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2024 06 24 DiBiasio Emilia.pdf (2.2 MB)

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Stable Carbon Isotopes as Indicators for Oxygen Utilization in Lake Erie

DiBiasio, Emilia
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1718185933611472

Abstract Details

2024, Master of Science in Environmental Science, Cleveland State University, College of Arts and Sciences.
Despite the critical role of organic matter (OM) oxidation in depleting oxygen in the hypolimnetic waters of Lake Erie, uncertainties regarding the sources, quantity, and fate of OM continue to challenge our understanding and management of hypoxia in the lake. This study evaluates the effects of OM oxidation through the analysis of stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the central and eastern basins of Lake Erie. We disclose DIC contributions from OM oxidation and provide insight into the origins of OM in the hypolimnion. Our results reveal significant declines in δ13CDIC in hypolimnetic waters compared to surface waters, indicative of OM oxidation in the deepest portions of the lake. To further examine this process, we employed the Keeling plot method to estimate the composite isotopic signature of OM respiration (δ13CR). The good agreement between the respired source (-24.4‰) and the signature of the organic material (-24.6‰) support the idea that autochthonous material (internally produced OM) fuels OM oxidation in the central and eastern basins. Additionally, a binary mixing model was utilized to quantify the amount of DIC produced and the respective amount of oxygen required by OM oxidation. We estimate that 11.8 ± 1.6 % of DIC was produced in the central basin and 5.6 ± 1.2% in the eastern basin, which accounts, on average, for 89.3 ± 7.1 % of hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in the central basin and 99.2 ± 17.7 % in the eastern basin. This suggests OM oxidation accounts for most of the hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in the lake, however instances of hypoxia in the central basin may promote other mechanisms of oxygen depletion such as oxidation of CH4, Fe2+, and Mn2+. This study reveals a strong coupling between carbon cycling and oxygen depletion in Lake Erie. Our results underscore the applicability of δ13CDIC as a meaningful tracer to quantify the amount of oxygen-consuming OM in hypolimnetic oxygen depletion. This work helps to eliminate some of the uncertainties surrounding the role of OM oxidation, contributing to the broader comprehension and management of hypoxic conditions in Lake Erie.
Fasong Yuan (Advisor)
Brice Grunert (Committee Member)
Julie Wolin (Committee Member)
Biogeochemistry; Environmental Science; Limnology
Stable Carbon Isotopes; Dissolved Inorganic Carbon; Oxygen Dynamics; Hypoxia; Lake Erie

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • DiBiasio, E. (2024). Stable Carbon Isotopes as Indicators for Oxygen Utilization in Lake Erie [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1718185933611472

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • DiBiasio, Emilia. Stable Carbon Isotopes as Indicators for Oxygen Utilization in Lake Erie. 2024. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1718185933611472.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • DiBiasio, Emilia. "Stable Carbon Isotopes as Indicators for Oxygen Utilization in Lake Erie." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1718185933611472

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1718185933611472
96
© 2024, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Stable Carbon Isotopes as Indicators for Oxygen Utilization in Lake Erie by Emilia DiBiasio is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.