Small but mighty: Why microbes could be part of climate solutions

Phys.org  August 12, 2024 Methane and nitrous oxide (N2O) are greenhouse gases that rank second and third behind carbon dioxide as primary contributors to global warming and climate change. Outside of fossil sources, these gases are emitted by microorganisms as they interact with their environment. Researchers in Canada many strategies have targeted reduction of methane emissions. However, the microbial communities that live in these settings can respond to mitigation efforts by producing more N2O, which reduces or even negates the positive climate impact. Mitigation approaches often have not accounted for these trade-offs, and doing so requires additional monitoring to make […]

Iodine in Desert Dust Destroys Ozone – Could Prolong Greenhouse Gas Lifetimes

SciTech Daily  December 31, 2021 An international team of researchers (USA – University of Colorado, NCAR, industry, University of Wisconsin, NESDIS, Spain, Argentina) has shown that dust is a source of gas-phase iodine, indicated by aircraft observations of iodine monoxide (IO) radicals inside lofted dust layers from the Atacama and Sechura Deserts that are up to a factor of 10 enhanced over background. Gas-phase iodine photochemistry, commensurate with observed IO, is needed to explain the low O3 inside these dust layers (below 15 ppbv; up to 75% depleted). The added dust iodine can explain decreases in O3 of 8% regionally […]