RAPID: Dissolved carbon transport and CO2 outgassing under an unprecedented long-lasting flood of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River System

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge LA

Investigators

Abstract

The Mississippi River is experiencing the longest, consecutive days of flooding. During floods, large amounts of carbon can be transported in rivers. Carbon in rivers can be in the form of particles or dissolved in the water. The carbon can also be released to the atmosphere from the river. This project investigates how much carbon is transported or released in the Mississippi River during prolonged flooding. The carbon in rivers impacts aquatic species and water quality. The results of this project increase the understanding of the impact of floods on carbon dynamics in large rivers. Undergraduate and graduate students participate in sampling the water. The knowledge of the effect of climate change on river carbon transport and transformation is limited. This project takes advantage of a unique and unanticipated opportunity to couple prolonged flooding of the Mississippi River with measurements of carbon flux and transport. The project intensively measures the partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide, dissolved organic carbon, and dissolved inorganic carbon in the surface water. These measurements are used to quantify the total dissolved carbon and carbon dioxide flux from this large river during all flood stages. The results are used to test hypotheses regarding how changes in river flow regime may impact in-stream carbon dynamics. Undergraduate and graduate students receive training in field sampling and data analysis during this project. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.