Articles tagged with Carbon Cycle
The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) has successfully transitioned to Phase B, paving the way for the deployment of a laser-based instrument on the International Space Station. This mission aims to provide high-resolution measurements of Earth's forest vertical structure, enabling scientists to better understand the globa...
Researchers are working to reduce uncertainty in carbon cycle science by harmonizing data on key components, including Mexico and the US. This will help better understand how diverse regions respond to climate change and improve confidence in models.
Researchers estimate that subduction returns almost no carbon to the mantle, with 'exchange between reservoirs in balance.' New analysis sheds light on Earth's climate over geologic time scales and implications for life.
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 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.
The DOE JGI Community Science Program selected 32 projects to study microbial communities in various environments, including those affected by hydraulic fracturing and coral reefs. The research will help understand the impact of environmental changes on these ecosystems and develop solutions for major energy and environmental problems.
Scientists at the University of Miami re-evaluate the global carbon cycle by analyzing marine sediment cores, suggesting that post-depositional changes can mimic ancient trends. This new perspective highlights the importance of understanding geological context in interpreting carbon isotope records.
A new study published in Global Change Biology found that habitat fragmentation significantly alters the cycling of carbon and nutrients in woodland ecosystems. The researchers discovered that drier conditions at the edges of forest patches slow down the decay of dead wood, leading to a reduction in wood decomposition rates.
Research in Saanich Inlet reveals sulfur-oxidizing bacterial group SUP05 dominates oxygen-starved regions, driving carbon dioxide fixation and nutrient cycling. The study sheds light on the ecological impact of microbial respiration in the oxygen-poor ocean.
The current state of knowledge on wildland fire emissions highlights critical gaps in understanding their impact on climate and terrestrial carbon cycling. Scientists emphasize the importance of continued research to address these knowledge gaps.
Deeply buried fossil soils in the Great Plains have been found to be rich in carbon, potentially grossly underestimating carbon storage capacity. The study's findings suggest that these ancient soils could contribute significantly to global climate change as they are disturbed.
New research reveals dryland ecosystems have emerged as a significant driver of the global carbon cycle, contributing to a four-fold increase in net carbon uptake. The study highlights the impact of climate extremes and desert greening on ecosystem processes, with surprising interactions discovered between natural events and biomes.
A Scripps Institution of Oceanography study finds that Alteromonas bacteria can consume as much dissolved organic carbon as diverse communities of organisms. This discovery sheds light on the complex mechanisms of ocean carbon cycling and highlights the importance of individual species in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Researchers found long-term cycles in oceanic carbon isotope sequence, suggesting a connection between ice-sheet and carbon cycles. The study reveals that the Southern Ocean's nutrient transfer led to major changes in global ocean biogeochemistry.
Scientists have devised a pair of math equations that better describe how topography, rock compositions, and water movement affect the geologic carbon cycle. The research, supported by the National Research Foundation, aims to improve understanding of the recycling process between carbon dioxide and rocky interior.
A recent University of Oklahoma study suggests that non-uniform climate warming affects global regions differently, impacting ecosystem functions such as food production and carbon sequestration. The effects of non-uniform warming on terrestrial ecosystems are a key challenge in carbon cycle research and future predictions.
Research reveals tropical ecosystems releasing 2 billion extra tonnes of carbon into atmosphere per year with each 1 degree rise in tropical temperature. The study suggests increased vulnerability of tropical ecosystems to climate change, contradicting current land carbon cycle models.
A study published in Nature found that rivers and streams emit significantly more carbon dioxide than previously thought, with a global rate of 1.8 billion tons per year. This contradicts the long-held assumption that lakes and reservoirs are the primary source of this emission.
Researchers estimate that coastal areas absorb approximately 250 million metric tons of carbon each year, compared to a century ago when they released about 150 million metric tons. This shift suggests that coastal oceans play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and can help counteract climate change.
The DOE JGI 2014 Community Science Program portfolio explores functional information from complex ecosystems, addressing energy and environmental challenges. The inaugural round of eight accepted proposals focus on carbon cycling and biofuels production.
Research finds that animal populations can significantly influence carbon storage and exchange in regional ecosystems, often rivaling the impact of fossil fuel emissions. This underplayed role highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the indirect effects of animals on the carbon cycle.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab used molecular dynamics simulations to study the onset of calcium carbonate formation, predicting the existence of a dense liquid form. This finding supports the aggregation-based mechanism of calcium carbonate formation and has implications for understanding the planet's carbon cycle.
A study published in Nature reveals that extreme weather events, such as droughts and heatwaves, significantly reduce the global vegetation's ability to sequester carbon. This reduction can have a lasting impact on the global climate and long-term food security.
A new study found that tropical ecosystems are extremely sensitive to temperature changes, releasing more carbon dioxide when temperatures rise. This is equivalent to 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels and deforestation, making it a critical diagnostic tool for understanding the global carbon cycle.
The Ehux genome reveals variability that explains its ability to thrive in diverse ocean conditions, influencing global carbon cycling. The pan-genome analysis sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of physiological and morphological variations among isolates.
A study by Elizabethtown College researchers found that residential lawns in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, release more carbon dioxide than corn fields, primarily due to soil temperature. Temperature variations within developed areas contribute to smaller-scale urban heat islands.
Researchers used computer simulations of water to predict its behavior under extreme pressure and temperature. The results suggest that magnesium carbonate, previously thought insoluble, can dissolve in water at great depths, potentially returning carbon to the surface through volcanoes.
Scientists will investigate connections between soil microorganisms and the carbon cycle, with potential implications for global warming. The project aims to understand how changes in soil carbon levels trigger chain reactions that convert stable carbon into atmospheric CO2.
Researchers have discovered that Alpine glaciers contain diverse biogeochemical complexes of dissolved organic matter, which is surprisingly bioavailable. This finding highlights the importance of glaciers as 'freezers' that preserve organic matter for microbial heterotrophs.
A new study provides unprecedented detail on the history of the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) in the Pacific Ocean over the past 55 million years. The CCD, which fluctuates with climate change, reveals five intervals of fluctuation during the 'greenhouse' world and at least four major excursions in the last 20 million years.
A study by Thorsten Dittmar and colleagues reveals that the Atlantic Ocean is receiving a significant amount of stable carbon compounds from the Brazilian rainforest, which was heavily deforested in the 1970s. The compounds, originating from charcoal left in the soil, are affecting biogeochemical cycles for centuries and millennia.
Forest soils lose more carbon under elevated CO2 levels, contrary to previous assumptions. The IU-led research reveals that microorganisms play a key role in this process.
Scientists from WHOI conducted a new study measuring carbon levels at various depths in the Arctic Ocean. The data will help researchers understand how carbon cycles through the marine ecosystem and respond to rising global temperatures.
Researchers have found evidence that smaller hyperthermal events, which occurred more than 50 million years ago, had a similar origin to the larger Pelaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The study confirms that these events were atmospheric and global, rather than just oceanic processes.
A team of researchers has developed a new method to calculate the activity level of microorganisms in the deepest layers of the seabed. The study reveals that these slow-growing bacteria play a crucial role in the global storage of organic carbon, affecting the oxygen content of the atmosphere.
Scientists have discovered tranquillityite in Australia's Eel Creek Formation, a mineral previously believed to originate on the Moon. Meanwhile, researchers in Hong Kong present the first three-dimensional seismic velocity model of the region, providing insights into crustal structures and earthquake activity.
The new US Carbon Cycle Science Plan aims to expand research on the human impact of carbon cycling and climate change. It emphasizes communication and accessible research for policy makers and the public, with a focus on strengthening observation networks and developing numerical models.
Researchers discovered a novel microbe that produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas, in Arctic permafrost. The microbe's genome revealed genes for nitrogen fixation, making it a potentially key player in the Earth's carbon cycle.
Researchers found that the El Niño effect drives faster conversion of CO2 in the terrestrial biosphere, leading to a revised estimate of global primary productivity. The new value suggests that land plants are more productive than previously thought, with implications for climate models and future carbon cycle research.
Researchers have found evidence of the carbon cycle extending to the lower mantle, where it is believed to originate from ocean crust. The discovery was made in 'superdeep' diamonds from Brazil that contain inclusions with chemical compositions indicative of deep-sea environments.
Researchers found diamonds from the lower mantle contain compositions consistent with oceanic crust, suggesting slabs of oceanic crust sank into the lower mantle and cycled back up. The discovery provides direct evidence for the Earth's carbon cycle extending to great depths.
A new study finds that irrigation increases global agricultural productivity by an amount equivalent to the entire US agriculture sector, leading to significant carbon uptake. Adding even small amounts of water can have a bigger impact than larger amounts in wetter regions.
The study of brown rot fungus Serpula lacrymans' genome reveals new insights into cellulose breakdown and its role in the global carbon cycle. The findings have significant implications for biofuel production and could lead to more efficient processes.
Two studies highlight the relationship between neotectonic activity and rockslide failures, with a third investigation into salinity control on parasequence development in ancient carbonate platforms. Researchers found that rock fracturing due to neotectonic activity is a major conditioning factor for failures, while changes in coastal...
Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography found phytoplankton bloom timing has progressed up to 50 days earlier in the Arctic Ocean, with unknown impacts on the food chain. The shift may have consequences for the entire ecosystem and global carbon cycle.
A researcher has developed an eco-labeling system to provide environmental information on product carbon footprints, enabling consumers to make informed choices. The system, based on a method composed of financial accounts, estimates the ecological and carbon footprint of goods and services throughout their life cycle.
Most college students fail to grasp fundamental scientific principles like the carbon cycle and conservation of matter, leading to inaccurate explanations and environmental issue ignorance. The study calls for improved teaching methods to enhance students' understanding of essential biological concepts.
New University of Florida research reveals that old carbon was stored in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica during the last glacial period. This discovery has significant implications for understanding future global warming scenarios and how much atmospheric carbon dioxide the oceans can absorb in the future.
A study by Rice University geochemists found that human activities like damming have completely obscured the natural carbon dioxide cycle in the Brazos River. The researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of carbon dioxide samples from seven sites along the river, revealing a unique geochemical story.
Scientists studied the impact of a prolonged Sun cycle on Earth's conveyor belt and found that it may have led to a longer cycle. Additionally, researchers examined how global water supply sharing affects drought vulnerability, finding that sharing water globally during times of drought can increase societal resilience.
The new model incorporates data on the carbon cycle, including ocean and forest absorption and release of CO2, to simulate future changes in global climate and carbon dioxide emissions. By reducing emissions by 56% by 2050, global warming would remain under the two-degree threshold until 2100.
Unaccounted ecosystem feedbacks could significantly impact future climate change due to increased greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands, soils, and fires. These biogeochemical cycles may counteract the cooling effect of carbon uptake by plants, contributing to increased warming.
Researchers found a large shift in the carbon cycle during the Cryogenian period, which may have been triggered by the Sturtian glaciation. The disturbance could have led to the accumulation of organic carbon in the ocean and had far-reaching effects on Earth's climate.
Dr. Karen Kohfeld's research focuses on paleo-climate and the dust cycle, highlighting its importance in understanding land-atmosphere-climate connections. The symposium will explore how changes in the dust cycle affect the oceans, carbon cycle, and human health.
Researchers studied organic carbon-rich sediments from an ancient seabed to learn about a devastating event when oxygen levels in the oceans dropped so low that one-third of marine life died. The studies found that volcanic activity triggered a biogeochemical cascade, leading to a decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels.
Researchers studied tree stomatal density, guard cell length, and water use efficiency in 27 trees over a century. They found stomatal density declined while guard cell length increased, but intrinsic water use efficiency remained unchanged.
Current international strategies overlook the role of inland waters in carbon cycling, but a new study highlights their disproportionate impact. The study suggests that rivers and lakes can alter the fate of terrestrial carbon, leading to significant changes in global carbon budgets.
Scientists are presenting research on coupled biogeochemical cycles, which study the interactions between Earth's biology, chemistry, and geology. The study highlights the importance of understanding these interconnected processes in addressing human impacts such as global warming and acid rain.
A new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that scientists' best predictions about global warming may be inaccurate. Researchers analyzed records from the Palaeocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM), a 55-million-year-old period of rapid global warming, and found that climate models can only explain half of the observed heating. ...
A new review reveals that global monsoons have been driving the long-term cyclicity of oceanic carbon reservoirs for at least 600 million years. The study found a 400,000-year cycle related to the 'long eccentricity' of Earth's orbit, which is linked to changes in oceanic carbon reservoirs and has implications for climate prediction.