Carbon cycling refers to the set of biogeochemical processes that regulate the transformation, transport, and storage of carbon among major Earth system reservoirs, including the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, oceans, and lithosphere. It encompasses autotrophic carbon fixation, heterotrophic respiration, decomposition, sedimentation, weathering, and anthropogenic fluxes such as fossil fuel combustion and land-use change. Research on carbon cycling quantifies fluxes and pool sizes, characterizes feedbacks between carbon reservoirs and climate, and employs observational networks, isotopic tracers, and Earth system models to constrain budgets, residence times, and perturbation responses across temporal scales from diurnal to geologic.
Whales of all shapes and sizes play a significant role in the health of marine ecosystems. About 50% of the air humans breathe is produced by the ocean, thanks to phytoplankton and whale waste. The Whale Poop Loop is the ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 31, 2025
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1039
Every day, as the sun sets, billions of small animals make their way from the depths of the ocean to the surface to feed. As the next day begins, these zooplankton swim back down. It's the largest synchronous migration on ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 31, 2025
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27
Africa is a source of uncertainty in carbon cycle calculations. By some estimates, the continent's landscapes emit 2.1 billion tons more carbon dioxide than they take up each year—about equal to 1.5 times the annual emissions ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 30, 2025
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37
A lot of the climate-altering carbon pollution humans release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels gets drawn into the Earth's oceans and landscapes through natural processes, mostly through photosynthesis, as plants ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 30, 2025
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71
A new study led by Teagasc has highlighted the critical relationship between the drainage status of peat soils and localized rainfall in water table management. These findings will be critical in identifying and targeting ...
Environment
Jul 29, 2025
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31
Wetlands are among the most efficient ecosystems for carbon sequestration, storing more than 30% of global soil carbon in only 3%–13% of Earth's land surface. However, the spatiotemporal patterns of wetland carbon uptake ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 28, 2025
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22
The soil in high-elevation, cooler, drier tropical forests in the Colombian Andes stores more carbon from fires than lower, warmer regions, new research shows.
Earth Sciences
Jul 25, 2025
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78
A new study by researchers at Bar-Ilan University has uncovered that certain ocean viruses—specifically RNA viruses—may disrupt how carbon and nutrients are recycled in the ocean, potentially altering the global carbon cycle.
Ecology
Jul 15, 2025
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32
Whether from a forest on fire or gasoline powering a car, organic matter rarely combusts completely: Remnants such as char and soot can persist in the environment for decades. Over time, as physical and biological processes ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 14, 2025
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18
Forests are a crucial resource for carbon mitigation, currently offsetting around 20% of North American carbon emissions. As temperatures continue to rise, scientists are rushing to understand how climate change is affecting ...
