Climate change may release around 3 percent of 2,000+ Gt instable soil carbon from Arctic tundra over this century – as CO2 and methane

Here´s why finding out the Gulfstream could be quite stable wouldn´t necessarily be such good news: under continued warming, the positive feedback of increased tundra peat soil CO2 and methane emissions far outweighs the negative feedback of ‘taiga creep’ and CO2 fertilisation.
Tundra from carbon sink to carbon source, CO2 or methane?
Continue reading →

Newly discovered North Icelandic Jet more important than East Greenland Current for AMOC – good news?

Role of North Icelandic Jet in AMOCIcelandic scientists say they have discovered a new overturning site, where cold, dense, deep water is formed and transported through a separate route towards the Denmark Strait and further south into the Atlantic Ocean.

Continue reading →

Tropical forest CO2 fertilisation: self-mitigation of emissions possibly around 15 percent

In which case increased tropical forest density would sort of average out emissions of tropical deforestation. [Is it just us or do you share the feeling something is uncomfortably unsustainable about that comparison?]Forest CO2 fertilisation effect

A couple of days ago we reported on a new Nature study, which states there could be extra release of CO2 from forest soils, due to an expected increase in litterfall – of around 30 percent for a 150 ppm rise in CO2 concentrations, citing an other Nature study, from 2009. We promised to take a better look.

Continue reading →

Urban areas expand by 950,000 square kilometres by 2030

Global patterns of urban population growth are recorded fairly accurately and predictions put the number of people living in urban areas in 2030 at 1.47 billion higher than it is now. But how urban areas evolve to accommodate such great numbers has never really been researched, until now.

Continue reading →

NASA climate model study: Arctic melting linear with temperature

Arctic sea ice melting is linear with temperature riseHere’s another climate model study that challenges the Arctic tipping point idea. Arctic melting is still sensitive to temperature rise though and any further increase in atmospheric CO2 will keep translating to further ice loss.

According to the new NASA study within decades during summer the Arctic Ocean will be ice free.

Continue reading →

Majority of plant species necessary for sustaining biodiversity

The current decline in worldwide biodiversity is like playing a slow motion game of dominoes. If one stone is tipped, the chances of another one eventually following are significant, but the more species are in an ecosystem, the less likely it is to stop functioning. In a nutshell this is the result of a study as published in Nature on the influence of separate species on ecological processes.

Continue reading →

Climate model shows possibility of multiple years of Arctic sea ice growth – or faster decline

Computer simulations of the US National Center for Atmospheric Research indicate that the natural Arctic climate variability, like seasonal and annual variations in pressure systems, wind patterns and precipitation or cloud cover, could be larger than previously thought.
Chances of Arctic sea ice growth or melting
Continue reading →