Can a Red Wood-Ant Nest Be Associated with Fault-Related CH4 Micro-Seepage? A Case Study from Continuous Short-Term In-Situ Sampling

Methane (CH4) is common on Earth but its natural sources are not well-characterized. We investigated concentrations of CH4 and its stable carbon isotope (δ13C-CH4) within a red wood-ant (RWA; Formica polyctena) nest in the Neuwied Basin, a part of the East Eifel Volcanic Field (EEVF), and tested for associations between methane concentration and RWA activity patterns, earthquakes, and earth tides. Methane degassing was not synchronized with earth tides, nor was it influenced by a micro-earthquake or RWA activity. Elevated CH4 concentrations in nest gas appear to result from a combination of microbial activity and fault-related emissions. The latter could result from micro-seepage of methane derived from low-temperature gas-water-rock reactions that subsequently moves via fault networks through the RWA nest or from overlapping micro-seepage of magmatic CH4 from the Eifel plume. Given the abundance of RWA nests on the landscape, their role as sources of microbial CH4 and biological indicators for abiotically-derived CH4 should be included in estimations of methane emissions that are contributing to climatic change