carbon sink
noun
plural carbon sinks
: a location (such as the ocean, the soil, or a forest) that stores substances which contain carbon and especially carbon dioxide
Advocates of "sequestration" argue that the ocean already functions as the world's largest carbon sink: it contains 50 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere, most of which is stored in sediments on the ocean floor.—
Linda Baker
Linda BakerResearch has found that drought and declining water availability are increasingly impeding the ability of tropical ecosystems to soak up carbon dioxide, making the tropics a less effective carbon sink.—Glenn Scherer
Glenn SchererPeatlands serve as a major carbon sink. Their defining feature is a thick soil layer of leaf litter and other dead vegetation in a waterlogged state, meaning it can't fully decompose, which prevents vast amounts of carbon emissions.—Isabel Esterman
Isabel EstermanExamples of carbon sink in a Sentence
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Research released yesterday by the World Resources Institute’s Global Forest Watch showcased that our forest carbon sink reached its lowest point in the past two decades due to fires and persistent deforestation.
—Simi Thambi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Producing enough calories to nourish our growing population without chewing up the carbon sinks that stabilize our warming climate will be as monumental a challenge as ending oil.
—Michael Grunwald, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are pushing our most important carbon sink to its limits.
—Jenna Dipaolo, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Among the world’s largest seagrass fields and the planet’s most important carbon sinks, this high-seas patch of ocean covers an area the size of Switzerland.
—Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
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Simi Thambi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025
Producing enough calories to nourish our growing population without chewing up the carbon sinks that stabilize our warming climate will be as monumental a challenge as ending oil.
—Michael Grunwald, The Atlantic, 3 June 2025
Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are pushing our most important carbon sink to its limits.
—Jenna Dipaolo, Sun Sentinel, 1 June 2025
Among the world’s largest seagrass fields and the planet’s most important carbon sinks, this high-seas patch of ocean covers an area the size of Switzerland.
—Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for carbon sink
Cite this Entry
“Carbon sink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carbon%20sink. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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