Spatial and temporal variations of pCO2, dissolved inorganic carbon and stable isotopes along a temperate karstic watercourse |
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| Authors: | Robert van Geldern Peter Schulte Michael Mader Alfons Baier Johannes A. C. Barth |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Geography and Geosciences, Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nuremberg (FAU), GeoZentrum Nordbayern, Erlangen, Germany;2. , Ehrendingen, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | This study investigated CO2 degassing and related carbon isotope fractionation effects in the Wiesent River that drains a catchment in the karst terrain of the Franconian Alb, Southern Germany. The river was investigated by physico‐chemical and stable isotope analyses of water and dissolved inorganic carbon during all seasons along 65‐km long downstream transects between source and mouth. Calculated pCO2 values at the source were 21 400 ± 2400 µatm. The pCO2 rapidly decreased in the river water and dropped to an average of 1240 ± 330 µatm near the mouth. About 90% of this decrease occurred within the first 6 km of the river. The river was supersaturated with respect to CO2 over its entire course and must have acted as a continuous year‐round CO2 source to the atmosphere. The average CO2 flux from the karst river was estimated with 450 mmol m?2 day?1 with higher fluxes up to 5680 mmol m?2 day?1 at the source. At the source, δ13CDIC values showed no seasonal variations with an average of ?14.2 ± 0.2‰. This indicated that groundwater retained high pCO2 mainly from soil CO2. The contribution of soil CO2 to dissolved inorganic carbon was estimated at 65% to 72%. The downstream CO2 loss caused a positive shift in δ13CDIC values of 2‰ between source and mouth because of the preferential loss of the 12C isotope during degassing. Considering the findings of this study and the fact that carbonate lithology covers a significant part of the earth's surface, CO2 evasion from karst regions might contribute notably to the annual carbon dioxide release from global freshwater systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | stable isotopes carbon cycle catchment hydrology carbon dioxide degassing dissolved inorganic carbon karst environment |
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