An open dynamic chamber for the continuous
monitoring of diffusive
and ebullitive fluxes of methane (CH4) in aquatic ecosystems
was designed and developed. This method is based on a standard floating
chamber in which a well-defined carrier gas flows. The concentration
of CH4 is measured continuously at the outlet of the chamber,
and the flux is determined from a mass balance equation. The method
was carefully tested in a laboratory and was subsequently applied
to two lakes, in Mexico, with contrasting trophic states. We show
here that the method allows for the continuous quantification of CH4 diffusive flux higher than 25 × 10–6 g m–2 h–1, the determination
of ebullitive flux, and the individual characterization of bubbles
larger than 1.50–1.72 mm in diameter. The method was also applied
to determine carbon dioxide emissions (CO2). In that case,
the method was less sensitive but allowed for the characterization
of diffusive fluxes higher than 10 mg CO2 m–2 h–1 and of bubbles larger than 5.3–8.4
mm in diameter. This high-throughput method can be adapted to any
gas detector at low cost, making it a convenient tool to better constrain
greenhouse gas emission from freshwater ecosystems.
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