New research shows that freezing accelerates the transformation of dissolved organic carbon when nitrite is present. Depending on the carbon source, this process either breaks down the carbon or turns it into humus, which changes how carbon is stored in frozen environments. The study found that black carbon undergoes oxidative degradation, while leached organic carbon polymerizes into more stable forms. This interaction between carbon and nitrogen in ice provides new data on how frozen regions act as carbon sinks or sources as they change.
