Faculty of Science
Microbiology and Immunology

Climate stabilization by alkalinity production from pyrite burial during oceanic anoxia

Pyrite and a graph of pyrite alkalinity flux over time

Publication Date

Publication Journal

Nature Geoscience

Author(s)

Majtaba Fakhraee, Kohen W. Bauer, Noah J. Planavsky, Christopher T. Reinhard, and Sean A. Crowe

Pyrite, an iron-sulfur mineral, helps balance ocean chemistry and regulate carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere. Research using computer models and historical data found that during past periods of global warming, more pyrite was buried due to lower ocean oxygen levels. This process acted as a natural brake on climate change, illustrating how pyrite burial helps stabilize Earth’s climate by reducing the impact of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels.

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Microbiology and Immunology

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