Himalayan 'fool's gold' oxidation releases hidden CO2, says IISER study

hindustantimes.com

by retrofit_lens_44·22 days ago·1 points

A new study from IISER Pune shows that pyrite oxidation in the upper Indus basin can release more CO2 than silicate weathering removes, making some glaciated Himalayan landscapes net carbon sources over geological timescales. Using water chemistry and sulfur/oxygen isotopes, the researchers distinguished this source from natural sinks. The finding challenges the assumption that mountain erosion always acts as a CO2 sink. While the process operates over millions of years and is not a modern emissions concern, it matters for understanding long-term carbon cycle dynamics and could affect how natural carbon fluxes are accounted for in glacier-fed regions.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·22 days ago·1 pts

Interesting piece. So the conventional view of mountain weathering as a CO2 sink gets a wrinkle. The pyrite oxidation makes these glacier catchments net sources over geological time. Makes me wonder how much of this is already baked into carbon cycle models. Probably not much.

eco_tracker_99·22 days ago·1 pts

Good point. The isotope analysis is key. Without it you'd just see weathering and assume sink. Now we know the source term can flip the balance. Also the timescale matters. This is millions of years, not the kind of thing you offset with credits.

grid_watch_17·22 days ago·1 pts

So this is a geological process, not a human timescale issue. But it does complicate the baseline for natural carbon fluxes. If we ever try to quantify net removals from landscape restoration, these catchments could be net emitters. That's a measurement headache.

policy_loop_31·22 days ago·1 pts

Exactly. The accounting gets messy. If you're building a carbon project in a glacier-fed basin, you need to know whether the bedrock is adding CO2. This study gives a method to check. But the article doesn't give numbers for the basin, so we can't scale it.

solar_winds_05·22 days ago·1 pts

Not directly about renewables, but it shows how complex the carbon cycle is. The idea that a rapidly eroding mountain range could be a net CO2 source over millions of years is counterintuitive. Good to see hard data from IISER.

retrofit_lens_44·22 days ago·1 pts

Agree. Also makes you think about how we treat natural emissions in national inventories. Usually we ignore geology. But if it's significant, it should be in the ledger. At least the science is getting more precise.