Articles tagged with Carbon Cycle
Researchers identified an unknown family of microbes uniquely adapted to tropical peatlands, with a dual role in the carbon cycle. These microbes can either stabilize or intensify climate change by releasing greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane.
Researchers at Stanford University have discovered a genetic twist in cyanobacteria, allowing them to produce two forms of the enzyme RuBisCo, which could enhance carbon storage. This adaptation may play a crucial role in ocean carbon sequestration and has potential implications for more efficient crop production.
The Antarctic Canyon Experiment (ACE) aims to assess the causes and effects of turbidity currents, also known as underwater avalanches, in the Southern Ocean. Researchers hope to develop a better understanding of Antarctica's role in regulating Earth's climate and mitigating carbon emissions.
Chemists at Ohio State University have developed a novel way to capture and convert carbon dioxide into methane, utilizing nickel-based catalysts and reducing the need for massive amounts of energy. This breakthrough could pave the way for more efficient climate mitigation technologies and help close the carbon cycle.
Professor Susanne Neuer receives Excellence Professorship for her research on the biological carbon pump, a crucial mechanism in absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. Her work highlights the importance of tiny ocean organisms in forming sinking particles that transport carbon into the deep ocean.
Researchers at UMass Amherst have estimated carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters to 22 million US lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Their new modeling approach reveals previous methods may have overestimated CO2 emissions by as much as 25%.
Researchers uncover calcite precipitation as the key mechanism behind Lake Geneva's significant CO2 emissions. The discovery provides a new understanding of the carbon cycle in lakes and has implications for global warming efforts.
Scientists estimate a 31% increase in global photosynthesis due to rising CO2 levels, with pan-tropical rainforests accounting for the largest difference. This improvement can enhance climate predictions and highlight the importance of natural carbon sequestration.
A study published in eLife reveals that larger arthropods like woodlice and beetles play a crucial role in leaf litter decomposition across diverse habitats and seasons. Decomposition rates are influenced by climate, leaf quality, and decomposer abundance, with macrofauna dominating decomposition in hot, dry regions.
The world's freshwater lakes are freezing over for shorter periods due to climate change, affecting more than a billion people worldwide. Changes in ice duration have major implications for human safety, water quality, biodiversity, and global nutrient cycles.
A new study reveals that extreme El Niño events are responsible for the increased sensitivity of CO₂ in the atmosphere to tropical temperatures. This finding challenges previous assumptions about climate change and highlights the importance of understanding internal climate variability.
Researchers create interlocking glass bricks that can withstand pressures similar to concrete blocks, aiming to reduce embodied carbon in construction. The 3D-printed bricks are designed to be reused and repurposed, promoting a circular construction method.
A new study found that nitrogen interventions can significantly lower air pollution and ecosystems damage, preventing premature deaths and crop losses. By 2050, high-ambition measures could cut ammonia and nitrogen oxides emissions by 40% and 52%, respectively.
MIT chemists have developed a new way to synthesize complex oligocyclotryptamines found in plants, which could hold potential as antibiotics, analgesics, or cancer drugs. The approach allows for precise assembly of the rings and control of the 3D orientation of each component.
Researchers discovered that certain bacteria can utilize methane to grow and generate energy, preventing its release into the atmosphere. These microorganisms, known as methanotrophs, are essential for controlling methane emissions and regulating the global climate.
Diatoms, single-celled plankton, build biomass by feeding on organic carbon, challenging the assumption that photosynthesis is their only strategy. The discovery has major implications for understanding the global carbon cycle and could alter estimates of carbon dioxide diatoms pull out of the air.
Researchers from the Mann Research Group found strong path dependence in Plio-Pleistocene glaciations, driven by a gradual decrease in regolith and volcanic outgassing. The study suggests that carbon dioxide levels determine the onset of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition, and that it's not too late to act to prevent ice sheet collapse.
A new study reveals that climate models overestimate the storage time of carbon in plants, meaning it is released back into the atmosphere sooner than predicted. This has implications for nature-based carbon removal projects and our understanding of the role of nature in mitigating climate change.
A new study reveals that the shape and depth of ocean floors significantly influence carbon sequestration, with bathymetry accounting for up to 50% of changes over 80 million years. This understanding can inform marine-based carbon dioxide removal technologies and aid in searching for habitable planets.
Researchers found that microbial communities can stimulate decomposition of both fresh and old organic matter, with significant implications for the marine carbon cycle. The study suggests that increased input of fresh organic matter due to climate change could lead to a disproportionate effect on degradation of refractory organic matter.
Research found that during severe droughts, agricultural reservoirs in Korea's southern region experienced increased total organic carbon concentrations. The study suggests that these reservoirs may shift from carbon storage to carbon sources, emitting carbon into the atmosphere. This finding highlights the need for integrated environm...
A new roadmap proposes a holistic approach to reducing net-zero carbon emissions by converting various parts of the economy to run on renewable electricity. The approach includes developing non-carbon fuels, finding non-fossil sources of carbon, and keeping carbon in play through circular economies.
Researchers identify a degradation process that accelerates refractory pyrogenic carbon in coastal sediments. Seawater microdroplets facilitate this electrochemical degradation through interfacial electron transfer pathways, contributing to the ocean's carbon cycle.
A new study has unveiled key insights into the evolution of oxygen, carbon, and essential elements over Earth's entire history. The research reveals how the buildup of carbon-rich rocks accelerated oxygen production and its release into the atmosphere.
Researchers developed a new method to link genetics and function of individual microbes living without oxygen deep below Earth's surface. The approach enabled discovery of the most active organism in a Death Valley groundwater aquifer, expanding its application to low biomass environments.
A study by Duke University researchers found that manganese stimulates decomposition of soil organic matter and releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
A new model integrating soil microbes and large perennial grasses into the DayCent framework improves its representation of ecosystem dynamics. The updated model includes a live microbial biomass pool and dead microbial biomass pool to simulate carbon storage in soils, enhancing the evaluation of bioenergy crop sustainability.
Researchers found that tidal wetlands are not always less hospitable to methane-producing microbes as sea levels rise, with some sites emitting high levels of methane despite moderate saltwater influx. The study's results suggest complex factors governing methane emissions in natural landscapes, complicating predictions and models.
Researchers have uncovered evidence of complex microbial communities existing in ecosystems over 3 billion years ago, with a diverse carbon cycle involving various microorganisms. The study provides a rare glimpse into the Earth's early ecosystems and advances our understanding of ancient microbial ecosystems.
The biological carbon pump is crucial for regulating atmospheric CO2 levels, but focusing solely on export flux neglects ocean circulation's impact. Changes in ocean circulation under climate change lead to increased storage of biologically produced CO2 in the interior ocean.
A global study led by Colorado State University scientists shows that extreme drought has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. The study found that the loss of aboveground plant growth was 60% greater when short-term drought was extreme, exceeding previously reported losses.
A new study reveals that zooplankton species in the Humboldt Current off Peru can attenuate the export of carbon to the deep sea by consuming sinking particles. This challenge the previously prevailing assumption of a uniformly efficient biological carbon pump in oxygen minimum zones.
A clay mineral called smectite, formed through plate tectonics, efficiently traps organic carbon and could help buffer global warming. Smectite's accordion-textured folds effectively trap dead organisms, preventing them from being consumed by microbes.
Researchers found that a rise in South Atlantic temperature caused a release of trapped CO2 into the atmosphere, affecting climate regulation. This process has implications for current climate change and potential collapse of the AMOC.
Researchers use rhenium as a proxy for carbon to quantify the rate of fossil carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. The study found that high rates of carbon breakdown persist from mountaintop to floodplain, offering valuable insights into the planet's history and response to climate challenges.
A recent study found that ocean acidification in the Mediterranean is already affecting the calcification of marine plankton, with negative consequences for marine ecosystems. The research suggests that anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are the main driver of this decline, while ocean warming may be mitigating this effect.
Research reveals that lightning ignitions account for 77% of burned areas in intact extratropical forests, which store vast quantities of carbon. Climate change is projected to increase lightning frequency, posing a significant threat to these forests and the planet's carbon storage.
Researchers discovered bacteria can produce methane in oxygen-saturated surface waters, using methylphosphonate as a phosphorus source. This process has significant effects on atmospheric greenhouse gases and the carbon cycle of nutrient-poor ocean regions.
A study reveals that variable C:N:P ratios of phytoplankton are essential for regulating dissolved oceanic nutrient ratios, while also influencing atmospheric CO2 levels on geological time scales. The findings challenge the commonly hypothesized strong link between phytoplankton and seawater nutrient ratios.
Researchers suggest transforming arid ecosystems into efficient carbon-capture systems by engineering ideal combinations of plants, soil microbes, and soil type. This approach could result in significant increases in plant and soil carbon sequestration within less than ten years.
A paper published in Nature Energy reveals a promising breakthrough in green energy: an electrolyzer device capable of converting carbon dioxide into propane. The device, developed by Illinois Tech assistant professor Mohammad Asadi, is scalable and economically viable.
Researchers from Macquarie University have found that the Earth's gradual cooling led to a flip in the deep cycling of carbon and chlorine between the surface and interior. Most carbon accumulates into solid carbonate sediments, while chlorine typically returns to the surface as volcanic gases.
Researchers are working to understand and predict wildfires' effects on the environment, including their impact on the carbon cycle and biodiversity. Studies have shown that repeated wildfires can accelerate the transition from tree- to shrub-dominated ecosystems, reducing plant diversity.
A team of scientists found coexisting diamond-magnesite-methane inclusions in deep mantle wedge peridotite using 3D Raman imaging. This discovery has significant implications for understanding the deep carbon cycle and carbon transport processes in subduction zones.
Archaea of the genus Candidatus Alkanophaga use variants of methyl-coenzyme M reductase to degrade liquid petroleum alkanes at high temperatures. Bacteria of the genus Thermodesulfobacterium form consortia with archaea, facilitating degradation and contributing to the global carbon cycle.
New research from Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences reveals that coccolithophores can survive in low-light conditions by taking up dissolved organic forms of carbon. This finding challenges current understanding of the biological and alkalinity pumps driving carbon transport in the ocean.
Researchers from FSU analyzed the California Current Ecosystem's carbon sequestration, discovering that sinking particles are the primary process transporting organic carbon to the deep ocean. They also found that ocean currents and zooplankton contribute significantly to this process.
A new interactive map created by researchers provides detailed information on the extent and characteristics of river channel belts worldwide. The study's findings suggest that these ecosystems play a vital role in carbon storage and climate change predictions.
Researchers from Heidelberg University discovered CO2 pulses in Australian atmosphere at end of dry season, triggered by soil microorganisms activated by heavy rainfall. This finding suggests dry regions have a significant influence on the global carbon cycle, contributing to climate modelling and understanding.
A study using a Chinese atmospheric inversion system found that satellite CO2 retrievals underestimate the global net terrestrial carbon sink, but still provide consistent results with other inversions. The system refines our understanding of flux partitioning between northern and tropical regions.
Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations are expected to increase mangrove's ability to sequester additional carbon, reducing the rate of greenhouse gas emissions. Long-term field observations and experiments can help better understand the mechanisms behind this phenomenon and predict future changes in mangrove carbon sequestration.
High concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected in intertidal sands of the Wadden Sea. ROS inhibit microbial activity, reducing mineralization processes such as aerobic respiration and sulfate reduction, but their removal boosts microbial growth.
Researchers found that phosphorus limitation decreases global and Chinese carbon sink strength by 7-16% by 2030s. The positive feedback between net primary productivity and soil decomposition amplifies this impact in China.
A new collaborative project led by the University of Liverpool aims to investigate the Gulf Stream's role in transporting nutrients and carbon, and its effect on the ocean's carbon uptake. The four-year programme will use cutting-edge sensors and models to better understand how the Gulf Stream influences climate change.
Rutgers-led research finds biomineral structures formed by marine algae foment viral infection, contributing positively to capture CO2. The circular, chalk plates produced by the armor-plated marine algae Emiliania huxleyi act as catalysts for viral infection.
The 57th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America's South-Central Section will take place in Oklahoma, USA, from March 13-14. The event features a diverse program covering various geologic disciplines and includes environmental-related sessions on topics such as hydrogeology and unconventional resources.
Researchers have developed a novel process that converts plastic waste into liquid gasoline-like fuel at low temperatures, eliminating unwanted byproducts. The innovative method uses alkylation catalysts and combines cracking and reaction steps in a single vessel, making it more efficient and cost-effective.
A recent geological study has confirmed that major changes in the global carbon cycle occurred on land during the early Cretaceous Period, matching those recorded in marine sedimentary rocks. The research, led by Matt Joeckel of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, used chemical and radioactivity-based analyses to find evidence of two d...
Research from Imperial College London and University of Exeter reveals that cooperative microbial communities release more carbon dioxide than competitive ones, contributing significantly to climate change. This finding has far-reaching implications for understanding the impact of temperature changes on global carbon cycles.
A study published in Science Advances reveals that the lifespan of a tree leaf is determined by environmental factors such as climate and soil conditions. The researchers found that evergreen conifers make longer-lived leaves in colder climates, while deciduous trees produce shorter-lived leaves in warmer environments.