amazon

Don’t leaf it to the trees: Amazonian soils also work to store carbon.

Hazel Gibson August 26, 2020

'Yasuní National Park' by Jose Schreckinger (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

The Amazon rainforest covers an area of 5.5 million km² and is well known for being an invaluable global resource for carbon storage. But it’s not just the trees and vegetation of the Amazonian rainforest that lock in and store carbon – the very soil in these forests can do the same thing, according to research published in EGU’s journal SOIL earlier this year. In this study Carlos Alberto Quesada ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: How erupting African volcanoes impact the Amazon’s atmosphere

Olivia Trani July 12, 2019

An aerial view of the towering volcanic peak of Mt. Nyiragongo. Research suggests that its emissions can reach as far as South America, impacting the atmosphere of the Amazon Basin. (Credit: MONUSCO/Neil Wetmore via Wikimedia Commons)

When volcanoes erupt, they can release into the atmosphere a number of different gases initially stored in their magma, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur dioxide. These kinds of gases can have a big influence on Earth’s atmosphere, even at distances hundreds to thousands of kilometres away. A team of researchers have found evidence that sulfur emissions from volcanic eruptions i ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Science above the Amazon rainforest

Achim Edtbauer April 15, 2019

Science above the Amazon rainforest. Credit: Achim Edtbauer (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The color and symmetry of the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) sticks out against the endless green of the rainforest. Built in a remote and pristine location, the ATTO tower is the tallest construction in South America. In a joint Brazilian-German project, atmospheric scientists aim to unravel the interaction of pristine rainforest with the atmosphere. With its height of 325 meters, the ATTO ...[Read More]

GeoSciences Column: Forests in flux – log-jams in the Amazon

Robert Emberson October 25, 2017

The impact of log jams on river geomorphology is varied. Unravelling the untouched . Credit: Amajida Roslim (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

Collapsing dams are a staple of disaster films, but the form that these take in natural systems is also surprisingly varied. Streams and rivers can be blocked by a range of rapid and gradual inputs. One of the lesser-known causes of stream blockage is through the accumulation of large woody debris – tree trunks and large branches – to form a log jam. The impact of these jams on river geomorphology ...[Read More]