The Role of Inland Waters in the Global Carbon Cycle.
1
Keaveney E.M., 2Ascough, P.L.
1 14
CHRONO Centre for Climate the Environment and Chronology, Queen’s University Belfast, BT71NN, U.K.
2
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park,
East Kilbride G75 0QF, Scotland, UK
Globally lakes bury and remineralise significant quantities of terrestrial material and the associated
flux of terrestrial carbon strongly influences their functioning. Changing deposition chemistry, land
use and climate induced impacts on hydrology will affect soil biogeochemistry and terrestrial export
with potential feedbacks for regional and global carbon cycling. River systems have been shown to
be important conduits from land to ocean and emissions from inland waters (including wetlands) can
be considerable (Bastviken et al., 2011; Bauer and Bianchi, 2011; Raymond et al., 2004).
The source and fate of terrestrial material may be determined using stable isotopes and quantitative
methods. However recent research has shown that radiocarbon can be an effective biomarker in
tracing C pathways in freshwater systems, determining the age of terrestrial subsidies as well as
their source.
This session welcomes submissions involving research on the following themes:

Utilisation of stable isotopes and or 14C in tracing carbon pathways in rivers or lakes

Quantification and attribution of carbon emissions from freshwater systems (including
wetlands) using stable isotopes and or 14C

Carbon burial and processing in freshwater sediments (utilising stable isotopes and or 14C)

Analysis of terrestrial carbon exports to sea via river systems (utilising stable isotopes and or
14
C)
Keywords: Isotope. Radiocarbon. River. Terrestrial Export. Lake. Carbon-cycling.
Bastviken, D., Tranvik, L.J., Downing, J.A., Crill, P.M., Enrich-Prast, A., 2011. Freshwater methane emissions offset the
continental carbon sink. Science 331, 50.
Bauer, J.E., Bianchi, T.S., 2011. 5.02 - Dissolved Organic Carbon Cycling and Transformation, in: Editors-in-Chief: Eric, W.,
Donald, M. (Eds.), Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science. Academic Press, Waltham, pp. 7-67.
Raymond, P.A., Bauer, J.E., Caraco, N.F., Cole, J.J., Longworth, B., Petsch, S.T., 2004. Controls on the variability of organic
matter and dissolved inorganic carbon ages in northeast US rivers. Mar Chem 92, 353-366.