HKU geographer leads world’s first study to evaluate greenhouse gas emissions from Chinese inland waters
Inland waters are an important component of the global carbon cycle and function as active reactors, transporting and transforming large quantities of naturally- and anthropogenically-derived carbon. Previous studies suggest that inland waters are major sources for greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, yet these emissions are poorly constrained (Note 1).
As a primary greenhouse gas that drives global climate change, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from inland waters play a key role in assessing global carbon cycle. While most efforts over the last decade have focused on refining the emission flux estimates at the regional and global scales, scientists do not fully understand the responsiveness of regional CO2 emissions from inland waters to global change. Recent studies demonstrate that they are subject to upward revisions because key regions, such as China, have not been properly included.
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Photo credit: The University of Hong Kong
