Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydroelectric Reservoirs in Tropical Regions

Rosa, Derval dos Santos; Santos, Marco Aurélio dos; Matvienko, Bohdan; Santos, Ednaldo Oliveira dos; Sikar, Elizabeth

doi:10.1023/b:clim.0000043158.52222.ee

Cited by 193 publications

(107 citation statements)

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“…Previous research (Rosa et al, 2004) on CH 4 emissions from reservoirs has found significant variations among hydroelectric plants. The results of the present study differ from those of Chen et al (2009), indicating the presence of considerable spatial and temporal heterogeneity in CH 4 emissions in a single large-scale reservoir, such as in the TGR.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…A subsequently published research (Zheng et al, 2011a) reported a low mean annual CH 4 emission flux of only 2.8 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·day) (0.117 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr)) from the Ertan Reservoir, located in a subtropical region of China. These low values were likely associated with biomass clearing before flooding, a low supply of organic matter, and the subsequent limitation of sediment CH 4 production (Rosa et al, 2004;Zheng et al, 2011a , fertile top soils (at least 12-16 cm in thickness) from the elevation of 139-175 m were moved to the areas at the elevation of over 182 m and a distance of more than 5 km from the bank of the TGR. Given that the TGR and the Ertan Reservoir were both cleared before flooding, it is necessary to establish whether CH 4 emission fluxes from the nonwetland portions of the drawdown area and from the water surfaces of continuously flooded areas in the TGR are similar to those from tropical reservoirs, as Chen et al (2009) assumed, or whether these values are lower, as reported for the Ertan Reservoir (Zheng et al, 2011a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Yang

Wang

et al. 2011

Journal of Environmental Sciences

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Recently reported summertime methane (CH 4 ) emissions (6.7 ± 13.3 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr)) from newly created marshes in the drawdown area of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR), China have triggered broad concern in academic circles and among the public. The CH 4 emissions from TGR water surfaces and drawdown areas were monitored from 3rd June to 16th October 2010 with floating and static chambers and gas chromatography. The average CH 4 emission flux from permanently flooded areas in Zigui, Wushan and Yunyang Counties was (0.33 ± 0.09) mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr). In half of these hottest months of the year, the wilderness, cropland and deforested drawdown sites were aerobic and located above water level, and the CH 4 emissions were very small, ranging from a sink at 0.12 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr) to a source at 0.08 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr) except for one mud-covered site after flood. Mean CH 4 emission in flooded drawdown sites was 0.34 mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr). The emissions from the rice paddy sites in the drawdown area were averaged at (4.86 ± 2.31) mg CH 4 /(m 2 ·hr). Excepting the rice-paddy sites, these results show much lower emission levels than previously reported. Our results indicated considerable spatial and temporal variation in CH 4 emissions from the TGR. Human activities and occasional events, such as flood, may also affect emission levels. Long-term CH 4 measurements and modeling in a large region are necessary to accurately estimate greenhouse gas emissions from the TGR.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Yang

Wang

et al. 2011

Journal of Environmental Sciences

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“…As methane-rich water passes through turbines, hydrostatic pressure drops, and a large portion of the gas rapidly escapes to the atmosphere. For several years, the downstream degassing of methane from tropical hydroelectric reservoirs has been at the center of a debate (Rosa et al 2004;Giles 2006) in which it has been argued that the greenhouse gas emission effects of some hydroelectric reservoirs can be greater than that of fossil fuel alternatives (Fearnside 1995(Fearnside , 2006.…”

Section: Current Role Of Lakes In the Global C Cyclementioning

confidence: 99%

Lakes and reservoirs as regulators of carbon cycling and climate

Tranvik

Downing

Cotner

et al. 2009

Limnology & Oceanography

2,231

1,756

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We explore the role of lakes in carbon cycling and global climate, examine the mechanisms influencing carbon pools and transformations in lakes, and discuss how the metabolism of carbon in the inland waters is likely to change in response to climate. Furthermore, we project changes as global climate change in the abundance and spatial distribution of lakes in the biosphere, and we revise the estimate for the global extent of carbon transformation in inland waters. This synthesis demonstrates that the global annual emissions of carbon dioxide from inland waters to the atmosphere are similar in magnitude to the carbon dioxide uptake by the oceans and that the global burial of organic carbon in inland water sediments exceeds organic carbon sequestration on the ocean floor. The role of inland waters in global carbon cycling and climate forcing may be changed by human activities, including construction of impoundments, which accumulate large amounts of carbon in sediments and emit large amounts of methane to the atmosphere. Methane emissions are also expected from lakes on melting permafrost. The synthesis presented here indicates that (1) inland waters constitute a significant component of the global carbon cycle, (2) their contribution to this cycle has significantly changed as a result of human activities, and (3) they will continue to change in response to future climate change causing decreased as well as increased abundance of lakes as well as increases in the number of aquatic impoundments.

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“…GHGs produced in some reservoirs haven been encountered at locations far downstream of the reservoirs [62]. Reservoirs in tropical environments have been found to have significant amounts of GHG emission levels than reservoirs located in temperate climatic zones [63]. One possible reason for this is the relatively high values of water temperature in tropical climates which increase the rate of anaerobic organic matter decomposition in the reservoirs [59].…”

Section: Hydropower and Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Hydropower in the Context of Sustainable Energy Supply: A Review of Technologies and Challenges

Kaunda

Kimambo

Nielsen

2012

ISRN Renewable Energy

154

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Hydropower is an important renewable energy resource worldwide. However, its development is accompanied with environmental and social drawbacks. Issues of degradation of the environment and climate change can negatively impact hydropower generation. A sustainable hydropower project is possible, but needs proper planning and careful system design to manage the challenges. Well-planned hydropower projects can contribute to supply sustainable energy. An up-to-date knowledge is necessary for energy planners, investors, and other stakeholders to make informed decisions concerning hydropower projects. This is basically a review paper. Apart from using expert knowledge, the authors have also consulted extensively from journals, conference papers, reports, and some documents to get secondary information on the subject. The paper has reviewed the world energy scenario and how hydropower fits in as the solution to the global sustainable energy challenge. Issues of hydropower resource availability, technology, environment and climate change have been also discussed. Hydropower is sensitive to the state of environment, and climate change. With global climate change, though globally the potential is stated to slightly increase, some countries will experience a decrease in potential with increased risks. Adaptation measures are required to sustainably generate hydropower. These are also discussed in the paper.

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Hydroelectric Reservoirs in Tropical Regions

Cited by 193 publications

References 10 publications

Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Preliminary report on methane emissions from the Three Gorges Reservoir in the summer drainage period

Lakes and reservoirs as regulators of carbon cycling and climate

Hydropower in the Context of Sustainable Energy Supply: A Review of Technologies and Challenges

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