# Wildfires cause Amazon to emit 1.17 billion more metric tons of CO₂ than it absorbs

- Source: Phys.org
- Published: 2026-10-22T17:00:20+00:00
- Category: Science
- Original: https://phys.org/news/2026-10-wildfires-amazon-emit-billion-metric.html
- Canonical: https://groundlevelnews.com/story/wildfires-cause-amazon-to-emit-1-17-billion-more-metric-tons-of-co-tha-86183e/

From 2010 to 2024, the Amazon rainforest—the largest tropical rainforest on the planet—released an average of 1.17 billion metric tons more carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere than it absorbed each year. Wildfires were the main source, emitting approximately 1.47 billion metric tons of CO₂ per year—far exceeding the forest's absorption capacity of 300 million metric tons per year.

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