MSGID: 1:317/3 63e719ff   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Deep-sea black carbon comes from hydrothermal vents    
      
     Date:   
         February 10, 2023   
     Source:   
         Hokkaido University   
     Summary:   
         Hydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered   
         source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering the   
         understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Hydrothermal vents have been identified as a previously undiscovered   
   source of dissolved black carbon in the oceans, furthering the   
   understanding of the role of oceans as a carbon sink.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   The ocean is one of the largest dynamic carbon sinks in the world, and is   
   susceptible to increased carbon emissions from human activities. There   
   are even proposals to use the ocean to sequester carbon in an effort   
   to reduce the carbon emissions. However, much of the processes by which   
   the ocean functions as a carbon sink are not fully understood.   
      
   Associate Professor Youhei Yamashita and grad student Yutaro Mori at   
   Hokkaido University, along with Professor Hiroshi Ogawa at AORI, The   
   University of Tokyo, have revealed conclusive evidence that hydrothermal   
   vents are a previously unknown source of dissolved black carbon in the   
   deep ocean. Their discoveries were published in the journal Science   
   Advances.   
      
   "One of the largest carbon pools on the Earth's surface is the dissolved   
   organic carbon in the ocean," explains Ogawa. "We were interested in   
   a portion of this pool, known as dissolved black carbon (DBC), which   
   cannot be utilized by organisms. The source of DBC in the deep sea was   
   unknown, although hydrothermal vents were suspected to be involved."   
   The researchers analyzed the distribution of DBC in the ocean basins of   
   the North Pacific Ocean and Eastern South Pacific Ocean, and compared   
   the data with previously reported concentrations of a helium isotope   
   that is associated with hydrothermal vent emissions, as well as oxygen   
   utilization in these areas.   
      
   Their findings showed that hydrothermal vents were an important source   
   of DBC in the Pacific Ocean. This hydrothermal DBC is most likely formed   
   due to the mixing of the hot fluids from hydrothermal vents with cold   
   seawater, and is transported over long distances -- up to thousands of   
   kilometers away.   
      
   "Most importantly, our research indicates that the DBC from hydrothermal   
   vents is an important source of dissolved organic carbon in the deep   
   ocean. In terms of DBC inputs to the ocean, hydrothermal vents may   
   contribute up to half as much DBC as that which is formed by biomass   
   burning or fossil fuel combustion and subsequently transported via rivers   
   or atmospheric deposition," concluded Yamashita. Further research is   
   required to understand exactly how DBC is formed from hydrothermal vents.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Oceanography # Global_Warming # Geology # Air_Quality #   
                   Geography # Forest # Earth_Science # Geochemistry   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Carbon_dioxide_sink o Carbon_cycle o Ocean_acidification o   
             Forest o Carbon_dioxide o Carbon_monoxide o Sea_water o Plankton   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by Hokkaido_University. Note: Content   
   may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Youhei Yamashita, Yutaro Mori, and Hiroshi   
      Ogawa. Hydrothermal-derived   
         black carbon as a source of recalcitrant dissolved organic carbon   
         in the ocean. Science Advances, 2023 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3807   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230210145821.htm   
      
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