"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…
For smallholder agroforestry, traditional methods are labor-intensive, expensive & hard to scale. As a result, farmers are locked out of climate finance.
3/ So, in this study researchers used an approach "DiameterAlgorithm," a non-contact method that estimates tree diameter (DBH) from a single photograph.
Instead of manual tapes or costly sensors, it relies on computer vision and a simple reference tag placed on the tree.
🚨Monthly Solar Geoengineering Updates (Dec Edition)
From NCAR’s possible shutdown & the Guardian’s sun-dimming debate to an African-led #SRM hub, the EU’s first governance conference & new studies, SRM dominated headlines and labs alike.
Top 10 SRM Highlights (Dec 2025)🧵1/8
1️⃣ Trump administration plans to dismantle NCAR, a leading hub for climate & SRM research
2️⃣ Guardian editorial sparks debate, warning of “sun-dimming” under political control. In response, letters argue research shutdown stifles science & misrepresents African perspectives.
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3️⃣ DSG launches SRM Governance Horizons, a project to assess institutional readiness and inclusive governance for solar radiation modification debates.
4️⃣ Sandro Vattioni wins China’s 2025 Pineapple Science Award for research on diamond dust as a potential SRM material.
🚨What if old clothes could power cities & remove CO₂?
New study shows that modular bioenergy with carbon capture (#BECCS) using discarded textiles can cut emissions, beat landfilling on env impacts & deliver durable #CDR at costs competitive with today’s CDR markets.
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2/ ~92 Mt of textile waste are generated globally each year. Roughly half is biogenic (e.g., cotton), meaning it already represents stored atmospheric CO₂ captured by plants during growth.
Yet ~66% of US textiles are landfilled, releasing GHGs & pollutants over time.
3/ In this study, researches model a 100 t/day modular waste-to-energy plant using:
• 100% cotton textiles
• 50/50 cotton–PET blends
Each case is assessed with and without CCS and compared to landfilling using full LCA + techno-economic analysis.
🚨Can land-based and ocean-based #CarbonRemoval work together, without undermining each other?
A new Earth system modeling study shows that combining BECCS & OAE delivers near-additive CO₂ removal, cutting ~23 ppm by 2100, while exposing critical Earth-system feedbacks.
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2/ As emissions cuts lag, most 1.5–2°C pathways now rely on carbon dioxide removal.
But the real question isn’t which CDR method is best, it’s what happens when multiple CDR approaches are deployed together inside the real climate system.
3/ To answer this, researchers used the Norwegian Earth System Model, simulating the period from 2030 to 2100 under an overshoot scenario where CO₂ first rises, then falls into net-negative territory.
This allowed them to track long-term land, ocean, and atm responses.
🚨'Rock candy' technique offers simpler, less costly way to capture C directly from air
U of Toronto engineers have developed a cheap, passive, string-based #DAC system that crystallizes CO₂ like “rock candy,” potentially cutting capital costs by up to 40%.
How it works🧵1/11
Direct air capture has existed for decades, but it’s expensive. Giant fans, complex chemical plants, and energy-intensive regeneration steps drive up costs. That’s the main criticism of today’s DAC industry.
U of Toronto researchers tackled the problem with a simple question:
What if we could let nature do most of the work?
Their answer: evaporative carbonate crystallization, a passive, wind-powered approach.
🚨🗞️Monthly Solar Geoengineering Updates (November Edition)
From the U.S. stratospheric-cooling patent to Global South funding, cautious UK–EU stances, tipping-point modeling & a surge in chemtrail chatter, #SRM captured global attention.
Top 10 SRM Highlights (Nov 2025)🧵1/6:
➡️@MakeSunsets secures its first US patent for stratospheric cooling tech
➡️Climate scientists remain skeptical of SRM, favor research over deployment, per @SZ (Garman newspaper) survey
➡️Royal Society sees SRM’s potential but stresses it can't solve climate change alone
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➡️London Protocol reiterates precaution on marine geoengineering deployment
➡️UK reiterates it is “not in favor” of SRM deployment but open to debating regulation
➡️Studies warn SAI may cut protein in staple crops & destabilize yields for coffee, cacao & wine