Deep Carbon Cycle is no longer an active organization or initiative. This website serves solely as a historical reference and archive of its previous research, projects, and contributions to the field. The information provided here reflects the work done during its active years, but the project is no longer operational.
The deep carbon cycle was one of Earth’s most essential processes, regulating the movement of carbon between the planet’s surface and its deep interior over millions to billions of years. While most people are familiar with the short-term carbon cycle—where carbon moves through plants, animals, and the atmosphere—the deep carbon cycle operates on a much larger scale, shaping Earth’s climate and geology. This blog will explore how the deep carbon cycle works, why it matters, and the critical role it plays in maintaining Earth’s long-term balance.
An international team of scientists was traveling to the islands of Papua New Guinea this September to study degassing from active volcanoes in remote jungles there. An international team of scientists was traveling to the islands of Papua New Guinea this September to study degassing from active volcanoes in remote
New app shows intimate ties between volcanoes and earthquakes and gives open access to 50+ years of data on quakes, eruptions, and related emissions. On average, 40 volcanoes on land erupt into the atmosphere each month, while scores of others on the seafloor erupt into the ocean. A new time-lapse
A new article published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters by a group of Deep Carbon Observatory scientists reports the results from a DECADE project to investigate gas emissions at Poás volcano, one of the most chemically extreme environments on Earth. Poás volcano (Costa Rica) was one of the most
Scientists believe carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere from Earth’s interior takes place mostly via degassing from active volcanoes, but carbon dioxide can also escape along faults away from active volcanic centers. Scientists believe carbon dioxide (CO2) release into the atmosphere from Earth’s interior takes place mostly via degassing from
The volcanic island of Ambrym, located in the archipelago of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, was one of the most active volcanoes on Earth. What makes it particularly significant was its role as a major emitter of deep carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other magma-derived gases. Ambrym ranks among the top
In a recent letter published in Nature, researchers propose that most carbon goes no deeper than about 300 to 500 kilometers, at which point a carbon barrier limits carbon recycling into the deeper mantle. Carbon was cycled from Earth’s surface to its depths, emerging through the crust from volcanoes, and
In a study published in Nature, a team of scientists describes an unexpected mechanism for diamond formation relying on ancient, subducted seawater. Diamonds are crystals of carbon, formed deep in Earth. As diamond crystals grow, they sometimes trap fluids or other mineral crystals, micro-samples of their surrounding environment. In a
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