Proglacial freshwaters are significant and previously unrecognized sinks of atmospheric CO₂.

ABSTRACT: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from freshwater ecosystems are almost universally predicted to increase with climate warming. Glacier-fed rivers and lakes, however, differ critically from those in nonglacierized catchments in that they receive little terrestrial input of organic matter for decomposition and CO₂ production, and transport large quantities of easily mobilized comminuted sediments available for carbonate and silicate weathering reactions that can consume atmospheric CO₂ We used a whole-watershed approach, integrating concepts from glaciology and limnology, to conclusively show that certain glacier-fed freshwater ecosystems are important and previously overlooked annual CO₂ sinks due to the overwhelming influence of these weathering re

SUBMITTER: St Pierre KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6731667 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature