The "Eleventh Five-Year" State Major Science and Technology Achievements Exhibition commenced at the National Convention Center on March 8.  Among the major achievements in basic research, global change as a leading research field was particularly eye-catching. "Carbonate Weathering - a Significant Process of Carbon Sink", by Prof. LIU Zaihua from the State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry (SKLEG) in the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of sciences (IGCAS), was highlighted as a landmark research achievement, and had attracted much attention from many domestic and foreign visitors.

Based on the field monitoring evidences and the theoretical calculations, Prof. LIU Zaihua found an important atmospheric CO2 sink formed by the global water cycle.  This carbon sink, generally referred to carbonate weathering-related carbon sink, is a combined action of carbonate dissolution, global water cycle and the photosynthetic uptake of DIC by aquatic organisms.  The sink is about seven hundred million tons per year, accounting for about 25% of the missing global carbon sink.

Prof. LIU’s finding suggested a new direction to find missing carbon sink through theoretical calculation and prediction.　 As a hot topic in the global change research, this study was honored as the "Top Ten News of China’s basic research in in 2007".　 The follow-up comprehensive study has been published in "Earth-science Reviews”, the top-ranked international journal in Earth Science.

The national recognition delighted Prof. LIU Zaihua.  He indicated that the uncertainty of carbon sink estimation is still under further study, and the greater breakthrough in research will come in the near future.  Prof. LIU also said that his research team has definitely picked up more momentum through showcase of their work in the “Eleventh Five-Year" State Major Science and Technology Achievements Exhibition.

(Provided by SUN Hailong and GUO Sheng, Translated by XIAO Yi, Edited by SUN Hailong)