methane-e-scape

What is it about?

The project aims to unravel patterns of fluvial methane ebullition and its environmental drivers by conceptualizing streams as dynamic and heterogeneous landscapes. 

Methane ebullition—the release of methane (CH₄) from sediments in the form of bubbles—is often the dominant pathway for methane emissions in lakes and reservoirs. However, it remains poorly studied in streams. Initial research suggests that, alongside diffusive fluxes, ebullition may represent a significant yet largely overlooked pathway for methane emissions in streams and rivers. These studies, however, reveal a high degree of spatial and temporal variability in methane ebullition, making it challenging to generalize or extrapolate methane emissions from streams.

 

Who we are?

We are part of a bilateral project funded by the FWF (Weave). We teamed up with experts at the WasserCluster Lunz (Austria) and the Global Change Research Institute (CAS) in the Czech Republic to provide a systematic overview of the processes at question. 

 

What are we doing?

To address these knowledge gaps, we are conducting sampling campaigns in six streams across Czechia and Austria. 

These campaigns focus on understanding the small-scale variability of methane ebullition and its environmental drivers by thoroughly analysing sediment and pore water characteristics. 

We provide our expertise in microbial community and functional gene analysis to shine light on the responsible drivers and players of methane ebullition in stream sediments.

Our collaborative work will involve extending the identified environmental gradients through laboratory incubations and scaling up our findings. This will allow to assess the role of water bodies in methane fluxes from the lab scale to the ecosystem level by integrating chamber measurements applying eddy covariance measurements.

I am intrigued by the many ways microorganisms shape our world as we know it. My research interests focus on the microbial activities in aquatic ecosystems, the environmental drivers of community structure and functions. I believe interactions, networks and cooperations are shared traits of life.


Why is it important?

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, with atmospheric concentrations having tripled since the industrial revolution. This increase is attributed to factors such as global warming and agricultural runoff, particularly in areas with slow-moving or dammed waters. Freshwater systems, including rivers and streams, are substantial contributors to global methane emissions and are key to an improved understanding of the global freshwater CH4 budget. Locally, methane emissions are often associated with low oxygen levels and eutrophication, which can degrade aquatic ecosystems and reduce biodiversity.