Gas Pressure Dynamics in Small and Mid-Size Lakes

• Main Authors: Bertram Boehrer, Sylvia Jordan, Peifang Leng, Carolin Waldemer, Cornelis Schwenk, Michael Hupfer, Martin Schultze
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: dissolved gas; Henry law; total gas pressure; ebullition; greenhouse gases; lacustrine waters
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/13/1824

Dissolved gases produce a gas pressure. This gas pressure is the appropriate physical quantity for judging the possibility of bubble formation and hence it is central for understanding exchange of climate-relevant gases between (limnic) water and the atmosphere. The contribution of ebullition has widely been neglected in numerical simulations. We present measurements from six lacustrine waterbodies in Central Germany: including a natural lake, a drinking water reservoir, a mine pit lake, a sand excavation lake, a flooded quarry, and a small flooded lignite opencast, which has been heavily polluted. Seasonal changes of oxygen and temperature are complemented by numerical simulations of nitrogen and calculations of vapor pressure to quantify the contributions and their dynamics in lacustrine waters. In addition, accumulation of gases in monimolimnetic waters is demonstrated. We sum the partial pressures of the gases to yield a quantitative value for total gas pressure to reason which processes can force ebullition at which locations. In conclusion, only a small number of gases contribute decisively to gas pressure and hence can be crucial for bubble formation.