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Temporal and spatial variation in methyl bromide flux from a salt marsh
Author(s) -
Drewer Julia,
Heal Mathew R.,
Heal Kate V.,
Smith Keith A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2006gl026814
Subject(s) - atmospheric sciences , salt marsh , environmental science , trace gas , ozone depletion , flux (metallurgy) , bromide , seasonality , climatology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , stratosphere , oceanography , geology , ecology , organic chemistry , biology
Methyl bromide (CH 3 Br) is a trace gas involved in stratospheric ozone depletion with both anthropogenic and natural sources. Estimates of natural source strengths are highly uncertain. In this study, >320 highly temporally and spatially resolved measurements of CH 3 Br emissions from a salt marsh in Scotland (56°00′N, 2°35′W) were made during one year using eight static enclosures. Net emissions showed both strong seasonal and diurnal cycles. Day‐to‐day maxima in emissions were associated with sunny days. Emissions dropped to zero when vegetation was removed. Mean measured CH 3 Br emission was 350 ng m −2 h −1 , but a few “hot spots” (measured maximum 4000 ng m −2 h −1 ) dominated integrated emissions. A crude scale‐up of the annual mean emission yields an estimate for global CH 3 Br emission of ∼1 (0.5–3) Gg y −1 (range uses annual mean from lowest and highest emitting enclosures), ∼10% the global salt marsh emission regularly quoted in the literature.