Amazon outflow is found to power ocean capture of carbon dioxide

Nutrients washed out of the Amazon River are powering huge amounts of previously unexpected plant life far out to sea, thus trapping atmospheric carbon dioxide, according to a new study. Until now, the areas around the Amazon and other great rivers had been thought to be emitting CO2, so the study may affect climate scientists' calculations of how the greenhouse gas acts. National Science Foundation, NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Amazon powers tropical ocean's carbon sink

Nutrients from the Amazon River spread well beyond the continental shelf and drive carbon capture in the deep ocean, according to the USC-led authors of a multi-year study. The finding does not change estimates of the oceans' total carbon uptake, but it reveals the surprisingly large role of tropical oceans and major rivers.National Science Foundation