Antarctica Taylor Valley shows significant increase in geological CO2 emissions

Research published in Global Biogeochemical Cycles reveals a substantial increase in carbon dioxide degassing from the soil in Antarctica’s Taylor Valley, located within the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Geochemical analyses conducted by a team including the National Research Council (CNR), the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), and the Universities of Otago and Waikato indicate that average CO2 flux rose from 1.73 grams per square meter per day in 2020 to 9.49 grams in 2025.

This represents a five-and-a-half-fold increase in average emissions, with peak measured values jumping from 11.36 to 72.99 grams per day over the same period. Molecular and isotopic analyses suggest this carbon is not merely a result of surface biological processes but is originating from much deeper geological and hydrological systems passing through the permafrost.

Geochemist Livio Ruggiero noted that these findings necessitate a broader understanding of the Antarctic carbon cycle, highlighting connections between the atmosphere and deep subsurface geological systems.