Riverine CH(4) emission hotspots are more closely associated with local sediment and DOM properties than with broad land-use categories.

Local sediment and DOM properties, rather than broad land-use categories, primarily drive riverine CH(4) emission hotspots, accounting for over 90% of fluxes in studied reaches.

• Why it matters: Understanding the specific factors that cause high methane emissions is crucial for designing effective mitigation strategies, as land-use alone does not reliably predict hotspots.
• What they did: The study measured CH(4) fluxes across different river reaches and seasons, analyzing sediment and DOM characteristics, microbial communities, and gene abundances to identify hotspot mechanisms.
• The result: Findings reveal that sediment type and DOM bioavailability are key to hotspot formation, enabling targeted management approaches to reduce methane emissions from rivers.