UMass Amherst scientists propose new method for tracking elusive origins of CO2 emissions from streams

February 28, 2024

A team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst has uncovered a significant contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in streams, rivers, and lakes: carbonate buffering. Their study reveals that this chemical process, which acts as a hidden reserve of CO2, can distort conventional methods used to track CO2 origins in water bodies. 
Led by Matthew Winnick, the team demonstrated that carbonate buffering can explain the majority of emissions in highly alkaline waters, amounting to over 60% of CO2 emissions in such conditions. By borrowing geochemical equations from ocean studies, they modeled the carbonate buffering process, showing how dissolved CO2 can form carbonic acid, bicarbonate, and carbonate, effectively replenishing CO2 lost to the atmosphere. 
Additionally, they found that carbonate buffering complicates the use of carbon isotopes for tracking CO2 sources, suggesting that analyzing multiple isotopes could provide a more accurate picture.

From: EurekAlert!