References

HESS

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences

HESS

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

1607-7938

Copernicus Publications

Göttingen, Germany

10.5194/hess-12-625-2008

Fluvial organic carbon flux from an eroding peatland catchment, southern Pennines, UK

Pawson

R. R.

¹ Lord

D. R.

¹ Evans

M. G.

¹ Allott

T. E. H.

Upland Environment Research Unit, Geography, School of Environment and Development, Arthur Lewis Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

20 03 2008

12 2 625 634

2008

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This study investigates for the first time the relative importance of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) in the fluvial carbon flux from an actively eroding peatland catchment in the southern Pennines, UK. Event scale variability in DOC and POC was examined and the annual flux of fluvial organic carbon was estimated for the catchment. At the event scale, both DOC and POC were found to increase with discharge, with event based POC export accounting for 95% of flux in only 8% of the time. On an annual cycle, exports of 35.14 t organic carbon (OC) are estimated from the catchment, which represents an areal value of 92.47 g C m<sup>−2</sup> a<sup>−1</sup>. POC was the most significant form of organic carbon export, accounting for 80% of the estimated flux. This suggests that more research is required on both the fate of POC and the rates of POC export in eroding peatland catchments.

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