Project BREATHE

O objetivo principal do projeto BREATHE é compreender e modelar como o CO₂ geogénico interage com os reservatórios hidrosfera-biosfera-atmosfera. O projeto propõe o desenvolvimento de ferramentas inovadoras para detetar, quantificar e interpretar emissões difusas de CO₂, através de uma dupla estratégia que integra medições in situ e técnicas avançadas de deteção remota. Os isótopos estáveis de carbono (δ¹³C) são utilizados como chave para discriminar a origem e transformação do CO₂ nos diferentes reservatórios. Adicionalmente, as respostas sazonais e funcionais da biota local — incluindo índices de vegetação, blooms de algas, biomassa microbiana — serão monitorizadas para identificar potenciais indicadores ecológicos da atividade do CO₂.

The project financed 100% by the State Budget through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), proposes an innovative and holistic approach to the study of volcanic carbon, with the aim of understanding the interactions between the Earth's reservoirs (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere) in areas of CO₂ emission, of evaluating the geogenic and biogenic contributions to the carbon balance, of modeling the biogeochemical cycle in environments extreme volcanics and to develop remote sensing techniques for global monitoring of diffuse degassing zones. These zones constitute excellent natural analogues for studying ocean acidification and ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric CO₂, helping to anticipate long-term biological impacts of climate change in terrestrial and marine environments. In a global context of searching for solutions to the growing increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere and adaptation strategies to climate change, knowledge about natural CO₂ emissions is an important tool. To this end, the project relies on an interdisciplinary team from several national and international research institutes.

This project can be considered at the forefront of science, contributing to redefining volcanic monitoring strategies, modeling the carbon cycle and responding to climate change. The BREATHE project therefore presents a multidisciplinary framework to interpret the role of volcanic CO₂ in terrestrial carbon dynamics, from the mantle to the atmosphere.