This seminar-style course will use peer-reviewed literature to explore the methane cycle on Earth in general and then focus on methane in the Chesapeake Bay. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and it has been reported that free gas resides in 30% of the Bay sediments; why is it there? Does it escape the sediments? Does it escape the water column? We will explore how methane is produced in sediments, learning some fundamental concepts of biogeochemical cycling. We will also explore the various ways methane is broken down by microbes in the sediments and water column. Students will be required to participate in open-forum discussions during class and to present one paper on methane cycling.
- Teacher: Laura Lapham