{"id":674033,"date":"2025-06-09T16:45:15","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ocean-mud-locks-up-much-of-the-planets-carbon-were-digging-deep-to-map-these-ancient-stores\/"},"modified":"2025-06-09T16:45:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T13:45:15","slug":"ocean-mud-locks-up-much-of-the-planets-carbon-were-digging-deep-to-map-these-ancient-stores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ocean-mud-locks-up-much-of-the-planets-carbon-were-digging-deep-to-map-these-ancient-stores\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean mud locks up much of the planet&#8217;s carbon\u2014we&#8217;re digging deep to map these ancient stores"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3f6c03f001c\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3f6c03f001c\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ocean-mud-locks-up-much-of-the-planets-carbon-were-digging-deep-to-map-these-ancient-stores\/#Scratching_below_the_surface\" >Scratching below the surface<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/ocean-mud-locks-up-muc-1.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/ocean-mud-locks-up-muc-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"(a\u2013c) Spatial distribution of sediments at the Fladen Ground, Western Irish Sea Mud Belt, and Celtic Deep, with the location of sediment cores for which age-depth models are plotted in d-f. Credit: &lt;i&gt;Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans&lt;\/i&gt; (2025). DOI: 10.1029\/2024JC022092\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/ocean-mud-locks-up-muc-1.jpg\" alt=\"Ocean mud locks up much of the planet's carbon\u2014we're digging deep to map these ancient stores\" title=\"(a\u2013c) Spatial distribution of sediments at the Fladen Ground, Western Irish Sea Mud Belt, and Celtic Deep, with the location of sediment cores for which age-depth models are plotted in d-f. Credit: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2025). DOI: 10.1029\/2024JC022092\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                (a\u2013c) Spatial distribution of sediments at the Fladen Ground, Western Irish Sea Mud Belt, and Celtic Deep, with the location of sediment cores for which age-depth models are plotted in d-f. Credit: <i>Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans<\/i> (2025). DOI: 10.1029\/2024JC022092<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mud is messy. For some, it&#8217;s a plaything. To many, it can mean real hardship. Mud, though, is often overlooked, particularly when it lies out of sight. Deep down at the bottom of the sea, it is one of the most important natural archives of Earth&#8217;s past\u2014holding clues of shifting climates, coastlines, ocean conditions and carbon storage.<\/p>\n<p>Our research is the first to use computer models to trace how thick, carbon-rich mud patches on the seafloor have formed over thousands of years\u2014helping to locate hidden carbon stores and understand the seafloor&#8217;s long-term role in the climate system. This mud is a carbon time capsule.<\/p>\n<p>Vast amounts of organic carbon settle on the seafloor each year, coming from decaying marine life and from living (or once living) material washed in from land. When stored in the marine environment, this <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.climate.gov\/news-features\/understanding-climate\/understanding-blue-carbon\" target=\"_blank\">&#8220;blue carbon&#8221;<\/a> can stay locked away for centuries or millennia.<\/p>\n<p>Marine sediments are the planet&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/marine-science\/articles\/10.3389\/fmars.2020.00165\/full\" target=\"_blank\">largest long-term reservoir of organic carbon<\/a>, particularly in huge underwater mud patches, making them a vital component of the global carbon cycle. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s10533-017-0310-4\" target=\"_blank\">Mud makes an excellent carbon store<\/a> because organic matter sticks to the tiny silt and clay particles and gets deposited in dense sediment, protecting it from oxygen\u2014attributes that larger particles such as sand don&#8217;t have.<\/p>\n<p>But no two mud patches are the same. Each holds a unique story about when it formed, how it got there, and how much carbon it stores. Across the world&#8217;s <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/continental-shelf\" target=\"_blank\">continental shelf seas<\/a>, scientists still don&#8217;t know where all these muddy deposits are or how extensive they might be. Our research shows that computer modeling past ocean conditions can help predict the location and age of carbon-rich mud\u2014all without getting our toes wet.<\/p>\n<p>This is a new way to bring old mud into the blue carbon conversation.<\/p>\n<p>We examined three mud\u2010rich areas in the shallow north-west European shelf seas: the Fladen Ground, Celtic Deep and western Irish Sea mud belts. Using computer models of ocean tides over the past 21,000 years\u2014 back to the peak of the last ice age\u2014we found that each of these mud patches formed at different times.<\/p>\n<p>In the Celtic Deep and western Irish Sea mud belts, mud has accumulated over the past several thousands of years and continues to do so today, especially in the latter. In the Fladen Ground, deposits are ancient relics, preserved by calm tidal conditions since the muds were laid down between 17,000 and 5,000 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The beauty of this modeling <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach is that it can be applied to other shelf seas too. While direct scientific data (as opposed to computer models) is best, sampling the seabed is costly and time-consuming, especially in remote places. That&#8217;s why the seafloor remains one of the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adp8602\" target=\"_blank\">least explored parts of our planet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Our work shows that models of past ocean conditions can help identify carbon-rich areas and guide more efficient sample collection. Mapping the size of muddy deposits and understanding the history of how and when they got there helps scientists to better consider how the seabed can store carbon and act as a buffer against climate change.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Ocean mud locks up much of the planet's carbon\u2014we're digging deep to map these ancient stores\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=D_ecRah5qOw\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"What is blue carbon?\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-06-09T06:04:29-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D_ecRah5qOw\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/D_ecRah5qOw\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Climate Dictionary | Blue Carbon\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/D_ecRah5qOw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n         <\/p><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up mt-4\" itemprop=\"caption\">What is blue carbon?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scratching_below_the_surface\"><\/span>Scratching below the surface<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Until now, assessments of blue carbon in offshore sediments have focused only on the surface of the seabed (typically the top 10cm). But that&#8217;s literally just scratching the surface.<\/p>\n<p>A 2024 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wildlifetrusts.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2024-09\/UK%20assessment%20-%20scientific%20report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a> estimated that 244 million tonnes of organic carbon are stored long-term in the surface of the UK&#8217;s seabed, with over 98% of it in that thin upper layer of sediment (the rest in saltmarshes and seagrass meadows). However, carbon buried below 10cm is &#8220;largely unquantified and relatively old,&#8221; the report noted.<\/p>\n<p>Ignoring that buried carbon risks underestimating the seafloor as a long-term carbon &#8220;sink&#8221;\u2014an area that stores more carbon than it releases. The seafloor is a key player in climate regulation, as the carbon locked away in seabed sediments would otherwise contribute to atmospheric carbon dioxide.<\/p>\n<p>Disturbing the stored carbon\u2014through offshore trawling, dredging or construction\u2014risks mobilizing carbon that has been locked away for centuries or millennia. When seafloor mud is disturbed, the organic carbon it holds can be exposed to oxygen-rich seawater where microbes may break it down, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0308597X23004062\" target=\"_blank\">converting it into carbon dioxide<\/a>. Some of this carbon dioxide dissolved in the seawater may then find its way <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/seabed-trawlings-impact-on-the-climate-may-be-wildly-overestimated-new-study-208811\" target=\"_blank\">back into the atmosphere<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why we are digging deeper in the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/convexseascapesurvey.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Convex Seascape Survey<\/a>, a five-year global research program exploring blue carbon\u2014asking questions like: where is it, how and when did it get there, and where did it come from? Alongside the computer modeling, we&#8217;re studying the sediment record\u2014using long tubes of mud extracted from the seafloor to measure how carbon storage has changed over time.<\/p>\n<p>With atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gml.noaa.gov\/ccgg\/trends\/\" target=\"_blank\">record high<\/a>, it&#8217;s vital to understand the risks of disturbing underwater carbon stores. Only then can we make smarter decisions about how to protect the ocean, and the carbon stored in its depths.<\/p>\n<p>We often think about protecting the ocean in terms of its marine life. But these muddy sediments, quietly building up on the seafloor, are vital in the fight against climate change. As <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/david-attenboroughs-ocean-reveals-how-bottom-trawling-is-hurting-sealife-in-horrifying-detail-255991\" target=\"_blank\">David Attenborough says<\/a> in his latest film, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/david-attenboroughs-ocean-reveals-how-bottom-trawling-is-hurting-sealife-in-horrifying-detail-255991\" target=\"_blank\">Ocean<\/a>: &#8220;The ocean is our planet&#8217;s life-support system, and our greatest ally against climate catastrophe.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n<p><strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tS. L. Ward et al, The Role of Long\u2010Term Hydrodynamic Evolution in the Accumulation and Preservation of Organic Carbon\u2010Rich Shelf Sea Deposits, <i>Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans<\/i> (2025). <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1029\/2024JC022092\" target=\"_blank\">DOI: 10.1029\/2024JC022092<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/257068\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOcean mud locks up much of the planet&#8217;s carbon\u2014we&#8217;re digging deep to map these ancient stores (2025, June 9)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 9 June 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-06-ocean-mud-planet-carbon-deep.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-06-ocean-mud-planet-carbon-deep.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(a\u2013c) Spatial distribution of sediments at the Fladen Ground, Western Irish Sea Mud Belt, and Celtic Deep, with the location of sediment cores for which age-depth models are plotted in d-f. Credit: Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (2025). DOI: 10.1029\/2024JC022092 Mud is messy. For some, it&#8217;s a plaything. To many, it can mean real hardship&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":674034,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/ocean-mud-locks-up-muc-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-674033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=674033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/674033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/674034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=674033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=674033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=674033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}