier glacier* Greenland Iceland Yukon |
op_source |
Sapper , S E , Jørgensen , C J , Schroll , M , Keppler , F & Christiansen , J R 2023 , ' First measurement of methane emissions from Canadian glaciers in the Yukon ' , EGU General Assembly 2023 , Vienna , Austria , 24/04/2023 - 28/04/2023 . < https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/EGU23-12327.html > |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
_version_ |
1766009515953618944 |