Articles tagged with Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
A new study from University of Michigan researchers found that biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel increase, rather than decrease, heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions. The study analyzed U.S. crop-production data and found that only 37% of the CO2 emissions due to biofuel combustion were offset by the CO2 uptake by crops.
Researchers developed a staged separation method that can reduce venting and flaring of natural gas from wells by up to 70 percent. The approach involves using high-pressure and low-pressure steps to separate gas, resulting in more sustainable oil production processes.
Magma-limestone interaction may help explain why volcanoes like Vesuvius are particularly explosive, as it releases CO2 that contributes to Earth's carbon cycle. The process also triggers extreme behavior in volatile elements, potentially driving eruptions and affecting the planet.
A new study published in Nature Communications shows that CO2 can be securely stored underground for at least 100,000 years, much longer than the 10,000 years required to avoid climate impacts. This finding has significant implications for carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have developed a solar cell that captures CO2 and sunlight to produce hydrocarbon fuel. The 'artificial leaf' technology solves two crucial problems simultaneously by converting atmospheric carbon dioxide into fuel, making it a game-changer for energy production.
Naturally occurring carbon dioxide concentrations allowed for a relatively slow onset of climate change effects. Scientists have a longer window to understand and mitigate human-induced climate change.
A new study combining future climate projections and tree-ring records reveals that North American forests will likely struggle to offset climate change. Forests, which currently absorb 25-30% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions, are expected to grow slower in the face of warmer temperatures and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
New studies show that ocean warming exacerbates the impacts of ocean acidification on calcareous phytoplankton, hampering their evolutionary success and physiological performance. The researchers found an increase in malformed coccoliths in warmer and more acidic oceans.
A recent study suggests that re-wetting dried riverbeds releases dissolved carbon and greenhouse gases, including methane and CO2. This process may also contribute to ocean acidification. However, restoration of wetlands is expected to outweigh the negative effects, supporting biodiversity and mitigating storm erosion.
A new study suggests that the weathering of rocks by early non-vascular plants, such as mosses and lichens, may have contributed to the cooling of the climate during the Late Ordovician period. This process, known as chemical weathering, can draw down atmospheric CO2, leading to global cooling.
Researchers found that plants associated with ectomycorrhizal fungi grow bigger in response to high CO2 levels, but those with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi do not. This study challenges the idea of a universal CO2 fertilization effect and highlights the importance of symbiotic fungi in plant growth.
Researchers obtained detailed measurements of carbon exchange in a temperate deciduous forest, revealing that trees exhale less CO2 during the day than previously thought. The study confirmed that forest photosynthesis doesn't decline over the course of summer, contrary to conventional wisdom used in climate models.
A team of scholars argues that the Paris climate target is achievable through controlled implosion of the fossil industry and technological advancements in renewable energy systems. Implementing the target could create worldwide political momentum and limit global sea-level rise to 1.5 meters by 2300.
Scientists predict a record increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration due to El Niño. The recent natural climate phenomenon has warmed and dried tropical ecosystems, reducing their ability to absorb CO2, and exacerbating forest fires.
An international team of scientists has found a way to remove anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere by turning it into rock. The process, known as carbonate mineralisation, can take as little as two years and permanently locks away CO2 in basaltic rocks.
Researchers found that basaltic rocks can effectively store carbon dioxide, a potential solution to mitigate climate change. By injecting CO2 into these rocks, the greenhouse gas is converted into stable carbonate minerals, reducing leakage risks.
Researchers found that Kepler-62f could sustain life with an atmosphere 3-5 times thicker than Earth's composed entirely of carbon dioxide. The team also ran simulations on different orbital configurations, finding multiple scenarios that allow the planet to be habitable.
A new study published in Environmental Research Letters found that greenhouse-gas emissions from lakes and inland waterways may be up to 45% greater than previously thought. The researchers used a yearlong series of continuous measurements to gather data, revealing higher nighttime emissions and storms creating spikes.
A new study by the 2ndFOR Network found that natural processes in Latin American tropical forests can provide a solution to excess carbon dioxide threatening the planet. Regrowth forests increase above-ground carbon storage over time, depending on climate and landscape features.
A new study published in PNAS found that iron fertilization had little to no effect on the growth of algae in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The research, led by Gisela Winckler, used deep-sea sediment cores to test for barium and opal, and measures of thorium-232 reflected the amount of dust that blew in from land at each point in time.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience proposes that the rise of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere was linked to the formation of continents and life. The researchers suggest that a reduction in the efficiency of the oxygen sink, coupled with an increase in volcanic activity and carbon inputs into the atmosphere, led to two rises in atm...
A study by the University of Connecticut team reveals that natural forest regrowth can store significant amounts of carbon, doubling in young second-growth forests and increasing by 120% in intermediate age forests. This approach offers a low-cost alternative to tree planting for reaching carbon mitigation targets.
Researchers have found a major carbon dioxide reservoir at depths of 2000-4300 meters in the South Pacific. The study suggests that during the last ice age, a sea ice cover on the Antarctic Ocean closed oceanic ventilation windows, leading to slowed deep water circulation and increased storage of old carbon dioxide.
Researchers at UTA examine global warming events during the Early Paleogene period, which occurred 66-45 million years ago. They aim to understand the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on life on Earth and provide analogs for current climate change.
Researchers discovered a protein, EPYC1, that enables green algae to efficiently capture CO2 from the air. This finding is crucial for harnessing algae's power in agriculture, which could enhance crop yields by up to 60%.
A NASA study finds that elevated carbon dioxide concentrations can increase crop yields by boosting photosynthesis and reducing transpiration, but this effect varies regionally. Some crops like wheat and rice benefit from higher CO2 levels, while others like maize may experience yield losses.
A new study reveals that tropical ecosystems like the Amazon may be more sensitive to climate change than previously thought. The research found that the Amazon can experience large shifts in its carbon balance in response to extreme heat and drought, with these changes occurring surprisingly quickly.
Despite a severe drought, the contiguous United States remained a carbon sink in 2012, absorbing more carbon during warmer springs and releasing less during dry summers. The unique combination of measured data from various sources allowed researchers to calculate the carbon exchange for the entire US during this period.
Scientists analyzed ancient ocean sediments to reconstruct past CO2 levels, finding that elevated CO2 led to the early Eocene epoch's extreme warmth and subsequent cooling. The study provides insights into understanding ancient climate and predicting future climate change.
A recent study published in Nature Climate Change reveals significant greening of a quarter to one-half of the Earth's vegetated lands due to CO2 fertilization. The increase in leaves on plants and trees has the potential to fundamentally change the cycling of water and carbon in the climate system.
A new study reveals that volcanic activity associated with continental plate movement may have driven climatic shifts from hot to cold over tens and hundreds of millions of years. The research found that periods of high volcanic activity coincided with warmer conditions, while low volcanic activity was linked to colder, icehouse periods.
Geologists at MIT identified ancient tectonic collisions as the trigger for two ice ages, 80 million and 50 million years ago. The collisions exposed rock to the atmosphere, leading to chemical reactions that absorbed large amounts of carbon dioxide.
A Dartmouth study finds that clear-cutting forest soils increases carbon release, contributing to climate change. Soils store up to 50% of total ecosystem carbon, and logging disrupts soil carbon dynamics.
A Purdue University study found that rising carbon dioxide levels have reduced protein in goldenrod pollen, a key food source for North American bees. This decline may threaten bee health and survival, particularly during the winter months when bees must store substantial amounts of pollen to overwinter.
Soil has the potential to sequester more carbon than the current atmosphere, and climate-smart agricultural practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil fertility. Several methods, including reducing tillage and applying biochar, can be used by land users to abate emissions and sequester carbon.
Researchers used foraminifera, tiny ocean dwellers, to reconstruct past oxygen levels and determine how much carbon dioxide was stored in the oceans during ice ages. The study provides insight into natural climate cycles and may help predict future environmental changes.
Researchers are one step away from starvation due to increased global food demand and climate change. They are developing a method to engineer crops that can increase photosynthesis under high CO2 and temperature conditions.
New research reveals that human-driven carbon release rate is 10 times faster than any event since the age of dinosaurs. The study uses sediment cores and numerical simulations to extract rates of change, showing a maximum sustained carbon release rate of about one-tenth the current rate.
Researchers found that plants' water-use strategies significantly impact temperature increase, with needleleaf forests and agricultural land experiencing the largest changes. The study's results are more than half the change forecast by the IPCC under a business-as-usual model.
Researchers estimate human carbon release rate is about 10 times faster than any event in the past 66 million years, with potentially catastrophic consequences for future climate changes. The study also suggests that the effects of massive fossil fuel burning will have a much longer tail than previously thought.
Research finds that boat mooring chains in Western Australia's Rottnest Island are destroying seagrass meadows at an alarming rate. The seagrass absorbs carbon dioxide at a faster rate than tropical rainforests, making its destruction a significant threat to the environment.
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirmed that the ocean played a significant role in the rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide during the last deglaciation. The researchers found that during this period, there were rapid releases of carbon from land sources such as plants and soils, contributing t...
Researchers at Vanderbilt University and George Washington University have developed a way to convert carbon dioxide into batteries using graphite electrodes replaced with carbon material recovered from the atmosphere. This process produces carbon nanotubes that can be incorporated into lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, offering a ...
Scientists have made significant breakthroughs in understanding the ocean's role in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Using satellite and ship measurements, they found that around a quarter of the CO2 released into the atmosphere ends up in the oceans, equivalent to two million double-decker buses or 72,000 Boeing 747s annu...
Researchers at UMass Amherst and colleagues report that the Antarctic ice sheets are more susceptible to rising atmospheric CO2 levels than previously believed. The findings suggest large changes in the ice sheets could occur at lower CO2 levels than previously studied, highlighting a need for improved climate modeling.
A new study shows the Arctic tundra now releases more carbon than it gains during winter, resulting in a net loss to the atmosphere. Meanwhile, a training initiative in Europe supports young atmospheric researchers with unique skills and collaboration opportunities.
A recent study suggests that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is the likely cause of global dryland greening, as it leads to water savings and increases in available soil water. This trend has been observed through satellite images in regions such as the Mediterranean, Sahel, and Middle East.
Researchers suggest that large-scale CO2 removal schemes could have significant environmental impacts, including land use changes and financial costs. The proposed methods include growing bioenergy crops, tree plantations, and adding biochar to soil, but their effectiveness at scale remains uncertain.
A study published in Nature Climate Change looks at climate change over the next 10,000 years, finding that catastrophic impact will persist even after carbon dioxide releases cease. The research shows that sea level rise will continue for thousands of years, affecting land and population centers.
The study found that sediments from the deep Southern Ocean carried smaller amounts of oxygen, indicating phytoplankton took up large amounts of carbon dioxide. This led to a buildup of decaying organic matter that stored extra carbon in the deep sea.
For the first time, researchers have directly converted carbon dioxide from the air into methanol at relatively low temperatures. This process uses renewable energy to transform the greenhouse gas into a clean-burning fuel for internal combustion engines and fuel cells.
Numerical simulations found that erosion played a key role in driving magma production and subsequent volcanic activity at the end of the last ice age. The study's results may have implications for understanding climate change and atmospheric CO2 levels, as similar mechanisms are expected to occur at shorter timescales.
Researchers at MIT and Bristol University found that mixotrophic organisms can increase the average size of plankton by up to 35%, leading to a greater flux of sinking organic carbon particles. This could enhance the ocean's ability to sequester carbon dioxide, potentially mitigating climate change.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales found that high CO2 concentrations can cause fish to become disoriented and lose their sense of direction. The study predicts that by 2100, up to half of the world's surface oceans will experience episodes of hypercapnia, with devastating effects on marine ecosystems.
A team of scientists has quantified deep carbon emissions associated with the East African Rift, revealing a significant source of CO2. The study found that faults along the rift act as permeable pathways for deeply-derived CO2, suggesting a previously unrecognized role in global climate change.
The ORCAS field campaign aims to understand the role of the Southern Ocean in absorbing excess carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. By tracking oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, scientists will gain insights into the ocean's ability to act as a carbon sink.
Researchers find massive release of CO2 from Southern Ocean occurred when Antarctic sea ice melted, not due to changes in ocean density. The expansion and retreat of sea ice acted as a 'lid' controlling CO2 exchange between ocean and atmosphere.
A new NASA study finds that accurately accounting for climate drivers like aerosols and land use changes is crucial for predicting future global temperatures. The research calculated the temperature impact of each variable based on historical observations, revealing their complexity and correcting earlier underestimations.
A new study by Duke University researchers found that coastal marshes can adapt to rising sea levels through increased plant productivity and soil generation, reducing the extent of marsh loss. The 'CO2 fertilization effect' allows marshes to trap more sediment and create organic soil, which helps them keep pace with sea-level rise.
Scientists discover enhanced weathering of rock can draw CO2 out of atmosphere, stabilizing climate and preventing ocean acidification. This process converts CO2 to bicarbonate, which drains away via rivers to the oceans, benefiting coral reefs.