• ETH Zurich researchers find large blackwater lakes in Congo Basin peatlands emit ancient carbon. • Peatlands previously thought to store millennia‑old carbon safely for centuries. • Mechanism of carbon mobilization from peat to lake remains unclear. • Climate change and forest‑to‑cropland conversion may accelerate carbon release globally. • Potential global climate impacts from increased CO₂ emissions in the coming decades. • Further studies needed to understand lake‑peat carbon dynamics and mitigation strategies.
Article Summaries:
- ETH Zurich scientists have discovered that large blackwater lakes in the central Congo Basin’s peatlands are releasing ancient carbon, challenging the long‑held belief that peat stores carbon safely for millennia. The study, the first to document this phenomenon, shows that carbon accumulated in the peat is being mobilized into the lakes and eventually emitted into the atmosphere, though the exact mechanism remains unclear. Researchers warn that rising temperatures and land‑use changes-such as converting forest to cropland-could accelerate this release, potentially increasing the region’s contribution to global greenhouse‑gas emissions.
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