北極圏および北方地域で猛威を振るう山火事が土壌中の古代の炭素に引火し、気候モデルが想定していた量をはるかに超える二酸化炭素を放出している。土壌コアに関する新たな調査では、一部の火災において最大5,000年前の有機物が燃焼していることが明らかになった。
フィンランド気象研究所のメリ・ルッペル氏がこの研究を主導した。同氏のチームが火災現場から採取した土壌コアを分析したところ、地表の植生の燃焼が、より深く古い層におけるゆっくりとした燻焼（くんしょう）を引き起こしていることが判明した。このプロセスにより、二酸化炭素だけでなく、太陽光を吸収し氷雪上に堆積することで融解を加速させるブラックカーボンも放出されている。
A new study from UC Berkeley indicates that climate models may significantly underestimate carbon emissions from wildfires in boreal forests due to overlooked peat soil burning. Researchers analyzed 2018 wildfires in Sweden and found that smoldering underground fires release ancient carbon stored for centuries. This discrepancy highlights potential gaps in global emission estimates, especially in vast regions like Siberia and Canada.
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A new study reveals that peatlands in the Arctic are growing due to rapid regional warming and increased precipitation, potentially storing more carbon but also heightening the risk of releases through fires. Researchers warn of a dangerous feedback loop as these carbon-rich ecosystems respond to climate changes. The findings highlight the dual role of these landscapes in global warming mitigation.
Researchers have analysed a 3-million-year-old ice core from Allan Hills in Antarctica, measuring atmospheric CO2 at 250 parts per million and methane at 507 parts per billion during the late Pliocene. This epoch featured global temperatures about 1°C warmer than today and sea levels up to 25 metres higher. The levels are lower than previous indirect estimates.
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Researchers have identified volcanic eruptions, likely in Iceland, as the source of a mysterious platinum spike in Greenland ice cores from 12,800 years ago. This finding rules out a comet or asteroid impact and occurred decades after the onset of the Younger Dryas cooling period. The study provides new insights into abrupt climate shifts.