IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v12y2021i1d10.1038_s41467-021-27059-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Autumn destabilization of deep porewater CO2 store in a northern peatland driven by turbulent diffusion

Author

Listed:
  • A. Campeau

    (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    Uppsala University)

  • D. Vachon

    (Umeå University)

  • K. Bishop

    (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)

  • M. B. Nilsson

    (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)

  • M. B. Wallin

    (Uppsala University
    Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)

Abstract

The deep porewater of northern peatlands stores large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). This store is viewed as a stable feature in the peatland CO2 cycle. Here, we report large and rapid fluctuations in deep porewater CO2 concentration recurring every autumn over four consecutive years in a boreal peatland. Estimates of the vertical diffusion of heat indicate that CO2 diffusion occurs at the turbulent rather than molecular rate. The weakening of porewater thermal stratification in autumn likely increases turbulent diffusion, thus fostering a rapid diffusion of deeper porewater CO2 towards the surface where net losses occur. This phenomenon periodically decreases the peat porewater CO2 store by between 29 and 90 g C m−2 throughout autumn, which is comparable to the peatland’s annual C-sink. Our results establish the need to consider the role of turbulent diffusion in regularly destabilizing the CO2 store in peat porewater.

Suggested Citation

  • A. Campeau & D. Vachon & K. Bishop & M. B. Nilsson & M. B. Wallin, 2021. "Autumn destabilization of deep porewater CO2 store in a northern peatland driven by turbulent diffusion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-27059-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27059-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-27059-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-021-27059-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. M. Wilson & A. M. Hopple & M. M. Tfaily & S. D. Sebestyen & C. W. Schadt & L. Pfeifer-Meister & C. Medvedeff & K. J. McFarlane & J. E. Kostka & M. Kolton & R.K. Kolka & L. A. Kluber & J. K. Keller , 2016. "Stability of peatland carbon to rising temperatures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tri Wira Yuwati & Dony Rachmanadi & Pratiwi & Maman Turjaman & Yonky Indrajaya & Hunggul Yudono Setio Hadi Nugroho & Muhammad Abdul Qirom & Budi Hadi Narendra & Bondan Winarno & Sri Lestari & Purwanto, 2021. "Restoration of Degraded Tropical Peatland in Indonesia: A Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-31, November.
    2. Nicholas O. E. Ofiti & Michael W. I. Schmidt & Samuel Abiven & Paul J. Hanson & Colleen M. Iversen & Rachel M. Wilson & Joel E. Kostka & Guido L. B. Wiesenberg & Avni Malhotra, 2023. "Climate warming and elevated CO2 alter peatland soil carbon sources and stability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Yanyu Song & Changchun Song & Jiusheng Ren & Xiuyan Ma & Wenwen Tan & Xianwei Wang & Jinli Gao & Aixin Hou, 2019. "Short-Term Response of the Soil Microbial Abundances and Enzyme Activities to Experimental Warming in a Boreal Peatland in Northeast China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, January.
    4. Yizhu Zhu & J. Iwan Jones & Adrian L. Collins & Yusheng Zhang & Louise Olde & Lorenzo Rovelli & John F. Murphy & Catherine M. Heppell & Mark Trimmer, 2022. "Separating natural from human enhanced methane emissions in headwater streams," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-27059-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.