. 24/7 Space News .
CARBON WORLDS
Sunlight and the right microbes convert Arctic carbon into carbon dioxide
by Staff Writers
Corvallis OR (SPX) Oct 06, 2017


There is little shade in the Arctic, so when the permafrost melts, carbon is released into streams and lakes where a combination of sunlight and microbes converts it to carbon dioxide. Image courtesy Rose Cory, University of Michigan.

Nearly half of the organic carbon stored in soil around the world is contained in Arctic permafrost, which has experienced rapid melting, and that organic material could be converted to greenhouse gases that would exacerbate global warming.

When permafrost thaws, microbial consumption of those carbon reserves produces carbon dioxide - much of which eventually winds up in the atmosphere, but scientists have been unsure of just how the system works.

A new study published this week in Nature Communications outlines the mechanisms and points to the importance of both sunlight and the right microbial community as keys to converting permafrost carbon to CO2. The research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.

"We've long known that microbes convert the carbon into CO2, but previous attempts to replicate the Arctic system in laboratory settings have failed," noted Byron Crump, an Oregon State University biogeochemist and co-author on the study. "As it turns out, that is because the laboratory experiments did not include a very important element - sunlight.

"When the permafrost melts and stored carbon is released into streams and lakes in the Arctic, it gets exposed to sunlight, which enhances decay by some microbial communities, and destroys the activity for other communities. Different microbes react differently, but there are hundreds, even thousands of different microbes out there and it turns out that the microbes in soils are well-equipped to eat sunlight-exposed permafrost carbon."

The research team from Oregon State and the University of Michigan was able to identify compounds that the microbes prefer using high-resolution chemistry and genetic approaches. They found that sunlight makes permafrost soils tastier for microbes because it converts it to the same kinds of carbon they already like to eat - the carbon they are adapted to metabolize.

"The carbon we're talking about moves from the soil into rivers and lakes, where it is completely exposed to sunlight," Crump said. "There are no trees and no shade, and in the summer, there are 24 hours a day of sunlight. That makes sunlight potentially more important in converting carbon into CO2 in the Arctic than in a tropical forest, for example."

As the climate continues to warm, there are interesting ramifications for the Arctic, said Crump, who is a faculty member in OSU's College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences.

"The long-term forecast for the Arctic tundra ecosystem is for the warming to lead to shrubs and bigger plants replacing the tundra, which will provide shade from the sunlight," Crump said. "That is considered a negative feedback. But there also is a positive feedback, in that seasons are projected to expand. Spring will arrive earlier, and fall will be later, and more water and carbon will enter lakes and streams with more rapid degradation of carbon.

"Which feedback will be stronger? No one can say for sure."

The stakes are high, Crump said. There is more carbon stored in the frozen permafrost than in the atmosphere. It has accumulated over millions of years by plants growing and dying, with a very slow decaying process because of the freezing weather.

"Some of the organic matter is less tasty to microbes than others," Crump said, "but bacterial communities are diverse, so there will be something out there that wants that energy and will use it."

Research paper

CARBON WORLDS
Graphene forged into three-dimensional shapes
Helsinki, Finland (SPX) Sep 27, 2017
Researchers from Finland and Taiwan have discovered how graphene, a single-atom-thin layer of carbon, can be forged into three-dimensional objects by using laser light. A striking illustration was provided when the researchers fabricated a pyramid with a height of 60 nm, which is about 200 times larger than the thickness of a graphene sheet. The pyramid was so small that it would easily fi ... read more

Related Links
Oregon State University
Carbon Worlds - where graphite, diamond, amorphous, fullerenes meet


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CARBON WORLDS
OECD calls for tourism to be more sustainable

Fast-moving space industries create new ethical challenges

Space Cooperation Between China, Russia Needs Long-Term Mechanism

NASA's New Hubble E-Book Series Dives into the Solar System and Beyond

CARBON WORLDS
mu Space partners with Blue Origin to launch geostationary satellite

What looks good on paper may look good in space

Demonstrator 3 linear aerospike ready to start tests

ISRO to resume satellite launches by December

CARBON WORLDS
Lockheed Martin unveils reusable water-powered Mars lander

SpaceX's Musk unveils plan to reach Mars by 2022

Research sheds new light on how Earth and Mars were created

The Mars 2020 Rover features new spectral abilities with its new SuperCam

CARBON WORLDS
Mars probe to carry 13 types of payload on 2020 mission

China's cargo spacecraft separates from Tiangong-2 space lab

Work on China's mission to Mars 'well underway'

Chinese company eyes development of reusable launch vehicle

CARBON WORLDS
The ESA 500: fostering start-up companies to use space technology on Earth

Thomas calls for new comprehensive Australian Space Agency at IAC address

AsiaSat 9 Set for Launch from Baikonur on September 29

Australia to create national space agency

CARBON WORLDS
UV-irradiated amorphous ice behaves like liquid at low temperatures

Teleoperating robots with virtual reality

Surfactants have surprising effect on nanobubble stability

Fast-moving magnetic particles could enable new form of data storage

CARBON WORLDS
MATISSE to Shed Light on the Formation of Earth and Planets

Glenn Tests Thruster Bound for Metal World

Searching for Distant Worlds With a Flying Telescope

Scientists propose new concept of terrestrial planet formation

CARBON WORLDS
Solving the Mystery of Pluto's Giant Blades of Ice

Global Aerospace Corporation to present Pluto lander concept to NASA

Pluto features given first official names

Hibernation Over, New Horizons Continues Kuiper Belt Cruise









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.