"One of the planet’s most vital #CarbonSinks i.e. SOUTHERN OCEAN (SO) (absorbs ~40% of C) is revealing its secrets as tiny organisms in the SO play an outsized role in moderating Earth’s #climate."
Details from the recent research are discussed in a🧵⬇️ 1/8
"Based on 107 independent observations of the seasonal cycle from 63 #biogeochemical profiling floats, new study conducted by scientists from #NOAA & University of Hawai'i provide the basin-scale estimate of distinct biogenic #CarbonPool production at Southern Ocean." 2/8
Researchers find "significant meridional variability with enhanced #ParticulateOrganicCarbon production in the subantarctic & polar Antarctic sectors & enhanced #DissolvedOrganicCarbon production in the subtropical & sea-ice-dominated sectors." 3/8
"#ParticulateInorganicCarbon production peaks between 47°S and 57°S near the “great calcite belt.” Relative to an abiotic Southern Ocean (SO), organic C production enhances CO2 uptake by 2.80 ± 0.28 Pg C y−1, while PIC production reduces CO2 uptake by 0.27 ± 0.21 Pg C y−1." 4/8
"Without organic C production, the SO would be a CO2 source to the atm. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of #DOC & #PIC production, in addition to the well-recognized role of #POC production, in shaping the influence of C export on air–sea CO2 exchange." 5/8
IN SIMPLE WORDS ⬇️
🌊 "Researchers discovered that if the amount of #carbon produced by tiny organisms in Southern Ocean decreased by 30%, the Southern Ocean would release carbon dioxide instead of #absorbing it, which could worsen the #GreenhouseEffect on our planet." 6/8
Read the open-access paper entitled: "Biogenic carbon pool production maintains the Southern Ocean carbon sink" here ⬇️ pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…
🚨New research out on US public perceptions of #SolarGeoengineering:
More Americans oppose SRM research than support it, and 1 in 5 believe government-led atmospheric modification is already underway.
DETAILS🧵1/11
2/ Using 64 interviews, 10 focus groups, and a survey of 3,076 Americans, the study found strong initial rejection of solar radiation modification (#SRM) as a research priority.
Skepticism, fear of unintended consequences, and concern over “playing God” were dominant themes.
3/ Only 32.6% supported further SRM research. A notable 43.7% opposed it. For comparison, support was ~80% in similar studies from a decade ago. Enthusiastic support is now virtually nonexistent in qualitative responses.
📰 Here's your round-up of top #CarbonDioxideRemoval News / Developments from this week (28 July - 03 August 2025):
🔗:
🧵0/21
Germany’s 2026 draft budget allocated €111 million for negative emissions in 2026 and a further €320 million in subsequent years. A new federal department has also been set up to focus on carbon removal.
🚨How does #SolarGeoengineering affect air pollution & public health?
New study using a cutting-edge Earth system model shows that #SAI has only modest effects on PM₂.₅ & ozone-related mortality & these impacts are mostly due to climate shifts, not aerosol deposition.🧵1/8
2/ Using CESM2-WACCM6 simulations across three scenarios (SSP2-4.5 baseline, ARISE-SAI-1.5, ARISE-SAI-1.0), the study quantifies global mortality attributable to ozone (O₃) & fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) under future SAI deployment targeting 1.5°C and 1.0°C warming levels.
3/ Findings:
In the ARISE-SAI-1.5 scenario, maintaining global mean temp at 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels via SAI results in:
- 1.26% reduction in ozone-related mortality
- 0.86% increase in PM₂.₅-related mortality during 2060–2069, relative to SSP2-4.5.
📰 Here's your round-up of top #CarbonDioxideRemoval News / Developments from this week (21-27 July 2025):
🔗:
🧵0/22
Chestnut Carbon secured up to $210M in non-recourse financing, led by J.P. Morgan for its afforestation project, marking a first-of-its-kind deal in the US carbon removal space.
🚨Scientists have discovered a common soil bacterium, Bacillus megaterium, that can rapidly remove CO2 from the atmosphere by transforming it into solid limestone (calcium carbonate) within 24 hours, without creating toxic byproducts.
#CDR #CarbonMineralization
DETAILS🧵1/8
2/ Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) is a technique where microbes precipitate CaCO₃, often used in eco-friendly building materials.
Most MICP uses urease to break down urea, which produces ammonium, a problematic byproduct.
3/ Bacillus megaterium is unique in a sense, it contains both urease and carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymes. The latter allows it to fix CO₂ directly without needing urea.
But which pathway dominates? This study investigated that.