Abstract Peatlands influence the global carbon cycle by storing carbon and releasing greenhouse gases such as methane (CH 4 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Imaging hot spots for gas accumulation in peat remains challenging due to spatial and temporal heterogeneity and the invasive nature of traditional techniques. Minimally invasive geophysical methods such as ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) have been used to image gas distribution in peat, but the need for direct ground contact limits its applicability in isolated environments. To address these issues, this study evaluated the feasibility of laboratory‐based air‐coupled GPR, in which the antenna is suspended above the surface, to image hot spots for biogenic gas accumulation in peat. Air‐coupled and ground‐based GPR measurements were applied to a peat monolith (0.75 × 0.31 × 0.25 m) from the Everglades (FL, USA) and constrained by flux measurements from gas traps fitted with time‐lapse cameras and analyzed via gas chromatography. Air‐coupled GPR imaged hot spots for gas accumulation with lateral dimensions of 0.05 × 0.03 m to 0.15 × 0.20 m, with gas content up to 25%, fluxes up to 171.9 mg CH 4 m −2 day −1 , and CH 4 contents exceeding 70%. Hot spots were associated with slightly higher porosity and distinct peat structure, suggesting that physical properties of peat may influence gas storage and release behavior. These results highlight the role of peat physical properties in CH 4 emissions, demonstrate the potential of air‐coupled GPR for non‐invasive monitoring of biogenic gas dynamics under controlled conditions, and support future evaluation of drone‐based GPR surveys in peatlands.
Islam et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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