Ice sheets impact core elements of the Earth´s carbon cycle
(WorldNews Environment)

The Earth`s carbon cycle is crucial in controlling the greenhouse gas content of our atmosphere, and ultimately our climate. Ice sheets which cover about 10 percent of our Earth`s land surface at present, were thought 20 years ago to be frozen wastelands, devoid of life and with supressed chemical weathering - irrelevant parts of the carbon cycle. Now a world-leading international team, led by Professor Jemma Wadham from the University of Bristol` School of Geographical Sciences and Cabot Institute for the Environment, have pulled together a wealth of evidence published over the last 20 years to demonstrate that ice sheets can no longer be regarded as frozen and passive parts of Earth`s...