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Title: What controls {delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}) and {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) of peat gases?

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370457

{delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}), {delta}{sup 13}C(CO{sub 2}) and {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) of bacteriogenic CH{sub 4} and CO{sub 2} from Ellergower Moss, a raised peat bog in S.W. Scotland were measured from gas samples collected in situ, from two profiles, at 1 m intervals, from the surface to a depth of 5 m. {delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}) had a mean of -76{plus_minus}3{per_thousand}, {delta}{sup 13}C(CO{sub 2}) had a mean of 3.8{plus_minus}5.3{per_thousand}, {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) had a mean of -294{plus_minus}39{per_thousand}. In each profile {delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}), {delta}{sup 13}C(CO{sub 2}) arid {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) showed a general gradation from isotopically heavy at 5 m depth to isotopically light at the surface. {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) suggested the presence of a boundary between 2-3 m as the measured values from 3-5 m were 52{plus_minus}18{per_thousand} heavier than samples from 0-2 m. Such a difference was also observed with {delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}) and {delta}{sup 13}C(CO{sub 2}) measurements. One possibility is that the observed differences in isotopic profiles within the bog were substrate controlled. However {delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}D measurements of peat and porewater reveal this to be unlikely. Rather {delta}{sup 13}C(CH{sub 4}), {delta}{sup 13}C(CO{sub 2}) and {delta}D(CH{sub 4}) may be controlled by gas storage and release mechanisms within the bog.

OSTI ID:
370457
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376-; TRN: 96:003805-0509
Resource Relation:
Conference: Spring national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), New Orleans, LA (United States), 24-28 Mar 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 211th ACS national meeting; PB: 2284 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English