A new study led by Mojtaba Fakhraee, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, shows that the ocean can stabilize large carbon releases through a feedback mechanism involving iron sulfide (pyrite) formation under low oxygen (anoxic) conditions. This process preserves ocean alkalinity, buffers against acidification, and helps the Earth system recover from extreme carbon surges over long timescales. The study suggests this process is an important mechanism for stabilizing the climate after carbon release from large igneous province eruptions. Although this research demonstrates the resilience of the carbon cycle on long time scales, the proposed mechanism operates too slowly to mitigate ongoing human-driven climate change.

Link to the study

Link to a UConn Today article about the research