Geochemistry of the Albano and Nemi crater lakes in the volcanic district of Alban Hills (Rome,Italy)

Lake Albano, located 20 km to the SE of Rome, is hosted within the most recent crater of the quiescent Alban Hills volcanic complex that produced hydromagmatic eruptions in Holocene times. Stratigraphic, archaeological and historical evidence indicates that the lake level underwent important variations in the Bronze Age. Before the IV century B.C. several lahars were generated by water overflows from the lake and in the IV century B.C. Romans excavated a drainage tunnel. The lake is located above a buried carbonate horst that contains a pressurized medium-enthalpy geothermal reservoir from which fluids escape to the surface to produce many important gas manifestations of mostly CO₂. Previous studies recognized the presence of gas emissions also from the crater bottom. In 1997 the possibility of a Nyos-type event triggered by a lake rollover was considered very low, because the CO₂ water concentration at depth was found to be far from saturation. However, considering the high population density nearby, the Italian Civil Protection Department recommended that periodical monitoring be carried out. To this scope we initiated in 2001 a systematic geochemical study of the lake. Thirteen vertical profiles have been repeatedly carried out in 2001–2006, especially in the deepest part of the lake (167 m in 2006), measuring T, pH, dissolved O₂ and electrical conductivity. Water samples were collected from various depths and chemically and isotopically analysed. Two similar profiles have been measured also in the nearby Nemi crater lake. Results indicate that in the 4.5 years of monitoring the pressure of gas dissolved in the Lake Albano deep waters remained much lower than the hydrostatic pressure. A CO₂ soil survey carried out on the borders of the two lakes, indicates the presence of some zones of anomalous degassing of likely magmatic origin. A water overturn or a heavy mixing of deep and shallow waters likely occurred in winter 2003–2004, when cold rainfall cooled the surface water below 8.5 °C. Such overturns cause only a limited gas exsolution from the lake when the deep water is brought to a few meters depth but can explain the observed decrease with time of dissolved CO₂ at depth and related water pH increase. A gas hazard could occur in the case of a sudden injection through the lake bottom of a huge quantity of CO₂-rich fluids, which might be caused by earthquake induced fracturing of the rock pile beneath the lake. A limnic gas eruption might also occur should CO₂ concentration build up within the lake for a long time.     

Development and sensitivity analysis of a model for assessing stratification and safety of Lake Nyos during artificial degassing

To prevent the recurrence of a disastrous eruption of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from Lake Nyos, a degassing plan has been set up for the lake. Since there are concerns that the degassing of the lake may reduce the stability of the density stratification, there is an urgent need for a simulation tool to predict the evolution of the lake stratification in different scenarios. This paper describes the development of a numerical model to predict the CO₂ and dissolved solids concentrations, and the temperature structure as well as the stability of the water column of Lake Nyos. The model is tested with profiles of CO₂ concentrations and temperature taken in the years 1986 to 1996. It reproduces well the general mixing patterns observed in the lake. However, the intensity of the mixing tends to be overestimated in the epilimnion and underestimated in the monimolimnion. The overestimation of the mixing depth in the epilimnion is caused either by the parameterization of the k-epsilon model, or by the uncertainty in the calculation of the surface heat fluxes. The simulated mixing depth is highly sensitive to the surface heat fluxes, and errors in the mixing depth propagate from one year to the following. A precise simulation of the mixolimnion deepening therefore requires high accuracy in the meteorological forcing and the parameterization of the heat fluxes. Neither the meteorological data nor the formulae for the calculation of the heat fluxes are available with the necessary precision. Consequently, it will be indispensable to consider different forcing scenarios in the safety analysis in order to obtain robust boundary conditions for safe degassing. The input of temperature and CO₂ to the lake bottom can be adequately simulated for the years 1986 to 1996 with a constant sublacustrine source of 18 l s^–1 with a CO₂ concentration of 0.395 mol l^–1 and a temperature of 26 °C. The results of this study indicate that the model needs to be calibrated with more detailed field data before using it for its final purpose: the prediction of the stability and the safety of Lake Nyos during the degassing process.Responsible Editor: Hans Burchard     

Water chemistry of Lake Quilotoa (Ecuador) and assessment of natural hazards

A geochemical survey carried out in November 1993 revealed that Lake Quilotoa was composed by a thin (14 m) oxic epilimnion overlying a 200 m-thick anoxic hypolimnion. Dissolved CO₂ concentrations reached 1000 mg/kg in the lower stratum. Loss of CO₂ from epilimnetic waters, followed by calcite precipitation and a consequent lowering in density, was the apparent cause of the stratification.The Cl, SO₄ and HCO₃ contents of Lake Quilotoa are intermediate between those of acid–SO₄–Cl Crater lakes and those of neutral-HCO₃ Crater lakes, indicating that Lake Quilotoa has a ‘memory’ of the inflow and absorption of HC1- and S-bearing volcanic (magmatic) gases. The Mg/Ca ratios of the lake waters are governed by dissolution of local volcanic rocks or magmas, but K/Na ratios were likely modified by precipitation of alunite, a typical mineral in acid–SO₄–Cl Crater lakes.The constant concentrations of several conservative chemical species from lake surface to lake bottom suggest that physical, chemical and biological processes did not have enough time, after the last overturn, to cause significant changes in the contents of these chemical species. This lapse of time might be relatively large, but it cannot be established on the basis of available data. Besides, the lake may not be close to steady state. Mixing of Lake Quilotoa waters could presently be triggered by either cooling epilimnetic waters by 4°C or providing heat to hypolimnetic waters or by seismic activity.Although Quilotoa lake contains a huge amount of dissolved CO₂ (3×10¹¹ g), at present the risk of a dangerous limnic eruption seems to be nil even though some gas exsolution might occur if deep lake waters were brought to the surface. Carbon dioxide could build up to higher levels in deep waters than at present without any volcanic re-awakening, due to either a large inflow of relatively cool CO₂-rich gases, or possibly a long interval between overturns. Periodical geochemical surveys of Lake Quilotoa are, therefore, recommended.     

亚热带城市湖泊与河流CO2气体通量特征及其影响因素

湖泊、河流等内陆水体是连接陆地生态系统和海洋的“长程碳环路”的重要节点,也是温室气体二氧化碳(CO₂)排放源,在调节陆地、海洋间的碳迁移转换中发挥着重要作用。相对于自然水体,城市水体因面积小、水深浅且受监测方法限制,水-气界面碳通量经常被忽略。为探讨我国亚热带城市水体温室气体排放特征,本研究以湖南省长沙市典型城市水体,包括洋湖、西湖、松雅湖、月湖4个湖泊和湘江长沙段为研究对象,分别于2022年4和10月采用光化学反馈-腔增强吸收光谱法(OF-CEAS)和扩散模型法对水-气界面CO₂通量进行对比测定。结果表明,长沙城市湖泊与河流春季为CO₂排放源,秋季为吸收汇,河流水-气界面CO₂通量呈显著季节差异。河湖之间CO₂通量在春季表现为显著差异,秋季差异不显著。CO₂通量与水体溶解氧、水体总氮浓度等呈显著正相关。2种方法的CO₂通量对比测定在湖泊上显著相关,但对河流而言相关性不显著。研究揭示的城市湖泊与河流CO₂气体的排放特征有利于深入探究城市水体碳的迁移转化,可对全面了解全球气候变化过程和河湖湿地温室气体减排和调控提供科学支撑。     

不同水文情景下洪泽湖二氧化碳排放通量特征及影响因素

内陆水域二氧化碳(CO₂)排放是全球碳平衡的重要组成部分,全球CO₂排放通量估算通常有很大不确定性,一方面源于CO₂排放数据观测的时空离散性,另一方面也是缺少水文情景与CO₂排放通量关联性的研究.本文观测了2018年洪泽湖不同水文情景表层水体CO₂排放通量特征,并探讨其影响因素.结果表明,洪泽湖CO₂排放通量为丰水期((106.9±73.4) mmol/(m²·d))>枯水期((18.7±13.6) mmol/(m²·d))>平水期((5.2±15.5) mmol/(m²·d)),且碳通量由丰(310.2~32.0 mmol/(m²·d))、枯(50.8~2.2 mmol/(m²·d))、平(-17.3~39.8 mmol/(m²·d))3种水文情景的交替表现出湖泊碳源到弱碳汇的转变,空间上CO₂排放通量总体呈现北部成子湖区低、南部过水湖区高的分布趋势.洪泽湖CO₂排放对水文情景响应敏感,特别是上游淮河流域来水量的改变,是主导该湖CO₂排放时空分异的重要因子.丰水期湖泊接纳了淮河更多有机和无机碳的输入,外源碳基质的降解和矿化显著促进了水体CO₂的生产与排放,同时氮、磷等营养物质的大量输入,加剧了水体营养化程度,进一步提高CO₂排放量,间接反映出人类活动对洪泽湖CO₂变化的深刻影响.平、枯水期随着上游淮河来水量的减少,驱动水体CO₂排放的因素逐渐由外源输入转变为水体有机质的呼吸降解.此外,上游河口区DOM中陆源类腐殖质的累积与矿化能够促进CO₂的排放,而内源有机质组分似乎并没有直接参与CO₂的排放过程.研究结果揭示了水文情景交替对湖库CO₂排放的重要影响,同时有必要进行高频观测以进一步明晰湖泊的碳通量变化及其控制因素.     

Monitoring Quiescent Volcanoes by Diffuse CO2 Degassing: Case Study of Mt. Fuji, Japan

Since the 8th century, more than seventeen eruptions have been recorded for the Mt. Fuji volcano, with the most recent eruption occurring in 1707 (Hoei eruption). For the past 300 years the volcano has been in a quiescent stage and, since the early 1960s, has exhibited neither fumarolic nor thermal activity. However, the number of low-frequency earthquakes with a hypocentral depth of 10–20 km increased significantly beneath the northeastern flank of Mt. Fuji in 2000–2001, suggesting a possible resumption of magmatic activity. In this study, diffuse CO₂ efflux and thermal surveys were carried out in four areas of the volcano in 2001–2002 in order to detect possible signs of the upward movement of deep magma. At all survey points, the CO₂ efflux was below the detection limit with the exception of a few points with biological CO₂ emission, and ground temperatures at a depth of 20–30 cm were below ambient, indicating no surface manifestations of gas or heat emission. Should magma rise into the subsurface, the diffuse CO₂ efflux would be expected to increase, particularly along the tectonically weakened lineation on the Mt. Fuji volcano, allowing for the early detection of pre-eruptive degassing.     

Probing the magma plumbing of Erebus volcano,Antarctica, by open-path FTIR spectroscopy of gas emissions

Gas emissions from Erebus volcano, Antarctica, were measured by open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to understand degassing of its magmatic system. Two degassing phonolite lava lakes were present in the summit crater during observation in December 2004. We report analyses of H₂O, CO₂, CO, SO₂, HF, HCl and OCS, (in order of molar abundance) in the plumes. Variations in the proportions of these species strongly reflect the dynamics of degassing, and sourcing of gas from different depths in the magmatic network. The highest observed ratios of CO₂ and H₂O are consistent with gas extracted from the melt at a depth of up to ∼ 2 km below the lava lakes. Magma degassing above this depth contributes to a higher H₂O/CO₂ proportion in the airborne plume. The ratio therefore reflects the balance of deeper vs. shallower contributions of volatiles and, possibly, a combination of closed- and open-system degassing. We observe a strong contrast in HF content in emissions from the two lava lakes, which we attribute to differing levels of magma ascent and/or cooling and crystallization of the magma supply. Fluxes of all gas species were determined using independent SO₂ flux determinations and measured gas ratios. In the case of CO₂ and water, ∼ 1 and ∼ 0.4 m³ s^− 1, respectively, of parental basanite magma are required to sustain the calculated output. The discrepancy between the two figures is readily explained by sequestration of part of the magma supply at depth such that it only partially degasses its complement of water.     

New remote sensing techniques for the detection and quantification of earth surface CO2 degassing

Earth degassing specifically of carbon dioxide CO₂ is of increasing interest with respect to the global carbon budget, related climate effects, earthquake and volcano eruption mechanisms, as well as plant physiological reactions in gas-rich environments. Investigations in all of these disciplines require the detection of surface CO₂ degassing structures and quantification of their emissions. We introduce minimal thermal change detection based on infrared imaging as a new remote sensing tool for the detection of earth surface thermal anomalies suiting among others to discover earth degassing locations of any origin. The method allows for seamless areal search and monitoring of degassing structures in any terrain. As proof of concept infrared imaging measurements were performed at the Bossoleto vent on the eastern master fault of the Siena Graben (Tuscany, Italy). It is known for the migration of a large amount of CO₂-rich gas from deep geothermal reservoirs. Field data acquired confirmed the qualification of the method. Detection of CO₂ degassing locations from infrared image time series worked reliably and optimal detection conditions were identified (dry, calm, cloudless weather between dusk and dawn). A simple model of heat exchange processes involved and observed was developed. In a first attempt this model was applied to determine the gas exit temperature, the area of gas thermal reach and the gas flux from recorded image series. It is the first method that allows remote areal survey of mofette fields and the associated CO₂ flux quantification sole from infrared image time series.     

The potential for catastrophic dam failure at Lake Nyos maar,Cameroon

The upper 40 m of Lake Nyos is bounded on the north by a narrow dam of poorly consolidated pyroclastic rocks, emplaced during the eruptive formation of the Lake Nyos maar a few hundred years ago. This 50-m-wide natural dam is structurally weak and is being eroded at an uncertain, but geologically alarming, rate. The eventual failure of the dam could cause a major flood (estimated peak discharge, 17000 m³/s) that would have a tragic impact on downstream areas as far as Nigeria, 108 km away. This serious hazard could be eliminated by lowering the lake level, either by controlled removal of the dam or by construction of a 680-m-long drainage tunnel about 65 m below the present lake surface. Either strategy would also lessen the lethal effects of future massive CO₂ gas releases, such as the one that occurred in August 1986.     

Carbon stable isotopic composition of karst soil CO2 in central Guizhou, China

The δ¹³c values of soil CO₂ are less than that of atmosphere CO₂ in the karst area. On the soil-air interface, the δ¹³c vlaues of soil CO₂ decrease with the increase in soil depth; below the soil-air interface, the δ¹³c values of soil CO₂ are invariable. The type of vegetation on the land surface has an influence on the δ¹³C values of soil CO₂. Due to the activity of soil microbes, the δ¹³C values of soil CO₂ are variable with seasonal change in ps. Isotopic tracer indicates that atmosphere CO₂ has a great deal of contribution to soil CO₂ at the lower parts of soil proflie. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 49703048 and 49833002)     

Fault-controlled Soil CO2 Degassing and Shallow Magma Bodies: Summit and Lower East Rift of Kilauea Volcano (Hawaii), 1997

Soil CO₂ flux measurements were carried out along traverses across mapped faults and eruptive fissures on the summit and the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano. Anomalous levels of soil degassing were found for 44 of the tectonic structures and 47 of the eruptive fissures intercepted by the surveyed profiles. This result contrasts with what was recently observed on Mt. Etna, where most of the surveyed faults were associated with anomalous soil degassing. The difference is probably related to the differences in the state of activity at the time when soil gas measurements were made: Kilauea was erupting, whereas Mt. Etna was quiescent although in a pre-eruptive stage. Unlike Mt. Etna, flank degassing on Kilauea is restricted to the tectonic and volcanic structures directly connected to the magma reservoir feeding the ongoing East Rift eruption or in areas of the Lower East Rift where other shallow, likely independent reservoirs are postulated. Anomalous soil degassing was also found in areas without surface evidence of faults, thus suggesting the possibility of previously unknown structures. Received: November 2003, revised: January 2005, accepted: January 2005     

河流水-气界面CO2脱气时间尺度变化研究进展

河流作为连接陆地和海洋碳库之间的通道,是全球内陆水体碳排放最主要的载体,在全球碳循环中发挥着至关重要的作用。全球河流水-气界面二氧化碳（CO₂）脱气显著的时间异质性特征研究有助于深入理解其碳循环过程与机制,也为准确评估碳通量以及完善碳循环模型提供了科学支撑。本文系统梳理了国内外的相关研究成果,总结了目前河流CO₂脱气通量在昼夜、季节以及多年尺度上的动态变化及其影响因素,指出其昼夜变化与季节变化存在一定的周期性,并对不同空间尺度上CO₂脱气通量的时间差异进行讨论。同时分析当前研究中的不足,认为缺乏河流二氧化碳分压（pCO₂）与CO₂脱气系数（k）高分辨率且长期连续的直接测量,限制了河流CO₂脱气通量时间尺度变化的周期性及相互之间关系的厘定,使得气候变化与人类活动对河流CO₂脱气时间动态的影响仍然难以量化与预测。最后,根据目前存在的问题,展望了未来的研究重点,为全球河流水-气界面碳循环过程与机制、模型研究提供新的思路与方向,以及可以更准确地评估和预测未来河流碳排放的变化趋势。     

Rapid physically driven inversion of the air–sea ice CO2 flux in the seasonal landfast ice off Barrow,Alaska after onset of surface melt

The air–sea ice CO₂ flux was measured over landfast sea ice in the Chukchi Sea, off Barrow, Alaska in late May 2008 with a chamber technique. The ice cover transitioned from a cold early spring to a warm late spring state, with an increase in air temperature and incipient surface melt. During melt, brine salinity and brine dissolved inorganic carbon concentration (DIC) decreased from 67.3 to 18.7 and 3977.6 to 1163.5 μmol kg⁻¹, respectively. In contrast, the salinity and DIC of under-ice water at depths of 3 and 5 m below the ice surface remained almost constant with average values of 32.4±0.3 (standard deviation) and 2163.1±16.8 μmol kg⁻¹, respectively. The air–sea ice CO₂ flux decreased from +0.7 to −1.0 mmol m⁻² day⁻¹ (where a positive value indicates CO₂ being released to the atmosphere from the ice surface). During this early to late spring transition, brought on by surface melt, sea ice shifted from a source to a sink for atmospheric CO₂, with a rapid decrease of brine DIC likely associated with a decrease in the partial pressure of CO₂ of brine from a supersaturated to an undersaturated state compared to the atmosphere. Formation of superimposed ice coincident with melt was not sufficient to shut down ice–air gas exchange.     

Gas hazard assessment in a densely inhabited area of Colli Albani Volcano (Cava dei Selci, Roma)

The northwestern flank of the Colli Albani, a Quaternary volcanic complex near Rome, is characterised by high pCO₂ values and Rn activities in the groundwater and by the presence of zones with strong emission of gas from the soil. The most significant of these zones is Cava dei Selci where many houses are located very near to the gas emission site. The emitted gas consists mainly of CO₂ (up to 98 vol%) with an appreciable content of H₂S (0.8–2%). The He and C isotopic composition indicates, as for all fluids associated with the Quaternary Roman and Tuscany volcanic provinces, the presence of an upper mantle component contaminated by crustal fluids associated with subducted sediments and carbonates. An advective CO₂ flux of 37 tons/day has been estimated from the gas bubbles rising to the surface in a small drainage ditch and through a stagnant water pool, present in the rainy season in a topographically low central part of the area. A CO₂ soil flux survey with an accumulation chamber, carried out in February–March 2000 over a 12 000 m² surface with 242 measurement points, gave a total (mostly conductive) flux of 61 tons/day. CO₂ soil flux values vary by four orders of magnitude over a 160-m distance and by one order of magnitude over several metres. A fixed network of 114 points over 6350 m² has been installed in order to investigate temporal flux variations. Six surveys carried out from May 2000 to June 2001 have shown large variations of the total CO₂ soil flux (8–25 tons/day). The strong emission of CO₂ and H₂S, which are gases denser than air, produces dangerous accumulations in low areas which have caused a series of lethal accidents to animals and one to a man. The gas hazard near the houses has been assessed by continuously monitoring the CO₂ and H₂S concentration in the air at 75 cm from the ground by means of two automatic stations. Certain environmental parameters (wind direction and speed; atm P, T, humidity and rainfall) were also continuously recorded. At both stations, H₂S and CO₂ exceeded by several times the recommended concentration thresholds. The highest CO₂ and H₂S values were recorded always with wind speeds less than 1.5 m/s, mostly in the night hours. Our results indicate that there is a severe gas hazard for people living near the gas emission site of Cava dei Selci, and appropriate precautionary and prevention measures have been recommended both to residents and local authorities.     

High CO2 Levels in Boreholes at El Teide Volcano Complex (Tenerife, Canary Islands): Implications for Volcanic Activity Monitoring

Emissions of CO₂ have been known for more than a hundred years as fumarolic activity at the terminal crater of El Teide volcano and as diffuse emissions at numerous water prospection drillings in the volcanic island of Tenerife. Large concentrations of CO₂ (>10% in volume) have been found inside galleries, long horizontal tunnels excavated for water mining. However, CO₂ concentrations of only 2900 ppm have been observed at the surface of the central region of the island (Las Cañadas del Teide caldera). In this work we analysed CO₂ concentrations in the subsurface of Las Cañadas caldera, in an attempt to study the vertical distribution of carbon dioxide and, in particular, the low emissions at the surface. This has been done through a series of 17 vertical profiles in two deep boreholes excavated in the Caldera. We found high levels of CO₂, varying in time from 13 vol% up to 40 vol% in different profiles directly above the water table, while no significant concentrations were detected above the thermal inversion that takes places in both boreholes at approximately 100 m from the water table. Water analyses also showed high dissolved CO₂ levels in equilibrium with the air, and an average 13C value in DIC of +4.7 (PDB), apparently induced by fast CO₂ degassing in the bicarbonated water.     

Effects of CO2 on benthic biota: An in situ benthic chamber experiment in Storfjorden (Norway)

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) methods, either sub-seabed or in ocean depths, introduces risk of CO₂ leakage and subsequent interaction with the ecosystem. It is therefore important to obtain information on possible effects of CO₂. In situ CO₂ exposure experiments were carried out twice for 10 days during 2005 using a Benthic Chamber system at 400 m depth in Storfjorden, Norway. pCO₂ in the water above the sediment in the chambers was controlled at approximately 500, 5000 and 20,000 μatm, respectively. This article describes the experiment and the results from measured the biological responses within the chamber sediments. The results show effects of elevated CO₂ concentrations on biological processes such as increased nanobenthos density. Methane production and sulphate reduction was enhanced in the approximately 5000 μatm chamber.     

Continuous soil CO<Superscript>2</Superscript> and discrete plume SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> measurements at Mt. Etna (Italy) during 1997–2000: a contribution to volcano monitoring

Continuous monitoring of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration (which is proportional to the CO₂ flux through the soil) was carried out at a peripheral site of Mt. Etna during the period November 1997–September 2000 using an automated station. The acquired data were compared with SO₂ flux from the summit craters measured two to three times a week during the same period. The high frequency of data acquisition with both methods allowed us to analyze in detail the time variations of both parameters. Anomalous high values of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration always preceded periods of increased flux of plume SO₂, and these in turn were followed by periods of summit eruptions. The variations were modeled in terms of gas efflux increase due to magma ascent to shallow depth and its consequent depressurization and degassing. This model is supported by data from other geophysical and volcanological parameters. The rates of increase both of soil CO₂ dynamic concentration and of plume SO₂ flux are interpreted to be positively correlated both to the velocity of magma ascent within the volcano and to lava effusion rate once magma is erupted at the surface. Low rates of the increase were recorded before the nine-month-long 1999 subterminal eruption. Higher rates of increase were observed before the violent summit eruption of September-November 1999, and the highest rates were observed during shorter and very frequent spike-like anomalies that preceded the sequence of short-lived but very violent summit eruptions that started in late January 2000 and continued until late June of the same year. Furthermore, the time interval between the peaks of CO₂ and SO₂ in a single sequence of gas anomalies is likely to be controlled by magma ascent velocity.Editorial responsibility: H. Shinohara     

Variations of near-surface atmospheric CO2 and H2O concentrations during summer on Muztagata

Expeditions during the summers of 2002 and 2003 implemented continuous monitoring of near-surface (2 m height) atmospheric CO₂ and H₂O concentrations at the 4500 m elevation on Muztagata. The resultant data sets reveal a slight decrease of CO₂ concentrations (of about 5 μmol·mol^-1) and changes in the diurnal variations from the end of June to the middle August. The daily maximum CO₂ concentrations occur between 02:30-05:30 AM (local time) and the minimum levels occur between 12:00-15:30 PM. The atmospheric CO₂ concentrations in the summer of 2002 were around 5 μmol·mol^-1 lower than those during the same period of 2003, whereas the diurnal amplitude was higher. In contrast, we found that the daily mean atmospheric H₂O content in 2003 was much lower than that in 2002 and there exists a striking negative correlation between CO₂ and H₂O concentrations. We therefore suggest that the near-surface atmospheric CO₂ concentration is affected not only by photosynthesis and respiration, but also by the air H₂O content in the glaciated region around Muztagata.     

New insights into the spatial variability of the surface water carbon dioxide in varying sea ice conditions in the Arctic Ocean

In the summer of 2005, continuous surface water measurements of fugacity of CO₂ (fCO₂^sw), salinity and temperature were performed onboard the IB Oden along the Northwest Passage from Cape Farwell (South Greenland) to the Chukchi Sea. The aim was to investigate the importance of sea ice and river runoff on the spatial variability of fCO₂ and the sea–air CO₂ fluxes in the Arctic Ocean. Additional data was obtained from measurements of total alkalinity (A_T) by discrete surface water and water column sampling in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), on the Mackenzie shelf, and in the Bering Strait. The linear relationship between A_T and salinity was used to evaluate and calculate the relative fractions of sea ice melt water and river runoff along the cruise track. High-frequency fCO₂^sw data showed rapid changes, due to variable sea ice conditions, freshwater addition, physical upwelling and biological processes. The fCO₂^sw varied between 102 and 678 μatm. Under the sea ice in the CAA and the northern Chukchi Sea, fCO₂^sw were largely CO₂ undersaturated of approximately 100 μatm lower than the atmospheric level. This suggested CO₂ uptake by biological production and limited sea–air CO₂ gas exchange due to the ice cover. In open areas, such as the relatively fresh water of the Mackenzie shelf and the Bering Strait, the fCO₂^sw values were close to the atmospheric CO₂ level. Upwelling of saline and relatively warm water at the Cape Bathurst caused a dramatic fCO₂^sw increase of about 100 μatm relative to the values in the CAA. At the southern part of the Chukchi Peninsula we found the highest fCO₂^sw values and the water was CO₂ supersaturated, likely due to upwelling. In the study area, the calculated sea–air CO₂ flux varied between an oceanic CO₂ sink of 140 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ and an oceanic source of 18 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹. However, in the CAA and the northern Chukchi Sea, the sea ice cover prevented gas exchange, and the CO₂ fluxes were probably negligible at this time of the year. Assuming that the water was exposed to the atmosphere by total melting and gas exchange would be the only process, the CO₂ undersaturated water in the ice-covered areas will not have the time to reach the atmospheric CO₂ value, before the formation of new sea ice. This study highlights the value of using high-frequency measurements to gain increased insight into the variable and complex conditions, encountered on the shelves in the Arctic Ocean.     

A trigger mechanism for the Lake Nyos disaster

The catastrophic release of carbon dioxide gas from Lake Nyos on 21 August 1986 is discussed in the context of the buoyancy reversal instability. Originally proposed by Randall (1980) [Randall, D.S., 1980. Conditional instability of the first kind upside-down. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 37: 125–130.] and Deardoff (1980) [Deardoff, J.W., 1980. Cloud-top entrainment instability. Journal of Atmospheric Sciences 37: 131–147.] for the `cloud-top entrainment instability' of stratocumulus clouds, the buoyancy reversal instability has been studied experimentally in water tank experiments by Shy and Breidenthal (1990) [Shy, S.S., Breidenthal, R.E., 1990. Laboratory experiments on the cloud-top entrainment instability. Journal of Fluid Mechanics 214: 1–15.], who identified three criteria for instability. The initial disturbance must be sufficiently large, so that its Reynolds number is above the mixing transition, its Richardson number must be less than one to achieve overturning and mixing, and the buoyancy reversal parameter must be greater than a critical value, of order one. The implications and applicability of these criteria to Lake Nyos are discussed. The criterion for the Reynolds number is easily satisfied for typical wind velocities in the Lake Nyos region. Similarly, the Richardson number based on incident turbulence is easily less than unity, and therefore satisfy the second criterion for instability. In the case of Lake Nyos, the continuous release of carbon dioxide at the bottom of the lake increases the value of the buoyancy reversal parameter until it reaches its critical value, at which point an explosion occurs. This instability provides a plausible trigger for the 1986 explosion. After each explosion, the buoyancy reversal parameter returns to below its critical value, only to slowly rise again over time, as CO₂ continues to enter the lake, setting the stage for the next explosion. Future explosions may be avoided if the value of the buoyancy reversal parameter is prevented from approaching its critical value by artificial mixing at the thermocline, such as with a bubble plume.