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Seasonal variability of methane in the rivers and lagoons of Ivory Coast (West Africa)

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Abstract

We report a data-set of dissolved methane (CH4) in three rivers (Comoé, Bia and Tanoé) and five lagoons (Grand-Lahou, Ebrié, Potou, Aby and Tendo) of Ivory Coast (West Africa), during the four main climatic seasons (high dry season, high rainy season, low dry season and low rainy season). The surface waters of the three rivers were over-saturated in CH4 with respect to atmospheric equilibrium (2221–38719%), and the seasonal variability of CH4 seemed to be largely controlled by dilution during the flooding period. The strong correlation of CH4 concentrations with the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) and dissolved silicate (DSi) confirm the dominance of a continental sources (from soils) for both CO2 and CH4 in these rivers. Diffusive air–water CH4 fluxes ranged between 25 and 1187 μmol m−2 day−1, and annual integrated values were 288 ± 107, 155 ± 38, and 241 ± 91 μmol m−2 day−1 in the Comoé, Bia and Tanoé rivers, respectively. In the five lagoons, surface waters were also over-saturated in CH4 (ranging from 1496 to 51843%). Diffusive air–water CH4 fluxes ranged between 20 and 2403 μmol m−2 day−1, and annual integrated values were 78 ± 34, 338 ± 217, 227 ± 79, 330 ± 153 and 326 ± 181 μmol m−2 day−1 in the Grand-Lahou, Ebrié, Potou, Aby and Tendo lagoons, respectively. The largest CH4 over-saturations were observed in the Tendo and Aby lagoons that are permanently stratified systems (unlike the other three lagoons), leading to anoxic bottom waters favorable for a large CH4 production. In addition, these two stratified lagoons showed low pCO2 values due to high primary production, which suggests an efficient transfer of organic matter across the pycnocline. As a result, the stratified Tendo and Aby lagoons were respectively, a low source of CO2 to the atmosphere and a sink of atmospheric CO2 while the other three well-mixed lagoons were strong sources of CO2 to the atmosphere but less over-saturated in CH4.

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Abbreviations

%CH4 :

Percent of CH4 saturation

a :

Coefficient of linear regression

DSi:

Dissolved silica

FCH4 :

Diffusive air–water CH4 flux

HDS:

High dry season

HRS:

High rainy season

k :

Gas transfer velocity

k 600 :

Gas transfer velocity normalized to a Schmidt number of 600

Lat:

Latitude

LDS:

Low dry season

Long:

Longitude

LRS:

Low rainy season

n :

number of measurements

NCEP:

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

pCO2 :

Partial pressure of CO2

Sc:

Schmidt number of CH4

TgCH4 :

Teragrams of CH4

u :

Wind speed

Δ[CH4]:

Air–water gradient of CH4

ΔpCO2 :

Air–water gradient of pCO2

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Acknowledgements

The authors are indebted to Prof. A. Ouattara and Prof. G. Gourène from the Laboratoire d’Environnement et de Biologie Aquatique of the University of Abobo-Adjamé for assistance and support throughout the project and field work, N.M. Seu for help in sampling, D. Poirier for CH4 analysis, and T. Christensen (Associate Editor) and an anonymous reviewer for comments on a previous version of the manuscript. A.V.B. and B.D. are research associates at the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique. Y.J.-M.K. received financial support from the Ivory Coast government, from the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (6313PS657) and the Fondation Alice Seghers. This is MARE contribution n°167.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité d’Océanographie Chimique, Institut de Physique (B5), Université de Liège, 4000, Liege, Belgium

    Y. J. M. Koné, B. Delille & A. V. Borges

  2. Laboratoire d’Environnement et de Biologie Aquatique, Université d’Abobo-Adjamé, 02 BP. 801, Abidjan 02, Ivory Coast

    Y. J. M. Koné

  3. Centre de Recherches Océanologiques, 29 Rue de pêcheurs, BP.V 18, Abidjan, Ivory Coast

    Y. J. M. Koné

  4. Laboratoire EPOC, Environnements et Paléoenvironnements OCéaniques, Université de Bordeaux 1, Avenue des Facultés, 33405, Talence, France

    G. Abril

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Correspondence to A. V. Borges.

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Koné, Y.J.M., Abril, G., Delille, B. et al. Seasonal variability of methane in the rivers and lagoons of Ivory Coast (West Africa). Biogeochemistry 100, 21–37 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-009-9402-0

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