Harvard Forest

Data Archive

HF311

Geogenic Gases in a Red Wood-Ant Nest and Soil in the Neuwied Basin, Germany 2016

Related Publications

Data

• hf311-01: co2 8 hour data (preview)
• hf311-02: helium 8 hour data (preview)
• hf311-03: radon 8 hour data (preview)
• hf311-04: co2 biweekly data (preview)
• hf311-05: helium biweekly data (preview)
• hf311-06: radon biweekly data (preview)
• hf311-07: earthquakes (preview)
• hf311-08: earthtides (preview)
• hf311-09: local weather (preview)

Overview

• Lead: Gabriele Berberich, Aaron Ellison, Christian Wöhler
• Investigators: Martin Berberich
• Contact: Information Manager
• Start date: 2016
• End date: 2016
• Status: complete
• Location: Germany
• Latitude: +50.33976 degrees
• Longitude: +7.43955 degrees
• Elevation: 318 meter
• Datum: WGS84
• Taxa: Formica rufa (red wood ant), Formica polyctena (red wood ant)
• Release date: 2023
• Language: English
• EML file: knb-lter-hfr.311.3
• DOI: digital object identifier
• EDI: data package
• DataONE: data package
• Related links:
• Study type: long-term measurement
• Research topic: international research projects
• LTER core area: primary production, population studies
• Keywords: ants, biogeochemistry, disturbance, gas flux, soil
• Abstract:

  Geochemical tracers of crustal fluids (CO2, He, Rn) provide a useful tool for the identification of buried fault structures. We acquired geochemical data during 7 months of continual sampling to identify causal processes underlying correlations between ambient air and degassing patterns of three gases (CO2, He, Rn) in a nest of red wood ants (Formica polyctena; “RWA”) and the soil at Goloring in the Neuwied Basin, a part of the East Eifel Volcanic Field (EEVF). We explored whether temporal relations and degassing rhythms in soil and nest gas concentrations could be indicators of hidden faults through which the gases migrate to the surface from depth. In nest gas, the coupled system of CO2-He and He concentrations exceeding atmospheric standards 2-3 fold suggested that RWA nests may be biological indicators of hidden degassing faults and fractures at small scales. Equivalently periodic degassing infradian rhythms in the RWA nest, soil, and three nearby mineral springs suggested NW-SE and NE-SW tectonic linkages. Because volcanic activity in the EEVF is dormant, more detailed information on the EEVF’s tectonic, magmatic, and degassing systems and its active tectonic fault zones are needed. Such data could provide additional insights into earthquake processes that are related to magmatic processes at the lower crust.

• Methods:

  For details of methods, please see: Berberich, G.M., Berberich, M.B., Ellison, A.M., Wöhler, C. 2018. Degassing Rhythms and Fluctuations of Geogenic Gases in A Red Wood-Ant Nest and in Soil in The Neuwied Basin (East Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany. Insects, 9, 135; doi:10.3390/insects9040135.

• Organization: Harvard Forest. 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366, USA. Phone (978) 724-3302. Fax (978) 724-3595.

• Project: The Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program examines ecological dynamics in the New England region resulting from natural disturbances, environmental change, and human impacts. (ROR).

• Funding: National Science Foundation LTER grants: DEB-8811764, DEB-9411975, DEB-0080592, DEB-0620443, DEB-1237491, DEB-1832210.

• Use: This dataset is released to the public under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 (No Rights Reserved). Please keep the dataset creators informed of any plans to use the dataset. Consultation with the original investigators is strongly encouraged. Publications and data products that make use of the dataset should include proper acknowledgement.

• License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0)

• Citation: Berberich G, Ellison A, Wöhler C. 2023. Geogenic Gases in a Red Wood-Ant Nest and Soil in the Neuwied Basin, Germany 2016. Harvard Forest Data Archive: HF311 (v.3). Environmental Data Initiative: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/64884e966cbef925f1ba2e34e245500e.

Detailed Metadata

hf311-01: co2 8 hour data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)

hf311-02: helium 8 hour data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)

hf311-03: radon 8 hour data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)

hf311-04: co2 biweekly data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (vol. %) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)

hf311-05: helium biweekly data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (ppb) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)

hf311-06: radon biweekly data

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. sg.1: soil gas 1 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
6. sg.2: soil gas 2 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
7. sg.3: soil gas 3 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
8. sg.4: soil gas 4 (unit: becquerel / missing value: NA)
9. sg.5: soil gas 5 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
10. sg.6: soil gas 6 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
11. sg.7: soil gas 7 (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
12. ng: nest gas (red wood ant nest) (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)
13. aa: ambient air (unit: becquerelPerLiter / missing value: NA)

hf311-07: earthquakes

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. location: earthquake location
6. ml: magnitude (unit: number / missing value: NA)
7. depth: depth (unit: kilometer / missing value: NA)
8. x: x-coordinate in GK (unit: degree / missing value: NA)
9. y: y-ccordinate in GK (unit: degree / missing value: NA)
10. dist.nest: distance nest ???? (unit: meter / missing value: NA)

hf311-08: earthtides

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. second: interval data (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (UTC) (unit: number / missing value: NA)
6. north: north component (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
7. east: east component (unit: meter / missing value: NA)
8. up: up component (unit: meter / missing value: NA)

hf311-09: local weather

1. datetime: date and time
2. date: date
3. time: time (UTC)
4. matlab.datetime: Matlab date and time (unit: number / missing value: NA)
5. abspress.hpa: absolute pressure (hPa) (unit: millibar / missing value: NA)
6. outtempcc: outdoor temperature (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
7. dewpoint.c: dew point (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
8. outdoorhumidity: outdoor humidity (%) (unit: dimensionless / missing value: NA)
9. hourrainfall.mm: hourly rainfall (unit: millimeter / missing value: NA)
10. gust.kmh: wind gust (unit: kilometersPerHour / missing value: NA)
11. windchill.c: windchill (unit: celsius / missing value: NA)
12. winddirection: wind direction
13. windspeed.kmh: wind speed (unit: kilometersPerHour / missing value: NA)
14. interval.min: measurement interval (unit: nominalMinute / missing value: NA)