lake erie center environmental sensor network

Lake Erie CenterEnvironmental Sensor

Network

The Framework

Eddy Covariance Method• Quantifies gas exchange rate as a

covariance of vertical wind velocity and CO2 concentration

• Relies on a large homogenous area (footprint) for measurement

• Requires state-of-the-art instrumentation with very quick response (10 hz)

• Most direct and defensible way to measure ecosystem gas fluxes

Swanton, OhioThe Oak Openings MetroParkis the sole Ameriflux tower site in Ohio. Measureingthe carbon sequestration capacity of managed forest ecosystems.

Port Clinton, OhioCO2, CH4, H2O, and energy fluxes in a marshland ecosystem of Lake Erie shoreline.

Curtice, OhioCO2, CH4, H2O, N2O, and energy fluxes in an agricultural field are measured using an open-path eddy covariance and static chamber.

Western basin, Lake ErieCO2, H2O, and energy fluxes of a freshwater lake ecosystem on top of the city of Toledo water intake crib.

Western basin, Lake ErieCO2, H2O, and energy fluxes of a freshwater lake ecosystem on top of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Toledo Light #2 light beacon.

Station Locations

Station Telemetry

• Mounted on the bow of the Mayflier II

• Route passes through the microcystis algal bloom at the estuarine of the Maumee River

• Through the sedimentary flow south of the Detroit River

• Near complete depiction of spatial fluxes in the Western basin

Mobile Flux Station

Preliminary ResultsPermS1 Fall 2011

10/11/11 0:30 10/15/11 0:30 10/19/11 0:30 10/23/11 0:30 10/27/11 0:30 10/31/11 0:30 11/4/11 0:30 11/8/11 0:30 11/12/11 0:30-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

0

5

10

15

20

25

30CO2 FluxAir Temp

CO

2 flu

x (

mg

m-2

s-1)

Air

tem

pera

ture

(oC

)

Marshland (coastal wetland) and Cropland (agricultural field) Sites

• Marshland releases evident methane during the day

• Cropland releases methane during the day and uptakes small amounts during the night

• The orders of methane fluxes are much smaller in the cropland than in the marshland.

Acknowledgments• Partially funded by the FSML program of

the NSF, NOAA, and USDAFS

• Overseen by Jiquan Chen, Carol Stepien, Michael Deal, Johan Gottgens, Housen Chu, Richard Becker, Thomas Bridgeman, and Kevin Czajkowski at The University of Toledo