Methane transport in agricultural soil after injection of isotopically-enriched methane in the sub-surface

Shaw, George; Atkinson, Brian; Meredith, William; Snape, Colin; Lever, David; Hoch, Andrew

Abstract

Small quantities of radioactive methane (14CH4) may be released over prolonged periods from geological disposal facilities for radioactive waste. The impact of this release depends on the capacity of soil to oxidise 14CH4 to 14CO2 during transport from the sub-surface to the atmosphere. We investigated this capacity by pulse-injecting isotopically-enriched methane 50 cm below the surface of an agricultural soil in central England. Three sequential injections were made during growth of a spring wheat crop. Samples of gas were taken from the pore space throughout the soil profile at predetermined time points after injection, accompanied by samples of the atmosphere above the soil collected in sampling chambers, deployed at scheduled intervals. Methane and CO2 were measured in soil and above-ground gas using gas chromatography; the isotopic composition of CH4 and CO2 was determined using gas chromatography with isotopic ratio mass spectrometry. Supporting measurements of environmental variables were made during the experiment. The data can be used to test mathematical models describing CH4 and CO2 transport and fate in temperate agricultural soils.

Citation

Shaw, G., Atkinson, B., Meredith, W., Snape, C., Lever, D., & Hoch, A. (2018). Methane transport in agricultural soil after injection of isotopically-enriched methane in the sub-surface. Scientific Data, 5, 180208. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.208

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 31, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Oct 16, 2018
• Publication Date: Oct 16, 2018
• Deposit Date: Oct 19, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 19, 2018
• Journal: Scientific Data
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 5
• Pages: 180208
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2018.208
• Keywords: Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty; Statistics and Probability; Education; Library and Information Sciences; Information Systems; Computer Science Applications
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1176058
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/sdata2018208
• Contract Date: Oct 19, 2018