Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1029/2023jg007979
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) The age of buried carbon changes the greenhouse gas budget of a dam
Author Tittel, J.; Rosenlöcher, Y.; Dadi, T.; Lechtenfeld, O. ORCID logo ; Simon, C. ORCID logo
Source Titel Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences
Year 2024
Department SEEFO; EAC
Volume 129
Issue 6
Page From e2023JG007979
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Data and Software links https://doi.org/10.48758/ufz.14903
Supplements https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1029%2F2023JG007979&file=2023JG007979-T-sup-0001-Supporting+Information+SI-S01.pdf
Abstract Dams are a globally relevant source of greenhouse gases (GHG), which impairs their function as a source of green energy. High burial rates of organic carbon (OC) in dam sediments may partly or fully offset the emissions. We argue that only the burial of carbon fixed in the timespan of dam operation changes the GHG balance. Here, we took sediment cores from a temperate dam. We analyzed radiocarbon age and OC molecular composition by laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry in the bulk OC and in four chemical extract fractions. The bulk samples contained modern OC, fixed after 1950. However, the extracted OC was of different ages (modern to 1900 years BP). Fractions with OC measured as old (>960 years BP) accounted for 57% of total sediment OC. Correlations of molecular composition with extract age suggest that these older fractions contained insignificant amounts of modern OC. We conclude that a substantial proportion of buried carbon did not originate from the contemporary atmosphere and cannot be offset against recent GHG emissions.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=29183
Tittel, J., Rosenlöcher, Y., Dadi, T., Lechtenfeld, O., Simon, C. (2024):
The age of buried carbon changes the greenhouse gas budget of a dam
J. Geophys. Res.-Biogeosci. 129 (6), e2023JG007979 10.1029/2023jg007979