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science20h ago
Earth’s Largest Land-Based Carbon Sink Has Sprung a Disturbing Leak
- Researchers report that two Congo Basin lakes release significant peat-derived carbon annual CO2, potentially altering the regional carbon balance.
- Isotopic evidence and microbial activity suggest peat breakdown drives CO2 release from the Congo Basin lakes.
- Climate warming and land-use changes may destabilize peatlands, turning a carbon sink into a carbon source.
- The study used river routes as a logistical approach to study the Basin’s inaccessible central regions.
- The module indicates peat accounts for a substantial portion of carbon in both Mai Ndombe and Tumba lakes.
- The findings quantify a previously uncertain carbon budget for Congo Basin peatlands.
- Researchers warn of potential feedback loops that could amplify global warming if emissions rise.
- The team plans further investigations into mechanisms and historical changes over 12,000 years.
- The Congo Basin’s peatlands store about 30 billion metric tons of carbon, one-third of tropical peat carbon.
- The study’s context highlights the Congo Basin as the world’s largest land-based carbon sink.
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