Physics Commons^™

Production, Oxidation, And Emissions Of Methane From Rice Fields In China, M. A. K. Khalil, Martha J. Shearer, R. A. Rasmussen, Chang-Lin Duan, Lixin Ren

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Detailed field studies of methane emissions from rice fields show that when nitrogen fertilizers are used with intermittent irrigation the seasonal average flux is about 3 mg/m²/hr. When continuous flooding and organic material is added to the same fields, the emissions rise to nearly 30 mg/m²/hr. Production rates measured during the two years when both organic material and water were applied to these fields were found to be 60 and 90 mg/m²/hr in consecutive years. The fraction oxidized is calculated to be about 80% one year and 43% the next year. The results suggest that high organic fertilizer increases production, …