Methane production, consumption and its carbon isotope ratios in the Southern Ocean during the austral summer
The distribution of dissolved CH 4 in the Southern Ocean at 140° E was measured during the austral summer. Surface CH 4 was supersaturated on average, and the calculated mean sea-air flux rate was 0.32 μmol m −2 d −1 . The vertical distributions exhibited a CH 4 maximum at approximately 125 m (ΔCH 4...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5194/bgd-7-7207-2010 https://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/bg-2010-253/ |
| Summary: | The distribution of dissolved CH 4 in the Southern Ocean at 140° E was measured during the austral summer. Surface CH 4 was supersaturated on average, and the calculated mean sea-air flux rate was 0.32 μmol m −2 d −1 . The vertical distributions exhibited a CH 4 maximum at approximately 125 m (ΔCH 4 , 2.94 nM) below the chlorophyll-rich layer, suggesting a relationship between CH 4 production and plankton dynamics in this area. CH 4 oxidation and ocean movement characteristics in the deep layer led to the enrichment and fluctuation of δ 13 C CH 4 . We estimated the influence of Southern Ocean CH 4 , a source of isotopically heavy CH 4 to the atmosphere, on the global CH 4 budget to be approximately 0.19 Gg d −1 . |
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