The importance of small artificial water bodies as sources ofmethane emissions in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Abstract. Emissions from flooded land represent a direct source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Methane emissions from large, artificial water bodies have previously been considered, with numerous studies assessing emission rates and relatively simple procedures available to determine their surface area and generate upscaled emissions estimates. In contrast, the role of small artificial water bodies (ponds) is very poorly quantified, and estimation of emissions is constrained both by a lack of data on their spatial extent, and a scarcity of direct flux measurements. In this study, we quantified the total surface area of water bodies