Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2015-648
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2015-648
18 Jan 2016
 | 18 Jan 2016
Status: this discussion paper is a preprint. It has been under review for the journal Biogeosciences (BG). The manuscript was not accepted for further review after discussion.

CO2 emissions from German drinking water reservoirs estimated from routine monitoring data

H. Saidi and M. Koschorreck

Abstract. Globally, reservoirs are a significant source of atmospheric CO2. However, precise quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from drinking water reservoirs on the regional or national scale is still challenging. We calculated CO2 fluxes for 39 German drinking water reservoirs during a period of 22 years (1991–2013) using routine monitoring data in order to quantify total emission of CO2 from drinking water reservoirs in Germany.
All reservoirs were small net CO2 sources with a median flux of 167 g C m–2 y–1, which makes gaseous emissions a relevant process for the reservoirs carbon budgets. In total, German drinking reservoirs emit 44000 t of CO2 annually, which makes them a negligible CO2 source in Germany. Fluxes varied seasonally with median fluxes of 30, 11, and 46 mmol m–2 d–1 in spring, summer, and autumn respectively. Differences between reservoirs appeared to be primarily caused by the concentration of CO2 in the surface water rather than by the physical gas transfer coefficient. Consideration of short term fluctuations of the gas transfer coefficient due to variable wind had only a minor effect on the annual budgets. High CO2 emission only occurred in reservoirs with pH < 7 and total alkalinity < 0.2 mEq l–1. Annual CO2 emission correlated exponentially with pH, making pH a suitable proxy for CO emission from German drinking water reservoirs.

H. Saidi and M. Koschorreck
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
H. Saidi and M. Koschorreck
H. Saidi and M. Koschorreck

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Short summary
Reservoirs are a significant source of greenhouse gases. We determined the emission of CO2 from a large number of German drinking water reservoirs from routine monitoring data. German reservoirs were only a small source of CO2. Differences between reservoirs were caused by the CO2 concentration in the water and could be approximated from the pH of the water. Weather fluctuations had a minor impact on annual emissions. In total, German drinking water reservoirs emitt 44000 t of CO2 anually.
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