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 This website serves solely as a historical reference and archive of its previous research, projects, and contributions to the field.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.
Even though carbon was one of the most abundant elements on Earth, it was actually very difficult to determine how much of it exists below the surface in Earth’s interior. Research by Deep Carbon Observatory scientists Marion Le Voyer, Erik Hauri (Carnegie Institution for Science, USA), Katherine Kelley (University of
When volcanoes erupt, they spew lava, ash, and gas into the atmosphere and over the surrounding landscape. The impacts of volcanic eruptions in populated areas are well documented, since scientists can monitor gas emissions and collect physical samples with relative ease. However, a significant fraction of Earth’s volcanoes are remote,
Super-deep diamonds, which form more than 380 km deep in Earth’s mantle, were invaluable tools for deep carbon scientists. Super-deep diamonds, which form more than 380 km deep in Earth’s mantle, were invaluable tools for deep carbon scientists. Not only do they harbor clues about how they formed and therefore
The 15 November 2016 edition of the journal Lithos delves into the role of natural diamonds in deep Earth research. Titled “The nature of diamonds and their use in Earth’s study,” the 15 November 2016 edition of the journal Lithos delves into the role of natural diamonds in deep Earth research.
The Third International Diamond School took place at the University of Alberta, with the Deep Carbon Observatory as the main event sponsor (together with De Beers and IsoMass). The Third International Diamond School took place at the University of Alberta, with the Deep Carbon Observatory as the main event sponsor (together with De Beers
Turrialba volcano had deposited ash on the capital city of Costa Rica and its 3 million inhabitants numerous times since 2014. In a new article in the Journal of Geophysical Research and an online Earthchem database, a DCO-DECADE team led by Maarten de Moor (National University, Costa Rica) and Alessandro Aiuppa (Palermo University, Italy) tracked
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
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