{"id":282311,"date":"2023-10-07T13:26:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T11:26:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=282311"},"modified":"2023-10-07T13:26:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T11:26:25","slug":"rock-weathering-as-a-co%e2%82%82-sink-or-a-new-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=282311","title":{"rendered":"Rock Weathering as a CO\u2082 Sink Or?: A New Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In a recent study led by the University of Oxford, the traditional view of natural rock weathering as a CO\u2082 sink has been challenged. Contrary to popular belief, rock weathering can also act as a significant CO\u2082 source, on par with the emissions from volcanoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA new study led by the University of Oxford has overturned the view that natural rock weathering acts as a CO\u2082 sink, indicating instead that this can also act as a large CO\u2082 source, rivalling that of volcanoes.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Rocks, which contain vast amounts of carbon from ancient plant and animal remains, play a pivotal role in the \u201cgeological carbon cycle.\u201d This cycle has been instrumental in regulating Earth\u2019s temperature for over a billion years. One of the primary mechanisms believed to help in this regulation is the absorption of CO\u2082 during chemical weathering. This process was thought to counterbalance the continuous CO\u2082 emissions from global volcanic activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cRocks contain an enormous store of carbon in the ancient remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. This means that the \u201cgeological carbon cycle\u201d acts as a thermostat that helps to regulate the Earth\u2019s temperature.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

However, this study has unveiled an additional natural process of CO\u2082 release from rocks, which is as significant as the CO\u2082 emissions from volcanoes. This revelation underscores the fact that this process has been overlooked in most models of the natural carbon cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cHowever, for the first time this new study measured an additional natural process of CO\u2082 release from rocks to the atmosphere, finding that it is as significant as the CO\u2082 released from volcanoes around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The process in question occurs when rocks formed on ancient seafloors are pushed back to the Earth\u2019s surface, exposing the organic carbon within them to oxygen. This exposure can lead to a reaction that releases CO\u2082, suggesting that weathering rocks might be a source of CO\u2082 rather than the assumed sink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cThe process occurs when rocks that formed on ancient seafloors (where plants and animals were buried in sediments) are pushed back up to Earth\u2019s surface\u2026 This means that weathering rocks could be a source of CO\u2082, rather than the commonly assumed sink.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To quantify this CO\u2082 release, the researchers employed a novel method using a tracer element, rhenium. By sampling river water for rhenium levels, they could estimate the CO\u2082 release from weathering organic carbon in rocks. Their findings identified several regions where weathering was a significant CO\u2082 source, particularly in mountain ranges like the eastern Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, and the Andes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThe global CO\u2082 release from rock organic carbon weathering was found to be 68 megatons of carbon per year.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

While this release appears to be small compared to estimates of human-induced emissions from fossil fuels, it is comparable to the CO\u2082 emissions from global volcanic activity. This discovery underscores the need for a more nuanced understanding of Earth\u2019s natural carbon cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, understanding these natural fluxes is crucial for predicting our carbon budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWhile the carbon dioxide release from rock weathering is small compared to present-day human emissions, the improved understanding of these natural fluxes will help us better predict our carbon budget\u201d concluded Dr. Zondervan.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Source: EurekAlert!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"image<\/a>
Sedimentary rocks on the banks of the Mackenzie River, Canada, a major river basin where rock weathering is a CO2 source. Image credit: Robert Hilton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

New research finds that ancient carbon in rocks releases as much carbon dioxide as the world\u2019s volcanoes<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

eurekalert.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Watts Up With That? In a recent study led by the University of Oxford, the traditional view of natural rock weathering as a CO\u2082 sink has been challenged. Contrary to popular belief, rock weathering can also act as a significant CO\u2082 source, on par with the emissions from volcanoes. \u201cA new study led by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":282315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Contrary to popular belief, rock weathering can also act as a significant CO\u2082 source, on par with the emissions from volcanoes.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691818076,691818228,691823403,691823402],"class_list":{"0":"post-282311","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-co2","9":"tag-fossil-fuels","10":"tag-geological-carbon-cycle","11":"tag-rock-weathering","13":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0rocks.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1brp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":283150,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=283150","url_meta":{"origin":282311,"position":0},"title":"New Study Upends Modeling, Finds Earth\u2019s Rocks Are A Net Source Of CO2 Rivaling Volcanic Emissions","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"New research has overturned the traditional view that natural rock weathering acts as a CO2\u00a0sink that removes CO2\u00a0from the atmosphere. 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