Improved radiocarbon dating of soil has led scientists to discover that the ground's soil will be absorbing far less atmospheric carbon dioxide this century than expected. Researchers at UC Irvine used carbon-14 data from 157 sites around the world to find that the carbon found in soil is roughly 3,100 years old, not 450. The previous finding of soil absorbing carbon at a strong rate led researchers to believe that atmospheric CO2 would decrease but instead it will be staying in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. The process occurs through photosynthesis; plants absorb CO2 from the air and when they die, they conceal the carbon in the soil. However, with the findings due to new technology, this process will be occurring at a much slower rate. Even through the new discoveries were not positive, the method of radiocarbon helps further knowledge and understanding of CO2 in the atmosphere as well as within soil. With this information, it is even more pressing that fossil fuel emissions are decreased, whether it be through clean energy or increased amount of plant life.
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