Field-based measurements of sulfur gas emissions from an agricultural coastal acid sulfate soil, eastern Australia

Andrew S. Kinsela; O. Tom Denmead; Bennett C.T. MacDonald; Michael D. Melville; Jason K. Reynolds; Ian White

doi:10.1071/SR11089

Field-based measurements of sulfur gas emissions from an agricultural coastal acid sulfate soil, eastern Australia

Andrew S. Kinsela^*, O. Tom Denmead, Bennett C.T. MacDonald, Michael D. Melville, Jason K. Reynolds, Ian White

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The emissions of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H ₂S) and sulfur dioxide (SO ₂) play important roles in the global atmospheric sulfur (S) cycle. Field-based investigations using ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy show that drained acid sulfate soils (ASS) are a potentially unaccounted source of biogenic H ₂S and SO ₂. Significant diurnal variations were evident in SO ₂ fluxes, with average daytime measurements 9.3-16.5-fold greater than night-time emissions. Similar diurnal patterns in H ₂S fluxes were observed but proved statistically insignificant. The results from simultaneously collected micrometeorological measurements suggest that emissions of SO ₂ and H ₂S are most likely occurring via different processes. The SO ₂ fluxes are closely linked to surface soil temperature and moisture content, whereas H ₂S is constantly emitted from the land surface at the two study sites. Drained ASS are most likely mapped as agricultural lands rather than drained backswamps. Therefore, these areas are likely to be assigned H ₂S and SO ₂ flux values of zero in greenhouse gas species inventories. These findings suggest a need to expand these measurements to other drained ASS areas to refine regional (and possibly global) atmospheric S budgets. Further research is necessary to elucidate the sources of measured S compounds, and specifically whether they are limited to individual agricultural drainage patterns in ASS.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	471-480
Number of pages	10
Journal	Soil Research
Volume	49
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1071/SR11089
Publication status	Published - 2011

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title = "Field-based measurements of sulfur gas emissions from an agricultural coastal acid sulfate soil, eastern Australia",

abstract = "The emissions of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) play important roles in the global atmospheric sulfur (S) cycle. Field-based investigations using ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy show that drained acid sulfate soils (ASS) are a potentially unaccounted source of biogenic H 2S and SO 2. Significant diurnal variations were evident in SO 2 fluxes, with average daytime measurements 9.3-16.5-fold greater than night-time emissions. Similar diurnal patterns in H 2S fluxes were observed but proved statistically insignificant. The results from simultaneously collected micrometeorological measurements suggest that emissions of SO 2 and H 2S are most likely occurring via different processes. The SO 2 fluxes are closely linked to surface soil temperature and moisture content, whereas H 2S is constantly emitted from the land surface at the two study sites. Drained ASS are most likely mapped as agricultural lands rather than drained backswamps. Therefore, these areas are likely to be assigned H 2S and SO 2 flux values of zero in greenhouse gas species inventories. These findings suggest a need to expand these measurements to other drained ASS areas to refine regional (and possibly global) atmospheric S budgets. Further research is necessary to elucidate the sources of measured S compounds, and specifically whether they are limited to individual agricultural drainage patterns in ASS.",

keywords = "biogenic, hydrogen sulfide, micrometeorological, sulfur dioxide",

author = "Kinsela, {Andrew S.} and Denmead, {O. Tom} and MacDonald, {Bennett C.T.} and Melville, {Michael D.} and Reynolds, {Jason K.} and Ian White",

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doi = "10.1071/SR11089",

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journal = "Soil Research",

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AU - Reynolds, Jason K.

AU - White, Ian

PY - 2011

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N2 - The emissions of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) play important roles in the global atmospheric sulfur (S) cycle. Field-based investigations using ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy show that drained acid sulfate soils (ASS) are a potentially unaccounted source of biogenic H 2S and SO 2. Significant diurnal variations were evident in SO 2 fluxes, with average daytime measurements 9.3-16.5-fold greater than night-time emissions. Similar diurnal patterns in H 2S fluxes were observed but proved statistically insignificant. The results from simultaneously collected micrometeorological measurements suggest that emissions of SO 2 and H 2S are most likely occurring via different processes. The SO 2 fluxes are closely linked to surface soil temperature and moisture content, whereas H 2S is constantly emitted from the land surface at the two study sites. Drained ASS are most likely mapped as agricultural lands rather than drained backswamps. Therefore, these areas are likely to be assigned H 2S and SO 2 flux values of zero in greenhouse gas species inventories. These findings suggest a need to expand these measurements to other drained ASS areas to refine regional (and possibly global) atmospheric S budgets. Further research is necessary to elucidate the sources of measured S compounds, and specifically whether they are limited to individual agricultural drainage patterns in ASS.

AB - The emissions of biogenic hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2) play important roles in the global atmospheric sulfur (S) cycle. Field-based investigations using ultraviolet fluorescence spectroscopy show that drained acid sulfate soils (ASS) are a potentially unaccounted source of biogenic H 2S and SO 2. Significant diurnal variations were evident in SO 2 fluxes, with average daytime measurements 9.3-16.5-fold greater than night-time emissions. Similar diurnal patterns in H 2S fluxes were observed but proved statistically insignificant. The results from simultaneously collected micrometeorological measurements suggest that emissions of SO 2 and H 2S are most likely occurring via different processes. The SO 2 fluxes are closely linked to surface soil temperature and moisture content, whereas H 2S is constantly emitted from the land surface at the two study sites. Drained ASS are most likely mapped as agricultural lands rather than drained backswamps. Therefore, these areas are likely to be assigned H 2S and SO 2 flux values of zero in greenhouse gas species inventories. These findings suggest a need to expand these measurements to other drained ASS areas to refine regional (and possibly global) atmospheric S budgets. Further research is necessary to elucidate the sources of measured S compounds, and specifically whether they are limited to individual agricultural drainage patterns in ASS.

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Field-based measurements of sulfur gas emissions from an agricultural coastal acid sulfate soil, eastern Australia

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