Discovery of 3,775-Year-Old Preserved Log Supports ‘Wood Vaulting’ as a Climate Solution
/ 26 September 2024 /
A new UMD-led study found that burying wood in the right environmental conditions can stop its decomposition and help curb carbon dioxide emissions.

A new study published in the journal Science suggests that an ordinary old log could help refine strategies to tackle climate change.

A team of researchers led by University of Maryland Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Professor Ning Zeng analyzed a 3,775-year-old log and the soil it was excavated from. Their analysis, published on September 26, 2024, revealed that the log had lost less than 5% carbon dioxide from its original state thanks to the low-permeability clay soil that covered it.

“The wood is nice and solid—you could probably make a piece of furniture out of it,” Zeng noted.

Understanding the unique environmental factors that kept that ancient log in mint condition could help researchers perfect an emerging climate solution known as “wood vaulting,” which involves taking wood that is not commercially viable—such as trees destroyed by disease or wildfires, old furniture or unused construction materials—and burying it to stop its decomposition.

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