Articles tagged with Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Scientists at KAUST create an efficient catalyst that converts CO2 and hydrogen into methane using photothermal energy, reducing the need for external heat sources. The reaction achieves nearly 100% selectivity and impressive efficiency, offering a sustainable way to convert harmful greenhouse gases into valuable fuel.
Using drones equipped with magnetometers, researchers can detect magnetic anomalies and pinpoint the location of unplugged oil wells. By locating these wells, the equivalent of nearly 750,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide could be removed from the atmosphere.
Researchers found a microalgal sugar that is resistant to microbial degradation, forming particles that sink to the ocean floor and store carbon. This discovery challenges the assumption that sugars are rapidly degraded by bacteria, making them an important carbon sink.
A study found dinosaurs' dispersal coincides with a significant drop in atmospheric CO2 levels around 214 million years ago. This suggests prior climatic barriers prevented their expansion into the Northern Hemisphere for 15 million years.
A team of researchers measured the importance of CO2 obstacles in plant cells to improve crop productivity. The study highlights promising targets, including cell wall thickness, and found that variables like chloroplast area are less relevant.
A global study found that carbon dioxide levels have increased tree photosynthesis efficiency by 40% between 1901 and 2015. The increase is primarily driven by the rise in atmospheric CO2, with additional analysis suggesting enhanced photosynthesis as a key factor.
A study by WVU biologists found that trees globally are consuming more carbon dioxide than previously reported, making forests crucial in regulating the Earth's atmosphere. The research shows that increased photosynthesis is the main driver of this increase, contradicting previous studies.
Researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa reconciled climate and carbon cycle trends over the past 50 million years, resolving a long-standing controversy. The study found that as atmospheric carbon dioxide decreased, the global carbonate compensation depth actually deepened, contradicting previous expectations.
A new carbon budget framework has been developed by researchers led by Damon Matthews, providing a more comprehensive method of calculating the remaining carbon budget. The framework estimates that between 230 and 440 billion tonnes of CO2 can be emitted before meeting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Researchers from Waseda University and ENEOS Corporation discover a novel indium oxide modified with copper that exhibits a record-breaking CO2 conversion rate of 10 mmol/h g at relatively modest temperatures. This breakthrough could significantly contribute to reducing carbon footprint and driving towards a more sustainable future.
A new satellite-based program, GLAD, has shown promise in reducing deforestation in African nations by 18% and offering carbon sequestration benefits worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The system delivers alerts to subscribers via the interactive web application, Global Forest Watch, enabling them to take action to save forests.
Researchers at Swansea University have developed a faster, greener way to produce porous carbon spheres, which are crucial for carbon capture technology and renewable energy storage. The new method produces spheres with high carbon capture capacity and works effectively at large scales.
A new study reveals the physical and chemical interactions that sequester carbon in soil, showing layers of carbon around organic interfaces and a crucial role for nitrogen. This breakthrough technique may help develop strategies for sequestering more carbon in soil, mitigating climate change.
Researchers at Northwestern University found that volcanic eruptions directly triggered ocean acidification during the Early Cretaceous Period. The eruption of the Ontong Java Plateau large igneous province led to a minor but significant mass extinction, affecting the entire globe.
New research suggests that weathering of rocks at Earth's surface may be weaker in removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than previously estimated. The team found an additional source of sodium in river waters across the globe, not from weathered silicate rocks as assumed, but from very old clays being eroded in river catchments.
New research reveals that Arctic greening is offset by declining tropical productivity due to water limitations. Global carbon absorption has been canceled out as warming temperatures and droughts reduce plant growth near the equator.
Scientists found that 86% of land ecosystems globally are becoming progressively less efficient at absorbing CO2 as atmospheric levels increase. This decline, known as the CO2 fertilization effect, is caused by limitations in water and nutrient availability, potentially weakening plants' ability to mitigate climate change.
Bioengineers at Cornell University have created theoretical solutions for efficiently absorbing and storing large-scale renewable energy from the sun while sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide. The developed microbes can store energy and absorb CO2, potentially creating low-carbon fuel with net-zero emissions.
A study led by the University of Texas at Austin found that bedrock fractures can produce up to 29% of daily average CO2 emitted by land, depending on the season. This source challenges climate change models and sheds light on a previously inaccessible part of the landscape.
A University of Oklahoma-led study found that lower nitrogen levels in soil stimulate the release of carbon dioxide from soils under high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, contributing to climate change. Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in this process.
A new study reveals that excess CO2's ability to enhance plant growth worldwide is decreasing due to limited water and nutrient availability. This decrease has significant climate implications, as forests' capacity to sequester carbon dioxide is being saturated.
The carbon dioxide fertilization effect has declined globally since 1982, impacting climate change projections. This decline is linked to changes in nutrient concentrations and soil water availability.
A fleet of deep-diving ocean robots will investigate how marine life captures and stores carbon from the atmosphere. The research, called SOLACE, aims to improve our understanding of the 'carbon pump', a process responsible for pumping large volumes of carbon into the ocean.
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing innovative technologies to improve transportation, biology, radiation, and climate. Air taxis could significantly reduce fuel consumption while alleviating traffic congestion. Fungi use signaling molecules to communicate with each other and regulate growth. The lab is also vis...
A KAUST team used an underwater robot to investigate the mesopelagic zone in the Red Sea, where warming waters and oxygen depletion slow organic carbon flow. The study found that most organic carbon is converted back into CO2 by microorganisms within days, with only a small percentage sinking to depths for centuries.
Researchers have successfully visualized how carbon dioxide behaves in an ionic liquid that selectively absorbs CO2. The findings are expected to help develop more efficient methods to capture CO2, a major factor causing global warming.
Researchers reconstructed atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, global sea level, and ice volume for a period around 2.75 to 2.4 million years ago. The study highlights the EAIS's vulnerability to melting due to rising atmospheric CO2 levels and climate change.
A collaborative study led by researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno, found that meadows throughout the region are both gaining and losing carbon at high rates. Meadows with wetland plant communities and dense root mats were large net carbon sinks during the year measured.
Even if human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to zero, global temperatures may continue to rise for centuries due to self-sustained melting of permafrost. To prevent projected temperature and sea level rises, all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions would need to be reduced to zero between 1960 and 1970.
Researchers analyzed sediment cores to find iron-containing dust promoted CO2 sequestration and glacial cooling in the South Pacific during the last Ice Age. The dust, mainly from north-west Argentina, traveled up to 20,000km and reduced atmospheric CO2 by up to 40ppm.
Researchers from NIES and JAMSTEC detected a 20% decrease in FFCO2 emissions in China during January-February 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The study used atmospheric observations at Hateruma Island, Japan, to quantify the changes in regional FFCO2 emissions.
A 30-year review of climate experiments found that C3 crops' yields may increase by 18% with adequate nutrients and water, but quality losses and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases are also expected. Genetic solutions and bioengineering can help mitigate negative effects, but developing new crop cultivars is time-consuming.
Scientists have simulated how soil moisture affects peat fires, finding that drying soils sustain faster and larger smouldering fires. The research aims to help manage vegetation clearing in peatlands safely.
A recent study found that leaving more big fish in the sea reduces CO2 emissions by sequestering carbon. Large fish like tuna and sharks contain significant amounts of carbon, which is released into the atmosphere when they are caught.
Researchers from ETH Zurich and colleagues reconstructed the Paleocene and Eocene climates using siderite minerals, finding high humidity and heat transport. This suggests today's global warming is linked to increased moisture and heat transport in the atmosphere.
A new study reconstructs the Permian-Triassic boundary event, revealing that massive volcanic activities in Siberia triggered the extinction of 95% of ocean life. The team used fossil brachiopod shells to analyze isotopes and simulate Earth's processes, concluding that warming and acidification led to catastrophic consequences.
Scientists mapped the location and size of over 1.8 billion trees using powerful supercomputers and machine learning algorithms, discovering billions of trees in arid regions. The study provides vital information for researchers, policymakers, and conservationists, including accurate counts of trees and their carbon storage potential.
A new study found that ocean carbon sequestration decreased as phytoplankton failed to devour macronutrients and trap carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. This process, called the biological pump, transfers carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and surface ocean into the dark, deep ocean.
Membrane-based Direct Air Capture (m-DAC) technology has been developed to efficiently capture CO2 from ambient air. The technology uses organic polymer membranes to separate carbon dioxide with high efficiency and competitive energy expenses.
A RUDN University scientist discovered that adding organic fertilizers can help retain carbon in rice paddies, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The study found that soils with different types of fertilizers retained an average of 69% more carbon after fertilization, suggesting a potential solution to mitigate climate change.
The Keeling Curve, a critical indicator of global warming, will continue to be monitored with $1.45 million in funding from the Schmidts. The measurements have provided key evidence that the world's oceans are becoming increasingly acidic due to human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.
Researchers found a seasonally variable biogenic CO2 cycle in Los Angeles, driven by irrigation and turf/plant growth, accounting for 33% of total emissions. The study highlights the need to separate fossil and biogenic sources of carbon in urban areas.
A new study published in Nature Plants suggests that tropical forests like the one at Biosphere 2 may be more resilient to predicted temperature increases than previously thought. The rainforest's ability to photosynthesize steadily even at high temperatures, up to 38C, challenges current climate change predictions for the Amazon.
A recent study has found that pteropods, or 'wing-footed' sea snails and slugs, are much older than previously thought and survived past environmental changes in the ocean. The research suggests that these creatures may be more adaptable to ocean acidification than expected.
Researchers found that spreading volcanic ash from a ship to an area of ocean floor could sequester up to 2300 tonnes of CO2, significantly cheaper than other methods. The technique is less invasive and doesn't require expensive technology or land repurposing.
A team of researchers has applied their model to the emergence of Southeast Asia, finding that volcanic rock provinces in the tropics are a major factor in determining CO2 levels. This discovery sheds light on our current climate crisis and provides insights into how geological processes can help mitigate its effects.
A new study suggests that Southeast Asian island-building reduced carbon dioxide levels and cooled Earth over 15 million years, allowing large ice sheets to form in North America and Northern Europe. This process, triggered by volcanic rocks dissolving carbon dioxide, is believed to have played a crucial role in the formation of the Gr...
Researchers measure CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and find no decrease despite estimated reductions of up to eight percent in 2020. Long-term changes are needed to reach Paris Climate Agreement goals, requiring cumulative reductions every year.
African dust provides essential nutrients for Amazonian soil fertility and helps offset soil losses. The study found significant quantities of dust are deposited in the heart of the Amazon Basin, contrary to previous estimates.
Researchers found that producing animal-sourced foods consumes over 80% of the Earth's agricultural acreage, leading to widespread deforestation and climate change. Shifting to land-friendly diets could regrow native vegetation capable of absorbing CO2, reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Scientists have discovered that a small fraction of carbonate melt is present throughout the Earth's mantle, storing a large mass of carbon. This finding sheds light on seismology and its connection to climate change.
A new study estimates that studying the ocean's biological carbon pump could lead to more accurate climate models, improving policies on carbon emissions. The research suggests a global economic benefit of $500 billion if science informs policy decisions.
A new study finds the world's oceans soak up significantly more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than previous estimates, with a net flux up to twice as much in certain times and locations. This accounts for approximately 10% of global fossil fuel emissions.
Researchers at USC Viterbi develop a method to upcycle carbon dioxide emissions into polymers and other materials using sunlight, breaking the need for energy-intensive processes. High school student researcher Samantha J. Gomez contributes to the study, which aims to reduce environmental impacts.
A new study highlights the critical importance of partnering with indigenous people and local communities in tropical forest restoration. The research estimates that 294.5 million people live within areas with good potential for forest restoration, and over one billion people live nearby such land.
Researchers at the University of Bern used a new measurement technology to analyze Antarctic ice cores and found that CO2 concentration rose rapidly during interglacial periods, even when ocean circulation was disturbed. This challenges the assumption of stable climate conditions during previous interglacials.
Scientists studied 23-million-year-old leaves from a New Zealand deposit and found that high CO2 levels spurred plant growth, mirroring modern climate change. The study sheds light on how plants may respond to rising CO2 levels, with implications for global ecosystems.
A new study reveals pulse-like increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide during glacial and early interglacial periods, linked to changes in the AMOC. The results suggest similar jumps could occur in the future if global warming impacts Atlantic Ocean circulation.
A recent study led by NUS researchers found that financial, land-use, and operational constraints can limit the climate mitigation potential of reforestation in Southeast Asia. The study estimated that 121 million hectares of land are suitable for reforestation, but only a fraction may be achievable due to these constraints.
A new study reveals that cold-climate forests at high latitudes are already absorbing less carbon, casting uncertainty on their ability to continue doing so. In contrast, Siberian forests have increased their carbon uptake four times more than other North American forests, suggesting stark divergent responses across regions.