Spatial heterogeneity of within-stream methane concentrations North Temperate Lakes LTER, 2014

Streams, rivers, and other freshwater features may be significant
sources of CH4 to the atmosphere. However, high spatial and temporal
variabilities hinder our ability to understand the underlying
processes of CH4 production and delivery to streams and also challenge
the use of scaling approaches across large areas. We studied a stream
having high geomorphic variability to assess the underlying scale of
CH4 spatial variability and to examine whether the physical structure
of a stream can explain the variation in surface CH4. A combination of
high-resolution CH4 mapping, a survey of groundwater CH4
concentrations, quantitative analysis of methanogen DNA, and sediment
CH4 production potentials illustrates the spatial and geomorphic
controls on CH4 emissions to the atmosphere.