Scientists uncover overlooked ocean processes important to carbon storage

New research reveals an important mechanism that stores organic carbon in the ocean. Organic carbon is a poorly understood but important process that influences Earth’s climate, carbon cycle, and fossil fuel production.

Organic carbon normally decomposes in most environments. But vast amounts remain preserved in marine sediments, a mystery that has puzzled scientists for decades.

Stored organic carbon can be turned into oil and gas over time, effectively trapping large amounts of carbon that could be released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the biggest contributor to Earth’s climate change. can.

The study, led by scientists from the Universities of Manchester and Leeds and published in the journal Nature Geoscience, reveals two overlooked processes that play a key role in preserving organic carbon beneath the ocean floor. was identified.

Sorption — the uptake of carbon by minerals Molecular transformation — the change of smaller, more reactive molecules into larger, less reactive molecules

This new understanding could inform strategies to limit carbon emissions from the ocean and provide a valuable tool in the fight against climate change.

The researchers spent several years developing a comprehensive model that takes into account a wider range of carbon storage processes than previously available. These include burial in sediments, hydrolysis (decomposition of carbon in water), sorption (uptake of carbon by mineral surfaces), and molecular transformation (formation of larger, less reactive molecules).

The researchers compared their model to real-world data collected from ocean sediments. The results showed that the carbon storage efficiency was nearly three times higher than previously calculated with other models.

They also found that their calculations better matched actual field data and could more accurately predict the amount of organic carbon stored on the ocean floor. They then used artificial intelligence and models to find out which processes play a key role.

“Understanding how and why carbon is stored in ocean sediments is critical to harnessing or replicating these natural processes to combat climate change,” said Dr Peyman Babakani. ”

“Our findings shed light on previously overlooked mechanisms and provide new avenues for carbon management. The combination of new numerical models, Monte Carlo, and artificial intelligence provides important insights into the conservation of organic matter in the ocean. It was amazing to see how it provided insight into a “deposit that has been debated for decades.”

“Although often seen as a black box, AI can be a powerful tool when applied in the right way, helping us understand complex environmental processes.”

This study highlights the important role of sorption and molecular transformation in the carbon cycle. These processes work together to prevent organic matter from degrading in the top layers of marine sediments and transport it deeper. Over time, this stored carbon turns into oil and gas, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

New insights and models could be used to investigate climate change mitigation strategies such as marine fertilization.