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Liang T, Qiao S, Chen Y, He Y, Ma Y. High-sensitivity methane detection based on QEPAS and H-QEPAS technologies combined with a self-designed 8.7 kHz quartz tuning fork. PHOTOACOUSTICS 2024; 36:100592. [PMID: 38322619 PMCID: PMC10844118 DOI: 10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas as well as being flammable and explosive. In this manuscript, quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) and heterodyne QEPAS (H-QEPAS) exploring a self-designed quartz tuning fork (QTF) with resonance frequency (f0) of ∼8.7 kHz was utilized to achieve sensitive CH4 detection. Compared with the standard commercial 32.768 kHz QTF, this self-designed QTF with a low f0 and large prong gap has the merits of long energy accumulation time and low optical noise. The strongest line located at 6057.08 cm-1 in the 2v3 overtone band of CH4 was chosen as the target absorption line. A diode laser with a high output power of > 30 mW was utilized as the excitation source. Acoustic micro-resonators (AmRs) were added to the sensor architecture to amplify the intensity of acoustic waves. Compared to the bare QTF, after the addition of AmRs, a signal enhancement of 149-fold and 165-fold were obtained for QEPAS and H-QEPAS systems, respectively. The corresponding minimum detection limits (MDLs) were 711 ppb and 1.06 ppm for QEPAS and H-QEPAS sensors. Furthermore, based on Allan variance analysis the MDLs can be improved to 19 ppb and 27 ppb correspondingly. Compared to the QEPAS sensor, the H-QEPAS sensor shows significantly shorter measurement timeframes, allowing for measuring the gas concentration quickly while simultaneously obtaining f0 of QTF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Liang
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Tunable Laser, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Shunda Qiao
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Tunable Laser, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Yanjun Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Tunable Laser, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Ying He
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Tunable Laser, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Yufei Ma
- National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on Tunable Laser, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
- Zhengzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, China
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Chen X, Liu Y, Jiang Y, Feng S. Radon transport carried by geogas: prediction model. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:86656-86675. [PMID: 37436618 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28616-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides an overview and information on radon migration in the crust. In the past several decades, numerous studies on radon migration have been published. However, there is no there is no comprehensive review of large-scale radon transport in the earth crust. A literature review was conducted to present the research on the mechanism of radon migration, geogas theory, investigation of multiphase flow, and modeling method of fractures. Molecular diffusion was long considered the primary mechanism for radon migration in the crust. However, a molecular diffusion mechanism cannot explain the understanding of anomalous radon concentrations. In contrast with early views, the process of radon migration and redistribution within the Earth may be determined by geogas (mainly CO2 and CH4). Microbubbles rising in fractured rocks may be a rapid and efficient way of radon migration, as reported by recent studies. All these hypotheses on the mechanisms of geogas migration are summarized into a theoretical framework, defined as "geogas theory." According to geogas theory, fractures are the principal channel of gas migration. The development of the discrete fracture network (DFN) method is expected to supply a new tool for fracture modeling. It is hoped that this paper will contribute to a deeper understanding of radon migration and fracture modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Chen
- School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
- Safety Technology Center, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Liu
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Yourui Jiang
- School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China
| | - Shengyang Feng
- School of Resource Environment and Safety Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang, 421001, Hunan, China.
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Hogendoorn C, Picone N, van Hout F, Vijverberg S, Poghosyan L, van Alen TA, Frank J, Pol A, Gagliano AL, Jetten MSM, D'Alessandro W, Quatrini P, Op den Camp HJM. Draft genome of a novel methanotrophic Methylobacter sp. from the volcanic soils of Pantelleria Island. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2021; 114:313-324. [PMID: 33566237 PMCID: PMC7902576 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-021-01525-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The genus Methylobacter is considered an important and often dominant group of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria in many oxic ecosystems, where members of this genus contribute to the reduction of CH4 emissions. Metagenomic studies of the upper oxic layers of geothermal soils of the Favara Grande, Pantelleria, Italy, revealed the presence of various methane-oxidizing bacteria, and resulted in a near complete metagenome assembled genome (MAG) of an aerobic methanotroph, which was classified as a Methylobacter species. In this study, the Methylobacter sp. B2 MAG was used to investigate its metabolic potential and phylogenetic affiliation. The MAG has a size of 4,086,539 bp, consists of 134 contigs and 3955 genes were found, of which 3902 were protein coding genes. All genes for CH4 oxidation to CO2 were detected, including pmoCAB encoding particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) and xoxF encoding a methanol dehydrogenase. No gene encoding a formaldehyde dehydrogenase was present and the formaldehyde to formate conversion follows the tetrahydromethanopterin (H4MPT) pathway. “Ca. Methylobacter favarea” B2 uses the Ribulose-Mono-Phosphate (RuMP) pathway for carbon fixation. Analysis of the MAG indicates that Na+/H+ antiporters and the urease system might be important in the maintenance of pH homeostasis of this strain to cope with acidic conditions. So far, thermoacidophilic Methylobacter species have not been isolated, however this study indicates that members of the genus Methylobacter can be found in distinct ecosystems and their presence is not restricted to freshwater or marine sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Hogendoorn
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nunzia Picone
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Femke van Hout
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Vijverberg
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lianna Poghosyan
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Theo A van Alen
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Frank
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Pol
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Antonia L Gagliano
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palerma, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Mike S M Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Walter D'Alessandro
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palerma, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Paola Quatrini
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed. 16, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Schmitz RA, Peeters SH, Versantvoort W, Picone N, Pol A, Jetten MSM, Op den Camp HJM. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs: ecophysiology of metabolically versatile acidophiles. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2021; 45:6125968. [PMID: 33524112 PMCID: PMC8498564 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuab007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanotrophs are an important group of microorganisms that counteract methane emissions to the atmosphere. Methane-oxidising bacteria of the Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria have been studied for over a century, while methanotrophs of the phylum Verrucomicrobia are a more recent discovery. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs are extremophiles that live in very acidic geothermal ecosystems. Currently, more than a dozen strains have been isolated, belonging to the genera Methylacidiphilum and Methylacidimicrobium. Initially, these methanotrophs were thought to be metabolically confined. However, genomic analyses and physiological and biochemical experiments over the past years revealed that verrucomicrobial methanotrophs, as well as proteobacterial methanotrophs, are much more metabolically versatile than previously assumed. Several inorganic gases and other molecules present in acidic geothermal ecosystems can be utilised, such as methane, hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide, ammonium, nitrogen gas and perhaps also hydrogen sulfide. Verrucomicrobial methanotrophs could therefore represent key players in multiple volcanic nutrient cycles and in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from geothermal ecosystems. Here, we summarise the current knowledge on verrucomicrobial methanotrophs with respect to their metabolic versatility and discuss the factors that determine their diversity in their natural environment. In addition, key metabolic, morphological and ecological characteristics of verrucomicrobial and proteobacterial methanotrophs are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rob A Schmitz
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Stijn H Peeters
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Versantvoort
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nunzia Picone
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arjan Pol
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mike S M Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Taylor KA, Risk D, Williams JP, Wach GD, Sherwood OA. Occurrence and origin of groundwater methane in the Stellarton Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:141888. [PMID: 32911143 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Groundwater methane (CH4) in areas of fossil fuel development has been a recent focus of study as high CH4 concentrations pose water quality concerns and potential explosive hazards. In 2013, a provincial study in Nova Scotia identified areas with elevated groundwater CH4. However, due to limited data, the specific sources and local distribution of CH4 in those areas remain unknown. In this study, we examined the Stellarton Basin in central Nova Scotia, Canada, a region with an abundance of coal formations, numerous abandoned coal mines, and an active open pit coal mine. Methane was detected in 94% of water samples that were sampled from 45 private water wells. Six water wells exceeded the 28 mg/L hazard mitigation threshold with CH4 levels of up to 72.7 mg/L. The δ13CCH4 (-85.5 to -48.5‰) and the δ2HCH4 (-280 to -88‰) indicated that >95% of samples had CH4 of microbial origin. However, the detection of ethane (C2H6) up to 2.97 mg/L and propane (C3H8) up to 0.008 mg/L, as well as the δ13CC2H6 values (-30.1 to -15.6‰) suggested a mixture of microbial CH4 with trace thermogenic gas, likely migrated from Stellarton coals (δ13CC2H6 of -27.6 to -15.35‰). A mobile greenhouse gas analyzer survey was conducted within the perimeter of residences and off-gassing from taps had atmospheric CH4 measurements as high as 66 ppmv. This study integrates multiple sampling and monitoring methods to investigate groundwater CH4 in a coal-bearing region. The findings advance the understanding of the origin and occurrence of CH4 in complex groundwater systems. The data acquired in this study may be used as a pre-drill baseline for groundwater CH4 concentrations and origins should coal-bed methane operations in Nova Scotia proceed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley A Taylor
- Department of Earth Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Physical Sciences Complex 2066, PO Box 5000, B2G 2W5 Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, PO BOX 15000, B3H 4R2 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - David Risk
- Department of Earth Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Physical Sciences Complex 2066, PO Box 5000, B2G 2W5 Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - James P Williams
- Department of Earth Science, St. Francis Xavier University, Physical Sciences Complex 2066, PO Box 5000, B2G 2W5 Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, McGill University, 817 Sherbrooke Street West, H3A 0C3 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Grant D Wach
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, PO BOX 15000, B3H 4R2 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Owen A Sherwood
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Dalhousie University, 1459 Oxford Street, PO BOX 15000, B3H 4R2 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Abstract
Volcanic and geothermal environments are characterized by low pH, high temperatures, and gas emissions consisting of mainly CO2 and varied CH4, H2S, and H2 contents which allow the formation of chemolithoautotrophic microbial communities. To determine the link between the emitted gases and the microbial community composition, geochemical and metagenomic analysis were performed. Soil samples of the geothermic region Favara Grande (Pantelleria, Italy) were taken at various depths (1 to 50 cm). Analysis of the gas composition revealed that CH4 and H2 have the potential to serve as the driving forces for the microbial community. Our metagenomic analysis revealed a high relative abundance of Bacteria in the top layer (1 to 10 cm), but the relative abundance of Archaea increased with depth from 32% to 70%. In particular, a putative hydrogenotrophic methanogenic archaeon, related to Methanocella conradii, appeared to have a high relative abundance (63%) in deeper layers. A variety of [NiFe]-hydrogenase genes were detected, showing that H2 was an important electron donor for microaerobic microorganisms in the upper layers. Furthermore, the bacterial population included verrucomicrobial and proteobacterial methanotrophs, the former showing an up to 7.8 times higher relative abundance. Analysis of the metabolic potential of this microbial community showed a clear capacity to oxidize CH4 aerobically, as several genes for distinct particulate methane monooxygenases and lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenases (XoxF-type) were retrieved. Analysis of the CO2 fixation pathways showed the presence of the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle, the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, and the (reverse) tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the latter being the most represented carbon fixation pathway. This study indicates that the methane emissions in the Favara Grande might be a combination of geothermal activity and biological processes and further provides insights into the diversity of the microbial population thriving on CH4 and H2 IMPORTANCE The Favara Grande nature reserve on the volcanic island of Pantelleria (Italy) is known for its geothermal gas emissions and high soil temperatures. These volcanic soil ecosystems represent "hot spots" of greenhouse gas emissions. The unique community might be shaped by the hostile conditions in the ecosystem, and it is involved in the cycling of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, sulfur, and nitrogen. Our metagenome study revealed that most of the microorganisms in this extreme environment are only distantly related to cultivated bacteria. The results obtained profoundly increased the understanding of these natural hot spots of greenhouse gas production/degradation and will help to enrich and isolate the microbial key players. After isolation, it will become possible to unravel the molecular mechanisms by which they adapt to extreme (thermo/acidophilic) conditions, and this may lead to new green enzymatic catalysts and technologies for industry.
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Influence of tectonics on global scale distribution of geological methane emissions. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2305. [PMID: 32385247 PMCID: PMC7210894 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Earth's hydrocarbon degassing through gas-oil seeps, mud volcanoes and diffuse microseepage is a major natural source of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. While carbon dioxide degassing is typically associated with extensional tectonics, volcanoes, and geothermal areas, CH4 seepage mostly occurs in petroleum-bearing sedimentary basins, but the role of tectonics in degassing is known only for some case studies at local scale. Here, we perform a global scale geospatial analysis to assess how the presence of hydrocarbon fields, basin geodynamics and the type of faults control CH4 seepage. Combining georeferenced data of global inventories of onshore seeps, faults, sedimentary basins, petroleum fields and heat flow, we find that hydrocarbon seeps prevail in petroleum fields within convergent basins with heat flow ≤ 98 mW m-2, and along any type of brittle tectonic structure, mostly in reverse fault settings. Areas potentially hosting additional seeps and microseepage are identified through a global seepage favourability model.
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Kudryavtsev DA, Fedotenko TМ, Koemets EG, Khandarkhaeva SE, Kutcherov VG, Dubrovinsky LS. Raman Spectroscopy Study on Chemical Transformations of Propane at High Temperatures and High Pressures. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1483. [PMID: 32001799 PMCID: PMC6992756 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58520-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study is devoted to the detailed in situ Raman spectroscopy investigation of propane C3H8 in laser-heated diamond anvil cells in the range of pressures from 3 to 22 GPa and temperatures from 900 to 3000 K. We show that propane, while being exposed to particular thermobaric conditions, could react, leading to the formation of hydrocarbons, both saturated and unsaturated as well as soot. Our results suggest that propane could be a precursor of heavy hydrocarbons and will produce more than just sooty material when subjected to extreme conditions. These results could clarify the issue of the presence of heavy hydrocarbons in the Earth’s upper mantle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir G Kutcherov
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.,Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (National Research University), Moscow, Russia
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Islam T, Larsen Ø, Birkeland NK. A Novel Cold-adapted Methylovulum species, with a High C16:1ω5c Content, Isolated from an Arctic Thermal Spring in Spitsbergen. Microbes Environ 2020; 35:ME20044. [PMID: 32536671 PMCID: PMC7511782 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me20044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel cold-adapted methane-oxidizing bacterium, termed TFB, was isolated from the thermoglacial Arctic karst spring, Trollosen, located in the South Spitsbergen National Park (Norway). The source water is cold and extremely low in phosphate and nitrate. The isolate belongs to the Methylovulum genus of gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs, with the closest phylogenetic affiliation with Methylovulum miyakonense and Methylovulum psychrotolerans (96.2 and 96.1% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, respectively). TFB is a strict aerobe that only grows in the presence of methane or methanol. It fixes atmospheric nitrogen and contains Type I intracellular membranes. The growth temperature range was 2-22°C, with an optimum at 13-18°C. The functional genes pmoA, mxaF, and nifH were identified by PCR, whereas mmoX and cbbL were not. C16:1ω5c was identified as the major fatty acid constituent, at an amount (>49%) not previously found in any methanotrophs, and is likely to play a major role in cold adaptation. Strain TFB may be regarded as a new psychrotolerant or psychrophilic species within the genus Methylovulum. The recovery of this cold-adapted bacterium from a neutral Arctic thermal spring increases our knowledge of the diversity and adaptation of extremophilic gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs in the candidate family "Methylomonadaceae".
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Affiliation(s)
- Tajul Islam
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Bergen Katedralskole, Kong Oscars gate 36, 5017 Bergen, Norway
| | - Øivind Larsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, Bergen, Norway
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Ito A, Tohjima Y, Saito T, Umezawa T, Hajima T, Hirata R, Saito M, Terao Y. Methane budget of East Asia, 1990-2015: A bottom-up evaluation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 676:40-52. [PMID: 31029899 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The regional budget of methane (CH4) emissions for East Asia, a crucial region in the global greenhouse gas budget, was quantified for 1990-2015 with a bottom-up method based on inventories and emission model simulations. Anthropogenic emissions associated with fossil fuel extraction, industrial activities, waste management, and agricultural activities were derived from the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research version 4.3.2 and compared with other inventories. Emissions from natural wetlands and CH4 uptake by upland soil oxidation were estimated using the Vegetation Integrative SImulator for Trace gases (VISIT), a biogeochemical model that considers historical land use and climatic conditions. Emissions from biomass burning and termites were calculated using satellite and land-use data combined with empirical emission factors. The resulting average annual estimated CH4 budget for 2000-2012 indicated that East Asia was a net source of 67.3 Tg CH4 yr-1, of which 88.8% was associated with anthropogenic emissions. The uncertainty (±standard deviation) of this estimate, ±14 Tg CH4 yr-1, stemmed from data and model inconsistencies. The increase of the net flux from 60.2 Tg CH4 yr-1 in 1990 to 78.0 Tg CH4 yr-1 in 2012 was due mainly to increased emissions by the fossil fuel extraction and livestock sectors. Our results showed that CH4 was a crucial component of the regional greenhouse gas budget. A spatial analysis using 0.25° × 0.25° grid cells revealed emission hotspots in urban areas, agricultural areas, and wetlands. These hotspots were surrounded by weak sinks in upland areas. The estimated natural and anthropogenic emissions fell within the range of independent estimates, including top-down estimates from atmospheric inversion models. Such a regional accounting is an effective way to elucidate climatic forcings and to develop mitigation policies. Further studies, however, are required to reduce the uncertainties in the budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko Ito
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan; Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan.
| | | | - Takuya Saito
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Taku Umezawa
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Hajima
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Hirata
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Makoto Saito
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yukio Terao
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan
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Erikstad HA, Ceballos RM, Smestad NB, Birkeland NK. Global Biogeographic Distribution Patterns of Thermoacidophilic Verrucomicrobia Methanotrophs Suggest Allopatric Evolution. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1129. [PMID: 31191475 PMCID: PMC6549252 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermoacidophilic methane-oxidizing Verrucomicrobia of the candidate genus Methylacidiphilum represent a bacterial taxon adapted to highly acidic (pH 1–4) and moderate temperature (∼65°C) methane-containing geothermal environments. Their apparent ubiquity in acidic terrestrial volcanic areas makes them ideal model organisms to study prokaryotic biogeography. Three Methylacidiphilum species isolated from distantly-separated geothermal regions in Russia, New Zealand, and Italy were previously described. We have explored the intra-taxon phylogenetic patterns of these organisms based on comparative genome analyses and phenotypic comparisons with six new Verrucomicrobia methanotroph isolates from other globally-separated acidic geothermal locations. Comparison of rRNA and particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoCAB) operon sequences indicates a close phylogenetic relationship among the new isolates as well as with the previously characterized strains. All share similar cell morphology including the presence of extensive intracellular inclusion bodies and lack of intracellular membrane systems, which are typical for proteobacterial methanotrophs. However, genome sequence comparisons and concatenated MLST-based phylogenetic analyses separate the new isolates into three distinct species-level groups. Three recently processed isolates from the Azores (each from geographically-separate hot springs within the region) and a single isolate from Iceland are highly similar, sharing more than 88% in silico genome homology with each other as well as with the previous isolate, Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum strain SolV, from Italy. These appear to constitute a distinct European/Atlantic clade. However, two of the new isolates – one from the Yellowstone National Park (United States) and another from The Philippines – constitute separate and novel Methylacidiphilum species. There is no clear correlation between fatty acid profiles and geographic distance between origins, or any phylogenetic relationship. Serological analysis using antiserum raised against M. kamchatkense strain Kam1 revealed large differences in the degree of cross-reactivity with no correlation with other factors. However, the genetic distance between the strains does correlate to the distance between their geographic origins and suggests a global biogeographic pattern shaped by an isolation-by-distance mechanism. These results further confirm terrestrial geothermal springs as isolated islands featuring allopatric prokaryotic speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruben Michael Ceballos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
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Venturi S, Tassi F, Magi F, Cabassi J, Ricci A, Capecchiacci F, Caponi C, Nisi B, Vaselli O. Carbon isotopic signature of interstitial soil gases reveals the potential role of ecosystems in mitigating geogenic greenhouse gas emissions: Case studies from hydrothermal systems in Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 655:887-898. [PMID: 30481715 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 11/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Volcanic and hydrothermal areas largely contribute to the natural emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, although large uncertainties in estimating their global output still remain. Nevertheless, CO2 and CH4 discharged from hydrothermal fluid reservoirs may support active soil microbial communities. Such secondary processes can control and reduce the flux of these gases to the atmosphere. In order to evaluate the effects deriving from the presence of microbial activity, chemical and carbon (in CO2 and CH4) isotopic composition of interstitial soil gases, as well as diffuse CO2 fluxes, of three hydrothermal systems from Italy were investigated, i.e. (i) Solfatara crater (Campi Flegrei), (ii) Monterotondo Marittimo (Larderello geothermal field) and (iii) Baia di Levante in Vulcano Island (Aeolian Archipelago), where soil CO2 fluxes up to 2400, 1920 and 346 g m-2 day-1 were measured, respectively. Despite the large supply of hydrothermal fluids, 13CO2 enrichments were observed in interstitial soil gases with respect to the fumarolic gas discharges, pointing to the occurrence of autotrophic CO2 fixation processes during the migration of deep-sourced fluids towards the soil-air interface. On the other hand, (i) the δ13C-CH4 values (up to ~48‰ vs. V-PDB higher than those measured at the fumarolic emissions) of the interstitial soil gases and (ii) the comparison of the CO2/CH4 ratios between soil gases and fumarolic emissions suggested that the deep-sourced CH4 was partly consumed by methanotrophic activity, as supported by isotope fractionation modeling. These findings confirmed the key role that methanotrophs play in mitigating the release of geogenic greenhouse gases from volcanic and hydrothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Venturi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - F Tassi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - F Magi
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - J Cabassi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - A Ricci
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Porta S. Donato 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
| | - F Capecchiacci
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - C Caponi
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
| | - B Nisi
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - O Vaselli
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy.
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Carvalho L, Monteiro R, Figueira P, Mieiro C, Pereira E, Magalhães V, Pinheiro L, Vale C. Rare earth elements in mud volcano sediments from the Gulf of Cadiz, South Iberian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 652:869-879. [PMID: 30380493 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Eight gravity cores (GC) were retrieved from the deep mud volcanoes Sagres, Bonjardim, Soloviev and Porto in the Gulf of Cadiz. Cores with 137 to 317 cm long were sliced in intervals of 15 to 20 cm thickness, and 46 samples were analyzed for grain size distribution, loss on ignition, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Mn, Sr, Ba and the rare earth elements (REE) La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu. REE profile normalized to Post-Archean Australian Average Shale (PAAS) was dominated by a mid-REE bulge with a pronounced Eu enhancement. Sediment reducing conditions resulting from the anaerobic oxidation of methane probably contributed to the positive-Eu anomaly (1.18-2.19, PAAS normalization). Most likely, reactions near the sulfate-methane transition zone such as the precipitation of barium sulfate found at layers around 50-cm depth explain the enhancement of Eu/Eu* ratios. The Ce anomalies (0.93-1.09) were almost absent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Carvalho
- Central Laboratory of Analysis (LCA), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Rui Monteiro
- CESAM and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Paula Figueira
- Central Laboratory of Analysis (LCA), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; CICECO (Aveiro Institute of Materials) and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Mieiro
- CESAM and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Eduarda Pereira
- Central Laboratory of Analysis (LCA), University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; CESAM and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Vítor Magalhães
- Marine Geology and Georesources Division (DivGM), Portuguese Institute for the Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Rua C ao Aeroporto, 1749-077 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luís Pinheiro
- CESAM and Geosciences Department, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Carlos Vale
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Avenida Norton de Matos, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal
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14
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Soil-Gas Concentrations and Flux Monitoring at the Lacq-Rousse CO2-Geological Storage Pilot Site (French Pyrenean Foreland): From Pre-Injection to Post-Injection. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9040645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Soil-gas concentrations and flux were measured during 20 separate measurement campaigns at the TOTAL Lacq-Rousse carbon capture and storage (CCS) pilot site, southern France, where 51,000 tons of CO2 were injected in a depleted natural gas field. Baseline data (September 2008 to December 2009) are compared to monitoring data from the injection (March 2010 to March 2013) and post-injection (February 2014 to December 2015) periods. CO2 soil-gas concentrations varied from atmospheric concentrations to more than 16% vol. with 1.4% as median value. Summer data showed high CO2 concentrations in the soil that remained quite high during winter. Median CO2 flux at the soil/atmosphere interface was close to 4.4 cm3·min−1·m−2. Carbon-isotope ratios measured on CO2 in soil gas had a mean value of −23.5 ± 3.1‰, some deviation being due to atmospheric CO2. Comparison between different gas species and the influence of temperature, pressure and soil-water content suggest that gases in near-surface environments are produced locally and naturally, and are unrelated to CO2 ascending from the storage reservoir. Monitoring of CO2 injection and the use of threshold levels is discussed as part of a practical approach considering specific regulations for the Lacq-Rousse CCS pilot experiment and constraints for the site operator.
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15
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Can a Red Wood-Ant Nest Be Associated with Fault-Related CH₄ Micro-Seepage? A Case Study from Continuous Short-Term In-Situ Sampling. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8040046. [PMID: 29597318 PMCID: PMC5946130 DOI: 10.3390/ani8040046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Methane (CH4) is common on Earth but its natural sources are not well-characterized. We investigated concentrations of CH4 and its stable carbon isotope (δ13C-CH4) within a red wood-ant (RWA; Formica polyctena) nest in the Neuwied Basin, a part of the East Eifel Volcanic Field (EEVF), and tested for associations between methane concentration and RWA activity patterns, earthquakes, and earth tides. Methane degassing was not synchronized with earth tides, nor was it influenced by a micro-earthquake or RWA activity. Elevated CH4 concentrations in nest gas appear to result from a combination of microbial activity and fault-related emissions. The latter could result from micro-seepage of methane derived from low-temperature gas-water-rock reactions that subsequently moves via fault networks through the RWA nest or from overlapping micro-seepage of magmatic CH4 from the Eifel plume. Given the abundance of RWA nests on the landscape, their role as sources of microbial CH4 and biological indicators for abiotically-derived CH4 should be included in estimations of methane emissions that are contributing to climatic change. Abstract We measured methane (CH4) and stable carbon isotope of methane (δ13C-CH4) concentrations in ambient air and within a red wood-ant (RWA; Formica polyctena) nest in the Neuwied Basin (Germany) using high-resolution in-situ sampling to detect microbial, thermogenic, and abiotic fault-related micro-seepage of CH4. Methane degassing from RWA nests was not synchronized with earth tides, nor was it influenced by micro-earthquake degassing or concomitantly measured RWA activity. Two δ13C-CH4 signatures were identified in nest gas: −69‰ and −37‰. The lower peak was attributed to microbial decomposition of organic matter within the RWA nest, in line with previous observations that RWA nests are hot-spots of microbial CH4. The higher peak has not been reported in previous studies. We attribute this peak to fault-related CH4 emissions moving via fault networks into the RWA nest, which could originate either from thermogenic or abiotic CH4 formation. Sources of these micro-seepages could be Devonian schists, iron-bearing “Klerf Schichten”, or overlapping micro-seepage of magmatic CH4 from the Eifel plume. Given the abundance of RWA nests on the landscape, their role as sources of microbial CH4 and biological indicators for abiotically-derived CH4 should be included in estimation of methane emissions that are contributing to climatic change.
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16
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Groundwater Natural Contamination by Toluene in Beja and Faro Districts, Portugal. GEOSCIENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences8010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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17
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Origin of methane-rich natural gas at the West Pacific convergent plate boundary. Sci Rep 2017; 7:15646. [PMID: 29142325 PMCID: PMC5688071 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15959-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Methane emission from the geosphere is generally characterized by a radiocarbon-free signature and might preserve information on the deep carbon cycle on Earth. Here we report a clear relationship between the origin of methane-rich natural gases and the geodynamic setting of the West Pacific convergent plate boundary. Natural gases in the frontal arc basin (South Kanto gas fields, Northeast Japan) show a typical microbial signature with light carbon isotopes, high CH4/C2H6 and CH4/3He ratios. In the Akita-Niigata region – which corresponds to the slope stretching from the volcanic-arc to the back-arc –a thermogenic signature characterize the gases, with prevalence of heavy carbon isotopes, low CH4/C2H6 and CH4/3He ratios. Natural gases from mud volcanoes in South Taiwan at the collision zone show heavy carbon isotopes, middle CH4/C2H6 ratios and low CH4/3He ratios. On the other hand, those from the Tokara Islands situated on the volcanic front of Southwest Japan show the heaviest carbon isotopes, middle CH4/C2H6 ratios and the lowest CH4/3He ratios. The observed geochemical signatures of natural gases are clearly explained by a mixing of microbial, thermogenic and abiotic methane. An increasing contribution of abiotic methane towards more tectonically active regions of the plate boundary is suggested.
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18
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Lyman SN, Watkins C, Jones CP, Mansfield ML, McKinley M, Kenney D, Evans J. Hydrocarbon and Carbon Dioxide Fluxes from Natural Gas Well Pad Soils and Surrounding Soils in Eastern Utah. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:11625-11633. [PMID: 28880540 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We measured fluxes of methane, nonmethane hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide from natural gas well pad soils and from nearby undisturbed soils in eastern Utah. Methane fluxes varied from less than zero to more than 38 g m-2 h-1. Fluxes from well pad soils were almost always greater than from undisturbed soils. Fluxes were greater from locations with higher concentrations of total combustible gas in soil and were inversely correlated with distance from well heads. Several lines of evidence show that the majority of emission fluxes (about 70%) were primarily due to subsurface sources of raw gas that migrated to the atmosphere, with the remainder likely caused primarily by re-emission of spilled liquid hydrocarbons. Total hydrocarbon fluxes during summer were only 39 (16, 97)% as high as during winter, likely because soil bacteria consumed the majority of hydrocarbons during summer months. We estimate that natural gas well pad soils account for 4.6 × 10-4 (1.6 × 10-4, 1.6 × 10-3)% of total emissions of hydrocarbons from the oil and gas industry in Utah's Uinta Basin. Our undisturbed soil flux measurements were not adequate to quantify rates of natural hydrocarbon seepage in the Uinta Basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth N Lyman
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University , 320 North Aggie Boulevard, Vernal, Utah United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University , 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah United States
| | - Cody Watkins
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University , 320 North Aggie Boulevard, Vernal, Utah United States
| | - Colleen P Jones
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University , 320 North Aggie Boulevard, Vernal, Utah United States
- Department of Plants, Soils and Climate, Utah State University , 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah United States
| | - Marc L Mansfield
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University , 320 North Aggie Boulevard, Vernal, Utah United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University , 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, Utah United States
| | - Michael McKinley
- Bureau of Land Management , 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah United States
| | - Donna Kenney
- Bureau of Land Management , 440 West 200 South, Salt Lake City, Utah United States
| | - Jordan Evans
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University , 320 North Aggie Boulevard, Vernal, Utah United States
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19
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Kohnert K, Serafimovich A, Metzger S, Hartmann J, Sachs T. Strong geologic methane emissions from discontinuous terrestrial permafrost in the Mackenzie Delta, Canada. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5828. [PMID: 28725016 PMCID: PMC5517603 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05783-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Arctic permafrost caps vast amounts of old, geologic methane (CH4) in subsurface reservoirs. Thawing permafrost opens pathways for this CH4 to migrate to the surface. However, the occurrence of geologic emissions and their contribution to the CH4 budget in addition to recent, biogenic CH4 is uncertain. Here we present a high-resolution (100 m × 100 m) regional (10,000 km²) CH4 flux map of the Mackenzie Delta, Canada, based on airborne CH4 flux data from July 2012 and 2013. We identify strong, likely geologic emissions solely where the permafrost is discontinuous. These peaks are 13 times larger than typical biogenic emissions. Whereas microbial CH4 production largely depends on recent air and soil temperature, geologic CH4 was produced over millions of years and can be released year-round provided open pathways exist. Therefore, even though they only occur on about 1% of the area, geologic hotspots contribute 17% to the annual CH4 emission estimate of our study area. We suggest that this share may increase if ongoing permafrost thaw opens new pathways. We conclude that, due to permafrost thaw, hydrocarbon-rich areas, prevalent in the Arctic, may see increased emission of geologic CH4 in the future, in addition to enhanced microbial CH4 production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Kohnert
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Andrei Serafimovich
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stefan Metzger
- National Ecological Observatory Network, Battelle, 1685 38th Street, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.,University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 1225 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Jörg Hartmann
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Torsten Sachs
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany
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20
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Bock M, Schmitt J, Beck J, Seth B, Chappellaz J, Fischer H. Glacial/interglacial wetland, biomass burning, and geologic methane emissions constrained by dual stable isotopic CH 4 ice core records. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E5778-E5786. [PMID: 28673973 PMCID: PMC5530640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613883114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric methane (CH4) records reconstructed from polar ice cores represent an integrated view on processes predominantly taking place in the terrestrial biogeosphere. Here, we present dual stable isotopic methane records [δ13CH4 and δD(CH4)] from four Antarctic ice cores, which provide improved constraints on past changes in natural methane sources. Our isotope data show that tropical wetlands and seasonally inundated floodplains are most likely the controlling sources of atmospheric methane variations for the current and two older interglacials and their preceding glacial maxima. The changes in these sources are steered by variations in temperature, precipitation, and the water table as modulated by insolation, (local) sea level, and monsoon intensity. Based on our δD(CH4) constraint, it seems that geologic emissions of methane may play a steady but only minor role in atmospheric CH4 changes and that the glacial budget is not dominated by these sources. Superimposed on the glacial/interglacial variations is a marked difference in both isotope records, with systematically higher values during the last 25,000 y compared with older time periods. This shift cannot be explained by climatic changes. Rather, our isotopic methane budget points to a marked increase in fire activity, possibly caused by biome changes and accumulation of fuel related to the late Pleistocene megafauna extinction, which took place in the course of the last glacial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Bock
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Schmitt
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Beck
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Seth
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jérôme Chappellaz
- CNRS, IGE (Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement), F-38000 Grenoble, France
- University of Grenoble Alpes, IGE, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- IRD (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement), IGE, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- Grenoble INP (Institut National Polytechnique), IGE, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Hubertus Fischer
- Climate and Environmental Physics, Physics Institute, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland;
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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21
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Boothroyd IM, Almond S, Worrall F, Davies RJ. Assessing the fugitive emission of CH 4 via migration along fault zones - Comparing potential shale gas basins to non-shale basins in the UK. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 580:412-424. [PMID: 27914640 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
This study considered whether faults bounding hydrocarbon-bearing basins could be conduits for methane release to the atmosphere. Five basin bounding faults in the UK were considered: two which bounded potential shale gas basins; two faults that bounded coal basins; and one that bounded a basin with no known hydrocarbon deposits. In each basin, two mobile methane surveys were conducted, one along the surface expression of the basin bounding fault and one along a line of similar length but not intersecting the fault. All survey data was corrected for wind direction, the ambient CH4 concentration and the distance to the possible source. The survey design allowed for Analysis of Variance and this showed that there was a significant difference between the fault and control survey lines though a significant flux from the fault was not found in all basins and there was no apparent link to the presence, or absence, of hydrocarbons. As such, shale basins did not have a significantly different CH4 flux to non-shale hydrocarbon basins and non-hydrocarbon basins. These results could have implications for CH4 emissions from faults both in the UK and globally. Including all the corrected fault data, we estimate faults have an emissions factor of 11.5±6.3tCH4/km/yr, while the most conservative estimate of the flux from faults is 0.7±0.3tCH4/km/yr. The use of isotopes meant that at least one site of thermogenic flux from a fault could be identified. However, the total length of faults that penetrate through-basins and go from the surface to hydrocarbon reservoirs at depth in the UK is not known; as such, the emissions factor could not be multiplied by an activity level to estimate a total UK CH4 flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- I M Boothroyd
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Science Labs, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
| | - S Almond
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
| | - F Worrall
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Science Labs, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - R J Davies
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle NE1 7RU, UK
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22
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Wen HY, Sano Y, Takahata N, Tomonaga Y, Ishida A, Tanaka K, Kagoshima T, Shirai K, Ishibashi JI, Yokose H, Tsunogai U, Yang TF. Helium and methane sources and fluxes of shallow submarine hydrothermal plumes near the Tokara Islands, Southern Japan. Sci Rep 2016; 6:34126. [PMID: 27671524 PMCID: PMC5037448 DOI: 10.1038/srep34126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 09/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Shallow submarine volcanoes have been newly discovered near the Tokara Islands, which are situated at the volcanic front of the northern Ryukyu Arc in southern Japan. Here, we report for the first time the volatile geochemistry of shallow hydrothermal plumes, which were sampled using a CTD-RMS system after analyzing water column images collected by multi-beam echo sounder surveys. These surveys were performed during the research cruise KS-14-10 of the R/V Shinsei Maru in a region stretching from the Wakamiko Crater to the Tokara Islands. The 3He flux and methane flux in the investigated area are estimated to be (0.99–2.6) × 104 atoms/cm2/sec and 6–60 t/yr, respectively. The methane in the region of the Tokara Islands is a mix between abiotic methane similar to that found in the East Pacific Rise and thermogenic one. Methane at the Wakamiko Crater is of abiotic origin but affected by isotopic fractionation through rapid microbial oxidation. The helium isotopes suggest the presence of subduction-type mantle helium at the Wakamiko Crater, while a larger crustal component is found close to the Tokara Islands. This suggests that the Tokara Islands submarine volcanoes are a key feature of the transition zone between the volcanic front and the spreading back-arc basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Yi Wen
- Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.,Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuji Sano
- Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan.,Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoto Takahata
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yama Tomonaga
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akizumi Ishida
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Tanaka
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kotaro Shirai
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Hisayoshi Yokose
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Japan
| | - Urumu Tsunogai
- Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Japan
| | - Tsanyao F Yang
- Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
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23
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Islam T, Torsvik V, Larsen Ø, Bodrossy L, Øvreås L, Birkeland NK. Acid-Tolerant Moderately Thermophilic Methanotrophs of the Class Gammaproteobacteria Isolated From Tropical Topsoil with Methane Seeps. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:851. [PMID: 27379029 PMCID: PMC4908921 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial tropical methane seep habitats are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methane oxidizing bacteria play a key role in these ecosystems as they reduce methane emissions to the atmosphere. Here, we describe the isolation and initial characterization of two novel moderately thermophilic and acid-tolerant obligate methanotrophs, assigned BFH1 and BFH2 recovered from a tropical methane seep topsoil habitat. The new isolates were strictly aerobic, non-motile, coccus-shaped and utilized methane and methanol as sole carbon and energy source. Isolates grew at pH range 4.2–7.5 (optimal 5.5–6.0) and at a temperature range of 30–60°C (optimal 51–55°C). 16S rRNA gene phylogeny placed them in a well-separated branch forming a cluster together with the genus Methylocaldum as the closest relatives (93.1–94.1% sequence similarity). The genes pmoA, mxaF, and cbbL were detected, but mmoX was absent. Strains BFH1 and BFH2 are, to our knowledge, the first isolated acid-tolerant moderately thermophilic methane oxidizers of the class Gammaproteobacteria. Each strain probably denotes a novel species and they most likely represent a novel genus within the family Methylococcaceae of type I methanotrophs. Furthermore, the isolates increase our knowledge of acid-tolerant aerobic methanotrophs and signify a previously unrecognized biological methane sink in tropical ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tajul Islam
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen Bergen, Norway
| | - Vigdis Torsvik
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen Bergen, Norway
| | - Øivind Larsen
- Department of Biology, University of BergenBergen, Norway; Uni Environment, Uni ResearchBergen, Norway
| | | | - Lise Øvreås
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen Bergen, Norway
| | - Nils-Kåre Birkeland
- Department of Biology, University of BergenBergen, Norway; Centre for Geobiology, University of BergenBergen, Norway
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Stanley EH, Casson NJ, Christel ST, Crawford JT, Loken LC, Oliver SK. The ecology of methane in streams and rivers: patterns, controls, and global significance. ECOL MONOGR 2016. [DOI: 10.1890/15-1027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 255] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily H. Stanley
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin 680 North Park Street Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Nora J. Casson
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin 680 North Park Street Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Samuel T. Christel
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin 680 North Park Street Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - John T. Crawford
- U.S. Geological Survey 3215 Marine Street Suite E127 Boulder Colorado 80303 USA
| | - Luke C. Loken
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin 680 North Park Street Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Samantha K. Oliver
- Center for Limnology University of Wisconsin 680 North Park Street Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
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Lyon DR, Zavala-Araiza D, Alvarez RA, Harriss R, Palacios V, Lan X, Talbot R, Lavoie T, Shepson P, Yacovitch TI, Herndon SC, Marchese AJ, Zimmerle D, Robinson AL, Hamburg SP. Constructing a Spatially Resolved Methane Emission Inventory for the Barnett Shale Region. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8147-57. [PMID: 26148553 DOI: 10.1021/es506359c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry (O&G) and other sources in the Barnett Shale region were estimated by constructing a spatially resolved emission inventory. Eighteen source categories were estimated using multiple data sets, including new empirical measurements at regional O&G sites and a national study of gathering and processing facilities. Spatially referenced activity data were compiled from federal and state databases and combined with O&G facility emission factors calculated using Monte Carlo simulations that account for high emission sites representing the very upper portion, or fat-tail, in the observed emissions distributions. Total methane emissions in the 25-county Barnett Shale region in October 2013 were estimated to be 72,300 (63,400-82,400) kg CH4 h(-1). O&G emissions were estimated to be 46,200 (40,000-54,100) kg CH4 h(-1) with 19% of emissions from fat-tail sites representing less than 2% of sites. Our estimate of O&G emissions in the Barnett Shale region was higher than alternative inventories based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Inventory, EPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, and Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research by factors of 1.5, 2.7, and 4.3, respectively. Gathering compressor stations, which accounted for 40% of O&G emissions in our inventory, had the largest difference from emission estimates based on EPA data sources. Our inventory's higher O&G emission estimate was due primarily to its more comprehensive activity factors and inclusion of emissions from fat-tail sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Lyon
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
- ‡Environmental Dynamics Program, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States
| | - Daniel Zavala-Araiza
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
| | - Ramón A Alvarez
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
| | - Robert Harriss
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
| | - Virginia Palacios
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
| | - Xin Lan
- §Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Robert Talbot
- §Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Tegan Lavoie
- ∥Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Paul Shepson
- ∥Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tara I Yacovitch
- ⊥Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts 01821, United States
| | - Scott C Herndon
- ⊥Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts 01821, United States
| | - Anthony J Marchese
- #Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Daniel Zimmerle
- #Department of Mechanical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Allen L Robinson
- ∇Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Steven P Hamburg
- †Environmental Defense Fund, 301 Congress Avenue, Suite 1300, Austin, Texas 78701, United States
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Guo X, Du Y, Li J, Liu S, Han D, Li Y, Lin L, Zhang F, Oyang J, Cao G. Aerobic Methane Emission from Plant: Comparative Study of Different Communities and Plant Species of Alpine Meadow. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2015.63.2.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Expanding the verrucomicrobial methanotrophic world: description of three novel species of Methylacidimicrobium gen. nov. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:6782-91. [PMID: 25172849 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01838-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Methanotrophic Verrucomicrobia have been found in geothermal environments characterized by high temperatures and low pH values. However, it has recently been hypothesized that methanotrophic Verrucomicrobia could be present under a broader range of environmental conditions. Here we describe the isolation and characterization of three new species of mesophilic acidophilic verrucomicrobial methanotrophs from a volcanic soil in Italy. The three new species showed 97% to 98% 16S rRNA gene identity to each other but were related only distantly (89% to 90% on the 16S rRNA level) to the thermophilic genus Methylacidiphilum. We propose the new genus Methylacidimicrobium, including the novel species Methylacidimicrobium fagopyrum, Methylacidimicrobium tartarophylax, and Methylacidimicrobium cyclopophantes. These mesophilic Methylacidimicrobium spp. were more acid tolerant than their thermophilic relatives; the most tolerant species, M. tartarophylax, still grew at pH 0.5. The variation in growth temperature optima (35 to 44°C) and maximum growth rates (µmax; 0.013 to 0.040 h(-1)) suggested that all species were adapted to a specific niche within the geothermal environment. All three species grew autotrophically using the Calvin cycle. The cells of all species contained glycogen particles and electron-dense particles in their cytoplasm as visualized by electron microscopy. In addition, the cells of one of the species (M. fagopyrum) contained intracytoplasmic membrane stacks. The discovery of these three new species and their growth characteristics expands the known diversity of verrucomicrobial methanotrophs and shows that they are present in many more ecosystems than previously assumed.
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Gammaproteobacterial methanotrophs dominate cold methane seeps in floodplains of West Siberian rivers. Appl Environ Microbiol 2014; 80:5944-54. [PMID: 25063667 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01539-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A complex system of muddy fluid-discharging and methane (CH4)-releasing seeps was discovered in a valley of the river Mukhrinskaya, one of the small rivers of the Irtysh Basin, West Siberia. CH4 flux from most (90%) of these gas ebullition sites did not exceed 1.45 g CH4 h(-1), while some seeps emitted up to 5.54 g CH4 h(-1). The δ(13)C value of methane released from these seeps varied between -71.1 and -71.3‰, suggesting its biogenic origin. Although the seeps were characterized by low in situ temperatures (3.5 to 5°C), relatively high rates of methane oxidation (15.5 to 15.9 nmol CH4 ml(-1) day(-1)) were measured in mud samples. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected 10(7) methanotrophic bacteria (MB) per g of mud (dry weight), which accounted for up to 20.5% of total bacterial cell counts. Most (95.8 to 99.3%) methanotroph cells were type I (gammaproteobacterial) MB. The diversity of methanotrophs in this habitat was further assessed by pyrosequencing of pmoA genes, encoding particulate methane monooxygenase. A total of 53,828 pmoA gene sequences of seep-inhabiting methanotrophs were retrieved and analyzed. Nearly all of these sequences affiliated with type I MB, including the Methylobacter-Methylovulum-Methylosoma group, lake cluster 2, and several as-yet-uncharacterized methanotroph clades. Apparently, microbial communities attenuating methane fluxes from these local but strong CH4 sources in floodplains of high-latitude rivers have a large proportion of potentially novel, psychrotolerant methanotrophs, thereby providing a challenge for future isolation studies.
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Belova SE, Oshkin IY, Glagolev MV, Lapshina ED, Maksyutov SS, Dedysh SN. Methanotrophic bacteria in cold seeps of the floodplains of northern rivers. Microbiology (Reading) 2014. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261713060040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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30
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Kizilova AK, Sukhacheva MV, Pimenov NV, Yurkov AM, Kravchenko IK. Methane oxidation activity and diversity of aerobic methanotrophs in pH-neutral and semi-neutral thermal springs of the Kunashir Island, Russian Far East. Extremophiles 2013; 18:207-18. [PMID: 24343375 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-013-0603-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2013] [Accepted: 11/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Aerobic methane oxidation has been mostly studied in environments with moderate to low temperatures. However, the process also occurs in terrestrial thermal springs, where little research on the subject has been done to date. The potential activity of methane oxidation and diversity of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria were studied in sediments of thermal springs with various chemical and physical properties, sampled across the Kunashir Island, the Kuriles archipelago. Activity was measured by means of the radioisotope tracer technique utilizing (14)C-labeled methane. Biodiversity assessments were based on the particulate methane monooxygenase (pmoA) gene, which is found in all known thermophilic and thermotolerant methanotrophs. We demonstrated the possibility of methane oxidation in springs with temperature exceeding 74 °C, and the most intensive methane uptake was shown in springs with temperatures about 46 °C. PmoA was detected in 19 out of 30 springs investigated and the number of pmoA gene copies varied between 10(4) and 10(6) copies per ml of sediment. Phylogenetic analysis of PmoA sequences revealed the presence of methanotrophs from both the Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria. Our results suggest that methanotrophs inhabiting thermal springs with temperature exceeding 50 °C may represent novel thermophilic and thermotolerant species of the genera Methylocystis and Methylothermus, as well as previously undescribed Gammaproteobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Kizilova
- Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/2, 117312, Moscow, Russia,
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31
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Sanches ID, Souza Filho CR, Magalhães LA, Quitério GCM, Alves MN, Oliveira WJ. Unravelling remote sensing signatures of plants contaminated with gasoline and diesel: an approach using the red edge spectral feature. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2013; 174:16-27. [PMID: 23246622 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Revised: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 10/27/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pipeline systems used to transport petroleum products represent a potential source of soil pollution worldwide. The design of new techniques that may improve current monitoring of pipeline leakage is imperative. This paper assesses the remote detection of small leakages of liquid hydrocarbons indirectly, through the analysis of spectral features of contaminated plants. Leaf and canopy spectra of healthy plants were compared to spectra of plants contaminated with diesel and gasoline, at increasing rates of soil contamination. Contamination effects were observed both visually in the field and thorough changes in the spectral reflectance patterns of vegetation. Results indicate that the remote detection of small volumes of gasoline and diesel contaminations is feasible based on the red edge analysis of leaf and canopy spectra of plants. Brachiaria grass ranks as a favourable choice to be used as an indicator of HCs leakages along pipelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- I D Sanches
- Geoscience Institute, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6152, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil.
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Beck DAC, Kalyuzhnaya MG, Malfatti S, Tringe SG, Glavina Del Rio T, Ivanova N, Lidstrom ME, Chistoserdova L. A metagenomic insight into freshwater methane-utilizing communities and evidence for cooperation between the Methylococcaceae and the Methylophilaceae. PeerJ 2013; 1:e23. [PMID: 23638358 PMCID: PMC3628875 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated microbial communities active in methane oxidation in lake sediment at different oxygen tensions and their response to the addition of nitrate, via stable isotope probing combined with deep metagenomic sequencing. Communities from a total of four manipulated microcosms were analyzed, supplied with 13C-methane in, respectively, ambient air, ambient air with the addition of nitrate, nitrogen atmosphere and nitrogen atmosphere with the addition of nitrate, and these were compared to the community from an unamended sediment sample. We found that the major group involved in methane oxidation in both aerobic and microaerobic conditions were members of the family Methylococcaceae, dominated by species of the genus Methylobacter, and these were stimulated by nitrate in aerobic but not microaerobic conditions. In aerobic conditions, we also noted a pronounced response to both methane and nitrate by members of the family Methylophilaceae that are non-methane-oxidizing methylotrophs, and predominantly by the members of the genus Methylotenera. The relevant abundances of the Methylococcaceae and the Methylophilaceae and their coordinated response to methane and nitrate suggest that these species may be engaged in cooperative behavior, the nature of which remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A C Beck
- Department of Chemical Engineering and eScience Institute, University of Washington , Seattle, WA , USA
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33
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Mills CT, Slater GF, Dias RF, Carr SA, Reddy CM, Schmidt R, Mandernack KW. The relative contribution of methanotrophs to microbial communities and carbon cycling in soil overlying a coal-bed methane seep. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2013; 84:474-94. [PMID: 23346979 DOI: 10.1111/1574-6941.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 01/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Seepage of coal-bed methane (CBM) through soils is a potential source of atmospheric CH4 and also a likely source of ancient (i.e. (14) C-dead) carbon to soil microbial communities. Natural abundance (13) C and (14) C compositions of bacterial membrane phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and soil gas CO2 and CH4 were used to assess the incorporation of CBM-derived carbon into methanotrophs and other members of the soil microbial community. Concentrations of type I and type II methanotroph PLFA biomarkers (16:1ω8c and 18:1ω8c, respectively) were elevated in CBM-impacted soils compared with a control site. Comparison of PLFA and 16s rDNA data suggested type I and II methanotroph populations were well estimated and overestimated by their PLFA biomarkers, respectively. The δ(13) C values of PLFAs common in type I and II methanotrophs were as negative as -67‰ and consistent with the assimilation of CBM. PLFAs more indicative of nonmethanotrophic bacteria had δ(13) C values that were intermediate indicating assimilation of both plant- and CBM-derived carbon. Δ(14) C values of select PLFAs (-351 to -936‰) indicated similar patterns of CBM assimilation by methanotrophs and nonmethanotrophs and were used to estimate that 35-91% of carbon assimilated by nonmethanotrophs was derived from CBM depending on time of sampling and soil depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Mills
- Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA
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Potential methane reservoirs beneath Antarctica. Nature 2012; 488:633-7. [PMID: 22932387 DOI: 10.1038/nature11374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Once thought to be devoid of life, the ice-covered parts of Antarctica are now known to be a reservoir of metabolically active microbial cells and organic carbon. The potential for methanogenic archaea to support the degradation of organic carbon to methane beneath the ice, however, has not yet been evaluated. Large sedimentary basins containing marine sequences up to 14 kilometres thick and an estimated 21,000 petagrams (1 Pg equals 10(15) g) of organic carbon are buried beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. No data exist for rates of methanogenesis in sub-Antarctic marine sediments. Here we present experimental data from other subglacial environments that demonstrate the potential for overridden organic matter beneath glacial systems to produce methane. We also numerically simulate the accumulation of methane in Antarctic sedimentary basins using an established one-dimensional hydrate model and show that pressure/temperature conditions favour methane hydrate formation down to sediment depths of about 300 metres in West Antarctica and 700 metres in East Antarctica. Our results demonstrate the potential for methane hydrate accumulation in Antarctic sedimentary basins, where the total inventory depends on rates of organic carbon degradation and conditions at the ice-sheet bed. We calculate that the sub-Antarctic hydrate inventory could be of the same order of magnitude as that of recent estimates made for Arctic permafrost. Our findings suggest that the Antarctic Ice Sheet may be a neglected but important component of the global methane budget, with the potential to act as a positive feedback on climate warming during ice-sheet wastage.
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35
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Kizilova AK, Dvoryanchikova EN, Sukhacheva MV, Kravchenko IK, Gal’chenko VF. Investigation of the methanotrophic communities of the hot springs of the Uzon caldera, Kamchatka, by molecular ecological techniques. Microbiology (Reading) 2012. [DOI: 10.1134/s0026261712050104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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Geochemical evidence for possible natural migration of Marcellus Formation brine to shallow aquifers in Pennsylvania. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:11961-6. [PMID: 22778445 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1121181109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The debate surrounding the safety of shale gas development in the Appalachian Basin has generated increased awareness of drinking water quality in rural communities. Concerns include the potential for migration of stray gas, metal-rich formation brines, and hydraulic fracturing and/or flowback fluids to drinking water aquifers. A critical question common to these environmental risks is the hydraulic connectivity between the shale gas formations and the overlying shallow drinking water aquifers. We present geochemical evidence from northeastern Pennsylvania showing that pathways, unrelated to recent drilling activities, exist in some locations between deep underlying formations and shallow drinking water aquifers. Integration of chemical data (Br, Cl, Na, Ba, Sr, and Li) and isotopic ratios ((87)Sr/(86)Sr, (2)H/H, (18)O/(16)O, and (228)Ra/(226)Ra) from this and previous studies in 426 shallow groundwater samples and 83 northern Appalachian brine samples suggest that mixing relationships between shallow ground water and a deep formation brine causes groundwater salinization in some locations. The strong geochemical fingerprint in the salinized (Cl > 20 mg/L) groundwater sampled from the Alluvium, Catskill, and Lock Haven aquifers suggests possible migration of Marcellus brine through naturally occurring pathways. The occurrences of saline water do not correlate with the location of shale-gas wells and are consistent with reported data before rapid shale-gas development in the region; however, the presence of these fluids suggests conductive pathways and specific geostructural and/or hydrodynamic regimes in northeastern Pennsylvania that are at increased risk for contamination of shallow drinking water resources, particularly by fugitive gases, because of natural hydraulic connections to deeper formations.
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Wang ZP, Xie ZQ, Zhang BC, Hou LY, Zhou YH, Li LH, Han XG. Aerobic and anaerobic nonmicrobial methane emissions from plant material. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011; 45:9531-9537. [PMID: 21961564 DOI: 10.1021/es2020132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Methane (CH(4)) may be generated via microbial and nonmicrobial mechanisms. Nonmicrobial CH(4) is also ubiquitous in nature, such as in biomass burning, the Earth's crust, plants, and animals. Relative to microbial CH(4), nonmicrobial CH(4) is less understood. Using fresh (living) and dried (dead) leaves and commercial structural compounds (dead) of plants, a series of laboratory experiments have been conducted to investigate CH(4) emissions under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. CH(4) emissions from fresh leaves incubated at ambient temperatures were nonmicrobial and enhanced by anaerobic conditions. CH(4) emissions from dried leaves incubated at rising temperature ruled out a microbial-mediated formation pathway and were plant-species-dependent with three categories of response to oxygen levels: enhanced by aerobic conditions, similar under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and enhanced by anaerobic conditions. CH(4) emissions in plant structural compounds may help to fully understand nonmicrobial CH(4) formation in plant leaves. Experiments of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generator and scavengers indicate that ROS had a significant role in nonmicrobial CH(4) formation in plant material under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. However, the detailed mechanisms of the ROS were uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Ping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China.
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38
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Leifer I. Characteristics and scaling of bubble plumes from marine hydrocarbon seepage in the Coal Oil Point seep field. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jc005844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Greinert J, McGinnis DF, Naudts L, Linke P, De Batist M. Atmospheric methane flux from bubbling seeps: Spatially extrapolated quantification from a Black Sea shelf area. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jc005381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Grenfell JL, Rauer H, Selsis F, Kaltenegger L, Beichman C, Danchi W, Eiroa C, Fridlund M, Henning T, Herbst T, Lammer H, Léger A, Liseau R, Lunine J, Paresce F, Penny A, Quirrenbach A, Röttgering H, Schneider J, Stam D, Tinetti G, White GJ. Co-evolution of atmospheres, life, and climate. ASTROBIOLOGY 2010; 10:77-88. [PMID: 20307184 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2009.0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
After Earth's origin, our host star, the Sun, was shining 20-25% less brightly than today. Without greenhouse-like conditions to warm the atmosphere, our early planet would have been an ice ball, and life may never have evolved. But life did evolve, which indicates that greenhouse gases must have been present on early Earth to warm the planet. Evidence from the geological record indicates an abundance of the greenhouse gas CO(2). CH(4) was probably present as well; and, in this regard, methanogenic bacteria, which belong to a diverse group of anaerobic prokaryotes that ferment CO(2) plus H(2) to CH(4), may have contributed to modification of the early atmosphere. Molecular oxygen was not present, as is indicated by the study of rocks from that era, which contain iron carbonate rather than iron oxide. Multicellular organisms originated as cells within colonies that became increasingly specialized. The development of photosynthesis allowed the Sun's energy to be harvested directly by life-forms. The resultant oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere and formed the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. Aided by the absorption of harmful UV radiation in the ozone layer, life colonized Earth's surface. Our own planet is a very good example of how life-forms modified the atmosphere over the planets' lifetime. We show that these facts have to be taken into account when we discover and characterize atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets. If life has originated and evolved on a planet, then it should be expected that a strong co-evolution occurred between life and the atmosphere, the result of which is the planet's climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lee Grenfell
- DLR, German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany.
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Op den Camp HJM, Islam T, Stott MB, Harhangi HR, Hynes A, Schouten S, Jetten MSM, Birkeland NK, Pol A, Dunfield PF. Environmental, genomic and taxonomic perspectives on methanotrophic Verrucomicrobia. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2009; 1:293-306. [PMID: 23765882 DOI: 10.1111/j.1758-2229.2009.00022.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria are capable of utilizing methane as their sole energy source. They are commonly found at the oxic/anoxic interfaces of environments such as wetlands, aquatic sediments, and landfills, where they feed on methane produced in anoxic zones of these environments. Until recently, all known species of aerobic methanotrophs belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria, in the classes Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria. However, in 2007-2008 three research groups independently described the isolation of thermoacidophilic methanotrophs that represented a distinct lineage within the bacterial phylum Verrucomicrobia. Isolates were obtained from geothermal areas in Italy, New Zealand and Russia. They are by far the most acidophilic methanotrophs known, with a lower growth limit below pH 1. Here we summarize the properties of these novel methanotrophic Verrucomicrobia, compare them with the proteobacterial methanotrophs, propose a unified taxonomic framework for them and speculate on their potential environmental significance. New genomic and physiological data are combined with existing information to allow detailed comparison of the three strains. We propose the new genus Methylacidiphilum to encompass all three newly discovered bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huub J M Op den Camp
- Department of Microbiology, IWWR, Radboud University Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Department of Biology and Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen, P.O. Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway. GNS Science, Extremophile Research Group, Private Bag 2000, 3352 Taupo, New Zealand. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada, T2N 1N4. NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Marine Organic Biogeochemistry, P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands
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Life in the extreme: thermoacidophilic methanotrophy. Trends Microbiol 2008; 16:190-3. [PMID: 18420412 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2008.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2008] [Revised: 02/13/2008] [Accepted: 02/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (methanotrophs) have a key role in the global carbon cycle, converting methane to biomass and carbon dioxide. Although these bacteria have been isolated from many environments, until recently, it was not known if they survived, much less thrived in thermoacidic environments, that is, locations with pH values of approximately 1 and temperatures greater than 50 degrees C. Recently, three independent studies have isolated unusual methanotrophs from such extreme environments, expanding the known functional and phylogenetic diversity of methanotrophs.
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Tang J, Bao Z, Xiang W, Gou Q. Geological emission of methane from the Yakela condensed oil/gas field in Talimu Basin, Xinjiang, China. J Environ Sci (China) 2008; 20:1055-1062. [PMID: 19143311 DOI: 10.1016/s1001-0742(08)62149-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A static flux chamber method was applied to study natural emissions of methane into the atmosphere in the Yakela condensed oil/gas field in Talimu Basin, Xinjiang, China. Using an online method, which couples a gas chromatography/high-temperature conversion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/C/MS) together, the 13C/12C ratios of methane in the flux chambers were measured. The results demonstrated that methane gases were liable to migrate from deep oil/gas reservoir to the surface through microseepage and pervasion, and that a part of the migrated methane that remained unoxidized could emit into the atmosphere. Methane emission rates varied less in the oil/gas field because the whole region was homogeneous in geology and geography, with a standard deviation of less than 0.02 mg/(m2 x h). These were the differences in methane emission flux in the day and at night in the oil/gas field. The maximum methane emission flux reached 0.15 mg/(m2 x h) at 5:00-6:00 early in the morning, and then decreased gradually. The minimum was shown 0.10 mg/(m2 x h) at 17:00-18:00 in the afternoon, and then increased gradually. The daily methane released flux of the study area was 2.89 mg/(m2 x d), with a standard deviation of 0.43 mg/(m2 x d), using the average methane flux of every hour in a day for all chambers. delta13C of methane increased with the increase of methane concentration in the flux chambers, further indicating that the pyrogenetic origin of methane was come from deep oil/gas reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhong Tang
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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Methanotrophy below pH 1 by a new Verrucomicrobia species. Nature 2007; 450:874-8. [DOI: 10.1038/nature06222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 317] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2007] [Accepted: 09/04/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Lassey KR, Scheehle EA, Kruger D. Towards reconciling national emission inventories for methane with the global budget. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1080/15693430500396931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Castaldi S, Costantini M, Cenciarelli P, Ciccioli P, Valentini R. The methane sink associated to soils of natural and agricultural ecosystems in Italy. CHEMOSPHERE 2007; 66:723-9. [PMID: 16979212 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.07.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2006] [Revised: 07/17/2006] [Accepted: 07/22/2006] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In the present work, the CH4 sink associated to Italian soils was calculated by using a process-based model controlled by gas diffusivity and microbial activity, which was run by using a raster-based geographical information system. Georeferenced data included land cover CLC2000, soil properties from the European Soil Database, climatic data from the MARS-STAT database, plus several derived soils properties based on published algorithms applied to the above mentioned databases. Overall CH4 consumption from natural and agricultural sources accounted for a total of 43.3 Gg CH4 yr(-1), with 28.1 Gg CH4 yr(-1) removed in natural ecosystems and 15.1 Gg CH4 yr(-1) in agricultural ecosystems. The highest CH4 uptake rates were obtained for natural areas of Southern Apennines and islands of Sardinia and Sicily, and were mainly associated to areas covered by sclerophyllous vegetation (259.7+/-30.2 mg CH4 m(-2) yr(-1)) and broad-leaved forest (237.5 mg CH4 m(-2) yr(-1)). In terms of total sink strength broad-leaved forests were the dominant ecosystem. The overall contribution of each ecosystem type to the whole CH4 sink depended on the total area covered by the specific ecosystem and on its exact geographic distribution. The latter determines the type of climate present in the area and the dominant soil type, both factors which showed to have a strong influence on CH4 uptake rates. The aggregated CH4 sink, calculated for natural ecosystems present in the Italian region, is significantly higher than previously reported estimates, which were extrapolated from fluxes measured in other temperate ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Castaldi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
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McAllister SA, Kral TA. Methane production by methanogens following an aerobic washing procedure: simplifying methods for manipulation. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:819-23. [PMID: 17155882 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The recent discovery of methane in the martian atmosphere is arguably one of the most important discoveries in the field of astrobiology. One possible source of this methane could be a microorganism analogous to those on Earth in the domain Archaea known as methanogens. Methanogens are described as obligately anaerobic, and methods developed to work with methanogens typically include anaerobic media and buffers, gassing manifolds, and possibly anaerobic chambers. To determine if the time, effort, and supplies required to maintain anaerobic conditions are necessary to maintain viability, we compared anaerobically washed cells with cells that were washed in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Anaerobic tubes were opened, and cultures were poured into plastic centrifuge tubes, centrifuged, and suspended in fresh buffer, all in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Washed cells from both aerobic and anaerobic procedures were inoculated into methanogenic growth media under anaerobic conditions and incubated at temperatures conducive to growth for each methanogenic strain tested. Methane production was measured at time intervals using a gas chromatograph. In three strains, significant differences were not seen between aerobically and anaerobically washed cells. In one strain, there was significantly less methane production observed following aerobic washing at some time points; however, substantial methane production occurred following both procedures. Thus, it appears that aerobic manipulations for relatively short periods of time with at least a few species of methanogens may not lead to loss of viability. With the discovery of methane in the martian atmosphere, it is likely that there will be an increase in astrobiology-related methanogen research. The research reported here should simplify the methodology.
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Kendrick MG, Kral TA. Survival of methanogens during desiccation: implications for life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:546-51. [PMID: 16916281 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The relatively recent discoveries that liquid water likely existed on the surface of past Mars and that methane currently exists in the martian atmosphere have fueled the possibility of extant or extinct life on Mars. One possible explanation for the existence of the methane would be the presence of methanogens in the subsurface. Methanogens are microorganisms in the domain Archaea that can metabolize molecular hydrogen as an energy source and carbon dioxide as a carbon source and produce methane. One factor of importance is the arid nature of Mars, at least at the surface. If one is to assume that life exists below the surface, then based on the only example of life that we know, liquid water must be present. Realistically, however, that liquid water may be seasonal just as it is at some locations on our home planet. Here we report on research designed to determine how long certain species of methanogens can survive desiccation on a Mars soil simulant, JSC Mars-1. Methanogenic cells were grown on JSC Mars-1, transferred to a desiccator within a Coy anaerobic environmental chamber, and maintained there for varying time periods. Following removal from the desiccator and rehydration, gas chromatographic measurements of methane indicated survival for varying time periods. Methanosarcina barkeri survived desiccation for 10 days, while Methanobacterium formicicum and Methanothermobacter wolfeii were able to survive for 25 days.
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Chen YH, Prinn RG. Estimation of atmospheric methane emissions between 1996 and 2001 using a three-dimensional global chemical transport model. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005jd006058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 221] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Han Chen
- Center for Global Change Science, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Ronald G. Prinn
- Center for Global Change Science, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge Massachusetts USA
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