John Harrison, School of the Environment

Wednesday, 9 March 2016
PACCAR Bldg (PETB) – Room 202
3-4pm

Although dams and the reservoirs they create provide a number of important services to the communities in which they reside they also have been associated with a number of environmental concerns, including the production of the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4).  It is well-established that reservoirs collectively constitute a globally important CH4 source, but the factors controlling reservoir CH4 emissions are not particularly well-understood.  It is possible that clever reservoir management could mitigate CH4 emissions, but to realize this possibility, an improved understanding of reservoir CH4 emissions is necessary.  To develop this understanding, my research group has been studying reservoir CH4 emissions in several Pacific NW reservoirs with contrasting watershed and management characteristics.  I will present some insights from this ongoing investigation.

AMS information forthcoming