Articles tagged with Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
A study by University of Pittsburgh researchers outlines a framework for developing catalysts that convert excess CO2 into liquid fuel. The catalyst's effectiveness is determined by its hydrogen adsorption energy and Lewis pair hardness, allowing for more efficient and inexpensive production.
A UMass Amherst chemist has received a $330,000 NSF grant to improve the production of fuels from plant biomass. The project aims to optimize shape-selective catalysis in zeolites for efficient conversion of carbohydrates into gasoline.
Researchers at Umeå University discovered that increased CO2 levels shifted photosynthetic metabolism in plants towards photosynthesis, contributing to global vegetation's ability to dampen climate change. The study used historic plant samples to quantify the impact of atmospheric CO2 levels on plant metabolism.
Researchers found that including plants' acclimation to changes in temperature improves climate model accuracy, especially for tropical forests. Adding formulas for acclimation increases carbon exchange simulations by 36%, leading to a better understanding of how regions will respond to warmer temperatures.
A new study by Princeton University researchers suggests that warmer nights may lead to more carbon being released into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. The research found a strong correlation between tropical nighttime temperatures and variations in plant respiration rates, which produce carbon dioxide.
A new study suggests that global plant growth is not keeping up with CO2 emissions, contradicting expectations. The research indicates that satellite-based results and model-based estimates diverge due to limitations in water availability and nutrient supply.
Research finds that elevated CO2 reduces stomatal conductance, increasing water use efficiency and delaying physiological responses to drought. This study provides new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying sorghum's resilience to climate change.
A study led by Johns Hopkins University scientist suggests that rapid growth in tiny plankton's population is a sign of swift environmental change due to increased carbon dioxide in the ocean. The research highlights the possibility of rapid ecosystem change, potentially exceeding previously predicted models.
Research suggests certain types of carbon-intensive algae are flourishing as carbon pumps, removing CO2 from the atmosphere. A shift in phytoplankton dominance occurred over the past millennium, with a more recent transition happening in less than 200 years.
Researchers propose a photochemical process that could have evolved the Martian atmosphere without creating excess carbon. The mechanism, which involves ultraviolet photodissociation, enriched carbon-13 in the atmosphere, resolving the long-standing issue of 'missing' carbon.
Researchers have discovered ancient fossil forests in Svalbard, Norway, dating back 380 million years, which may hold the secrets to a 15-fold reduction in atmospheric CO2 levels. The dense, equatorial forests were likely formed by lycopod trees and could provide valuable information on the evolution of tree-sized vegetation.
A University of Oklahoma-led study reveals that vast amounts of iron-rich dust deposits from 300 million years ago had a significant impact on ecosystem fertilization and atmospheric carbon levels. The research offers insights into the potential consequences of geoengineering schemes to control climate change.
Scientists discovered that CO2 levels 50 million years ago were nearly half the predicted 1,125 ppm, indicating a greater sensitivity to greenhouse warming. This new data challenges previous estimates and suggests a more severe climate change impact if CO2 levels reach that threshold.
A team of scientists has found evidence of iron-rich dust from 300 million years ago, which suggests that atmospheric dust acted as a fertilizer for life. The discovery provides new insights into the biogeochemical impacts of iron on the oceans and the climate system during the late Paleozoic era.
A new study reveals that many lakes worldwide release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, with northern hemisphere lakes expected to increase emissions due to climate change. The study found that most lake CO2 originates from surrounding land, highlighting the impact of land use changes on greenhouse gas emissions.
Research in Alaska's Yukon Flats reveals massive carbon losses due to increasing fire frequency, challenging assumptions about recent fire activity. The study finds that the region has become a net exporter of carbon, posing a significant threat to the global carbon cycle and climate balance.
A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that climbing vines are significantly reducing carbon storage in tropical forests by crowding out and killing trees. The researchers discovered that woody climbing plants, or lianas, substantially reduce forest-level carbon uptake and storage.
Research found that changes in ocean circulation due to Antarctica's temperature had a profound impact on the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere. When temperatures dropped, nutrient-rich waters rose closer to the Antarctic continent, allowing phytoplankton to thrive and absorb more CO2.
Researchers at the University of Rochester and Chinese institutions investigate if CO2 decrease caused Earth to cool 3 million years ago. They test hypothesis that iron-rich dust from Asian deserts fertilized North Pacific Ocean algae, reducing atmospheric CO2.
Researchers analyzed deep sea coral samples to reveal that past carbon dioxide spikes occurred alongside high ocean circulation events. The findings suggest that excess carbon in the deep ocean was flushed out, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere.
Copepods, tiny crustaceans that form the base of marine food webs, rely on omega-3s to survive. The new study found that copepods are resilient to short-term climate change but their long-term survival is threatened by reduced food supply.
The Southern Ocean's carbon sink has renewed its strength, absorbing more atmospheric carbon dioxide over the past decade. This improvement is attributed to changes in sea surface temperature and dissolved inorganic carbon levels.
Research from the University of East Anglia reveals that the Southern Ocean's carbon sink has reinvigorated after a decade of stagnant absorption. The team attributes this change to shifts in wind patterns and temperature, which have led to increased upwelling of deep waters containing higher concentrations of dissolved CO2.
New studies reveal that the Southern Ocean has increasingly removed more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere since 2002. The research, compiled from millions of ship-based observations, suggests that the Southern Ocean's carbon sink is strengthening, contrary to previous findings.
Researchers have developed a technology to economically convert atmospheric CO2 into highly valued carbon nanofibers, which can be used in products like strong composites and sports equipment. The process uses electrolytic syntheses and is powered by solar energy, with potential to remove large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere.
A team of scientists has quantified the carbon dioxide emitted by US rivers and streams, finding that in-stream respiration may be a larger source than previously thought. The study's findings are crucial for predicting how changes in land use and climate will impact global greenhouse gas emissions.
A volcanic island's unique location allows scientists to study ocean acidification effects on a small scale. Elevated CO2 levels trigger a dramatic ecosystem change from vibrant coral to algae-covered rocks.
A new study found that Arctic rivers, such as the Mackenzie River, are responsible for burying large amounts of organic carbon from thawing permafrost at sea. This process locks away carbon dioxide and helps stabilize the earth's CO2 levels over time, providing a potential natural sink for excess greenhouse gas emissions.
A new study warns that continued carbon dioxide emission trends would leave a lasting impact on the deep ocean, with acidification and warming posing significant threats to marine life. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere through Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) strategies may not be effective in reversing these effects.
A new study challenges the notion that boreal peatlands are a potential source of carbon emissions from global warming. The researchers found that oxygen exposure time, rather than temperature increases, plays a more significant role in determining peat decomposition.
A study by Carnegie's Xiaochun Zhang and Ken Caldeira found that the carbon dioxide-caused warming exceeds the amount of heat released by a lump of coal in just 34 days. Continuous power plant burning also triggers similar effects, with CO2 accumulation surpassing combustion emissions within three months.
A new paper published in Biogeosciences confirms that the Earth's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere has increased with rising carbon emissions. This is a positive development, as it suggests that without this increased absorption, CO2 levels would be twice what they are today.
Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution calculated the first direct estimate of how much organic carbon is exported to the ocean by rivers. The study found that rivers transport approximately 200 megatons of carbon to the ocean annually, with 80% coming from terrestrial biosphere and 20% from petrogenic sources.
Researchers discovered that a 55 million-year-old ocean current, formed by the North Atlantic's shape and changes in ocean currents, caused more severe acidification than other oceans during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum. This event may have implications for today's climate sensitivity to increasing carbon dioxide.
Researchers estimate that fjords bury about 18 million tonnes of organic carbon annually, equivalent to 11% of global marine carbon burial. Fjords are 'hotspots' for carbon burial due to their deep and stable environments.
Researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution discovered that stressed and dying phytoplankton release chemicals that stimulate marine bacteria to quickly convert organic carbon back into CO2. This process reduces the amount of sinking detritus, releasing more CO2 into the shallow ocean and atmosphere.
A study found that thawing Arctic permafrost converts 60% of its organic carbon to carbon dioxide in two weeks, potentially creating a positive feedback loop. This release could significantly affect the climate change picture by introducing ancient carbon into the global carbon cycle.
Climate models assume plants will absorb more CO2 as carbon dioxide levels rise, but a new study suggests limited soil nutrients may curb this growth. The research found that nitrogen limitation could reduce plant uptake of CO2 by 19%, while combined limitations would decrease it by 25%.
Berkeley Lab researchers develop a system that captures carbon dioxide and converts it into biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs, and liquid fuels using solar energy. The technology mimics natural photosynthesis, offering a win/win situation for the environment by producing chemicals in a renewable way.
Scientists predict a gradual, prolonged release of greenhouse gases from permafrost soils in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The rate of release is likely to be similar to current tropical deforestation levels, emphasizing the need for climate models to incorporate this factor.
Researchers at Oregon State University found that chemicals emitted by plant roots break bonds between carbon and minerals in the soil, releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere. This process could accelerate climate warming by up to 1% per year, as current models may be underestimating carbon loss from soil.
Researchers found that bacteria produce complex organic molecules similar to those found naturally in the ocean, suggesting they are a major driver of long-term carbon storage. The study suggests bacteria efficiently contribute to climate by storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in the ocean.
A massive spring plankton bloom in the North Atlantic Ocean is transported downward by ocean eddies, releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. This 'biological pump' helps the oceans absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, mitigating climate change.
Researchers found a 24 percent decline in calcium carbonate production in large areas of the Southern Ocean over the past 17 years. This decline is linked to ocean acidification caused by climate change, which reduces calcification rates of coccolithophores.
A team of researchers found that the success of marine diatoms over the last 40 million years is linked to increased continental erosion. Diatoms consume massive amounts of carbon from oceans daily, producing organic matter that helps reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Researchers from the Malaspina Expedition found that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the deep ocean is not degraded by bacteria due to low concentrations of degradable compounds. The study provides new insights into the regulation of the carbon cycle and global climate.
A new study suggests that a 40,000-year-old volcanic eruption may not have triggered the final demise of the Neanderthals. Climate modeling indicates that temperatures decreased by 2-4 degrees Celsius in Western Europe after the eruption, which could have impacted day-to-day life for both Neanderthals and early humans.
Scientists at UCL conclude humans became a geological power with global environmental changes starting around 1610. A golden spike marker, the 'Orbis Spike', was found in Antarctic ice-core records, indicating an irreversible exchange of species between the Old and New Worlds.
A new study suggests that CO2 increases could intensify extreme droughts in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Australia and the Amazon. The Hadley Circulation is expected to continue expanding and strengthening due to warming climate conditions.
A recent study by the University of Connecticut explores the potential of important fish species to adapt to a more acidic ocean due to climate change. The researchers found that related fish had similar lifespans, suggesting a significant genetic component to survival in an acidic environment.
Scientists say low-carbon technologies alone may not be enough to reduce atmospheric CO2 by 80%. Instead, negative-emissions technologies that remove CO2 from the atmosphere are being developed. BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage) is a promising technology that can be used in power plants or factories.
A study published in Nature shows that a release of carbon dioxide from the deep Southern Ocean helped bring an end to the last Ice Age. The finding provides insight into how oceanic carbon storage affects climate change.
A recent study published in Nature found that carbon stored in an isolated reservoir deep in the Southern Ocean re-connected with the atmosphere, driving a rise in atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures. This process is crucial in understanding how the ocean affects the carbon cycle and climate change.
Researchers found that a massive release of carbon dioxide from the ocean during the last ice age warmed the planet and ended the glacial period. The study, published in Nature, suggests that natural variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide are linked to carbon stored in oceans.
The loss of underwater posidonia meadows reduces their ability to capture and store atmospheric CO2, and can also lead to the release of stored carbon into the atmosphere. Seagrass meadows, like those studied, play a crucial role in mitigating anthropogenic emissions by capturing carbon.
Recent study finds that the global warming slowdown is due to random fluctuations, not systematic errors in climate models. The simulations of climate trends agree well with observations, suggesting that the models are reliable and accurate.
Researchers at Princeton University found that increased CO2 and plant growth could destabilize soil's carbon stores. The team developed a computer model to show the complex interaction between carbon, plants, and microorganisms in soil.
Researchers found that a past global warming period, the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, had two rapid carbon release events about 55.5 million years ago, releasing an average of 0.9 petagrams of carbon per year, similar to modern anthropogenic emissions.
Researchers found that ancient global warming resembled modern climate shift, involving two pulses of carbon emissions. The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum, which occurred 56 million years ago, showed similar rates of carbon release to human fossil-fuel emissions today.
Recent results from the Deep Carbon Observatory researchers are filling in the global carbon puzzle with findings that extend our understanding of the origins and limits of life on Earth. The report will reveal new information on diffuse degassing, including how emissions seeping out of soils vary daily and seasonally.