Ponds store CO2 better than oceans

Ponds store CO2 better than oceans

The tinier, the more effective, according to this article.

A new study shows that small bodies of water are especially effective at storing CO2. This is in part because the turnover of material in small ponds is especially rapid, giving these bodies of water a quick response time.

Researchers at Iowa State University propose the creation of artificial lakes and ponds to store CO2.

Nach [Iowa State University Professor] Downings Meinung können mehr als 300 Millionen Seen des Planeten mit einer Gesamtfläche von 4,2 Millionen Quadratkilometern doppelt so viel CO2 aufnehmen wie bisher vermutet. Damit, so sagt der Forscher, könnten sie den Ozeanen den Rang als wichtigster Klimagas-Speicher ablaufen - und das, obwohl 90 Prozent der Seen kleiner als ein Hektar sind.

In Downing's opinion, more than 300 million seas in the world with a total area of 4.2 million square kilometers store twice as much CO2 as previously thought. Thus, he says, they could rival the oceans as an important climate gas sink, even though 90% of these seas are smaller than one hectare.

Interestingly enough, what happens when you melt glaciers? You get rivers and small ponds. What happens when you increase surface water temperatures, increase the amount of water evaporating, and thus (what goes up must go down) the amount of rainfall? You get more water in rivers and small ponds.

This may even be a significant negative feedback mechanism which hasn't been accounted for in climate models.