Two nearly identical ponds in New York are emitting dramatically different amounts of greenhouse gases, according to the Cornell Chronicle.
Texas Hollow Pond released more than twice the carbon dioxide of nearby Mud Pond—despite being only slightly deeper. But Mud Pond, with more plant growth and weaker stratification, bubbled up nearly double the methane.
Cornell ecologist Meredith Holgerson says the findings challenge assumptions and could reshape how scientists model emissions from ponds, which are major carbon sources despite their small size. Her team plans broader studies across 16 ponds to test these patterns.
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