Unaccounted CO2 leaks downstream of a large tropical hydroelectric reservoir.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies show that tropical hydroelectric reservoirs may be responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, yet emissions from the surface of released water downstream of the dam are poorly characterized if not neglected entirely from most assessments. We found that carbon dioxide (CO2) emission downstream of Kariba Dam (southern Africa) varied widely over different timescales and that accounting for downstream emissions and their fluctuations is critically important to the reservoir carbon budget. Seasonal variation was driven by reservoir stratification and the accumulation of CO2 in hypolimnetic waters, while subdaily variation was driven by hydropeaking events caused by dam operation in response to daily electricity demand. This "carbopeaking" resulted in

SUBMITTER: Calamita E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8237613 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature