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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Florence, South Carolina » Coastal Plain Soil, Water and Plant Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167955
Title: SURFICIAL OXYGEN TRANSFER IN LAGOONS

Author
item Ro, Kyoung
item Hunt, Patrick
item Liehr, Sarah
item Poach, Matthew

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/15/2004
Publication Date: 10/15/2004
Citation: Ro, K.S., Hunt, P.G., Liehr, S.K., Poach, M.E. 2004. Surficial oxygen transfer in lagoons [abstract]. Agronomy Abstracts. 2004 CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Recently surprising results have been obtained for emissions from anaerobic lagoons -- lower than expected rates of ammonia and larger than expected rates of di-nitrogen. In attempt to clarify several new biological pathways explaining the results, we investigated the current body of knowledge about the amount of surficial oxygen that could be absorbed into the lagoons. Currently, no single theory satisfactorily describes the complex array of environmental factors that control or influence surficial oxygen transfer. However, researchers have formulated oxygen transfer rates with critical environmental factors. In the case of lagoons, water is mostly stationary and wind is the primary agent for turbulence. Thus, we focused on those formulas along with the raw data from the gas exchange studies, especially oxygen, performed in laboratory wind tunnels and at the fields. To gain clarity we 1) normalized other gas transfer coefficients to oxygen, 2) normalized the wind speeds at a reference height via one-seventh root profile, and 3) separated filed data relevant to lagoon conditions under different wind-generated turbulence regimes. We discussed the implications of the findings on the nitrogen transformation pathways.