Premium
OBSERVATIONS OF GASES IN CHESAPEAKE BAY SEDIMENTS 1
Author(s) -
Reeburgh William S.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1969.14.3.0368
Subject(s) - chesapeake bay , sediment , methane , argon , stripping (fiber) , chemistry , mineralogy , environmental chemistry , geology , oceanography , estuary , geomorphology , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material
Summer and winter depth distributions of Ar, N 2 , CH 4 , and total CO 2 in Chesapeake Bay sediments are reported. Methane increased with depth in the sediment from undetectable quantities at the surface to concentrations of 150 and 85 ml/liter in water depths of 30.4 and 15.2 m. The observed maximum concentrations agree well with values calculated assuming that the CH 4 is controlled by ebullition from the sediment. Argon and N 2 in the surface sediments were present in concentrations near that of the overlying water and decreased with depth to values of 0.1 and 2 ml/liter. Depth variations of the N 2 : Ar ratio indicate selective removal of N 2 . Stripping by bubbles of CH 4 accounts for the selective removal of N 2 and the decrease with depth of both Ar and N 2 . Total CO 2 increased with depth to concentrations of 1,500 ml/liter and pH remained uniform with depth at about 7. Low values of total H 2 S and an abundance of acid‐labile sulfides in the sediments indicate that sulfide species are removed by mineral formation. All depth variations showed a break at about 25‐cm depth, indicating that mixing takes place to this depth.