Fluxes of Molecular Hydrogen (H2) at Harvard Forest EMS Tower 2010-2012

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an atmospheric trace gas with a large microbe-mediated soil sink, yet cycling of this compound throughout ecosystems is poorly understood. Measurements of the sources and sinks of H2 in various ecosystems are sparse, resulting in large uncertainties in the global H2 budget. Constraining the H2 cycle is critical to understanding its role in atmospheric chemistry and climate. We measured H2 fluxes at high frequency in a temperate mixed deciduous forest for 15 months using a tower-based flux-gradient approach to determine both the soil-atmosphere and the net ecosystem flux of H2. The data presented here along with other data available at Harvard Forest can be used for efforts to model the H2 soil sink.