Peatland GHG emissions

I'm looking for......... rather specific information.

Namely, if a piece of peatland is drained, from what location/areas are GHG's (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) emitted from that site?

Is it from the drains & ditches, and/or from the area in general which see's it's water level lowered?

Asking for a friend reason, which I'm keeping under my hat for the time being.

Say my name

If it's drained. It's it's carbon oxidized to Co2.

If it's working away and sequestering carbon and flooded/damp/bog it's CH4 it's emitting.

Say my name

Say my name wrote: »

If it's drained. It's it's carbon oxidized to Co2.

If it's working away and sequestering carbon and flooded/damp/bog it's CH4 it's emitting.

It's more the local locations of emissions within a site I'm chasing. Imagine it as if you're standing on the site and someone, most likely an expert , saying X% of this gas is coming from this area for these reasons, X% of this other gas is mainly coming from the open drains.

Say my name

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's more the local locations of emissions within a site I'm chasing. Imagine it as if you're standing on the site and someone, most likely an expert , saying X% of this gas is coming from this area for these reasons, X% of this other gas is mainly coming from the open drains.

I know what you're saying and I know how experts can make up numbers (nearly always to suit their own agendas).
And I know how experts never lie only misspeak.

Anyway I'm digressing hugely bar only knowledge I'd have it'd be site dependent.

Sorry...zero help.

Say my name

Say my name wrote: »

I know what you're saying and I know how experts can make up numbers (nearly always to suit their own agendas).
And I know how experts never lie only misspeak.

Anyway I'm digressing hugely bar only knowledge I'd have it'd be site dependent.

Sorry...zero help.

No worries.

It's nothing as controversial as people telling tales, I'm looking for info for purely practical purposes.

blue5000

No expert here either but I think as the water level drops, the peat at the top dries out. Air (oxygen) replaces the water and converts some of the carbon in the peat to CO2 and this is released to the atmosphere.

I don't think keeping bogs wet in Ireland makes any difference to methane emissions, as it is produced anaerobically and the methane will escape to the atmosphere whether the bog is wet or dry. But frozen bog, tundra in N. Europe etc. is able to keep the methane in the peat, however, when it thaws methane is released to the atmosphere.

Just my 2 cent, hope this helps. If you want to have an argument with your expert/friend ask him why did bord na mona burn so much peat which only turned 33% of the energy in the peat to electricity, where did the rest of the energy (CO2) go?

vincenzolorenzo

blue5000 wrote: »

No expert here either but I think as the water level drops, the peat at the top dries out. Air (oxygen) replaces the water and converts some of the carbon in the peat to CO2 and this is released to the atmosphere.

I don't think keeping bogs wet in Ireland makes any difference to methane emissions, as it is produced anaerobically and the methane will escape to the atmosphere whether the bog is wet or dry. But frozen bog, tundra in N. Europe etc. is able to keep the methane in the peat, however, when it thaws methane is released to the atmosphere.

Just my 2 cent, hope this helps. If you want to have an argument with your expert/friend ask him why did bord na mona burn so much peat which only turned 33% of the energy in the peat to electricity, where did the rest of the energy (CO2) go?

You're being very generous at 33%!

yosemitesam1

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm looking for......... rather specific information.

Namely, if a piece of peatland is drained, from what location/areas are GHG's (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) emitted from that site?

Is it from the drains & ditches, and/or from the area in general which see's it's water level lowered?

Asking for a friend reason, which I'm keeping under my hat for the time being.

They're emitted direct to atmosphere as well washed down through groundwater.
Eddy covariance measurement is often used and the quantities washed out through soil ignored which do have a major influence on the final figure

blue5000

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

You're being very generous at 33%!

Yes, I suppose I should have mentioned a further 10% of electricity gets lost on the grid, so 30% efficiency then.