Arctic fjord on Svalbard in Norway found to absorb more greenhouse gases than it emits: Study

Excerpt from aa.com.tr

A new Norwegian study has found that Kongsfjorden, a fjord on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, absorbs more greenhouse gases than it releases, NRK news reported on Friday.

Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute, using new nitrogen and carbon measurement models, discovered that the fjord acts as a natural carbon sink.

Their study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, combines years of water sampling with advanced ocean models to estimate the fjord’s “nitrogen and carbon budget.”

“Kongsfjorden takes up more carbon and nitrogen than it emits. If this pattern is repeated in other fjords, it’s good news for both the climate and marine ecosystems,” said Pedro Duarte, senior researcher at the Norwegian Polar Institute and lead author of the study.

Scientists describe Kongsfjorden, located near the research town of Ny-Alesund, as a “living laboratory” that changes faster than most fjords in the Arctic.