All articles tagged with #carbon storage
A study reconstructing 21,000 years of tidal change across the Patagonian Shelf finds tides are currently among the strongest since the end of the Ice Age, with shifts in shelf geometry linked to sea-level rise that affect sediment transport, coastal evolution, habitats, and the ocean’s capacity to store organic carbon.
Scientists mapped arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from over 16,000 soil cores to produce the first global network density map, estimating that the networks could reach about 110 quadrillion kilometers end-to-end—roughly 750 million times the distance from the Earth to the Sun. These networks supply nutrients and water to plants and help store carbon, but densities are higher in wild ecosystems and lower in croplands due to farming practices like tilling and fertilizer use. Preserving and restoring underground fungal networks could boost nutrient cycling, reduce fertilizer needs, and enhance carbon storage, with data intended to inform policymakers and farming practices.
A Swedish study mapped eight years of field data from old-growth lowland forests and compared them with managed forests using the national forest inventory, finding old-growth stores 78-89% more carbon in trees, dead wood, and soils, for a total 83% more carbon overall—most of it in soils. Even when harvested wood products are included, old-growth forests still store about 70% more carbon. The difference equates to roughly 1.5 times Sweden’s fossil-fuel emissions since 1834, underscoring the climate value of protecting old-growth forests and highlighting policy debates over definitions and protections for remaining stands in Europe.
Researchers discovered massive buried mounds and sinkites under the North Sea that challenge traditional geological understanding, revealing a process where dense sands sink and lighter ooze rises due to liquefaction and seismic activity, which has implications for underground carbon storage safety.
A study published in Nature reveals that Earth's capacity to store carbon dioxide in rock formations is much lower than previously thought, estimated at around 1,460 gigatonnes, which could be exhausted by 2200. This limited capacity poses challenges for meeting climate goals, as current and planned CO2 capture efforts are far below the levels needed to significantly reduce global warming, and even full utilization of storage would only modestly reverse temperature rise.
Storing carbon in geologic formations is crucial for achieving net-zero emissions and limiting global warming, but the potential is limited by technical, environmental, seismic, policy, and geopolitical risks. A spatially explicit analysis estimates a prudent planetary limit of about 1,460 GtCO2, emphasizing the need for careful, strategic deployment of this finite resource to support climate goals without exceeding safe and sustainable boundaries.
A new study reveals that parts of the North Sea seabed contain inverted sand layers called 'sinkites,' which could impact understanding of underground reservoirs and carbon storage efforts, as these structures suggest complex geological processes involving sediment sinking and floating during the Late Miocene to Pliocene epochs.
Scientists use computer simulations to study how two immiscible fluids with different viscosities interact, creating 'firework'-like patterns due to Saffman-Taylor instability, which has implications for carbon capture and storage efforts to combat climate change.
Scientists have discovered massive, previously unknown geological structures called 'sinkites' beneath the North Sea, formed by dense sands sinking into lighter sediments, a process that challenges conventional geological understanding and has implications for future carbon storage efforts.
Zooplankton, including copepods, krill, and salps, play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by consuming phytoplankton and transporting carbon to the deep ocean, effectively acting as a biological pump that reduces atmospheric CO2 levels. However, climate change and industry activities threaten these vital species, potentially undermining their climate-regulating functions.
ESA's Biomass satellite has released its first stunning images of Earth's forests, deserts, and glaciers, demonstrating its advanced radar capabilities to measure forest biomass and monitor ecosystems, which is crucial for understanding carbon storage and climate change impacts.
New research reveals that about 20% of plants have a second, deeper set of roots extending over a meter underground, which could significantly impact our understanding of plant nutrient access and underground carbon storage, with potential implications for climate change mitigation.
The Paratethys, a megalake that existed around 11 million years ago, has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the largest lake ever on Earth. Spanning an area of 2.8 million square kilometers and containing 1.77 million cubic kilometers of water, the Paratethys surpassed the size and volume of all current freshwater and saltwater lakes combined. Research led by Dr. Dan Palcu from Utrecht University used magnetostratigraphy to determine the lake's dimensions and revealed its tumultuous history marked by hydrological crises and desiccation periods. Understanding the Paratethys provides insights into climate fluctuations and offers hope for addressing current and future environmental crises.
A new NASA program called the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) is using laser technology to measure the biomass of forests around the world, allowing researchers to calculate how much carbon these protected areas are storing. The study found that protected areas have helped prevent deforestation and kept as much as a year's worth of fossil fuel emissions from being released into the atmosphere. However, these reserves are facing increasing pressure as boundaries are disregarded and deforestation continues. The GEDI program, which provides precise 3D measurements of vegetation, offers a new way to understand the carbon storage potential of forests and highlights the importance of protecting these ecosystems in the fight against climate change.
New research suggests that reservoir construction is reducing carbon storage in ocean sediments. The study analyzed sediment cores from the South Yellow Sea and East China Sea and found that carbon stocks declined between 1855 and 1950 due to flooding, increased post-1950 due to sediment transport, and reduced since 1990 due to lower sediment transport caused by reservoirs and dams built upstream. The global average carbon stocks in marine sediments were calculated to be 66.6 tons per hectare, while the South Yellow Sea saw a reduction of 32% to 45.2 tons per hectare. This interference in the carbon cycle highlights the need for considering the negative impact on carbon stocks when siting dams and reservoirs.