This study documents a unique and highly efficient process of particulate organic carbon (POC) transfer from a major river estuary to the deep ocean. By providing the first direct observations of Congo River-derived POC at significant depths, the study reveals how both turbidity currents and tidal forces facilitate the movement of large carbon quantities to the Congo deep-sea fan, 1,200 km from the river mouth. Given that the Congo River contributes about 7% of the total organic carbon from the world's rivers, the findings highlight a potentially underestimated component of the global carbon cycle, making this research crucial for refining carbon cycle models and understanding carbon dynamics along the land-ocean continuum.

This study proposes revising the effect sizes of land use on SOC stock across the UK using a large dataset and a more robust analysis. It may serve as the basis for new reports of the nationwide land use emissions following the guidelines of the UNFCCC agreement. In addition, the study demonstrates the limitation of the space-for-time substitution assumption for estimating these effects.