Warming unlocks ancient carbon in Tibetan permafrost, triggering climate tipping point

The results revealed a clear and troubling pattern across all warming levels. Even under low to moderate warming, #carbon losses through respiration outpaced photosynthetic carbon gains by 1–16-fold.

Warming by +1°C, +2°C, and +4°C increased annual net #CO2 release by 44%, 80%, and 176%, respectively, and the site was a net carbon source before any experimental warming began.

"When warming reaches around 2–4°C, the system changes fundamentally," Ding told Phys.org. "Plants begin to reach their thermal and water-stress limits, so photosynthesis declines. At the same time, thaw penetrates deeper into the #soil, exposing old #permafrost carbon that has been frozen and protected for hundreds to thousands of years. Once thawed, microbes can decompose it and release it as CO2."

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ancient-carbon-tibetan-permafrost-triggering.html

#TippingPoint
#Tibet
#Himalaya
#Uhhps

Analysis of soil fertility data and mean national intelligence quotient scores for 126 countries finds a positive association between them. This is interpreted as an indication that nutrition affects intelligence. Variability in soil fertility accounted for 23% of the variability in intelligence scores; excluding an outlier, this rose to 42%.

Summary: https://www.psypost.org/scientists-have-found-a-geospatial-link-between-soil-fertility-and-national-intelligence-scores/

Original paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-22539-5

#Science #Intelligence #Soil #Fertility #Nutrition

The idea is not new: Our human #microbiota are dependant on #soilLife and our direct contact to natural #soil. But now scientists made a test with Finnish daycares: https://www.upworthy.com/pn-finland-daycare-forest-floor-children-immune-system/

Yes, mud and "dirt" are healthy!

The study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba2578

My podcast about soil microbiota: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/season-01-ep-04-sitting-with-your-beloved-sourdough/id1630784381?i=1000587422166

#biodiversity #soilLife #ecology #NatureMatchCuts #reconnectingWithNature #mud #gardening #health #immuneSystem

❓Which is the hottest surface: tarmac road or bare dried-out soil in the farmland?

🔎 Hanspeter Liniger and Jovana Askrabic study the warming of different land uses, and its effects on #soil and our #Climate

💡Their measurements on green grass, bare soil, and asphalt show huge temperature differences — reaching over 30 °C.

Watch the video 𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗹 and learn more about soil & its climate effects

🔗 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aNTQFVNyiw

#climateChange

On 8 May 2026 at #EGU26, scientists, #policymakers, and #EU representatives gathered to discuss the EU #Soil Monitoring and Resilience Law and the role of soil science in supporting evidence-based EU policies.

During the session: ''Facing the last policy challenges in the EU: How soil scientists can contribute to the demands for scientific evidence to support EU policies.'' Kaisa Säkkinen shared key highlights in our last #GeoLog post.

👉: https://egu.eu/9CWYVJ
📸 Antonio Jordán on #imaggeo

Soil that has been irradiated to kill all microbial life continues to emit CO2 and generate free electrons, suggesting that metabolic processes are occurring geochemically, outside of cells. These abiotic metabolic reactions might have had a role in the origin of life.

https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-dirt-that-refused-to-die-20260601/

#Science #Soil #OriginOfLife

The Dirt That Refused to Die

https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-dirt-that-refused-to-die-20260601/

#HackerNews #Dirt #Science #Soil #Microbiology #Ecology #Nature