A ‘Holy Grail’ explanation of a process in nature’s carbon cycle is claimed.
– – –
A mystery that has puzzled the scientific community for over 50 years has finally been solved, says EurekAlert.
A team from Linköping University, Sweden, and Helmholtz Munich have discovered that a certain type of chemical reaction can explain why organic matter found in rivers and lakes is so resistant to degradation.
Their study has been published in the journal Nature.
“This has been the holy grail within my field of research for over 50 years”, says Norbert Hertkorn, scientist in analytical chemistry previously at Helmholtz Munich and currently at Linköping University.
Let us take it from the beginning. When, for example, a leaf detaches from a tree and falls to the ground, it begins to break down immediately. Before the leaf decomposes, it consists of a few thousand distinct biomolecules; molecules that can be found in most living matter.
The decomposition of the leaf occurs in several phases. Insects and micro-organisms begin to consume it, while sunlight and humidity affect the leaf, causing further breakdown. Eventually, the molecules from the decomposed leaf are washed into rivers, lakes and oceans.
However, at this point, the thousands of known biomolecules have been transformed into millions of very different-looking molecules with complex and typically unknown structures. This dramatic chemical transformation process has remained a mystery that has confounded researchers for over half a century, until now.
“Now we can elucidate how a couple of thousand molecules in living matter can give rise to millions of different molecules that rapidly become very resistant to further degradation”, says Norbert Hertkorn.
. . .
Scientists previously believed that the path to dissolved organic matter involved a slow process with many sequential reactions. However, the current study suggests that the transformation occurs relatively quickly.
. . .
“This discovery helps explaining the substantial organic carbon sinks on our planet, which reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere”, says David Bastviken [professor of environmental change at Linköping University].
Full article here.
– – –
Image credit: klimatetochskogen.nu
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Good one. Food for thought.
Totally devoid of any substance.
But according to the IPCC Third Assessment Report, Prior to anthropogenic CO2 emissions the earths atmosphere was in a stable equilibrium.
“By definition, for an ecosystem in steady state, Rh (heterotrophic respiration – by decomposers, bacteria and fungi feeding on dead tissue and exudates) and other carbon losses would just balance NPP (Net Primary Production – net CO2 absorption by photosynthesis) and NBP (Net Biome Production – the carbon accumulated by the terrestrial biosphere) would be zero.“
This is after all the bedrock of the global warming theory. Are they now saying that they don’t understand the mechanisms on which the whole of climate change is based?
Particularly intriguing was the large number of carbon atoms bound specifically to three other carbons and one oxygen atom, a structure being very rare in biomolecules.
According to David Bastviken, professor of environmental change at Linköping University, this renders the organic matter stable, allowing it to persist for a long time and preventing it from rapidly returning to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane.
This was found in both the Amazon region and Sweden.
I guess that finally settles the science, eh?