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Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Published (Version of record)CC BY V4.0, Open
Journal article
Low methane emissions from Australian estuaries influenced by geomorphology and disturbance
Communications earth & environment, Vol.5, 434
16/08/2024
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Abstract
Estuaries are a globally important source of methane, but little is known about Australia’s contributions to global estuarine methane emissions. Here we present a first-order Australia-wide assessment of estuarine methane emissions, using methane concentrations from 47 estuaries scaled to 971 Australian estuaries based on geomorphic estuary types and disturbance classes. We estimate total mean (±standard error) estuary annual methane emissions for Australia of 30.56 ± 12.43 Gg CH4 yr−1. Estuarine geomorphology and disturbance interacted to control annual methane emissions through differences in water–air methane flux rates and surface area. Most of Australia’s estuarine surface area (89.8%) has water–air methane fluxes lower than global means, contributing 80.3% of Australia’s total mean annual estuarine methane emissions. Australia is a good analogue for the ~34% of global coastal regions classified as less than moderately disturbed (>40% intact), suggesting that these regions may also have lower methane fluxes. On this basis, recent global estuarine methane emission estimates that do not consider disturbance in their upscaling, probably overestimate global estuarine methane emissions.
Details
- Title
- Low methane emissions from Australian estuaries influenced by geomorphology and disturbance
- Creators
- Jacob Z.-Q. Yeo - Southern Cross UniversityJudith A Rosentreter - Southern Cross UniversityJoanne M Oakes - Southern Cross UniversityBradley D Eyre - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Communications earth & environment, Vol.5, 434
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing Group
- Grant note
- This research was funded by Australian Research Council grants DP160100248 and LP150100519. Many thanks to Western Australia’s Department of Water and Environmental Protection for the logistical support and for providing unpublished data on cleared catchment land for the Western Australia estuary surveys. A permit was obtained for the South Alligator River survey (no. PA2018-00054).
- Identifiers
- 991013215411802368
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article