RAPID: The fate of methane during the Southern California Gas leak: Characterization of microbial consumption in soil, atmospheric transport, and ecosystem-level impacts.

RAPID：南加州天然气泄漏期间甲烷的命运：土壤中微生物消耗、大气传输和生态系统影响的特征。

• 批准号: 1632329
• 负责人: Victoria Orphan
• 金额: $ 18.59万
• 依托单位: California Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-05-15 至 2018-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1632329&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RAPID; fate; methane; during; Southern

NSF RAPID funding is provided to study the microbial consumption of methane in soil during and following the 2015-2016 Southern California Natural Gas Leak. The gas leak was the largest such event in US history. Methane is flammable gas. Increasing concentrations of methane in the atmosphere can have a potent "greenhouse" effect. This NSF RAPID award will support the characterization, identity and activity of methane-consuming microorganisms in the soil in response to the gas leak, to better understand ecosystem-level impacts of the disaster. Atmospheric measurements of leaking methane will be compared to measurements of soil microorganisms near the site of the gas leak, as well as tracing the flow of methane-derived carbon through the soil ecosystem over time. The data collected in this time course study will assist with future modeling of the contribution of soil-associated microorganisms to global methane cycling. Understanding the fate of methane released from this extreme event has benefits to both the scientific research community and to public safety.Soil carbon derived from methane is hypothesized to measurably increase as a result of the gas leak. The known microorganisms that consume methane for energy and carbon occur within distinct phylogenetic lineages, and the soil microbial community (as well as overall carbon flow) is expected to measurably shift as a result of this leak. Specific components of the research to measure such changes include: (1) Detailed monitoring of methane and ethane emissions including air and soil concentrations, during and following the leak. Methods employed to monitor methane levels will include surface instrumentation, spectrometry measurements from air in collaboration with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and California Institute of Technology faculty, satellite observations, and field measurements. (2) Regular and frequent targeted sampling of soils during and following the period of active natural gas emission. (3) Identification and characterization of the soil microbial response to methane enrichment. (4) Assessment of changes in the soil microbial community and microeukaryotes associated with input of methane-derived carbon. Laboratory methods for these latter components include microbial community profiling with high throughput sequencing, RNA-based activity assays; DNA-based stable isotope probing with 13CH4 to trace methane derived carbon into the local microbial community, and rate measurements of methane metabolism in laboratory-based chamber incubations of collected soils. Sites surrounding the leak event and background areas will be sampled over a regular time course to track population dynamics during and following the gas leak. Results will be shared among collaborating scientists and rapidly disseminated through scheduled public talks, conference proceedings, and publications. In addition to the research goals, the project will include training opportunities for an undergraduate and a graduate student.

NSF RAPID资助用于研究2015 - 2016年南加州天然气泄漏期间和之后土壤中甲烷的微生物消耗。这次天然气泄漏是美国历史上最大的一次此类事件。 甲烷是易燃气体。 大气中甲烷浓度的增加会产生强大的“温室”效应。 NSF RAPID奖将支持土壤中甲烷消耗微生物的表征，身份和活动，以应对气体泄漏，以更好地了解灾难对生态系统的影响。泄漏甲烷的大气测量值将与气体泄漏现场附近土壤微生物的测量值进行比较，并追踪甲烷衍生碳随时间推移通过土壤生态系统的流动。 在这个时间进程研究中收集的数据将有助于未来模拟土壤相关微生物对全球甲烷循环的贡献。了解这一极端事件释放的甲烷的命运对科学研究界和公共安全都有好处。据推测，甲烷产生的土壤碳会因气体泄漏而显著增加。消耗甲烷作为能量和碳的已知微生物发生在不同的系统发育谱系中，预计土壤微生物群落（以及整体碳流）将因这种泄漏而发生可测量的变化。 测量这种变化的研究的具体组成部分包括：（1）详细监测泄漏期间和之后的甲烷和乙烷排放，包括空气和土壤浓度。用于监测甲烷水平的方法将包括地面仪器、与美国宇航局喷气推进实验室和加州理工学院教师合作进行的空中光谱测量、卫星观测和实地测量。(2)在天然气活跃排放期间和之后，定期和频繁地对土壤进行有针对性的取样。(3)土壤微生物对甲烷富集反应的鉴定与表征。(4)甲烷碳输入对土壤微生物群落和微真核生物变化的影响。这些后者的组成部分的实验室方法包括微生物群落分析与高通量测序，基于RNA的活性测定;基于DNA的稳定同位素探测与13CH4跟踪甲烷衍生碳到当地的微生物群落，并在实验室为基础的室内培养的甲烷代谢率测量收集的土壤。泄漏事件周围的地点和背景区域将在定期的时间过程中进行采样，以跟踪气体泄漏期间和之后的种群动态。研究结果将在合作科学家之间共享，并通过预定的公开演讲、会议记录和出版物迅速传播。除了研究目标外，该项目还将包括为本科生和研究生提供培训机会。