A Time-Integrated Sampler for Radiocarbon Analysis of Aquatic Methane

Bibliographic Data

ID9244354
AuthorsM H Garnett (0000-0001-6486-2126), J F Dean
Year2024
Volume66
Issue2
Pages421-435
Publication date2024-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueRadiocarbon (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-8222 • E-ISSN: 1945-5755
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/rdc.2024.31
OpenAlexW4393195021
LanguageEN
References cited29

Freshwater ecosystems are responsible for a large proportion of global methane emissions to the atmosphere. The radiocarbon ( 14 C) content of this aquatic methane is useful for determining the age and source of this important greenhouse gas. Several methods already exist for the collection of aquatic methane for radiocarbon analysis, but they tend to only sample over short periods of time, which can make them unsuitable for characterizing aquatic methane over longer timespans, and vulnerable to missing short-term events. Here, we describe a new time-integrated method for the collection of aquatic methane that provides samples suitable for radiocarbon analysis, that are representative for periods of up to at least 16 days. We report the results of a suite of tests undertaken to verify the reliability of the method, and the 14 C age of aquatic methane from field trials undertaken at sites within Scotland, UK. We believe that this new method provides researchers with a simple approach that is easily deployable and can be used to collect representative time-integrated samples of methane for radiocarbon analysis from a wide range of aquatic environments

Absolute dating · Geochemistry · Geochronology · Methane · Radiocarbon dating · Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics · Chemistry · Environmental Science · Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis · Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena · Geology · Oceanography · Paleontology

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