We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees

We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change.

Now, for the first time, our research has uncovered the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees. We discovered they are quietly helping to purify the air we breath.

More…

Tau.Neutrino said:

We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees

We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change.

Now, for the first time, our research has uncovered the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees. We discovered they are quietly helping to purify the air we breath.

More…

If I have my calculation right (unlikely, I know), the 55 million tonnes of H2 absorbed by tree bark is about 0.5% of all the H2 in the atmosphere.

So I wonder where the H2 to replace it comes from.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees

We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change.

Now, for the first time, our research has uncovered the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees. We discovered they are quietly helping to purify the air we breath.

More…

If I have my calculation right (unlikely, I know), the 55 million tonnes of H2 absorbed by tree bark is about 0.5% of all the H2 in the atmosphere.

So I wonder where the H2 to replace it comes from.

It leaks out of rocks.

Michael V said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

We discovered microbes in bark ‘eat’ climate gases. This will change the way we think about trees

We all know trees are climate heroes. They pull carbon dioxide out of the air, release the oxygen we breathe, and help combat climate change.

Now, for the first time, our research has uncovered the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees. We discovered they are quietly helping to purify the air we breath.

More…

If I have my calculation right (unlikely, I know), the 55 million tonnes of H2 absorbed by tree bark is about 0.5% of all the H2 in the atmosphere.

So I wonder where the H2 to replace it comes from.

It leaks out of rocks.

Seriously.

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

If I have my calculation right (unlikely, I know), the 55 million tonnes of H2 absorbed by tree bark is about 0.5% of all the H2 in the atmosphere.

So I wonder where the H2 to replace it comes from.

It leaks out of rocks.

Seriously.

It was a very cogent statement. I grokked it.

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

If I have my calculation right (unlikely, I know), the 55 million tonnes of H2 absorbed by tree bark is about 0.5% of all the H2 in the atmosphere.

So I wonder where the H2 to replace it comes from.

It leaks out of rocks.

Seriously.

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

It leaks out of rocks.

Seriously.

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

the BB.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

It leaks out of rocks.

Seriously.

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

Reactions with water to make clays and white micas etc. In others words minerals with an OH attached. If there is carbon available, methane might be made. But hydrogen is the most common gaseous product. We are only just starting to tap some of these hydrogen plays. There is one in Africa that powers a village. South Australia and Western Australia have known (as yet sub-economic) hydrogen deposits. Unfortunately, because hydrogen wasn’t considered, rarely has hydrogen been analysed-for as a part of drilling.

JudgeMental said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Seriously.

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

the BB.

Ultimately, yes.

Michael V said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Seriously.

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

Reactions with water to make clays and white micas etc. In others words minerals with an OH attached. If there is carbon available, methane might be made. But hydrogen is the most common gaseous product. We are only just starting to tap some of these hydrogen plays. There is one in Africa that powers a village. South Australia and Western Australia have known (as yet sub-economic) hydrogen deposits. Unfortunately, because hydrogen wasn’t considered, rarely has hydrogen been analysed-for as a part of drilling.

Interesting.

I know that as an opal gouger, I smell various smells emnating from the freshly dug ground. Different smells as you go through different layers.

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

I didn’t doubt it :)

So where did the rocks get their hydrogen from?

Reactions with water to make clays and white micas etc. In others words minerals with an OH attached. If there is carbon available, methane might be made. But hydrogen is the most common gaseous product. We are only just starting to tap some of these hydrogen plays. There is one in Africa that powers a village. South Australia and Western Australia have known (as yet sub-economic) hydrogen deposits. Unfortunately, because hydrogen wasn’t considered, rarely has hydrogen been analysed-for as a part of drilling.

Interesting.

I know that as an opal gouger, I smell various smells emanating from the freshly dug ground. Different smells as you go through different layers.

Neither hydrogen nor methane have smells. Damp clays can sometimes have smells. Also, iron metal has a smell. Your pick or jackhammer going through sandy ground could release that smell.

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

Reactions with water to make clays and white micas etc. In others words minerals with an OH attached. If there is carbon available, methane might be made. But hydrogen is the most common gaseous product. We are only just starting to tap some of these hydrogen plays. There is one in Africa that powers a village. South Australia and Western Australia have known (as yet sub-economic) hydrogen deposits. Unfortunately, because hydrogen wasn’t considered, rarely has hydrogen been analysed-for as a part of drilling.

Interesting.

I know that as an opal gouger, I smell various smells emanating from the freshly dug ground. Different smells as you go through different layers.

Neither hydrogen nor methane have smells. Damp clays can sometimes have smells. Also, iron metal has a smell. Your pick or jackhammer going through sandy ground could release that smell.

Some layers are like bitumen.

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

Interesting.

I know that as an opal gouger, I smell various smells emanating from the freshly dug ground. Different smells as you go through different layers.

Neither hydrogen nor methane have smells. Damp clays can sometimes have smells. Also, iron metal has a smell. Your pick or jackhammer going through sandy ground could release that smell.

Some layers are like bitumen.

Maybe there’s some kerogen in the rock.

Michael V said:

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

Neither hydrogen nor methane have smells. Damp clays can sometimes have smells. Also, iron metal has a smell. Your pick or jackhammer going through sandy ground could release that smell.

Some layers are like bitumen.

Maybe there’s some kerogen in the rock.

I’ll have to look that up.

The H2 sources include production from oxidation of CH4 (a), biogenic non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) (b), anthropogenic NMVOCs (c and wildfire NMVOCs (d); as well as direct H2 emissions from wildfires (e), combustion of biofuels (f), the combustion of fossil fuels (g), biological nitrogen fixation on land (h) or in the oceans (i), and H2 leakage during industrial H2 production.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09806-1

I guess that trees’ role in reducing H2 in the atmosphere will be inhibited by being increasingly blown down or burnt due to effects of climate change.

Ian said:

I guess that trees’ role in reducing H2 in the atmosphere will be inhibited by being increasingly blown down or burnt due to effects of climate change.

Every tree lost is a disater. Another nail in the coffin.

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

I guess that trees’ role in reducing H2 in the atmosphere will be inhibited by being increasingly blown down or burnt due to effects of climate change.

Every tree lost is a disater. Another nail in the coffin.

We need to plant billions of more trees.

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

Ian said:

I guess that trees’ role in reducing H2 in the atmosphere will be inhibited by being increasingly blown down or burnt due to effects of climate change.

Every tree lost is a disater. Another nail in the coffin.

We need to plant billions of more trees.

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

Every tree lost is a disater. Another nail in the coffin.

We need to plant billions of more trees.

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

Only in oceans shallower than the CCD (Carbonate Compensation Depth – approx 4,000 metres)

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

We need to plant billions of more trees.

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

Only in oceans shallower than the CCD (Carbonate Compensation Depth – approx 4,000 metres)

Oh, do tell more…

party_pants said:

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

Only in oceans shallower than the CCD (Carbonate Compensation Depth – approx 4,000 metres)

Oh, do tell more…

If the ocean is deeper than the carbonate compensation depth, CO2 dissolves, rather than sinking to the bottom to become part of the sedimentary pile.

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

Michael V said:

Only in oceans shallower than the CCD (Carbonate Compensation Depth – approx 4,000 metres)

Oh, do tell more…

If the ocean is deeper than the carbonate compensation depth, CO2 dissolves, rather than sinking to the bottom to become part of the sedimentary pile.

ta.

I guess well have to look around for suitable places of less than 4000m depth.

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

Every tree lost is a disater. Another nail in the coffin.

We need to plant billions of more trees.

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

This as well.

roughbarked said:

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

We need to plant billions of more trees.

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

This as well.

Knowledge of this is a good reason not to cut down trees, the only way to replace those microbes is to plant billions of trees.

We are capable of doing this.

We need to put more pressure on state and federal politicians.

They are capable of doing it too.

Madness that we are going slow on it.

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

party_pants said:

We need to encourage algal blooms in the open oceans. That will soak up CO2 and some of it will sink to the bottom of the ocean and eventually get buried by sediments.

This as well.

Knowledge of this is a good reason not to cut down trees, the only way to replace those microbes is to plant billions of trees.

We are capable of doing this.

We need to put more pressure on state and federal politicians.

They are capable of doing it too.

Madness that we are going slow on it.

what if a great number of the trees planted die off because of drought and bushfires?

party_pants said:

Tau.Neutrino said:

roughbarked said:

This as well.

Knowledge of this is a good reason not to cut down trees, the only way to replace those microbes is to plant billions of trees.

We are capable of doing this.

We need to put more pressure on state and federal politicians.

They are capable of doing it too.

Madness that we are going slow on it.

what if a great number of the trees planted die off because of drought and bushfires?

They already are. The roller coaster is gathering speed.