Rethinking high carbon emissions associated with thick sediments in reservoirs

Dams trap sediments and create carbon emission hotspots within reservoirs, fueling ongoing debates about their contributions to atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. This study introduced the concept of carbon emissions per unit mass or volume of sediment as carbon emission intensity (CEI), examined its correlation with sediment thickness using 58 global data sets, and clarified the impact of sediment thickness on CEI through incubation experiments. Here, we share the global data that support the findings of this study.