A new study shows the potential of microorganisms to prevent global warming

2023-12-07 2023-12-07T10:00:29Z

Weather of Arabia - The Russian Science Foundation reported that scientists from Russia, in cooperation with their foreign colleagues, have concluded that the great diversity of microorganisms in the permafrost region can play an important role in reducing the rate of warming of the atmosphere on the Earth's surface.

From 1750 to 2020 , the average temperature on Earth's surface rose by about one degree. However, the temperature has risen by an average of up to four degrees in permafrost over the past 70 years alone. This increase is explained by the fact that when permafrost melts Favorable conditions are created in the soil for the development of microbial communities that process ancient carbon, converting it into methane, and the gas causes further warming once it enters the atmosphere.

The effect of microorganisms on thawing permafrost...a scientific study

Researchers from the company “Scientific Research and Development Center” in Veliky Novgorod, in cooperation with the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, and the Institute of Mechanical Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted a study on the influence of soil microorganisms on the rate of thawing of permafrost and the rate of warming.

The researchers used the "Judi" mathematical model, which simulates the dynamics of the planet's atmosphere, to analyze how a number of types of microorganisms in the soil affect these processes. The study reached important results about the impact of biodiversity in the soil on greenhouse gas balances and the potential impact on climate changes. .

In this model, the atmosphere is considered a group of air cells in which air moves, as it is heated, then cooled at the bottom near the Earth's surface, and returns to the Earth again. The researchers expanded the Godey model to understand the effect of methane produced by permafrost microorganisms on atmospheric balances.

The scientists studied two situations: when the diversity of permafrost microbes was low, and when it was high, and took into account the bacteria's optimal temperatures for life. Calculations showed that the diversity of soil microbes affects the stability of the system, and when it is too low, it may lead to the release of large amounts of methane. , causing a sharp rise in temperatures.

Impact of permafrost microbial diversity on global warming levels

In addition, scientists have noted that high microbial diversity stabilizes the system where different species compete, partially suppressing each other's growth, preventing intensive growth and significant methane emission. Elena Savinkova, one of the study participants, noted the importance of microbial diversity in determining the moment A sharp jump in temperatures occurred on the Earth’s surface, and she emphasized that this factor must be taken into account when forecasting warming, as the expected temperatures can be accurately corrected using humidity, temperature, nutrient content, and soil acidity, and stressed the importance of including the activity of microorganisms. In current models to improve projections of future global warming.