Artificial levees in the Lower Mississippi River bypass floodplain processing and increase delivery of carbon to the ocean.
carbon cycle
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Coastal Flooding Enhances Methane Buildup in Forests
Increased seawater exposure from flooding and storms is altering how coastal forests cycle methane, leading to more greenhouse gas accumulation in tree stems and soil.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Robot Measures Air-Sea Carbon Dioxide Exchange in Southern Ocean
Unique air and ocean surface observations of the Southern Ocean from a 22,000 km, 196-day circumnavigation around Antarctica by an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Alkalinity Trap at the Bottom of the World
Tiny microorganisms in the Southern Ocean affect the way the rest of the world’s seas respond to carbon dioxide.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
The Role of Midsized Phytoplankton in Earth’s Biological Pump
New research finds that nanoplankton may have a larger influence on carbon cycling than previously thought.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Global Look at Surface Soil Organic Carbon
Soil organic carbon is an important element of ecosystem and climate health. Remote sensing can now give scientists a global look at this important piece of the carbon puzzle.
Posted inNews
Trees That Live Fast, Die Young, and Mess with Climate Models
The trade-off between tree longevity and life expectancy can mean future carbon uptakes are overestimated in current global climate models.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Researchers Unearth Bedrock Carbon and Water Dynamics
Deep tree roots bring respiring microbes into broken bedrock, generating carbon that’s released into the environment. New research explores this oft-overlooked carbon source.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Determining Dissolved Organic Carbon Flows into the Gulf of Alaska
A new model determines freshwater and dissolved organic carbon discharge to the Gulf of Alaska from one of the most geographically diverse but understudied regions on the planet.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Water Stress Controls the Capacity of the Terrestrial Carbon Sink
Despite increased photosynthetic activity at northern latitudes in recent decades, plant productivity in tropical zones suffers because of water limitations.