Science

Ocean absorbs more fossil fuel carbon while land uptake stalls, 30 years of data show

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 13/11/2026, 18:55:25 UTC.

Briefings

A 2026 study led by UC San Diego scientists indicates that since 1990, the ocean has absorbed an increasing amount of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions, whereas land ecosystems have failed to increase their net carbon uptake. This represents a significant shift in the global carbon cycle dynamics, with the ocean now acting as the primary carbon sink despite stagnant terrestrial absorption.

Key points

• Since 1990, the ocean has absorbed an increasing rate of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel emissions.
• Land ecosystems (forests, soils, etc.) have not increased their net carbon uptake over the same period.

Context

This finding highlights a critical divergence in Earth's carbon cycle, where the ocean has become the dominant sink while terrestrial sinks remain static, potentially altering climate feedback mechanisms.

Limitations

The study covers only the period since 1990 and relies on data from a single research group at UC San Diego; long-term historical trends and regional variations are not fully characterized.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 13/11/2026, 19:01:24 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeiapb3ynv4czbqhygepn7tjk5fbgj2vgmbqshpfc4mdqloq56hmeem