Fast-Moving Rivers Release Large Amounts Of Carbon Dioxide In Atmosphere

Scientists have discovered that rivers and humans share a similar "breathing pattern" - both entities produce additional amounts of carbon dioxide when they work harder, according to a study at the University of Glasgow.

The human lungs release more carbon dioxide as a person becomes more physically active. In their study, the researchers found that fast-moving rivers also produce higher levels of carbon dioxide compared to slower rivers and streams. The researchers gathered their findings by testing rivers in in Scotland and the Peruvian Amazon over the past several years.

"The role that rivers play in the carbon cycle is often overlooked, so developing a better understanding of how rivers release carbon will be critically important to helping us navigate the future changes caused by global warming," Susan Waldron, a biogeochemistry professor and coauthor of the study said in a news release.

Almost two trillion kilograms of carbon are released in the atmosphere each year. Humans have been major contributors to those excess amounts of carbon that are released each year. However, this study examines the role that rivers play in the relase of carbon into the atmosphere.

"What we've discovered is that the rate of that carbon release is tied closely to the velocity of the water in the river. We found that the faster the waters moved, the more carbon they released," said Hazel Long, a coauthor of the study.

The findings of this study were published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.

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