Revisiting the greatness of Earth’s great oxidation - Communications Earth & Environment Advancements in modeling, proxy integration, geochronology, and clarity on the nature of Paleoproterozoic glaciations are essential to improve understanding of the Great Oxidation Event, according to ...

New Paper! www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Carbon tax is back, baby!

Kick off your morning with a very nice write up in Mongabay about our recent Lac Mai paper. @johansix.bsky.social @jordonhemingway.bsky.social @saegroupethz.bsky.social

Millennial-aged peat carbon outgassed by large humic lakes in the Congo Basin - Nature Geoscience Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin emit ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, as shown by the isotopic signatures of their carbon pools.

Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin are emitting ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, reports a study in Nature Geoscience. These findings challenge the prevailing understanding that CO2 emissions from pristine humic lakes are derived from modern, rapidly cycling carbon. 🌍🧪

Precise kinetic parameters for thermal resetting of clumped isotope signatures in biogenic and abiogenic calcites Carbonate clumped isotope (∆47) thermometry is a powerful tool to reconstruct paleotemperatures. However, episodes of heating or cooling can alter ori…

Excited to share some new #clumped #isotope bond reordering results just published in EPSL and led by Nico Kueter & Nathan Looser @eth-eaps.bsky.social. Come for the high-precisino reordering kinetics, stay for the beautiful FTIR maps!

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Reminder, three more days to apply for our *two* fully funded PhD positions on tropical African biogeochemistry! @eth-eaps.bsky.social @usyseth.bsky.social @draketw.bsky.social @johansix.bsky.social

Constraining Greenhouse Gas Cycling and Emissions in Africa's Largest Humic Lake Lake Mai Ndombe is supersaturated in CO2 ${\text{CO}}_{2}$, CH4 ${\text{CH}}_{4}$, and N2O ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}\mathrm{O}$, with outgassing fluxes of 375 ± 32 Gg C yr−1, 623 ± 136 Mg C yr−1, and 223 ...

Very happy to see our @agu.org @jgrbiogeo.bsky.social paper on greenhouse gas emissions from Congo lakes published! Following up from @draketw.bsky.social's companion paper last week. With @johansix.bsky.social et al.

agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/...

a–d, Integrated non-dimensional pyrite content (a,c) and isotopic composition (b,d) exported from the sulfidic anoxic zone as functions of Γ0 and Da*. Panels a and b were calculated using the global averaged FeHR content, Ψ0 = 10, whereas panels c and d were calculating using Ψ0 = 1 as a low-iron endmember scenario. e, Example profiles showing predicted non-dimensional species contents/concentrations (OC, Γ; sulfate, Σ; sulfide, η; FeHR, Ψ; and pyrite, Π) and isotopic compositions (d34S_SO4, d34S_S^2- and Δpyrite) as functions of non-dimensional depth, ζ, for three contrasting parameter-space conditions (marked as coloured circles in a–d). Stippled lines and lighter colours represent low Ψ0 whereas solid lines and darker colours represent high Ψ0 conditions. Vectors in panel a represent the expected change in global-average Γ0 and Da* for each bathymetric region when using the oxygen-penetration depth (vector base) vs the mixed-layer depth (vector tip) as model input. Boxes in panel b represent the 5th to 95th percentile range of Γ0 vs Da* extent observed for each bathymetric region in the modern ocean. Vectors in panel d represent global changes to various Earth-system evolution processes discussed in the main text. Sed. rate, sedimentation rate.

A big reason we have an oxygenated atmosphere is because there is a lot more pyrite burial than pyrite oxidation (which wasn't always the case). 🧪⚒️

Link: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Millennial-aged peat carbon outgassed by large humic lakes in the Congo Basin - Nature Geoscience Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin emit ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, as shown by the isotopic signatures of their carbon pools.

Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin are emitting ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, reports a study in Nature Geoscience. These findings challenge the prevailing understanding that CO2 emissions from pristine humic lakes are derived from modern, rapidly cycling carbon. 🌍🧪

Congo’s largest humic lakes emit ancient peat carbon Nature Geoscience - We revealed that carbon dioxide emissions from the Congo Basin’s largest humic lakes partially originate from millennia-old peat. This discovery identifies a pathway...

In case our short communications paper was too long 😆, you can now read Research Briefing about our recent study showing aged carbon outgassing from Congo lakes!
rdcu.be/e6W6l

@jordonhemingway.bsky.social @johansix.bsky.social @usyseth.bsky.social @eth-eaps.bsky.social @natgeosci.nature.com

Is enhanced rock weathering ready as a climate mitigation strategy?

Our latest work explores key uncertainties — from feedstock availability and the land–ocean continuum to plant–soil interactions and socioeconomic impacts.

Now published in our perspective paper:

➡️ doi.org/10.1038/s430...

Does rock powder help protect the climate? Accelerated rock weathering on farmland is seen as a promising way to sequester carbon dioxide in the long term. However, researchers at the Thünen Institute and ETH Zurich urge caution: before rock p...

🚜🌍 Accelerated rock weathering shows promise for long term CO₂ removal — but major uncertainties remain.
#ClimateScience #CarbonRemoval #ERW
With @thuenen.de and @ethz.ch @mschiedung.bsky.social @eth-eaps.bsky.social

usys.ethz.ch/en/news-even...

A research team, led by @johansix.bsky.social and @jordonhemingway.bsky.social, has discovered that large blackwater lakes in the peatlands of the central Congo Basin are releasing ancient carbon. In the future, these lakes could become a significant sources of methane and impact the global climate.

Uncertainties of enhanced rock weathering for climate-change mitigation - Nature Reviews Earth & Environment Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy that converts atmospheric CO2 to stable carbonates by applying minerals to agricultural land. This Perspective discusses the p...

Aaaand here's the link to the paper: www.nature.com/articles/s43...

And with a nice write-up by @ethz.ch news: usys.ethz.ch/en/news-even...

🚨 Paper alert! 🚨 Happy to see this review out in @natureportfolio.nature.com Reviews Earth & Environ! We go through looming uncertainties related to wide-scale application of ERW. It will be a rocky path! @mschiedung.bsky.social @profbobhilton.bsky.social @eth-eaps.bsky.social @usyseth.bsky.social

And with a nice write-up by @ethz.ch news: ethz.ch/en/news-and-... @eth-eaps.bsky.social @usyseth.bsky.social

Here is what we found:

-Nearly 40% of the inorganic carbon in Lakes Mai Ndombe and Tumba comes from ancient peat.

-Microbes likely respire this old carbon deep underground, sending it to the lakes to vent like a "chimney"

-It's yet unknown what this means in terms of Congo's peat stability

Millennial-aged peat carbon outgassed by large humic lakes in the Congo Basin - Nature Geoscience Two major humic lakes in the Congo Basin emit ancient carbon from nearby peatlands into the atmosphere, as shown by the isotopic signatures of their carbon pools.

New paper alert! 🚨 Our new study shows that massive lakes in the Congo Basin are outgassing millennial-aged carbon. This challenges the idea that lake CO₂ only comes from modern vegetation.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Thread below! 🧵👇

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million Referendum on immigration limit could threaten EU agreements and cripple economy, say Swiss businesses

USA: "Man, we're sooooo good at making ourselves a nationalist backwater global pariah that nobody wants to visit or move to or do business with or interact with. We're the best at it! Can't get better than us!"

Switzerland: "hold my beer"

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

Sure, happy to! (presumably your swiss co-PI does too?)

PhD Position in Tropical Geomicrobiology: Modern and Ancient Microbial Drivers of Biogeochemical Cycling

The second position is focused mainly on ancient DNA and geomicrobiology and is based in Johan's group (with Senior Scientist Martin Hartmann). Link here: www.jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/113...

PhD Position in Tropical Organic Geochemistry: Modern and Ancient Microbial Drivers of Biogeochemical Cycling

The first position is focused mainly on organic geochemistry and biomarker reconstructions and is based in my group. Link here: www.jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/113...

Very excited to announce *TWO* fully-funded PhD positions starting this summer focusing on greenhouse gases in the peatlands of the Congo Basin! Both positions are joint between my group in @eth-eaps.bsky.social and that of @johansix.bsky.social @usyseth.bsky.social. Come join us!

Three new Research Centres of Competence for ETH Zurich How and where does life originate in the universe? How can physical phenomena be measured with the highest precision? How is Switzerland handling increasing climate and weather extremes? Three new Nat...

How and where does life originate in the universe? Three new National Centres of #Competence in #Research led by ETH Zurich and partner universities study life’s origins, precise measurement, and how Switzerland handles growing #ClimateExtremes.

Hydrothermal dolomitisation of a deep‐water bioherm isolated in a non‐dolomitised intraplatform basin within the Norian Dolomia Principale (Southern Alps, northern Italy) We propose that one of the largest known bioconstructions (the Monte Zenone bioherm) in the Southern Alps, northern Italy, and its growth on a tilted and drowned platform block of the Norian Dolomia ...

🚨Paper alert!🚨 Very excited to finally see the thesis work of my ~first~ M.Sc. student published---and, to boot, it's in a special edition dedicated to the late, great Judy McKenzie!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Finally got my hands on @peterbrannen.bsky.social's (now not so new) book here in Europe. Excited to dive into Peter's (and some other friends') telling of Earth history!

If your flight into/out of Europe is delayed by more than a few hours you are eligible for 600 EUR in compensation. Know your rights!

Doctoral position in isotope geochemistry for marine authigenic clay formation and the silicon cycle

Excellent opportunity for anybody looking to do a PhD on reverse weathering---Greg is an awesome person and great supervisor! Spread the word:
jobs.ethz.ch/job/view/JOP...

Sedimentary conditions drive modern pyrite burial flux to exceed oxidation - Nature Geoscience Modern pyrite burial in seafloor sediments exceeds pyrite oxidation on land, indicating that the sulfur cycle is out of balance, and acts to increase atmospheric oxygen levels, according to a diagenet...

⚒️ Article: Modern pyrite burial in seafloor sediments exceeds pyrite oxidation on land, indicating the sulphur cycle is out of balance and acts to increase atmospheric oxygen levels

www.nature.com/articles/s41...