A new study finds that many rivers in the western US, especially in dry, sun-exposed regions are absorbing more carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere than they emit, overturning the long-held view that rivers are predominantly carbon sources. Using machine-learning models across all river networks in the lower 48 states, the researchers found that about 25 % of western river sections act as carbon sinks (vs 11 % in the East).

Source: Earth.Com