Surface deformations as indicators of deep ebullition fluxes in a large northern peatland

  1. P. H. Glaser1,
  2. J. P. Chanton2,
  3. P. Morin1,
  4. D. O. Rosenberry3,
  5. D. I. Siegel4,
  6. O. Ruud5,
  7. L. I. Chasar2,7,
  8. A. S. Reeve6

Article first published online: 7 JAN 2004

DOI: 10.1029/2003GB002069

Issue

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Global Biogeochemical Cycles

Additional Information

How to Cite

Glaser, P. H., J. P. Chanton, P. Morin, D. O. Rosenberry, D. I. Siegel, O. Ruud, L. I. Chasar, and A. S. Reeve (2004), Surface deformations as indicators of deep ebullition fluxes in a large northern peatland, Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 18, GB1003, doi:10.1029/2003GB002069.

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Oceanography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA

  3. 3

    Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colorado, USA

  4. 4

    Department of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA

  5. 5

    UNAVCO, Boulder, Colorado, USA

  6. 6

    Department of Geological Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA

  7. 7

    Now at District Office, U.S. Geological Survey, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 JAN 2004
  2. Article first published online: 7 JAN 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 23 OCT 2003
  4. Manuscript Revised: 20 AUG 2003
  5. Manuscript Received: 19 MAR 2003

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Keywords:

  • ebullition;
  • methane;
  • peatlands

[1] Peatlands deform elastically during precipitation cycles by small (±3 cm) oscillations in surface elevation. In contrast, we used a Global Positioning System network to measure larger oscillations that exceeded 20 cm over periods of 4–12 hours during two seasonal droughts at a bog and fen site in northern Minnesota. The second summer drought also triggered 19 depressuring cycles in an overpressured stratum under the bog site. The synchronicity between the largest surface deformations and the depressuring cycles indicates that both phenomena are produced by the episodic release of large volumes of gas from deep semi-elastic compartments confined by dense wood layers. We calculate that the three largest surface deformations were associated with the release of 136 g CH4 m−2, which exceeds by an order of magnitude the annual average chamber fluxes measured at this site. Ebullition of gas from the deep peat may therefore be a large and previously unrecognized source of radiocarbon depleted methane emissions from northern peatlands.

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